Our Policies

By ordering from this website, you are agreeing to our policies posted herein. Please read all policies before completing your order.

     Shipping Information    

Standard Shipping * Shipping Times * Faster Shipping
Shipping to PO Boxes, APO's, AK, HI & PR * International Destinations * Oversized Packages

• Standard Shipping via UPS Ground
  UPS Ground is available within the 50 United States and Puerto Rico. We process orders Monday - Friday from 10 am until 3pm, except national holidays, and UPS delivers 1-5 days after shipping, Monday through Friday, excluding national holidays. We try ship orders received before noon on the same day, and we ship most orders out within 2 business days, but it's not always possible! If you must have your package by a certain date, please be sure to write a "Needed By" date and approve additional shipping in the Special Instructions area of the Checkout Screen, so that we can expedite the processing of your order, and upgrade your shipping method to UPS Air if needed.
  
  SIGNATURE REQUIRED FOR DELIVERY if your merchandise total is over $200, so someone must be home to receive your package. Not sure how long UPS Ground Shipping will take? Click here to see a UPS Ground transit time map. Please note that UPS shipping rates to HI, AK and PR are still much higher than Priority Mail. Please contact us for rates.
  
  UPS can NOT deliver to Post Office Boxes! You must supply a valid street address for UPS Ground delivery. Otherwise, your shipping method will be changed to Priority Mail and your total updated accordingly.
  
  Address Corrections: if UPS is required to make an address correction based on the information you submit for your order to deliver your package (such as adding an apt., suite or floor number or fixing a misspelled street name), you will be responsible for any additional shipping fees.
  
  
• Standard Shipping Times
  

  Click for a larger image

  Normal UPS Ground Shipping times are shown on the map to the left. Remember not to count the day the order is shipped, weekends or holidays when determining your shipping time! Please note that UPS shipping rates to HI, AK and PR are still much higher than Priority Mail. Please contact us for rates. IF YOUR ORDER IS TIME SENSITIVE, please write a "Needed By" date in the Special Instructions area of the Checkout Screen so that we can expedite your order and upgrade your shipping as needed. UPS Air orders received after 12:00 pm Eastern Time will be processed the following business day unless you request rush processing for a $5.00 fee. We process orders until 3pm Monday-Thursday, and until 1pm on Fridays.

• Faster Shipping via UPS Air
  UPS Air orders received after 12:00 pm Eastern Time will be processed the following business day unless you request rush processing, which will incur an additional $5.00 fee.
  
  You may select UPS Air shipping at the time of checkout. Shopping cart costs for UPS Air shipping are estimated and may change depending on the weight and size of the box. Increases under $5.00 will be charged and shipped with a corrected invoice included with your order. Increases in shipping fees over $5.00 will be e-mailed for approval before your order will be processed, so please be sure to submit contact information where you can be reached during the day.
  
  Please note that UPS requires a signature for Air delivery - someone must be home to receive your package! We can ship your order via one of the following UPS Air Shipping methods for an additional fee (UPS delivers Monday through Friday):
  
  Next Day Air -- Guaranteed next business day delivery throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
  2nd Day Air -- Guaranteed delivery by the end of the second business day throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico
  3 Day Select -- features delivery by the end of the third business days throughout the contiguous 48 states. UPS Air Shipping Rates are higher to Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico (USPS Express Mail is also available to these areas).
  
  Unsure which shipping method to use?
  - Use the "Special Instructions" area of the Checkout Screen to tell us the day (M-F) and time the package is needed.
  - We will package your order appropriately and email you with a total cost.
  - If the difference is less than $5.00, we will just ship it. If higher, you will need to approve the change, so be sure to submit contact information where you can be reached during the day.
  
  UPS can NOT deliver to Post Office Boxes! You must supply a valid street address for UPS Ground delivery. Otherwise, your shipping method will be changed to Priority Mail and your total updated accordingly.
  
  Address Corrections: if UPS is required to make an address correction to deliver your package (such as correcting a zip code, adding an apt., suite or floor number or fixing a misspelled street name), you will be responsible for any additional shipping fees.
  
  
• US Postal Service Shipping to Military Addresses, AK, HI & PR
  Usually ships 1 or 2 days AFTER the order is received. Sorry, Priority Mail shipments can not ship same day! In a hurry? Priority Mail, despite the name, is not usually faster than UPS Ground. Priority Mail shipping time SHOULD be 3-5 business days, but we have seen it take up to 10 days. Priority Mail packages are shipped with Signature Confirmation - you must sign for your package to receive it (military addresses excluded).
  
