Ministry Ideaz

Will my credit card information be secure?
Yes indeed. Purchasing with your credit card at ministryideaz.com is safe because we use technology that encrypts your information while you shop on our site. This means that your information is encoded and unreadable as it travels to our payment processor's server. In fact, using your credit card at our web store is safer than using it at a restaurant or gas station. Click here to find out more about why shopping at ministryideaz.com is so safe!

Is my transaction information secure?
Yes, it is. We use the same technology that protects your credit card information to protect your private transaction details. Ministry Ideaz never sells, trades, or otherwise makes available any personal information about our customers to any third parties, period. We do not send spam or junk mail; neither do we buy, sell, or exchange commercial mailing lists or email lists with anyone. We also do not collect personal information about you without your permission as you browse our website, for the purpose of sending you email, junk mail, or otherwise soliciting your trade. We have conducted business for many years without resorting to mass mailing lists, and we intend to continue this policy in the future. Please review our privacy policy.

Payment

Will I receive a receipt for my transaction?
Certainly. At the end of your transaction, you are shown an Order Summary screen. Please print this page from your browser as a receipt for your transaction. You will also receive an order confirmation and a shipping notification by email, which you can keep for your records. And finally, we send a hard copy of the invoice with your shipment.

What are the different ways I can pay for my order?
It's easy to make a purchase at Ministry Ideaz. Please see below our accepted payment methods:
(1) PAYPAL (Visa, MC, Discover, AMEX, eChecks) <<Prefered>>
You may send an electronic payment online with a system called PayPal. This is the first option you'll see when you check out. With PayPal you can send with any credit card or even from your checking account (certain countries only).
(2) CREDIT CARD (Visa or MC) You may pay online with our checkout system with Visa or MasterCard. Or if you prefer, place the order online, and then fax (1-250-483-1580) or email Visa or MasterCard# or call us toll-free 1-877-446-0784 ext 0 (we just need your Credit Card# and exp. date NOT the security code).
(3) PERSONAL CHECK DRAWN ON A USD ACCOUNT OR MONEY ORDER
        Send check payment to:
        Ministry Ideaz
        Box 483
        Cochrane AB T4C 1A7
        Canada
REMEMBER: Postage is 63 cents to Canada from the USA. Checks in NON-U.S. FUNDS (i.e. Canadian dollars, Euros, Sterling, etc.) can be accepted, but you MUST contact us first for more important instructions.
(4) INTERAC EMAIL TRANSFER For Canadian residents wishing to pay in Canadian funds, we also accept email transfers via the Interac system. This system is available if you have Internet banking with any of the following banks: TD Canada Trust, CIBC, RBC, ScotiaBank and BMO. Visit CertaPay for more information on how this works. Contact us for instructions if you would like to pay with this method

Do you accept wire transfers?
We used to. However after having been the victims of bank fraud, we now keep our banking information private. Since we cannot give out our private banking information, we cannot accept wire transfers.

Do you send COD (cash on delivery) orders?
No, unfortunately we are no longer able to accept cash on delivery (COD) orders. All orders must be paid in full before we can ship them.

Do you give bulk discounts?
Our prices are already about as low as we can go; especially considering that each item is individually handcrafted. We do offer free shipping on orders over $200 in North and South America. We realize that many of the friends sometimes get together with a larger order, and the free shipping is our way of saying "thanks". We also offer a 10% discount on orders over $500 (plus the free shipping in the Americas). The website will automatically process the 10% discount on these larger orders.

Do you accept payment in other currencies?
Indeed we do. Some of the major currencies we accept are: Euro, Pound Sterling, Swiss Franc, Canadian dollar, Australian dollar, and Yen. However, please contact us for some important instructions before sending us a check.

How can I figure out the cost in my currency?
On each page of our site there is a handy conversion calculator. Or click here. As currency constantly fluctuates in value, the conversion given should only be considered a "general idea" and not the exact amount that will eventually show up on your bank statement.

Why do you only deal in U.S. currency, especially since you are a Canadian company?
Even though our company is legally established in Canada, we would consider ourselves an "international" company. We ship all over the world, and less than 5% of our orders are actually shipped in Canada, whereas almost 80% of our customers are in the United States. Furthermore, of all the current monetary units, the U.S. dollar is still the world's dominant currency and almost every culture knows more or less how their local currency compares in value to the USD, making it easier for them to convert our prices to their local currency. That being said, we do indeed accept payment in many major currencies including the Canadian dollar. Please contact us if you would like information on how to pay in Canadian dollars.

Can I order if I don't have a credit card or access to PayPal?
Yes you can. Please send a $US money order (i.e. MoneyGram or Western Union) to:
        Ministry Ideaz
        Box 483
        Cochrane AB T4C 1A7
        Canada

Why didn't I receive the coupon (or gift certificate) you promised to email me?
Unfortunately in these cases it would seem that your ISP (Internet Service Provider) is blocking you from receiving coupons, etc (since these are of a commercial nature and can wrongly get filtered as spam). You will have to contact your email service provider or Internet service provider and let them know that they are blocking email that you need to receive from MinistryIdeaz.com (IP address: 216.194.67.170). We particularly have a problem currently with sending email to AOL customers. We are unable to send you any email if you Internet Service Provider continues to blocks them. If you like you may send the sample letter below to your ISP's customer support department. If you are an AOL subscriber, you may also call AOL Technical Support: 1.888.212.5537 or postmaster@aol.com. Ideaz Technologies powers the email communications we send to you. When you receive a response from your ISP, please forward the response email to the following address: info @ ideaz.ca. The Ops Department at Ideaz Technologies will follow-up with your ISP once they receive your email. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. In the meantime, (as a quick fix), you can enter a different email address (such as Hotmail or Yahoo).

