Buying
The easiest way to buy a book is to use the "Buy Now" PayPal button on the book information page. There are buttons pre-loaded with appropriate S&H charges for different delivery addresses.
- Delivery to US address.
- Delivery to Canadian and Mexican addresses.
- Delivery to the rest of the world.
Click on the appropriate button and you'll be see the PayPal transaction page with the book cost along with shipping and handling.
You don't need a PayPal account though you can use one if you have it. PayPal accepts a variety of credit cards and will even allow you to send an eCheck.
When you use PayPal, I never see your credit card or account numbers. I only see a unique transaction ID.
If you prefer, you can send a check or money order through snail mail. There are links to order forms on the book information pages. Payment must be made in US dollars payable through a US bank.
Duty, VAT, customs fees, etc. are the responsibility of the buyer.
Shipping, Shipping Rates, and Delivery Times
Books are shipped via Priority Mail or Priority Mail International.
Shipping rates are determined by the US Postal Service. I charge the same amount they would charge you if you walked up to the counter. I use the "Large, Flat rate envelope" service. This is the least expensive method that offers reasonable delivery.
Only a single book will fit into a "Large, Flat Rate" envelope. The next larger package costs more than twice so there is no savings in shipping two books in a single package. The least expensive way to ship two books is to ship them individually.
The post office estimates Priority Mail delivery times at two to three business days for US addresses and six to ten business days for international shipments. These seem to be good estimates, but they are just estimates.
On rare occassions it takes longer. It may be a problem in the mail depot near here. It may be that the customs official is grumpy. It's possible the person delivering the book to your house became suspicious of the package and sent it back. After all, what's more suspicious than a package from a US company called "Mike's Flight Deck Books"?
If the book doesn't show up when you think it should, email me. We'll work it out.
Returns and Refunds
If you are a standard retail customer (i.e. not a special order customer), and you bought a book from me, I will refund the purchase price in US dollars upon return of the book. You don't need to give a reason, and there is no time limit. If it takes you a year to decide you don't like the book, I will still process the refund.
The refund covers only the purchase price, and does not cover shipping, handling, tariffs, custom fees, VAT, etc. or currency exchange rate variations.
If you have negotiated a special order (for example, a large, discounted bulk order) the terms for returns and refunds are part of the specific order contract. Terms will likely be different than those above and will depend upon the nature of the special order. For example, if you have ordered 500 copies of a book with your company logo splashed across the cover, your options for receiving a refund will be rather more limited.