Frequently Asked Questions
These Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) are complied from the most common email questions we receive. Hopefully the answer to your question will be contained below. If you do not find an answer feel free to use the web based contact form. If it is a good one you may even make it on this list.
Who are Paddymelon & The Melbourne Food Depot?
- The Melbourne Food Depot supplies retail, trade and manufacturing clients. Paddymelon is manufactured by The Melbourne Food Ingredient Depot. Our contact details are:
The Melbourne Food Ingredient Depot
508 Lygon Street
East Brunswick
Victoria 3057
Australia
Questions about our physical Melbourne Shop.
- Where are you located in the world?
The Melbourne Food Ingredient Depot is located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- What days are you open to walk in public trade?
Thursday & Friday 10 am - 5.30pm and some Saturday appointments are possible with prior arrangement. Please remember that the online ordering facility has specials, product sizes and products only available online. That means that you cannot come into the shop and pick up a product in that size for that price that you have seen online. All online orders leave from our warehouse and they have much larger facilities than we do at the shop.
- How do I make an appointment for the shop?
Easy call us on 03 9386 3206 and talk to one of our staff to locate a time. It is best to do this ahead of time to avoid disappointment. The shop staff are unable to help with your online order. Please use the email address sent to you in your conformation of shipping email.
- Can I place an order using the phone or fax?
Our phone orders leave from the shop and have only one method of shipping a $25 5Kg satchel Australia wide. All phone orders are on a proforma basis only (pay prior to shipping via payment into our bank). We will require an email or fax to send you the invoice with all the payment information.
Questions about our online ordering process.
- Can I call the shop to locate my online order?
The shop is unable to track, locate or help with your order. As it is a secure online system we do not know your password. The best thing to do is log into your account with us and you will find out all the information. If this fails send an email to the warehouse who handles all the online orders.
- Can I order online and pick up at the shop?
Yes you can arrange this at checkout. Please select the relevant courier option for your order and your order will be sent from our warehouse to the shop for collection on a Thursday or Friday between 10am and 5.30pm.
- How safe is my purchase over the internet?
Online payment is a secure way to pay. We offer different payment gateways so your credit card details are not even required for the EFT gateway. You can place an order, print it out and take it to the bank and transfer the money then and there. The only computer interaction is placing the order. It cannot get much more safer than that option. We use a Melbourne based ecommerce payment solution supplier. Every payment made on our ordering system is fully secured by using very high level encryption technology. Our supplier uses 128 bit SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) between your browser, and 1024 bit java encryption (with a 56 bit DES key) between them and the Australian Banking Network. The process is fully automated this is why we can offer great online discounts for people who use the online ordering system. You can tell if your browser supports SSL for encrypted eCommerce you should see a yellow solid key on a blue background, or a yellow padlock in the bottom right hand corner.
- I cannot order from you online as I do not have an account with you?
No problem. The first step of the online buying process is setting up an online account. This account can only be used for online purchases. Please write down your email address and password in a safe place. This is the only way to access your account. Only one account per email address is allowed.
- Why do I have to give you my email and phone number?
We require this information to aid in the processing & shipping of your order. The email is how all the correspondence is sent to you and the phone number is required in case we need to call you or the courier needs to call you. Without these two items we will be unable to take your order.
- What payment methods do you accept online?
Online payment options are the following:
Visa or Mastercard
Bpay
EFT - direct payment into our bank account
Paypal
Australia Post Money Order
- I cannot find your bank details? Where are they located?
The bank details are included on the tax invoice you are asked to print out at checkout. To reprint this invoice please log onto the purchasing site and your order will be available in your history. Click on this and reprint the tax invoice. Please use your Paddy order number to ID the payment in our account. For quicker service either email or fax your payment transfer receipt to confirm payment.
- How long do I have to pay for my order via EFT? What will happen if I do not pay?
When paying by Bpay, EFT or Aust Post money order your order is vaild for 7 days from order date. If no payment is received your order is canceled. If too many orders end up like this your account maybe deleted.
- Why does it have a shipping address? I live inland and no ships can get here.
The shipping address means the way we are going to ship or send the package to you. We need to know the full address please include all street numbers (your house number) and the correct postcode. If this is not completed it will result in delays to your order.
- If Shipping is free over a given value then why have I been charged?
All orders over a certain dollar value are shipped free Australia Wide using the Australia Post eParcel system. You must select this free option at time of checkout. Some people want there order sent via courier or another means that is why there are other options. Basically if you want the free shipping option you must select it. If you select another option you will be charged for that option. Once your order has been processed we are unable to make any changes.
- Why do I have to pay for certain products (caffeine, MSM being some examples) only by Bank transfer?
Over the last ten years or more we have seen certain products attracting the most number of payment problems or credit card charge backs. To reduce the instance of this we have implemented the EFT payment category only. If you fail to select the EFT payment gateway your order will be declined and have to wait for manual intervention. This will involve contacting you and supplying a form for you to sign and send back to us. If you do not wish to sign the credit card payment form the bank details are also included. If no response is received your order is cancelled.
- How long does it take for my order to be processed and delivered?
This depends which payment gateway you have selected. If you select one of the faster gateways such as Paypal or credit cards it will happen very quickly. If you select EFT, BPAY or Aust post money order we will have to wait for you to pay and then for your money to appear in the bank. These slower options are great for B2B and regular customers. It helps us greatly when using one of these options to email us the transfer payment information from your bank. Once your order has been successfully paid it is shipped using your selected method. We dispatch 90% of all orders the same day. If there are any problems regarding your order we will attempt to contact you via email or phone. This is why we require a vaild email and telephone number.
