. Why should I register to become a member of GlobalBengal Initiatives?
. How secure are my credit card or electronic check transactions?
. What is the return policy on goods purchased here?
. Can non-US customers avail all the products and services of bengalcommerce.com?
. Are there any alternate means of payment for the services?
. What is the typical time lapse between placing an order and the actual delivery of services?
. Can I place rush orders, and how?
. Can I place special requests for a service? What would be the cost?
. How do I pay for online orders with a credit card?
. How do I pay for online orders using electronic checks?
. Under what circumstances can my order be delayed?
. Can customers in countries other than US or Canada place gift orders?
. What is Jibon Sangi?
. How does the Sari Gift Service work?
. Are there restrictions on sending Non-vegeterian items as gifts?
. I've heard that not all Flury's cakes are made every day - what's the scoop?
. What is the "Family Album" service?
. Is it true that in some cases, the requested items in a gift order can be substituted?
. What should I know before ordering a pizza gift?

 

Why should I register to become a member of GlobalBengal Initiatives?

Membership provides some unique benefits. First, most of our products and services are discounted for members. For example, there is a 10% membership discount on gift services. . Secondly, your transactions will be faster, since all you need to provide is your email id and password as personal information in the order forms; the sytem will pre-populate your contact information based on member records and save both typing effort as well as minimize errors. Our members will be the first to receive product updates or new service offerings notification whenever these become available on our site through the periodic newsletters. Going forward, we plan to have other value added products that only members will be able to access. Through membership, you can provide additional exposure to your own web site since we have an option to link your site to ours during registration. While applying for the membership, please be careful to note the email id that you register with us, since this effectively becomes your Globalbengal login id. All communications regarding your account will be sent electronically to this email location. Please note that all information provided in your membership form must be valid and current; we do review the records every day. Please be assured that your membership information is kept strictly confidential and is required for internal GlobalBengal processing only - it will not be sold to external parties, nor will it be displayed publicly on our web site.

Bengalcommerce.com conducts online transactions in a secure manner, fully compliant with industry standards of safe e-commerce. All personal and payment information exchange over the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). This creates an encrypted session between the customer's browser and the bengalcommerce secure server. An easy way of verifying this is to examine the URL of the payment input forms; a address starting with https://... (instead of regular http) indicates a private web session. The browser would also have a padlock sign at the bottom left to indicate that a secure session has been negotiated.

What is the return policy on goods purchased here?

The return policy varies based on the product. As a rule, all sales are final for most of the products or services offered on our site. However, in most cases, defective merchandise will be exchanged by the merchant if the customer ships the item back to the merchant. Specific return policies may apply on certain product lines owned by affiliated businesses. In such cases, please send a mail to info@bengalcommerce.com for specific details.

Can non-US customers avail all the products and services of bengalcommerce.com?

The purpose of bengalcommerce.com is to serve the needs of global customers, however there may be some currency issues. In general, payment through credit cards that can be used for dollar charges are acceptable. Electronic checks can only be accepted for customers that have a checking account on a US bank. Our products can be shipped ANYWHERE in the world as long as the payment is made through credit cards, Paypal etc accepted by the system. We generally ship to an address and not a PO box. If you have questions, please send an email to support@bengalcommerce.com first with address and item details, and we'll assist you in the process.

Are there any alternate means of payment for the services?

As an e-commerce site, we prefer that transactions are made realtime over the Internet to automate the entire shopping process. However, we understand that some of our customers may be more comfortable with more conventional payment methods. Accordingly, you can request our services in the following manner:

• Print the appropriate order page, fill inthe information and mail it to our address.
• Please attach a check or money order for the requisite amount.
• Fax the above page to us with credit card/check information.
• Email all details from the order page to us, along with credit card or electronic check information

What is the typical time lapse between placing an order and the actual delivery of services?

Normally, for mail order delivery to most global destinations, please allow up to 2-4 weeks for delivery. For online gift services, we ask that the customer place the order at least 5 days prior to target delivery date. Any order placed less than 2 days before requested delivery date will be treated as a rush order - please read the requirements of rush order below.

