Ordering Information - The Geode Gallery
Thank you for your interest in our specimens. Please click on the payment method you intend to use to complete your order for step-by-step ordering instructions based on payment method:
Credit Card/Paypal/Check or Money Order Bank Wire Transfer Western Union School Purchase Order
FAQ Contact Information Order Form
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Credit Card, Paypal, or Check/Money Order: The Geode Gallery gladly accepts Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express, check or money orders, and Paypal as payment options. ONLINE or OFFLINE
* Our secure online Shopping Cart now handles all of these payment types in a totally secure fashion - it is NOW SAFE to send us your credit card information online through our shopping cart - no need to have to call or worry about sending your information through non-secure e-mails. Many of our specimens now have the cart enabled (especially geodes and bulk items) with shipping costs accurate or very close to accurate. We are working to get the cart available for all items on our website at the present time. If paying with a credit card, we manually process your charge so any change in shipping amount quoted by the shopping cart will be applied. For Paypal orders, choose the pay with Paypal option and you will be directed to Paypal's site once you have filled out the correct billing address information. If paying with Paypal but you want the order shipped to a different address, we suggest paying with your credit card and not going through Paypal for quicker order processing. If paying with a check or money order, a printable form will be produced by the shopping cart. Please print this form and mail it right away (we will receive notification of your order when submitted, and you have 10 days (30 days for international orders) for the order and payment to arrive before the order is considered null and void.
SHOPPING CART PRIVACY POLICY and SECURITY: Your information submitted in the online secure shopping cart is strictly used ONLY to process your order. We and the Shopping Cart service (Americart) do not sell your information to any third party and it is not used for promotional purposes.
* IF YOU WOULD RATHER NOT ORDER ONLINE, Call us between 9AM and 9PM Central USA Time at (309) 335-6740. We are available every day (7 days a week), except on major holidays (Easter, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas). If we cannot answer the phone when you call, please leave a message and we will get back to you. Please understand that we do not have a secretary on staff during business hours, and we may be mining geodes or traveling to or at a mineral show if we miss your call, but we will return your call as soon as we can. The best time to reach us is in the evening after 7PM Central Time, especially during the warmer months.
* Send us an e-mail or leave a message on either phone if you cannot reach us, providing us with your phone number and a convenient time to call you. We will return calls as soon as we possibly can.
*International Orders: We accept Visa and Mastercard credit cards or Paypal for international payment, but you must check with your card issuer to ensure you can order internationally. Contact us if you have more questions. Secure shopping cart is available for international orders as well!
2) Send your payment and copy of order to: The Geode Gallery, 1131 80th Street, Roseville, Illinois 61473 USA. Remember, it may take anywhere from 2-7 days for us to receive your payment through the mail, and we will wait for all bank drawn checks and money orders to clear our bank once deposited (usually a week's time) unless you are a very established customer with us.
Bank Wire Transfer: Payment through bank wire transfer is usually requested for large purchases from international buyers/businesses. Depending on the situation, we may require payment only by wire transfer from businesses overseas - we will inform you upon receipt of order. Wire transfers are accepted for large domestic (within USA) orders as well, but is not always economical to do so.
Western Union: Payment through Western Union (like wire transfers) is mainly used for payment from international buyers. Please contact us for more details. If payment through Western Union is completed, we will need the ten digit tracking number and your full name and address to receive the money. We will ship your order upon receipt of payment from our local Western Union agent.
School Purchase Order: We gladly accept purchase orders through schools, universities, colleges, governmental agencies, and other applicable organizations. The online shopping cart can handle this option as well - just follow the included steps when Checking out. NOTE that the shipping amount quoted may be slightly high or low depending on your order - if the actual cost is lower we will refund, if higher we will contact you before shipping the order. If you absolutely need an accurate cost right away, please contact us by phone or e-mail. ILLINOIS SCHOOLS AND ORGANIZATIONS USING THE SHOPPING CART FOR PURCHASE ORDERS: You will NOT be required to pay the 6.25% Illinois sales tax. We are working on enabling a feature in the shopping cart shortly to take off the tax for your orders - for now, please ignore any sales tax charge the cart applies to your order until we figure out a way to implement the tax exemption for exempt organizations in Illinois.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1) How quickly is my order shipped after you receive payment?
Answer: If payment is by credit card, Paypal, postal money order, or bank wire transfer, we will ship your order typically the same or next business day. If the order is shipped by Priority mail in the USA, you will receive it generally within 2-3 days but occasionally takes longer especially during the holiday season in late November and December. If the order is sent by Fedex Ground, it may take anywhere from typically 3-10 days, depending on the destination. Locations in the eastern USA (east of the Mississippi River) typically receive orders by Priority mail 2 days after we send, Fedex Ground orders 3 days after we send (not including weekend days), and Standard Mail orders in about 5 days. Locations in the western USA (especially west of the Rocky Mountains) receive Priority mail 3 days after we send and Fedex Ground orders 4-5 days after we send. We send most orders by Priority mail or Federal Express Ground (typically for orders of 25 pounds or more). See #3 below for international order information.
Holiday Shipping Information: Due to inconsistencies in delivery time during late November and December, we reserve the right to ship by Fedex Ground vs. Priority mail despite your shipping choice selected when checking out as long as the rate is NOT higher than what you chose. Fedex Ground (even though a "Ground" service) is actually faster especially in the 10-14 days right before Christmas. For example, we have had packages shipped through Priority mail take seven days to reach Michigan from Illinois and two weeks from Illinois to New York in December, but always 2 days with Fedex! Granted, most Priority mail packages are delivered in 2-3 days but it is more inconsistent and less reliable during the holiday season due to mail volume plus we cannot track Priority mail packages. We have at least one Priority mail order every December that takes 7 days to reach a close destination.