Sample letter to send to your ISP:

To: ISP Customer Support
Subject: Remove Email Block

Hello. My name is ________ and I have been a customer of your services since ________. I understand that you have a blacklist in place to protect customers like myself from unsolicited email; however, this blacklist has made it impossible for me to receive coupons (or gift certificates, or newsletters) that I have requested. I need these communications and would like to receive them using this email address.

The sender of these emails uses Ideaz Technologies as a service provider. Ideaz Technologies is not an open relay and has extremely strict anti-spam policies in place. Because you block emails from Ideaz Technologies I am unable to receive these communications.

I ask that you add Ideaz Technologies to your white list. For further information about Ideaz Technologies you may contact the Ops team at 1.877.689.8393 or info @ ideaz.ca.

Technical Notes for your Network Department
IP Address to put on white list:
- 216.194.67.170
- To be notified of changes send email to info @ ideaz.ca

Please contact me when this problem has been resolved.

Sincerely,

________

Why didn't I get the discount/free shipping you promised?
There are many reasons why the system did not grant the promised discount. Please check that you entered the coupon code correctly. Also check the coupon terms very carefully. Some coupons are only good for certain products or categories. Other coupons are only good for a certain number of customers (i.e. first 100 customers get 30% off) and it may be (in this example) that your purchase was made after the 100th customer already checked out. Also please check that the coupon has not expired.

My order never went through. Why?
What sometimes happens with online shopping, is the person entered their credit card information in PayPal and got to the second last screen where it requests a final confirmation. This has happened many times that the customer thought that the order went through at that point. NOT SO. This is the final confirmation to which you have to click "Pay Now". If you close the browser at this point, the system assumes you decided against the purchase and nothing is even registered. You don't get a confirmation email, your card is never charged. Everything just disappears and we at Ministry Ideaz have absolutely NO IDEA that you were even interested in buying something.

I decided to cancel my order after it was shipped. Can you refund me right away?
Unfortunately we cannot. You will have to process an RMA, and we will refund you per our return policy.

Can I go to my credit card company and do a chargeback, thus forcing you to cancel my order?
You could theoretically, but you would be guilty of perjury and could face possible legal action. We are happy to cancel your order before it has been batched for shipping. However, after it leaves our warehouse there is no way to retrieve it from the postal system, and we cannot cancel the order. Chargebacks are generally for if we, the merchant, did not fulfill our part of the sales contract (for example, if we fraudulently shipped you something different or we didn't ship you anything at all - of course this would not happen). You cannot process a chargeback simply because you changed your mind but the order was already shipped. In fact, when you file a chargeback, you have to agree to declare that you are telling the truth. PayPal and other credit card companies require a statement, such as: "I declare, under penalty of perjury, that all statements submitted herewith are true to the best of my knowledge. I understand that knowingly filing an application or statement of claim containing false, incomplete, or misleading information may constitute a criminal offense, and may also subject me to legal action by the credit card company or by the merchant to recover lost funds, costs and penalties."

Shipping

Will I be charged duty and import tax?
We have no control over import taxes, as this is up to each country's customs policies. However, customs rarely tax or charge duty our products (maybe once in 500 orders). We ship out of Ecuador, South America and since we keep packages under 2kg, Ecuadorian export laws do not require us to attach a bill of lading to the outside of the package, as in many other countries. Also, since we are exporting, we DO NOT charge neither the normal 12% Ecuadorian sales tax nor the tax from your country. So you're saving $$ there too.

Can you give me more details on your Free Shipping offer?
We offer free shipping on orders over US$200 (North and South America, the Caribbean and U.S. protectorates only). Please see our Shipping Costs page for more information.

Receive email when we have free shipping on smaller orders:

Sign up here.
*You can cancel at any time. You will not receive spam; your email address will not be sold to any 3rd party. See our Privacy Policy for more information.

If I order more than one product, do I have to pay for shipping on each of the items?
We calculate shipping and handling costs by shipment, based on the merchandise total and not on the number of items. Please see our shipping costs page for more information.

If I order today, when can I expect to receive my order?
Shipping times are generally 2 to 3 weeks. In the rare event that there will be a longer delay (for example, if the item is temporarily out of stock), we will contact you to advise.

Can you send my order via overnight or express shipping?
Unfortunately the shipping costs far too much (well over $100) for express and overnight. Orders generally take from two to three weeks to arrive, although occasionally orders do arrive in as little as one week. If you need a gift urgently, we recommend purchasing a gift certificate which can be emailed to you immediately upon payment. You can either have the gift certificate emailed directly to the recipient along with a personalized message, or have it sent to yourself so you can print it out and present it in person.

Why didn't I receive a shipping confirmation email?
There are many reasons why it may not have arrived to you, the most common being a spam block by your email server, or your email program in your computer. We suggest you contact your ISP and request that they unblock emails from ministryideaz.com. Since shipping confirmation emails can look "commercial" in nature, these types of emails are very susceptible to spam filters, even though they aren't spam. Click here for more information.

Can I ship to a P.O. box?
Yes, you can.

Does Ministry Ideaz offer international shipping?
Yes we certainly do. We ship to every country in the world. Please visit our shipping information page to view our reasonable postage rates.

How can I track my order?
The return address label on the package will say "MinistryIdeaz.com, Casilla 17-02-5416, Quito, Ecuador, South America" as the merchandise is shipped from Ecuador. We send with "Unidad Postal del Ecuador" (Ecuadorian Postal Service) (http://www.unidadpostal.com/). If you have paid for the economy shipping or received free shipping, then there is no online tracking available. These go in standard first class airmail. If you ordered several items to be delivered to the same address, we may send them to you in separate packages to give you the speediest service. Rest assured - this will not affect your shipping charges. Orders over $100 are sent certified post (sometimes in one regular package and one certified). If this is the case, this means you will likely have to pick it up at the post office. Please watch for a slip in the mail regarding a package from Ecuador from MinistryIdeaz.com. Most post offices will only hold certified mail for 14 days before returning it to sender. We cannot be held responsible for unclaimed packages which are returned to us.

