What if no one is home when eye drops arrive?

If no one is home, the package is usually left at your door or handled however the delivering carrier normally handles your address. The tracking email we send when the order ships lets you watch its progress and plan around it. A few hours on a porch in mild weather is fine; in real heat or cold, bring it in soon and check the bottle before use.

Watching the order with the tracking email

When your order ships from Brentwood, Tennessee, you get an email with a tracking link. That link is the most useful thing you have for timing, because Quell doesn’t promise a delivery date. Open it in the morning and again around midday; once it says “out for delivery,” you know roughly which day to expect it, even if you won’t be there. Our guide on how to track your order explains the statuses and what to do if the link isn’t updating.

If you can’t find the email, check spam and promotions folders for a message from the store. You can also look up your order on the orders page with your order number and the email you used at checkout.

Is it okay if eye drops sit on the porch?

It depends on the weather and how long it sits. The storage line on the Quell label reads: Store between 15° to 30°C (59° to 86°F). A box in the shade on a spring afternoon is well within that range. A box in direct July sun on a south-facing step, or on a stoop through a night that drops into the teens, may not be.

• Mild day, shaded spot, a few hours: nothing special to do beyond bringing it in when you get home.
• Hot day, full sun: the inside of a cardboard box on hot concrete gets warmer than the air. Bring it in as soon as you can and let the bottle rest at room temperature before use.
• Freezing night: same idea. Let the bottle come back to room temperature on its own, and look at it before using it.

For more on what temperature exposure in transit means, see eye drops shipped in hot or cold weather.

Ways to make sure someone gets it

You can’t pick a delivery window at checkout, but you can choose where the package goes. Some options that help when your home is empty during working hours:

• Ship it to your workplace, if your employer allows personal deliveries. Our guide to shipping eye drops to your work address covers how to write the address so it reaches your desk.
• Send it to a relative or neighbor who’s home during the day. Put your own name on the order and theirs in the address line if needed.
• Ask a neighbor to grab the box when the tracking says it’s been delivered.
• If your building has a front desk or mailroom, check how it handles deliveries in your name.

The address you type at checkout is where it goes, so double-check apartment and suite numbers before you place the order. Quell ships only within the United States.

What to check when you open the box

Once the package is inside, take a minute before the first drop:

• Confirm the order is right: the number of bottles, each at .33 fl oz (10 mL).
• Look at the seal on each bottle. A broken seal is a reason to contact us, not to use it.
• Look at the liquid. The label explains what normal looks like: The eye drops have a naturally milky-brown appearance. This is normal and does not indicate a problem with the product.
• Read the label’s “Do not use” line, which reads: If this product changes color.
• Read the caution on the label: Caution should be used in those with egg or bird allergies — For use in the eyes only.

If the bottle has been through a hot or freezing afternoon and something looks off compared with that description, don’t use it; get in touch instead.

What if the package is damaged or missing?

If a box arrives crushed, wet or torn and a bottle is damaged, has a broken seal, or the order is wrong, we replace it. Reach us through the contact page or at 615.465.6041, M–F 9AM–5PM CST, and have your order number handy. A photo of the damage helps.

If tracking says delivered and you can’t find it, look around the property first: side doors, behind planters, a garage step, a neighbor’s porch with a similar number. Check with anyone else in the household. If it still hasn’t turned up, contact us with your order number and we’ll work through it with you.

Changing your mind after it arrives

If the order arrives and you decide you don’t need it, unopened bottles can be refunded within 30 days of delivery, and you don’t have to ship them back. The returns guide covers the details.

Using the drops once they’re in

When everything checks out, the label directions are short: Apply 1 drop 3 times per day in each eye. Keep the tip clean every time: Do not touch tip of bottle to any surface to avoid contamination. Store opened bottles in the same range as unopened ones, away from sunny windowsills and car dashboards. The full label is on our Drug Facts page.