Frequent Questions about AMTAN's Online Store & Policies
About AMTAN’s Online Store
Thank you for visiting our online store or the AMTAN mobile app. American Tanning and Leather is a USA based leather tannery specializing in alligator and crocodile leather. As we are a factory and not a leather distributor, we are not open to the public and do not have a storefront. Our online store was opened to service artisans, leather crafters, and makers that need to purchase small quantities of skins with no minimum order, no lead time, and tannery direct pricing.
About the Items in our Store
All of the items in our online store are stocked leather, and those items are generally tannery production overruns or leftover leather from luxury brand purchases or bulk orders from manufacturers. The leather in our online store is priced to allow our tannery to close out “last of the dye lot” colors and finishes, and we pass those special prices on to you.
Photography and Colors of Skins
We do our best to photograph skins as accurately as possible in either indoor or outdoor lighting. Due the unique nature of exotic leather, the colors can be challenging to photograph. Please note there can be some variance in colors from the actual skin due to differences in screen resolution and lighting during photography. Should you have questions about a color or need a close match to a previous dye lot, please email our staff at sales@amtan.com.
Order Processing Time
We usually ship orders within 1 business day, but at times, it could take us 2 business days to ship orders. We ship orders Monday-Friday. The tannery is closed on the weekends.
Domestic Shipping
We ship all items via Federal Express, insured, with delivery signature required for residential addresses (and without signature to business addresses). Should you wish us to ship with another carrier or with your own Fedex Account, please select the “local pickup” option and email us at sales@amtan.com with a shipping label for your delivery.
Local Pickup
Customers in the Atlanta area may choose local pickup, however, we do not allow anyone inside the tannery for tours or shopping experiences owing to our insurance policy and guidelines for the factory. Items will be available for local pickups the following business day from placing the order from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
Pricing
Please note that alligator and crocodile leather is usually sold at a “per centimeter” price, but all of our leather on the website is sold at a “per skin” price for simplicity. At times we photograph skins in groups rather than individually to save time for our staff, and unless stated as “SKINS SOLD AS A PAIR” or “TRIO OF SKINS” or “ENTIRE LOT OF SKINS” – each listing in the store is for one skin which will be selected at random from the photographed group.
Grading
We offer both farm raised and wild origin leather, and the pricing is significantly different for farmed versus wild skins. Our grading standards are based on a quadrant grading system, which is described on our website at www.amtan.com under the “Our Skins” section. Please note that the heads and tails on wild American alligator are not considered in the grading of the leather. We try to describe the skins as accurately as possible in our listings. Please read the details on the leather you will choose. We have over 25,000 skins in stock in the tannery, so we cannot possibly list all of our leather, and we do not always have time to photograph individual skins.
Thickness / Weight of Leather
All of the leather we produce in the tannery is shaved to a uniform thickness according to the finish and size range of the skin. You can find our shaving specifications below, however, please note that these specs are for the leather before it is finished, and milling, polishing, and glazing will make the skins vary somewhat from these specifications. Alligator leather is not sold by the weight like flat leathers such as cowhide, and AMTAN does not provide a skiving service. Crocodile and alligator leather must be skived or split AFTER cutting the leather due to the shape of the skin and the scales. If you need splitting and skiving services for your product, we can recommend District Leather Supply in Georgia or Springfield Leather in Missouri. Please contact them for details on their services.
Return / Exchange Policy:
Please note that all sales in our online store are FINAL. Occasionally, we will make a one time courtesy exception on returns or exchanges for new customers, but we will not accept a return on any skin past 14 days or on leather that has been cut, mishandled, or damaged in any way. Any exception to our return policy is at the sole discretion of AMTAN with prior approval. Remember, we are a leather tannery, not a retail store or leather distributor, so our policies and prices reflect that.
Order Cancellations From Customers:
For orders cancelled before shipping, there will be service charge of 2.5% to cover payment processing fees.
Order Cancellations By Amtan:
At AMTAN, we strive for accuracy and customer satisfaction in every aspect of our online store operations. However, we acknowledge that errors can occasionally occur. This policy outlines our approach to order cancellations in the event of such errors.
- Cancellation Due to Stock Unavailability:
From time to time, certain skins that are displayed as available on our website may actually be out of stock. This situation can arise due to a prior direct sale to a tannery client that has not yet been reflected on our online inventory. In these rare instances, we may need to cancel an order if the specific skin ordered is no longer available.