Please note that to ensure quality and feshness of our products, all bengalcommerce.com gift orders will only be shipped within 11 AM to 8 PM on working days. Generally, we are open for business everyday, however speciasl holidays or unusual circumstances may further shorten these hours.

Can I place rush orders, and how?

Rush orders are those where the order is being placed within 48 hours of the requested delivery of products or services. Please DO NOT use our normal order form for such requests. You should send an email to: orders@bengalcommerce.com providing all details on your requirements. Please put the words "Rush order request" in the title of the mail. We will contact you ASAP with an answer of whether the service can be performed or not, and what the likely price would be. For most gift services, we will be able to accomodate a rush order for an extra charge of $10.

Can I place special requests for a service? What would be the cost?

Special services are those that fall outside our normally offered product line. Such requests can be sent to orders@bengalcommerce.com with detailed description. The subject of the email should read "Special service request". We will get back to you within 2 business days. As in rush orders, most special gift service requests may be fulfilled for a reasonable price.

How do I pay for a purchase online with a credit card?

Currently, we accept VISA and Mastercard for online purchases at bengalcommerce.com. To pay for any transaction, please complete the following information on the form provided on the transaction page (eg gift service, Books etc):

• Credit Card Number : Please type in the complete card number, without any spaces or dash (-) in between in the numbers. eg 4356789023459376.
• Expiration Date : This is a 4 digit field denoting the date on which this card will expire. The format is 2 digit month followed by 2 digit yr. For example, September 1999 would be 0999. Please do not put any / or - between the month and year.
• Name as on card : Type in your name. PLEASE NOTE that this must be same as name of the Customer (Purchaser) placing the order. You cannot place an order on anyone's credit card other than your very own. Our system will enforce this policy strictly. In addition, the mailing address of the customer (as entered) must be same as the address on record with the credit card company - this is an additional security system to further verify that the cardholder is the owner of the credit card being used. Incidentally, this security, called AVS (address verification system) is standard practice in many business, inlcuding the airline industries. If you have moved recently, you should either use a credit card which reflects your latest address, or get your address updated with your existing credit card issuer. As we stated before, bengalcommerce.com is committed to transaction security and protecting consumer information.

How do I pay for a purchase online with electronic checks (ACH)?

ACH (Automated Clearing House) or electronic checks, as they are commonly known, is a really convenient alternate mechanism of payment over the Internet. However, currently, this service is only available to customers who have a checking account at a bank located in US. Essentially, this saves you the trouble of writing a check and mailing it to us. Please NOTE that since the check remains with you, that is your receipt (ie there is no canceled check from bank), and hte item will show up on your bank statement. In this method, you can provide the relevant check information to us online and we will debit your checking account for the transaction amount exactly in the way a check would have done. If you want to pay this way, you must provide us the following information accurately:

• Bank Name : This is the full name of the bank where you have the checking account. For example, Chase Manhattan Bank.
• Account Number: This is your checking account number. Do not put any -, space, / or other characters in between the digits; just type the actual digits back to back. An example could be 562340987.
• ABA or routing number: This is the banks unique routing number (also called ABA). Every US bank has its own routing number. This is a 9 digit number and is generally provided on every check at the bootom left hand corner in between 2 colon (:) characters. A typical example could be 011000476. If you have a doubt, please call your bank to verify.

Even though you don't mail the check to us, you should assign a check in your checkbook to this bengalcommerce.com transaction and put the amount on it. You may put the corresponding check number on the Address Line 2 field of the transaction form for better documentation.

Under what circumstance may my order delivery be delayed?

Despite our best efforts, there may be occasions when we are unable to deliver your gift services or other orders in the normal timeframe. The most common example may be a delay in Dhaka and Kolkata gift delivery because of natural calamities. GlobalBengal Initiatives will not be responsible for any delay in order processing because of inclement weather, natural disasters, political turmoil, transportation outages or any such event that would make it impossible or unsafe for GlobalBengal personnel to deliver an order on the requested date. In such cases, our policy is to deliver the goods at the earliest possible opportunity after the requested date. If GlobalBengal employees feel that the order cannot be delivered within 72 hours of the delivery time per order specifications, the customer will be contacted by email only for advise about next steps. Apart from gifts, other items like books and videos may temporarily be out of stock. We will attempt to replenish our supplies and notify the customer of the shortage within 2 weeks. The customer needs to let us know, by email only, how to handle the order in such a circumstance. Finally, there may be unforeseen casulties within GlobalBengal Initiatives which could lead to temporary problems in order shipment. We will initimate our customers as early as possible about such issues.

