Hotpot Queen Shipping Policy

Last updated: 2026-04-19 Version: 1.0

Hotpot Queen (a DBA of Nifty Napkin Inc, a Washington corporation) (“Hotpot Queen,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the online store at hotpotqueen.com.

1. Overview

This Shipping Policy applies to orders placed on hotpotqueen.com only. Orders placed through third-party retailers, marketplaces, or distributors are governed by those sellers’ own shipping and fulfillment policies; Hotpot Queen is not responsible for delivery performance on orders not placed directly through hotpotqueen.com.

This policy is incorporated into our Terms of Service at https://hotpotqueen.com/policies/terms-of-service.

2. Where We Ship

United States. We ship to addresses within the continental United States plus additional U.S. addresses as shown at checkout. This includes Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and other U.S. territories where checkout displays a valid shipping rate. We ship to APO/FPO military addresses via USPS where serviceable; transit times are longer than standard ground estimates.

Canada. We ship to all ten Canadian provinces and the three territories. Some remote or northern addresses may not be serviceable through our current carrier network. Contact hello@hotpotqueen.com to verify serviceability before placing your order.

Outside the United States and Canada. We do not currently ship to addresses outside the United States and Canada. Orders requesting delivery to other countries cannot be processed through hotpotqueen.com.

3. Shipping Rates and Free Shipping

Shipping rates are calculated at checkout based on cart contents, shipping address, and selected speed. The final shipping cost is disclosed before payment is collected.

Free shipping threshold. Orders totaling $59 USD or more (subtotal after discounts, before taxes and shipping) qualify for free standard shipping to eligible addresses within the contiguous United States. The threshold does not apply to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, other U.S. territories, APO/FPO addresses, or Canadian addresses.

Flat-rate and weight-based options for non-qualifying destinations, where available, are displayed at checkout. Rates and threshold eligibility are subject to change; rates in effect at the time your order is confirmed apply to that order.

4. Processing Time

Orders are processed and handed off to the carrier within one (1) to three (3) business days after order placement and payment authorization.

“Business days” means Monday through Friday, excluding U.S. federal holidays and Hotpot Queen’s scheduled closures.

Weekend and holiday orders are processed the next business day. If processing will exceed three (3) business days due to launches, promotions, or seasonal peaks, we will communicate the delay by email.

5. Delivery Time Estimates

Important: delivery time estimates are provided by our shipping carriers and are not guaranteed. We do not guarantee specific delivery dates unless you have purchased an expedited service for which the carrier commits to a defined transit timeframe at its own service level. Hotpot Queen does not separately guarantee expedited delivery; the carrier’s own service-level guarantee, where applicable, governs in the event of a missed expedited transit window.

Within the contiguous United States:

• Standard ground shipping: approximately three (3) to seven (7) business days after the order is handed to the carrier.
• Expedited options (where available): carrier-quoted estimates displayed at checkout.

Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. territories, and APO/FPO: extended transit times apply beyond the standard ground estimate. Carrier-quoted estimates are shown at checkout.

Within Canada:

• Standard shipping: approximately seven (7) to fourteen (14) business days after the order is handed to the carrier, plus additional time for customs clearance.
• Remote or northern Canadian addresses: additional days beyond the standard estimate may apply.

Carrier delays, weather events, peak-season congestion, and customs processing can extend actual delivery beyond these estimates and are outside our control.

6. Shipping Carriers

We use major U.S. shipping carriers, including USPS, UPS, and FedEx, and their Canadian equivalents for cross-border shipments. Carrier selection is based on package dimensions, address, speed, and availability. We do not guarantee use of any specific carrier.

Once your order ships, we will send a tracking confirmation to the email address associated with your order. Tracking information may take up to twenty-four (24) hours after the carrier receives the package to become visible on the carrier’s tracking site.

7. FTC Mail Order Rule Notice

Hotpot Queen ships eligible orders within thirty (30) days of order placement, or within a longer shipping timeframe disclosed to you at checkout for pre-order or backorder items.

If we are unable to ship your order within the applicable commitment period, we will notify you promptly and provide you with the option to:

1. agree to a revised shipping date, or

2. cancel the order and receive a full refund.

This notice and election procedure is consistent with the FTC Mail Order Rule, 16 CFR § 435.2. If you do not respond to our delay notice within the deadline stated in that notice, we will treat your order as cancelled and issue a full refund to your original payment method within the timeframe required by the FTC Mail Order Rule. Cancellation refunds under this section are issued to the original payment method within ten (10) business days of cancellation confirmation, as specified in § 7 of our Refund Policy at https://hotpotqueen.com/policies/refund-policy.

8. Damage in Transit, Lost Packages, and Carrier Issues

Damaged packages. Report visible damage within thirty (30) days of the delivery date; include photos of packaging and product. Issue reporting and remedies are governed by the Refund Policy, §§ 3, 5, and 6.

Lost or not-received packages. If your tracking shows ‘delivered’ but you have not received the order, check with neighbors and at alternate delivery points at your address. Contact hello@hotpotqueen.com as soon as possible — within seven (7) calendar days of the ‘delivered’ carrier scan — so we can open an investigation with the carrier within the carrier’s own claim-eligibility window. If you contact us after the 7-day carrier-claim window but within the broader 30-day reporting window in § 2 of our Refund Policy, we will still consider your claim under the Refund Policy, though carrier-investigation remedies may no longer be available. For carrier-confirmed lost packages, we will reship or refund per the Refund Policy.

