About Us

Who we are

Karst Sports is a merchandiser of caving, rescue, climbing and other outdoor equipment.

Karst Sports has been in this business since 1993 and has been selling by way of the Internet since early 1994. 

At Karst Sports, our goal is to provide our customers with the best in product service at a competitive price.

What is Karst? Karst is a complex landscape with distinctive topography that has been shaped by the dissolving action of waters to form unique surface and subsurface features. The word originally comes from Italian Carso and Serbian-Croatian Kras for a limestone plateau in the Dinaric Alps of Northwest Slovenia.  To us at Karst Sports we have made it our name to relate toward any activity that may take place in and around a Karst area such as Caving, Rock Climbing, Paddling, Mountain Biking, Hiking, Mountain and Wilderness Rescue, etc... 

Our Location

We are located 35 miles south of Morgantown on US 19 in Enterprise.  If you are in the northern West Virginia area please stop in and see us at our warehouse.  The warehouse is located at a different location than the office so please give us a call first to make sure someone is at the warehouse or can meet your there.  To visit our warehouse (by appointment only) or for further directions, you may contact our offices at 304-592-2600. 

Contact Us

By Telephone

You may contact us by telephone at (304) 592-2600 or (800) 734-2851.

By E-Mail

To contact us by E-Mail regarding a previously placed order address the inquiry to shipping@karstsports.com

To contact us by E-Mail about any other questions address the inquiry to info@karstsports.com

By U.S. Mail

Address inquiries to--

Karst Sports
Route 1, Box 184
Shinnston, WV  26431

Security

Security should be of prime concern to everyone who uses the Internet and we at Karst Sports take this responsibility very seriously.

We do not share our customer information with others.  The information we collect from you is used to:

1. Process you order.
2. Determine whether a particular form of advertising is successful or not. 

The only exception is when someone fraudulently uses a credit card we pass along all information we have regarding this use to the Secret Service and the FBI to assist in the apprehension of all persons involved.  We feel that, in addition to being our civic duty, this helps protect you, our customer, from someone fraudulently using your credit cards. 

If you are not comfortable sending your credit card information over the Internet we will gladly take your order by fax, US Mail or telephone. 

We sell our products at the lowest prices possible. However, prices are subject to change without notice. We reserve the right to correct layout and display errors, including price changes. If your order is unavailable at the price listed, you will be notified prior to your order being shipped and any charges being made to your credit card. Photos and artwork may vary from the actual product.

 

Volume Quantity Pricing

Special pricing and terms are available for government agencies, schools, scout groups, fire departments, rescue organizations and other such groups that wishing to make multiple purchases of an item.

Sales Tax

We are required by law to collect sales tax from individuals and companies for orders that are being shipped to a West Virginia address unless an WV Sales Tax Exemption form is provided to us.

We are not required to collect sales tax from other states because we do not have a physical presence in those states.  However, this does not mean that you are exempt from paying sales tax to your state government.  Please check your local laws as to whether your shipment would be subject to state taxes.

 

Payment Information

Methods of Payment

The following methods of payment are accepted--

• Credit Cards (American Express, Discover, Master Card and Visa)

• Pay Pal

• Electronic Wire Transfers

• Company Checks and Money Orders

• Company and Municipal Purchase Orders.

• Accounts Receivable with prior approval.

Shipping

Shipping Rates and Delivery Time

The following table reflects our current shipping rates and delivery times.  The Delivery Time for Standard Shipping is an estimate based upon our past experience.

U.P.S. Ground Shipping Map

The following is the current U.P.S. Ground Shipping map based upon shipments from our West Virginia location.

 

Oversized and Hazardous Material

Rope and other bulky items may incur additional shipping charges, depending upon shipping location.  If additional shipping charges are incurred we will contact you with the amount prior to shipment and billing.

Carbide is drop shipped from Colorado Springs, Colorado, by Federal Express Ground only.  It is classed as a hazardous material and so therefore can not be shipped by air.  Please allow for approximately 2 weeks between order placement and expected time of delivery, but again this is dependent upon your location.

 

International Shipments

Duties and Taxes

Each country has different taxes/duties that are applied to imported items.  It will be your responsibility to pay those taxes and duties when your shipment arrives.

We will contact you prior to shipment with the additional shipping charges that may apply to your order.

Restrictions

Our agreements with certain manufacturers, such as Petzl, allows us to sell within the United States and its territories only.  As such we can not ship these items to an International Address.

If you can not locate a dealer in your country for a specific item then please feel free to contact us and we will attempt to locate a dealer in your location for you or else can make a limited exception to the agreements with the manufacturers.

 

Returns and Exchanges

How to Return or Exchange an Item

Any item in "new" (unused) condition can be returned for credit or exchange.

• Contact us at (304) 592-2600 to obtain a Return Authorization Number.

• Place a copy of your sales receipt in the box to ensure proper credit to your account.

• Write instructions as to whether you want credit or exchanged items.

• Mark the Return Authorization Number on the outside of the box.

• Send the item to us at--

Karst Sports
Route 1, Box 184
Shinnston, WV  26431

In the event we make a mistake in sending you the wrong item or an item is defective then the cost of returning and shipping the item will be paid for by Karst Sports.

If the item was ordered wrong by you then the cost of returning and re-shipping the item will be your responsibility.

Miscellaneous

Out of Stock Items

In the event that we are "out of stock" on an item that you ordered, then we will contact you and you will have the choice to--

• Cancel the Order

• Accept partial shipment and backorder the remaining items.  The backordered items will be shipped to you at no additional shipping costs when they arrive.

• Wait until we receive the items.  We will hold your order until the entire shipment can be processed and then ship to you.

 

Tips for the First-Time Shopper

• Use the Search Button to find products.
  Type a word or phrase associated with the item your wish to find in the Search Box.  Examples:  "pulley" or "Ecrin Roc".  Click on the Search button and a list of products that meets your criteria will be shown.

• Once you find the item from the list displayed, then simply click on it to display detailed information about the product.

• To order an item simply fill in the quantity desired along with any drop down boxes that may pertain to the product, such as size or color.  Add the item to your shopping cart by clicking on the "Add to Cart" button.

• The current contents of your shopping cart will be displayed and you will have the option of either continuing shopping or checking out.