The Milky Box FAQ's

Below are the answers to our most asked questions. If you don't see your question, please contact us at hello@themilkybox.com


Formula and Preparation Questions:

What makes European baby formula a better option than American formulas?

The European Union Regulation Commission requires baby formula and baby foods to be very strictly regulated, unlike the FDA which has more of a relaxed regulation policy. Baby formulas must contain no preservatives, no added cane sugar, no high fructose corn syrup, no soy, no gluten, no flavorings, and no coloring. Europe has a much higher standard when it comes to feeding babies, which can be beneficial for your baby in America!

Why can't I buy your formula in the local grocery store?

European baby formula is not FDA approved. This just means that the FDA will not allow it to be sold at your local grocery store. Please rest assassured that even without the FDA’s approvable you are still getting perfectly safe formula for your baby, as Europeans take pride in delivering a safe product with the best ingredient possible. 

When should I switch to formula for my baby?

Each of us is unique and therefore there is no "right" time to switch from breast milk to baby formula. Some mothers never breast feed due to personal or medical reasons, whereas others continue breast feeding well into the latter months of toddlerhood.


It is always best to consult your pediatrician for advice and guidance. We also encourage moms to breastfeed for as long as possible!

We suggest that if you do choose to transition to formula, that you do so slowly and gradually to help your baby adjust as smoothly as possible. Formula can also be used as a supplement while still breast feeding.


We are here to help you with all your formula needs!

How do I choose the right formula?

There is no quick and easy answer to this question. Every baby has different needs and choosing the correct formula depends on multiple factors. Please refer to our quick cheat sheet below here to help get you started.

How do I check the expiration?

European dates are reflected differently than in the US, with the month and day reversed.

For example, July 30, 2019, would read 30/07/2019 or 30.07.2019

Just remember, the format is always DAY / MONTH / YEAR


Our formulas will arrive to you with a minimum of 6 months' shelf life remaining. In fact, most of our formulas have at least one year prior to expiration. This means we are shipping formulas that are recently produced and fresh!


You should never receive a box with an expiration of less than 6 months; if you do by rare chance, please contact us at hello@themilkybox.com

Preparation for European Baby Formula

This is an EXTREMELY important question! If you do not follow the instructions correctly, you could possibly cause harm to your baby! This is because the formula was created for the exact nutrition your baby needs and too much water could dilute the nutrients, while too little water could give your baby too many nutrients.


Mixing all of the formulas require the same preparation, the only changes are the number of scoops and water needed per brand and stage.


1. Always use sterilized bottles and nipples. Boil the amount of water needed (or more) and let it cool to between 104 degrees and 122 degrees Fahrenheit.


2. Use the scoop included in your formula to measure the exact amount of formula necessary. Refer to the charts below for the amount of water to include as well.


3. Pour half of the water in the bottle, add the necessary scoops of formula, close the bottle tightly, and then shake to mix.


4. Add the remaining water, seal the bottle tightly, and shake again to fully mix. Check the temperature is about 98° F (you can also test on wrist to make sure it isn't too hot).


Serve your baby!


Extra Tips:


Mixed formula lasts up to 24 hours if stored in fridge, but only 2 hours if stored at room temperature. Use exact measurements: Most measuring cups have ml on the reverse side. Use a sterilized bottle to ensure no bacteria is present in the bottle. Your baby should not re-feed later from the same bottle with any leftover formula; always clean/sterilize bottle afterward. This will ensure your baby does not get sick from leftover bacteria.


Please always read the formula preparation instructions that are relevant to your specific formula.


"It is important to mix formula exactly as it is written on the container. It's been designed to give your baby the exact nutrition he needs, and it's based on many hours of research."

Dyan Hes, MD

Can the formulas be used with the Baby Brezza Machine?

Yes, each of our formulas are suitable for use with the Baby Brezza machines. Unfortunately, we are unable to advise about particular settings for the device, but you can use the Settings Finder on their website to find the exact settings to use for your formula.

Is the formula still OK to use if the can is dented or the box is opened or crushed?

As long as the packaging that touches the formula remains in tact and is not punctured in any way, the formula is absolutely food-worthy and safe for consumption.


Please note that we do not accept any refund claims due to dented cans or creased boxes (we're all adults here, let's be kind and reasonable, thank you!)

Good to the Last Milky Drop Guarantee

This guarantee offers one free can or box of formula of your choice. You will be required to pay for shipping. This gives you the chance to choose the shipping method that works best for your family. 

Shipping Questions:

What is your shipping policy?

Our shipping process was formulated with parents and caregivers in mind!


We want to provide our customers with quality products which are also affordable, which is why we offer free shipping on all our 6, 8 and 12 package orders. We ship to the United States and Canada. 