Stolen packages. Where the carrier has confirmed delivery but the package is reported as stolen, we will review the circumstances and, in our reasonable judgment based on carrier documentation and order history, may provide a replacement or refund under this Shipping Policy and the Refund Policy.

Stalled tracking. If tracking has not updated for more than seven (7) business days past the expected delivery window, contact hello@hotpotqueen.com and we will investigate.

All shipping-related issue resolution, including remedies and refund timing, is governed by the Refund Policy (§§ 3 and 6) at https://hotpotqueen.com/policies/refund-policy.

9. Address Accuracy and Customer Responsibility

You are responsible for providing an accurate and complete shipping address at checkout, including apartment or suite number, any delivery instructions, and — for Canadian orders — the correct postal code and province or territory.

Undeliverable orders. If an order is returned as undeliverable because of a customer-provided address error, we will offer to reship at an additional shipping charge. If you elect to cancel, we refund the product price and original shipping charge less actual shipping cost already incurred. If the undeliverable return is attributable to a carrier error (such as a carrier mis-sort or mis-scan) rather than an address error on your part, reshipment is at no additional charge.

PO Box addresses. UPS and FedEx do not deliver to PO Box addresses; orders shipped to a PO Box are routed via USPS regardless of the shipping speed selected. Transit times to PO Box addresses may differ from the general estimates in § 5.

Address changes after order placement. We will attempt to accommodate a change requested before the order enters the carrier’s scan network — typically within the one (1) to three (3) business-day processing window. After carrier hand-off, address changes must be requested directly through the carrier using the tracking number provided.

For gift orders where the original purchaser and gift recipient are different individuals, reshipping costs for customer-address errors are the responsibility of the original purchaser, consistent with the gift-order handling in § 12 of our Refund Policy.

10. International Shipping (Canada)

Canadian orders are subject to Canadian customs duties, import taxes, and applicable goods and services taxes (GST/HST/PST as applicable by province). These charges are the responsibility of the customer and are assessed and collected by the carrier or the Canada Border Services Agency at the time of import or delivery.

Checkout shipping charges do not include Canadian customs duties, import taxes, or brokerage fees unless expressly stated. Hotpot Queen does not pay or advance any Canadian import charge.

Customs clearance processing may cause delays beyond the standard seven (7) to fourteen (14) business-day estimate. These delays are outside our and the carrier’s direct control and do not qualify as delayed shipments under § 7 of this Shipping Policy.

Refused packages. If a Canadian order is refused at customs clearance, the package may be returned to us or destroyed by the carrier. If returned, we will refund the product price less actual outbound shipping cost incurred; no default restocking fee applies. If the carrier destroys the package before return and provides written confirmation of destruction, we will issue a partial refund of the product price (less original outbound shipping cost) upon our receipt of that confirmation. Without carrier confirmation of destruction, refunds for refused packages cannot be processed.

11. Food Products and Weather

Hotpot Queen products are shelf-stable at room temperature and do not require refrigeration during shipping. No refrigerated or temperature-controlled packaging is used.

During warm-weather periods — typically May through September — chili oil and sauce products may experience viscosity changes (oil separation, partial softening). These are normal and do not affect quality or shelf life. Temperature-driven viscosity changes do not qualify for a refund or replacement under our Refund Policy unless the product is otherwise compromised (e.g., a broken seal or leaked container).

In extreme heat events affecting carrier hubs, we may temporarily delay shipment. If your order is affected, we will notify you and the delay procedure in § 7 applies.

12. Returns

Hotpot Queen products are food items and are non-returnable once shipped, for food-safety reasons. We do not accept physical returns of food products regardless of condition.

Most issues are resolved through photos and documentation without a physical return. If a return is necessary, we will provide a prepaid label and instructions — do not send products back without prior written authorization. See the Refund Policy at https://hotpotqueen.com/policies/refund-policy for remedies and reporting windows.

13. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

This Shipping Policy is governed by the laws of Washington State, subject to the consumer-protection savings provisions in our Terms of Service § 13 (Governing Law).

Any dispute arising under or relating to this Shipping Policy is subject to the dispute-resolution terms in our Terms of Service § 14, including the binding individual arbitration agreement, public-injunctive-relief carve-out, and class-action waiver. The arbitration opt-out rights under Terms of Service § 14.6 apply to disputes arising under this Shipping Policy to the same extent as disputes arising under the Terms of Service.

Before initiating arbitration, use the pre-arbitration informal resolution process in Terms of Service § 14.5; written notice may be sent to legal@hotpotqueen.com.

14. Changes to This Shipping Policy

We may update this Shipping Policy from time to time. Changes are effective on the “Last updated” date at the top of this document. We will notify customers with active accounts of material changes by email or prominent website notice. Continued use of hotpotqueen.com after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

15. Contact

Nifty Napkin Inc (DBA Hotpot Queen) 522 W Riverside Ave Ste 8149 Spokane, WA 99201

Shipping and order questions: hello@hotpotqueen.com

Legal notices: legal@hotpotqueen.com