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1.0 General Questions
1.1 What are Membership Levels?
1.2 How long do listings stay on HomeSchool
Outlet (HSO)?
1.3
What is a "Thumbnail"?
1.4 What is PayPal?
2.0 Guidelines for posting “Items for Sale”
2.1 What items are allowed to be sold on HSO?
2.2 What do I do if I find an item posted on HSO that could
be considered offensive or outside the allowable parameters?
2.3 Are there any items that have restrictions of resale or
transferability?
2.4 What should be listed in my “Item Details Description”?
2.5 Why do I want to
upload pictures for each item I am selling?
2.6 What payment options should I accept?
3.0 Selling an item on HSO
3.1 What if I have duplicates of a particular item? Should I enter it twice
or make a note on one entry saying "two copies are available"?
3.2 How much should I charge for shipping?
3.3 Can I sell an item to a buyer outside the United States?
3.4 If I am waiting for payment on an item for sale, how do I prevent
others from emailing me about the item?
3.5 What do I do if I am away for an extended period of time and cannot
tend to my items for sale on HSO?
3.6 When should I remove an item I have listed?
3.7 How do I know if a toy item I am selling is safe for another child?
4.0 Purchasing an item on HSO
4.1 Do I need to be a member to buy an item?
4.2 What happens if I click the “Purchase” button on an item in my
"Wish
List"?
4.3 How do I know if a toy item I am buying is safe for my child?
4.4 What do I do if I have not received my item yet from a seller after
my PayPal payment has been made or my money has been sent by U.S. mail?
5.0 Other / Miscellaneous
5.1 How
do I check the integrity of a seller?
5.2 I received an email from a seller/ buyer, but the seller/buyer has
not responded to my reply, yet. Why? If you do not find the
answer to your question on this FAQ page, please proceed to our
"Contact HSO" page. We hope we can help.
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1.0 General Questions
1.1 What are Membership Levels?
You can post up to five (5) items for free on HomeSchool
Outlet (HSO). But if you would like to post
more items, you can upgrade your membership level to Silver, Gold, or Platinum
(as detailed on the “About HomeSchool Outlet” page). To upgrade your
membership level, click on the "My Membership" tab under the "My
Account" link. There your current registered level will be
displayed. If you would like to upgrade, choose the
membership level that would suit your needs, click the
"Subscribe" button, and proceed through all the upgrading
prompts and your payment for the upgrade has been secured.
1.2 How long do listings stay on HomeSchool
Outlet (HSO)?
Item listings are displayed on HSO for as long as you would like them to appear and/or your
membership has not expired. Please note that we will only show a fixed amount of
"Items for Sale" based on what membership level you have (See Section 1.1 for more
details on membership levels).
1.3 What is a "Thumbnail"?
Thumbnails are miniature pictures located next to the item for sale either after a
search has been performed or when an item is displayed on the “Featured
Items for Sale” page. If you have a FREE membership with us, you do not have the
benefits of “Thumbnails” for your items. You need to have a Silver, Gold or
Platinum membership to enable thumbnails for your item listings. We believe that
purchasing an upgraded membership that displays thumbnail
pictures will capture any buyer’s immediate attention and could drive a quicker sale.
(See Section 1.1 for more details on membership levels and how
to upgrade).
1.4 What is PayPal®?
PayPal® is the most popular payment service
on the internet that is used by most sellers.
PayPal® started as
a person-to-person payment service with the premise that you can send and
receive money via email or internet web site. We wanted to provide this payment
option on our website for the seller's and buyer’s ease-of-use. All
payments for items listed on HSO are handled directly between
the seller and a buyer. HSO has no affliations or
contractual relationships with PayPal®.
We are happy to promote PayPal®'s
ease in useability. 2.0 Guidelines for posting “Items for Sale”
2.1 What items are allowed to be sold on HSO?
Any homeschool teaching curriculum, subsequent teaching/learning
materials, learning resources, and learning tools can be posted
on HSO. If you feel you have an item that can be used by a
homeschool teacher or student, please feel free to post it.
However, we would like to give a few specific guidelines as to
what is allowed for the following categories/subjects: ~Bible/Character – any materials that are associated with a
Biblical Christian Worldview. (Still uncertain, please email
us.)
~Games/Puzzles/Toys/Play – Any games that are educationally
based. (Some “game” examples might be The Game of Life®,
Boggle®, What Would Jesus Do®, Stratego®, Risk®, etc. Some “toy”
examples might be Lego®, Little Tykes®, Playskool®, musical
instruments, etc.) We ask
that you refrain from posting certain music selections and
game/puzzle/toy/play items that have a corruptive/evil bent,
weaponry, or toys depicting famous personality figures.
