Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

                   Shipping Time Update 03/01/08
We are currently running behind on shipping orders and email replies. Orders are being shipped out in 5-10 business days. This includes orders requested by air as well. Requesting an air shipment will not guarantee same or next day shipping. This is an approximation and could vary either way. We will try to respond to emails as soon as possible. Sending multiple emails will not speed the process up. If you sent an email, we read it, but again, have not the time to respond in the manner we both would like to. We apologize for any inconvenience. If your credit card was recently charged then your order is ready to ship or has shipped.
If your order is several weeks behind, chances are we are out of stock on the item or several items and are holding the order until we can ship complete. (our policy on backorders is clearly defined on our Terms and Conditions page.
Please be aware, we are a family owned business that has been serving the electronic community for 20 years. Our resources for staff is very limited. Also, we only have one phone line coming into our store. You may experience difficulty getting through at certain busy times of the day.  Thank you.

  

 

Ordering
Do you have a minimum order?
How long will it take to receive my order?
Which credit cards can I use?
How can I pay if I don't have a credit card?
Can I check the status of my order online?
Can I order by mail?
Can I call or FAX my order?
Do I have to pay sales tax?
What do you do about back orders?
Do you offer net 30 day billing?
Do you offer other items that are not listed on your website or in your catalog?
Do you substitute items?
Why won't an item add to the shopping cart?

Shipping
Do you ship outside the US?
Can I specify the carrier that my order is shipped with?
When will my order ship?
I'm in a hurry, can you ship overnight?
How do you determine the Shipping & Handling charge on an order?


Returns
I ordered the wrong item, what do I do now?

General
What are your hours?
How do I get a paper copy of the Ocean State catalog?
What's Ocean State's address and phone number?
I have a technical question, who do I speak to?
Is ordering over the internet safe?
I'm concerned about privacy. What's going to happen to my name and address?
Are Prices the same in the catalog, on-line, and in the store?
Are there any errors on your website?
My question isn't listed here, whom do I contact?