- Can I place an order using the phone or fax?
Our phone orders leave from the shop and have only one method of shipping a $25 5Kg satchel Australia wide. All non account customer phone orders are on a proforma basis only (pay prior to shipping via payment into our bank). We will require an email or fax to send you the invoice with all the payment information.
- Do you ship outside Australia?
Yes. We ship via Australia Post, EMS (international door to door courier). All international orders need to be paid by direct transfer into our bank account prior to being shipped. You are responsible for any local import duties, taxes charged by your country. Once your payment has been cleared, please allow 14 working days for the order to arrive. We do not take responsibility for any delays in your country caused by the customs department. All Australian Post items are registered. We do this for a couple of reasons, it makes the parcel easier to track, aids in convicting credit card fraud users if lost and resolves any disputes quickly over non sent packages.
Tax Invoice & GST Questions
- Will I get a tax invoice sent with the goods?.
Yes you will get a copy. It is the same copy you printed out at time of checkout.
- How do I know what products are GST or GST free?
This is one of the big problems. A lot of companies just apply GST to everything so there can be no compliance issues. How we work is that if we are charged GST on the goods we pass it on to the end user and likewise if we are not we do not. This complex set up goes back to the Australian Democrats and the howard government. It should have been all in or all out.
Setting up a COD or 30 day Credit account.
- Can my business set up and account with you?
The Melbourne Food Depot has two types of accounts COD and Credit. The COD account is a great first step. It allows us to monitor your monthly spend and volumes. This is a great guide to work out contract pricing. All orders are paid for via a proforma invoice into our bank account prior to goods being dispatched. The credit account is based on a minimum monthly spend (now 5K) with invoices payable 30 days from invoice date, Payment outside these terms will attract additional charges and a downgrade to COD account status. To obtain the necessary forms please contact the accounts department.
Questions about locating your online order.
- I made an online order and it has not turned up. How can I find it
When you place an order you will receive an email confirming that you have placed the order. This is the order job ticket your order will then be packed and sent via your selected shipping method. A second email will be sent containing a consignment note number. This can be tracked using the method outlined in the shipping email.
- How do I contact the warehouse regarding my online order?
All online orders are sent from the warehouse. The only way to communicate with the warehouse is via email. The email address is feedback(at)mfcd(dot)net - replace the words with symbols prior to sending. Please ensure you use your paddy order number in the subject title. The shop has limited input with the online ordering system. You are in a better position because you can log in with your email/password and see in greater detail than the shop workers.
- My order was sent via Australia Post and I was not home and they did not leave a calling card. What do I do?
The Melbourne Food Depot uses third party companies to deliever our packages. We work hard to make sure the system works for you but you must realise that it is out of our hands. Generally Aust Post has reliable operators but as with most things some take more pride in their job than others. Use your consignment number in the shipping email to locate the parcel.
This is why we use a signature on delivery service. No packages will be left unsigned for unless you have signed our authority to leave form. This is a legal form that effects your rights so attention must be paid when signing.
We strongly recommend sending your shipment to an address where you will be during the day, for example your work address. It just makes it easier for everyone.
- My order was sent via Australia Post and I was not home and they have sent it back to sender. What do I do?
If you are not home the eparcel will be sent to the closest post office. You can find out which one by using the consignment number sent to you in the shipping email. The post office will hold it for only 5-7 days. If it is unclaimed it will be returned to sender. An additional charge will have to be paid to resend the package. If you do not wish to pay the new postage charge please arrange someone to collect it from our Lygon Street store on Thursday or Friday 10am - 5.30pm.
- I wish to have my parcel left on my front door step. What do I need to do?
All our parcels need to be signed for, this maintains our secure service. If you wish to bypass this service we require you to sign our authority to leave form. This is a legal document and you need to consider your rights before signing this form. This form will need to be sent prior to your parcel being shipped. If it arrives after the parcel has been shipped it will be placed on file for future orders. This form is available at time of checkout. All other requests to leave parcels will be ignored unless this signed form is on file.
What is your return policy?
All sales are final. We do not normally give refunds if you simply change your mind or make a wrong decision. As most of our products are either food or medicinally based returns cannot be accepted under the health act. Please choose carefully when ordering, if this presents a problem please choose another company to purchase your goods from.
- What about returning non food based products?
Please contact the warehouse via email on feedback(at)mfcd(dot)net to obtain the necessary Return Authorisation (RA) number. If any order turns up without a RA number it will be deemed to be lost and thrown out. A brief step by step outline of the return process:
1. Email to get the RA number
2. Mail or courier the package back to the warehouse (at customers expense) include all documentation and letter stating your case.
3. A 25% restocking fee will be deducted from the price of the goods. For example if the product cost you $100 the credit will be for $75.
4. The credit only covers the product in question non of the other services such as shipping.
5. The remaining money is issued in the form of an online voucher for future purchases. The code will be emailed to the address used in step 1.
- What is your order cancellation policy?
When ordering online remember it is a real time environment. That means when you agree to the T&C and push the order button you are committed to the sale. There is no cooling off period and no correspondence will be entered into.
Will my personal details from your database be used/sold to by third parties?
- No. We respect the importance of maintaining the privacy of our customers. You do not survive in the online environment for as long as we have, since 1999, selling customer information. We do not sell, trade, or give away any information we collect from our members.
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