7 Answers to determine when your cremation urn will arrive

by Wendy Jacobson

Image by Donald Lee Pardue*

This is a true story. A few months ago, Irene ordered an urn online on a Wednesday night. It was around 6:00 PM central time. She selected 2-day flat-rate shipping, and expected it would ship out Wednesday night, and the cremation urn would arrive on Friday afternoon. Her memorial product didn’t arrive on Friday, and she called OneWorld Memorials (OWM) understandably upset. The conversation went something like this:

Irene: Why isn’t my urn here? I need it for a memorial service on Saturday. Today is Friday – and I ordered it Wednesday.

OWM: We can understand your frustration, let’s find out what happened and see what we can do to make things right. When exactly did you place the online order?

Irene: Wednesday. 

OWM: What time?

Irene: I placed the online order around 6 pm [central].

OWM: Okay, I see the problem. Our orders ship same day only if we receive the order by 3 pm central time. This is noted on our shipping options page and in the FAQ’s, but we know that occasionally it can be misread. You ordered the flat rate 2 day delivery, and that requires 2 business days for shipping with delivery on business day 3. In this case, your urn will arrive on Monday. Let’s double check the tracking.

OWM: Your item, in fact, shipped out on Thursday, and we confirmed through tracking that it’ll arrive Monday. Why don’t I call the funeral home hosting the memorial service. We’ll ask them to provide you with a beautiful rental display urn for the service, and we’ll cover the fee. When your chosen urn arrives on Monday, you can transfer the ashes permanently to that urn. How does this sound?

Although the solution wasn't ideal for Irene, she was happy with the outcome, and with her selected urn that arrived on Monday.

Are you coordinating the arrival of a cremation urn with a memorial service, or wanting a cremation keepsake to be delivered to a friend by a certain date? Too often shipping details are considered as a last step at “checkout.” Knowing what impacts the shipping date - on any ecommerce site -  makes all the difference in anticipating the arrival date. Especially important is understanding that our free and 2-day shipping and delivery are calculated around business days only – not Saturday, Sunday or federal holidays.

When will your cremation urn ship?

The following 7 answers to important questions will help determine when a chosen cremation urn will ship.  

Most, but not all, of our cremation urns are in stock. If an item is out of stock, this will be indicated on the product information.

Engraving requires 1-2 additional business days before it ships.

Handcrafted and made-to-order urns require anywhere from a several days to three weeks before shipping, depending on the particular item. Check details in the product description.

We ship orders same day only when ordered by 3 pm Central Time. Only business days are calculated in shipping and delivery. For instance, an order received before 3 pm central time on Wednesday will ship out on Wednesday. An order received at 6 pm central time on Wednesday will ship out on Thursday. Be sure to call our customer service (844.671.9744) if you have questions.

Expedited shipping options are available through USPS, UPS, and FedEx with possible Saturday delivery. Be sure to specifically pick the Saturday delivery if that's what you require. Fedex charges a premium for this but are dependable. 

Outside of the US, OneWorld Memorials’ ships only to Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Overseas shipping usually requires customs forms. Your item, though obviously not dangerous, can get held up at customs. Although this is rare it does happen from time to time.

OneWorld Memorials does not engrave or ship on dates recognized as national holidays:

New Year’s Day

Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Presidents Day

Memorial Day

Independence Day

Labor Day

Thanksgiving Day

Day After Thanksgiving

Christmas Day

When will your cremation urn arrive?

After you consider the above questions and answers in relation to a chosen cremation urn or cremation keepsake, you have a better chance of anticipating when your urn will arrive.

We’ve had customers who need a memorial urn in time for a memorial service with a specific date. We’ve rushed orders, and assisted customers to find a perfect solution whether it’s a critical issue of timing, or simply choosing an urn, engraving it, and understanding when to expect it to arrive. If you are on a tight timeline give us a call and allow us to take your order over the phone so we can understand your needs better.

Don’t forget that:

• Most of our cremation urns and cremation keepsakes are in stock, with the exception of a few.
• Handcrafted, made-to-order urns such as specific wooden cremation urns, our distinctive glass cremation keepsakes, as well as a few customized artisan cremation urns require additional time before the item is shipped. The time needs are spelled out in the product description. For your complete satisfaction, we strongly recommend calling our customer service for details.
• Engraving requires an additional 1-2 business days before the item is ready for shipment.

Most urns ship the same day if ordered before 3 pm central time. OneWorld Memorials’ shipping options provides a chart with various options, scenarios, and expected rates. Our customer service (844.671.9744) is also available to walk through any scenario and ensure that your questions are answered. 

 *Image can be found here: http://bit.ly/29BjAkY

Wendy Jacobson is a freelance writer living in Minneapolis with her husband, two kids and dog. She helped market her mother’s book, “Hands Off My Hope: Life Lessons on my Journey with Breast Cancer” at the request of her mom, who died two weeks after publishing it in 2008. She also is the editor of Minneapolis Happening, a digital lifestyle magazine about what’s happening in Minneapolis and the surrounding area.