FAQs

The following questions represent only a brief summary of the most frequently asked questions to Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets. Should you have a question that has not been addressed here, please feel free to use the Comments/Feedback Form at the bottom of the page. You may also reach us via e-mail, post, or telephone - please refer to the Contact Us link for full address/contact details.

Can I ship a cheese gift basket to International destinations?
Unfortunately, due to customs restrictions on Canadian dairy/food products, Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets is unable to ship our gift baskets to the United States or to over-seas destinations. We will gladly ship your order to any Canadian destination serviced by FedEx Ground or XPRESSPOST (Canada Post).

How much does it cost to ship a gift basket?

Shipping rates charged by Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets will vary depending upon size/weight of selected gift baskets, requested service level, and delivery location. Shipping rates are calculated at time of check-out from each shopping cart session and are based on selected shipping method. Shipping charges currently range as follows for deliveries to the OTTAWA-GATINEAU Region - $21.00 to $30.00, PROVINCIAL (Ontario) - $21.00 to $35.00, and NATIONAL (most out-of-province, Canadian destinations) - $26.00 to $50.00. Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets does not ship to International destinations.

What steps can I take to ensure that my gift item will ship/arrive as soon as possible?

Before you check-out and complete your on-line shopping cart session with Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets, please ensure that all billing address and shipping address information is correct; there will be someone at the address you provided to receive the gift item OR you have provided instruction/given permission for Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets to instruct the courier service to leave the gift item at the door; and you have provided all necessary information including apartment/condominium buzzer numbers, hospital room details, office building directions, or other special instructions in the Comment box in your on-line order. Please note that if an inaccurate address is provided for the recipient destination, a delivery delay will result and an address correction fee of $15.00 will apply - this fee is levied by the courier service and will be charged back to the sender by Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets.

What is considered to be local delivery?

Ottawa Valley Gift Basket's local delivery area includes the following main centres (and all smaller towns and rural areas in between) within 80 kilometers of our production facility - downtown OTTAWA-GATINEAU (HULL), Almonte, Arnprior, Barrhaven, Bells Corners, Carleton Place, Carp, Gloucester, Kanata, Munster Hamlet, Nepean, Orleans, Perth, Renfrew, Richmond, and Stittsville. Weekday delivery of gift items to addresses falling within the defined OTTAWA-GATINEAU Region boundary will be hand-delivered by our contracted local courier service - SWIFT Messenger Delivery Systems. Gifts destined for addresses falling outside our local delivery area will be shipped via FedEx Ground. Not sure whether your recipient delivery address is within our local delivery area? Give us a call us to inquire - we would hate to have delivery of your gift basket delayed due to insufficient shipping charges.

Can I order wine and have it delivered with my gift basket order?
No. Under the provisions of the Liquor Licence Act of Ontario, any person or business entity concerned with the selling and/or delivery of alcohol must be licensed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. When selling alcohol, the buyer/intended recipient must be identified to ensure that s/he has reached the Age of Majority (19 yrs. old). Since items are ordered on-line and delivery is handled by a third-party on behalf of Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets, it would be difficult to ensure that wine was being sold and delivered in compliance with the Liquor Licence Act. Sparking Apple Cider is a carbonated non-alcoholic beverage made from apple cider and is a great alternative to champagne. Why not add a bottle of HARVEST MOON ORCHARD Sparking Apple Cider to your gift basket? Visit our Fine Food Products section for more details.

Do you carry diabetic food items...I want to send a gift basket to a diabetic?

Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets can customize an arrangement for your special diabetic needs. Giving a diabetic a gift basket full of healthy foods is much more important than just providing "sugar-free" candies and cookies - carbs turn into blood sugar which is what diabetics are most concerned about controlling! Some food items that work well in diabetic gift baskets are: cheese, meat/pates, mustards, olives, olive oil, vinegar, low-carb crackers,..and sugar-free candies, chocolates, cookies, and jellies. Just contact Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets and let us work with you to design a special gift basket for your recipient. Please note that we may require some additional time to secure some diabetic food items - for product freshness, Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets does not heavily stock sugar-free candies/chocolates or dinner sauces/pepper jellies but we can acquire same from our suppliers in short order.

I would like to order two (2) or more gift baskets and have these items shipped to the same destination…will I be charged the individual shipping rate for each item selected?
No. If you wish to have multiple items shipped to the same destination and so long as all items are contained within the same shopping cart, shipping charges on your order will be automatically calculated…the most expensive (heavier) gift item shipping rate will be used as the base rate for the shipment and a reduced rate will be charged for the remaining gift items. This calculation will be completed and displayed on-line as part of your secure check-out session so you will know exactly how much you are paying for the shipping charges on your entire order. This is a rather affordable means to add an extra piece of cheese or a box of chocolates to your gift basket order!

How can I pay for my gift basket order(s)?
All on-line payment methods are secure. Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets offers payment by PayPal and accepts American Express, Mastercard, and Visa credit card payment options. Payment may also be made to Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets by mailing details of your order along with your cheque or money order to our business address. Returned cheques will be assessed a $25.00 NSF fee. Gift basket orders will not be shipped until your payment has been received and processed - as such, for timely shipment, payment by credit card is highly recommended.

My PayPal receipt does not show a delivery address...why?
With your order to Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets, when paying via PayPal or with a credit card you will receive two (2) separate e-mail receipts. The first e-mail receipt is a copy of your order from Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets and should contain all contact information, delivery address, personalized message, and any special instructions that you may have provided - this is the document that we work from to process your order. The second e-mail receipt that you receive is from PayPal and contains only your billing information - no delivery/shipping address. Please reference the e-mail message sent to you from info @ottawavalleygiftbaskets.ca and rest assured that the delivery address and instructions contained in this order receipt is the information that will be used to process your gift order.

Are personalized enclosures included with the gift baskets?
Yes. Simply provide the message that you would like to have sent with your gift basket when you place your order and our order fulfillment staff will ensure that your personalized message is included with the basket when shipped to your gift recipient.

Can I specify a delivery date for my gift basket order?
Yes, as part of the process in placing your order, you may specify your desired delivery date for your gift basket. Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets will use this date as a guide when arranging for delivery to ensure that your order arrives as close as possible to this date. Where no desired shipping date is specified, Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets will ship your order as soon as payment has been processed.

What is the last date that I can place my order for guaranteed Christmas delivery?
To ensure delivery by Christmas, Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets recommends placing your order prior to December 12th. The last date that product will be shipped before Christmas will be December 23rd. Orders not placed/received in time for Christmas delivery will be shipped after December 27th. For specific dates/locations, please select the Shipping Information link from the navigation pane on the left side of this screen and review for delivery times.

How do I care for my Balderson Cheese packages, once received?
Once you have received your cheese, leave it in its original packaging and tightly cover it in plastic wrap. This will reduce air circulation, which in turn will reduce the possibility of mold. Store your cheese in the coldest part of your refrigerator - not on the door.

The plastic wrap around my cheese package is bloated or loose - is this normal?
It is not uncommon for the cheese packaging to bloat slightly while in transit. This is simply due to the temperature changes that the package may have experienced while being shipped from Ottawa Valley Gift Baskets production facility to you. Simply refrigerate the product as soon as possible and follow the instructions as posted above for how to care for your cheese package.