If you have paid extra for the Global Express service, you can track your order at one of the following URLs, depending on your region:
U.S.:http://www.usps.com/shipping/trackandconfirm.htm
U.K.:http://www.parcelforce.com/portal/pw/jump1?catId=500187&mediaId=2600005
Canada:https://obc.canadapost.ca/emo/basicPin.do?language=en&?sblid=DC

I received my order, but it wasn't all there
Please be sure to double-check the contents of your order before contacting us. If something seems missing, check that the package (on the outside) doesn't say "package 1 of 2". If that is the case, the second package will arrive in due time, within the timeframe indicated when you placed your order. It almost always happens that one parcel arrives before the other. Also, sometimes package one arrives first and sometimes package two arrives first. If there is no sticker that your order is coming in two packages, please check if smaller items might be tucked inside the pockets of larger items. If you are indeed missing an item, please contact us as soon as possible. Please also let us know the 2-letter code that is handwritten in pen on the packing slip.

Why was my order never shipped?
If you pay with PayPal, you MUST follow through all the screens until you get back to the Ministry Ideaz confirmation screen. If you don't get the confirmation screen from us, please contact us so we can make sure the payment was applied properly. Otherwise, we may not receive notice of your order and will be unable to ship it.

Can I still order if the shipping department is closed?
From time to time, our shipping department closes temporarily, either for vacation, or inventory count. In these cases, the online store indeed remains opens and continues to process orders. Please note that any orders placed during such time will experience a slight processing and shipping delay (usually a few days to a maximum of one week). When this happens we sometimes upgrade you to faster shipping for no extra cost.

What kind of packaging materials do you use to ship orders?
We found that by having packages in large manila envelopes they don't get stolen as often as with cardboard boxes. Although it is rare, we do have to consider theft in the postal system. Therefore, we try to make packages look as if they contain not much of value (i.e. not using a fancy box with our company logo). We also divide larger orders into smaller packages, etc. So far the system has been working very well for us.

Products

Why are your products more expensive that some other companies'?
Our motto is: 'Individually Handcrafted -- designed to last a lifetime.' Take for example our children's cases. These should not be considered cheap toys, but high-quality tools that will last for many years to come. Our products arehandcrafted with love using high quality materials (not cheap vinyl). As another example: Other companies "melt together" the edges of their plastic products, and such seams start to come apart after only a couple months. However our plastic products are individually sewn using high-quality thread. We realize our products may be out of some people's budgets. However, please take into consideration:
(1) We do not mass-produce our products.
(2) All of our products are handcrafted using the highest quality materials.
One last example: just to make one all-in-one service folio takes almost 2 hours to handcraft. Considering this, our price of $33.99 seems actually rather inexpensive to most customers. Please read what others have said on the various product pages under "product review." Furthermore, there are 1000s of positive remarks our sister store: eBay ministry_ideaz. As you can see from the remarks, we rarely have a dissatisfied customer. Read more about our leather and our products.

Do you have less expensive items?
We do indeed. We have various suggestions:
(1) From time to time we offer slightly irregular or over-stocked items on eBay with a starting bid of just 1 cent.
With eBay ministry_ideaz you get to "Pick your own price".
Whoever put the highest price gets the item(s) at the end of the auction.
(2) Join our email list to receive coupons and promotions from time to time.

Do you give special discounts for people in certain full-time volunteer activities?
First of all, please remember that Ministry Ideaz is a commercial enterprise and not a charitable organization. We do not have discounts for specific groups of people. That being said, we're happy to say that we have all sorts of our discounted products for everybody on our "pick-your-own-price" sale with our sister store, eBay ministry_ideaz. Furthermore, if you sign up for our newsletters, you'll be the first to know about sales, and coupons.

Do you do book rebinding, such as the New World Translation and Reasoning book?
Please note that what we use it the "DO-IT-YOURSELF" system. This has various advantages: (1) you do not need to send in your books and you save on shipping costs (2) your books retain the original cover in case you ever wish to revert to the original book (3) since there in no trimming involved you can use your old marked up books with all the notes you have with no worries of the notes getting cut off, and (4) our process is quite a lot cheaper. Click here to see a list of all the options we have.

Can you personalize a book cover with a name or date?
In order to keep costs down, we cannot do personalization on any of our covers. Even if you were willing to pay extra, it still isn't possible. The gilt lettering of a name personalization must be pressed on with heat, and this can only be accomplished before the actual cover has been sewn together when the leather is still "in the raw." Therefore it is not possible add on a name after the cover has been produced.

Are your products guaranteed?
Ministry Ideaz is proud to offer our "NO-WORRIES GUARANTEE." We realize that purchasing mail-order items always takes the risk of not being up to one's expectations. You can only go by the picture and description, but you cannot actually pick up the item to feel it, smell it, and turn it inside-out, as you might in a regular store. This is why Ministry Ideaz is pleased to offer our "NO-WORRIES GUARANTEE" on all our products for up to SIXTY DAYS of the purchase date. What does it mean? We guarantee that you will absolutely love your new ministry products. Unlike other companies which mass-produce their products, using cheap plastic and poor quality manufacturing methods, our products are handcrafted. Everything, even our $2.24 vinyl book covers is hand-sewn with precision, using the highest quality materials. If in the unlikely event that you are NOT satisfied with your order, we will refund you for the products (shipping is non-refundable). If a return is the result of our error, we will refund you for everything including the original shipping paid, and we will even pay for you to return the item(s) to us via regular post! Now, what have you got to lose!* :D We invite you to read what others have said about our products. Each product has a 1 to 5 star rating of what other customers have said about these products.