Ordering  
Do you have a minimum order? TOP
Yes. We have a small minimum order of just $10.00.
It costs us about $6.00 to process just one order!
Our $10.00 minimum is small compared to other companies.
We have seen other companies charge anywhere from $25 to $50 per order.		  
How long will it take to receive my order? TOP
We try to ship In-stock orders as quickly as possible. From the time the order is shipped until you receive it is about 2-7 days depending on your location. During busy times of the year, ie, employee vacations, November and December, we usually run up to a week or more behind. Orders with a few line items usually ship out within 2-5 days. Orders with many items may ship out in 5-10 days. This applies to air shipments as well. Be aware, just because you requested an air shipment, it does not mean it will ship the same or next day.   
Which credit cards can I use? TOP
Ocean State currently accepts American Express, Master Card, and Visa.  
How can I pay if I don't have a credit card? TOP
Order by mail with a personal check, cashier's check, or a money order. See Can I order by mail? below.  
Can I check the status of my order online? TOP
No. To check the status of your order you can call us 1-401-596-3080 or email us at ose@oselectronics.com. It would be quicker to call however. We receive several hundred emails PER DAY. Sometimes it takes us up to a week to respond. Usually your order will have arrived by then.  
Can I order by mail? TOP
Yes! If you prefer to order by mail, we suggest you use the order form included in our catalog or you can print out a copy of our order form HERE. If neither is available to you then plain paper will do. Print neatly and include all the necessary information. List the quantity, stock number, description and price of the items you're ordering, total them up, add Shipping & Handling charges and any applicable tax. Give us your current mailing address and telephone number. If you're paying by credit card, include the card number, expiration date and issuer's name. Send your order to: Ocean State Electronics PO Box 1458 Westerly, RI 02891 You may also fax your order to us at 1-401-596-3590.  
Can I call or FAX my order? TOP
Calling? Order  by calling 401-596-3080  from 9:00AM to 4:30PM EST Monday-Friday.  Faxing? Complete our order form as if ordering by mail and then FAX it to us at 1-401-596-3590.  
Do I have to pay sales tax? TOP
We are required by law to collect sales tax in the state of RI only. The current sales tax rate is 7%. The tax is on the merchandise total and not the shipping/handling fee. Schools, government agencies, and city municipalities are usually tax exempt. If you are a company and are tax exempt, you will have to supply us with your tax exempt certificate.   
What do you do about back orders? TOP
We attempt to stock all items listed on our web site, in our catalog, flyers, or advertisements. However, from time to time, an item or items will be out of stock. If we only have one supplier for this item and they too are out of stock, delivery can sometimes be many weeks. Fortunately, most back orders are filled within 2 weeks or less. If you phone your order in or pay on line with a credit card, we shall ship all items available from our stock within 24 hours and back order any item(s) not available. The line item total of this item must be $10.00 or more to be back ordered otherwise we will cancel it from the order and indicate the item(s) was out of stock and to reorder at a later date. We bill you for the back ordered item when it arrives and is going to be shipped. Mail in orders that we can fill from stock are shipped within 24 hours if paid by money order, credit card, or open account. Orders paid by personal check shall be held 2-7 days while check clears the bank. If a back order exists on your prepaid order we shall hold the order until complete for a maximum of two weeks. If you would like us to ship partial orders, cancel any back orders, and issue a refund or credit on your account please indicate this on your order. If not indicated, credit towards future order will be given.  
Do you offer net 30 day billing? TOP
Net 30 accounts are granted automatically to schools, cities, towns, and government agencies. Our terms are Net 30 from invoice date, strictly enforced. Accounts over 30 days will automatically be put on credit hold and are subject to late fees of 1.5% per month or 18% annum plus legal fees if necessary.  
Do you offer other items that are not listed on your website or in your catalog? TOP
Yes. Through our suppliers, we have access to literally tens of thousands of other items. So if the item you need does not appear in the catalog or website, please give us a call. Special ordered items are non-returnable and certain additional shipping fees may apply. Your Ocean State salesperson will be happy to discuss the details. Non catalog items we can get usually take between 1-3 weeks from time of order. See our line card for all the other companies we carry. If you go to their website and see something your interested in, we can probably special order it for you if we do not stock it.  
Do you substitute items? TOP
Yes, if we are out of stock on the item you are ordering. We always substitute a higher quality or equivalent part or product at our option unless you specify no substitutions at the time your order is place. This would occur if the part you are ordering is either out of stock, discontinued, or no longer being carried.  
Why won't an item add to the shopping cart? TOP
There are over 14,000 items on our website. We have found there may be a few items that can't be added to the shopping cart. It does not mean the item is out of stock. It means there is a problem with the link to the cart. If this happens just note the item you want in the comments field of the order form and let us know that the item would not add to the cart. We will fix it. 
The second reason this may happen is because the security settings on your browser may be set too high. Lower the setting, add to the cart, and you can put the setting back when your done.
Shipping
Do you ship outside the US? TOP
Yes and No! Due to problems of fraud in the past, there are several countries we do not ship to. Canada, Mexico, Australia, United Kingdom, and Japan are usually ok. Other countries may want to email us first to see if we can ship to that country.  Payment must be by Visa, Mastercard, or American Express. Canadian customers only may also pay by postal money order. No personal checks or other money orders can be accepted, even if it says "drawn on a US bank". Orders shipped to Canada will be by either UPS or US Mail depending on the size and dollar amount of the order. Overseas usually ships by Global Express Mail only.  Email us your order and we will calculate the actual shipping charge and email this back to you. Please be aware that some countries do not allow insurance or only limited insurance. Ocean State Electronics shall not be responsible for items that may be lost in shipping to countries without insurance. If in doubt, check with your local post office. Also, some credit card companies overseas will not provide us with address verification. If this is the case with your bank, then payment will have to be via wire transfer. We will email you the necessary information if your credit card can't be processed and you are willing to do a wire transfer. A wire transfer is very safe. There are also some countries that we do not ship due to problems of packages frequently getting lost. We will notify you if we can't ship to your destination.  
