Frequently Asked Questions

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Who are you?

We are a bunch of folks passionate about pipes, tobacco, cigars, and, most of all, serving customers. You can read more about each of us and our duties in our staff list.

Where are you located?

Our brick and mortar store, Low Country Pipe and Cigar, operates out of a 100+ year old building at #2 East Highway 90 in Little River, SC. If you're in the area, we encourage you to stop by our lounge and share a smoke with our team. We'd be happy to show you around.

How do you calculate pipe measurements?

Pipe measurement is not quite as simple as it initially seems, since the shapes vary so radically. To standardize our measurement process as much as possible, we follow the guidelines below:

Tools: We use plastic calipers, wooden rulers, and postal scales that measure in 0.1 ounce increments.

Length: We measure the horizontal distance from the end of the stem to the farthest point of the bowl. Length is a measurement of the distance between the front of the bowl and the smoker, rather than a measurement of the cumulative lengths of the stem, shank and bowl. Many larger bent pipes, for example, do not have very high "Length" measurements, because they are so heavily bent.

There is one exception: For Churchwardens, "Saxophone" meerschaums, and similarly styled pipes, we measure length from the end of the stem to the furthest opposite point (often the shank or heel of the pipe, rather than the bowl). We make this exception in order to provide the most accurate description of a pipe's length. A "Saxophone meerschaum," for example, could be 17 inches long, but would measure only 5 inches using the standard technique, because of the pipe's heavy bend.

Outside Diameter: We measure the bowl at its widest point perpendicular to the smoker (i.e. left-right rather than front-back).

Bowl Height: We measure from the bottom of the bowl to the highest point on the bowl, including any additional carvings (such as ornamentation on a meerschaum pipe).

Chamber Diameter: We measure the diameter of the chamber at the very top of the bowl. This means that conical bowls (most Dublins, for example) are measured at their widest point. Straight, vertical bowls sometimes flare slightly at the top of the bowl (but usually not more than .05 inches). We adopted this approach in an attempt to standardize the system. Therefore, measurements half-way down the bowl could be slightly narrower than the listed diameter.

Chamber Depth: We measure from the deepest point of the bowl to the middle of the top of the bowl (so that if one side is higher than the other, the results are not skewed). If there is a doubt as to where the top of the bowl is (such as in the parenthetical example above), we do our best to determine how high the tobacco can be packed.

How can I correct an error on the site?

We try to maintain an error-free website, but occasionally, errors do occur. If you happen to spot one, please send an email to [email protected], and somebody will try to get things fixed up.

How do I sign up for In-Stock Notifications?

If the tobacco you're looking for is currently out of stock, sign up for our One-Time Alerts to be notified when it becomes available again. You'll need to be logged into your Smokingpipes account to take advantage of this service; if you don't have one already, you can sign up in just a few minutes. Once logged in, navigate to the product page of the tobacco you're looking for, and simply click the "Email Me" link to be notified when the product comes back in stock. When the product becomes available, notifications will be sent in the order in which customers signed up for the alerts. Don't forget: this is a one-time alert. Once the product has come back in stock, you'll need to resubscribe for future notifications by repeating the steps above.

Do you offer discounts for NASPC members?

All currently enrolled members of the NASPC are eligible for a 5% discount on new pipes, upon request, once their membership is verified. Your NASPC membership can be verified by faxing or emailing us a copy of your NASPC membership card, or if you prefer, you can allow 6-8 weeks for us to receive verification from the club, at which point you will then be eligible for the discount, upon request. For further details, please contact our Customer Service department by email at [email protected]; by phone at +1 (888) 366-0345; or by Live Chat, accessed via "Contact Us" at the top of our website's homepage.

What happened to the pipe I wanted?

Every pipe we carry is individually photographed and described on the website, and our website software automatically removes those photographs and descriptions from the publicly available portions of the website when a pipe is sold, in order to avoid situations in which two persons attempt to purchase the same pipe. We're continuously receiving new pieces from makers all around the globe, however, so feel free to contact our customer service team to find a pipe similar to the one that got away.

Do you sell any pipes with filters?

