Frequently Asked Questions
On-line since 1994
- Quality: How do I know if this is the piece I want?
- Security: Is it safe to use my Credit Card?
- Ease of Use: How do I shop at Amberica West?
- Options: Can I order by regular mail?
- Privacy: Do you keep all of my personal information private?
- Speed: How long will it take to receive my order?
- Tax & Shipping: What about sales tax and shipping & handling?
- Returns: What is your return policy?
- Contacting Amberica West: Can I call you?
- I do not trust the web with my credit card, can I call you with my credit card number?
How do I know if this is the piece I want?
Amberica West carries a variety of tools and learning resources. We offer detailed descriptions of each item. You can see the actual piece of amber and a ruler next to it so you can judge the size of the specimen. Many of the specimens are identified to the Order, Family and a few are even identified to the Genus level! This is done by a professional entomologist. This way you can be confident you are getting only what you want. If you have specific questions, ask us! And remember, we offer a complete money back guarantee, so if something turns out not to be just what you want, you may return it, no questions asked.
Is it safe to use my credit card at Amberica West?
Our Card Service uses encryption with the highest levels of secure socket layer technology (SSL), and is guaranteed against fraud (see next paragraph). It encrypts all of your personal information, including credit card number, name, and address, so that it cannot be read as the information travels over the Internet.
The protects you while you shop at Amberica West, so that you never have to worry about your credit card safety.
How do I shop at Amberica West?
From the main shopping area on the right of most pages (or the footer at the bottom), choose a category from the 'categories menus' on the right. This will will take you to the next page. If a product looks interesting to you, click it's image to see what it looks like as a larger picture. If you think you might want to buy this product, click on the "buy now" button.
When you're finished adding products to your shopping basket, and you're ready to buy, click on checkout near the top right of the screen. This will begin your secure checkout process, where you will fill out ship to and bill to addresses, choose your shipping option, see the total cost of your order, and enter your credit card number for real-time credit authorization.
After placing your order you will receive a receipt of your transaction on-screen and through email. Within 24 hours you will receive an acknowledgment of "specimen sent".
Can I order by regular mail?
The easiest way is to utilize our shopping basket system, and go through the 'Checkout' process. But yes, you can order by mail!
- Mail:
For mail order, you can either print that page out or simply
write the information down, and then send it in with your check
or money order Our postal address is:
Amberica West,
15270 Pleasant View Drive,
Colorado Springs,
Colorado 80921
USA
- Everything can be done by e-mail also. There
is a form for this.
Do you keep all of my personal information private?
Yes. We consider the information you choose to share with us confidential.
We will not share, rent or sell any of your personal information.
How long will it take to receive my order?
When you place an order, your credit-card transaction is processed in real-time, and your order is completely processed within one business day. All orders are shipped within three days of when we receive them, more often than not, they go out the morning after you place your order. We must admit that we sometimes go away for a weekend or a few times a year, for a week. So the day we receive them isn't always the same day you order....but it is nearly all of the time. The amount of time it takes for your order to arrive once it has been shipped depends on shipping. We normally send items out "Priority Mail" which means that it should take 3 to 5 days to arrive. For overseas orders, we usually ship 1st class mail. We cannot control other government's customs, so the actual time to get to you is dependent upon how fast your customs and postal service take to deliver the item to you. This can take as much as 2 to 5 weeks.
>If you have ordered books, they are mailed 'media mail' which takes longer.
What about sales tax and shipping charges?
Internet sales are not subject to sales tax (yet). So you can enjoy shopping without the annoying sales tax add-ons!
We can ship to virtually any address in the world. We use the United States Postal Service to ship items. For United States and Canadian orders, the postage is $6.50. International orders postage are still $7.60. There are a few exceptions to this such as heavy books and other very heavy items.
What is your return policy?
Amberica West offers a Money Back Guarantee. If you are dissatisfied with your purchase for any reason, return your purchase to us and we will refund your money immediately. Is this any way to run a business? We think so, and its worked well for us for over 15 years.
CanI contact you?
Yes, you can contact us in Colorado at "719-258-9319".
No problem, we can take your credit card over the phone (rather than using the web.) We can run the credit card from the this terminal.
The telephone number is '719-258-9319'.