Please inspect the product thoroughly upon receipt. If there is any irregularity or problem with the workmanship of the item, we will be happy to replace it free of charge. More instructions

*We reserve the right to investigate any apparent abuse regarding this offer. Products damaged by misuse or abuse not covered by this guarantee. If you return any items from an order that received free shipping, the original shipping savings associated with the returned item(s) will be deducted from the refund amount unless the return was due to our error.

Do you have products available in other languages?
At the moment we have printed products in Spanish and English only. However, all of our custom-made book and Bible covers do not come with any imprinting on them other then God's name in Hebrew (i.e. the Tetragrammaton). Therefore these products are good for any language.

Do you sell books or Bibles published by the Watchtower Society?
No. We provide custom handmade Bible and book covers, not the Bibles and books themselves. We do, however, sell books and Bibles published by other companies: click here. Please go visit www.watchtower.org and click on contact us to receive the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures. (This is a 3rd-party website not affiliated with our company.)

Do you sell return visit books?
We don't sell anything for "just" return visits. However, we do have some ideas for these:
1. Our theocratic monthly planner has several pages at the back to record your return visits, as well as a handy chart to keep track of magazine routes
2. We also have several service organizers, such as the all-in-one service organizer, magazine and tract tote, and pioneer portfolio which have specially-designed slots to hold the house-to-house slips where you can also note return visits and other activity.

Am I allowed to copy the software you sell for my friends?
Our partners (namely ActiveBits Technologies and Q-Soft) retain ownership of all the software we sell. When you purchase a computer program, you are actually purchasing a "single-use license" to use the software. As will any other software you may "purchase" from other companies, you actually do not become the owner of the software itself, but receive the license or right to use the software. You may indeed make a personal backup copy. However you may not copy any of our software for others. This is piracy.

On the other hand, you may wish to permanently transfer the license and software to your friend as a gift, and relinquish your own ownership of the "single-use license." Before the transfer, your friend must agree that this license agreement applies to the transfer and use of the software. The transfer must include the software installation disc as the Proof of License. As the original user, you must uninstall the software before transferring it; you may not retain any copies or backups.

Do you have a store where I can visit you and browse your products?
In order to keep costs as low as possible, (and thus passing the savings on to our customers), we do not operate a store where you can come in and shop. We have only a warehouse, and the products are all carefully stored in plastic on shelves. There is no way to browse. Therefore, the only purchasing method we have is mail order. We do indeed ship for free to the USA and all over North and South America (orders over $200).

Can I order your products without the tetragrammaton decoration?
The tetragrammaton decoration comes on all our genuine leather products (with the exception of the following products: CASE-MEN-1, CASE-MEN-4, CASE-MEN-5, CASE-LAD-1 & WT-2). If you prefer not to have this feature, please order the imitation leather product, which does not have the decoration. When we first started doing the Bible covers we did an informal poll. The overwhelming majority preferred the cover with the tetragrammaton. It is not embossed in gold, so it's a very discreet touch, very small (1.4cm x 3cm or 5/8" x 1 1/8"), and in an inconspicuous place. Since we realized that certain ones might not wish to have this feature, we decided to only put this on our leather covers, and not the imitation leather. This would still leave the option open. Unfortunately, to keep costs low, we do not have this as an option on the leather items. The idea to provide all our products with both options (with the tetragrammaton and without) is something we thought about. However due to financing and warehousing limitations it is simply not feasible at this time (i.e.: to have a certain option across all our products, in effect, doubling the inventory).

Returns and Shipment irregularities

What do I do if I gave you the wrong address and the order has been shipped?
In these cases we can only be patient. We will give you a refund for the products once the order comes back to us as undeliverable. Please note, however, that this could theoretically take several months. In the meantime, if you like, you may reorder the items on our website to have it shipped to the proper address. You will have to pay again, and await the refund later. Please note that, unfortunately, shipping costs are not refundable. Also note: If you received free shipping, the original shipping savings associated with the returned item(s) will be deducted from the refund amount.

How do I exchange a product?
In order to keep bookwork simple we do not accept exchanges (unless we are at fault: click here). In lieu of exchanging the product, please return it for a refund (see below). You may use the refunded moneys to go in and purchase the other item(s) you wanted instead.

How do I return a product I no longer want?
First of all, please note that we have different procedures for RMA´s depending on the reason for return:
    1. Defective
    2. Damaged in shipping
    3. Received wrong item
    4. Just decided I don't want it anymore
If you decided you simply no longer want an item, we accept returns for new unused merchandise up to 60 days from purchase date providing the product is in unused resalable condition. RMAs must be in writing to avoid misunderstandings. Therefore we only give out RMAs via email or fax, and not over the telephone. Please do not telephone us to process your return. Request an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) from this form. Also include your name and postal code as it appears on your packing slip, and your daytime telephone number in case we need to call you. We will send via fax or email the return instructions, and will refund you to the same payment method used when purchasing, after we inspect and ensure that the products are in unused and resalable condition. Please note that shipping costs arenotrefundable. Also note: If you return any items from an order that received free shipping, the original shipping savings associated with the returned item(s) will be deducted from the refund amount unless the return was due to our error.

What if something seems missing from my order?
Please be sure to double-check the contents of your order before contacting us. If something seems missing, check that the package (on the outside) doesn't say "package 1 of 2". Smaller items might be tucked inside the pockets of larger items. If you are indeed missing an item, please contact us as soon as possible. Please also let us know the 2-letter code that is handwritten in pen on the packing slip.

