We ship orders Monday through Friday.

Orders placed before 12 PM ET usually ship the same business day. Orders placed after 12 PM ET usually ship the next business day.

Orders placed after 12 PM ET on Friday will usually ship the following Monday. If Monday is a holiday, they will ship the next business day.

Orders placed over the weekend or on a holiday will ship on the next business day.

Please note that fulfillment time and carrier delivery time are separate. The shipping estimate you see at checkout starts after your order has been picked up by the carrier, not when the order is placed.

Chop Shop items take longer because they are custom-produced before shipping.

No. We ship with FedEx, and FedEx requires a valid street address for delivery.

We are not able to ship to PO boxes. Please make sure you enter a physical street address at checkout to avoid delays or cancellation of your order.

We ship with FedEx, which requires a valid street address. We are not able to ship to PO boxes.

As long as the address can receive FedEx deliveries, we can ship to third-party shipping services, hotels, freight forwarders, and other alternative locations. However, once FedEx marks the package as delivered to that third-party location, we consider the order delivered.

If the package is lost, damaged, delayed, or misplaced after being received by the third party, that issue must be handled between you and that third party.

FedEx delivery photos are usually the fastest way to figure out what happened. Start by checking the proof of delivery photo in your FedEx tracking information and confirm whether the package was left at your address. If the photo is not your house, see if you can identify the location, it may be a neighbor’s porch, front door, mailbox area, or another nearby address.

If it looks like the package was delivered nearby, please check with your neighbors first. Misdeliveries are often resolved fastest when the package is still close by.

If you still cannot locate the package, you will need to report it to FedEx. Go to the FedEx tracking page, enter your tracking number, select Manage Delivery, then choose Report Missing Package. FedEx may ask you to confirm the original delivery address, verify that you have checked possible delivery locations, enter your contact information, and choose whether they should contact you by text or email. Once submitted, FedEx will provide a case number for your report.

Once you have opened the report with FedEx, contact us with your order number, tracking number, and FedEx case number so we can review the next steps.

If your order arrived damaged, please take clear photos of the damaged package before throwing anything away. If any products were damaged, take photos of the damaged items as well.

Send those photos to sales@covertinstruments.com
along with your order number so we can review the issue and help get it resolved.

If your order is missing items, or you received the wrong products, please email sales@covertinstruments.com
with your order number and a quick explanation of what is missing or incorrect.

Please make sure to include your order number no matter what the issue is. That lets us find your order quickly and get you the right help.

If you entered the wrong shipping address, email us at order number and the correct shipping address.

If your order has not shipped yet, we will do our best to update the address before it leaves our facility. However, sending the email before the order ships does not guarantee we will see it before our fulfillment team processes the order.

Customers are responsible for entering the correct shipping address at checkout. We are not responsible for incorrect, incomplete, or auto-filled addresses submitted with an order. We will do everything we can to help if we are given enough notice, but we cannot guarantee an address change before shipment.

Shipping charges only cover the cost of getting your order from us to your delivery address. They do not include duties, taxes, tariffs, VAT, customs fees, brokerage fees, or any other import-related charges your country may require.

For international orders, these fees are the responsibility of the buyer. They are charged by your country, customs office, or carrier, not by Covert Instruments. They are also not refundable, including if the order is returned.

During checkout, international customers are required to acknowledge that their country may assess duties and/or import fees on the order. These fees are separate from shipping charges, are imposed by the destination country for importing goods, and are the purchaser’s responsibility.

We also cannot mark orders as gifts or declare a lower value to reduce import charges. All customs forms must accurately reflect the contents and value of the order.

We are not able to ship to every country. Shipping restrictions can be based on local laws, import rules, carrier limitations, customs issues, fraud risk, or other compliance concerns.

Even if our products are legal to own in your country, we may still choose not to ship there. In some locations, we have had repeated issues with customs delays, rejected packages, lost shipments, failed delivery attempts, or packages being returned after long delays. When that happens often enough, we may remove that country from our available shipping options.

If your country is not available at checkout, or if all products appear out of stock, that means we are not currently shipping there.

We know that can be frustrating, but we are not able to make exceptions for individual orders.

Some items may ship separately depending on size, packaging requirements, or how they are fulfilled.

Certain products are too large or awkward to safely ship in the same package as smaller tools or accessories. In those cases, we may split the order into separate shipments to help prevent damage and make sure everything arrives properly.

Clothing and swag items are fulfilled by a third-party provider, so they ship separately from the rest of your Covert Instruments order. These items may also have their own tracking information, fulfillment timeline, and delivery estimate.