Please allow 1-5 business days for your order to be processed, packaged, quality controlled and placed for shipping. Priority Processing will be processed and shipped within 48 hours during normal business hours. Please remember that business days do not included weekends or holidays in both the United States and Europe. 


We suggest ordering your formula when you still have a few cans/boxes left! Shipping and delivery may take longer due to slower processing times by our courier or customs. There may also be a delay due to other uncontrollable delays, i.e., weather and holidays. 


We do not ship on the weekends. Orders placed during the weekend will not be processed until the following business day. Unfortunately, we cannot deliver to business addresses or P.O. Boxes.


Furthermore, please check your shipping option! Most carriers do not deliver on weekends.

What shipping carriers do you use and what are the shipping time frames?

All orders are processed and shipped from the EU.


We work with major carriers including UPS, DHL, & FedEx.


We also work with international carriers including Belgium Post, Netherland Post, and Landmark Global. Also, Canadian carriers Canada Post and Canada Canpar.


Your carrier will be selected based on your location and the size of your order. If you request a specific shipping courier of your choice, additional fees may occur. We send tracking information to all orders regardless of the carrier we are using.


Delivery time frames vary depending on which carrier is used. The Express options are an estimate of 2 to 7 business days. Belgium Post, Netherland Post, and Landmark Global are an estimate of 7 to 15 business days.


** Please note that this does not include the 1-5 business days that your order may take to be processed, packaged, quality controlled and placed for shipping. **


** If it has been longer than fifteen business days, we offer a 15% discount for customers to place a new order (the original order normally will still arrive). **


Due to the change, we are now charging shipping for single pack orders


Shipping and Delivery may take longer due to slow processing through customs, or other uncontrollable delays, i.e... customs delays, weather in bother the EU and US, or holidays 


** Please note that shipping times will be longer during the Holiday Season, this normally begins in October **


The Milky Box is not responsible for shipping delays due to circumstances we have no control over, i.e…delays with customs or weather delays in both the EU and US. If your item is damaged or lost during shipping, you may file a claim with the carrier. We cannot guarantee delivery of your package, only that your package will be shipped.

How do you handle customs issues?

We understand how important the formula you ordered is to your family, we also understand that customs or carriers sometimes delay the delivery of your order for longer than is considered acceptable.


We can offer a reshipment or refund, (although we do not issue any refunds until after 30 business days since the order was shipped, or reshipments until 15 business days after order has shipped). 


Business days are Monday through Friday and do not include holidays in either the US or EU. 


The days the order takes to be processed and fulfilled are not included in the shipping period. We’d also like to mention that most of the time these orders will still go through.


What is your reshipment policy?

*** Reshipment Policy for Express Orders Only (DHL, UPS, FedEx) ***


If you choose a reshipment of your order and you receive the original package anyway, we would like to kindly ask you to pay the invoice for the second shipment as well, as that would be equivalent to two orders shipped. However, if the original shipment never makes it through, we will not invoice you again. The reshipment would be on us.


At the 10 business day mark after the order ships i.e…you receive tracking information showing it has left the country of origin, and you haven’t received your order or it shows that there is a delay due to customs, which excludes delays caused by weather and the holidays, you can request a reshipment of the package. 


However, if the original package does arrive within 30 business days since your order left the country of origin, we will invoice you for the reshipment. We will offer you the reshipment invoice at a 20% discounted rate.


*** Reshipment Policy for Non-Express Orders Only***


We do not offer free reshipments until 30 business days after the order has been shipped and left the country of origin.


15 business days after the order has shipped, if due to a customs delay and not a weather or holiday delay, we are offering a 15% discount code that can be applied to the reshipment of your order (including the cost of shipping). 


We will be reshipping all orders through express shipping to help get your little one the formula that they love! Please note that the original order majority of the time still arrives, it just has been delayed due to processing through US customs. 


 *** We do not offer full refunds or reshipments on orders that are not express orders until 30 business days have passed since the order was shipped. ***


**For any delays or questions on orders, please contact the Courier directly as we are only can be held liable to send it with your prechosen service provider. Also, please allow extra time if ordering during the busy holiday season to account for larger demands on carriers.


Please Note: that we are using different shipping operators and aren't responsible for problems caused by the carrier. Also we keep track of all orders and can see if they have been delivered or if there has been a delay. 


**We offer optional special Insurance at checkout for your orders to be safe!! Please choose the "signature required" option at checkout. **

How is the formula stored prior to shipping and during the shipping process?

We are direct distributors of the brands we carry. Our products have been carefully chosen and sourced from certified distributors within Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK.


All our fulfillment centers are designed to keep formulas cool during the summer and stored in regulated temperatures all year long.


Our products are free from any radiation exposure, shipped safely, and kept in clean and climate-controlled facilities.