How do I return a damaged item?
Evidence of tampering with the package? If the package seems to have been "punctured" or "opened and resealed," please check the contents very carefully. All products that leave our warehouse are brand new and undamaged*. Our leather and leatherette products are handmade with utmost care. But once a package leaves our warehouse, it's up to the postal system. Although this is very rare, customs has been known to damage packages. If the item was punctured or slashed, this is what probably would have happened: Customs 'officially opens' the package to check for narcotics. They sometimes slash an item to see if narcotics are hidden on the inside of the item. We've also had reports of the entire package being poked with a very fine needle in lieu of being opened, damaging the contents all the way through with a fine hole. Even though the damage in these rare cases is not our fault we will take responsibility so that a replacement product gets to you. Please visit click here and follow the instructions in order to have the item(s) reshipped. We cannot reship unless these instructions are followed. You may also have a claim form faxed to you by calling 1-877-446-0784 (extension 6). Please take these steps immediately upon receiving the order, and no later than 24 hours after receiving the package. WITHOUT EXCEPTION, NO REFUND OR REPLACEMENT WILL BE PROCESSED WITHOUT A VALID RMA#.
*With the exception of irregular items we sell on auction and where the eBay listing explicitly stated that the item was damaged, including a picture of the damage.

How do I return a defective item?
During the handcrafting of our leather and imitation leather products, our artisans took special care to preserve and enhance the elegance of the quality materials. Unfortunately, errors do happen from time to time: a seam was missed, a wrong pattern was used, etc. If something slipped through our quality control process and you received a defective product, we sincerely apologize and will make it right as soon as possible. Please request an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) via the contact us form including a brief note describing the defect. Also include your name and postal code as it appears on your packing slip, and your daytime telephone number in case we need to call you. We will reship your item, and pay for you to return the defective item to us. You are required to return the defective item within 30 days to avoid being charged for both the replacement and the original. Important note for genuine leather products: Variations in tone, marks and lines are natural characteristics of genuine leather, and not defects. WITHOUT EXCEPTION, NO REFUND OR REPLACEMENT WILL BE PROCESSED WITHOUT A VALID RMA#.

What do I do if I received the wrong item?
Despite our best efforts, the occasional packaging error is inevitable. If this has happened to you, please accept our sincere apologies. You may request an RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) via the contact us form including a brief note detailing what you were expecting to receive and what you indeed received. In your note, please let us know the 2-letter code that is handwritten in pen on the packing slip. Also include your name and postal code as it appears on your packing slip, and your daytime telephone number in case we need to call you. We will reship your item, and pay for you to return the wrong item to us. You are required to return the wrong item received within 30 days to avoid being charged for both the replacement and the original. WITHOUT EXCEPTION, NO REFUND OR REPLACEMENT WILL BE PROCESSED WITHOUT A VALID RMA#.

Why does the invoice of my reshipped item show I was charged 1¢?
Please rest assured that you have not really been charged 1 cent. We have a system that ships out all orders that have been paid for. We sometimes need to ship out a replacement order for free as well (as in your case), and in order for the system to include these, there has to be some sort of payment recorded (albeit fictitious). If we had your order at $0.00, the system would treat it as an unpaid order and it wouldn't be shipped. Therefore, we enter the order at 1¢, even though you really haven't been charged.

What do I do if my order doesn't arrive when expected?
Most orders are sent first class air mail. Delivery time to all addresses all over the world is generally 2 to 3 weeks. If you do not receive your entire order in the timeframe mentioned, click here to file a lost order claim.

Important: If your order is $100 you will have to sign for it as large orders are always sent certified. If this is the case, this means you will likely have to pick it up at the post office. Please watch for a slip in the mail regarding a package from Ecuador from MinistryIdeaz.com. Our experience has shown that these slips can get mixed in with flyers and missed. When this happens, the customer doesn't go to the post office, and the package ends up returning to us as unclaimed. Most post offices will only hold certified mail for 14 days before returning them to sender. We cannot be held responsible for unclaimed packages which are returned to us. Also please note that if your order needs to be sent in two or more packages, we might send only the LARGER portion certified, and the rest as regular post.

Note for Canadians residents: From time to time we have experienced VERY long delays with our products passing through Canada Customs. This is out of our control. Some orders have taken over 10 weeks to arrive no matter which shipping method was used. We have now started sending all Canada orders via certified first class post. This seems to be helping, orders having arrived to Canada much quicker (i.e. in about 2 weeks). At this point we cannot guarantee our 2 to 3 weeks delivery timeframe to Canada. We hope you understand. Also remember that all Canadian orders are sent certified and you will need to sign for it at the post office. Please watch for the slip from the Canada Post about your order.

What happens if I forgot to go to the post office to sign for my order?
Most orders, especially those over $100 are sent via certified post. This means you will likely have to pick it up at the post office and sign for it. Please watch for a slip in the mail regarding a package from Ecuador from MinistryIdeaz.com. Our experience has shown that these slips can get mixed in with flyers and missed. When this happens, the customer doesn't go to the post office, and the package ends up returning to us as unclaimed. Most post offices will only hold certified mail for 14 days before returning it to sender. We cannot be held responsible for unclaimed packages which are returned to us. Also please note that if your order needs to be sent in two or more packages, we might send only the LARGER portion certified, and the rest as regular post.

If you neglected to go and sign for your package, you would have to repay the shipping cost to have the order reshipped back to you.

You resent my lost order, and now the original package also arrived. What do I do?
As mentioned in the lost order claim form that you would have filled out and signed: "I also agree that if the original order ever shows up I will return it to Ministry Ideaz unopened marking it with 'return to sender'. If it shows up eventually and I open it I agree to pay for the contents, or pay for return shipping."

If I return a product, how long do I have to wait for a refund?
When you return a product, you will receive a refund within 7 business days of us receiving and verifying the item.The source of the original payment determines how the refund will be credited:

If the payment was funded by a bank account, eCheck or Instant Transfer, the refund will be credited to your PayPal balance
If the payment was sent using a credit card, refunds are credited to the same credit card account
If the payment is partially funded by a credit card and the remainder paid via a separate source, the amount paid from the credit card will be credited to that card and the remainder, if any, to the your PayPal Account balance
If your credit card funded payment was originally designated as a quasi-cash payment, the denied or refunded payment will credit back to your PayPal Account balance rather than to the credit card (Credit card issuers do not accept quasi-cash credits)
Due to credit card policy, refunds to credit cards can appear up to 30 days after the refund was completed
If a payment is refunded, denied, or cancelled within 24 hours of initiating the payment, a full refund will be issued
If a refund is more than 24 hours since the payment, the conversion rate may fluctuate thereby resulting in a different amount credited back
Refunds are based on the currency of the original payment. Any loss in conversion rate fees is due to normal market fluctuation. We cannot reimburse for any loss incurred during conversions

Web Site-related

How do I add items to the shopping cart?
If you have never ordered from us before, we invite you to take our online tutorial. Please click here to view the tutorial.

