Science Store for the Stars - FAQ Page
Order shipping, delivery, and destinations
Payment methods and Policies
How to place a P.O. (purchase order) for your school
Tax-free accounts for Florida schools
Can I pick up my order to avoid shipping?
Tracking Orders
Return & Exchange policy
Privacy policy
Hours of operation and holidays
For New Products and Sales Reps
Do I pay sales tax?
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Order shipping, delivery, and destinations:
When will my order ship?
Your order will ship the same or next business day depending on what time of day your order.
FedEx and UPS do not ship on Saturdays or Sundays.
Credit card payments, PayPal and Google Shopping payments must be complete and
verified before your order ships. We reserve the right to delay shipping until
customer's information has been verified if we believe there may be a security
issue with a particular order. Orders placed on a Saturday or Sunday will
ship the next Monday or the next non-holiday business day.
When will my order arrive?
The maps below will give approximate arrival times for FedEx and UPS
ground shipments, these are only estimates and are not guaranteed.
FedEx Ground Map:
UPS Ground Map:
How do I determine "delivery days" for GROUND SHIPPING?
CHECK DELIVERY DAYS CAREFULLY! "Delivery days" begin the day after your order is
dropped off at FedEx or UPS, not the day you place your order.
To get same day shipping you must place your order by about 2pm Eastern time on a non-holiday weekday.
For example, if you place your order by 2pm on a Wednesday, we will drop your package
off that day and day 1 of "delivery days" begins Thursday. However, if you order after about 2pm on
a Wednesday, your order will get dropped off on Thursday and then day 1 of "delivery days" begins on Friday.
We do not guarantee same day shipping, we just do our best!
FedEx and UPS do not deliver Saturday and Sunday unless you pay extra fees,
which is the customer's responsibility to notify us and pay for prior to shipment.
Ground maps are accurate but not guaranteed.
Plan for the longest amount of time! During the checkout process you must check
a box saying that you have read and agree to these shipping policies. Science
Store for the Stars is not responsible for delivery times chosen by customers
who have not read our shipping policies. It is the customer's responsibility to determine the
best shipping method. Contact us with any questions prior to placing an order or shipping
and we will make sure your order gets to you when you need it.
How do I determine "delivery days" for AIR SHIPPING?
CHECK DELIVERY DAYS CAREFULLY! If you order by about 2pm on a Wednesday and choose FedEx Express Saver (3 day delivery)
then the 3 "delivery days" begins Thursday and you will receive your package Monday. If you order after about 2pm, then
Friday is day 1 of "delivery days," and you will receive your package the following Tuesday.
We do not guarantee same day shipping, we just do our best!
FedEx and UPS do not deliver Saturday and Sunday unless you pay extra fees,
which is customer's responsibility to notify us and pay for prior to shipment.
Ground maps are accurate but not guaranteed. Plan for the longest amount of time!
During the checkout process you must check
a box saying that you have read and agree to these shipping policies. Science
Store for the Stars is not responsible for delivery times chosen by customers
who have not read our shipping policies. It is the customer's responsibility to determine the
best shipping method. Contact us with any questions prior to placing an order or shipping
and we will make sure your order gets to you when you need it.
How do I get free shipping?
We provide FedEx or UPS ground shipping for free on orders over $100 to the continental U.S. only.
Any other shipping method is at the expense of customer. For free ground shipping we will decide
which carrier will be used at time of shipping and notify customer by email and provide a tracking
number if applicable. When your shopping cart goes over $100 the shipping automatically
defaults to $0 and we assume you want ground shipping. However, you can view the cost of other
methods by going to the "View Cart" page (link is in top right of every page). Enter the zip code
where it will be shipped and click Calculate Shipping. A drop down menu will appear below it.
Now you can click on an option in the drop down menu.
But don't click Calculate Shipping again or it will revert back to free ground shipping.
The cost of the shipping method you want to see will automatically appear to the right.
If you then wish to go back to free ground shipping, either pick the method you
want or click Calculate Shipping, then you can proceed to checkout.
What carriers do you ship with?
We trust FedEx or UPS (customer's choice) for domestic (U.S.) shipping and UPS only for shipping to Canada.
Our shipping calculator will automatically give you real-time shipping rates as you shop,
just add 1 or more items to your cart and enter your zip code in the right menu, then click "calculate shipping".
Do you ship to countries outside the U.S.?
We currently ship to Canada using UPS shipping only. We've found this is the most reliable shipping carrier
with respect to fast delivery and customs issues. And the rates are better than the other!
Do you ship to APO/FPO's?
Yes, we love our military men and women and their families! However, FedEx/UPS will not deliver
to these addresses. If shipping to an AA, AE, or AP address, you will get USPS rates during checkout.
Where don't we ship?
