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Security
Payment
Shipping
Products
Returns and Shipment irregularities
Web Site-Related
eBay-Related
About Ministry Ideaz
Security
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.
Back to Top
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)
<<Preferred>>
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 (1-877-446-0784) or email Visa or
MasterCard# or call us toll-free 1-877-446-0784 ext 5 (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 75 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 http://www.interac.ca/consumers/productsandservices_ol_eTransfer.php
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. PLEASE REMEMBER: Do not solicit orders at the
Kingdom Hall or at any other congregation gathering.
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 an International Money Order in US Dollars 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: 173.248.136.102 and
173.248.134.31). 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. 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 Gmail, 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 in Ministry Ideaz. Ministry Ideaz does not
use an open relay and has extremely
strict anti-spam policies in place. Because you block emails from
Ministry Ideaz, I am unable to receive these communications.
I ask that you add Ministry Ideaz to your white list. For further
information about Ministry Ideaz you may contact them at
1.877.446.0784.
Technical Notes for your Network Department
IP Addresses to put on white list:
- 173.248.136.102
- 173.248.134.31
- To be notified of changes send email to postmaster @ ministryideaz.com
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."
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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.
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have free shipping on smaller orders: |
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*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.
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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.
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?
We send with "Unidad Postal del Ecuador" (Ecuadorian Postal
Service) (http://www.correosdelecuador.com.ec/pages/interna_rastree.php/). 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. Many of our
orders are sent certified post. 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 your order was shipped certified, 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.royalmail.com/track-trace
Canada: http://www.canadapost.ca/Personal/Tools/Track/ItemSingle.aspx
Argentina: http://www.correoargentino.com.ar/consulta_envios/ttintnac.php
Australia: http://www.auspost.com.au/internationalpost/products/epi/index.asp
Brazil: http://www.correios.com.br/servicos/rastreamento/internacional/default.cfm?Idioma=E
Chile: http://www3.correos.cl/consultas_envios/
Spain: http://www.correos.es/dinamic/plantillas/home1.asp
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.
Back to Top
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 are
handcrafted 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 $35.99
(imitation leather) 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?
At the moment we
offer a 40% discount for full time servants in special full-time
service, and
who have taken a vow of poverty and receive an allowance from the
Society. The products ordered must be used specifically by those
serving in this capacity. These
include special pioneers, bethelites, missionaries and assembly hall
overseers. Unfortunately, we don't have discounts for regular pioneers.
In order to take
advantage of this discount orders must be made either my email or by
phone. Our order desk # is 1-877-446-0784
ext
707. Our office is open Monday - Friday
from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Mountain Time.
IMPORTANT: There are a some conditions for those who wish to take advantage of this offer:
1: Order limit of $200 per person (before discount).
2: Free shipping on orders over $200 does not apply. We will give you a
quote of the actual shipping cost based on the weight of the order.
3: Bethelites wishing to take advantage of this offer may get together
for a group order. However, we need a list of the names of the
individuals benefiting from the offer, and which product(s) each is
receiving.
4: The products ordered must be for the personal use of the one
benefiting from it. (For example, a special pioneer may not take
advantage of this offer to purchase a gift for someone else.)
5: The offer does NOT apply to someone that is not a special full-time
servant, purchasing a gift for a special full-time servant.
If you a regular pioneer, 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?
We
are now offering a Monogramming service on our leather products.
We can put the name and baptism date. Default will be
bottom right hand corner of the product. The cost is $12.00
extra. Lettering will be gilt (gold-colored) Options are
script font or serif font (like Times New Roman) for the name.
The date can only be in the Serif font (like Times New Roman).
The name and date will be
in upper and lower case. At present these orders must be either
phoned in to 1-877-446-0784 ext 707 or emailed to us contact us
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 $2.99 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 and the
House2House game in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese. However,
all of
our custom-made book and Bible covers are available without 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-4,
CASE-MEN-5, & 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).
Back to Top
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. 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. 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#.
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: Because all of our orders are certified you will
have to sign for it. 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.
What happens if I forgot to go
to the post office to sign for my order?
All orders, 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.
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
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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 707 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 ext 707(Visa or Mastercard) or you may e-mail us your
phone number and we will phone you. Our office is open Monday -
Friday from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Mountain Time.
3) fax us your order 1-877-446-0784
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 $0.75 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 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.
Back to Top
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 email from eBay.
(3) Getting Outbid
- If another bidder places a bid that is higher than
yours you will receive an email 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.
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. We
ship via First Class Certified Air Mail which generally takes 2-3 weeks
to arrive. Please note during the seasonal mail rush (November to
January), orders can sometimes take up to 6 weeks to arrive.