We do have the right to remove any item that we do not think
fits the mission of the HSO website. (Click on the “HSO Rights” page
located at the bottom of any HSO page for more details about
HSO’s ”rights of removals.”)
2.2 What do I do if I find an item posted on HSO that could
be considered offensive or outside the allowable parameters?
Please feel free to contact HSO detailing what the item is
and/or the seller’s name. We will review the item’s
appropriateness and determine its potential removal under the HSO guidelines.
If the item has been determined to be unacceptable by the HSO owners, we will remove
the item. We hope all HSO users will think carefully about the suitability of items
they wish to post for sale. HSO will do its best to keep the site respectful.
2.3 Are there any items that have restrictions of resale or
transferability?
We are aware of some publishers who have policies that restrict
particular items from being resold. Please view the following
"short list" of items that cannot be resold:
Homeschool Tracker
http://www.homeschooltracker.com/tracker_license.aspx
K12
http://www.k12.com/faqs/consumer_direct/
DIVE CDs
http://diveintomath.com/pageDisplay.cfm?pageno=238ans&zpid=440&sesstime=now
Switched-On Schoolhouse
http://www.aophomeschooling.com/media/pdf/sos_manual/SOS_ReferenceGuide_Home2008_Install.pdf
This list above will be updated periodically if and when
additional information is received about non-resellable items.
2.4 What should be listed in my “Item Details Description”?
Put in as much detail as possible in the “description” section when adding an
item. Better to give more information about the item in its description field on
the “Add New Item” section rather than emailing back and forth with a potential
buyer the item’s descriptive detail.
2.5 Why do I want to
upload pictures for each item I am selling?
We cannot stress enough how important pictures are. Everyone needs to “see it to
believe it.” Free membership allows one picture to be posted for each item
(NOTE: a picture under the FREE membership only displays the picture in the
"Item Details" page for each item listed). If you want the picture to be
displayed as a Thumbnail (See section 1.3 for definition of Thumbnails), you
need to upgrade your membership (See section 1.1 for ugrading Membership Levels).
Under the FREE membership, we want to encourage you to take
advantage of the option of uploading a picture for the "Item Details" page. You won’t regret the time you invested of taking
a picture of your item, uploading it onto HSO, and then to have the item sells quickly. If you
have an upgraded membership, take several pictures of your item (such as for a
book - the front cover, table of contents, title/publishing page, and a sample
page of the text). Taking this many pictures could potentially help your item
sell quicker!
2.6 What payment options should I accept?
The more payment options you accept, the less likely someone will pass on your
item. HSO allows buyers to use PayPal® as his/her payment options. You may
also provide the option of receiving a personal check, cashier’s check, or money
order. Some of you may have a merchant account where you can accept Visa®,
Mastercard®,
American Express®,
etc. as a payment option. Feel free to note that option in the details of
the item for sale.
3.0 Selling an item on HSO
3.1 What if I have duplicates of a particular item? Should I enter it twice
or make a note on one entry saying "two copies are available"?
If you have duplicates of a particular item you would like to post, we recommend
noting that on your entry of the item by writing the phrase “Two copies available for purchase” in
the “description” section of the “Add New Item”. If one copy’s quality is better
than the other, please note same on the entry’s description by indicating for
example “Book 1 – Excellent condition” and “Book 2 – Fair condition”. If you
have more than two copies of a particular item, indicate “Multiple copies available in
various conditions.”
3.2 How much should I charge for shipping?
This is something you have to decide for yourself. However, to assist you at
calculating the correct shipping amount, we have provided a “Need help
calculating?” link on the “Add New Item” page under the "Items I Am Selling" tab. This link directly goes to the
United States Postal Service “Postage Price Calculator” page. Enter in the
specifics of your package and the particular location in the United States where
the package is being shipped, and let the postal service recommend a shipping
amount. NOTE: this amount does not include the packaging/box in which you plan
to ship the item. We find this tool to be VERY useful. Whatever price you decide
to set the shipping and handling, make sure it reasonable. And please consider
bundling items together to save cost if a buyer selects multiple items that you
have for sale.
3.3 Can I sell an item to a buyer outside the United States?
The current version of HSO has been set to sell items within the United
States of America. Selling an item outside the United States (especially Canada)
is completely up to the seller. This arrangement is strictly between the seller
and the buyer. HSO has no dealings in this matter.
3.4 If I am waiting for payment on an item for sale, how do I prevent
others from emailing me about the item?