2) Will I receive a receipt with my order, and if I paid with a credit card will I receive a credit receipt copy of the transaction?
Answer: All orders in the USA will be accompanied by a final receipt in the box (or if multiple boxes) Box #1 (we label multiple box orders by number, ex. box 1 of 3 if there are 3 boxes in the order). You will also receive a detailed invoice via e-mail if you ordered through our secure online shopping cart (although the final shipping cost may be altered slightly so it is not a final invoice). If payment is made by credit card, a copy of the credit receipt will be placed in the box as well. NOTE: The "copy" of the credit receipt does NOT contain any sensitive information and meets all merchant PCI compliance requirements set forth by the respective credit card company and federal government regulations.
3) INTERNATIONAL ORDERS: We have experience shipping orders overseas on a regular basis. Most orders are sent through the post office by airmail (delivery anywhere from 4-10 days) or postal service global express mail guaranteed for higher-valued orders (usually over $300) depending on package weight. Surface (seamail) is no longer offered through the postal service. Orders larger than $1000 may be sent through Federal Express or if the weight is great, we may consider air freight depending on the circumstances. Depending on destination, customs forms will be listed as "rock specimens for collection and scientific study containing no soil", and a value of no greater than US $100 to minimize/eliminate duty charges unless you instruct otherwise. Please note that some countries have restrictions on package weights so if you have questions concerning weight limits, please contact your local post office or contact us for weight limits per package or any restrictions to delivery/entry in your country. International orders (if requested) will receive a receipt either by e-mail or through a mailed letter (if you do not have the adequate means to receive a Word or PDF file). You are responsible for any customs duty fees upon delivery.
3) What if I want to return some or all of my order?
Answer: See https://geodegallery.com/return.html for more information on order returns.
4) Questions relating to credit card orders - do you have a minimum order amount if payment is by credit card, do you charge a processing, convenience, or terminal fee, and do you have your own business merchant account or are you affiliated with a third-party merchant?
Answers: We DO NOT and CANNOT legally set a minimum order amount - this is against the law as provided by the credit card companies in their merchant agreement despite this practice commonly seen in many establishments and at trade shows. If you want to charge a small amount to a credit card (say a dollar or two), that is your right and privilege as a card holder. Also, we DO NOT charge a processing or terminal fee - this policy may vary from processing hosts but with ours, it is also illegal to charge any "processing fee" or what some refer to as a "terminal fee" (a way for the business owner to recuperate the percent of the sale that the credit card company receives from each transaction). The Geode Gallery is enrolled as a direct merchant with Visa, Mastercard, Discover/Novus, and American Express. We are not affiliated with any other business and we have our own unique merchant identification numbers. We do not discriminate against payment by cash/check versus credit card either - it is your privilege to order with a credit card as much as it is to pay with cash or check. We also DO NOT accept or give better discounts if you pay with cash vs. check or credit card.
5) If I pay with a check, cashier's check, or bank-drawn money order, how long will it take for the payment to clear your bank?
Answer: This process usually takes anywhere from 2-7 days, but has become more expedited through electronic clearance in recent years with many banks. All checks, regardless of amount, must clear before we ship the order.
6) Is sales tax added to my order?
Answer: If you are located in Illinois, 6.25% sales tax will be required and will be added to your order when checking out online, unless a valid tax ID number is given related directly to your business or organization (see IL exempt organizations ordering section above). All other states are tax-exempt since we have only one business location (in the state of Illinois) and will not be charged sales tax, and we will not need the tax ID number if you are out-of-state and are a business/organization. All Illinois businesses that order MUST supply us with a copy of your resale license or we will not complete your order due to a lack of supporting documentation.
7) Do you accept purchase orders from schools?
Answer: Yes, we accept purchase orders from schools. We frequently work with schools and have experience in working with teachers/administrators to make this process as easy as possible. Contact us for more details if you have more questions concerning purchase orders.
8) I want to order multiple specimens or geodes. Can I combine all items in one box to save on shipping?
Answer: Yes, we will combine all items in one box as long as there is no potential to hurting a specimen or specimens by doing this. For multiple un-opened geode orders, we will combine as many geodes as we can safely fit into a flat-rate Priority box - if the quantity is large then we will send multiple larger boxes from Fedex Ground. We will do our best to save you as much postage we can but will always put the safety of the contents first. The online secure shopping cart will give a very close estimate or accurate shipping cost based on your preferred (selected) shipping method.
Phone/Fax - Talk to Mike, the owner of The Geode Gallery, directly at (309) 335-6740 (call between 9AM and 9PM Central Time, seven days a week). Please note that we do not have a secretary available during business hours so if you do not receive an answer, PLEASE leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as we can. PLEASE leave a message - the best time to reach Mike is after dark up until 9PM central time (holiday times we are typically available outside of these times as well).
Email: sand@maplecity.com or order@geodegallery.com We check e-mail many times a day and will send a reply to nearly all inquiries within 24 hours, even if we are gone to a show. If you do not receive a reply in 24 hours, we ask that you please call the mobile number above or re-send your e-mail.
Mailing Address: The Geode Gallery, 1131 80th Street, Roseville, Illinois 61473 USA
If you wish to submit your order to us through an Order Form versus through the online shopping cart (some specimens do not have the cart available at this time but will in time) and have read the above ordering process, click here. Make sure to indicate payment type. See above in "Credit Card" section if you wish to mail or FAX your order.
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