  Orders shipping to P.O. Boxes and Military Addresses (APO, FPO, etc.) are ONLY shipped via Priority Mail.
  
  If you should need your package shipped quickly to Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico, request US Express Mail (1 or 2 day delivery) in the Special Instructions/Comments area of the Checkout screen. Express Mail orders received after 12:00pm EST will be processed the following business day. You will be notified by email of your corrected order total for your approval.
  
  
• International Shipping
  Clown Antics will ship your international orders via Priority Mail (6-10 day delivery) or Express Mail (4-6 day delivery) International, depending on availability. All international shipping costs are based on weight and destination, and are therefore not calculated on our website. 40% of the total order USUALLY covers air freight and handling fees. Selecting UPS Next Air will give you a good estimate of your shipping, and overage will be refunded. You will be notified by email of your corrected order total for your approval if there is an increase. (Visit the USPS website to learn more about international shipping costs.)
  
  Clearing Customs: You may be charged additional duties, taxes or other fees by your local officials which are not included in our prices or shipping costs. Your local officials may hold your package for an extended period of time prior to contacting you. We have no control over this. You should contact your local Customs Office or Postal Service if your package seems to be delayed. Additionally, if the item(s) you ordered are rejected by your local customs officials and sent back to us, we will refund the purchase price of the merchandise, less any applicable restocking fees. We are unable to process returns for any seized, damaged, opened or lost items, so please be sure to check with your local customs office to be sure that you can receive the items you order.
  
  DUE TO AN INCREASE IN CREDIT CARD FRAUD we require all new international customers to submit a copy of the front and back of the credit card used, as well as a note signed by the cardholder authorizing us to charge the card and ship the merchandise to the address given in the order. This information should be sent AFTER your order is completed and you have checked out of the shopping cart. Please call 734-454-6625 prior to faxing so that we may activate our fax machine. To reduce overseas credit card fraud, we do feel that we need validation that the card holder is the person who is placing the order. We apologize for the inconvenience. See our Foreign Credit Card Policy for details. Canada and UK recipients - try using PayPal instead!
  
  
• Oversize, Overweight or Multiple Carton Orders (Additional Shipping Charges)
  Some large orders and certain heavier items may require additional shipping due to size or weight. Examples include Unicycles, Air Compressors, PA Systems, 4 or more 50 Gallon Cowboy Hats, multiple carton orders and boxes over 60 inches in girth.
  
  When the change in fees is less than $5.00, these additional charges will automatically be added to your order when it is processed. When over $5.00, we will notify you of the change before shipping, in case you wish to make a change to your order. Please note that a box that would not be oversized for UPS Ground may be considered oversized for UPS Next and 2nd Day Air or 3 Day Select.

Ordering Information & Policies

Secure Online Shopping * Other Ways to Order * Order Cut-Off Time
Small Orders * Special Orders * Pricing Policy

• Secure Online Shopping
  Shop online at Clown Antics 24 hours a day from the comfort of your own home -- you can even shop in your clown underwear (we won't tell)! Our sales transactions all take place on secure servers hosted by Americart Shopping Cart service that are certified "Hacker Safe" every day, so you can feel confident in making your purchases.
  
  If you don’t feel comfortable giving your credit card number over the internet, then use the credit card or money order forms for phone or mail. Just follow the instructions and choose the appropriate payment option when you check out, then simply mail or phone your credit card information to us.
  
  So sit back, kick off your clown shoes, and shop 'til your heart's content!
  
  
• Other Ways to Order
  You may print out an Order Form to place your order by mail or to help organize a telephone order.
       Click here for a Printable Order Form or
       here for a Downloadable Order Form (PDF File, Adobe Acrobat Reader Required)
  
  You may call us to place your order between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time at:
  
  
  (734) 454-6625
  
  Or mail your completed orderform and payment to:
  
  
  Clown Antics
  38510 Warren Road
  Westland, Michigan 48185-1934
  
  
  
• Order Cut-Off Time
  UPS Air orders received after 12:00 pm Eastern Time will be processed the following business day unless you request rush processing for a $5.00 fee. If your order is time sensitive, please write a "Needed By" date in the Special Instructions area of the Checkout Screen so that we can expedite your order and upgrade your shipping as needed.
  