I'm having problems with the online ordering system
We realize that ordering online can be overwhelming to Internet novices. Depending on your computer's security settings, it may not even be possible. In order to provide a secure online environment (for your protection), we have many fraud-detection systems in place, and sometimes these safeguards can make it difficult for even an honest person to buy something. Therefore, if you need help, please call us at 1-877-446-0784 ext 0 and we'll be more than happy to help you with your order over the telephone. Or if you like, you can email your phone number for us to call you. Alternatively you can also use one of the alternate ordering methods mentioned below.

ACCEPTED ORDERING METHODS:
1) place an order on our website (www.ministryideaz.com)
2) place your order by phone (toll free in North America) 1-877-446-0784 (Visa or Mastercard) or you may e-mail us your phone number and we will phone you
3) fax us your order 1-250-483-1580
4) e-mail us your order
5) mail us your order:
            Ministry Ideaz
            Box 483
            Cochrane AB T4C 1A7
            CANADA
(If mailing from the USA, please make sure you have a $0.63 stamp.) Thank you.

Why have you removed some of the free downloads?
Websites that are hosted on "free" hosting servers have popups, banner ads, and these often can even have objectionable ads on them. Next time you're on our website, please take note that no such ads exist on ours. This is because we pay for the hosting ourselves. Many don't realize the costs involved for us to provide "free downloads" for others. The more people that download, the more bandwidth is used, and the more our web hosting provider charges. Some months, just the bandwidth charge passes almost US$150 (besides the regular hosting charges). Because of these costs, we will may need to phase out many more of the "free downloads" that we have provided up until now.

What if I find a misprint or an error on the web site?
We do our best to ensure that we provide you with the most up-to-date and accurate information. However, in the event that you do see any typos or errors on our web site, please let us know and we'll make it right. We greatly appreciate your feedback.

Does Ministry Ideaz use "cookies"?
Our shopping cart feature requires us to use cookies for your convenience. Therefore, your Internet browser must be set up to use "first-party" cookies, ("third-party" cookies are not used). First-party cookies are created by the Ministry Ideaz website and are necessary to keep track of the things you are adding to the electronic shopping cart. This is the way your computer will be able to communicate with our server, and our server won't mix you up with other clients ordering other items at the same time: “We give you a data packet, you give us back a cookie.” You can compare this to the claim check you get from a dry-cleaning shop; the only thing it's useful for is to relate a later transaction to this one (so you get the same clothes back). To change cookie settings, look for the cookie options in your browser in the Options or Preferences menu.

I'm having problems downloading the catalog
In order to view the catalogue, order form, and other .pdf documents, you need to download and install Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you like, please contact us to have a free catalog mailed to you.

Can I link to Ministry Ideaz from my website?
Certainly! If you would like to link to Ministry Ideaz, you may copy the following HTML code and paste into your website:

Please also contact us to let us know where you have linked us. Unfortunately, Ministry Ideaz no longer does reciprocal linking.

How can I close my PayPal account?
Click here and follow the instructions.

eBay-Related

Does the item really only cost 1¢!? (or 99¢, etc.)?
That would be nice, wouldn't it? However, unfortunately, that's not how it works. Each auction usually lasts one week. At the beginning of the auction, the starting bid may be very low. However inevitably the price rises as bidders place their bids. We like to call this "pick-your-own-price." You enter the highest price you're willing to pay. If you get it, good for you! If you get outbid, you can try again in a future auction. See below for more information:

How do I buy from your eBay auctions?
eBay offers buyers two modes of purchases: "Auctions style format" and "Buy it now" which is a fixed price format. Place a bid on an auction if you want to try and get the item at a lower price or use Buy It Now to make an instant purchase.
Auctions are very simple and fun to be part of. In an auction the highest bidder is the winning bidder.
(1) Place a Bid
    - Once you have decided to buy a product you can place a bid on it.
    - Check the Starting Bid or the current bid value of the product.
    - Click on the "Place a Bid" button.
    - Enter your maximum bid value. If you bid more than the next bid value eBay will automatically bid on your behalf until your maximum value is reached. This is call "Proxy Bidding"
    - Confirm your bid.
(2) Bid Confirmation mail
    - Check your mail. You will receive a bid confirmation mail from eBay.
(3) Getting Outbid
    - If another bidder places a bid that is higher than yours you will receive a mail from eBay informing you that you have been outbid.
    - You can then place another bid on the item at a higher value.
(4) When the auction ends
    - The highest bidder will become the winning bidder and get the product at his/her bid price.
Visit the online tutorial for more information.

How to Dutch (multiple) auctions work?
As an example, say we put up for bid 10 vinyl covers. Say there were four winning bidders on this:
    bidder 1 bid on 4 @ $1.25 ea
    bidder 2 bid on 1 @ $1.50 ea
    bidder 3 bid on 4 @ $1.50 ea
    bidder 4 bid on 4 @ $1.80 ea
The total quantity requested for all four bidders adds up to 13, rather than 10. Per the rules of the multiple auction, those with higher bids get first choice for quantities. Therefore, even though bidder 1 had his bid in first, he only received 1 of the covers instead of 4. That's because his bid was the lowest (i.e. only $1.25 ea). Furthermore, all four winners pay the same price (i.e. the lowest successful bid, which is $1.25). Any others that had bid lower than that amount wouldn't have won anything in the Dutch auction. Per the special rules of Dutch Auctions, bidders that did not win the quantity desired are not required to purchase them.

