Orders, Shipping & Return Policy

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Table of Contents

Order Processing

Here’s how your order moves through our system from checkout to delivery. Understanding these steps will help you know what to expect and how fees apply if you need to make changes.

Step 1: Order Submitted
Your order is submitted and payment is processed. An order confirmation is automatically sent to your email. Please review this confirmation carefully and notify us immediately of any discrepancies.

Step 2: Pending Fulfillment
Orders with all items in stock enter “Pending Fulfillment” status and are queued for the warehouse. Orders containing backordered items remain on hold until all items are available to ship complete. If you’d like to arrange a partial shipment or have other special requirements, contact us and we’ll do our best to accommodate you (additional shipping charges may apply for split shipments).

Step 3: Released to Warehouse
On normal business days, orders are released to our warehouse in waves at 6:00 AM PST and 12:00 PM PST.

Step 4: Assembly (if applicable)
Orders containing custom battery cables or Victron inverters are sent to our assembly team for fabrication and programming.

Step 5: Picking
Your order is picked from the shelves and staged for packing. Status changes to “Picked – Pending Packing.”

Step 6: Packing
Our team packages, palletizes, wraps, and straps your order for transit. Status changes to “Packed – Awaiting Shipment.”

Step 7: Shipment Arranged
The shipment is arranged with the appropriate carrier, tracking numbers are generated, and you’ll receive an automated fulfillment email with tracking information. Status changes to “Complete.” Note that tracking may show as created but not yet scanned by the carrier at this point.

Step 8: Carrier Pickup
The carrier picks up your package from our facility and it’s on its way to you.

Shipping Methods

We ship via ground parcel carriers (FedEx, UPS, USPS) and freight carriers (FedEx Freight, R&L Carriers, ABF, etc.) depending on your order.

Our shipping department determines the appropriate method based on weight, dimensions, and shipping costs. Large or heavy orders typically ship via freight. If you need to confirm the shipping method for your order, contact us before it ships.

Transit times vary based on several factors:

Ground shipments typically arrive within 3-7 business days depending on your location. Freight transit times depend on distance, logistics warehouse availability, driver schedules, and weather conditions. Rural, residential, or isolated locations may require an additional 2 business days as the carrier may need to schedule a delivery appointment.

Orders marked “in stock” on our website ship within 2 business days, often faster. Some shipments may take longer to prepare depending on complexity.

Shipping Costs & Coverage

Our website automatically calculates shipping charges for orders within the continental US based on the address you enter. To get a quote, add items to your cart and proceed to checkout.

Where we ship:

We offer full shipping service to the continental United States (48 states) with rates calculated at checkout. Shipments to Alaska and Hawaii are available for most items, though large items such as batteries, solar panels, and other equipment require a custom shipping quote. HAZMAT shipments to Alaska and Hawaii are handled on a case-by-case basis. We can ship to US-based freight forwarders for international customers (see International Orders & Freight Forwarding section).

Hazardous materials (HAZMAT):

Lithium batteries are classified as hazardous goods by shipping carriers. HAZMAT shipments cannot be shipped outside the continental US without specialized certifications. If you’re located outside the continental US, contact us to see if we have a dealer in your region who may have the product in stock.

Shipping Insurance

We partner with Route to offer shipping protection at checkout. We strongly recommend keeping this protection enabled, especially for high-value orders.

Why we recommend Route:

Shipping carriers lose, damage, and misdeliver packages. It’s an unfortunate reality of e-commerce. When something goes wrong, carrier claims are notoriously difficult. They often take up to 90 days to resolve and are frequently denied on technicalities. Route exists to solve this problem.

With Route protection, you get coverage for lost, stolen, and damaged packages with a simple online claims process. Most claims are reviewed and resolved within 24 hours, not months. If approved, Route will arrange a reorder or refund directly. Route also includes carbon-neutral shipping on every protected order at no additional cost.

How Route works at checkout:

For orders under $15,000, Route protection is automatically enabled at checkout. You can opt out if you choose. For orders $15,000 and above, contact us to arrange coverage.

What happens if you decline Route:

Without Route, your shipment is covered only by the carrier’s default liability:

Shipment Type Default Carrier Coverage
Ground (FedEx, UPS, USPS) $100 maximum
Freight Up to 50¢ per pound or $10,000 per incident, whichever is lower

Carrier claims must be filed directly with the carrier, typically take up to 90 days to resolve, and are often denied. We’ll help point you in the right direction, but the claims process and outcome are between you and the carrier.

Filing a claim:

If you purchased Route protection, file your claim directly with Route at claims.route.com using the order information from your confirmation email. If you declined Route, notify us within 1 business day of delivery and we’ll direct you to the appropriate carrier claims process.

Delivery Requirements

Signature requirement:

Orders over $500 require a direct signature upon delivery to ensure your product reaches you safely. If you’re unavailable, you can arrange to have the package held at a FedEx pickup facility.

We can remove the signature requirement by special request, but you must agree that Current Connected will be held harmless for lost, stolen, misdelivered, or undelivered packages.

