That's right folks, there is no point and click ordering here and that really confuses the heck out of the youngsters who don't have a clue how to buy something otherwise. We have real reasons for not doing so. Visit or FAQs page for a very honest answer.

 You can zip down to specific sections by using the text index below (come on, we know it is old fashioned but if you click on the blue words it will take you somewhere) or read on to learn some of the frustrations of dealing with those VISA® and MASTERCARD® folks and get a feel for why we like to communicate with our customers instead of just sitting at the end of an electronic stream filling your order.

International Orders

Address, Phone Number, etc.

What was that? Communicate? Well, customer service really is a two way street. In order for us to serve you to the best of our ability you have to do more than point the courser at an item you may not even  want and click a button. If you are lucky, you might even remember where you were when you clicked. There are so many "stores" out there it is easy to forget who you bought what from. Every year we get calls from people who swore they ordered something on line (point and click) from us and they want to know where their merchandise is. And then there are the folks who  return items we don't even sell. We suspect that is simply shopping overload, somewhat akin to the information overload we all get when we type a single word into Google. But, getting merchandise back that is not yours is really frustrating, especially if it comes with a nasty letter.
We start our communication with you on our web site by fully describing our products as well as giving you pictures of the items. Put yourself in the position of a visually impaired individual who uses new technology to "read" the web pages. A single picture with a price isn't worth much. Besides, while pictures may be worth a thousand words, it usually helps to know a few basic facts about the products you are looking at.
We may be long winded but we like to "communicate" with our customers and we honestly don't want to sell you something that may not be what you want. Look at the pictures, read the descriptions and we will be most happy to answer any questions that you have before you buy (or don't as the case may be). Never be afraid to ask. We really do know what we are selling. And, yes, if we do not think we can give you what you want we really will tell you. We apologize, in advance, for our honesty.

We always welcome communication via email. Email is great.  We usually pick up email around 5 AM and again around 3PM and will try to get back to you within 24 hours. When we are "on the road" that is limited by our ability to connect to the Internet but we do try. You may order via email if desired but  since we can't promise you total credit card security via email you should call in your number. While it may be slightly old fashioned the best, most secure methods of ordering from us are by using the phone (land line) or the mail. Watch your cell phones folks. We find it rather amazing how many people are perfectly happy to transmit financial information over the air waves.  Of course it would seem most folks just use their boss's phone to order. It doesn't cost anything and they get paid to shop.  :)

You may call us with an order or questions at 802-365-4588  ( 8 AM to 7 PM EASTERN TIME  PLEASE, PLEASE, NOT BEFORE 8 AM  OR  AFTER 7 PM EASTERN TIME. WE CAN GET REAL UGLY WHEN SOMEONE DRAGS US OUT OF BED AT 2 AM ). No, it isn't a toll free number and those who mistakenly dial an 800 instead of 802 are in for a shock. :) In our own defense, so many folks have unlimited free calling plans it doesn't make much sense for us to pay the phone company for a call you would have made for free anyway. But, beware! We just say "Hello" when we answer the phone. Please don't panic. Just mutter something about sheepskin or shearling or what-have-you and we will pick up the ball. 

In almost all cases you will be greeted by Kathy or Rick. (Just two people, remember, unless the boys are home for a visit.) We don't have an answering machine. (So "but I left a message on your machine" doesn't work with us. Love that one 'cause people we are trying to get in touch with try to use it as an excuse when we complain that they never called us back.) If you don't get an answer after 4 or 5 rings then simply hang up and call back in a few hours. We do take some time off on occasion or have outside obligations to tend to. However, if it is your preference  to be left on hold listening to lousy music for hours or pushing buttons endlessly as you go through prompt after prompt, then you will just have to do that elsewhere as we can't oblige you. You can go play with their phone system and call us back when you are done. The timing will probably be about right. 

