1. Use a blue order card.
2. Each month you order, fill out all information fully.
3. Use a price list that is current for the month of delivery (see OOPS!)
4. Follow order requirements
5. Make sure product number is accurate – order what you want, get what you order – beware that product number may be for a case or a single item.
6. If item is on sale for the month in which you are ordering, please note sale next to the price or description so that we can reorder right away if the item is out of stock at the time of ordering. We will continue to reorder for that month after which a credit/refund will be issued.
7. There is a 3 unit minimum for single item products ordered!!
8. Cases: You may order one or more cases.
9. Bulk items: Grains, flour, and beans should be ordered in ten pounds or more; For herbs and spices, one pound bags are considered the bulk amount. One gallon of liquid soap is bulk.
10. Get your card in on time (Thursday before delivery) and pay cashier. All pre-orders must be paid in full at the time of ordering.
11. There is a 5% surcharge on all pre-orders. This will cover the costs of labor involved in operating the preorder buying club.

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• A volunteer will call when your order is in.
• Pick up your order as soon as possible.
• Large orders, orders with frozen foods or fresh produce must be picked up that day.
• If your schedule truly does not allow for you or someone you designate to pick up your order, we will hold it, but be aware that we have limited space.

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1. Product number does not match product: wrong product sent – distributors’ error. Correct item will be reordered.
2. Customer thinks he/she is ordering 3 items, but writes down case number and receives 3 cases – customer error. A 10% restocking fee will be charged.
3. Size written in under the quantity column, wrong amount delivered: customer error. 10% restocking fee applies.
4. Less than minimum number of single item products ordered: customer error. Item(s) will not be ordered. Please reorder in units of three or more or refund will be issued. If you are not sure of what constitutes a minimum, please ask a staff member.
5. Make sure you use a current price list. If you place your order in June for a delivery in July, you must use a July price list. Sales vary month to month and can result in extra expense for the Co-op if the wrong book is used.

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Once you have filled in the necessary information, give your blue order card to the cashier to ring into the register. This total will include tax on any non-food taxable items and you can now pay in full. If any of your products are not delivered, we will re-order them or issue you a credit or refund. The credit can be used in the store, or towards your next pre-order like a gift certificate.

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One other problem has come up on several occasions involving writing the wrong product numbers down. Several of you have wanted three units of a particular product, but have written down the case number instead! If this mistake is not caught before our order is placed with the distributor, it results in three cases of product delivered instead of three units. This is how you may determine if the product you want is available in units (not all products are). For example: if the unit price and the case prices for an item are different; it means that product number is available in cases only.

The first product #44028 is the case number, because the unit price and the case price are different. The second number, 44029, is the single item product number, because the unit and case numbers are the same. If a product is on sale, prices will be listed in the sale columns. If there is only a unit and case price, the item is not on sale.

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In order to avoid competing directly with the store operation, we require a minimum of three or more single items of the same type to be ordered at a time. If you need only a few pounds of something, most often it can be purchased in the store. If you wish to order a single item, such as a supplement, it can always be special ordered at the usual retail price (prepaid, no discount). Also, if you would like us to order an item but our distributor, United Natural Foods, does not offer it, we will attempt to order it directly from the manufacturer for you. In this case, we will give you 10% off of the manufacturer’s suggested retail price when you order a case or a quantity of three.

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We now offer pre-orders on line, so that you can order from the convenience of your home if you have a pre-order catalog (for sale at the Co-op for $1). To set this up, you must see a cashier to complete an “Authorization Form for Online Purchases”. Then go to www.alternativefoodcoop.com and click on Pre-Orders Online! If you have any questions, give us a call at 789-2240

Wasn’t that easy? Please thank those hard working volunteers who have done data entry, paperwork, hauling and lugging to make your life easier. Want to help your own cooperative? Volunteer 2 hours/month for a 6% discount, or be a super-worker 8 hours/month for a 12% store savings.

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