Keep Uncle Sam at Bay

If you can’t ship within the 30-day period or on the date you represented (on the phone or in your marketing materials), you must notify customers. You can do this by phone or mail, but you must do it within a few days of learning that you won’t meet the commitment. In your first delay-option notice, give a definite revised ship date, or state that you’re unable to give a definite date. The notice also must include a statement noting that if the customer does not want to wait, he or she can cancel the order and get a full and prompt refund. The customer must be able to notify you of this at your expense (e.g., postage-paid card, toll-free number).