  
• Small Order Handling Fee
  You may place an order for any amount you wish, but we must charge a fee for processing small orders. Orders with less than $15.00 in merchandise will incur a small order fee of up to $5.00 maximum plus shipping. For example: If your merchandise subtotal is $7.00, the small order fee is $5.00. If your merchandise total is $13.00, the fee is only $2.00. Please note that our shopping cart will NOT reflect this sliding scale, nor will the automatic email confirming your order - but your total WILL be adjusted by us when your order is processed, and PayPal orders will have the difference refunded when your order is processed.
  
  Why is there a Small Order Policy?
  Small orders cost us the same amount for processing, paperwork, pulling, double-checking, packaging, etc. as larger orders, so we charge a one time handling fee for these orders. This fee attempts to offset some of the costs incurred by processing small dollar amount orders. Remember that even with small orders, we still must take the time to process, package and label your order. With tens of thousands of different products, all orders we process have different dimensions, different packaging requirements, different weights and so on, so all must be individually weighed and measured before shipping. The Small Order Fee is clearly shown in your shopping cart before you "OK" your order, to give shoppers the option of adding to the order, combining the order with that of a friend, or cancelling it.
  
  What if an item I want is out of stock?
  If an item in your order is out of stock, causing your merchandise subtotal to fall below $15.00, the Minimum Order Fee will be waived.
  
  
• Special Orders
  When you place a special order as part of a regular order, we will hold the order if the special order item(s) are due in within one week, and ship the order when it is complete. Special order items which will need longer than a week to arrive will be shipped separately (please note that shipping items separately will incur additional shipping fees). You will be notified via email of the delay, and given the opportunity to make changes to your order.
  
  Naturally, it is impossible for us to carry every item available to us, but Clown Antics can usually special order almost any product that is carried by our manufacturers. However, because it is both time consuming and costly for us, it is important that you understand your commitment once you request that we place a special order for you.
  * Many of our companies have minimum requirements when we order from them. If your special order doesn't meet a distributor's minimum requirement, we have to pay more for the items we're purchasing - anywhere from 5% to 25% more. When a distributor informs us of the higher price, we will give you the option of receiving the item(s) at a higher price or canceling the order.
  * We cannot cancel a special order once we have placed the order from our distributor.
  * To place a special order, a non-refundable pre-payment in full by credit card or money order is required.
  * We cannot accept returns on any special order items.
  * We are at the mercy of the supplier for shipping time and availability, so estimated times of arrivals are not guaranteed.
  
  As strict as this may sound, we have your best interest in mind. Special orders ARE special, and we want you to be a satisfied customer.
  
  
• Pricing Policy
  All prices on ClownAntics.com are subject to change without notice. We make every effort to keep our site current and correct, and you will be notified via email of any price increases of more than a few cents.

Payment Options

Credit Card * PayPal * Credit Card outside the U.S.
Check or Money Order * COD

• Paying by Credit Card   
  We only accept Visa and MasterCard, or Visa and MasterCard enabled debit cards directly at this time. Does your debit card have the Visa or MasterCard logo with a small silver hologram on the front? If it does, you can use it just like a credit card, even online. To use another credit card, please use PayPal.
  
  We do not recommend submitting credit card information via regular non-secure email. If you want to use a credit card but prefer not transmit it over the internet, you should still use our secure shopping cart, just choose the payment option to mail or phone in your card number. If we already have your credit card number and expiration date on file, you may merely request that we use your existing credit card information by confirming the last for digits of the card number and the expiration date.
  
  Please BE SURE to include on all credit card orders:
  
  • Credit card number and Expiration Date
  • Cardholder name (as it appears on the credit card)
  • Complete billing address for the credit card
  • Shipping address (include the receiver name, if different)
  • E-mail address
  • Daytime and evening telephone numbers
  • How best to reach you if we have questions about your order.
  
  
  
  
• Paying by PayPal   
  
  Clown Antics is PayPal Verified
  
  PayPal, an eBay company, is the global leader in online payments. PayPal allows you to send and receive secure online payments, working seamlessly with your existing credit card or checking account.
  
  We accept PayPal for orders shipping to U.S., Canada and U.K. addresses. We're sorry, but at this time, we do not accept PayPal for orders shipping to other international addresses.
  