Mailbox stores, and countries other than the U.S.A. and Canada.
What if I want faster shipping than ground?
Our shopping cart is set up to give our customers the most popular FedEx and UPS delivery methods.
For FedEx, you can choose Express Saver (3 business days), 2 day FedEx, or Standard Overnight.
Shipping does not run on Saturdays or Sundays. If you need your shipment by a particular day
and you're not sure if it will make it in time, please call and we'll make it happen.
Saturday deliveries cost extra and you must contact us if you need a Saturday delivery.
Occasionally we will require a signature on shipments. We cannot be responsible for any
carrier delays in delivery or bad shipping choices by customers.
What about products on back-order?
You never have to worry about back-ordered items since everything on our website is in stock.
Ordering in quantity may require us to special order from our suppliers which typically doesn't
take long, but call for an estimate. If the quantity of a product you want is not available,
you will get a pop-up message. We can order just about any quantity of any item you want,
depending on the manufacturer availability. And we can find out very quickly for you too!
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Payments methods and Policy:
What payments do you accept?
We accept VISA, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, PayPal, Google checkout,
or Purchase Order from qualified organizations such as schools, public libraries, etc.,
and Science Store for the Stars gift certificates (purchase only on our website by one of
the previous payment methods). All credit card orders are processed via secure SSL
encryption by our trusted payment gateway and merchant account. We accept PayPal
payments by verified PayPal members only. If paying by PayPal you will be prompted
during the checkout process, taken to PayPal's secure site, then returned to Science
Store for the Stars website. Google Checkout is a great way to buy on the internet and
takes just minutes to sign up for an account! Merchants won't see your credit card info,
only the Google-gods will. The only catch is, Google Checkout is currently available only in the
U.S. When shopping with us simply click on the Google checkout button in our shopping cart and
you will be taken to Google's checkout page, then redirected back to Science
Store for the Stars website after payment is complete.
We reserve the right to verify customer information before shipping orders.
The billing address given will be verified with the issuing bank and must match
the billing address listed with the issuing bank. Your credit card information is
not stored on this site, no information is shared. If we are not able to verify the
billing address electronically, we may require additional information and may phone or
email customer. We reserve the right to delay or deny any order. We provide this service
as a further protection and security for our customers. You can be confident that your
personal information will not be compromised or shared with any other party. For more
info, please read our separate Privacy Policy Page.
How do I buy and use a Gift Certificate?
We accept Gift Certificates purchased on our site only. If you are buying a
Gift Certificate, purchase it as if you are buying a normal product from our store.
We will send an email as well as a fancy, personalized card to the recipient which will
contain a code to be used during the checkout process. If you are purchasing products on
our site and are using a Science Store for the Stars Gift Certificate,
please select "Gift Certificate" as a payment method during the checkout process and
enter the certificate number when prompted.
How old do I have to be to buy?
You must be 18 or older to purchase products. Kids, be sure to ask your parents for
permission before you send any information about yourself to us or anyone else
over the internet. You're parents will be thrilled you want cool science toys and science projects!
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How to place a P.O. (purchase order)
for your school:
To submit a PO (Purchase Order) and pay by check, you must be a teacher or other faculty
member of a public school, library, or similar institution. Your orders must ship to the
commercial or government address where you work or volunteer.
Ground shipping is free for orders above $100.
There's no sales tax for shipping addresses outside the state of Florida, and 6%
sales tax if shipping to a Florida address. If you're located in the state of Florida and
want to apply for tax-exemption, please read how to that below. Send your P.O. to Science Store
for the Stars, 4518 SE 9th Place, Cape Coral, FL 33904, or email it to info@sciencestoreforthestars.com,
or fax it to 1-888-969-5487. We understand Purchase Orders take time to process from your end, however, we do
expect payment asap. If we have not shipped to you in the past we will need to verify your
information. This includes your school website, address, phone number, email contact,
and anything else we need to verify. We may call the contact person at the place of work,
such as your school (no cell phone contact), before shipment. It's fast and easy, we just need to be sure.
After your first order we can set up a tax-free account for you to make it easy to order in the future.
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Tax-free accounts for Florida schools:
Any orders shipping to an address outside Florida are not charged sales tax for any reason what-so-ever!
Any orders shipping or delivering to a Florida address are charged 6% sales tax.
If you are a Florida government organization, like a public school, it's easy to set up a tax-free
account with us. If you need our W-9 just email us and we'll email it right back! Check with your
institution for tax-free set-up with retailers, you may need to fill out a DR-5 tax form that
you can find on the Florida Department of Revenue web site and submit it to the Dept. of Revenue
to obtain a DR-14 or DR-14P which you will fill out and fax to us at 888-949-5487 before placing
an order. Then you need to set up an account on our website. Just click "Login" in the upper right
corner of any page on our website and proceed to register as a New User. Email to let us know you've
set up your account and when we have your DR-14(P) we will set up your account as "tax-free".
