Thank You For Voting Us One Of The Web's Best Online Toy Stores!

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EVERYTHING YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE PLACING AN ORDER
Links to shipping policies, delivery charges, returns procedures and more below!

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Most Domestic Orders Are Scheduled To Leave Our Warehouse
Within 3 Business Days
Check Map Below To See Time In Transit To Your Destination

The map reflects the time it takes for a regular order to be delivered after it leaves our warehouse.
Business days does not include Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
If you need it faster - click here

Thank you for joining the thousands of parents, teachers and daycare providers who have been purchasing their children's products from Live And Learn since 1988, and welcome to our Order Info web page.

At Live And Learn we want every customer to be an informed consumer. We want you to know all the fine print before you place an order. We are not like other stores which bury their policies, and make them hard to find.

For instance, on this page you will learn we have a fairly standard return policy, but there are certain items which are sold without return privileges. We also explain our shipping options, when orders carry handling fees, and we explain some of the quirks of our shopping cart system.

Please be an informed consumer, especially if this is your first time shopping with us. We do not want any misunderstandings of what we will, or will not do in a given situation. We can't force you to read the information, but if you don't...you are only hurting yourself!

Scroll down to read all the details of our policies, or click on the links to jump to the section which interests you.
 

Shopping Cart - We use a straight forward shopping cart system. You can add, alter, or remove items from your cart as you shop. You are not required to submit any personal information until you are finished shopping. When you are asked to submit sensitive personal data such as your credit information, the shopping cart system will activate our Secure Secure Sockets Layer (SSL 128-bit) encryption to scramble your personal and credit card information as it travels over the Internet. SSL is the same security technology used by banks and credit card companies themselves, and it is impossible for anyone to read your information in transit. But the shopping cart system is not without its flaws. If you order items which include free shipping, or have their own specific shipping fee, the shopping cart will not show you the correct total. Proper adjustments will be made when your order is processed, and you will receive an adjusted invoice via email before your order ships. Back To Top

Email Ordering - You do not need to use our shopping cart to place an order. This is particularly useful if you are a repeat customer for whom we have credit information on file and you are only purchasing one or two items. Simply send an email message to customer_service@liveandlearn.com, tell us who you are (full name and city/state, what you want (item name(s) and number(s), and to use your information already on file. We will gladly process your order. Back To Top

Phone Ordering - During most of the year you can place an order by phone Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM eastern time by calling 443-394-8501. But during peak periods (the holiday shopping season of  November - December) and during low staffing times (summer vacation time) we suspend ordering by phone. We do not have a toll free number. We prefer you to use our online shopping cart to place an order. Back To Top

Purchase Orders - Accredited institutions can submit purchase orders. Please call 443-394-8501 from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM eastern time or email customer_service@liveandlearn.com your request to submit a purchase order. If you qualify, and the items are available in the needed quantity, you will be provided details for submission of the purchase order. Back To Top

Payment Options - We accept a wide variety of payments for orders such as credit cards, money orders and bank checks. Payment options are listed in this section. Back To Top

Credit Card/Debit Card - We accept MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express. You can submit your credit card/debit card information via our shopping cart, in an email message or by calling us. When submitting credit card information in our shopping cart or in an email message we must have the exact name as shown on the credit card, and the actual address where the credit card bill is received if different than the shipping address for the order.

Although many people are afraid to send credit information over the web, submitting credit information via a SSL order form as used in our shopping cart is actually the safest method for submitting credit information. Payment by credit card/debit card results in the fastest processing of an order. Charges to a credit card/debit card are not applied until an order actually ships. Back To Top

Bank Checks and Money Orders - First, never mail in payment until we confirm that your order has been reviewed and all the items are in stock. Bank checks and money orders are treated like cash when received. An order which was being held for payment will receive immediate processing once the bank check or money order is received. International customers, please make sure your bank check or money order is drafted in U.S. Dollars. Back To Top

Business Checks - Submission of a business check is only accepted from accredited institutions which received merchandise after submitting a pre-approved purchase order. Back To Top

Personal Checks - We are sorry, but we do not accept personal checks as payment. Back To Top

