Frequently Asked Questions:

If you have a question that is not covered below, please feel free to email us at shopping@TheVegetarianSite.com or phone us at (860) 519-1918.

Are your products vegan?

YES! In addition, we do not sell any products that have been tested on animals. Furthermore, we respect human rights, so we avoid products that have been manufactured overseas under exploitative working conditions.

How and why do you contribute 10% of all sales to vegetarian and animal rights causes?

TheVegetarianSite.com is owned and operated by vegans, and there is nothing we would like to see more than the establishment of basic rights for animals and the advancement of the vegan lifestyle. Those profiting from the vegetarian and animal rights movements, such as ourselves, are in an excellent position to support the nonprofit organizations that are working so hard to forward these causes. We are unique in that we contribute 10% of the amount of every single purchase you make (not merely 10% of the profit) to a different nonprofit organization every month, and we've done so since September 2000. While our profit margins and advertising budget are certainly reduced by doing so, our business model relies on happy, repeat customers. We do not inflate the prices of our products. In fact, you'll notice that most of our products are priced below those of other animal-friendly merchants.

Some Vegan and Animal Rights Groups That We Have Sponsored in Recent Months: Farm Sanctuary, EarthSave, Vegan Outreach, Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG), Compassion Over Killing, PETA, Mercy For Animals, In Defense of Animals (IDA), Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM), Born Free USA.

Where are your shoes produced?

We sell socially responsible brands because we're concerned both with animal rights and human rights. Our quality leather-alternative shoes are produced primarily in England, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and the U.S. Our environmental hemp shoes are produced mainly in Romania, Portugal, and England. There are a number of vegan branded shoes that we will not carry -- even though our competitors do -- because these manufacturers cannot provide adequate documentation of workers' rights and factory conditions (mostly Chinese manufacturing). We do carry some asian-made shoes, where manufacturers are working with nonprofit human rights-promoting organizations (such as Verite -- not to be confused with industry-funded "labor associations" used by Walmart, Nike, etc!)

What are your shipping charges and policies?

All orders within the continental US are charged a flat rate of $5, whether you order one or 100 items. If your address cannot be accessed by all major carriers (the USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL), please be sure to let us know at the time of your order. Orders outside the continental US are charged the full rate (minimum of $5). We ship most orders within 2-3 business days. In the event of any significant delay, you will be notified and have the option to cancel your order. If you do nothing, we will automatically process and ship your order as soon as possible. Express shipping is available: By default, express shipping usually requires a signature upon delivery of the package. If you will not be present to receive the package and want an express delivery to be made without any signature, please let us know by email.

What are your return and exchange policies?

We strive for customer satisfaction with every order. You are entitled to a full refund of the purchase price, so long as you obtain a merchandise return number (see below) and return the item in new, resalable condition along with a copy of your receipt. Only customer special orders for products that we do not stock, bakery gift baskets, perishables, and gift certificates are nonrefundable. All products must be returned with their original packaging to our secure post office box address. Shipping is refundable only in the event that we sent you a product that you did not order. In that rare case, we will reimburse you for your return postage and will ship promptly the item that you originally ordered. If you receive a defective item, we will replace it free of charge with an identical item (if still available, or with a comparable item if the original is no longer available) or repair it free of charge -- you do not pay additional shipping charges. If you are returning an item for any other reason, or if you are located outside the United States, you must pay the return shipping. If you are returning an item for a size exchange, we pay the shipping on the new size, provided that your order is shipping to a physical address within the 48-state Continental US.

All returns (including size/style exchanges) must be received within 60 days of your original order date and must include a merchandise return number (obtained by contacting us at shopping@TheVegetarianSite.com with your order number) and a copy of your receipt. For returns made without obtaining a return number or for returns made without a copy of your receipt, a 20% restocking fee is applied. Exchanges received beyond 60 days from your original order date and purchases made with a gift certificate do not qualify for complimentary exchange shipping and are charged our full shipping cost. If a package sent to you is refused or undeliverable as addressed, you will be notified once the parcel is returned to us. We can reship to you, but you must pay the full shipping cost in such a case. Alternatively, you may cancel the order altogether, and we will restock the refused/undeliverable shipment for a 20% fee.

Do you offer gift receipts?

Yes. If you wish us to send a receipt without any prices shown, please simply let us know by email. Be sure to include your order number.

What payment methods do you accept?

While we prefer that you order online via our secure server with a credit card, we understand that this method of payment is not ideal for everyone. We can also accept a personal check (must clear before we ship), money order, or bank check by US Mail. If you wish to place an international order by mail, you must send a money order or bank check in US funds. Due to our fast inventory turnover, you always should email us at shopping@TheVegetarianSite.com before sending a payment by mail so that we can put the items aside for you. If you ever have trouble placing a credit card order via our secure server or if you simply prefer not to order online, we can accept your credit card order by telephone at (860) 519-1918.

Is there a minimum order amount?

No, you may place as small an order as you'd like.

What is your privacy policy?

We strongly believe in keeping your personal information private. We will never sell, trade, or share your personal information or email address with anyone.

Do you accept special orders?

Yes. We will make every effort to obtain a product for you that is not offered on our website. Of course, there's no guarantee that we'll be successful. But please feel free to ask! Please note that special orders are nonrefundable.

Do you offer a printed catalog of products?

No, we do not offer a printed catalog at this time.