FAQ

Yes. You can place an order as a guest with no obligation to create an account. We do recommend that you create an account, however, if you’d like to check your order history and have your shopping basket items and payment details saved for next time. It’s quick and easy to create an account. 

This is automatically sent to your email address when you place an order. If you haven’t received your order confirmation within 24 hours, please get in touch at sales@nysapprovedvendor.com just in case there’s a problem with your order. Please check your mailbox’s spam or junk folder before contacting in case the order confirmation has been diverted there.

There is only a short amount of time between when you place your order and when we start processing it. If you contact us straight away after ordering, via sales@nysapprovedvendor.com, we may be able to cancel your order before it’s processed. If not, we’ll despatch your order in accordance with our Terms & Policies. Please refer to: https://nysapprovedvendor.com/pages/shipping-receiving

Orders that require shipping within the U.S., once shipped, will be delivered within 1-2 Business days. Please get in touch if your order hasn’t been delivered according to the expected timescales, and we will check your order status. contactus@nysapprovedvendor.com

At this time, we serve only United States customers, specifically New York State Correctional Facilities. In some instances, members of the general public may see an item on our site they wish to purchase. In those cases, we ship within the United States only.

We have Flat-Rate Shipping cost. $7.99

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. It's must be received in their original packaging for Resale. WE DO NOT REFUND PERISHABLE ITEMS. PERISHABLE ITEMS ARE FOOD ITEMS; PLEASE CONTACT THE FACILITY REGARDING ANY FOOD ITEM IN QUESTION.

You should expect to receive your refund within two weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (7 to 9 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days). If a person's food order is returned due to disciplinary action; NYS Approved Vendor will not issue a refund. NYS Approved Vendor not responsible for any order that arrives a a facility, however is NOT issued due to a loss of privileges. In addition, NYS Approved Vendor will not issue or refund and/or take responsibility to an order that is loss once signed in received by the facility. (Facility accepts the order however, looses the package. This is NOT the responsibility of NYS Approved Vendor.)

If you need to return an item, please Contact Us at: contactus@nysapprovedvendor.com with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return non perishable items from your order.

****PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THIS SECTION, PLEASE DO NOT MOVE FORWARD WITH PLACING YOUR ORDER!****

We ship to New York State Correctional Facilities ONLY. Note that there are restrictions and policies we must abide by throughout the packing, shipping and processing of orders. Also note, there are slight variances in Directive 4911 et al. & Facility Operating Procedures (better known as: F.O.P.). We must make known that allowable items varies per facility, e.g., one facility may allow black winter hats while another facility may not allow the black winter hat. We urge you consult with the person you are ordering for regarding their F.O.P.  We offer 3 options for flat rate shipping depending on the package weight.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the facility your package is shipped to, it may take up to 2-5 business days for processing. Please note orders received are processed during business days ONLY (business day include Monday-Wednesday ONLY). To better assure frechness of perishables we ship Monday-Wednesday ONLY unless you have spoken with NYS Approved Vendors' staff who have agreed to ship on any other day with you, the customer. If an order is received over the weekend, it will begin processing on the next business day i.e, Monday. When ordering fresh foods (meats & vegetables) these items are ordered and delivered to our facilities fresh for immediate shipping. This process can take anywhere from 1-3 business days. Once all items are received then your order will ship. In some instances item(s) may be unavailable at the time of shipping, if we decide to move forward with shipping a Merchandise Food Credit will be issued for the unavailable item(s). The unavailable item(s) will be listed on the itemized invoice the facility receives with the ordered package. The purchaser will also receive a confirmation email within 3 days of shipping and receipt which will includes the invoice shipping notes, merchandise credit amount, and confirmation that the credit has been applied to their customer account. NYS Approved Vendor is NOT RESPONSIBLE for MISSING ITEMS that are allocated as shipped. We are required to issue an itemized invoice which list every item ordered and confirmed shipped. If any item is unavailable at the time of shipping; that information will be listed in the invoice comments section, outlining unavailable items, credit and/or refund information. In addition, all weight of boxes are confirmed and billed by UPS. This information is always available upon review of your shipping notifications via UPS or when requested. 

