The following information is intended for those who want to buy books from me, presented in a FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) format. You can contact me via e-mail by clicking on this link.
How can I buy books from you?
You choose the item(s) you want and after e-mail between us confirming availability and price, you send me the money. Upon receiving your money, I send you the item. I don't do C.O.D., and I don't send you the item first, and then you send me the money.
Why isn't your address here somewhere so I can send you the money now?
The prices for books do not include shipping charges, which have to be determined in advance for your location based on the weight of the package.
What kinds of payment do you accept?
Payment is accepted in the following U.S. dollar formats:
- Non-postal money order. You can use the money orders that you can buy at drugstores, supermarkets, 7-11, and Wal-Mart. These are from companies like Western Union and Traveler's Express and often have a very cheap service charge. Or you can get a money order at your bank.
- Postal money order.
- Cashier's check. This is a kind of money order which you can get at a bank.
- Cash (well-wrapped). Please send to the nearest dollar amount above, do not send coins. There are certain risks with sending cash ... see below.
- Credit card. You can pay with a credit card through Paypal -- see below.
- Personal check.
Is it safe to send cash in the mail?
A lot of people do this ... but I can't be responsible for cash which is lost in the mail. If you are worried about this happening, use a money order or send it by registered mail. However, sending cash via registered mail may not be a good idea since there may be certain limitations of liability imposed by the Post Office if you do this.
Can I pay with a credit card?
I don't take credit cards directly, but you can use a credit card to pay through Paypal. If you need help on how to do this, please see the help links at the Paypal site.
How do you mail parcels to people?
I only use the Post Office. Parcels are shipped via the US Postal System (USPS) by media mail, first class or priority mail. Parcels to US addresses have delivery confirmation.
Some items shipped to Canada go through Canada Post; others are sent via USPS.
Items sent outside of North America are sent via USPS First Class International or Global Priority Mail, depending on which is a better deal.
How long does it take for what I've purchased to get to me?
When I receive your payment, the item is normally sent out within 2 business days.
Packages sent to the U.S. by media mail normally take 5-7 business days (Monday-Friday). First class mail or priority mail normally takes 3-5 business days. However, due to circumstances beyond my control, it can sometimes take much longer. One worst-case scenario had a parcel going from me to California by air mail ... it took exactly 31 days. (People living in the eastern U.S. who had their packages shipped the same day received them long before this.) Going in the other direction, payment to me from someone in the eastern U.S. took 6 weeks because the computerized machine which puts a postal bar code on the bottom of the letter made a mistake and the letter was sent to Birmingham, Alabama where it sat for a while until someone sent it on to me. Another package which I sent by first class mail to Toronto (which normally takes a few days) took six weeks.
Parcels sent overseas by air mail should reach you in 7-14 days. Surface mail going overseas is very slow ... 2-3 months is typical. Surface mail is only available through Canada Post, by the way, and is not particularly cheap.
I'm worried about receiving my parcel, what can I do?
I can't be responsible for parcels sent to you that get lost in the mail or arrive damaged if they are sent by untraceable or uninsurable methods. Although based on my experience, the chance of something of this nature happening is extremely minimal, this is "based on my experience." If this is a concern, then you may be able to insure the parcel for a small additional charge. For further information, please send e-mail to me for further details.
Updated August 15, 2009