Policies
Privacy | Prices
| Payments | Shipping
| Security
Privacy
At any good online store, your privacy must be carefully
protected. That thinking guides us at Albalagh Bookstore. We use the information we
collect about you to process orders. We do not sell, trade, or rent it or provide it to
others for any commercial purposes, period.
Newsletter
If you subscribe to the newsletter by entering your email
address, you also get Albalagh newsletters as they are issued. The newsletters contain
information about updates to the Albalagh E Journal. They may also contain other editorial
and product information. Again, we do not sell, trade, or rent email addresses.
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Prices
We do not agree with the use of the magic numbers (like 99 or
95) when determining prices. Frankly, we think they are meant to make the price look more
attractive ($2.95 looks like $2 but isn’t it really close to $3.00?). Although the
practice has, unfortunately, become commonplace, and many indulge in it without thinking,
it is at heart a deception that Muslim businesses should avoid. Our prices reflect this
thinking.
Our shipping charges are based on actual shipping weights. It is
possible that you add a book to your order without increasing the shipping cost because
the total weight remains in the same billing slot.
In all cases wait till the checkout to get your total bill.
Except for special orders or special shipping, you can determine the total costs online.
Sales Tax
For most of our customers, sales tax does not apply. It is
charged only on orders sent within the state of California. California laws require that
we charge a sales tax on the full amount of the order, including charges for gift-wrap and
shipping and handling.
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Payments
Credit Card
We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. While the amount is billed in US dollars, your bank will charge you your own currency at the exchange rate applicable at the time they post the charges to your account.
You can safely enter your entire credit card number via our
secure server, which encrypts all submitted information.
Check, Money Order, Bank Draft
We do accept checks, money orders, and bank drafts, denominated
in U.S. dollars as payment for all orders. The checks must be drawn on a US bank.
Customers in Pakistan can pay in Rupees as well by choosing "Money Order/Bank Draft in Pakistan Rupees" payment method at checkout. You will be informed about the Rs amount via email after placing the order.
Money orders and bank drafts must be mailed to us. Our mailing
address is provided to you when you submit your order.
There are three convenient ways of paying by check.
1. You can enter the check information online using our secure
server. We need all the numbers on your check. Easy to understand illustrations on the
payment page will show you which numbers go where on the online form. Take extra
precaution to make sure you enter them correctly; incorrect numbers may incur a returned
item charge by the banks.
2. You can fax the check to us. Fax to: (714) 539-5312.
3. You can mail the check to us at the address provided to you
when you submit your order.
Using these methods does slow down your order somewhat, as we
ship your items after your funds clear. However online check or check by fax are the
fastest of these methods since there is no delay in mailing.
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Shipping
We are located in California with an additional shipping
facility in Karachi. From these two locations we are prepared to ship to most countries in
the world. For each shipment we choose the optimum method to save time and money. The
method is displayed on your order form and is based on destination and size of the
order. We currently use Fedex Ground, the United States Postal
Service (USPS) Letter Mail, USPS Priority Mail, USPS Global Priority, USPS Air Mail, USPS
Surface Mail, Pakistan Post Registered Letter Mail, Pakistan Post Registered Airmail
Parcel, and Pakistan Post Surface Mail. Other methods can be employed at additional
charge. Notify us via email if you need special handling.
Note on address problems: You are responsible for providing your correct shipping address. Errors, sometimes even minor ones, can lead to delays or returns of the package and sometimes the carriers may charge additional amounts for address correction. If that happens, then the customer will be responsible for the additional charges.
Returns
Within 15 days of receipt of your order, you may return any book
in its original condition for a full refund (less shipping and handling). You are
responsible for paying shipping charges to return the book to us. We regret that returns
cannot be offered on items shipped from Pakistan or on special orders.
Please email us before returning an item. For your protection,
we recommend that you use UPS or Insured Parcel Post for shipment. No refunds can be
issued for items not received by Albalagh Bookstore. Please make sure that the items are
returned securely and in good condition.
If you do not have your packing slip, please indicate the order
number on a separate piece of paper and send the package to the address provided to you
for this purpose. You will be notified via e-mail of your refund once we have
received and processed the returned item.
Customs Information
You may be subject to import duties and taxes, which are levied
once the package reaches your country. Additional charges for customs clearance must be
borne by you; we have no control over these charges and cannot estimate them. Customs
policies vary widely from country to country; you should contact your local customs office
for further information. Additionally, when ordering from Albalagh Bookstore, you are
considered the importer of record and must comply with all laws and regulations of the
country in which you are receiving the goods.
Customs forms for all international packages list the value of
your order's contents by product type. Thus there will be a single entry on your customs
form like the following:
Books value: US$25.00
If the order is a gift, the package is marked "Gift,"
but the cost of the items is still stated on the customs form.
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Security
Secure Server
You have the option of entering payment information online. (You
can also mail, email, and fax it.) When you click on the Checkout button, we take you to
our secure server. The Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encrypts all information you input before
it is sent to us. This way others cannot access it. Your browser will show that you are
entering a secure server by displaying a lock in the status bar at the bottom of the page.
You will also see that the URL now begins with https instead of http. The ‘s’
stands for secure.
Our Secure Server uses digital certificates issued by VeriSign
(www.verisign.com ). All your personal data is
transmitted to us via a secure connection. This information is protected against unauthorized access. It is removed from the server and placed on a computer that outsiders can’t access.
Many web browsers support the use of an SSL connection, but if
your browser does not support it or if you prefer not to use our checkout, then you can
send us an email or fax containing the items you want to order along with your address and
payment information.
Cookies
We don’t know who cooked up the term and why, but in
reality "Cookies" are small pieces of information that are stored by your
browser on your computer's hard drive. Our cookies do not contain any personal data like
names and addresses, only an ID number issued by us that enables us to store items in your
shopping cart between visits. Most Web browsers automatically accept cookies, although you
can usually change your browser to prevent that. We suggest that you keep the cookies
enabled for easier shopping.
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What do you Think?
Albalagh Bookstore welcomes your questions and comments. Please
send e-mail to store@albalagh.net.
Policies/Security