Pay Pal - We are sorry, but we do not accept Pay Pal as payment. Back To Top

Changing Or Canceling An Order - You can change or cancel an order provided it has not been packaged for shipment. To make adjustments simply call our customer service department at 443-394-8501 Monday through Friday from 10:00 AM until 2:00 PM eastern time or send an email message to customer_service@liveandlearn.com 24 hours a day. Since email is a cost-free option for you (and us) we do not have a toll free phone number. Back To Top

Your Tracking Number - All domestic orders are assigned an UPS tracking number at time of shipment. If we have your email address, you will be sent the tracking number the day your package leaves our warehouse.

The tracking message comes from our QuantumViewNotify@ups.com system. The tracking message has the details of your package, and a link for up-to-date tracking information. But please be advised, it generally takes about 6 hours after you receive the message to see recorded movement to your package.

Also note, if you have spam blocking software installed on your computer the message may be blocked by your service provider, or go straight to your trash email folder or directly into your bulk mail folder. Back To Top

Returns, Damaged Items, Packing Errors And Software Disclaimer
Live And Learn has a fairly standard return policy. In general, you have 30 days to return most items purchased. We refund the full purchase price of the item being returned, but we do not refund any shipping fees. There are certain conditions and exceptions covered in our return policy. Damages and packing errors are handled differently than standard returns. International customers do not have the same protection as domestic customers. Please read all the information in this section for full details...this is the most important section to read before placing an order, so please read it all...especially item number 5 in red type which specifically states what items cannot be returned! Back To Top

1 - RA Number - All returns must have an RA Number (Return Authorization Number). To receive a RA Number you must send an email message to customer_service@liveandlearn.com and tell us you have a return. Include the full customer name as shown on the invoice, the invoice date, invoice number, and tell us what you want to return. We will reply via email with all the information necessary concerning the return. Unauthorized returns will not be credited and will only be shipped back to you at our discretion and your expense. Back To Top

2 - Standard Return - A standard return is an item you received, but decide not to keep. There is nothing wrong with the product, you just want to return it. Well, unless a product's description on its web page states otherwise, an unopened item may be returned within 30 days after shipment for a full no hassle refund minus shipping charges. The item cannot have been used, and must be in perfect condition (including the packaging). Products which are not packaged such as plush, must be in their original condition which includes having all tags still attached. If the item was shipped to you free of charge, we will deduct the cost of the original shipping fee when it is returned. If the item shows signs of wear, or the packaging is not in pristine condition, there may be a repackaging charge, or the return may not be accepted. Therefore, do not return anything if it is not in perfect condition. All returns must have an RA number or it will not be accepted. See item #1 above for RA number information. Back To Top

3 - Damaged Items And Shipping Errors - All of the products we sell are brand new, factory fresh items from reputable manufacturers. And when we ship an item to you, it goes through many checks to ensure you get exactly what you ordered.

Even so, once in a while an item may get damaged in shipment or there may have been a manufacturing problem during a production run or the wrong item is shipped from our warehouse. Therefore, you must check your order immediately upon receipt.

All damages and errors in shipment must be reported to Live And Learn within 7 days without exception.

Each case of damage is handled differently. You may be asked to return the product to us, to the manufacturer, or to no one at all. Products which are received damaged may be replaced, repaired, or returned for a refund at the discretion of Live And Learn and its suppliers.

Please be advised, some companies offer no warranties for their toys and some companies offer very good warranties. But please understand, we personally do not offer any warranty of any kind. Toys break, that is a fact of life, and we do not replace a toy if it breaks.