  To complete your order using PayPal, select "PayPal" as your payment method when checking out of the shopping cart. You will be taken to the PayPal Website where you can sign in with your PayPal account or pay with any credit card without signing up for a PayPal account. If you do have a PayPal account, you can also directly debt your bank account. When you complete your transaction at PayPal, your order will be submitted to Clown Antics and you will see an order acknowledgement page which will include your order total and order number.
  
  PayPal requires your shipping address have the full city and state name with a valid postal code. Your PayPal account will be authorized for the amount of your order during order processing. PayPal cannot be used to purchase Gift Certificates at this time. We also do not accept eBay/PayPal certificates or promotional codes.
  
  
• Paying by International Credit Card  
  We accept international Visa and MasterCard ONLY at this time. In Canada or the U.K.? Use PayPal instead!
  All non-US based credit cards will be assessed a $3.00 foreign transaction fee. In addition, most countries may also charge a duty fee, which is payable upon delivery of item. Clown Antics has no control over duty fees (duty fees not applicable to orders from active-duty US Military personnel, shipped to APO and FPO addresses).
  
  DUE TO AN INCREASE IN CREDIT CARD FRAUD we require all new international customers to submit a copy of the front and back of the credit card used as well as a note signed by the cardholder authorizing us to charge the card and ship the merchandise to the address given in the order. This information should be sent AFTER your order is completed and you have checked out of the shopping cart.
  
  To complete your order via credit card, create a free email account at hushmail.com, and send us an encrypted email to "cantics@hushmail.com" with an image of the card and note as described above. We do not recommend emailing the card image through ordinary email for security reasons. This information may also be sent by fax (our fax number is 734-453-1369, but please set a time via email or call 734-454-6625 prior to faxing so that we may activate our computer's fax program). We apologize for this inconvenience, but it is important for us to take preventative steps against credit card fraud.
  
  
• Paying by Check or Money Order
  Clown Antics will accept your personal check, but checks must clear the bank before we will process your order. Please add 10 days to your order shipping time. All returned checks are subject to a $15.00 Service Fee.
  
  You can also send a cashier's check, US money order or an International Postal Money Orders in US dollars for your total, and your order will be shipped as soon as we receive it! Please include your name, address, phone number and driver's license number on the face of your check or money order.
  
  
• COD Shipping
  We're sorry, but we no longer accept payment by COD. If you have a bank account or a credit card, you can easily pay with PayPal!
  
  

Backorders & Out of Stock Item Policies

We do our best to remove items that are out of stock from our website promptly, but sometimes we don't get to it before an order is placed. Additionally, when more than one of the same item is ordered, the full number that is being ordered may not be available immediately.

Items that are Out of Stock when you order will not automatically be backordered. If the missing item(s) are due in within one week (5 business days), we will hold your entire order and ship it when it is complete. You will be notified via email of the delay, and given the opportunity to alter your order or have your items shipped separately. Please note that shipping items separately may incur an additional shipping fee.

When an item in your order will be Out of Stock for more than 5 business days or an item has been Discontinued, we will send an email notification with the adjusted total for your remaining order and give you the opportunity to change your order.

Returns, Damaged or Missing Orders

If you are not satisfied with an item not on the list below*, you can return it within 15 days from when you receive it for a credit on the merchandise only, less a 15% restocking fee. You must email or call us for a Return Authorization first. When returning an item, you are responsible for the return shipping costs. Shipping, handling and all other fees are not refundable. Damaged or late returns are subject to additional fees.

If Clown Antics makes a mistake in your order, we will fix it at our expense. If the mistake is the shipper's, manufacturer's or yours, call us and we will assist you in resolving the situation.

The Clown Antics shipping department double checks that all merchandise leaves us packed properly and in working condition. If you do not receive your package, or should a package be delivered damaged, opened or tampered with, please notify the carrier (US Postal Service, Fed Ex, UPS, etc.) immediately. Please keep all shipping and packing materials, as the carrier will need to inspect them to confirm your claim. Claims will be processed by Clown Antics when they are resolved by the carrier.

* We're sorry, but the following items may NOT be returned:

Makeup, Face Paints, Wigs or Noses may not be returned due to health reasons.


Books, Videos, DVDs, CD-ROMs and Magic Tricks may only be returned for a replacement if they are defective because when you purchase these items, you purchase the secrets and techniques, which cannot be replaced or reimbursed.


Balloons and Fabric may only be returned for replacement if defective.


Please note that returned merchandise must be unused and in the original packaging.