Freight deliveries:

All orders must include a valid phone number that is reachable during normal business hours. Freight carriers will call to schedule delivery appointments. If they cannot reach you, your shipment may be delayed and storage fees may be charged directly to you by the carrier.

If you need liftgate service to remove the product from the truck, you must specify this when ordering. Current Connected pre-pays for 15 minutes of delivery and offloading time.

Additional freight fees:

Our shipping quotes include standard delivery costs as well as anticipated handling requirements like fragile handling for glass items and solar panels, bulk or whole truck delivery when applicable, and liftgate service when requested. We plan for these in advance.

However, some fees are outside our control and result from circumstances at delivery. The following charges are billed directly to you by the freight carrier:

  • Detention charges (if the driver must wait beyond the allotted offloading time)
  • Holding and storage fees (if delivery cannot be completed because you missed the appointment or couldn’t be reached to schedule one)
  • Residential delivery surcharges (if not specified at checkout)
  • Inside delivery (beyond the initial drop point)
  • Redelivery fees (if a delivery attempt fails due to no one being available)
  • Any other services that alter the standard bill of lading

These charges come from the carrier, not from Current Connected. They are typically caused by missed appointments, being unreachable by phone, or requesting additional services at delivery that weren’t arranged in advance. Please ensure you’re available and prepared to receive your freight shipment to avoid unexpected fees.

Receiving Your Shipment

Taking a few minutes to inspect your delivery can save significant hassle later. Please follow these steps.

Before signing the delivery receipt:

Inspect the shipment for visible damage, including dents, punctures, crushed corners, or water damage to packaging. Count the number of packages and compare to what’s listed on the delivery receipt. If anything looks wrong, note the specific damage or shortage directly on the delivery receipt before signing. Take photos of any damage to packaging and products before the driver leaves.

If the shipment is severely damaged, you may refuse delivery entirely. Refusing a shipment is appropriate when the damage is significant enough that the products are clearly unusable, such as a crushed pallet, visible destruction of contents, or extensive water damage. In these cases, note the damage on the delivery receipt, take photos, refuse the shipment, and contact us immediately.

However, refusing a shipment for reasons unrelated to damage (such as changing your mind, ordering the wrong item, or no longer wanting the product) is not appropriate and will result in return shipping fees, restocking fees, and any carrier charges being deducted from your refund. Freight shipments that are refused without legitimate cause incur significant return fees from the carrier, and those costs are your responsibility.

Why this matters:

When you sign the delivery receipt without noting any issues, you are legally acknowledging that the shipment arrived in good condition. This makes damage claims significantly more difficult to win. Carriers routinely deny claims when the delivery receipt is signed clean. Taking 5 minutes to inspect can save you weeks of frustration and potential out-of-pocket costs.

Damaged or Missing Items

Our shipping terms are FOB Destination. While we work to ensure your order arrives safely, damage during transit does occasionally happen despite our best packaging efforts.

Reporting damage or shortages:

All damage or shortages must be reported within 1 business day of delivery. This applies to both freight and ground shipments. Contact both the carrier and Current Connected immediately.

If you purchased Route protection, file your claim directly with Route at claims.route.com. Route claims are typically resolved within 24-48 hours.

If you declined Route protection, notify us within 1 business day and we’ll direct you to file a claim with the carrier. Be aware that carrier claims typically take up to 90 days to resolve and are frequently denied.

What we need from you:

We need a copy of the delivery receipt with damage or shortage noted, photos of the damaged product and packaging, and a description of what’s damaged or missing. Do not discard any product or packaging materials as these are required for claims.

Concealed damage:

Sometimes damage isn’t visible until you open the packaging. If you discover concealed damage, report it within 1 business day to both the carrier and Current Connected. Concealed damage claims are more difficult to process, which is why we strongly encourage inspecting shipments thoroughly at delivery.

If reporting deadlines are missed:

Claims not reported within 1 business day may be denied by the carrier. If a claim is denied due to late reporting, you may be responsible for replacement costs. When in doubt, report potential issues immediately.

Order Changes & Cancellations

Changing your order:

Orders can be modified free of charge during Steps 1-2 (before release to warehouse). Once an order reaches Step 3, it can no longer be changed. If you need to modify an order that’s already in progress, you’ll need to cancel and reorder.

Cancelling your order:

Cancellation fees depend on how far your order has progressed:

Order Stage Can Cancel? Fees
Steps 1-2: Order submitted, pending fulfillment Yes 3% administrative fee
Step 3: Released to warehouse Yes 3% administrative fee
Step 4: Assembly started (custom cables, Victron inverters) Yes Up to 15% restocking fee (applies to custom items)
Steps 5-7: Picking, packing, awaiting shipment Yes Up to 15% restocking fee
Step 8: Shipped Difficult We can request return-to-sender, but carriers cannot always intercept shipments in transit. Any carrier fees will be deducted from your refund.
Delivered No Subject to return policy (see below)

To cancel an order, contact us or call (725) 699-0100.