If your order ships in multiple packages, that does not necessarily mean anything is missing. Please check all tracking numbers associated with your order, since each shipment may arrive on a different day.

Most unused items can be returned within 7 days of delivery. Used items cannot be returned.

To start a domestic return, contact us at sales@covertinstruments.com
with your order number and the item you would like to return. Please do not send anything back before contacting us first, so we can confirm whether the item is eligible and provide the correct return instructions.

Some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of up to 25%. We reserve the right to apply this fee based on the item being returned, its condition, packaging, reason for return, and any time or cost required to inspect, process, repackage, or restock the item. Shipping charges are not refunded, and approved refunds can take up to 10 business days to process after the return is received and inspected.

Lishi tools must be unused to qualify for a return, and photos are required before a return can be approved.

International returns work a little differently. We cannot generate international return labels, so international customers are responsible for return shipping. Any applicable restock fees still apply.

We do not accept returns or exchanges on the following items unless there is a verified manufacturing defect: All Chop Shop items, all clothing, The Reach Around, The Replicant, FNG, and custom or small-batch items.

If you need to change or cancel your order, email us at sales@covertinstruments.com
as soon as possible with your order number.

If your order has not entered processing, we can usually cancel it within 24 hours of the order being placed. Once an order has entered processing or fulfillment, we may not be able to cancel or make changes before it ships.

If you need to add items to your order, we cannot simply add them to the existing order because we do not store your payment information. In most cases, we will need to cancel and refund the original order so you can place a new order with everything included.

Chop Shop orders cannot be changed or canceled once placed.

We screen orders for potentially fraudulent activity to help protect both our customers and our business. In some cases, our system may automatically cancel and refund an order if it detects activity that appears unusual or high risk.

We reserve the right to refuse or cancel any transaction for any reason. If your order was canceled and you believe it was done in error, one common cause can be a VPN, proxy, or other privacy tool that makes the transaction appear suspicious.

Orders may also be automatically canceled if a previous chargeback has been filed against us from the same customer, account, payment method, billing address, shipping address, or related order information.

You can try placing the order again with your VPN turned off and our site allowlisted. Make sure your billing information, shipping address, and payment details are accurate and consistent before submitting the order.

For high-value orders, first-time customer orders, or orders where the shipping address does not match the billing address, we may request a government-issued ID as an added fraud-prevention step.

We understand that this can feel intrusive. As privacy advocates ourselves, we only ask for this when we need to confirm that the purchase is legitimate and help protect the cardholder.

You may redact your photo, date of birth, ID number, and any other information we do not need. We only need to verify that the name and billing address on the ID match the billing information used on the order.

This is a one-time precaution. Future orders are not typically subject to this same check. Large orders placed from .gov or .mil email addresses are exempt from this requirement.

No, we generally do not accept backorders for out-of-stock items. Many of our products are in high demand, so the best option is to use the email notification box on the sold-out product page. Once the item is restocked, you will receive an email letting you know it is available again.

From time to time, we may offer a backorder or pre-order option on select products, but that is done at our discretion and is not something we commonly offer.

Yes. If you purchased an item at full price and that item is marked down within 7 days of your original purchase, it may be eligible for a price adjustment.

Approved price adjustments are issued as store credit for the difference between the price you paid and the marked-down price.

This does not apply to flash sales, 24-hour sales, limited-time promotional events, or similar short-term discounts, including sales like our 12 Days of Christmas promotion.

Price adjustments are not refunded back to the original payment method. They are issued as store credit only.

Laws vary depending on where you live, so it is your responsibility to know and follow your local laws before ordering or carrying any of our tools.

Our products are sold for legal, responsible use only. That includes use on locks you own, locks you have permission to work on, authorized training, locksmith work, security work, first responder use, and other lawful purposes. If you are not sure whether a specific tool is legal in your area, check your local laws before placing an order.

The best product depends on your current skill level and what you are trying to learn.

If you are brand new, start with tools that teach the basics without overwhelming you. If you already have some experience, you may want a more advanced pick set, better turning tools, a bypass kit, or training gear that lets you practice specific skills.

A good place to start is our What to Buy? page, which breaks down our recommended products by experience level and use case. You can also look through our product categories if you already know what type of tool you are looking for.

No. We are not able to make custom changes, substitutions, or modifications to standard products or kits.

Our products are packaged and fulfilled as listed on the website, which helps us keep inventory accurate, ship orders quickly, and make sure customers receive the correct items. Because of that, we cannot swap individual tools, change kit contents, modify product configurations, or customize an item before shipping.