Yes, we do accept MasterCard® and Visa® (including debit cards) for telephone orders or orders by mail (and at shows) but we prefer checks or money orders so the "financial institutions" don't get their slice of our pie. They are already getting our tax money.  There must be 5 or 6 companies dipping into the pot before the charge actually makes it back to you. They get almost 5% now and what, may we ask, do they do for their money besides hassle us? Let's face it, what kind of fool would pay a company exorbitant fees for the privilege of having them constantly telling you how they expect you to run your business? Well, us that's who, but we don't have to like it and we have a right to say so. If MasterCard® and Visa® have their way there will be no such thing as a nice, personal, small business left anywhere. It's not like they have anything to loose. If we take a card that isn't any good (even if we follow all their rules) who do you think is out the cash? They fine you for this, they fine you for that, but if they screw up your deposit and misplace your money they don't feel they have any responsibility in the matter. (Or, on the consumer side, if they lose your data they give you some lame excuse and tell you you have nothing to worry about.)
But, for you kind people who send in money orders, please do not go to the extra expense. If you send us a good check we are most happy to accept it and it won't slow down shipment of your order. Matter of fact either checks or money orders qualify for our "Shepherd's Flock Rewards" program. We  discount your cost by what the "financial institutions" would be taking out of our pocket on a credit or debit card sale. This is a "win/win" situation.

We do not ship COD and   "we DON'T take American Express®" or Discover®.  Sorry, but American Express® is often slow to pay (us) and Discover® just pads their pocket with an extra quarter or two.  You know that "cash back" bonus? Do you think Discover® actually takes it out of their pocket? Of course Visa® and MasterCard® have decided to charge us extra for all you folks who use their "rewards" cards. That amounts to us paying them to entice you to use a credit card that  we really don't want in the first place. There is really something warped about that arrangement. Any guesses who is making out on that one?

Posted prices are honored until they are changed. Yes, we charge you for shipping and handling and those basic charges are noted at the bottom of the page.  Orders are shipped via First Class or Priority Mail®. Additional shipping can be done with FedEx®.  No, absolutely no UPS®. We really like the folks who drive the trucks but management attitude is, well, "corporate". Never have gotten along with them too well.

Many orders come packaged in a nice red, white and blue box but that is as close as we get to wrapping. We do have a couple of basic gift cards that we will be happy to enclose if you ask. But, for that very personal touch, you may send us your own special card and we will be sure to get it in the right box. (Really!) Just let us know that you wish to do such and we will tell you how to proceed. Bet the folks at "Eddie Beans End" can't pull that one off. 

Under normal circumstances  it may actually take four weeks or even a little longer  for your order to be produced and shipped (a good case of the flu, a major snowstorm or a hurricane like Irene does throw us behind but we try to factor that in). We really are telling you the truth. We actually make this stuff (except for the gloves although we occasionally do some of those too).  We do not keep products in stock, only skins. As orders are placed the items are carefully cut, sewn, and shipped to the customer. In many cases that is all done by the same pair of hands.  We do like to have hand or foot tracings. It is not absolutely necessary but we believe we can give you a better fit that way. And, yes, sometimes we get very, very, busy. So, we may say up to four weeks but at least we are being honest.  (Darn, there is that honesty thing again.)

Now, if you have decided that we are just a bit too weird or too slow to do business with,  you might try our index of competitors. There actually are people out there who would prefer not to talk to you at all  so have a ball with your "click" finger and your telephone prompts. Isn't progress just wonderful? Heck, we know MasterCard® and Visa® just love those folks.

Confidentiality of Customer Information
(a/k/a Privacy Policy) 

A privacy policy that doesn't take you hours to read. That is because we have nothing to hide. We at Shepherd's Flock® have a great deal of respect for individual privacy because we are people too. (Really, this is a sole proprietorship, not a corporation, so even the IRS designates us as people. Try as we may to get the business to fund a PAC or two the rules say we can't call it a business expense. That is soooo unfair. )

