The Arkenstone: Ordering Information
| Recommended by FORBES: COLLECTOR , Nov. 2006
Providing fine specimens at all price levels to Private Collectors and Institutions, including:
Houston Museum of Natural Science, Royal Ontario Museum, The Sorbonne,
The Smithsonian, American Museum of Natural History,
South Australian Museum, Seaman Museum, & others
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Now you can make payments with PayPal
- it's fast, free and secure!!
CLICK HERE to make payments with PayPal - it's fast, free and secure!
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NOTE: CREDIT CARD INFORMATION IS SAFE WITH ME!
I DO NOT STORE CARD INFORMATION IN AN ONLINE DATABASE!
HENCE, YOUR INFORMATION CANNOT BE "HACKED" ONLINE |
GALLERY Orders (see below for Auction orders...) are sent on 10-day approval with credit card payment (all major credit cards accepted) or deposit (depending on the size of the order), or when check clears. If you do not like what you get, FIRST LET US KNOW and then drop it back in the mail within 14 days of receipt and your money will be happily refunded, less shipping costs (3 weeks allowed for international orders).
DOMESTIC SHIPPING:Shipping within the United States is via INSURED US Mail unless otherwise specified. Valuable orders may be sent via registered mail which takes a few extra days, but is worth it for the security and insurance savings. I will charge only estimated costs for postage. OVERSIZED specimens may be charged more depending on weight. Most shipments run $7-15, for reference. If you wish to pay extra for FedEx or Express Mail, that is also an option. I have a bulk shipping agreement with FedEx that will reduce costs from $25-50 per parcel to an average of $15-20 per parcel, very comparable to the rates obtained with US Postal Service.
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING for orders under $400: This will be as always, via AIRMAIL , unless otherwise requested. We assume responsibility for loss or damage en route, for courier, tracked shipments only. All gold, silver, and gems, as well as packages valued $400 and up, were in the past sent by registered mail which theoretically required signatures upon delivery, at an extra cost of $6-10 : but gave no assurances of delivery or safety, and often these took weeks to arrive. We encourage customers to pay the extra few dollars for FEDEX shipment, however, and will cover any costs over $25 associated with a reasonably sized small (under 1 pound) parcel (which costs me $30-50 to ship).. In other words, the FedEx service is available for all orders, however small.
NOTE:If you live in England or Singapore, I strongly advise the FedEx option as those are the biggest problem countries for shipping delays/theft.
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING for orders over $500: All orders near or over $500 will be sent via Federal Express or DHL unless specifically requested to the contrary; and we will assume full liability for shipments sent by courier in this manner. We cannot accept damage/loss responsibility for shipments sent normal AIRMAIL, except on an individual basis at our disgression. These shipments generally run $50-100 BUT I WILL PAY for any shipping charges over $30, on small FEDEX parcels (to 1 pound) and charge you an amortised portion on larger weight orders. Larger parcels I will still pay approximately half the normal calculated cost of a FEDEX shipment, asking you to bear about the same (generally $40-100 more for larger parcels). I do not profit from shipment charges. These packages will be received in 2-4 days in most cases, and clear customs very quickly, with courier service agents on hand to ensure that mineral specimens are not stolen or lost if a package is opened. It is well worth the extra premium for the speed and safety of this service, in my opinion. If you do not wish to pay for this service, US AIRMAIL (plain, registered or express) can be used though the cost to the customer for postage is almost the same. We cannot be responsible for delay, loss, or damage en route, should you choose to forgo the courier/FEDEX service in this price range (think of the FedEx service as cheap shipping insurance on your treasured specimens!).
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AUCTION RETURN POLICY
| Due to the nature of auctions, returns will be accepted only on items that were, for some reason, not described accurately. In that case, we will cover the return shipping cost, with apologies. Please be sure you want the item before bidding on it
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Trade-In Policy
| A collector's tastes change and mature over time, so we want to help you always
to have the collection you want. Therefore, we will ALWAYS take back a lesser specimen
of the SAME species in trade against a more expensive specimen of the same species.
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Buy-Back Policy
| Some things I'll always want back, because they are "hot" items.
Unfortunately, we are just not wealthy enough to buy back all specimens outright, but should you
wish to part with a specimen you purchased from us, please let us know as we may have
had another customer in line for it to begin with, and therefore be able to buy it back
from you or give credit for the return. I pride myself on trying to work with people in this regard. |
Please submit specimen orders by e-mail even if you do not submit credit card info by email.
WE NOW ACCEPT PayPal
- Make payments with PayPal - it's fast, free and secure!
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| Buying at an online auction or website used to be a risky proposition. Buyers couldn’t be sure if sellers were legitimate, and sellers couldn’t be sure they would receive good funds. PayPal has changed that. Now, with PayPal’s Fraud Protection program, buyers and sellers alike can conduct online transactions knowing they’re protected.
Buyers should look for the PayPal Verified banner when shopping, and be sure to double-check that the seller is Verified when sending money. Your purchase will be guaranteed if the seller doesn't ship.
And since over 2 million auctions on eBay™ and thousands of websites accept PayPal, PayPal is the safe and easy way to take care of all your holiday shopping needs!
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For Credit Card Information Transfer you have 3 options: SEND A FAX TO ME , call our office, or email the number in 2-3 parts over separate emails
The Arkenstone
PO Box 450788
Garland, TX 75045-0788
Phone 972-437-2492 "normal hours" Central Time Zone, Fax 972 437 4644
ALL PICTURES, TEXT, DESIGN © THE ARKENSTONE 1996-
Rob Lavinsky, rob@irocks.com
All Content and Design ©1996-2008 The Arkenstone
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