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How to Order

Online Ordering
All of the items on this site can be ordered using the a secure ordering service which features a shopping cart and all the features you'd expect from an online store.  The shopping cart service I use is Microsoft bCentral's Commerce Manager.  For payment processing I use QuickBooks' service through Innovative Merchant Solutions (IMS).  I accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express credit cards.  All transactions are very secure.

Payment by Check
I prefer payment by check for orders over $500 from U.S. customers.  That saves me the cost of the credit card fees.  Please make checks out to Cumulus Soaring, Inc. and send to the address below.  For customers outside the U.S. I require payment by credit card. 

FAX Ordering
I will also accept orders on my FAX machine.  Online orders are preferred, but FAX orders are fine.  Please use the FAX number found on the bottom of this page and use the following form: order form.pdf

Payment by Wire Transfer to my Bank Account
I have found that my bank charges large fees for wire transfer deposits from banks outside the USA, so I prefer payment by credit card.  I can accept payments by wire transfer, but I will need to charge a $20 service fee to cover my bank fees.

Customers Outside the United States
I am often asked if I sell to customers outside the U.S.  In fact, a significant share of my sales of cables, mounts and software are to customers outside the U.S.  My online order entry system accepts orders from anywhere in the world.  If you are asked for a "State/Province" and that does not apply, please enter "NA" (Not Applicable).  I generally ship low cost orders to other countries using US Postal Service (USPS) 1st Class International Airmail.  It gets the product to the customer in about 10 days.  You may be charged VAT taxes or duties upon arrival.  I cannot predict the amount of taxes or duties you will be charged by your country, but it can be a significant cost for expensive items.  For large orders such as instruments I must ship using UPS Express so that the shipment can be insured and tracked.  UPS Express can be quite expensive - $100 or more.  I can ship large orders to some countries using USPS Express Mail International - which is also traceable and insured and costs much less than UPS.

Issue For Customers Outside the USA - Online Order System Not Accepting Address Information
This is a common complaint from customers outside the USA.  The online ordering system won't accept their address data.  Unfortunately, the online system is very particular about the address data.  The good news is that it is easy to make it work when you know what is required.  Please see the example screen capture and the instructions below.

• Set the "State/Province" field to "Outside US".
• You must enter something in the "Other State/Province" field.  If your address does not include a state or province please enter "NA" (not applicable).
• You must enter a "Zip/Postal Code".  If your address does not include a zip/postal code please enter "NA" (not applicable).

Shipping Charges
When purchasing items with the online order service, you will be presented approximate shipping charges when your complete your online order.  It is possible that actual shipping may cost me more or less than the nominal amount displayed.  I have tried to setup the online order estimates to be slightly higher than actual shipping charges.  However, heavy or expensive packages may be more expensive to ship.  I charge actual shipping charges, plus fees for packaging (boxes), and insurance.  I do not charge "handling" fees.   I will inform you if the shipping charges will be significantly more than the estimate you were presented while ordering.
 

Shipping Options - Within the USA
Service	Provider	Description	Timing	Base Rate for 1 lb	Packaging Fee	Traceable?	Insurance
USPS Media Mail	US Postal Service	Low cost option for books and DVDs only.  Shipping books using US Priority mail would be much more expensive.	~1 to 4 days	$2.13	$1	No	Self-Insured by Cumulus Soaring, Inc., $1/$100
USPS 1st Class Mail	US Postal Service	Low cost option for any light weight package.  More expensive than Media mail for heavy items such as books.  Only for packages that weight less than 13 ounces - larger packages must use Media Mail or Priority Mail	~1 to 4 days	$3.17 for 13 ounces	$1	No	Self-Insured by Cumulus Soaring, Inc., $1/$100
USPS Priority Mail	US Postal Service	Standard shipping method.  Generally a little faster than US 1st Class Mail.  Free boxes provided (depending on dimensions).	~1 to 4 days	$4.60	-	No	Self-Insured by Cumulus Soaring, Inc., $1/$100
UPS Ground	UPS	Lowest cost option that is traceable.  A good value for heavy packages.	~1 to 4 days	$6 to $15	$1	Traceable	Included in shipping cost
UPS 2nd Day Air	UPS	Delivery in 2 business days.  Free boxes provided (depending on dimensions). Additional fee for Saturday delivery.	2nd day	$20 to $40	-	Traceable	Included in shipping cost
UPS Next Day Air	UPS	Delivery on the next business day by 10 AM.  Free boxes provided (depending on dimensions). Additional fee for Saturday delivery.	Next day	$35 to $100	-	Traceable	Included in shipping cost
Shipping Options - Outside the USA
Service	Provider	Description	Timing	Base Rate for 1 lb	Packaging Fee	Traceable?	Insurance
USPS First Class International Airmail	US Postal Service	Standard shipping method.  A very good value, but it is not traceable. Note: About 10% of shipments are delayed for several weeks in customs in the destination country.	~ 4 to 10 days	$10 to $20	$1	No	Self-Insured by Cumulus Soaring, Inc., $1/$100
USPS Priority Mail International	US Postal Service	Perhaps a little faster than US First Class International, nearly as expensive as USPS Express Mail International	~ 4 to 10 days	$30 to $50	$1	No	Self-Insured by Cumulus Soaring, Inc., $1/$100
USPS Express Mail International	US Postal Service	A very good value when compared with UPS or FedEx - about 1/2 to 1/3 as expensive.  Insured and traceable.  However, for some destinations the tracking extends only to the point of exit from the USA.  This option seems much more reliable in regard to delivery time.  However, it is very time consuming to fill out the required shipping forms, so I charge a $5 handling charge.	~3 to 5 days	$40 to $60	$1	Traceable (in some countries)	Self-Insured by Cumulus Soaring, Inc., $1/$100
UPS Worldwide Express	UPS	The most reliable way to get a package delivered quickly, but very expensive.  Free boxes provided (depending on dimensions).	~3 to 5 days	$80 to $200	-	Traceable	Included in shipping cost

Issue with "Continue Shopping" Button
Customers often tell me that after adding a product to their shipping cart, the "Continue Shopping" button does not work correctly. It should take them back to my web site but it doesn't work.  Hitting the "Back" button in the browser seems to make the problem worse because it will sometimes increase the selected quantity of the current item in the shopping cart.  Of course, it works fine for me and for many of my customers, but it is a somewhat common problem.  I have talked to my service provider about the issue.  They say that it is not a bug.  The issue is caused either by settings in the customer's browser, or by settings in their internet security or firewall software.  Below are a few solutions.

• Work Around - It is possible to use the browser's Back button and avoid adding more items to your shopping cart.  Do not hit the Back button once, instead hit it 2 or more times in rapid succession.  That should take you back to my web site.  Or you can use the drop down list that is attached to the Back button to select the Cumulus Soaring, Inc. web page you were on previously.
• Fix - My service provider gave me the instructions below which can be used to reset your browser to its default settings - which should solve the problem.
  • In Internet Explorer
  • Go to the Tools menu and select Internet Options...
  • Go to the General tab
  • Press the "Delete Cookies" button (may take a while to complete)
  • Press the "Delete Files" button (may take a while to complete)
  • Go to the Security tab
  • Press the "Default Level" button
  • Go to the Privacy tab
  • Press the "Default" button
  • Go to the Advanced tab
  • Press the "Restore Defaults" button