Updates Aug 28 - Tariffs, Fall, and More

It's all anyone's talking about...

💫 Tariffs! 💫

Watch the video above as we talk through tariff updates, fall plans, and more at Mama & Roo's

Okay, maybe it's just everyone in my business and BST groups is talking about it...

But either way, I know this is a concern for those of you looking for a new carrier or online shopping in general. So I wanted to give you some quick tips, updates on what to expect from Mama & Roo's, and some updates on future plans here!

Tariff Updates as of August 29:

I'll start by saying, the most important thing you need to know, as a consumer, is, where are the products you're buying shipping from? At Mama & Roo's, whether you've ordered a preorder or one of our many in-stock items, we receive all items first, then ship them to you from North Carolina. You'll never get a surprise bill after the fact when you order from Mama & Roo's to a US address- that's a guarantee!

How can you avoid tariff issues and surprise costs?

• The best way to avoid tariff issues and surprise costs is to order from a US business that ships to customers from a US address - like Mama & Roo's!
  Extra fees and taxes for tariffs are being charged 1 of 2 places - either with shipping as "delivered duty paid" (DDP), or when it arrives to your door as "delivered duty unpaid" (DDU). DDU shipments are not supposed to deliver to you as an end consumer until you pay any customs, taxes, and brokerage fees first - this gives you the option to reject a package (and thus follow the return policy of the business you purchased from on this). But, I have heard reports of DDU shipments to customers from other brands that have charged customers AFTER the fact. This isn't the fault of the business shipping to you - but it is why many shipping companies are saying they will only ship DDP. Again, the best way to avoid this hassle and expense is to order from an American brand that SHIPS FROM an address in the US to your US address - which Mama & Roo's does!
  
  
• If you are considering purchasing anything from a website that doesn't clearly state where they ship from, you'll need to contact that website owner prior to purchase to avoid unpleasant surprises and delays. Mama & Roo's clearly states our shipping information (we currently ship from NC, USA) on our Shipping page, along with many other places on our website and in our emails.
  
  
• If you are outside the US and purchase from a US business, you may encounter customs and duties fees. If ordering from Mama & Roo's to outside the US, please know we cannot guarantee what those costs will be at delivery. Again, this only applies to if your address is outside of the US - all US addresses will not have any additional costs when ordering from Mama & Roo's!

Other tariff information:

A brief highlight from me, a US mom and small business owner, on my understanding of what's happening and how it may affect you.

• The "de minimus" exemption on imports expires on all countries today (some countries it already expired earlier this year). This means that every shipment has to undergo the full customs process. This adds expense and time to all shipments.
  
  What does this mean for you?
  
  Expect domestic shipments to also have delays, as de minimus shipments are the most common imports, and full customs processing of these shipments will require substantial resources from shipping carriers. It will take time for this extra workload to be managed
  
  
• Some shipping carriers are refusing to ship to the US, at least temporarily. 
  
  What does this mean for you?
  
  If you order from a US business like Mama & Roo's, this is not something you have to worry about. Our suppliers have arrangements with multiple shipping companies, and we have no plans to stop ordering product in. The inconvenience here is mostly to businesses, not end consumers.
  
  It's possible we'll have suppliers choose to permanently stop selling to the US, but we have received no word of that, and we would tell you if we did.
  
  If you're purchasing from a seller or vendor outside of the US, you may have more difficulty or much greater expense, including at the time of delivery, than expected. 
  
  
• All packages being imported to the US can be stopped by customs for any reason.
  
  What does this mean for you?
  
  This has always been true, but I think it's important to highlight for those of you who choose to order from companies that are shipping to you from outside of the US. Even if you pay DDP (duty paid), customs could still stop your package, open it, and decide that the duty that was pre-paid was not enough and thus charge you more. I don't know how likely this is to happen, but I think it's something good to know. Even if higher duties aren't charged, there will be a delay if this were to happen to a package of yours (or of mine when stocking! =) ).
  
  
• [Quick update 8/30] Amanda actually just reminded me of something else that's good to know - the tariff rate is only one piece of the costs of importing. I won't even pretend to know the complexities of it all, but with de minimus no longer applying, meaning any size shipment goes through the full customs process, my assumption would be that the customs/duties/taxes that already existed will now apply to all size shipments.
  
