Frequently Asked Qustions
We have tried to answer the most commonly asked questions here. However, if you have a question that is not answered here,
feel free to contact us (using the link in the left side panel).
Why the name Bears Against MS:
Each year, we donate a portion of our profit to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and every adoption helps.
So if you adopt a bear from Bears Against MS, thank you for helping in the fight to end the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis.
All Charlie Bears are new, ordered by us directly from the company. All Clemens bears are also new, imported directly from Germany.
In most cases, Boyds items you purchase from Bears Against MS will be in like-new condition and never displayed.
In the case of secondary market bears, all BAMS critters are, unless noted, Mint in Box with Certificate of Authenticity
or Mint with Tags, as appropriate, and come from a smoke-free home.
If you are thinking about ordering a bear but would like to see photos first, or would like to pick the face that appeals to you the most,
we are happy to provide access to photos. We use a service called Dropbox to host our photo files. A link is provided on each bear's listing page. Files are organized by collection (year, plush or mohair, etc.). Some bears have been camera-shy but if they haven't yet
had their photos taken, we'll gladly try and coax them out for a photo shoot for you.
Where we have provided a video presentation of a bear, it is of just one of any number of a particular bear that we have,
and not necessarily the one you would receive. Quantities mentioned as available are as of the date the video was filmed and are subject to change. We would like to thank Jason Shaw of Audionautix for providing the music for our videos. Please check out his website at www.audionautix.com.
You can place your order directly on this website. or you can send an email to [email protected] letting us know which bear or bears you'd like to adopt. If sending an email, please include your mailing address. We will enail you with the total price, including shipping. You can then pay using any of the methods listed below (see "Types of Payment Accepted").
Bears Against MS generally does not require a deposit when you pre-order (reserve) a bear that is not yet in stock (see exception below).
All we ask is that you follow through with the purchase. That having been said, we understand that personal circumstances change
and if you find that you simply cannot follow through, please let us know as soon as possible. When your bear arrives, we will notify you by email (if you change your email address, please make sure we know) and payment is due at that time. If we do not receive a response to our email, we will email you a second time. If we again do not hear from you, we will assume that you no longer wish to adopt the bear and will put him or her back in stock so that others have that opportunity.
The only exceptions to the "no deposit required" policy is for special-ordered artist bears or the limited edition Isabelle Collection.
Because of the extremely limited availability of these bears, a $25 non-refundable, non-transferrable deposit per bear is required for these reservations.
For bear adoptions over $75, we are happy to offer a layaway program. Terms range from three to six monthly payments with the shipping charges added to the final payment. Suggested terms are shown under the Layaway tab for each listing but we are open to other arrangements as long as they are reasonable. Once arrangements have been agreed to, we will provide a Layaway Agreement spelling out the details of the layaway. If payments are not made as scheduled, the layaway will be canceled.
A $25 per bear restocking fee will be forfeited with the balance of any payments made issued in the form of a store credit.
Shipping:
We offer flat rate shipping on shipments under $125 and free shipping on order over $125 (with some exceptions).
Look for this icon on the bears' listings.
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Please chick here to read our full shipping policy.
We package items carefully, using bubble wrap, styrofoam peanuts or air pillows. However, once an item is shipped, its condition is beyond out control. Therefore we insure all shipments. If you receive an item that is damaged, please notify us as soon as possible but certainly within one week of receipt. If the shipping box shows any sign of damage, please note that with the person delivering it if possible and then keep the box and all packing material as that may be required for a claim with the carrier.
If you receive a defective or incorrect item (not the one you ordered), you must contact us within seven calendar days of receipt to discuss the problem and how you can return the item for an exchange or full refund including all shipping costs. However, please note that items that are hand-made can vary and what one person considers "defective" may be acceptable by industry standards so we may ask for details and photos before authorizing the return for a full refund. See below for other conditions of return.
If you are not happy with the item for any other reason (other than a defect or it being the wrong item), you must also notify us within seven calendar days and request authorization before returning the item. Unless the item is defective or not the item you ordered,
return shipping costs are your responsibility. Once we have received the item back, assuming the conditions below have been met,
we will issue a refund for the amount you paid us, less our original shipping costs and any PayPal fees (if applicable). If the item had free or discounted shipping, the amount we actually paid to ship the item to you will be deducted from any refund.
