Company Policies
HELP DESK
COMPANY
All Government Agencies (including Libraries, Elementary Schools, High Schools, Colleges, and Universities), Corporations, Inmates, and the General Public. ***VERY IMPORTANT: We are an approved vendor in most states. However, you should check with your individual facility to ensure that we are on the list of vendors you can make purchases from. If not, feel free to send us any documents and information necessary to become an approved vendor at your individual facility.
You can place an order by visiting our website, calling our customer service department, by faxing, or mailing in your order. Important: Return envelopes are generally discarded when the mail is opened. Therefore, if you are sending in an order on plain paper, make sure to list your name, inmate #, and shipping address (the correct address to be used to mail books). Include a S.A.S.E. for a separate receipt. NOTE: If you have an email (can be an email for a family member or loved one) feel free to request that an email is sent with tracking upon shipment of your order.
Books N Things Warehouse, Inc.
Attn: Catalog Request Team
PO Box 7330
Shrewsbury, NJ 07702-7330
When shipping packages to correctional facilities, we strongly suggest ensuring that all information provided is correct, to avoid delivery issues. Please make sure that information is correct. Books N Things will not be held responsible for packages rejected due to misinformation. Below is the recommended format to follow.
Full Name and Inmate Number
Facility Name and Unit (if applicable)
Address (make sure to check with facility if a street address or PO Box is required)
State, City Zip Code
Make sure to check with your individual facility prior to ordering. Each facility has strict guidelines regarding books, calendars, and magazines that contain sexually explicit content, nude or enticing photos, photos of weapons, cartoons/drawings of nudity or weapons, maps, and gang related material. Many facilities also have restrictions on the number of items you can receive at one time, multiple quantities of the same item, product size and type of binding. MAGAZINES: Your facility may simply confiscate a particular magazine issue or they may return it to the publisher as “Refused”. Please make sure to write to the publisher immediately to notify them that you wish for your subscription to continue, as most times they will place your subscription “ON HOLD” if an issue is returned to them.
BOOK ORDERS: Once your order is received, it takes 3 to 7 days for processing. Most orders will ship from our warehouse within that time frame, unless an item in your order is on “Back Order.” Once the order ships, it then takes 2 to 8 business days in transit, as it is being handled by the United States Postal Service (all book orders are shipped via USPS Media Mail).
MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION ORDERS: Before ordering magazines, please make sure to read the policies and important reminders below. By placing a magazine subscription order with us, it is implied that you have read and agree with the policies outlined within our catalog. ***If a friend or family member is placing an order for you on our website, make sure they use the discount coupon code “MONSTERDEAL” so that they receive the discounted magazine subscription prices. The coupon code must be used at time of checkout (prior to completing the order on our website). The coupon code cannot be applied after the order has been placed.
Gift orders are shipped within the United States ONLY. A street addresses must be listed (No PO Boxes). Gift orders will generally be delivered within 7-12 business days (from the date the order is processed) unless you specify a future delivery date. We are not responsible for unclaimed packages, or packages sent to an incorrect address provided to us. Be careful when choosing “Signature Required” for your gift. The recipient will need to be home, and several unsuccessful attempts by the post office will cause your gift to be returned as “Unclaimed/Undeliverable” (Reshipment cost will be required at that time). We highly recommend mailing your gift order to us as far in advance as possible, so that we receive it at least 30 days prior to your desired delivery date. NOTE: The delivery time frame will be affected if an item you requested is out of stock or on back order. *Please list alternates to avoid delays. NOTE: If Rush Shipping is selected, it does not expedite our warehouse processing time of 3 to 7 business days.
We only ship within the United States.
FOOD & FLOWER DELIVERY
Food items can only be scheduled for delivery Monday thru Friday (No Saturday or Sunday deliveries). Flowers can generally be scheduled for delivery any day of the week (may be affected by the recipient’s location). Depending on delivery restrictions, carriers’ holiday rush schedules, and unusual weather conditions, we may need to schedule gift deliveries to arrive at least one to two days prior to your specified date or occasion.
ALL OTHER ITEMS
For Books, Calendars, and Stationary Items, we use the U.S. Postal Service ONLY. We use USPS, UPS and FedEx for Government Agency orders and “Gift” orders. All orders are shipped from our warehouse within 3-7 business days from the date of order placement. *SHIPPING TIME FRAMES are for “IN STOCK” items only (so it is important that you list alternates if your order is being sent by mail). All packages are shipped with “Delivery Confirmation”. Please refer to the shipping cost charts (listed below, and within our order forms). Shipping costs apply to each individual package “Ship To” address. Items will NOT be shipped unless the proper shipping costs have been paid. Once the package leaves our warehouse, it typically takes 2-8 business days to reach its final destination. This delivery time frame may be affected by major holidays or other carrier unforeseen operational delays. BNTW is not responsible for packages once the tracking shows the items have been delivered by the carriers.
ALL SALES ARE FINAL. Books N Things has a no return or exchange policy (No substitutions or cancellations).
RESTOCKING FEE: A 25% Re-Stocking Fee and loss of Shipping & Handling costs will be applied to any items returned as “Refused/Rejected”, “Not an Approved Vendor”, “Invalid/Incomplete/Undeliverable Address”, or “Exceeded Items Allowed/Duplicate Copies”. Returned packages will require repayment of Shipping & Handling fees for re-shipment. Returned items may also result in loss of the entire purchase price, as well as Shipping & Handling costs, if contents are not returned in its original packaging (unopened/undamaged) or if they cannot be re-stocked for resale (this also applies to items such as personalized gifts, flowers & perishable gifts). Any items returned in a condition other than stated, will result in the loss of all costs paid by you. Make sure to check your facility’s policies prior to ordering. Refused/rejected items will NOT be accepted UNLESS items are returned directly from the facility with a formal rejection slip.