Can customers from non US/Canada countries place gift orders at bengalcommerce.com online?

Yes, you can! As long as a customer is paying by a valid VISA or MasterCard, it is similar to international, convertable currency. In gift services, the product is always being delivered at a standard place, whereas customers are located worldwide - while the cost is always computed in US dollars. Credit card companies will bill you the equivalent price in your local currency. Please verify, however, that your card does not have any local usage restrictions. From Bengalcommerce.com's standpoint, if the Visa/MasterCard can be charged, we will process your order, whether you're in Barbados, UK or down under in Australia!

Since our order forms don't have a listing of all countries, just put your coutnry name under the Address field and choose Other from the Country listbox. We do process international orders regularly, so this will not be a deviation from the protocols.

What is Jibon Sangi?

Jibon Sangi (Version 1.0) is a sophisticated, online matrimonial and dating system, designed to serve the unique companionship needs of Bengalis worldwide. This advanced, web-based system allows individuals looking for special relationships to know and meet other people with matching interests. Jibon Sangi customers can place ads about themselves or other acquaintances, which immediately go online and are visible to all viewers. To place a personal Jibon Sangi advertisement, you must be a GlobalBengal member (here's how). Currently, basic ad placement is completely free - there is a small onetime charge (payable online through secure server) for placing online pictures or requesting a private message box on the system. Classified ads are good for 6 months.

Jibon Sangi stands out from the crowd of other online matrimonials in many ways. This is the first fully-featured "Ghotkali/Mitali" center for all Bengalis, and especially for the expatriate, second generation community. GlobalBengal interviewed people of different locations, ages and views to establish a set of candidate characteristics that would be of interest to most comunity members.

From a system perspective, Jibon Sangi 1.0 provides multi-element search (based on age, religion, culture, purpose etc.) capabilities, a secure ad registration system and a user management console through which multiple ads can be placed and their responses viewed. You can suspend or terminate ads at any time. Information about each candidate is exhaustive and well presented. A strong plus of Jibon Sangi is its ability to provide privacy by allowing viewers to respond to a private message box, which are accessible only by the person placing the ad. Hence, you do not need to disclose your contact information on the internet. Jibon Sangi supports the display of candidate pictures online. One may also refer (or forward) information about a listed candidate to a friend/relative through a simple button click. In the near future, the capabilities of Jibon Sangi will be significantly enhanced, including full-scale matromonial services in India and Bangladesh for clients abroad.

We request GlobalBengal customers to try out this innovative service. In order to place a Jibon Sangi ad or to browse listings, please click here.

How will the Sari Gift Service Work?

Since Sari and similar dress items differ widely in quality, style and individual taste, we have formulated a simple process to ensure that your gift recipients, as well as yourself are satisfied with your purchase. Here's how it'll work.

1. The Sari department contains saris of different styles (eg Baluchori, Ikkat etc) and typically several price ranges for each type (eg lower, middle, upper) to reflect differences in quality even within a specified style.
2. Each Style and cost range combination will be a gift item with a price tag in our Gift Stores.
3. You will order from these combinations (eg Gadoal, middle range) exactly as you order other items.
4. Once we receive the order, our Kolkata office will send a sari expert with several saris (about 5 or 6) of the specified styles and price range to you recipients home.
5. The gift recipient can then choose one of the saris from the collected presented by our expert.
6. NOTECertain made-to-order saris may take at least three months before delivery. You may combine sari orders with other gifts, however we cannot guarantee that both gifts will reach on the same date, though we'll try to coordinate the same to the best of our capability.

Are there restrictions on sending Non-vegeterian items as Gifts?

No red-meat items (especially mutton preparations) can be served for delivery on Thursdays in Kolkata. This is the official dry day.

I've heard that not all Flury's cakes are made every day - what's the scoop?

