The Questions...

Questions about the Shopping Cart...   1) Hey, there's a shopping cart here? 2) Who wrote it? 3) OK, who really cares who wrote it, how does it work? 4) Cookies? Aren't they bad? 5) Cookies go away? 6) Can my browser eat cookies? (Will the cart work with me?) 7) Netscape, MSIE...so what? I'm on America OnLine! 8) The cart isn't working for me...can you fix it? 9) Hey, my browser is OLD! Where do I get a new one? 10) The cart STILL doesn't work, can I order? Back to the Categories Questions about the Search Engine...   11) How does the Search Engine work? 12) What are the extra boxes? 13) Why am I not getting results back? Back to the Categories Questions about Shipping and Stocking...   14) Is this stuff really in stock? 15) What are the Shipping charges? 16) What is the turn time on orders? 17) OK, I ordered some things, how is it getting to me? 18) Do you REALLY have what I want? 19) I want a LOT of something...do you have enough? 20) You don't have what I want listed, can you get it? Back to the Categories General Questions...   21) Phew, how do I pay for it all? 22) Hey, I'm in Maryland. Is there tax for online ordering? 23) Do you have a return policy? 24) Contact Us Back to the Categories

The Answers...

1) Hey, there's a shopping cart here?
Yes, there IS a shopping cart here! We have deployed a shopping cart for your ordering convienence.
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2) Who wrote it?
The fine folks at Fluid Network.Com wrote the shopping cart system that Pro Custom Hobbies uses. They also wrote our website from the ground up. We are in close contact with them at all times. Any suggestions about our website or our shopping cart system are welcomed at Comments. .
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3) OK, who really cares who wrote it, how does it work?
The shopping cart works hand in hand with your browser. You see something that you want, put a quantity in the blank box to the right of the item's price, then click add. Your browser, with our shopping cart software, will place a small piece of data called a cookie on your computer. It keeps track of what you added to your shopping cart until you are ready to check out. With a cookie, if your internet connection crashes and you come back to our website, we will still remember what you would like to order, saving you the trouble of having to reorder everything. If you are wondering about the security of cookies, please read the answer to the next question, Cookies? Aren't they bad?. If you're wondering if cookies will work with your browser, read Can my browser eat cookies?.
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4) Cookies? Aren't they bad?
Cookies CAN be bad. Cookies can also be good. It all depends on how they are written. We at both Pro Custom Hobbies and Fluid Network hate spam, internet tracking, and all other sorts of dirty deeds that have come to be associated with cookies. So, when we baked our cookie, we made sure that none of the bad stuff went into it. The only thing that our cookie contains are the things you ordered. Once you check out, or a certain time limit passes, the cookie crumbles and goes away. We do *NOT* take your name, personal data, e-mail address or *ANYTHING* else off of your computer *AT ALL*.
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5) Cookies go away?
Yes, they do. The cookies that we place on your machine will go away after one of two things happen. First, if you finish an order and check out, the cookie is deleted from your machine when you check out. Second, if more than 24 hours passes from the time that you placed the first item in your cart, the cookie will get stale and crumble away. In either case, you have 24 hours to finish your order. If you can't get all the items in your cart inside of 24 hours, please call us and we will be happy to process your order over the phone.
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6) Can my browser eat cookies? (Will the cart work with me?)
Hopefully, because the shopping cart NEEDS it to!! The shopping cart software was designed around Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 running under Windows 95/8/XP, and Netscape Communicator 5.0. It passes all LATER MSIE browsers (4.0, 5.0, 6.0 and 7.0) and Netscape browsers (4.0, 4.5, 4.7) with flying colors. Earlier browsers may NOT function, with some exceptions. MSIE before version 3 doesn't work, 3.0 does in most cases, and Netscape 2.02 Gold works, but 3.x doesn't like us...go figure. A note to America OnLine users: We have tested the shopping cart with AOL versions 3.0, 4.0, 5.0 beta and 5.0 final. The cart appears to work with all versions, but again, we recommend getting the latest version of any software product. Please also note that we have tested the shopping cart on Mac's with *only* MSIE 4.5 and Netscape Communicator 4.0 and *can not* support Mac platforms.
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7) Netscape, MSIE...so what? I'm on America OnLine!
Can my browser eat cookies does this question justice. We have tested the shopping cart software on AOL versions 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0. We have NOT tested on any earlier versions, mainly because we couldn't find any to test on! If you are experiencing problems with AOL versions 3.0 or earlier, we STRONGLY recommend upgrading to version 5.0 or later. It offers a later browser version and enhanced features.
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8) The cart isn't working for me...can you fix it?
Well...not necessarily. If the shopping cart is NOT working on your system, two things could be causing it. First, your browser is not set up to accept cookies. This will break the shopping cart 100% of the time. Be sure to set your browser to accept cookies. There are many brands and versions of browsers, so we can't post instructions for all of them. If you have MSIE 4.0+ or Netscape Communicator 4.0+, e-mail us at Cart Support.
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10) The cart STILL doesn't work, can I order?

