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RSS FeedFrequently Asked Questions About Ordering Online
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Need an answer to a question about our ordering policies or ordering one of our publications online? Either read through our frequently asked questions or contact our customer service department:
Customer Service at your fingertips. Phone: Customer service representatives are available Monday through Friday 9:00am – 5:30pm EST to take your order and answer questions. In the U.S., call us toll-free at 1-877-539-9946. Fax: Send a fax 24 hours a day to the attention of Customer Service at 1-301-567-9553. E-mail: Send your queries to us at wwpub@worldwatch.org. All questions are addressed within 24 hours of receipt. Please note that for your security, we actively discourage placing an order with us via e-mail—shop online instead through our secure server. |
Ordering online at Worldwatch made easy.
Questions about our Ordering Policies? See our frequently asked questions on: |
Q. Is ordering online secure?
A. Yes. We take the utmost care with the information that you provide us when placing an order on our website (or through any other means as well).
The server that hosts our bookstore encrypts the transmission of all credit card and personal customer information using the Internet-standard SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) protocol.
During the encryption process, information is scrambled into small bits of code that cannot be read as they travel to us over the internet. Once we receive the encrypted information, we use a private, one-of-a-kind key to decode it.
All of the information you provide during the ordering process is restricted to our staff, and we make sure to keep all of our employees up-to-date on our security and privacy policies.
If you have any further questions about the security of ordering online from the Worldwatch Institute, please feel free to e-mail our webmaster at webmaster@worldwatch.org.
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Q. How do I place my order?
A. Once you have finished adding items to your shopping basket and are ready to complete your transaction, move your cursor to the upper right corner of the screen and click on the “Checkout” button. Upon clicking this button, you will be transferred to our secure server and will be asked to either create a new account or place an order without an account.
If you expect to purchase additional materials from Worldwatch or to download one of more of our free PDFs in the future, you may want to consider setting up an account. If you choose to do so, our site will maintain your billing and shipping information as well as your payment data on file so you do not have to fill out this information each time you visit our secure server.
Once you have decided how to proceed, you will be prompted for your name and address as well as for the name and address of the intended recipient of your shipment.
After providing this information, you will be asked to select a shipping method and payment method. From there, you will be taken to a form listing your final total and requesting your credit card information. Once you have provided that data, you will receive an order confirmation on screen, and another confirmation via e-mail.
Should you encounter any difficulties during the checkout process, please feel free to contact our customer service staff via one of the options listed at the top of this page.
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Q. How do I gain access to your free PDFs?
A. Once you have selected the PDF you are interested in downloading from our site, you will be taken to a screen where you will need to enter your e-mail address to validate that you are registered with the Worldwatch Institute website. If you are already registered, the download will begin. If you are not registered you will be given a link to the Worldwatch registration page. Once you have completed the registration form, you will have access to the complete library of free Worldwatch Institute publications in PDF format.
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Q. Can I copy and freely distribute PDFs that I download from your website?
A. PDFs that are downloaded from our site are intended for individual use only. Customers interested in distributing our materials to students or other organizations or reprinting them in local newspapers or other media are encouraged to review our copyright policy and to complete our reprint request form.
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Q. How do I view what’s in my shopping basket?
A. To view the contents of your basket, click on the “Basket Contents” icon in the upper left corner of the menu bar. Once you click on this icon, you can easily change the number of copies you want to purchase of a particular item in your basket by updating the quantity listed and then clicking the “Update” button. You can also delete a particular publication in your basket by clicking the “Remove” button.
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Q. How do I add items to my basket?
A. To add an item, click on the type of publication you are interested in from the "Publications" menu bar on the left hand side of your screen and then select the desired edition of that product. If you wish to add a particular item to add to your basket, click the “Buy Now” button and type the quantity you want in the box in the lower right corner. After you have entered a quantity, click on the “Add to Basket” button right below the box listing the quantity desired.
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Q. How do I remove items from my basket?
A. First, click on the “Basket Contents” button in the upper left corner of your computer screen. This will allow you to view all items currently in your basket. Once you have identified the item that you would like to delete from your basket, click on the “Remove” button to the left of the publication description.
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Q. How do I change the quantity I want of a particular publication in my basket?
A. First, click on the “Basket Contents” button in the upper left corner of your computer screen. This will allow you to view all items currently in your basket as well as the quantities that you have chosen for each item. To change the quantity of a specific item in your basket, move your cursor to this item and then type in the quantity desired in the box that appears under the “Quantity” header for this item. After typing in the new quantity, click the “Update” button. Once you do this, the quantity and associated dollar amount (if applicable) will automatically change and reflect the correct amounts for both the quantity and the cost.
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Q. How can I sign into my account on the bookstore and/or edit the information in my account?
A. Once you have hit the “Buy Now” or “Download Now” button associated with a publication, you will have the opportunity to access your personal account by clicking on the “Account” button in the upper right corner of the screen. Upon clicking the “Account” button, you will be prompted to enter your e-mail address and password. After this data has been verified, your account data will appear and you can either edit existing information or proceed with the checkout process.
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Q. How will I know that you have received my order?
A. After you complete the checkout process, a receipt will appear on your screen detailing your final order total, your billing address, and the publications that are being sent to your shipping address. Please print this receipt for your reference.
You will also receive confirmation via e-mail that we have received your order. (Please be sure to enter your e-mail address correctly on the order form so that we can be sure to deliver your confirmation to you.)
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Q. What do I do if I’m moving and need to change my address or suspend delivery of my subscription?
A. Please write, e-mail, or phone our Customer Service Department with your changes 5-10 weeks before you move. In your correspondence, please include your old address, new address, as well as any special instructions you might have regarding suspending delivery of your subscription. To contact us, please see our e-mail, phone, and fax information at the top of this page.