FLOWER, PERSONALIZED ITEMS & GIFT BASKETS: Food items and flowers are perishable and CANNOT be re-stocked for re-sale. Failure to provide the required valid phone number and absence of a signature from the recipient will result in the loss of the entire purchase price.
Package tracking information for FedEx, UPS and USPS is only available for 120 days. If you have not received an order, you must notify us within 90 days to allow ample time for us to investigate the package status. Otherwise, we will not be able to assist you or take any further action on your order.
Visa, MasterCard, Amex, Discover, Business Checks, Institution Checks, Personal Checks and Money Orders.
(Personal checks will delay the shipment of your order by up to 7 business days)
*We do NOT accept MoneyGram or other money transfers*
NJ SALES TAX: Please add 6.625% tax to your order, ONLY if you are located in New Jersey or the delivery address is in New Jersey.
FIRST ISSUES: Your first issues will generally arrive within 8-12 weeks (this is the normal publisher processing time). Magazines with 8 or less issues per year may take 12-16 weeks to start. On rare occasions, the first issue may take even longer to arrive if the publisher is experiencing publication delays or is in the process of switching publisher clearing houses. Further delays may occur if you are transferred and a change of address is processed prior to the arrival of your first issue. The publishers do not resend missed issues. Each publisher operates on a different printing and mailing schedule (therefore, some subscriptions will start quicker than others).
WEBSITE ORDERS: Please make sure that you use the discount coupon code “MONSTERDEAL” when processing orders online, in order to receive the discounted magazine subscription prices. This coupon code must be used at time of checkout (prior to completing the order on our website). Failure to do so will result in subscription payment at non-discounted rates. The coupon cannot be applied after the order has been placed.
ALTERNATES: It is extremely important that you list a few alternate titles with every order, since magazine prices and availability change without notice. Unfortunately, we are unable to control when titles increase in price, become temporarily unavailable, or cease publication.
ORDER CONFIRMATION: When we receive and process your order, an order confirmation will be mailed to you.
EXCEPTION: When you order books and magazines on the same order, the confirmation will be attached as a “Packing Slip” to the outside of your book shipment. Packing slips will sometimes include customer service notes in reference to your order. If you are at a facility where they do not give you the copy of the Packing Slip that is affixed to your book shipment, please include a S.A.S.E. or the current first class postage letter rate to your order (with instructions to send you a separate order confirmation, once your order is received and processed).
CHANGE OF ADDRESS (COA): Once you receive your first issues, save the publisher’s address and mailing labels. It is the responsibility of the publisher(s) to handle all COA requests or delivery problems, and for you to notify them directly of any issues relating to your subscription(s). Remember, the publishers are the ones who mail the magazine to you (NOT Books N Things Warehouse). Every COA results in missed issues, because it generally takes the publishers 2 to 3 issues to make the address change effective (since they print the mailing labels for their publications several months in advance). In addition, chances are your old facility will NOT forward the missed issues to you. Please adhere to the following suggestions to minimize the number of issues you will miss as a result of a COA: 1) If you are about to be transferred to a new facility, wait until you arrive at your new location prior to placing a new order. 2) When you receive the first issue of a new subscription, locate the publisher’s name, address, and phone number (which can generally be found near the first few pages of the magazine…usually below or near the Table of Contents). Save this information so that you can notify the publisher(s) directly of any address changes or delivery problems. *If you are transferred/moved prior to receiving your first issues, please contact us immediately so that we can notify the publisher(s) of your new address. The publishers will likely still send 2-3 issues to your old facility brfore the address change becomes effective.
CANCELLATIONS/SUBSTITUTIONS: Once an order has been submitted to the publisher(s), there is no way to substitute a subscription, and the publishers do not issue refunds for cancellations. If a subscription is rejected by your facility or you ordered it in error, we will gladly notify the publisher that you wish for that subscription to be forwarded to a friend or family member. Since COA’s may take 2 to 3 issues to become effective, you may still receive a couple of issues at your facility, even after the COA has been processed. In the event a particular magazine ceases publication after your order has been processed, the publisher will select another publication (at their discretion) to fulfill your subscription term. The first Issue of this publisher selection publication may take additional time to arrive. Issues per year listed on your order receipt may change without notice (this is at the publisher’s discretion).
NEW OR RENEWAL SUBSCRIPTIONS: Make sure to indicate “NEW” or “RENEWAL” on the order form, and be mindful of the titles that are noted throughout our catalog as “New Subscriptions” ONLY. We suggest placing magazine renewal orders at least 4 months prior to the expiration date listed on the current magazine subscription label.
DUPLICATE ISSUES: If you mistakenly order a subscription you are already receiving, it is likely you will start receiving duplicate issues of the same magazine. If this happens, make sure to write to the publisher directly (include mailing labels from each of the duplicate issues) and ask them to combine your subscriptions.
WE DO NOT SELL SINGLE ISSUES OR BACK ISSUES
BOOKS N THINGS GUARANTEE: Books N Things delivers on our promise. We are a direct supplier of new books, and have no affiliations with any online retailers or third party providers.
BOOKS N THINGS ACCOUNT: Our mission at Books N Things Warehouse is to provide our customers with the highest level of respect, and our staff expects the same in return. We reserve the right to close your account as a result of threatening or inappropriate communication which is not in accordance with a cordial and responsible environment.