Have any questions?
Here are answers to some of the frequently asked questions we get at Opus Art Supplies.
This question has a two part answer:
For security reasons, we only process transactions that are paid for using a Canadian-issued credit card and at this time, we are only set up to ship orders within Canada.
With that said, if you have a Canadian-issued credit card on hand, you can make a purchase through our Customer Support Team by phone at 1-800-663-6953 ext 1. Please note that the order must still be sent to a Canadian address.
In almost all cases, yes. On ocassion, we may have store-specific clearance items or items only available online.
You do not need an account to place on order online. You will still need to fill out your billing and shipping information to check out as a guest.
Customers who have an account with us can save their billing and shipping information for an easier checkout experience.
Great question!
This is something we are continuously working on in hopes to be more environmentally conscious in our shipping practices.
All online orders for delivery are sent out in cardboard boxes, sealed with plastic packing tape and/or heavy-duty staples (should it be a pre-packaged easel). We are currently testing two varieties of paper tape in hopes that we can replace the plastic tape being used as often as possible.
We currently use newsprint as void-fill in all of our boxes, with the exception of glass frames that also include a small amount of bubble wrap to lessen the chance of damage while in transit. We are also looking into environmentally-friendly alternatives to bubble wrap for shipping frames containing glass.
Certain items are packaged in plastic bags inside the boxes to help prevent possible damages should any of the paint/ink products leak while in transit. If a bottle of acrylic ink breaks, it would be a shame to also have to replace any paper products that may have come in contact with it!
When you place an order for in-store pickup, the store of your choice is notified of your order. Next, our team will go through their store inventory to collect your items. Lastly, you'll be contacted when your order is available to pick up in-store!
If the items are not available at the location of your choice, we will get in touch with you to discuss the best options for your order.
Online purchases can be paid by Visa, Mastercard, and Visa-Debit. Express checkout can be paid for using Shop Pay and Google Pay.
Gift cards purchased on or after September 1st, 2022 can be used as a method of payment towards online orders. Fill out the gift card number field prior to selecting a shipping method.
Gift cards purchased before September 2022 must be redeemed in-store at one of our Opus retail locations, or over the phone with our Customer Support Team.
Yes! Shop for Opus Gift Cards here.
Great question!
The ‘Extra Charges’ icon shown above indicates that the item is most likely oversize or overweight, and will have additional shipping charges associated with the order. Please keep watch for this icon when placing your order; once the order is in our system our Customer Support Team will begin processing it, notifying you of the oversized item(s). They’ll follow up once more via phone or email once we receive a quote back from our shipping coordinator (normally within 2-4 business days.
When an item includes the icon shown above, the extra charges are usually in the form of an oversize fee. This fee is charged per parcel by the Canada Post and the various couriers we use, making it very to determine before an order is finalized. A number of factors come into play when determining how much the charge will be. Things to consider are:
•Where is this item being shipped to?
•Are you located in a remote area?
•Would it be difficult for a single person to carry this package (like a postal carrier or courier)?
•Are you ordering multiples of this particular item (ex: 5 – 36″x48″ canvases rather than just one)?
We’ve seen shipping fees ranging anywhere from $12.00 – $300.00+ depending on what items are being shipped and to where. If you are hoping to know the shipping cost of an item before purchasing it, please contact our Customer Support Team for more information.
If you are located within the Lower Mainland in British Columbia, we have the potential to ship orders as large as 48″x96″ (sometimes even slightly larger if it’s not too heavy) at a relatively affordable cost. Alternatively, you can arrange to have your order sent to one of our store locations for pick-up, free of additional shipping costs.
However, if you are not local I’m afraid shipping larger packages is getting harder and harder to accommodate.
You may or may not have already noticed, but many of our larger items have now been set to purchase in-store or over the phone through our Customer Support Team and are no longer available online. This is due to the high shipping costs associated with oversized parcels; we’d rather determine and discuss the shipping charges with you before the purchase is made to avoid any unnecessary surprises.