Thus, by placing an order you are acknowledging that Live And Learn does not warrant the life span or quality of the products it sells, and you are agreeing that Live And Learn's sole responsibility is to ship you a brand new, unused product in the condition received from the manufacturer and nothing more. Back To Top

4 - Special Information For International Customers - The products we sell do not have any international warranties. Therefore it is very, very important to inspect your package the day it arrives to determine if anything was damaged in transit. Every international order is shipped insured, and a damage claim can be filed for damages in transit. It is also important to only purchase items which are not likely to have a hidden manufacturing defect which may surface after a short period of time. Items to stay away from are toys with moving parts such as Jack-In-The-Box toys, dolls with special features such as potty dolls or dolls with blinking eyes, plus audio and video products. If you receive a product with a manufacturer's defect it will be at the manufacturer's discretion whether they will help you. Although we will assist and advise you if you receive a damaged item, or an item breaks prematurely, Live And Learn itself does not offer any warranty or guarantee for the products you purchase. Back To Top

5 - Non-Returnable Items - Certain items cannot be returned under any conditions. If a non-returnable item is received damaged, and you contact us within the prescribed 7 days as discussed above, we pledge to remedy the situation via repair or replacement as described above. Items which cannot be returned under any condition include all (opened or unopened) video cassettes, audio cassettes, DVDs, CDs and computer software; books; sleeping bags; pianos; wooden kitchen units; Madeline lamps; final sale items; special order items from companies such as Corolle and Lauri; guitars and any item designated on its web page as a nonreturnable product.Back To Top

6 - Software Disclaimer - Live And Learn does not warrant nor guarantee that the software posted on our site for downloading, or the commercial software we sell will work with every computer. Although most software programs will work as expected on most people's computer, there are instances where computer software will not install properly, not operate as expected, or even crash a person's computer. Long time owners of Windows based machines are very familiar with blue screens of death, and although Mac systems are more stable, they too experience problems with certain programs. Therefore, when you download software from our site or purchase commercial software from Live And Learn it is understood that it is at your own risk. We do not guarantee the software will work on your machine, and if it doesn't, you cannot hold Live And Learn liable for any problems you experience or expect to get a refund if you paid for the software. In addition, we are sorry, but we are not software technicians, and therefore we cannot help you with computer software related problems. Most of the commercial software we sell include a help file, and/or tech help numbers either on the package or in text files on the software disk. If you experince a problem with software, please contact the software company per the information found in the software package. Back To Top

Shipping Time-Frames, Options And Fees
The following information does not apply to APO Military orders. For APO order information [ Click Here ]

The time it takes us to process a regular order before shipment varies. The current processing time is always posted at the top of this web page. We ship all regular domestic orders going to the 48 mainland United States via UPS in the sequence received, all other orders are shipped via the United States Post Office via priority or express mail.

Please allow the time shown at the top of this page for us to prepare, pick and process a regular order before shipment to a domestic address. Alaska, Hawaii, APO and International may take an additional few days to leave our warehouse. After leaving our warehouse, packages take one to ten days to reach their destination.

Shipping times vary based on where you live. We ship from Maryland, and the closer to us you are, the faster you will receive your package. For instance, orders to PA or NJ usually take one or two business days after leaving our warehouse. But orders to CA or WA can take a week or more after leaving the warehouse. Whereas, as crazy as it may seem, orders to Europe and Asia usually arrive in less than a week after leaving our warehouse!

Although it does not happen often, packages do get misrouted for various reasons and delivery is delayed.  No organization is perfect...not Live And Learn, not UPS and not the Postal Service. Thus, by placing an order you are agreeing not to hold us liable if a package does not arrive by the date you expect, whether it is Live And Learn's fault, the carrier's fault, or for some other reason regardless of the method the package is shipped or the amount paid for the service. Our only commitment is to ship the package timely by the agreed upon service.

Unless a product states it ships for free, or has its own special shipping fee, our shipping/handling fee for orders going to the 48 Continental United States and APO addresses are based on the total amount of the order. In the event an order's actual shipping costs far exceeds the posted schedule or the complexity of the order requires extra handling, we will contact you prior to shipment to authorize an additional shipping/handling fee. Back To Top

Our regular shipping/handling fees for orders to the 48 Continental United States are as follows:
For orders total up to $39.99 the fee is $7.95
For orders from $40.00 to $59.99 the fee is $8.95
For orders from $60.00 to $79.99 the fee is $9.95
For orders from $80.00 to $99.99 the fee is $11.95
For orders from $100.00 to $119.99 the fee is $12.95
For orders from $120.00 to $149.99 the fee is $14.95
For orders from $150.00 to $174.99 the fee is $20.00
For orders from $175.00 to $224.99 the fee is $25.00
For orders of $225.00 or more shipping is FREE! Back To Top

The shipping/handling fees for these locations are high and you must authorize a shipping/handling fee in advance. If enough money is authorized for shipment your order will ship on schedule. If we must contact you to authorize additional money for shipping/handling, the package will be delayed.