Now you're ready to shop with us! Be sure to pay with school funds; Checks are fine. However, any
personal checks, credit cards, or other personal payment methods are not acceptable for a tax-free purchase.
All orders above $100 are free ground shipping and we reserve the right to personally deliver your
order if we determine the distance from our S.W. Florida location is within a reasonable distance for us;
typically Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and some other nearby Florida locations.
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Can I pick up my order to avoid shipping?
If you live in SW Florida and want to travel to Cape Coral, you bet you can!
We have parents and teachers come by to pick up products to save on shipping, it's not a problem, just enter
LOCAL2011 as a Coupon Code on step 2 of checkout. This will calculate free shipping no matter what the price.
Then give us a call to set up a time to pick up your order.
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Tracking Orders:
How do I track my order?
When we ship your order via UPS or FedEx you will receive an email with a tracking number and instructions on how to track shipments on the UPS or FedEx websites. If you lose your tracking number or would like to track your package on our site, you can log into your Science Store for the Stars account using your email and password. If you have not created an account you must do so in order to enjoy these and other features of our site. Don't worry, you wont be signed up for any email lists and your email will not be given out. If you are still having trouble, CONTACT US with your order number, and we will be more than happy to track your order or help you further.
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Return and Exchange policy:
What are your general returns and exchange policies?
We accept returns and exchanges with the following conditions:
- You must call us first so we can verify you purchased the item(s) from this store.
- Items must be unopened, unused, and in saleable condition.
- Items must be sent back within 30 days of your original receipt of the item(s).
- Send back copy of your receipt with item(s), we send you one with your order.
- Shipping charges are non-refundable.
- Items that qualified for free shipping will be charged a 10% shipping/handling fee.
- Any shipments returned because they are undeliverable to the shipping address or any
packages refused will be refunded less actual shipping and handling charges.
Science Store for the Stars
4518 SE 9th Place
Cape Coral, FL 33904
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Privacy policy:
Is my credit card information kept on file?
No! Your information is only used to complete the transaction. No credit card information is saved. We have put a number of safeguards in place to protect the personal information you provide us while visiting our web site. All credit card transactions transmitted using an industry-standard highest level encrypted SSL connection. You may click on our SiteSafe certificate from Network Solutions at any time to verify our commitment to security. Be suspicious of ANY sites that do not prominently display these certificates!
How do you handle fraudulent orders?
In the event you place an order with us and decide to dispute the credit card charges or have used a credit card without proper authorization, Science Store For The Stars will prosecute with all legal means of collection. In addition, you will be liable for all fees related to collections, attorney fees, and all delinquent unpaid orders will be assessed interest charges of 2.08% per month or 24.99% annually.
How do you protect my privacy?
Science Store for the Stars places a high priority on protecting your privacy. We do not sell, share or provide your information to any third party in relation to completing your order transaction. We do not use mailing lists or have any affiliation with mass mailing or email/information gathering companies. We respect your privacy, bottom line. We occasionally send out newsletters if you sign up to receive them, but your email address stays with us (see below).
How does your email newsletter work?
When you give us your email, we do not share it with anyone! We use it to occasionally send you email notices of sales and new products. Our email newsletters are sent no more than 1 to 2 times per month. You can unsubscribe at any time.
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Hours of operation and holidays:
What are your business hours?
We are available to take your calls Monday through Friday from approximately 9am to 6pm Eastern time.
Call us at 1-888-969-5487!. We'd love to hear from you!
What holidays do you observe?
Although you can place orders on our site 23 hours 56 minutes and 42 seconds,
365.242199 days per year, we do occasionally take days off. Sundays we don't work and
the mail doesn't either. Other mail and federal holidays we observe are:
Christmas
Easter
President's Day
MLK Jr. Day
Labor Day
Memorial Day
4th of July
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For New Products and Sales Reps:
We are constantly expanding our inventory and love selling new and exciting products!
If you are a manufacturer or sales rep and would like Science Store for the Stars to retail
your products, please feel free to email or call from the Contact Us page above.
Science Store for the Stars
4518 SE 9th Place
Cape Coral, FL 33904
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Do I pay sales tax?
Only a shipment to a Florida address will pay sales tax at a rate of 6% of the
total order including shipping. If you have a Florida billing address and you ship
to another state you do not pay sales tax. If your billing address is in a state
outside Florida and you ship to a Florida address you pay sales tax, but again,
shipping to any state other than Florida, no sales tax is charged. If you are a
public school within the state of Florida you can order tax free, just ask us for our W-9
and we'll email it or fax it. See further instructions above.
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