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Q. What do I do if I’m receiving duplicate copies of publications or invoices?
A. From time to time, we find duplicate customer accounts on our system and this occasionally leads to double copies of publications and/or invoices being mailed out. If you are receiving duplicates from us and should not be, please contact our Customer Service department so they can make the necessary changes. If possible, please have copies of the mailing labels for each of the items that you have received from us as this will assist the Customer Service department in quickly resolving the situation. To contact us, please see our e-mail, phone, and fax information at the top of this page.
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Q. What are your payment options?
A. We accept four types of major credit cards (Mastercard, Visa, American Express, and Discover), checks, wire transfers (for international customers only), as well as Purchase Orders (P.O.) from incorporated organizations.
All checks submitted for payment should be made payable to the Worldwatch Institute. Note that checks must be written in US Dollars and must be drawn from a US bank. Any international checks received that are drawn from an international bank will unfortunately be returned to you. Also, when placing an order with a check, please be sure to add the appropriate shipping and handling costs. And, if you live in Washington, DC, you’ll need to add 5.75% sales tax to your total as well.
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Q. What is your returns policy?
A. We want you to be completely satisfied with your order. If for some reason, you are not, and you wish to return your purchase, you’ll need to call our Customer Service Department for an approval number.
Once you have obtained your approval number, please follow these three easy instructions to return your purchase:
- Make sure the item is in resalable condition. We cannot refund or credit returned books or CD-ROMs that are marked or otherwise damaged.
- Enclose a copy of your invoice. Please include a copy of the original invoice (or the invoice number and invoice date) with the returned book or CD-ROM so that we can issue the proper credit or refund.
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Ship the package to our returns department. To guarantee delivery, please insure your package or ship it by UPS. Returns must be sent postpaid to:
Ordering Publications and Customer Service Center:
Phone: 1-877-539-9946
Fax: 1-301-567-9553
Email: wwpub [AT] worldwatch [DOT] org
Mail:
Worldwatch Institute
106 Paul Mellon Court, Unit 2
Waldorf MD, 20602
We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you!
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Defective Books or CD-ROMs
Defective books or CD-ROMs may be returned for replacement or full credit. They must be reported and returned within 30 days (15 days for CD-ROMs) of the invoice date. To report a defective book or CD-ROM to our Customer Service Department, call 1-877-539-9946, fax 1-301-567-9553 or e-mail wwpub@worldwatch.org.
Returns from Booksellers
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Booksellers must request permission to return books. Note that permission will not be granted for returns of five or less products. Requests must be made in writing and faxed to 1-877-539-9946 or sent to:
Ordering Publications and Customer Service Center:
Phone: 1-877-539-9946
Fax: 1-301-567-9553
Email: wwpub [AT] worldwatch [DOT] org
Mail:
Worldwatch Institute
106 Paul Mellon Court, Unit 2
Waldorf MD, 20602
We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you! - Returns for full credit must be requested within 6 months of the original invoice date. Any returns received after 6 months of the original invoice date will be refused. Defective books must be reported and/or returned within 30 days of invoice date.
- All books returned for credit must be sent postpaid to our warehouse (see the returns address listed above). A packing list, copy of the original invoice, and written authorization must be enclosed. Full credit will not be issued for books returned in damaged or used condition, or for books with price markings. Damaged books are recycled by our warehouse and are not available for pick-up.
- Booksellers and distributors may not return CD-ROMs.
If you have any questions about our returns policies, please e-mail our Customer Service Department at wwpub@worldwatch.org.
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Q. How long after placing my order should I expect to receive my shipment?
A. All orders are shipped from our warehouse within 48 hours of the order being placed. Purchases shipped anywhere in the continental United States will arrive within 7-10 business days of the order date. Orders being shipped outside of the United States generally arrive within 3-4 weeks of the order date.
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Q. What are your shipping and handling rates?
A. Shipping and handling rates vary depending on the destination of the order and are based on the total cost of the order.
| Order Level | US | Canada | All Other Countries |
| up to $20.00 | $4.00 | $8.00 | $9.00 |
| $20.01 - $30.00 | $4.00 | $11.50 | $13.00 |
| $30.01 - $40.00 | $5.00 | $15.00 | $17.00 |
| $40.01 - $60.00 | $6.50 | $22.00 | $25.00 |
| $60.01 - $80.00 | $8.00 | $29.00 | $33.00 |
| $80.01 - $100.00 | $9.00 | $36.00 | $41.00 |
| $100.01 - $200.00 | $16.00 | $72.00 | $82.00 |
| $200.01 - $300.00 | $22.00 | $107.00 | $122.00 |
Note that subscription products and CD-ROM prices include shipping and handling.
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Q. How can I obtain an examination copy for educational purposes?
A. If you are a college or university instructor, and you teach a course for which adoption of any Worldwatch Institute title is a realistic possibility, we will gladly send you a complimentary examination copy.
To request an examination copy, fill out the request a review copy form on our website or contact Patricia Shyne by e-mail at pshyne@worldwatch.org, by phone at 202-452-1999, by fax at 202-296-7365, or by mail at 1776 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC, 20036, USA.
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Q. How do I order copies of your publications in other languages?
A. Worldwatch works with a network of more than 100 partners in over 40 countries who translate and publish international editions of our work. Currently Worldwatch does not maintain any inventory of these international editions. So we are not able to take orders for these publications.
Each of our partners is more than willing to assist you with your order though. To determine which publications are available in other languages, please visit the Global Partners section of our website. Once on the Global Partners page, click on the language that you are interested in, and then review the various organizations listed under that language. Each partner listing includes the organization’s contact data, as well as publications they have translated and published. After locating the publication in the language you are interested in, contact the appropriate organization and place your order.
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