Questions about Ordering and Shopping

NEW! We now have an introductory step-by-step guide to shopping if you are new to purchasing personalized books online. If you would prefer to read that first, it is located here.

It's really quite easy. Just browse through our products using the blue menu bar on the left side of your screen. The product categories are listed at the top of the menu. As each category is displayed, you'll see a brief description of the book, along with a picture. You can always click on the "More Info" link to find out the full details about the product, including a bigger picture.

If you want to purchase that item, review the section that lists the personalization information required. Then fill out the appropriate boxes (especially the required fields, indicated by red asterisks) in the orderbox, making sure you've provided everything requested and have spelled everything correctly. Note: we are not responsible for errors in the information you provide to us. A complete copy of our return policy is located here. If everything is correct, then click on the "Add to Cart" button. Your selection will be added to your Shopping Cart (analgous to a supermarket shopping cart).

Continue shopping in this way, and when you're ready to complete your order, select the "Shopping Cart" link on the blue menu bar. The full details of every item you've put into your cart will be shown there. You can change the quantity of an item, or remove it by checking the "Remove" box, and then clicking on "Recalculate". If you want to empty your Shopping Cart completely, just click on "Clear". Your Shopping Cart will be retained for at least 30 days before being cleared, so you can always come back to our web site to continue your shopping.

If everything looks correct on your order, click on "Checkout" and follow the directions from there, providing your billing and shipping information, shipping carrier and method and any final details. At the conclusion of this process, you will see a final "Thank You" page with a summary of your order and an order number. We suggest that you print out this page for your records. If you've provided us with an E-mail address, a copy of your order will be E-mailed to you.

It's that easy!

What forms of payment are accepted?
Do you accept credit cards?
Do you accept PayPal payments?
Can I make my order offline and send you a check or money order?

You may pay with any major credit card. We accept MasterCard, VISA, American Express and Discover cards.

To complete your order, use the "checkout" button to start the process. Make sure that your E-mail address and phone number are correct. Enter your credit card information and submit your order. Credit card approvals generally only take 10-15 seconds, but may take as long as two minutes, depending on how busy our site is. Please be patient during the approval process.

If you wish to mail us your order, please still use the online system to complete your order. No payment information will be collected, and you will be given an order number at the completion of the checkout process. Print out and send us a copy of your "thank you" page (which shows your order number), along with a check or money order for the full amount made payable to "Joyful Tales" and we will process your order from there. Our mailing address is located here.

Your credit card charge will be listed as from "Fat City Hosting" (our parent company) on your bill.

Do I have to pay sales tax?

At this point, we are not collecting sales tax. This may change as California state and Federal laws change regarding the collection of sales tax on Internet orders.

What personalization information is needed for a specific book?

Each book has different personalization needs, although most books require a child's name, age, gender, hometown and up to three friends or family members.

The most common additional personalizations are the name the child goes by, a birthdate, a book dedication and the date the book will be given.

Some books require more information. On the order page for each book, you will need to fill in the required personalization information, which is indicated by red asterisks. If some of the personalization is optional, you won't need to include that information unless you choose to do so.

When we process your order, we will perform a simple "sanity check" of the personalization information you provided and contact you if anything seems unusual. However, YOU are ultimately responsible for the accuracy of your order. Please double-check your order before check out to ensure it is correct.

You may also want to review our policy on returns, which is located here.

What is the best way to order more than one of the same book?

If the personalization information is identical for the book you want more than one copy of, just change the order quantity to the desired amount.

If the personalization information is different for each book, complete each book independently and then add it to your Shopping Cart. For example, once you have completed the first book, go back to the same book, enter the different personalization information and add it to your Shopping Cart. You can verify the details of each book by looking at your Shopping Cart at any time.

How can I order a book for someone else?

If you know all of the personalization information needed for a book, just fill out the order form and check out. You may specify to have your order shipped to you, or directly to the recipient. You can optionally include a small gift card that we will include with the shipment free of charge.

If you do not know the personalization information, or you want to leave that up to another person, we recommend that you simply purchase a gift certificate in the amount you wish to give. The gift certificate will be sent to the recipient free of shipping charges. They can then redeem the gift certificate at any time by selecting the products they want and entering the gift certificate code during the checkout process.

I have questions about personalization -- who can I ask?

We understand that personalization is very important to everyone, and that you may have a lot of questions. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have that aren't answered here. Go to our About Us page to find out how to contact us.

How do I make a change to the personalization information once the book is in my shopping cart?

The only way to do this is to remove the item from your Shopping Cart, find it again, and fill out the personalization information. To make it easier, just go to the Shopping Cart and write down the SKU (product) number of the item you selected. Remove the item from your Shopping Cart, then use the Search page to find the item by it's SKU number and then re-enter the correct information.

Do some books show up in more than one category?

Yes. Some books are applicable to many categories. Some books may appear very similar, but are actually different books. A good example is the Peter Pan books. One is a Disney Lift-The-Flap book and the other is the classic Peter Pan fairy tale. As another example, you may find a book about Christmas in the classics section as well as the religious section. We've tried to arrange the books by categories that help you make a selection.

Why should I create an account here?

Registration allows you to just enter a username and password each time you place an order, to quickly retrieve your account information. It also allows you to subscribe to our mailing list, to receive announcements of new products and store specials, save your shopping cart and view your current and past orders. You can edit your account at any time. It's free, it's easy and it saves you a lot of time if you plan on coming back again in the future.

How can I purchase a gift certificate?

Gift certificates are located here. Purchase a gift certificate in the amount you wish to give. The gift certificate will be sent to the recipient free of shipping charges. They can then redeem the gift certificate at any time by selecting the products they want and entering the gift certificate code during the checkout process.

How do I use/enter a gift certificate when ordering?

During the checkout process, you will have an opportunity to use a gift certificate code. Enter the code in the box provided and continue with the checkout process. You will notice that the value of the gift certificate is deducted from your order total.

How do I use/enter a discount code when ordering?

During the checkout process, you will have an opportunity to use a discount code. Enter the code in the box provided and continue with the checkout process. You will notice that the value of the discount is reflected in your order total.

Are gift cards available to be sent with an order?

Yes. During the checkout process, enter a short message for us to include on a gift card. We will include the gift card with your shipment at no additional charge.

What books are on sale?

Books on sale change frequently. Go to our Today's Deals page to see everything that is on sale right now. In addition, we also list all new products in our What's New section, so be sure to check there too.

How can I find a book without having to browse through each title?

The easiest way is to use our Search page to look for books based on keywords, descriptions, titles or SKU (product) numbers. Just enter the information that you're looking for and review the results.

Why do you require an E-mail address and phone number?

Our system will send several E-mail notifications to you as your order is processed, including package tracking information (where applicable). In addition, having your E-mail address and phone number available enables us to contact you should we have a problem or a question about your order. All of your private information is stored securely and will not be used or released to anyone else.

Where can I get printed catalogs/brochures and business cards to give to my friends and family?

We would be happy to send you as many of our catalogs as you would like! Each 28 page catalog lists all of the products mentioned on our website and would be perfect to hand out to friends and family members who might want to purchase books of their own. We also have single page flyers and brochures which can be posted on bulletin boards or mailed to others.

Please contact us and let us know what you need, and where to send them, and we'll get your materials out to you right away.