Can I specify the carrier that my order is shipped with? TOP
Yes, as long it is either UPS or US Mail.  Normally we ship all lighter packages by US Mail. These packages are sent priority and are usually received by the customer in 1-3 days regardless of the location. The same package shipped by UPS could take up to 7 days. Also, any packages going to a PO Box are shipped by US Mail. UPS will not deliver to a PO Box. Chemicals can only be shipped by UPS ground to addresses in the Continental U.S. A final note, we may change your shipping preference at our option anytime unless you specify in the comments field not to.  
When will my order ship? TOP
We would love to ship all orders the same day we receive them, but this is impossible. Orders are shipped out as quickly as possible. Some times of the year we do run behind, ie, holidays and employees vacations and sick days. During these times it may take several days  or more to ship an order. This includes air shipments as well.   
I'm in a hurry, can you ship overnight? TOP
Yes. At the end of the checkout process you'll have the option of choosing Regular Ground, Second Day UPS, 3 day UPS, or Over Night UPS Shipping. Second Day Air is your best bet if you don't need your order the very next day. UPS next day is very expensive. Also, next day means next business day. So orders placed on Friday will be received Monday if shipped "overnight". UPS 2nd day would arrive on Tuesday. Flammable or hazardous items can not be shipped by Air. If your order contains a flammable item the entire order will be shipped by Ground. Remember, if we are backed up, your order may still take several days to ship out. We suggest you phone your air order in if you must have it right away.  
How do you determine the Shipping & Handling charge on an order? TOP
Most orders shipped in the continental US are charged a flat rate of $10.00. We find this a lot easier then coming up with a table for various dollar amounts or a table based on how much your package weights. We do not make any money on shipping. What costs us $5.00 to ship "locally" may cost us $10.00 to ship across the US. In the end it balances out. The only time we do charge more on shipping in the continental US is if your item is heavy or if you are ordering large heavier items such as wire, power supplies, or heavy test equipment. Then actual shipping charges apply. If you request US Mail for shipping, most of the time the fee will be $10.00 unless the package is heavier and needs to be insured. Usually this adds a dollar or three to the cost. Canadian and overseas orders are charged the actual rate which is calculated after the order is packed and weighed.  
Returns  
I ordered the wrong item, what do I do now? TOP
Due to the high cost of processing paperwork and labors involved, all returns will be subject to a 15% restocking charge unless there was an error on our part or the product was defective. Absolutely no returns on books and software. Tubes or semiconductors that have been installed may not be returned. You must call first to receive an RGA number (returned goods authorization). This number must appear on the outside of the package being returned. We will refuse any package coming back to us that does not have the RGA number clearly marked on the outside. We recommend you ship the package back via UPS or insured mail. We shall not be responsible for packages sent without insurance. If you are returning the item for credit, we shall issue you a credit to your credit card if originally paid by credit card, or if order was paid by check or money order, we shall issue a refund check. Please allow 1-2 weeks for credit. Returns must be made within 30 days from invoice date. Please include a copy of the invoice and state the reason for return.  
General  
What are your hours? TOP
Our hours are Monday thru Thursday 9:30AM to 4:00PM EST. 
Friday's 9:30AM to Noon EST. We are closed Saturday, Sunday, and holidays. Hours are subject to change without notice. 
Our website is available 24 hours a day. 		 
How do I get a paper copy of the Ocean State Catalog? TOP
We did not print a paper catalog in 2007. Our in house research shows that almost 90% of our business now comes from the website. With a figure like that it is hard to justify spending the money to print and mail a paper catalog. The advantages of the web over a paper catalog are many, ie, instant price adjustments, adding of new products, deletion of discontinued products instantly, no postage costs, etc.  Now does that mean we will never print a paper catalog? No, in fact we are pondering the idea of a print catalog for 2008. If one becomes available, we will post a notice on our website and we will also continue our 19 year tradition of including a paper catalog with every order and mailing one to all previous customers.  
What is Ocean State's address and phone number? TOP
Our phone number is 401-596-3080: FAX 401-596-3590 Ocean State Electronics PO Box 1458 6 Industrial Drive Westerly, RI 02891 Email ose@oselectronics.com  
I have a technical question, who do I contact? TOP
Technical assistance will be limited to our products only. We do not provide information on repair, building, hook-up, etc. In most instances we actually will refer you to the manufacturer of the product you are purchasing. Phone 401-596-3080 for technical questions. You can also email tech support at techsupport@oselectronics.com  
Is ordering over the Internet safe? TOP
Ordering over our online catalog is a completely encrypted, secure process using secure socket layer (SSL) technology. In fact, your credit card is more safe this way then when you go out to eat and hand the waitress your credit card and she disappears for 10 minutes. By the way, your order, with your credit card info and personal info, is entered and stored on a computer that is "NOT" connected to the internet. There is no way information can be stolen from this computer.  
I'm concerned about privacy. What's going to happen to my name and address? TOP
Your name, address, phone number, etc. is safe with us. We NEVER sell, rent, or distribute your information to anyone for any reason!!!! We also do not send you any promotional emails, NEVER!!  
Are prices the same in the catalog the same as the website? TOP
Due to the higher cost of printing a paper catalog over the cost of maintaining the website, catalog prices may be higher in some instances. This is why we encourage ordering over the web.  
Are there any errors on your website? TOP
Probably. Our website lists over 14,000 part numbers!! We do our best to try and keep all the information and prices as accurate as possible, but again, with 14,000 items sometimes this can be difficult. Ocean State shall not be held responsible for errors in both pricing and information.  
My question isn't listed here, whom do I contact? TOP
You may find additional information under our terms and conditions page. If your questions are still not answered you can can contact customer service at customerservice@oselectronics.com or call 401-596-3080.