We DO NOT maintain ANY type of database (besides a mental one) on our customers. If we recognize you  it is purely because we actually remember you, not because our computer flashed your name and info up on the monitor screen. All records are on paper and, therefore, not vulnerable to hackers tapping into our computers. Heck, we don't even have caller ID. All paper is shredded at appropriate intervals, including any return addresses on envelopes. Sorry, the IRS requires that we keep certain records for at least 3 years. But, those are shredded when we are in the clear.
We DO NOT give, sell, or otherwise distribute any information of any kind about our customers to any third party unless responding to a court order to do so. (No, that hasn't happened yet.) 
We DO NOT send unsolicited mail or email and DO NOT retain your email address (or your emails) beyond the time frame necessary to allow for problems that might occur after your order is shipped. We delete email very frequently. "Don't worry! Spam is for jerks, and jerks we are not." *
*Phrase from APPSUMO.COM, via a post on Facebook from a friend. It was way too good to pass up. Apologies to APPSUMO but we did link to you. :)
We DO NOT do telemarketing of any kind and only use your phone number to contact you specifically about your order. If you get a telemarketing call from "Shepherd's Flock®" the very first thing you should do is call us. We will find and "tread on" the perpetrator.
We DO NOT knowingly participate in any program that tracks your buying habits. (That is one of the reasons for no on-line ordering. Many transactions actually go through a third party and it has been our experience that those third parties have a field day with the information they collect.)  Since all transactions with us are completed off line only you, we, the bank you drew your check on or your credit card underwriter know that you purchased from us. Of course they (the bank,  the credit card company, and the credit reporting agencies) are busy selling your info to anyone with a bit of cash but that ain't our fault.
Any personal information we request of you either for mail order or in person at a show is simply to better serve you or to protect ourselves and you from credit card fraud, not to pass on to any other person or firm. This is the way it should be, and the way it will always be here. You can count on it!
We DO, however, use 3 statistical programs with a "session cookie" that helps us see how you found us, what keywords you used in your search (example: one person did a search for "does anyone work in Vermont in Winter"  with Google) and whether or not you stuck around for a time but there is no personally identifiable information recorded. We use Google Analytics and Statcounter as well as Quantcast, which uses statistical modeling to look at our "audience". It's pretty cool and we can make most stats public so we will let you have a peak. We actually used their info to do a "guessing game" contest for our Facebook Fans. No, we don't give them any information as we don't have any on you to give. In other words, we don't have a clue who stopped by for a visit or even where you go when you leave our site. In all honesty we wish it weren't necessary but the information helps this little two horse shop maintain a reasonable position on the major search engines without buying ads which would bankrupt us in a week. Guess the "do it yourself" philosophy is hard to overcome.

Privacy tips:

Tired of the junk mail, the endless credit card and insurance solicitations, phone calls from telemarketers that interrupt  your life and all those firms making all that money by selling your data. Yes, you can do something and, for the most part, it does work.

• Surf anonymously using Scroogle.  Scroogle will give you the first 100 Google search results without Google knowing what you have been up to. The added bonus is there are no ads as well.

• The National Do Not Call List will stop most of those annoying calls (except, of course, the political ones).  (Recently changed to permanent removal as opposed to the 5 year span it was.) You really should do this unless you like annoying sales calls. (Beware, it will not prevent political calls. They conveniently wrote in an exception for themselves.)

• The Mail Preference Service of the Direct Marketing Association will stop a lot of the miscellaneous junk mail. However, they have changed how they do things so you are more than willing to see what they are up to. They used to have a simple form that allowed you to opt out of it all.

• Stop most credit card and insurance solicitations by "Opting Out" of prescreened offers of credit. Believe us, this makes a very big difference. (Good for 5 years but, if done by mail, you can request a permanent removal.)

• "Opt Out" of affiliate sharing done by banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions. Note that some States, like Vermont, have turned the tables and actually require that you "Opt In" much to the dismay of the banking industry.

• Check your credit reports annually for mistakes and to see who has been checking up on you. Beware, there are numerous sites out there who give you reports for free it if you buy their "plan". The linked site is the only one where the Credit Reporting Agencies must do it free of charge, no strings attached. If you don't want to use the on-line feature you can do it by phone. (You would be surprised how much wrong info they have on you, like a young friend who found out his mother's mortgage was being reported on his credit history. When he tried to buy a house the bank told him he couldn't afford two mortgages. This is a true story. It took him some time to get it straightened out. Meanwhile he had to wait for the mortgage.)

• Opt out of "targeted" advertising from Internet marketing companies. While this does not prevent ads on your pages it stops the companies from following you around and placing ads on the pages that are specifically meant for you. (Although we heard recently that some of these firms are cheating.)

• Do the Total Opt Out. Move to the Google "Opt Out Village". You will thank yourself for it. :)

• Note that when it comes to identify theft and accidental (cough, choke, laugh) release of data (like your social security number), different States have different laws. Call your State's Attorney General's office at once for information concerning your rights if something happens to you. Do not delay and follow through. It is very inconvenient for you.

• Ear muffs, insoles, eyeglass cases, and seat belt covers will normally be shipped within 3 to 5 days of receipt of the order or faster. On other items it will depend upon where you come up in line. Contact us for our approximate lag time. It does vary on a daily basis.