Yes! In fact, more than 25% of our onsite selection consists of filtered pipes, both 6mm and 9mm varieties, and all differentiated clearly in each pipe's title on Smokingpipes.com. If you're interested in filtered pipes, we recommend utilizing the Pipe Locator tool on our website and select the "Filter" category on the left-hand side, and as always, you can contact our Customer Service department by email at [email protected]; by phone at +1 (888) 366-0345; or by Live Chat, accessed via "Contact Us" at the top of our website's homepage.

Do you sell pipes for smoking crack/marijuana/opium/hashish/methamphetamines?

No, we do not, and we sincerely hope that was not a serious question. (Yes, we do actually get asked this on a regular basis!)

Why do items keep disappearing from my cart?

To fully utilize this site, it is necessary for your browser to accept the use of cookies (especially per-session cookies), which help us keep track of items in your cart. To ensure products you place in your cart remain there as you navigate within or away from our site, make sure you accept cookies from Smokingpipes.com.

Pipe Smoking Resources



Placing Orders & Payments

How does Smokingpipes verify that I am of legal age to purchase tobacco products?

During checkout, Smokingpipes uses an electronic age and identity verification (EAIV) service that searches public records to establish that customers are of legal age to purchase tobacco products. In the event that legal age cannot be verified based upon public records, we will contact you to request a copy of a government-issued photo ID to ensure that you are 21 years of age or older before we process your order. If you have questions or concerns about our age verification process, feel free to contact us.

How do I pay for my order?

We have a number of different payment methods available. The simplest is to use the secure shopping cart and use your American Express, Discover, VISA ,or MasterCard credit/debit card at the checkout screen. There is also a PayPal option at the checkout screen. However, if you do not feel comfortable giving out your billing information online, you can checkout using the "offline payment" option and mail in a check, call in with your credit card number, or fax us (877-800-9407) with your credit card number. Please be aware that checks or other instruments returned by your issuing bank will incur a processing fee of $40.00, above and beyond cost of invoiced merchandise. We reserve the recourse to enforce our rights through legal process. All orders that are placed with us are subject to the laws and regulations of South Carolina, USA.

Alternatively, you can call our Customer Service department at +1 (888) 366-0345, and we will gladly process your order manually and accept your credit/debit card number over the phone. If you have any problems using the cart, we would be happy to assist you with the order or place it over the phone on your behalf.

How do I use my Smokingpipes Gift Card?

If you already have an account with us, log in using your email address and password to process your order. Once you reach the checkout page, have verified your billing/shipping address, and have chosen the shipping option, select the Gift Card option under Payment Information. Enter the 16-digit card number, and click on the Apply button. Your gift card will be applied to the balance due on the right. Once you see this update on the right, you can finalize the order with another payment option if needed. If you do not use the entire amount of your gift card, the remaining balance will be automatically posted to your house account.

If you do not have an account with us and plan to spend the entire amount of your gift card, feel free to check out as a guest. If you do not have an account with us and do not plan to use the entire amount of your gift card, we recommend creating an account. An email address and password are required to access any remaining balance left on your house account on a future order.

How do I access and use my Smokingpipes House Account?

You can access and use House Account funds by logging in using your email address and your password.

Once you finish loading the shopping cart, click on the Checkout button. Once on the checkout page, verify your billing/shipping address and choose the shipping option like always. Then look at the Payment Information options. You will see one titled House Account that will show your available funds. Select House Account and then click the Apply button. The information on the right will update to show any remaining balance due. Then process out like normal, finalizing the payment with your credit card or another payment option.


If you do not use all of your house account funds, just apply the house account funds and once the balance due updates to zero, finalize the order by selecting Offline from the payment options and click Place Order to complete.



Shipping

Do you offer free shipping?

We provide free UPS or USPS shipping options on all domestic orders valued in goods starting at $95. In addition we offer free USPS Priority to all FPO/APO/DPO destined orders. The Free Shipping option is based upon the lowest cost and most efficient route for your order's destination.

How much will it cost to ship my package?

The cost of shipping a package depends on several factors: the weight of the package, how it is being shipped, and the amount of time allowed for the shipment. Next Day Air and 2nd Day Air, for example, will be more expensive than standard shipping, and a heavier package will cost more than one of lighter weight. Before completing an order, a variety of shipping options are available to choose from depending on the shipping destination and the items included in the order, allowing you to tailor the shipping method to your needs and budget. If you have further questions about the best shipping option for your order or regarding available shipping options, please call our Customer Service department at +1 (888) 366-0345 and a representative will be happy to assist you.

