FAQs Store
Q: Can I come to your store and pick out a product? Can I pick up my order?
A: No. We do not operate a physical store. We operate the website from an office and fulfill products from our warehouse or various other warehouses and distribution centers.
Q: What are your hours?
A: Gary, our toilet expert, is available Monday - Friday 8 - 5 (Pacific Time) on telephone; via email seven days; and Web 24 hours. Shipments depart Monday through Friday except for holidays. The internal tank repair parts department is available Monday - Friday 10 - 4 (Eastern Time) at telephone, 603-249-9100 and via email.
Q: How much is the shipping charge?
A: The shipping cost is shown on each product page. This is the cost for one item. Greater quantity or multiple items will be a greater cost.
You can see the total shipping cost in the shopping cart. Using the shipping estimator, enter your state and zip code and the total cost will be shown.
Q: Wouldn't it cost less to replace the whole toilet?
A: Well, you may pay less for some toilets at the store, but the entire job may cost you more. For details, Click Here. "It's not just what you pay, it's what it costs you."
Q: Can you do better on the price? Can you discount? Can you discount for seniors? Can you discount for military?
A: Sorry, but no. By the time we setup a custom price for a discount and then reverse it after one order, we'd have to charge a fee for that time which would negate the discount.
A: No. We are not a general store trying to compete with Amazon or Giant Home Center. We are a service-based business specializing in discontinued, custom-made, limited stock, hard to find products.
Q: Why is the price cheaper on the website versus the telephone?
A: 1) The fee charged by our credit card company is lower for online payments because the risk of fraud is lower. 2) "Seller Protection" benefits apply to online payments; phone payments are "ineligible". 3) The website prepares an order description, price, and shipping cost automatically. Phone orders must be prepared manually. 4) Payment data can be entered directly by the buyer on web orders, but with phone orders it must be dictated by the buyer and heard clearly by the seller. (These letters sound alike in many telephone environments: B, C, D, P, T; F, S; M, N.) Here are the most difficult conditions we encounter on phone orders: Hands-free from vehicle with road/wind noise. English is a second language. Bathroom tile echo. Speaker phone echo. Dog barking in background. Baby crying near caller. Children screaming near caller. Music, radio or TV behind caller. Construction noise near caller. Speed talkers. Weak connection from cordless or cell phone. Spouse in background coaching caller. Two or three of these conditions simultaneously is impossible. ~ Save $10.00 on web orders.
Q: Do you ship to Canada?
A: No, but depending on the product, we may be able to refer you to an affiliate who does.
Payment
Q: What are the payment methods?
A: We take all credit cards plus PayPal, Apple Pay, Shop Pay, Venmo & G Pay.
Q: Can I pay by check?
A: Yes. Postal mail a note stating the item you want; your shipping address; your phone number; and include a check* or money order payable to This Old Toilet for the amount** shown for the item. Send to:
This Old Toilet
2310 Homestead Road
C1 # 421
Los Altos, CA 94024
* Include your bank's telephone number so that we can verify funds prior to shipment. If we are unable to verify funds, please allow two weeks from receipt of check to shipment of lid.
** If delivery is to California, add 9.75% for sales tax. (Rate is for Santa Clara county, where title passes, per State Board of Equalization regulations.)
Q: Can you ship C.O.D.?
A: Yes. If paying by check, some customers prefer this rather than sending a check with the order. However, there is a $100 extra fee. (This is the amount charged by UPS for that service.) Add $16.00 to payment amount and specify "Ship C.O.D." on your order.
Q: How can I know that you are a trustworthy merchant?
A: Several ways - We are a Pay Pal Verified Seller since 2003. Click the link to view our certification. (Pay Pal login required.) We've been featured in the San Jose Mercury News, Angie's List Magazine and The New York Times ...We're for-real! Click here to view our testimonials.
Q: I have a toilet to dump. Where can I take it?
A: Contact your garbage company. They will refer you to approved toilet disposal locations. The facility we use has segregated concrete demolition into which toilets can be mixed.
Q: How did you get into this business?
A: Gary was born into a family-owned wholesale plumbing supply business in the 1950's and was a manufacturer's representative for luxury kitchen, bath and plumbing products for 25 years. From 1997 through 2000 Gary was a volunteer advisor on two internet plumbing advice web sites. A recurring question was, "Where can I find a tank lid for my old toilet?" ...Some people were downright desperate: "PLEASE. Help me! Where can I find a lid?" One day Gary took a chance and answered, "I'll find you your lid for $100.00." (...And then thought, "How am I gonna do that?") They said, "Fine, how long will it take?" The lid was procured, the payment was made, the business was born. "Find a need an fill it.", Ruth Stafford Peale.
Q: How did you end up being in an article in the newspaper?
A: An editor at the San Jose Mercury News saw our web site when he needed to replace a toilet tank lid broken by one of his children. He thought it might be an interesting subject and suggested it to a columnist.
What is your privacy policy?
Our privacy notice discloses the privacy practices for www.ThisOldToilet.com. This privacy notice applies solely to information collected by this web site. It will notify you of the following:
- What personally identifiable information is collected from you through the web site, how it is used and with whom it may be shared.
- What choices are available to you regarding the use of your data.
- The security procedures in place to protect the misuse of your information.
- How you can correct any inaccuracies in the information.
Information Collection, Use, and Sharing
We are the sole owners of the information collected on this site. We only have access to/collect information that you voluntarily give us via email or other direct contact from you. We will not sell or rent this information to anyone.
We will use your information to respond to you, regarding the reason you contacted us. We will not share your information with any third party outside of our organization, other than as necessary to fulfill your request, e.g. to ship an order.
Unless you ask us not to, we may contact you via email in the future to tell you about specials, new products or services, or changes to this privacy policy.
Your Access to and Control Over Information
You may opt out of any future contacts from us at any time. You can do the following at any time by contacting us via the email address or phone number given on our website:
- See what data we have about you, if any.
- Change/correct any data we have about you.
- Have us delete any data we have about you.
- Express any concern you have about our use of your data.
Security
We take precautions to protect your information. When you submit sensitive information via the website, your information is protected both online and offline.
Wherever we collect sensitive information (such as credit card data), that information is encrypted and transmitted to us in a secure way. You can verify this by looking for a closed lock icon at the bottom of your web browser, or looking for "https" at the beginning of the address of the web page.
While we use encryption to protect sensitive information transmitted online, we also protect your information offline. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, billing or customer service) are granted access to personally identifiable information. The computers/servers in which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.
If you feel that we are not abiding by this privacy policy, you should contact us immediately via telephone at 650-483-1139 or info@thisoldtoilet.com.