That's BAD! We sincerely apologize for the shopping cart not working with your computer. You can e-mail us at Cart Support with details, and we can attempt to rectify the situation. You may order by clicking calling us at 410-549-9169.
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11) How does the Search Engine work?

We've tried to make the search engine as easy and intuitive as possible. To use it, simply type key words you're looking for in the "Search String" box...or enter nothing at all and use the input boxes below to see everything in that category. Read What are the extra boxes? for a more detailed explanation.

Example: looking for PRR, type "PRR" (without the quotes) in Search String and click Search! The Search Engine will return all records that have "PRR" or "prr" or "Prr", etc., in them. If you enter a search string with more than one word, eg. "prr caboose n5c", then the search will return all records with "prr" *AND* "caboose" *AND* "n5c".

To further refine your search, you may also restrict by category, scale, and/or manufacturer. See What are the extra boxes? for a detailed explanation.

Technical note: At this time, the only search supported is exclusive and. If there is a large enough response, we may add logical operators and exclusive not to the search engine in the future.
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12) What are the extra boxes?

Below the Search String box, there are three more input boxes. Here, you can begin a search with no search string, or refine a search with a string. If you're searching with a search string, and want to see results *ONLY* in a certain scale, from a certain manufacturer, and/or from a certain category, set the boxes boxes by clicking the down arrow and selecting what you want. For example, looking for an Amtrak AEM-7, but only want to see HO scale results? Put "Amtrak AEM-7" in the string and select "HO" scale. Want to see all Conrail equipment in HO from the Cars/Locos category from Athearn? A "conrail" search string, "Cars / Locos" category, "HO" scale, "140 - Athearn" manufacturer works nicely. Want to see what we have IN STOCK across an entire category? Do a search with no search string, Any scale, Any manufacturer, and set the category to the one that you'd like to see. A search with no string, "HO" scale, Any manufacturer, and "Structures" will return everything HO from our Building Section. Get the idea?
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13) Why am I not getting results back?

You're trying to be too specific with your search terms most likely. Our description field is limited to 35 characters, and when you have more than one word, ALL words must appear in the returned data. If you're entering "Pennsylvania Railroad heavyweight baggage car", there won't be results, because every word has to appear in the results, and the search string is longer than the description, so all the words CAN'T be in the results...Try using less words in the string. Also, be aware there are things in inventory that are "UP" and "Union Pacific", and still one "Union P" left. If you're using an abbreviation, try using a different form. Also, if you're using restrictions such as category, try searching without the restrictions. Also, please note that JavaScript MUST be enabled for the search to work!

Can I refine a search that I just made?

In a word, no. There is no ReSearch button yet, because generally a search that fails the first time will also fail the second. Simply follow the hints above and hopefully the next search will be better.
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14) Is this stuff really in stock?

In another word, yes. We only list what we have IN STOCK on our website, and we have a fill rate that is consistently higher than 99%.
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15) What are the Shipping Charges?

Shipping charges are based on the total shippable amount of your order within the continental United States.

Less than $50.00 $ 7.99
$50.00 to $99.99 $ 9.99
$100.00 and over $11.99

Shipping is by Priority Mail.

