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Indigocafe.com :: Help Center
 
Help Center
Shopping FAQs
Q: How do I know my order is safe?
Q: How can I complete my order with you?
Q: When is my credit card charged?
Q: What is the Card Verification Code?
Q: What are your shipping rates?
Q: Do you ship to other countries?
Q: Is there a discount for teachers and/or students?
Q: Can you ship to prisons?
Q: What is your return policy?
Q: What is your privacy policy?
Q: What is a Frequent Buyer Card?
Q: How do you redeem a gift certificate?
Q: How do you receive NYS tax exemption?
Q: What does "Spirit in Business" mean?
Q: Do you offer gift wrapping?

Bookstore FAQs
Q: Why buy from an independent bookstore?
Q: What is a bookshelf?
Q: What is a bookshelf widget?
Q: How do you choose your books?
Q: I'm an author or publisher.
     Will you carry my book(s)?
Q: How do I suggest a book for you to carry?
Q: Can I make a special order?

Cafe FAQs
Q: Why Fair Trade Coffee?
Q: What does "Organic" mean?
Q: How do you brew tea with a presser?

Other FAQs
Q: What is an RSS Feed?
Q: Who are “Indigo People”?
Q: Who is Riley?
Q: Are you hiring?
Q: Will you open another storefront?
Q: Are you affiliated with Indigo Canada?



Answers to Bookstore FAQs


Q:
Why buy from an independent bookstore?

A:
Large chain stores and mega corporations gobble up all sources of independent thought. We are on the web to challenge this system. When we offer a title from an independent press, publisher, or author we do so because we believe in the work and want to help distribute it. When you purchase from us you are supporting independence and freedom of speech.

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Q:
What is a bookshelf?

A:
A
bookshelf is a list of books on Indigocafe.com. You can name this list and sort it in a variety of ways. Create a bookshelf as a wish list, a list of your favorite books, books that you want to read soon or suggest to others, or even a list of books that you don't like. Then you can email it to others.

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Q:
What is a bookshelf widget?

A:
A widget is code that you get from a third party, like Indigocafe.com for instance, which can inject content onto a web site or blog. A
bookshelf widget is a visual display of an Indigocafe.com bookshelf that can be put onto your blog or website.

This is a free and fun way to show off what you like to read and add exciting content to your website or blog. Why not show off those beautiful books?

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Q:
How do you choose your books?

A:
Carefully and lovingly. We have many suppliers. We spend a lot of time selecting the best titles and prices. There are a few independent publishers we choose books from also.

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Q:
I'm an author or publisher, will you carry my book(s)?

A:
We do consider books that are submitted to us. Send information about the title to our comments form.

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Q:
How do I suggest a book for you to carry?

A:
We do consider books that are suggested to us. Send information about the title to our comments form.

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Q:
Can I make a special order?

A:
Yes. Simply fill out the Special Order Form with the name of book and the author of the book. If you have the ISBN that would be very helpful also but not nesseary. Then complete the checkout procedure as normal.

We will then look for the book and if we find it we will send you information about the whether the book is available and the price of the book.

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Answers to Cafe FAQs


Q:
Why Fair Trade Coffee?

A:
Coffee picking is a very labor-intensive process that must be done by hand. If you're getting coffee cheaply you're drinking blood coffee. Fair Trade coffee is produced so that the workers get a fair price for the work that they do. Equal Exchange works with farm cooperatives in many different countries. Their coffee is also some of the best you will ever taste!

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Q:
What does "Organic" mean?

A:
Organic or organically-grown foods and fibers are grown or raised without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides (including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides), artificial ripening processes, growth stimulators and regulators such as hormones, or antibiotics and other drugs. Organically grown foods must also be processed, packaged, transported and stored without the use of chemicals such as fumigants, artificial additives, and preservatives, and without food irradiation. Organically grown fibers are specially processed to reduce or eliminate toxicity.

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Q:
How do you brew tea with a presser?

A:
Follow these steps:

1. Start with loose tea (check out Indigo's selection of organic teas)
2. Remove the plunger from the presser and put in about a rounded
    teaspoon or so of tea
3. Boil some hot water in a kettle or pot (not in the presser!)
4. Pour the hot water over the tea in the presser
5. Replace the top but don't press the plunger all the way down.
6. Let the tea steep for 2-3 minutes, then press the plunger down
    (this is like squeezing a tea bag to get the extra flavor, but much less toxic)
7. Then pour your tea into a cup for a wonderful brew

If you are using honey to sweeten your tea, I recommend pouring the honey into the tea cup first. This way the tea melts the honey for a smoother finish (and I think a richer taste). Just a trick I learned at the store.

You can purchase a tea presser here.

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Answers to Shopping FAQs


Q:
How do I know my order is safe?

A:
Here is how we secure your data:

* We use SSL (Secure Socket Logic) to protect the transaction. You will see a yellow lock icon turn on when you begin the transaction. SSL ensures that the information is transmitted in an encrypted and secure way.

* Your password and credit card information is encoded -- always. We see the credit card number only once when we actually process your card. Otherwise no one, including our ISP(Internet Service Provider), can see the number.

* Because your information is encoded, we do save your info on our database. We think this is safer than constantly sending info back and forth over the Internet. We treat everyone's information with care.

Doing business with us is as safe as purchasing from us (or any reputable merchant) at a brick-and-mortar storefront.

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Q:
How can I complete my order with you?