If you want to choose your own picks, the best option is our Build Your Own Pick Set. That product is specifically designed to let you build a custom pick set from the available options without needing a special request.

For all other products, please review the product description carefully before ordering so you know exactly what is included.

Yes. If you are not sure what to order, contact us before placing your order and we will do our best to point you in the right direction.

The more detail you can give us, the better. Let us know your experience level, what products you are considering, and what you are trying to learn or practice. That helps us recommend something useful instead of just guessing.

You can contact us through our Customer Service page or email us at sales@covertinstruments.com.

Please note that we can help with product questions, recommendations, and general information about our tools, but we cannot help with requests involving a specific lock you are trying to open. Those questions are better reserved for a licensed locksmith in your area. Since we cannot verify over the phone or by email that you are the lawful owner of the lock, we are not able to provide guidance for those situations.

Yes, we sell replacement parts and accessories for select products.

Replacement parts are not available for every product. Availability depends on the specific tool or kit, and some items are only sold as part of a larger system or set.

If you are looking for a specific replacement part and do not see it listed on the site, contact us with your order number, the product name, and what part you need. We will let you know if that part is available separately.

If a product is sold out, use the email notification option on that product page. Enter your email address, and you will be notified when that item is available again.

We generally do not accept backorders for sold-out products, so the restock notification is the best way to know when something is back. Some products sell out quickly, so we recommend acting fast once you receive the restock email.

Like many tools, our products can be misused. That is not what they are for, and we do not support illegal use.

Our tools are sold for lawful, responsible purposes only, including locks you own, locks you have permission to work on, authorized professional use, training, education, and security research. Do not use our products on locks that are in use, locks you do not own, or locks you do not have clear permission to work on.

If your intent is illegal entry, theft, or bypassing security without authorization, do not buy our tools.

No, it is probably not broken. In most cases, this happens because the lock was pinned with a zero-lift pin.

A zero-lift pin is a longer key pin that places the driver pin at the shear line while the lock is at rest. This is used to make a practice lock more challenging because it can cause the picker to accidentally overset that pin. However, if you are only using one or two pin chambers and they are using a zero-lift pin, the plug may still turn freely because there is not enough pin variation stopping it.

To fix this, set aside the longest key pins and try using shorter key pins instead. That should usually resolve the issue.

If you want to use a zero-lift pin, make sure you also have at least one additional shorter key pin installed in another pin chamber. This gives the lock something that actually needs to be lifted and should prevent the plug from spinning freely.

Please note that not all CI Practice Lock kits include zero-lift pins.

Our free 3D print products are digital files only. They are not physical products, so nothing will be shipped to you.

After checkout, you should receive an email with a download link for the file. Once downloaded, you can use your own 3D printer to print the item yourself.

If you do not see the email, check your spam or junk folder first. If you still cannot find it, contact us at sales@covertinstruments.com
with your order number and we can help you locate the download.

No, we do not offer a print catalog at this time. All current products are listed on our website.

Because our inventory changes often, the website is the most accurate place to see what we currently carry, what is in stock, and what has sold out.

We understand that sometimes it feels easier to talk to someone directly, but we handle customer service by email only.

Email allows us to keep everything organized and make sure important details do not get missed. It gives us a written record of your order number, tracking information, photos, product questions, and any steps already taken to resolve the issue. That helps us review the situation accurately, follow up properly, and make sure nothing gets lost in a phone conversation.

For help with an order, product question, return, shipping issue, or anything else, please email us at sales@covertinstruments.com
and include your order number if you have one.

We get it, new product teasers are exciting. That said, we do not share unreleased product details, launch dates, pricing, specifications, or availability before we are ready to make an official announcement.

If we have not posted the information publicly, customer service will not be able to provide additional details by email, phone, or social media.

The best way to stay updated is to sign up for our newsletter. Newsletter subscribers are usually among the first to know when new products are announced, released, or restocked.

Unfortunately, we cannot provide help opening a specific lock over email, phone, chat, or customer support.

Those requests are better handled by a licensed locksmith in your area. We cannot verify remotely that you are the lawful owner of the lock or that you have permission to open it, so we are not able to provide instructions or guidance for those situations.

We can help with general product questions, tool recommendations, and training resources, but we cannot assist with opening a specific lock.

If every product on our site appears to be out of stock, it may be because you are visiting from a country we do not currently ship to.

When our system detects that we cannot ship to your location, it may show all products as unavailable instead of allowing items to be added to your cart. This does not always mean the products are actually sold out, it means we are unable to fulfill orders to your country at this time.