You make click the “InActive” button on the item for which you are waiting
payment. This "InActive" button is located under the “Items I am Selling” tab in “My Account.” If payment
is never received, you can just reactivate the listed item by clicking “Active”.
If you do this procedure each time an item is awaiting payment, then there will
be no need to re-enter any item if a buyer happens to change his/her mind.
3.5 What do I do if I am away for an extended period of time and cannot
tend to my items for sale on HSO?
If you plan to be away for an extended period of time, we recommend you click
the “InActive” button on the items you are selling under the “Items I am
Selling” tab in “My Account.” This way, potential buyers will not be emailing
you about an item, thus preventing potential buyers from experiencing a “no
response” from you due to your absence. Then, upon your return, you can
reactivate the items by clicking the same button to “Active.” HSO plans to
release a Version 2.0 of the website that allows sellers to place his/her
account on hold while being away for a lengthy amount of time.
3.6 When should I remove an item I have listed?
After you receive payment for the item and the item has been shipped, you should
remove the item from your “Items I Am Selling” page.
3.7 How do I know if a toy item I am selling is safe for another child?
It is up to the seller, as well as the buyer, to make sure that a toy item for
sale is safe for play. Please review the product safety laws detailed on the
following link:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html.
Some toys may have been recalled for various reasons. We
recommend that sellers and buyers check the “Recalls and Product Safety News”
page at the following link: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html. If
you are aware of any particular item that is listed on HSO and has been deemed
hazardous or unsafe, please contact HSO. We will promptly remove the items for
safety reasons. Thank you.
4.0 Purchasing an item on HSO
4.1 Do I need to be a member to buy an item?
Yes. Once you sign up for the FREE membership account, you may add an item to
your “Wish List” and then purchase the item. We recommend you first contact the
seller by email to let him/her know your intentions of purchasing said item
before proceeding to buy the item with a Paypal® payment.
4.2 What happens if I click the “Purchase” button on an item in my
"Wish
List"?
This allows you to purchase the item for sale using your PayPal® account.
However, we would highly recommend you contact the seller first, ask questions
about the item, and then make payment arrangements before clicking the
“Purchase” button. This part of the transaction is done between you and the
seller. HSO is not responsible for establishing payments of sellable items.
Homeschooling families are generally honest people, but it’s best to still “do
your homework” first before you encounter a test.
4.3 How do I know if a toy item I am buying is safe for my child?
It is up to the buyer, as well as the seller, to make sure that a toy item
for sale is safe for play. Please review the product safety laws detailed on the
following link:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09086.html .
Some toys may have been recalled for various reasons. We
recommend that sellers and buyers check the “Recalls and Product Safety News”
page at the following link:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html . If
you are aware of any particular item that is listed on HSO and has been deemed
hazardous or unsafe, please contact HSO. We will promptly remove the items for
safety reasons. Thank you.
4.4 What do I do if I have not received my item yet from a seller after
my PayPal® payment has been made or my money has been sent by U.S. mail?
We hope these types of situations do not occur. You do have the right to receive
your item after payment has been made and received. Before you proceed, give the
seller at least a week to mail the item to you. Then, after the allotted time,
make sure the seller did actually receive your payment either by emailing the
seller verifying his/her receipt of the funds or checking the payment service
provider (such as PayPal® or your local bank showing a cleared check). If you are
certain receipt of payment has been established, we recommend you contact the
seller one more time by email, asking him/her to ship the item to you OR you
will file a legal complaint. Complaints may be filed with the Internet Crime
Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. We hope a resolution can be ascertained for you
in this disappointing situation.
5.0 Other / Miscellaneous
5.1 How do I check the integrity of a seller?
HSO plans to release a Version 2.0 of the website which will have the ability to
rate the seller’s reliability, means of communication, response/delivery time of
an item, and the item's quality assurance upon receipt.
Thanks for your patience on this valuable feature.
5.2 I received an email from a seller/buyer, but the seller/buyer has
not responded to my reply yet. Why?
Some reasons for this dilemma might be that the seller/buyer is having computer
problems, out-of-town, or suffering from an illness. Another reason might be
his/her service provider is preventing your email from reaching his/her inbox.
a) Try giving the email recipient at least three working days
to respond back to you? OR
b) Try using a different e-mail service to contact him/her. Some Internet
Service Providers (ISP) might block certain incoming email messages for numerous
reasons. Copy and paste the emailer’s address into a new email message from a
different email service.
We hope communication can be reestablished using these tactics. If not, please
do not contact us about this issue, as the email address we have is the same
email address you are given when he/she contacts you. Therefore, we have no
other way of contacting this non-responsive seller/buyer. Sorry for the
inconvenience this may being causing you.
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