How many families do we need to order as a group?
Our packages are offered for groups as small as 5. Sometimes we have families in the same church or support group purchase a basic package together just to save money, even though they may not be planning to hold a ceremony together. Back to top>>
Do we need to have our ceremony information finalized before we can order a package?
We will
need a date to put on the diplomas, so it is best to have that
much information determined before placing the orders. Our diploma
order forms do offer the option of using just a month and year
(for example, "dated this month of May, Two thousand eleven")
but unless you want to use just the month and year, you will
need to finalize the date before ordering the packages diplomas.
If you have a custom announcement (one that is designed by your
group) on your ordering page, we CAN take orders for the announcements
without having complete information, because they are not printed
immediately. SO -- if you know the date of your ceremony, but
not the location, you can go ahead and order. We print the diplomas
as the orders come in, but announcements are not printed until
after everyone has ordered and the quantity (and final ceremony
information) is known. .Back
to top>>
What are the deadlines for ordering packages?
We
offer 6different deadlines for 2011, and your discount depends
on how early you are able to order. Each deadline is a Monday,
and the group's discount coupon expires at 11:59 p.m. on Monday.
You may begin ordering at any time: YOU determine the start
date and choose the deadline you want. On the Friday morning
preceding your deadline,
we will e-mail the group leader with a list of those that have
ordered so far. This gives the opportunity to send out a reminder
or call those that have not yet ordered so that they can complete
their order by Monday evening. The order deadline dates for
the Class of 2010 are:
- October
18, 2010
- November 8, 2010
- December 13, 2010
- January 17, 2011
- February 14, 2011
- February
14, 2011 (not offered for groups of 5 or fewer, or for groups
of 50 or more.)
Back to top>>
What do we pay for shipping?
If
your deadline is in October, November or December, your shipping
is free. If your deadline is one of the dates after the first
of the year, shipping is a "flat rate" charge determined
by the chart on this
page. The flat rate shipping is a "per graduate"
charge, and it covers not only the shipping of the packages,
but also of any announcements or accessories ordered from our
main web site before the group's deadline. For example, if you
have a group of 14 graduates and have chosen the January 15th
deadline, your shipping cost is $2 per graduate, regardless
of whether the package is the only item ordered, or whether
announcements and accessories are also ordered. (Because this
flat rate shipping is based on the number of graduates, we ask
families that have more than one graduate in the group to place
the orders for each student separately.) Back
to top>>
How do we place the order for our packages?
There are two methods for ordering. The first is the easiest for most groups, since no money or information needs to be collected or handled by the leadership. The second is available for those whose members are not able to order on line, but requires the group leader to collect both information and money.
A. Individual Ordering: You give us the information about your group using the form found on this page, and we put up a private ordering page for your group. The page tells the deadline, gives specific directions, explains WHAT the group has planned as far as the colors of the items, and contains the group's coupon. The coupon, when added to the cart, provides the percentage discount (based on order date and group size) and also controls the shipping cost. Each family orders the items from our web site, and when the group is finished, we ship everything in one shipment to the contact person. View a sample group web page here.
B. Ordering by One Person on Behalf of the Group: If the group's needs are fairly uniform and members do not want to order online, one person may place the order for the whole group. We suggest simplifying the process by using the Standard Diploma only, and agreeing on one selection for the paper, seal and diploma cover. We have a paper order form that can be used to collect the information and payment from the families, and we have a special order form that can be used to place the order.
See our page of ordering information for more details about the two ordering processes.
Back to top>>
What if someone wants to upgrade their diploma instead of getting the Standard?
If your group is composed of some people who are happy with the Standard Diploma and others who want a Personalized, Gilded or Exclusive Diploma, we suggest that you use the first ordering method mentioned above, option "A". The coupon that is on the group's page is good for a complete package with the standard diploma, AND it will also work for the individual cap and gown sets and for ALL of our diplomas. The person who wants to upgrade the diploma can use the same discount coupon to order their items "a la carte". We maintain a list of the group's color preferences, and orders are checked to be sure they conform to the group's standards. The discount coupon allows group members to choose any diploma they want and get the same discount as those choosing the basic package with the standard diploma.Back to top>>
When and where are the items delivered?
In 2011
we will be shipping your apparel and diplomas 1-3 weeks after
the group's deadline. If there are gown colors ordered that
we don't stock, the order will take about three weeks, otherwise
expect it to ship in a week or two. We ship directly to the
group leader. For example, if your group's deadline is mid-January,
the packages would be shipped between January 25th and February
8th, along with any accessories or "individual" announcements
ordered from our site. If you have ordered Distinctive Announcements
as a group, those will come separately about 4 weeks after the
order deadline. Back
to top>>
How are the items packaged within our shipment?
We will send your order to the
person you designate -- usually the group leader or the person
who has set up the order with us. Each individual family's order
is packed in a clear plastic bag with their name and address
visible. The group leader only needs to pass out the bags. We
ask that all orders be checked by the families within 2 weeks.