Black Forest cakes are not made by Flury's on Monday - please do not attempt to gift the same on Mondays.

What is the "Family Album" Service?

"My Family Album" allows you, the customer living away from home, to order pictures of family members back in Kolkata using GlobalBengal's electronic technology. Currently, this service is integrated within Kolkata and Dhaka Gift Services. through which you can place an order to be sent back a collection of your family members pictures. This request can ONLY be placed in association with a standard gift order. For for example, along with placing an order to deliver 1 kg rabri to your parents in Salt Lake - you can also add the item "5 family digital photos by email" from the "Family Album" category of the gift service. Our office personnel with visit your family in Kolkata or Dhaka on the requested date, deliver the gift items, take their pictures and surroundings using quality Sony cameras, digitize the pictures and send them as an email attachment (in gif or jpg format) to you directly. So in addition to receiving a delivery receipt from us, you'll now actually see your parents, kids, brother, sister, sweetheart, friends actually smiling back at you! It will be a new, overwhelming experience!

No special technology on your side will be required to view these pictures. You can open them up using just a Netscape or IE browser. In addition, if you have an image editing software - many PCs do - you can crop, change or redesign the photos, even print them in glossy paper and make them part of your physical album. No need to wait for photos to be developed and sent via mail. Save your family some money and get the pictures in real time from Kolkata or Dhaka.

A few important points to note:

1. At times, during busy seasons, it may not be possible to get a photographer to accompany the gift delivery person. In that case, our office will arrange a separate, mutually agreeable time with your recipients to schedule the picture session. This will generally happen within a day or so of the actual delivery date.

2. We will make our best efforts to deliver quality digital pictures - we really want you to be happy. You can take a look at the Kolkata Puja pictures from this year - these were taken with the same type of camera. We do not however guarantee that these will be studio-quality pictues - since that would be too expensive for everyone.

3. Social norms and principles may prevent some families to pose for the photographs. We will request your recipients to allow us to picture whatever they feel is appropriate - people, items, rooms, etc. If a recipient refuses to be photographed or disallows picture taking on his premises - we can't do much. Please verify whether your relatives have any objection to self-pictures. There will be no refunds if we visit a house and the subjects refuse to be photographed.

Is it true that in some cases, the requested items in a gift order can be substituted?

In general, we do and will strive to deliver only the exact items and quantities that the gift customer specifies on the order. However, an overriding concern of ours is quality of the product - plus in some cases, there may be events beyond our control (eg bandh, natural calamities etc) that can prevent us from delivering a particular item from the specified vendor. In such cases, we exercise the following policies:

(a) We will call the recipient, let him/her know of the specific problem and offer suitable alternatives. For example, if a particular meat dish from Siraj is not available or not of acceptable quality, we can offer a similar item from Rahamania. We will attempt to respect any reasonable preference provided by the recipient.

(b) Under all circumstances, GBI will reserve the right to substitute the unavailable product with another of equal or greater monetary value from a comparable source - eg $20 Flury borthday cake with $20 Kathleen birthday cake. The customer will be provided a valid reason for such substitution, if any.

While these rules are helpful in exceptional cases, it is very rare for us to offer substitutes - we really want our giver and receiver to be totally satisfied and will do everything in our capacity to ensure an accurate and timely delivery on all order. Please refer to our testimonials to see the large number of positive response about our service from satisfied clients.

What should I know before ordering a pizza gift?

GBI currently offers pizzas as gift items for a number of cities, including Kolkata and Dhaka. However, before you surprise your loved ones with this alltime Italian favorite, please note the following requirements:

(a) Pizzas cannot be requested for out of town special deliveries. It can only be served within the mero proper areas. For example, you cannot request a pizza delivery for Bandel or Kalyani. The reason is that we are extremely quality conscious and will not risk the appearence or product quality of any item that can be affected by suburban transportation.

(b) We CANNOT guarantee that pizzas will be warm when delivered. This is purely because of logistical reasons. Please ensure that the recipient has the adequate appliances (eg a microwave or regular oven) to re-heat the pizza upon delivery. However, we do guarantee that pizzas are sourced from quality shops only - like Hot Breads, Dominoes or Swarmas

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