All shipments are removed from the means of transportation, whether that be by plane or truck, and stored in clean and climate-controlled facilities for all overnight stays and customs processes.

What if my package is lost or stolen?

If your tracking information shows that your package was delivered, but you can't find it:


Please wait 24 hours after the expected delivery date. 


In the meantime while you wait, you will want to verify the shipping address, look to see if a notice of attempted delivery was left by the carrier, look around the delivery location for your package, check your security cameras to see if the package was delivered and taken, check with the people within your household to see if someone else accepted the delivery, check with your neighbors to see if it was delivered to them by mistake. Please wait 24 hours- in rare cases packages may say delivered up to 36 hours prior to arrival.

 

** In the random case that your package was lost or stolen, you will have to file a claim online by going to the carrier’s website. In order to be considered lost, a package must be undelivered 24 hours after the expected delivery date and time. A report cannot be made until then. After filing a claim, it takes 5-10 business days for a response and approval for any insurance claim to be resolved by the carrier. Please note that after your order has been shipped, the carrier assumes responsibility for the package.

Please allow additional time when a package is delayed due to adverse weather.


*Unfortunately, we cannot file a claim due to USPS, UPS, DHL regulations. Once you have the claim confirmation from the carrier, please contact us, providing the CLAIM number (not the case number) with carrier approval for refunds, and we will gladly issue you a refund.


Again, please note that all packages are only insured to a 99 USD maximum. If you want additional insurance, please choose at checkout.

What is the chance that there might be additional fees from customs?

There is a slight chance that orders shipped outside the European Union may be subject to an inspection or additional fees charged by the local customs department. US-customers ordering formula valued at $1,000, or less, should not expect to pay any Customs fees.


Our orders are shipped directly from the European Union and may still be subject to local import taxes, duties, and fees depending on the country you are importing into. 


The Milky Box has no control over these charges, nor can The Milky Box predict what they may be. Any import-related fees are the customer's responsibility, and The Milky Box is, unfortunately, unable to help with this.


** Please note that if you are part of a Trusted Traveler Program, you must notify the US Homeland Security that you are importing formula into the US from the EU. This is no different than if you are bringing food or drinks into the US in person. ** For any question, please contact your local Homeland Security office. **

Can I change my shipping address after placing an order?

Upon ordering, customers agree that it is The Milky Box's responsibility to deliver to the address provided at the original time of purchase. 


Although our dedicated customer service team will attempt to accommodate changes of address after your order has been paid for, we make no guarantee of a new delivery address. 


Any mis deliveries due to a package going to the old address are not considered refundable. 


Once a package departs from one of our warehouses, The Milky Box cannot take responsibility for mis-delivered packages if a delivery carrier's change of address was not processed in time for the delivery to be redirected. 


While our couriers will do their best to update the address, requests for mail redirection should be avoided due to the high likelihood of the package being delivered to the old address. 


Unfortunately, we cannot deliver to business addresses or P.O. Boxes.

Cancellation Questions:

What is your cancellation policy?

If you accidentally make a purchase, let us know to cancel your order within 1 hour of placing the order ex: Order placed at 10:00am PST/12:00pm CST/1:00pm EST, the requested cancellation must be made no later than 11:00am PST/1:00pm CST/2:00pm EST. We cannot guarantee your refund as the order might have been processed and shipped; this timeframe provides the best chance as at a cancellation.


Please note that we work through three different time zones and an 8-hour time difference between the US and EU. 


Your refund takes between 3-5 business days to process back to your method of payment.


Additionally, all cancellations have a cutoff time of **10:00pm PST/12:00am CST/1:00am EST to 7:00am PST/9:00am CST/10am EST Cancellations are not guaranteed as orders are automatically pulled and shipped**, Sunday through Thursday. **Unshipped Friday orders can be canceled up until Sunday 10:00pm PST/12:00am CST/1:00am EST to 7:00am PST/9:00am CST/10am EST**.


**ALL CANCELLATION REQUEST MUST BE MADE WITHIN ONE HOUR OF THE ORDER HAVING BEEN PLACED. PLEASE USE OUR CHAT BOX ON OUR WEBSITE FOR ALL CANCELLATION REQUEST OR THEY WILL NOT BE HONORED. **

Is there a fee for Cancelling an order?

In the event of an order cancellation, for any reason, we shall deduct a 3% cancellation fee, to cover the non-refundable credit card transaction fees, Shopify Platform fees, Labor fees, etc. incurred by The Milky Box for every transaction. The 3% fee shall be deducted from the refund, for a maximum refund of 97% of the original amount.

What is your subscription cancellation policy?