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 5
(Visa or Mastercard) or you may e-mail us your phone number and we will
phone you
3) fax us your Credit Card details:
1-877-446-0784 (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 International Money Order in US Dollars
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 loveyour
new ministry products. Unlike some companies our products are 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, 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.
Back to Top
About Ministry Ideaz
Are you Jehovah's Witnesses?
Yes. We are active Jehovah's Witnesses in good standing. We also employ
several other Witnesses (mostly regular pioneers) 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?
When we are at work, we do not start with morning worship, nor do we
pray at business meetings. And at the end of a working day, we do not
carry on with our business activities in our spiritual lives, such as at the Christian meetings and in the Christian
ministry. Work is one thing; worship is another.
This is an important distinction between our faith and our business.
Our business
is a commercial enterprise and is not legally affiliated with
the
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society. Furthermore, we do not sell Bibles
or Bible literature. We
simply make custom
leather products, specializing in briefcases and protective covers for
Bibles and
Bible literature, including the New World Translation, among
other translations. In summary, Ministry Ideaz is a commercial
enterprise and is not legally affiliated with any of the Bible
societies that distribute the Bibles mentioned on our site. These
societies are not-for-profit organizations.
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, such as elders in our congregations. 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. For
example, when we are at work, we do not start with morning worship, nor
do we
pray at business meetings. And at the end of a working day, we do not
carry on with our business activities in our personal and spiritual
lives, such as at the Christian meetings and in the Christian
ministry. Work is one thing; worship is another.
This is an important distinction between our faith and our business. 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 these other websites that review online stores. These are
not edited by us:
Isn't it wrong to use spiritual contacts
for business purposes?
We
offer many products for Witnesses, but have non-Witness customers
too (especially for our custom leather book/Bible cover orders and
briefcases). Granted, the bulk of our customers are
indeed
Jehovah's Witnesses. We even regularly get orders form bethelites,
Circuit Overseers and District Overseers; as an example, see the
photograph on page 2 of the August 2010 Awake!.
Regarding the question about using spiritual contacts for business purposes, we have a very strict policy to not EVER
actively market to the brothers anywhere. We do not EVER sell anything
at the Kingdom Halls. People ONLY find out about us because THEY have
actively
searched for our products online. Likely that is how you, dear reader,
also found us. Our FAQ page and our printed catalog also advise our
customers against soliciting orders at the Kingdom Hall and other
congregation gatherings. The local branch of Jehovah's Witnesses is
indeed aware
of our business and has not made any objections to it.
Interestingly, although Ministry Ideaz is relatively new, our
business
is certainly not unprecedented. The following companies also specialize
in products for Jehovah's Witnesses. Some have been in business for
several decades:
-
Stoops Manufacturing: http://www.stoopsmfg.com/
-
Vandenburg: http://www.bookbind.net/
-
Artistic Designs: http://pdh.ca/
-
C&H Bookbinding: http://www.chbook.com/
-
Krispens: https://shop.krispens.de/
-
McKenna Book Covers: http://www.mckennabookcovers.com/
-
Madzay: http://www.madzay.com/
Do you give a percentage of
your sales to charity?
The owners of the company and their various employees indeed support
their favorite charitable
organization. However that is a private matter.
I saw a comment on the Internet that says you are apostates. Is
this true?
Emphatically,
no! From time to time a certain disgruntled customer, or someone who
just has "a bone to pick" with our company has spread slanderous emails or posted comments
that we are "apostates." Our policy is to not respond to such accusers
directly, as they themselves might turn out to be apostate. Usually,
the content of such comments is self-evident that the accusations are
fabrications. Perhaps he or she may refer to the reputation of supposed
employees who are people that have nothing to do with our company. Or
they may misquote Watchtower articles. We believe that our own
reputation precedes us. Of Jesus, the opposers said he was "A man
gluttonous and given to drinking wine, a friend of tax collectors and
sinners." Our response to these accusations is the same as Jesus':
"Wisdom is proved righteous by its works." (Matthew 11:19)
If you still perplexed you are welcome to contact us for a more in-depth rebuttal.
As we are a popular company, we are the target of
such attacks from time to time. In order to avoid needless anxiety,
this is exactly why we never give out our personal information, such as
names of the congregations where our various employees serve. We have
learned the hard way that giving out such private data to strangers,
can be detrimental to ours and our families' privacy and safety. There
are people out their who would like to harass us, and we cannot know
the difference between an email from a stranger who is "well-meaning"
and one that is not.
w02 11/15 pp. 14-19: Slander is a false report
intended to damage another person’s reputation. Such talk is malicious
and ungodly. God therefore told the Israelites: “You must not go around
among your people for the sake of slandering.” — Leviticus 19:16.
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