Order & Shipping Information
Shipping Information
Wild Idea Buffalo Company has been shipping buffalo meat nationwide for over 25 years. Products are handled with tremendous care and are hand-packed before being shipped. If you have any questions or need to arrange special delivery, please don’t hesitate to let us know!
Transit Time
After you’ve placed your order at wildideabuffalo.com, we will immediately start processing your order for shipment. All orders received before 12:00 p.m. CST and within our shipping window of Monday through Wednesday will be processed for shipment the same day. To ensure that orders do not get stuck in a warehouse over the weekend, standard and express orders are only shipped on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Overnight orders will be shipped on Thursday.
Once FedEx has picked up your order, you will receive an email confirming that your order has been shipped. This email will also have a tracking number that can be used to see the location of your order and provide any delivery instructions for your FedEx driver.
Questions about shipping? We’re happy to answer! Please feel free to contact us at info@wildideabuffalo.com or by phone at 605-215-1244.
Shipping Provider
We ship all orders via FedEx to ensure that we can provide the most favorable rates to our customers. Your order will be sent via Home Delivery or 2-day air, depending on the method you select at checkout.
Order Modifications
We understand that mistakes sometimes happen! Wild Idea will do our best to accommodate modifications to orders prior to shipping. Given our quick turnaround time, please communicate all requested modifications as soon as possible.
Once your order has shipped, we are unable to make any modifications to your order. Any changes of address, delivery date, or other shipping-related concerns can be discussed with FedEx via the tracking link provided to you or by phone at 1-800-463-3339. We cannot guarantee product arriving frozen past 3 days, so please ensure any delivery modifications are made with that in mind.
Holidays
The holidays are a busy time of year for everyone. To ensure that your delivery arrives in time for your holiday plans, please make sure you carefully read order deadlines and what shipping method you choose. If you order past the deadline, don’t worry! We will still process your order for arrival after the holidays.
Thanksgiving
There will not be any FedEx delivery, ground, or air service on Thanksgiving day. To make sure your order arrives on time via your preferred shipping method, please ensure your order is placed before the listed deadline.
Christmas
There will not be any FedEx delivery, ground, or air service on Christmas day. To make sure your order arrives on time via your preferred shipping method, please ensure your order is placed before the listed deadline.
FAQS
What does the shipping cost include?
Our shipping costs are calculated to include material cost for insulated packaging, dry ice, and gel packs for your order; labor costs for picking, packing, and shipping your order; and transportation and delivery costs for your order.
The farther away a destination is from our fulfillment center, the more it costs to ship your order to you. Since moving our fulfillment to Independence, Missouri, we have been able to expand our covered transit zones to continue passing the lowest possible shipping rate to our customers while decreasing order fulfillment times. We always utilize shipping methods that ensure frozen orders arrive within a maximum of 3 days to prevent thawing. For our customers in Hawaii and Alaska, we send all orders via FedEx 2-day air with gel packs to comply with FAA regulations and ensure your order arrives in the best condition possible.
We put a lot of care into determining our shipping rates for our customers, as we want to serve as many customers across the United States as possible. In everything we do, we always return to our mission: regenerating the prairie and honoring the life of the bison we process. When orders don't arrive on time or arrive thawed and the meat has to be discarded, we waste not only the packaging, but the life of the animal the meat came from. It is our hope that under our current shipping model, we can reduce waste and ensure your product will arrive on time and in great condition, allowing you to continue to eat sustainably and help regenerate the prairie, one bite at a time.
What does shipping cost?
Our shipping is broken down into zones based on distance from our fulfillment center. We strive to provide shipping at cost to all of our customers to ensure that we are providing the most cost-effective option for the widest range of people. All orders shipped Standard are sent via FedEx Home Delivery; all orders shipped Express are sent via FedEx 2-Day Air; all orders shipped Overnight are sent via FedEx Priority Overnight.
Zone 1:
- Standard Shipping: $22.00
- Express Shipping: $40.00
- Overnight Shipping: $100.00
Zone 2:
- Standard Shipping: $40.00
- Express Shipping: $60.00
- Overnight Shipping: $100.00
Alaska and Hawaii
- Express Shipping: $100.00
Free shipping is available for any order over $250.00. Excludes Alaska and Hawaii.
How do you ship your products?
Your order will be hand-packed in a branded box with an insulated cooler made from Cruz Foam, an upcycled foam-like material that biodegrades in 109 days under commercial settings. We will also add dry ice or gel packs to make sure your product stays at the correct temperature throughout the transit process and arrives at your doorstep in excellent condition. The best part? This setup is entirely curbside recyclable! Learn more about our packaging materials here.
Can I ship my order to a PO Box? Or my business?
Due to the perishable nature of our products, we cannot ship to PO boxes. We do everything within our power to catch orders with PO boxes listed before shipment, but please verify that your shipping address is correct at checkout, as we cannot make any modifications once your order has been received by FedEx.
With shipping to businesses, we recommend placing your order to be received during the work week and during working hours, as we cannot control FedEx delivery standards and are not responsible for orders being held over the weekend due to customer delivery restrictions.
I got my order! What do I do with this box?
We’re glad your order made it! Our coolers are 100% curbside recyclable and the Cruz Foam will biodegrade in less than 4 months, so go ahead and put that box in the recycling bin. You can also give your box a second life - they’re great for moving, storing things, keeping beers cold, wrapping gifts, or any other thing you might need a box for!
What if I'm not home when my order is delivered?
No worries! We waive all signature requirements unless otherwise requested, so your package should be waiting for you at the door when you get home. If you know you’ll be gone, it never hurts to leave a note for your delivery person stating where a nice, shady spot to put your box can be found. If you have a gate, a note will also help your delivery person know where to put the box and reduce the chance that it is left out in the sun. We do pack every order with a little bit of extra dry ice in case it does get left in the sun for a while; if you find your package in the sun, just bring it inside, make sure everything is still cool to the touch, and put it in your fridge or freezer.
What if my order is thawed?
While we try to avoid thawing at all costs, it is unavoidable at times. If your box does arrive with some thawing, we will do everything we can to help. First, don't throw it away. Even if the meat is thawed or partially thawed, it may still be good; meat that is cool to the touch can be refrozen and consumed like normal, as this is just like having it in your refrigerator. Second, take a quick picture of the meat you received. This will be super helpful if we do need to file a claim on your behalf or look further into the situation. After you’ve taken the pictures you need, go ahead and put the meat in your freezer and reach out to us over email at info@wildideabuffalo.com. We can help you discern whether or not the meat will need to be thrown out and regardless, we’d still love to hear about your situation and ensure we take care of you to the best of our ability.
Can I send an order as a gift?
Wild Idea’s buffalo meat makes a fantastic gift! You have several options here. If you are planning to send something for someone just to try and don’t know what they might like, we would recommend one of our gift cards. If you know exactly what you would like to send, just indicate the recipient address and we will ship it directly to them. If you would like to add a personal note in the box, please let us know in the “notes” section of your order.
We would also like to let you know that sometimes smaller orders, like a single pound of Italian Sausage or Ground Buffalo, thaw out quicker than larger orders. We do adjust our box size to accommodate smaller orders, but they do not get the added benefit of being surrounded by other frozen products. To help protect against thawing, we would recommend trying to hit at least three or four pounds for your order.
Can I put a gift note on my order?
You absolutely can! If you add your note in the “notes” section at checkout, we will print it on the order slip that goes in the box. Happy gifting!