Can you sell me more items at the winning bid price?
We obviously have more items in stock, but as these normally sell on auction for a lot less than retail, our budget only permits us to list a certain quantity per week as a promotional offer. Therefore, we are unable to sell more than one item at the auction sale price. Furthermore, eBay classifies this as Multiple Listing Fees Avoidance and it is not permitted. This is described as such on eBay.com:

Listings instructing buyers that they can indicate the number of items they want for the same price is not permitted. Why does eBay have this policy? Single listings that offer multiple items to avoid fees may provide a poor buying experience and create an unlevel playing field by putting sellers who pay all their eBay fees at a disadvantage. Furthermore, these listings undermine the trust and legitimacy of eBay’s marketplace. (See http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/listing-multiple.html.)

If you like, you may purchase at the regular price either at our eBay store, or on our website.

How much are the shipping costs related to your eBay items?
The shipping costs for each of our listings is near the bottom of the listing under the title 'Shipping, payment details and return policy'. This includes every country in the world. For example, to Australia you might see that the cost is US$2.25 for the first item purchased + $1.13 for each additional item. You need to add up all the shipping costs for all the items purchased to get the final shipping total. This is because the cost for shipping all our items increases according to weight. Each item's shipping cost is directly proportional to its weight. Please note that we do NOT exaggerate shipping costs to increase profits. We have a system that is fair for both parties and represents the "real" cost to us to ship.

What do I do if I forgot to let you know my color or size preference?
Each of the products sold on eBay have a size and/or color stated in the listing. This is what we will send. Many listings also include other sizes and/or colors which you may optionally request in lieu of the default size or color. However this change must arrive with your payment, and not in a separate email and several days later. Please understand that paid items go directly to warehouse, so you need to specify when you pay. If sent in a separate email, we cannot guarantee that the warehouse will receive it on time as warehouse staff do not have access to admin email. After the order has been added to a shipping batch, there is nothing we can do to change it.

When will I receive my items?
We're sure you're really excited to get the new ministry products. Please note when checking out on eBay that we have two different shipping methods. The First Class shipping costs a little more and takes 2-3 weeks to arrive. The cheaper method (second class shipping) is shipped via second class mail which takes 4-6 weeks (as noted in each listing).

Am I required to pay for the insurance on the eBay item?
We strongly recommend paying a little bit extra for the insurance. If an insured order is lost or damaged in shipment, it will be reshipped with no hassles whatsoever. However we cannot be held responsible for uninsured items lost in the post. Although it is rare, many people choose not to buy insurance when ordering from us and we respect their wishes. As you know with declining insurance, whether it's home renter's insurance, life insurance, health insurance, or postal insurance it's a gamble one is willing to take to save a little bit of money. However, please understand that there is nothing we can do if the insurance was not paid. (Note: Items purchased from ministryideaz.com include the insurance automatically in the price.)

What are your accepted payment methods when buying on eBay?
If you have any trouble whatsoever in the checkout process, we do have various alternative payment options:
    1) pay via eBay checkout system via PayPal (This is the default payment method. See below for instructions to get around using PayPal.
    2) make your payment by phone 1-877-446-0784 ext 0 (Visa or Mastercard) or you may e-mail us your phone number and we will phone you
    3) fax us your Credit Card details: 1-250-483-1580 (CC# and exp. date; NOT security code)
    4) Contact us with your Credit Card details (CC# and exp. date; NOT security code)
    5) mail us a Western Union or MoneyGram or a check drawn on a USD account:
            Ministry Ideaz
            Box 483
            Cochrane AB T4C 1A7
            CANADA
If paying in non-US currency, please contact us for instructions first.

eBay is forcing me to pay with PayPal, but I don't want to. What do I do?
Note: eBay's default payment method is with PayPal. They really try to convince you to use PayPal, since they're making even more money if you pay through PayPal. When you check out, it is a bit of a process to avoid paying with PayPal, but it is possible:
a) On the checkout screen, below the "Pay with PayPal" button, click the radio button where is says: Other accepted payment methods. This will open three more options:
   1. Money order / Cashiers check
   2. Personal check
   3. Other credit card services
b) Select one and click on continue
c) For the second time, eBay tries to get you go do it with PayPal instead, but don't click the "Pay With PayPal" button, but rather the link underlined in blue "Pay with Other...." (This second link is way less visible, but it's there.)
d) Finally enter in your comments to seller regarding your color/size preferences
e) Ensure the "ship to" address is correct, and click on "Send Information to Seller"
f) Finally click the blue underlined link where it says: "Go to printable summary" Print this page to include with your payment
g) Optional: Click the "Mark As Payment Sent" when you actually mail the check. This tells us on our end when to expect it

Can I use a Ministry Ideaz coupon on the eBay store?
Unfortunately you cannot. There are two reasons: (1) Due to the high costs for us in listing on eBay and (2) Due to the fact that most of the auction items already sell for quite a lot below retail price.

What is your return policy on eBay items?
We guarantee that you will love your new ministry products. Unlike some companies our products are handsewn with precision, using the highest quality materials. If in the unlikely event that you are not satisfied with your order, we will refund you for the products, and if the return is a result of our error, we will also refund the shipping and even pay for you to return the item(s) to us! Note: Some restrictions may apply on irregular items and "as is" items sold at a discount. See individual listings for clarification.