Where do you ship to?

We have yet to ship a package off-planet. Other than that, if you live somewhere with a postal service, package delivery service, or friendly gent with a bicycle and a basket, we can get your package to you. Please be advised that there are some countries and states to which we do not ship tobacco; you can find a list of those countries below. We are sorry for the inconvenience, but Local Taxing Authorities are usually to blame.

NOTE: Due to regulations administered in Maine, Utah, South Dakota, Hawaii, and Washington, we unfortunately can't ship any pipe tobacco or cigars to those states; however, we can still ship pipes and accessories.

How long will it take to receive my order?

Inside the continental United States:

We ship Monday through Saturday by 5:30PM ET from our warehouse in South Carolina, except on those holidays recognized by our shipping carriers. If you place your order before 3:00PM ET, it will usually ship the same day. The following map gives an estimate of how long your order will be in transit after leaving our facility via UPS Ground.



Note: On occasion, it can take an additional day within the respective regions for out-of-the-way destinations.


We also offer Next Day Air (arriving by the end of the following day when ordered before 3 PM ) and 2nd Day Air. Note that these time frames refer to business days as the carrier defines them. Therefore, a Next Day Air package ordered Wednesday morning and shipped Wednesday afternoon will be delivered the following day on Thursday, but one ordered Friday morning will be delivered on Monday.

International:

We happily ship anywhere in the world through UPS and USPS (with some restrictions on tobacco, which can be found below). We charge a variable rate based on package weight and destination. Time in transit to non-US destinations usually ranges from five days to three weeks; however, it can take longer as a result of the postal service in the destination country and time spent being processed by customs. If you have any further questions regarding international postage, please contact our Customer Service department by email at [email protected]; by phone at +1 (888) 366-0345; or by Live Chat, accessed via "Contact Us" at the top of our website's homepage.



International Shipping

How is international shipping calculated?

We pull our actual rates from USPS and UPS for our international shipping rates. These rates are sometimes less than the published rates because we receive discounts from the shipping companies due to our volume.

Are there any restrictions on what you can ship to my country?

We can ship pipes and pipe and cigar accessories to all countries.

We can ship tobacco products (pipe tobacco, cigars) to all countries except the following:

  • Algeria
  • Belarus
  • Belgium
  • Belize
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Ecuador
  • France
  • Gabon
  • Ghana
  • Greece
  • Iceland
  • India
  • Iran
  • Italy
  • Kazakhstan
  • Lebanon
  • Maldives
  • Malta
  • Mauritania
  • Netherlands
  • Netherlands Antilles
  • New Caledonia
  • Norway
  • Portugal
  • Republic of San Marino
  • Russia
  • Spain
  • Sri Lanka
  • Taiwan
  • Ukraine
  • Vietnam
  • Wallis and Futuna Islands

My Tax Authority (customs, etc.) is sticking me with a bill. What do I do?

It is the customer's responsibility to be aware of and pay for any taxes or duty that is due on their order. Smokingpipes cannot and will not be liable for any taxes or duty. If you refuse delivery of the package and would like a refund, the package must be sent back to us at your expense if the courier or postal service assesses return fees. If you refuse to do so and the package has to be abandoned, you will not be eligible for a refund.

Can you mark the shipment something other than tobacco for customs purposes, or mark the value at less than it is?

No, we will not falsify customs declarations under any circumstances or in any way whatsoever. This constitutes a felony offense under United States law, punishable by up to five years in jail and a $10,000 fine (plus forfeiture of our business license and tobacco license in the state of South Carolina). We will not do it.

International Shipping Agreement

We reserve the right to refuse refunds for damaged or unsalable merchandise if you refuse the package or the package is refused by customs. We reserve the right to charge a restocking fee on all other international returns where we consider the reason for return to be outside of the normal course of business.

If you refuse to pay your local duty or tax, and the carrier bills Smokingpipes.com for the unpaid charges, we will subtract this amount and any return shipping fee from your return credit once the order is back. No refunds will be given for items that are seized at your local customs office or abandoned. There will likewise be no refund for damaged products on return orders that are marked "Refused" or "Unclaimed." We reserve the right to charge a 10% restocking fee for any international order that is returned to us because it was refused or unclaimed. The original shipping fee is non-refundable.