If you are a subscriber and would like to cancel your account, please login to your account and cancel. If you are unsure of how-to login and cancel, please check out our subscription FAQs and follow the directions.


Having problems logging into your account to cancel? Please reach out to us at hello@themilkybox.com and we will resend you the email to set up your account. Some customers forget to set up their accounts with a password when creating a subscription, but no worries, we are here to help! Once your account is set up with a password, you can modify/cancel your subscription.


Please note, due to the large quantity of emails received daily, we don't cancel subscriptions initially for customers. We encourage customers to adjust their accounts individually so they can ensure cancellations are completed prior to the next shipment.


Our staff is not responsible for cancelling customers' recurring subscriptions. If you have requested a subscription cancellation through a customer service representative and have not received confirmation from customer service that your subscription has been cancelled, please be advised your next subscription could potentially ship. 


Your subscription is NOT cancelled unless you have received confirmation.

Legal Disclaimer

We are not responsible for any changes that manufacturers make to the packaging and the formulas. We have nothing to do with that process and only sell the product when we receive it. 


We also do not get notified right away when changes are made to the packing and formulas. We always try to carry the most recent versions of the formula. 


We do not honor exchanges or return requests for health and safety reasons. 


All shipping time frames are estimates and do not begin until the tracking shows the package has left the country of origin.


Business days are defined as Monday through Friday only! Holidays or weather delays in the US and EU are not counted in the shipping time frame.


Please allow 1-5 business days for your order to be process, packaged, quality controlled and placed for shipping.


We do not have control or jurisdiction over shipping carriers. We do not have any control or jurisdiction over the length of time that customs take with each and every package they receive. US Customs and the FDA are in control of what is and what isn’t let through customs.


**If customs or a carrier decides to charge a duty fee, please let us know. This is not something that we personally charge you. **


There may be slight delays if a product is about to be restocked. We will email you if it is longer than 2 days.


Cancellations of orders:


If you accidentally make a purchase, let us know to cancel your order within 1 hour of placing the order ex: Order placed at 10:00am PST/12:00pm CST/1:00pm EST, the requested cancellation must be made no later than 11:00am PST/1:00pm CST/2:00pm EST. We cannot guarantee your refund as the order might have been processed and shipped; this timeframe provides the best chance as at a cancellation.

Your refund takes between 3-5 business days to process back to your method of payment.


Additionally, all cancellations have a cutoff time of 9:59pm PST/11:59PM CST/12:59 EST, Sunday through Thursday, after which we cannot process cancellations. Unshipped Friday orders can be canceled up until Sunday 9:59pm PST/11:59PM CST/12:59 EST.


**ALL CANCELLATION REQUEST MUST BE MADE WITHIN ONE HOUR OF THE ORDER HAVING BEEN PLACED. PLEASE USE OUR CHAT BOX ON OUR WEBSITE FOR ALL CANCELLATION REQUEST OR THEY WILL NOT BE HONORED. **

** https://themilkybox.com/ please click the leaf on the right-hand side of the page for the chat box. **


If you find any issues with your order, please get in touch with our support team within three business days so we may promptly provide a resolution. However, if you reach out after three business days of receiving the order, we may be unable to help remedy the problem. Each claim must include visual evidence such as a picture of the shipping box, shipping label, formula received, and packing slip if one was included with the order.


Good to the Last Milky Drop Guarantee is good for 1 free can/box of formula. Customers must pay shipping.

Returns and Refund Questions:

What is your return policy?

Unfortunately, our return policies are strict on food items and therefore we are not able to accept any returns of any food products. The reason for this is to keep all of our customers safe. It also makes a huge impact on our inventory for all of our customers. We refuse to re-sell items that are returned. All of our products are new, unused, and unopened. All terms and policies are subject to change at any time without notice.

What is your refund policy?

Damaged Product:


If you received a damaged item, we apologize! Please rest assured that the product is safe and can still be used. At times, the boxes or cans can get damaged while in transit. 


If the pouch is sealed or the can still has its freshness seal intact, then it is just simply cosmetic damage, there is no need to contact us as the product is still safe to use. 


If your package is severely damaged, where the pouches are damaged or the can has the seal opened, please contact us with pictures to hello@themilkybox.com. We will work with you to make sure you get a usable product.


Incorrect Product:


We are deeply sorry if a mistake was made in processing your order. Please email us at hello@themilkybox.com immediately with your order number. 


Please contact us within 3 days of receiving the shipment. Please attach in your email photos of the false item(s) you received so that we may help identify the mistake. We’ll send you the correct product right away, in instances that it was our mistake. 


We will work with you in procuring away to return the incorrect product(s). If the correct item is no longer available, we’ll credit your original form of payment. 


Please allow 48 hours for the credit to appear on your statement. A copy of your packaging slip must be sent with returns.