- Cancellation Due to Pricing Errors:
Occasionally, pricing mistakes may occur on our website, such as a skin being listed at a price of $0.00. While we make every effort to ensure accurate pricing, these errors can happen. If an order is placed based on an incorrect price, we reserve the right to cancel the order.
Procedure for Order Cancellation:
- In the event of either of the above scenarios, our team will promptly reach out to the affected client to inform them of the cancellation.
- A full refund will be issued for any payments made for the cancelled order.
- We will also endeavor to offer alternative options or assist in finding a suitable replacement for the unavailable skin, subject to availability.
Customer Acknowledgement:
By placing an order through AMTAN's online store, customers acknowledge and agree that:
- AMTAN reserves the right to cancel any order due to stock unavailability or pricing errors.
- In the case of a cancellation, customers will receive a full refund.
- AMTAN is not liable for any inconvenience or loss resulting from such cancellations.
Payment Methods:
We accept all major credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Paypal. We do not accept split payments or payment plans on orders.
Discount Codes:
Discount codes may be issued by AMTAN for single item discounts, free shipping, or sitewide discounts. Occasionally, we issue discount codes as unique, single use codes, that may not be reused. We reserve the right to cancel any order placed with the use of an unauthorized discount code. Discount codes may not be “stacked” with other codes or discounts, with the exception of Gift Cards. Gift cards and discount codes may be used together. We will not honor discount codes or sale prices on previous purchases or outside the sale period, especially on Flash Sales. Once the sale ends, the coupon codes expire automatically, and we will not reactivate those codes. Discount and coupon codes may not be used in the purchase of the following sales: Live Sale Items, Warehouse Sales (Cash and Carry Sales), Warehouse (Cash and Carry) Sale Tickets, or on items labeled as “not eligible for further discounts”. If you forget to enter your discount code, we do not have a way to retroactively apply the code. We cannot go back and honor a code after the purchase has been made.
Gift Cards:
We do have a gift card option for purchase in our online store. Should you wish to purchase a gift card from us, we will issue the gift card electronically via email. We ask that you contact our staff immediately upon purchase with the name and contact information of the intended recipient. Gift Cards do not expire.
International Shipping
We can offer international shipping services on American alligator leather, full skins only. We do not ship scrap, backstraps, or other species of crocodiles for international orders. ALL cross border shipments for alligator leather (as well as most exotic leather and products) is governed under and international treaty called CITES. Any international shipment sold by AMTAN must be processed and shipped with full compliance with CITES and U.S. Fish and Wildlife regulations. NO EXCEPTIONS. Please contact us at sales@amtan.com BEFORE placing an order for details about the export process and to get specials instructions on how to make your purchase in our online store.
The fees for CITES permits and clearance are as follows:
| CITES Permit Cost | $100 per shipment |
| U.S. Fish and Wildlife Declaration (3-177) Fee | $186 per shipment |
| Courier Fee (120 miles driving + 4 hours staff time) | $150 per shipment |
Example of CITES Permit:
Example of Taglist on CITES Permit:
Example of Declaration (3-177):
You will be responsible for the legal importation in your country and must provide CITES import documents from your nation, if required. Not all countries require import permits, but some do, such as China, the European Union, and Australia.
Examples of Import CITES Permits:
China:
Australia:
Switzerland:
Italy:
You will be responsible for all freight, import duties, and other costs. The Harmonized System (HS) Code for finished alligator leather is 41133000. The HS Code for crust alligator leather is 41064090. You will need to check with your country's customs authority to obtain your duty and VAT rate on imports of alligator leather.
The processing time for us to apply for and receive a CITES permit usually takes 2-3 weeks, but it can take up to 90 days according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The inspection from U.S. Fish and Wildlife and clearance of the goods can typically be handled within 1 week of receiving the CITES and after payment of all fees.
It can take a couple of weeks to be cleared upon arrival in your country, but each nation varies in speed.
For more information on CITES export procedures for alligator and crocodile leather from the USA visit U.S. Fish and Wildlife's ePermitting Page.
To find out more information on CITES and to get the contact information for the CITES Management Authority in your country, visit www.CITES.org.