A:
Follow these steps:

1. From the shopping bag, press the button that says "Checkout."
    You will then be taken to the Account Login section.
    (If you didn't have an account already you can create one here.)
2. Login with your email name and password.
    You will be taken to the Account Verification page.
    (Here you can check to make sure all your information is correct.)
3. Press the button that says "Continue checkout." You will be asked your
    shipping info.
4. Press the button that says "Continue >>". You will be asked to confirm
    your order.
5. If everything is OK, press the button that says "Confirm Purchase."
6. That's it! You will be sent to a "Thank you" page where you can print
    a printer friendly version of the receipt for your records.

This whole process should take no more than 5 minutes.

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Q:
When is my credit card charged?

A:
When your order has been packaged and is ready to ship.

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Q:
What is the Card Verification Code?

A:

The Card Verification Code is an important security feature for credit card transactions on the Internet, over the phone, or in any situation where the card is not present. This code will have 3 or 4 digits and will be in a different location depending on the card type.

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Q:
Do you ship to other countries?

A:
We ship to anywhere the US Postal Service or UPS is willing to go. If shipping a book or item does not violate US or International law, we are willing to ship there. (Taxes and Fees may apply.)

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Q:
Is there a discount for teachers and/or students?

A:
Because we have a Frequent Buyer Discount and many deeply discounted books, we do not currently offer an additional discount for teachers and/or students.

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Q:
Can you ship to prisons?

A:
Yes.

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Q:
What is your return policy?

A:
If an item is found to be defective, please send us an email with the
     subject: "Comments about a purchase"

Please include in the message "ITEM FOR RETURN ORDER# XXX-XXX-XXX" and the reason for the return. We will examine the request and determine whether the item will be accepted for return. You would then recieve instructions on how to return the item.

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Q:
What is your privacy policy?

A:
We do not share your private infomation with third parties. We may include a third party advertisement in our email newsletter or website. We will do our utmost to protect your data from third party interception. All transactions are done with SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption. All personal data submitted are kept on a secure server.

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Q:
What are your shipping rates?

A:
The shipping costs are determined by the calculated weight of the order.
The current rates are in this following table:

Shipping TypeShipping TimeBase Price for the
1st lb. and under
Per lb. after base
Standard Shipping2 - 5 Business Days $3.85 $0.95
Two Day Shipping 2 Business Days $21.00 $0.93
One Day Shipping 1 Business Day $45.00 $1.90
FREE Shipping*
for orders over $50
6 - 10 Business Days $0.00 $0.00
International Shipping 4 - 6 Business Days $18.00** Will send quote
* Except for shipping internationally
** Flat fee for 5lbs and under

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Q:
How do you redeem a gift certificate?

A:

1. You must have received an Indigocafe.com Gift Certificate

2. Locate the reference number on the certificate

3. Enter that number EXACTLY (including the '-') into the
    "Gift Certificate No." field in the shopping bag when
    you have FINISHED shopping.

4. Press the "Checkout >>" button

5. Complete the checkout the process as normal

6. You will see the gift certificate amount removed from
    your order at the confirmation stage.

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Q:
How do you receive NYS tax exemption?

A:

We will gladly refund your NYS sales tax when you send us a copy of you NYS tax exempt certificate.
Please send the certificate to:

Indigocafe.com
P.O. Box 380487
Brooklyn, NY 11238

Please indicate your order number on your cerificate.

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Q:
Do you offer gift wrapping?

A:

Yes! Check the gift wrap box next to the item you want wrapped in the shopping bag. During the check out process you will be asked to select the gift paper and fill out information for a gift card

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Answers to Other FAQs


Q:
What is an RSS Feed?

A:

A RSS Feed (RSS means "Really Simple Syndication") is a way for the latest entries in our "Columns & Reviews" to be delivered directly to you. Many websites and blogs are beginning to provide RSS Feeds.
(RSS is a form of XML.)

  • How do I get the RSS feeds?

    An example of a browser reader:
    www.bloglines.com
    An example of a downloadable reader:
    www.feedreader.com
    You need to get a feed reader to subscribe to our feed. Some feed readers are downloadable applications and some you can access with your browser. These readers allow you to subscribe to and display the RSS Feeds that you select. You subscribe to a feed by supplying the reader with the URL to the feed.

    To subscribe to our feed, use this URL:
    http://www.indigocafe.com/columns/rss/columns.xml

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  • Q:
    Who are “Indigo People”?

    A:
    An “Indigo Person” is intellectually adventurous and unafraid to venture into unfamiliar or forbidden topics. An “Indigo Person” has a wide variety of interests and lives a life beyond race, color, and creed. An “Indigo Person” sees the world as it could be and is willing to work towards that vision.

    The topics represented here at Indigocafe.com are for those progressive, future-minded people with a special interest in literature, politics, spirituality, and ethics.

    If this describes you, we think you'll enjoy the unusual and stimulating books you'll discover at Indigocafe.com. If you're excited about crossing boundaries, if you're not afraid to venture beyond the bestseller lists, if you might like to delve into a powerful new writer while savoring a cup of Fair Trade coffee -- you might feel right at home with us. Welcome!

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    Q:
    Who is Riley?

    A:
    Riley is our store cat. He likes salmon, Nan (East Indian Bread), and watching fireflies through the window.
    <<
    pictures! >>

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    Q:
    Are you hiring?

    A:
    Not right now. We'll let you know when we are.

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    Q:
    Will you open another storefront?

    A:
    Not right now. We may consider it for the future.

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    Q:
    Are you affiliated with Indigo Canada?

    A:
    No. We are NOT in any shape, way, or form affiliated with Indigo Canada. We are completely independent. The name was chosen for very personal and spiritual reasons. (Actually, we didn't even know there was an Indigo Canada at the time.) When we were just a storefront in Brooklyn, this was not a problem. But now that we are on the net, we hope that there is no confusion.

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    “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
    —Mahatma Gandhi