Is Walk-In Tub Delivery Curbside, and When Does the Carrier Call to Schedule?

Yes, standard freight delivery of an Ella walk-in tub is curbside with a liftgate: the driver lowers the crated tub to the ground at your curb or driveway and does not carry it into the garage or the home. The carrier calls the phone number on your order to set a delivery appointment window once the crate reaches the terminal serving your area, so a tub that shows at the terminal is normally waiting on that call rather than already booked. Who Ships Your Walk-In Tub, Tracking, and Getting It Into Your Home explains how the carrier is chosen and when tracking arrives, and this page walks through the appointment itself.

What Curbside Liftgate Delivery Includes

Every Ella walk-in tub ships fully assembled by less-than-truckload (LTL) freight from the Chicago facility. The tub rides on a pallet inside a crate, far too large for a parcel service, on a truck fitted with a liftgate, the hydraulic platform at the back that lowers the pallet to street level. Residential delivery includes that liftgate service, and you do not need to pick or book the carrier yourself, because a freight forwarder chooses the shipping company based on what is most affordable for you.

On delivery day the driver lowers the crate to the ground and brings it to the curb or driveway, and that is where the carrier's job ends. Drivers are not obligated to cross a lawn, enter the home, unpack the tub or carry it inside. Moving the crate through the door and into the bathroom is the job of the customer or the installer, and room placement and setup are not offered by the carrier.

• Garage or inside placement is a separate service. It must be requested in advance, and it is not available from every carrier or at every address, so raise it with your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 before the tub goes out.
• Line up the move from the curb ahead of time. A couple of people can lift a walk-in tub, but its shape makes it awkward to handle, so a contractor with two or three people is recommended to bring it into the home.
• If a full-size truck cannot make it down your road or into your driveway, say so before the shipment is booked. What Happens If the Freight Truck Cannot Reach My Driveway or Road? covers the alternatives, which are pickup at the carrier's terminal or pickup at the Chicago facility.

When the Carrier Calls, and What the Appointment Window Means

Freight carriers do not simply show up. Once your crate arrives at the destination terminal nearest you, the carrier calls the phone number on the shipping paperwork to schedule a delivery window and to confirm that someone will be there to receive the curbside delivery. You get an appointment window rather than an unannounced stop, and the tub waits at the terminal until that window is set.

Someone who can accept, inspect and sign for the crate needs to be present for the whole window. If the driver arrives inside the scheduled window and nobody is there, the driver cannot leave the crate, the carrier records a failed delivery, and it bills a redelivery charge for the second attempt. The carrier will not come back until that charge is approved and a new window is arranged, as explained in Missed Freight Delivery: Redelivery Charges and How to Reschedule.

Because the whole process runs by phone, Ella's Bubbles confirms a valid, working US phone number on every order before the tub is released to ship. Carriers usually call from an unfamiliar number and leave a message, so turn the ringer on and set up voicemail. Why Ella Needs a Working Phone Number Before Your Walk-In Tub Ships explains what to do if a contractor, family member or property manager will be the one receiving the tub.

My Tub Shows at the Terminal but Nobody Has Called

A crate sitting at the terminal is normally waiting on the appointment call. Those calls go to the number on the order, so a wrong digit, a full voicemail box or a blocked unknown caller can stop the process without anyone realizing it. If the number is out of service, rings to the wrong person or never gets answered, the carrier cannot schedule, and the tub stays at the terminal. The carrier then asks Ella's Bubbles for an alternate number, and the team starts calling and emailing you as well. If nobody can be reached, the order may have to be cancelled, so it is worth getting the number right from the start.

1. Check your phone for missed calls and voicemails from an unfamiliar number, and check that the number on your invoice or order confirmation is the one you actually answer.
2. Open your tracking information. It shows whether the crate is still in transit or waiting at a terminal for an appointment, and the tracking page usually lists the carrier's phone number so you can call and schedule directly.
3. Schedule promptly. Carriers can begin storage charges on shipments that sit at their terminal, and those charges are set by the carrier, not by Ella's Bubbles.
4. Reply right away to any email or voicemail asking you to confirm your number. This applies to retailer orders too, because Ella's Bubbles builds and ships the tub as the manufacturer and may reach out on the retailer's behalf.
5. If you were on site during a window that was recorded as missed, tell the team who was present and for which hours. The team takes that back to the carrier and does not approve a redelivery charge while the attempt is being questioned.

For the current status of your specific order, call (800) 480-6850 with your order number, or start with where you purchased if you bought through a dealer or retailer, since that seller holds your order and its delivery details.

When Shipping Details Arrive

Shipping details come in stages rather than all at once. The invoice is the first piece. It confirms the ship-to address, whether that is your home, your installer's business or a freight terminal, and the tub is released only after you confirm those details, so check that address carefully. Tracking information is emailed once the carrier has picked the tub up, and the carrier then calls the number on the shipping paperwork to schedule the freight delivery.

Because every tub is assembled and tested to order, no fixed timeline is published, and timing depends on the model, the options and current stock. Your Ella dealer or the team at (800) 480-6850 confirms the current timing for your specific order.

On Delivery Day

Be on site for the whole window and inspect the crate with the driver present. Note any damage on the bill of lading before signing, then keep all packaging material and inspect for concealed damage, both visual and operational, once the crate is open. Freight-damage claims must be filed within 48 hours of receipt, so do not wait for the installer to arrive before looking the tub over. With the crate at the curb, your contractor's crew takes it from there, and the carrier's part of the delivery is complete.

Related Guides

• How your walk-in tub ships and how to prepare for delivery day
• Your walk-in tub has arrived, how to inspect the delivery before signing

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