If there is a problem with the order, the family can contact
us directly -- our phone number is on their receipt. Back
to top>>
What about families that want to join our group after we've ordered our packages?
The package plan does not exclude your group from adding graduates after the deadline. With the exception of the group's own announcement or special-order tassels, everything your group purchases can also be purchased at the regular price from the "public pages" of our site. If you have a handful of people who seem to be interested in participating in your group order, but don't get their order in by the deadline, this does not exclude them from getting their items directly from us at the regular price and paying for their own shipping on it.
Those who ARE able to commit to participation and order by the deadline will get the best prices. Those who want to add-in later (subject, of course, to your group's approval and deadlines for participation) can still get their items from us, but at a higher cost. Back to top>>
Some people will not want to give their credit card information when they place their orders. Can they pay by mail?
It is not necessary for families to use a credit card. Our shopping cart offers three options for payment: mailing a money order, using a credit or debit card online, and calling in a credit or debit card. If they plan to mail us a money order, it needs to be sent immediately. If we do not have the payment within 1 week after the group's ordering deadline, it will hold up the shipping of the group's order. Back to top>>
If we order the package "add-on" to get our own announcements, what will they say and what do they look like?
The package "add-on" that includes 30 announcements and 50 name cards features some of the nicest announcements available anywhere. The announcements are from our Distinctive line which are offered in 6 different designs and a wide variety of color combinations, for a total of about 40 different cards. They have two colors of foil, an embossed or engraved crest, and are printed in thermography (raised ink). They come with both inner and outer envelopes, and best of all, they are professionally folded! Your group selects the style and color of the card, the lettering style for the text, and the details of what they want printed on them. They are completely customizable, with etchings, verses or mottos, and all the information you want to include about your ceremony. There is no additional charge for etchings or additional areas of text. All of the cards in your group's package order will be exactly the same, and each student adds a name card to personalize the announcement. The 50 name cards included in the package match the announcements in paper color and lettering style, and the student's name is printed in gold or silver foil to match the foil color on the announcement. The group's ordering page offers additional quantities of the announcements at the price listed on the chart. They are sold in multiples of ten. Back to top>>
Half of our group wants to go together to get a custom announcement and the other half does not want any. What can we do?
If fewer than ten members of your
group want announcements, then the package "add-on"
is not an option, but we can add customized announcements to
your group's ordering page for the families that want them if
we have a commitment from you that the total number ordered
will be at least 300. We suggest that you choose from our selection
of distinctive
announcements - they are very high quality products! If
you have enough group members to make an order together, all
of the cards will be exactly the same, and each student adds
a name card to personalize the announcement.The price on these
announcements varies with the quantity. It is important, if
you are considering this option, to poll your group members
to get an idea of whether you have enough to meet the 300 minimum,
and what price category you'd be in. We need this information
in order to price them and set up the group's ordering page.
If there is not enough consensus in the group to purchase any
announcements together, group members may want to purchase from
our selection of announcements offered for individuals. See
our group
announcement overview page for more details about the options.
Back
to top>>
Can I get samples to show others in my group?
Yes, we'll be happy to send you one of our sample kits if it is a group of ten or more. The sample kit includes a Standard Diploma, a Personalized Diploma, deluxe cover, and samples of some of our accessories. We can also send samples of the Distinctive Announcements if you can narrow it down to the ones you are most interested in. Call us toll-free at 877-466-2563 to request samples for your group, or contact us by e-mail. Back to top>>
What do we do if someone backs out of our group before ordering?
If you sign up for a package and provide the name list with your expected number of graduates, and then someone does NOT order, it is not a problem unless this changes the price category for your group. For example, if you sign up for the category of 10 - 24 graduates and give us a list of 15 names, even if 5 of them do not order, that is not a problem because you'd still be in the same price category with 10. It is also possible to recruit a new graduate to replace one that has dropped out, as long as they are able to order by the deadline. (Just call us to give us the name change so our list can be kept current.) However, if you lose enough people to change the price category, then we would have to charge a higher price for the other packages. We recommend that each family provide a deposit to the group when they commit to being part of it. This would mean that if a family backs out and forces the group to incur additional costs, there would be some funds available instead of forcing the remaining families to pay more. Back to top>>
If someone decides not to participate after we've gotten our order, can they return the package?
There is no refund for diplomas, announcements, or name cards once they have been printed.
The cap, gown and tassel may be returned for a refund, according to our normal company policies on refunds. HOWEVER, returns on these items are not accepted if doing so would put your group below the minimum order for your price breakdown. For example, if your group has 14 members and has ordered the package for groups with 10 to 24 graduates, a package refund is not a problem and would be handled as above. But if your group has ordered in the same category and has exactly ten members, we would not accept a refund because it would change the pricing for everyone else in the group. In this case, it would be best for that member to find someone else to take their place; we will be glad to help you exchange the apparel sizes and colors if necessary. Back to top>>
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