  What does this mean for you?
  
  It means tariffs are only 1 fee on an imported shipment, not the total fee. Even if the tariff rate for a particular country is 10% or 15% or 25%, that doesn't mean that's all you will be charged (when you order from another country into the US). You may also be charged brokerage fees from the shipping carrier, and the normal customs/duties/taxes that were in place long before the tariffs were. I wish I could tell you exactly what to expect here - but I won't even know for my own shipments what this will look like until they start coming in next week. And my shipments are only one product category - there are many, many types of goods! All that to say - if you're ordering anything shipping to you from outside the US, you will want to reach out to the person you're purchasing from to hope they can better advise you of what to expect. Again, you don't need to worry about this when shopping at Mama & Roo's - we ship from the US. <3

What can you expect from Mama & Roo's now?

You can expect a lot of the same great things we've always done!

• No price increases planned: Mama & Roo's is a small company. We don't have a team planning to change prices on every whim - this isn't Amazon, after all! It's me (Alexandra), Johnathan in the warehouse, and Amanda assisting with customer service. And changing pricing is not high on any of our to-do lists - it's not fun! 
  
  Mama & Roo's has already made the price increases we needed to make based on our costs increasing from our suppliers and projected tariff burdens. If things change substantially again, we will have to review. And new products may have slightly different pricing depending on what they are. But we aren't planning any large store-wide increases unless something big happens to force that.
  
  
• Same great customer service and support! We've got video tutorials on YouTube (and more I need to upload!), blog and video tutorials in the Journal here, a Mama & Roo's community on Facebook, email support at contact@mama-roo.com, and live chat support right here on our website! We've got clear, easy-to-understand policies, we're always available to answer questions (no need to book an appointment for a fit check - just email or message us, or even post in the group!), and we're always happy to support you in your journey. We've got a clear and easy process for returns, offer incentives for exchanges, and have so many beautiful items to choose from. 
  
  
• Same wonderful products built to last: You'll love wearing your baby - we've got so many options, I know we can help you find something for you and your family to love! Our products all have a 1 year manufacturer guarantee, but if properly cared for and stored, you can enjoy them for many, many years. When you think of all the times and ways you'll use your carrier, there's no reason to delay! Get the most out of wearing your little ones. Our brands are known for their quality, and if you don't have anymore babies, don't want to keep your carrier, and have no one to pass it on to, you can always sell it on the BST (buy sell trade groups). A baby carrier can change your life with your baby - it has for me and so many others. We're proud to carry beautiful, high quality carriers that will bring you joy and last for your babywearing journey.
  
  
• Want something you don't see? We can get it for you! With the new changes, it's actually easier in some ways for us to special order items in. So if there's something you like on one of our brand's websites, but we don't have it in-stock or listed on our website, just email us at contact@mama-roo.com. We don't list everything our brands make, because that wouldn't be truthful - we don't have nearly a large enough space to carry that, and even if we did, many of the items LennyLamb in particular lists aren't actually made yet - they are made to order based on fabric availability, something we can't access on a whim! We are honest and upfront about what we have in-stock here and what is preorder, and we want to keep that process simple and transparent. So we don't list things we aren't sure we will get in! But, if we can get something made for you, we will! Just ask =)
  
  
• Fall and winter are on their way! We've got some beautiful fall and winter picks coming in soon, and we'll be choosing a few more beauties to round out the selection soon. So excited to share them with you!
  
  
• Fall Pre-order Apparel options coming soon! We'll be chatting with LennyLamb about their apparel and we'll have those options available for you to pre-order. You can snuggle with a matching hoodie, romper, and so much more. Can't wait to show them off for you and get you your own beautiful, warm, high-quality, and cozy pieces!
  
  At Mama & Roo's, we're fair and transparent. We care about our customers and their families! We value honesty and integrity, and we're here for you. So don't wait! Let's get you started on your babywearing journey today. 

You don't have to worry with Mama & Roo's - so let's get you babywearing!

A great place to start is our quiz - find it by tapping here now.