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16) What is the turn time on orders?
Orders received by Pro Custom Hobbies are generally turned around the day received, barring incident. We are open Wednesday-Saturday, and ship on Wednesday-Friday. The cutoff time for same day turnaround is 1:30pm Eastern Time. Any orders received after the cutoff time will be shipped the next business day that we are open; Wednesday is the ship day for orders received after 1:30pm Friday-Sunday.
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17) OK, I ordered some things, how is it getting to me?
We ship United States Postal Service Priority Mail in the states and Global Priority Mail overseas. Really heavy or bulky items like cases of flex track, balsa or cork, or a supply of stick on weights, for example, are shipped regular Parcel Post in the states and Surface Transportation overseas. Books are shipped Media Mail in the states. If you wish we can ship DHL or FedEx or UPS upon request.
If you absolutely need your book or bulk package at Priority Mail speed we can ship it that way but there will be a higher freight charge than you would otherwise encounter.
Shipments to Alaska, Hawaii and all foreign destinations are billed the actual shipping charge for the total weight from our Zip Code to your Zip Code or Country.
We ship daily from Eldersburg, MD, U.S.A. The cost for shipping in the continental U.S.A is based on the total value of items that are included on your order. Shipments to Alaska and Hawaii are actual shipping costs.
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18) Do you REALLY have what I want?
Pro Custom Hobbies believes only in selling what we have that is in stock at the store. If an item is listed on our website, it is listed as "on-hand" in our computer system at the store. We will update the website roughly two times a day to keep our website nice and fresh. However, all items listed are subject to prior sale.
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19) I want a LOT of something...do you have enough?
Pro Custom Hobbies is a store run by hobbyists...we understand what it means to have something in stock. We are proud of our fill rate, although sometimes we may not have the quantity you've requested. If we cannot fill the order quantity, we will contact you for instructions. Generally, the hold time on an order that we need to order an item to fill is about 6 business days, assuming that the item is on hand with our distributors.
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20) You don't have what I want listed, can you get it?
Pro Custom Hobbies has about 75% of the individual items available in the store listed on this web site in our Shopping Cart, but there are many smaller, special items that have escaped so far. In short, there ARE things that aren't on the website. If you don't see an item, e-mail us at Pro Custom Hobbies with stock inquiries, we probably have it! We can also special order most items.
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21) Phew, how do I pay for it all?
Pro Custom Hobbies accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover for online payment. We also accept checks with a 10 day hold for clearance, exact amount only, and a $25.00 service fee for returned checks. Sorry, but we can ONLY accept credit cards for international orders!
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22) Hey, I'm in Maryland. Is there tax for online ordering?
You betchya. The State of Maryland has decreed that we must collect sales tax for any sales within Maryland. This includes in-store, mail order and Internet orders. Sorry, but there is no way around it.
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23) Do you have a refund and return policy?

Yes, we do.

Pro Custom Hobbies REFUND POLICIES

RETURNS: All returns are to be accompanied by your original sales receipt. Without the receipt, there will be no return, refund, exchange or adjustment of any kind. Refunds will made the same way that you paid. A check will be sent to you for payments by check and a refund will be processed against the same credit card used for the original purchase.

NON-DEFECTIVE RETURNS: Non-Defective returns are to be made within seven (7) days of the purchase, in a new, salable condition as received by the consumer with all paperwork and in the original box or package. NON-DEFECTIVE returns are subject to a 25% restocking charge.

DEFECTIVE RETURNS: Defective Returns are to be made within fourteen (14) days of purchase with all paperwork, and the box or package the product came in. Signs of Misuse, abuse or any other damage uncharacteristic of normal use will void any attempt of return, refund, exchange or adjustment. In the event Pro Custom Hobbies refuses to make adjustment based on the above, the consumer of course is free to contact the Manufacturer of the product.

WARRANTY ITEMS: Certain products carry full Manufacturer warranties. Items which have a manufacturers warranty must be returned to the manufacturer for service.

GIFT CERTIFICATES: Gift Certificates are not returnable for any reason. Sales of gift certificates are final and are exchangable for product only. They are not refundable for cash.

SALE ITEMS: Sale items are returnable only if defective and for store credit only. No cash refund will be given for any Sale Item.

CLOSE OUT ITEMS: Close Out Item sales are final. No refunds,exchanges or adjustments of any kind will be granted. The sale of a close out item is final.

SPECIAL ORDERED ITEMS: Special Ordered Items not normally carried in stock at Pro Custom Hobbies are returnable as noted above however, Pro Custom Hobbies reserves the right to withhold twenty-five percent (25%) of the sale price to cover the expense of ordering, shipping and returning the product to our distributor network.

CONSUMER KNOWLEDGE: Consumers are free to request a copy and/or explanation of the above store policy.

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24) CONTACT US

PRO CUSTOM HOBBIES
6345F South Carroll Park Drive
Eldersburg, MD 21784

Phone: 410-549-9169

Email: procustomhobbies@verizon.net
Pro Custom Hobbies

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