Changing your shipping address:

Address changes within the same state can usually be accommodated. Freight shipments incur a $350 reconsignment fee per pallet. Ground packages incur a $75 change-of-delivery fee per package.

Address changes to a different state cannot be accommodated. For fraud protection and sales tax compliance, we cannot redirect shipments across state lines. If you need to change to an address in a different state, a return-to-sender will be processed. You’ll be responsible for return shipping costs and will need to place a new order with the correct address.

Please double-check your shipping address before completing checkout to avoid these fees and delays.

Returns

This section covers returns unrelated to warranty claims. For defective products, please see our Support & Warranty Policy.

A note about returns:

We’re a small business, not a giant retailer with endless margins to absorb return costs. When a product comes back to us opened or used, we often can’t resell it as new. That means we take a loss, which ultimately affects our ability to offer competitive prices and great service to all our customers.

We understand that sometimes a product isn’t the right fit. That’s why we offer pre-sales support to help you choose correctly the first time. Our technical sales team is happy to answer questions, verify compatibility, and make sure you’re ordering exactly what you need. Please take advantage of this before ordering.

Return eligibility:

Products must be returned within 30 days of delivery. To be eligible for a refund, items must be in sellable-as-new condition: unused, undamaged, and in original unopened packaging. If we can’t put it back on the shelf and sell it to the next customer as new, it doesn’t qualify.

Non-returnable items:

Custom products such as battery cables and cut-to-length PV wire are made to your specifications and cannot be returned under any circumstances.

Critical life-safety items such as fuses and circuit breakers are also non-returnable. This is for your protection and the protection of future customers. These components are designed to protect people and property from electrical fires and other hazards. Once a fuse or breaker leaves our facility, we have no way to verify it hasn’t been installed, tested, stressed, or compromised in some way that isn’t visible to the eye. We will not risk selling a potentially compromised safety device to another customer, and we hope you wouldn’t want to receive one either.

Return costs and fees:

Item Details
Return shipping Paid by customer
Original shipping charge Not refunded
Restocking fee Up to 15% of product price
“Free Shipping” orders Actual original shipping cost deducted from refund

Return process:

Contact us to request a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number before sending anything back. Ship the product to us at your expense. Upon receipt, we’ll inspect the product. If it meets our sellable-as-new standard, we’ll process your refund minus applicable fees.

Inspection and potential issues:

Products that arrive opened are subject to inspection. If a product shows signs of use, installation, or damage, we will not issue a refund. We may return the product to you at your expense, or we may offer a partial credit at our discretion depending on the condition and circumstances.

International Orders & Freight Forwarding

We do not ship directly outside the United States. However, you may use a US-based freight forwarder as your delivery address.

Our responsibility ends at the freight forwarder.

Once we deliver your order to the US address you provide, all liability and responsibility transfers to you and your chosen freight forwarder. This includes arranging onward shipping, customs documentation, and compliance with your country’s import regulations.

Your responsibilities:

Once we deliver to your freight forwarder, you are responsible for all aspects of international shipping. This includes import duties, taxes, and brokerage fees, which are not included in your product price or shipping costs. You must understand and comply with your country’s laws, regulations, and import restrictions before placing your order. All communication and arrangements with your freight forwarder are between you and them directly.

HAZMAT and international forwarding:

Freight forwarders may require additional HAZMAT documentation depending on whether your shipment travels by air (IATA regulations) or sea (IMDG regulations). We specialize in ground shipping under 49 CFR and cannot provide additional HAZMAT documents for international forwarding. Most established freight forwarders can handle this documentation, often for an additional fee. Please coordinate with your forwarder directly.

Warranty and shipping coverage limitations:

Our warranty coverage and any warranty-related shipping coverage extends only to the freight forwarder’s US address. If a warranty return is needed, we are only responsible for shipping to and from the US freight forwarder location, not to or from international destinations.

If customs seizes your shipment:

We are not responsible for products seized or destroyed by customs for any reason, including incomplete paperwork, unpaid duties, or prohibited items. No refunds will be issued for product or shipping costs in these situations.

Local Pickup

Orders may be eligible for pickup at any of our warehouse locations.

Requirements:

Orders must be placed through our sales team to arrange pickup. A pickup appointment must be scheduled with our shipping department at least 24 hours in advance. When you arrive, bring a valid photo ID matching the name on your order and the credit card used for purchase. We’ll copy your ID along with the pickup invoice, which you’ll need to sign.

To arrange a local pickup, contact our sales team.

Shipping Promotions

Shipping promotions are limited to the contiguous United States and apply to retail-priced items only. Order total requirements for promotions exclude taxes and shipping costs. Promotions are not valid on wholesale accounts.

If you return items from an order that qualified for a shipping promotion (such as free shipping), the actual original shipping cost will be deducted from your refund. Free shipping is a benefit for keeping your order, not a subsidy for trying products and returning them.

Policies are subject to change. Please check this page for the most current information.