•  Orders must be prepaid by check, money order, MasterCard® or Visa® (NO, WE DO NOT TAKE American Express® or Discover®). Checks are not deposited nor charges processed until we are ready to ship. We do not ship COD. Checks and money orders are eligible for "Shepherd's Flock Rewards" , a 5% discount on both cost of the merchandise and s/h charges.

• Orders may be placed by email , if desired, but we recommend phoning in your credit card #. Orders are gladly accepted by phone or post. Address and phone number follow the shipping charges. If you feel more comfortable with a standardized order blank then we actually finally made one. "Click Here" to download  our improved "official" order blank. Note that you cannot save the typed in information but you can print it out completely filled in and then mail it to us.

• Returns are for "store credit", minus shipping/handling charges or direct exchange only. We simply cannot afford to offer refunds of any kind. Merchandise should be returned to us in new, re-sellable condition within 14 days of receipt of the order or, if the merchandise is a gift, within 14 days after the gift is received. Please do not return items without notifying us first. 

• Most shipments are via First Class or Priority Mail®. Shipments can be done  via FedEx® but the cost will be much greater. No, UPS® can stick it somewhere.  International shipments are via Air Mail. Note that once we turn the order over to the shipper we have no control over how long it takes to get your order. We have done business with all major shippers and everyone of them is very capable of screwing up big time, believe us. You think you have it bad, try having them "lose" thousands of dollars of skins during holiday production time which, in effect, means we take an early vacation and, no, the guarantee does not cover lost income, only the cost of the shipping. (Of course the skins "appeared" in late December.)

• International orders are always welcome. Please go to our International Page.

• Sorry, no gift wrapping, fancy boxes, etc.. Two gift cards are available or, if you contact us well in advance,  you may have us  enclose a personal card with your gift. Ask for details.

• Vermont residents will have to add 6% sales tax to the value of any non- wearables.

SHIPPING/HANDLING CHARGES, ALL US AND CANADIAN DESTINATIONS REGARDLESS OF ZIP/POST CODE
(INCLUDES ALASKA, HAWAII, US TERRITORIES, AND US MILITARY INSTALLATIONS)
Don't laugh, we have shipped numerous items to Hawaii.

SHEPHERD'S FLOCK
PO BOX 131
TOWNSHEND
VERMONT 05353-0131
USA

PHONE 1-802-365-4588

SEVEN DAYS A WEEK 8AM TO 7PM EASTERN TIME  Don't be alarmed if we answer with a simple "Hello".  :)
(Just don't call before 8AM or after 7PM 'cause we get very ugly, honest. Look at the clock. That is what it is there for. )

Orders via snail mail may be written on plain old paper or you can use our long awaited and now improved official order form (pdf), we don't care.  Please be sure to include address, phone, and email address so we can contact you if necessary. Checks should be made payable to "Shepherd's Flock". Credit card numbers can be handwritten but be sure to include the expiration date.

Orders using a credit card may be phoned in 7 days a week between 8 AM and 7 PM Eastern time. PLEASE DO NOT CALL AFTER 7:00 PM EASTERN TIME. Check the clock.
If there is no answer after four or five rings call back in a few hours. We have either taken the day off, are running around doing our community involvement thing, or dealing with Irene. :)

If you mail in an order and include your email address, we always attempt to acknowledge the receipt of the order (one of those little personal touches). Please make sure the email address is legible and check your spam box if you do not hear from us. If you do not note an email address you will only hear from us if there is a problem or there are questions. Otherwise we will ship the order when it is next in line.

Even Finer Print:
Priority Mail® is a registered trademark of the United States Postal Service, UPS® is a registered trademark of United Parcel Service,  and FedEx®  is a  registered trademark of  FDX Corporation (including that neat-o color scheme).
MasterCard®, Visa®, American Express® and Discover® are all registered trademarks as well and do not belong to us.  We will post that info  when we find out who owns them.  :) Actually we could care less but we will get around to it someday.

This page was last modified Saturday, December 31, 2011 04:38 AM
Copyright©  1998-2012 Shepherd's Flock®
Site maintenance and new page work accomplished by those of us who really, really, long for the days of the rotary telephone and a real person at the end of the line (in the USA). Does anyone really care anymore?  Nope! It's all about the "bucks".  :(