***NYS Approved Vendor adhere's to all NY State Consumer Laws and Rules which allow a merchant approximately 30 days to complete and ship and order with notification ie. via email, telephone message, online shop notification, verbal, and company phone voicemail. Prior to completing your transaction; should you move forward with this knowledge you are consenting to all Policies regarding shipping and processing as it relates to timeline and delays. 

*** NYS Approved Vendor WILL NOT REFUND SALES, ITEMS, OR ORDERS IF THE FOLLOWING OCCURS: 

• PERISHABLE ITEMS, NOT LIMITED TO FOOD PRODUCTS 
• CLAIMS OF ITEMS NOT RECEIVED THAT WERE LISTED AS SHIPPED. PROOF OF NON RECEIPT MUST BE SUBMITTED FOR IMMEDIATE REVIEW. THE INMATE HAS TO SEND OR PROVIDE US WITH THE ISSUANCE FORM RECEIVED AT THE TIME OF ORDER DISTRIBUTION. THIS FORM IS SIGNED BY BOTH THE ISSUING OFFICER AND THE INMATE
• REFUSED PACKAGES(BY FACILITY AND OR INMATE) TO THE DISCRETION OF THE COMPANY- MERCHANDISE FOOD CREDIT MAY BE ISSUED FOR NON PERISHABLE ITEMS IN THE ORDER IF RETURNED
• CUSTOMER INITIATED CANCELLATION DUE TO REASONS NOT SUPPORTED OR AGREED TO BY WILSON'S. (CUSTOMER DEEMS THE SHIPPING TIMELINE IS TOO LONG) MANDATORY 40% RESTOCKING FEE WILL APPLY. 
• Facility Lock Down/Keep Lock/ Correctional Strike- will cause your order shipping to be delayed. NYS Approved Vendor is required to adhere to all directive issued by NYS DOCCS and the facilities. These delays will impact our shipping timeline and may cause your order to ship at a later time. Should the customer decide to cancel their order if processed a mandatory 15% restocking fee will incur. 

Please contact our Customer Service team at contactus@nysapprovedvendor.com for assistance with returns or exchanges.

Returns will be considered if they are made within a reasonable timeframe of 10–14 days from receipt. Please note that perishable items are not returnable.

All returned items must be shipped directly from the correctional facility. We do not accept returns shipped from a customer’s home. Once the items are received, they will be reviewed and inspected, and we will respond with the next steps regarding a refund or exchange.

If an incorrect item or size was issued in error, we will cover the return shipping costs. In these cases, the customer will receive either a refund or store credit, including reimbursement for the return shipping fee.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Perishable Items, Missing Items & Transit Times Policy

Once an order ships, packages are typically in transit for 1–2 business days. While shipping carriers are generally reliable, UPS and FedEx may occasionally experience delays, though this is uncommon. All orders are packaged to withstand 3–5 days of transit, even though orders usually arrive within the expected timeframe. If there are any issues regarding the condition of the items contact us immediately at: contactus@nysapprovedvendor.com after following the steps below.

All perishable food items are prepared and shipped the same day the order is received and are packed for optimal freshness.

NYS Approved Vendor is not responsible for any order once it has been received and signed for by the facility. We have no control over the facility’s internal issuance timeline.

We WILL NOT reissue merchandise (including but not limited to food, apparel, cosmetics, etc.) that has perished, been lost, stolen, or damaged after delivery unless the customer provides Form 2068 – Authorization for Disposal of Personal Property.

• The missing items must be clearly listed on Form 2068 (see sample form above).

• If this form is not provided, the recipient (incarcerated individual) must follow the facility’s procedures to file a claim regarding their order.

If an order becomes damaged in transit and Wilson’s is notified directly by UPS or FedEx, NYS Approved Vendor will take responsibility and reissue the affected items.

NYS Approved Vendor reserves the right to reissue the package and/or file a claim with the carrier on the customer’s behalf for full reimbursement. Once the claim process is complete, NYS Approved will issue a refund.
Please note that this process may take 30 days to complete.

The return process is determined solely by the correctional facility. An NYS Approved Vendor has no authority or control over when or how an item is returned.

For an accurate and definitive answer, it is best to contact the facility’s Package Room or Social Services department directly.

Yes, we do. These are issued electronically by email and each contains a unique reference number. Our gift vouchers are ideal if you’re not sure what to get that special person in your life. Simply buy a gift voucher instead for the value of $10, $20, $50 or at times $100 - $250.