If you are hoping to have an oversized item sent to you, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Paper is packaged flat, in-between two or more pieces of cardboard before being put into a box with the rest of your items. We do not roll sheets of paper as most papers will retain some curvature even once flattened.
If you are still concerned that your paper may not arrive to you safely, you can ask that the sheets be packaged in between heavier sheets of cardboard for an additional $10, notated on our receipts as a "Fragile Packaging Fee". If this sounds like the most suitable option for you, please call our Customer Support Team; they'll be able to assist you in processing the extra fee associated with the order.
Of course we can or at the very least, we’ll see what can be done!
We’ve processed orders going to exceptional/remote locations, from a lighthouse off the coast of British Columbia all the way to Fogo Island on the edge of Newfoundland and have yet to come across a postal code we cannot ship to. With that said, there are definitely limitations to what we can ship.
A good rule of thumb is to be mindful when purchasing oversized items; most couriers will not delivery to a PO Box alone so if you do not have a full street address (and the item is deemed too large for Canada Post to take) we may not be able to deliver it.
If you are curious about whether or not the item you wish to purchase can be shipped to you, please call our Customer Support Team at 1-800-663-6953 ext 1. They’ll be able to help determine whether or not we can deliver the item in question, requesting a quote from our shipping coordinator if needed.
Shipping times can vary based on where the packages are going, so I’ve included a link to our shipping and tracking page here.
Normally, our Customer Support and Warehouse teams process orders within 3-5 business days from the date they are placed. From there they are shipped out of our warehouse in Vancouver, BC, leaving our warehouse between 2pm – 3pm every afternoon.
If you are ever curious about the status of your order, please don’t hesitate to contact us, citing your name, phone number and work order number (if you have it available).
Yes we do!
Rushes can be accommodated throughout the year with a few exceptions made around high volume periods like the holiday season in November and December.
There is a service fee of $10 for rushing the processing time of an order. This accounts for the picking and packing portion of the processing time and does not include rush shipping. If you wish to further expedite your order, actual shipping charges (of live shipping charges) will apply.
Please note that the rush charges associated with custom products like frames, surfaces, and prints have a rush service charge equal to 20% of your total order value (with the base rush fee being $20).
We ship with Canada Post, Purolator, UPS, Danfoss (locally) and are hoping to add to our options in the near future.
If you prefer one company over the other, please relay your preference to our Customer Support Team over the phone or leave a comment in your online order upon checkout.
Yes and no.
Customers are welcome to leave special instructions for our team to relay to the various shipping companies we use. With that said, the manner in which your parcel(s) is delivered is left to the discretion of the driver delivering it. If they feel that the conditions at the time are not suitable to let’s say, for example, “leave on door-step”, they may make the executive decision to bring the order back to the depot to avoid damage and/or theft.
These types of notes can be left in the comment section upon checkout or relayed to our Customer Support Team over the phone when placing the order.
If the order is still active in our system, yes!
Up until the point of your order being shipped, items can be removed/cancelled from your order.
If you wish to remove an item from your order, please call our Customer Support Team rather than email. That way they can address it with you over the phone in a more timely manner.
Returns can be made within 60 days of the purchase date.
You may bring your items & receipt into any of our retail stores to process the refund. If you are outside of the Lower Mainland in British Columbia (or cannot visit one of our stores in person), you may mail your item(s) back to our Customer Support Team on Cornett Road in Vancouver for further processing.
Once the items are received they can begin processing the return and refund you accordingly.
The following products are traditionally final sale and cannot be returned for a refund:
• pens & fineliners
• markers
• gift cards
• spray paint
• clearance Items (such as the products sold within our 'Now or Never' section)
• special order items
• custom-made items like frames, prints, and painting surfaces
• pre-buy purchases
• should you choose to purchase a quantity of paper below our recommended minimum, the papers will be final sale
Keeping this information in mind, all returns and refunds will be assessed at the time they are presented to us and exceptions can be made depending on your circumstance. If you are hoping to return items you've purchased with us, please reach out to our Customer Support Team or visit your nearest Opus retail location to discuss further.