Shipment to these locations are provided as a special service, and require extra handling. After you place an order which is being sent outside the 48 Continental United States, we pick, pack and weigh the order to determine the shipping/handling costs. If you authorize a high enough shipping/handling amount when you complete your order form, your order will be processed immediately. If the amount you authorized was less than our actual charge for your order, we will send you an email message letting you know the total charge for your order including shipping/handling. We will not process your order until we receive your authorization to ship the package at the quoted price.

Please note, some countries impose customs fees, duty charges, or other costs on international shipments. If this is not your first time shopping internationally, you probably know more about your country's charges than we do. Our price quotations never include these extra amounts. It is always best to check locally about the extra charges you may have to pay. A good place to find information is your local postal office. If they do not know the answers to your questions, they may be able to guide you to the correct government agency for the answers.

During the peak holiday shopping period and during company wide vacations we may suspend these shipments. In the past, we have suspended special services during August, November, December, and January. Back To Top

APO Military Orders
APO orders being sent via the Postal Service are generally shipped once a week. During the peak holiday shopping period and during company wide vacations we may suspend APO shipments. In the past, we have suspended APO shipments during August, November, December, and January.

APO orders shipped via the Postal Service are sent via Priority Mail. We do not offer expedited shipping options for APO orders. Each APO order will be charged the shipping/handling fee as posted below plus an extra $6.95 surplus handling fee per order which be authorized by clicking here. The extra fee covers the additional time, effort and work required to manually process and ship an APO order (we actually have to send an employee in one of our vans to our local post office to ship APO Orders).

APO shipping fees are $6.95 plus the following amounts:
For orders total up to $39.99 the fee is $7.95
For orders from $40.00 to $59.99 the fee is $8.95
For orders from $60.00 to $79.99 the fee is $9.95
For orders from $80.00 to $99.99 the fee is $11.95
For orders from $100.00 to $119.99 the fee is $12.95
For orders from $120.00 to $149.99 the fee is $14.95
For orders from $150.00 to $174.99 the fee is $19.95
For orders from $175.00 to $224.99 the fee is $24.95
For orders of $225.00 or more shipping is FREE!

Additionally, heavy or large packages going to APO addresses sometimes far exceed the shipping/handling fees we charge. In such situations we will have to adjust your shipping/handling fee. Quite naturally, you will be notified prior to shipment and given the option to cancel the order, make an adjustment to the order, or continue with the order. In such cases, no action will be taken until we hear back from you. Back To Top

Gift Wrapping
All gift wrapping fees are clearly posted on a product's web page. If an item cannot be gift wrapped, the shopping cart does not offer the option to purchase the item with gift wrapping. We will gift wrap an item using appropriate paper, based on the item purchased. If you request a specific type of wrapping paper on the order form, we will do our best to honor the request. Back To Top

Typographical And Graphic Errors
By shopping at Live And Learn it is understood web pages are hand written, and the shopping cart system is hand coded. Because of this, sometimes the web developers make an error entering information. Descriptions may be off, or prices may be coded incorrectly. We do our best to avoid such errors, but sometimes it happens. In the event a product you order is posted with incorrect information you will be notified as quickly as possible and given the opportunity to adjust, or cancel the order.

In addition, it is also understood by shopping at Live And Learn certain products such as clothes items, loops for potholders, parachutes, etc. may have dye changes from time to time and the colors you see online may not represent the current dye lot. We do our best to present an accurate rendition of a product's color, but we cannot guarantee an exact match to the color shown on your monitor. Besides periodic changes by a manufacturer, which we often not aware of, each person's computer setting is different. Just like viewing the same TV show in a department store on a wall of televisions, the color representation from one monitor to another can be drastically different. Thus, the color you see on screen may be different than the color of the product you receive.  Back To Top