What if I won an auction, but then decided I no longer want the item?
When you buy or bid on eBay, you enter into a contract. eBay displays the following note on the confirmation screen: "Your bid is a contract - When you submit your bid, you will enter into a legally binding contract to purchase the item from the seller. You should contact the seller to resolve any questions before bidding." As the eBay rules state: "Your bid is a contract." If you do not go through with a purchase, we need to file a Final Value Fee credit request to eBay administration to get some of the fees incurred refunded by eBay. As a business, we pay hundreds of dollars per month to eBay for listing fees and Final Value Fees. We are charged these fees whether a buyer ends up paying for the merchandise or not. The only way for us to get a credit from eBay and to be able to relist an unsold item is by going through their process. Even at that, we can only get credit for the Final Value Fee and not for the cost of relisting.

Nonpayment of a purchased item will also result in negative feedback on your eBay profile, and disciplinary action from eBay authorities.

Why did I receive a non-paying buyer alert?
We expect to hear from you within a few days of purchasing or winning an eBay auctions. If we never heard back from our friendly reminders, and you haven't done the eBay CHECKOUT, the system (called eBay Selling Manager Pro) sends a notice called a "non-paying buyer alert." This can be viewed as a more formal payment reminder, but in no way reflects negatively on your eBay member reputation. It is merely a reminder. Had we received notice advising that check had been sent, or that you would be paying a little later, this would have been noted in the system and no further reminders would have been sent.

Why did I receive a UPI (unpaid item) strike and negative feedback?
We understand that mistakes happen from time to time, and that sometimes we change our minds about purchases. Perhaps your emails got lost in cyberspace but if we never heard from you and never received payment, you will have received an "unpaid item strike" from eBay. We always make several attempts to contact buyers via email reminders, via the eBay non-paying buyer alert system, and even telephoning the buyer. If we never heard back from you, these indications prompted us to go through the Final Value Fee credit process and recoup some of our losses. We hope you understand that in filing a Final Value Fee credit request, we meant no ill will towards you. As a business, we pay hundreds of dollars per month to eBay for listing fees and Final Value Fees. We are charged these fees whether a buyer ends up paying for the merchandise or not. The only way for us to get a credit from eBay and to be able to relist an unsold item is by going through their process. Even at that, we can only get credit for the Final Value Fee and not for the cost of relisting. For the next time, please note the eBay message on the check-out screen:
"Your bid is a contract - When you submit your bid, you will enter into a legally binding contract to purchase the item from the seller. You should contact the seller to resolve any questions before bidding."

Can you remove the UPI (unpaid item) strike for an unpaid eBay order?
We can request eBay remove an unpaid item strike if the following criteria are met:
(1) Not more than 90 days has past since the purchase date.
(2) We eventually received payment for the item(s) purchased.

About Ministry Ideaz

Are you Jehovah's Witnesses?
Yes we are. We also employ several other Witnesses who help in office and warehouse administration. Obviously there are many contractors (artisans, advertising agents, postal and courier services, supplies vendors, Internet service and other basic service providers) that are not, as far as we know, Witnesses.

How are you affiliated with the Watchtower?
There is a vast distinction between our faith and our business, which is a commercial enterprise and is not affiliated with the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in any way.
Therefore, we do not sell Bibles or Bible literature. We make custom leather products, specializing in protective covers for Bibles and Bible literature, including the New World Translation, among many other versions and translations. Ministry Ideaz is a commercial enterprise and is not affiliated with any of the Bible societies that distribute the Bibles mentioned on our site. These societies are not-for-profit organizations.

Do you give a percentage of your sales to charity?
The owners of the company indeed support their favorite charitable organization. However that is a private matter.

I was clicking on all sort of links, and eventually I came across an objectionable website!
Please note that the links you refer to would not have appeared anywhere on our website, which is www.ministryideaz.com. Some Witness sites we have come across are indeed supported by advertising. This is not the case with Ministry Ideaz. Advertisers can put whatever they like (which may included offensive links right on the home page). However, as Ministry Ideaz pays a considerable amount for the hosting of our site, the friends have the benefit of no pop-ups, and no advertising for other worldly sites. It may be that you have clicked links on our site, which took you to other sites, and from there found even more links to go to even other sites. Etc., etc. And eventually you no doubt found the link you refer to. To put this in perspective, we would like to illustrate: As you know, even the Watchtower Society's site www.jw-media.org has links to worldly news sites (for example, about the different legal situations and court battles going on in various countries). They (as we) have disclaimers that once you leave the Watchtower's site, you are continuing to the World Wide Web, over which the originating site has no control. Once leaving to see the news articles, you could theoretically continue clicking on more links, and eventually come across all sorts of other news articles that may even be offensive to you. Yet just because the Society linked to a particular news article, doesn't mean they are responsible for all the news articles offered by that 3rd-party site. The Internet is all connected together out there, which is why the term "world wide web" is so appropriate. If an individual feels that this makes the Internet too dangerous for him, it is up to him to decide what to do with it.

Are you able to give out the personal phone numbers of people who can verify you?
We can understand that you might be apprehensive of purchasing from a company that is new to you. We would love to do business with you, and we hope that the comments and reviews from other customers that have posted to our site give us added "merit" and "trust" from your viewpoint. Furthermore, if you pay with a credit card, you have added assurance since your credit card company has consumer-protection policies in place to protect you from scams. Also, our company had to undergo a lengthy and rigorous application process just to be approved to accept such credit cards.

Although its rare, from time to time we get requests from potential customers for personal information of other members in our community. Please understand that federal protection of privacy laws prohibit us from giving out the names and private phone numbers of anyone not related to the business. Our faith is a private matter, and not a business activity. Our worship and our business are two separate entities and we will not mix these. We have a strict policy to keep everything on a professional business level. If you bought something from a non-Witness store such as WalMart, you probably wouldn't be able to phone up the owner to get the name of his minister to find out if he's in good standing in the community. If you have any reservations about buying from a company whose owners you have not met, we can understand. At the same time we invite you to read what our customers have said in the past. Each product has a link where you can read the reviews entered there. Also, we invite you to read the feedback on our sister store at eBay. This link is on our eBay store, which cannot be edited by us.