Items being returned for any reason must be returned in the condition in which sent from us, with all tags and/or certificates, accessories and appropriate packaging and without any noticeable odors (e.g. smoke, strong perfumes, etc.). You are responsible for the safe return of the item so we suggest you insure the return package appropriately.
If an item is "returned to sender" from overseas due to non-payment of import charges (see "Shipping to Foreign Countries" below),
we will notify you that we received the item. You can then either pay to have the item reshipped or receive a refund of the amount you paid less the actual amount we paid to originally ship the item to you and less any PayPal or credit card fees we paid that cannot be reversed.
Sales of promotionally priced bears are final. No refunds or in-store credits will be provided.
Shipping to Foreign Countries:
We are happy to ship to Canada, the U.K. (see note below), Australia and other foreign countries, provided tracking is available. Rates will be quoted at time of order. We cannot ship items as a "gift" and will not "under-quote" the amount paid for the item.
The customer is responsible for any import charges (customs duty, VAT/GST, local processing/handling fees, etc.), if applicable. Once the package has cleared customs, you should be notified by the local taxing authority of any amounts due and the package will not be delivered until these charges are paid. If not paid within a certain time, the package is usually automatically returned to the sender (see "Returns" above).
To determine the amount of import charges that will be due, you should contact your local customs office
or the website Simply Duty can provide an estimate (click below).
Due to new regulations that went into effect 01/01/21 in the U.K. it is no longer viable for us to ship directly to the U.K.
if the value of the shipment is under 135 GBP (approximately $200).
We can still ship such items but can now only do so through eBay's Global Shipping Program
which is much more expensive than when we ship directly. Please contact us for more information.
Customer Rewards Program:
Bears Against MS has a Customer Rewards Program that offers special benefits to its repeat customers,
including the opportunity to earn FREE bears. You will automatically be enrolled in the program once you register for an account with us. For more information, just click here.
BAMS will ship upon clearance of a personal check, a money order or cashier's check
or upon receipt of payment by either a major credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express) or PayPal.
Looking for a financing option? In addition to our layaway plans, PauPal offers U.S. customers two no interest financing options:
PayoIn-4 where you receive your bear now but spread your payments over 4 bi-weekly payments)
and PayPal Credit where you can spread your payments on orders over $99 over 6 months (subject to credit approval).
Clicking the link below provides access to PayPal's website where you can find more information about both options.
In all cases, payment is due in U.S. funds.
For all items shipped to an address in Florida, applicable state and local sales tax will be added.
For shipments to all states where we do not collect sales tax, that does not necessarily mean that you do not owe any tax.
Many states have laws requiring consumers to pay use tax on internet purchases from other states.
We suggest you check your state's regulations in this regard.
There are certain states where we are required to provide notification to their consumers of their potential use tax obligations and then submit an annual report to those states. Since state laws can change at any time and therefore our notice and reporting requirements can also change at any time, we will update the list of states (below) where we have such requirements, as and when necessary.
Colorado sales or use tax may be due in connection with the purchase and delivery of tangible personal property to Colorado
individuals and businesses. The purchaser is required to file a use tax return if tax is due in connection with the purchase and delivery
of tangible personal property into Colorado. This notice is required pursuant to the provisionsof the Code of Colorado Regulations Rule
39-21-112(3.5). VM Gifts (Bears Against MS) is required to provide an Annual Purchase Summary to each consumer and depending on out total annual sales within the state, to file an Annual Report with the State of Colorado listing all Colorado consumers and their aggregate purchases for the preceding year.
Oklahoma sales or use tax may be due in connection with the purchase and delivery of tangible personal property to Oklahoma
individuals and businesses. The purchaser is required to file a use tax return if tax is due in connection with the purchase and delivery
of tangible personal property into Oklahoma. This notice is required pursuant to the provisions of 68 O.S. §§ 1392, 1393, 1394 and 1395.
VM Gifts (Bears Against MS) is required to provide an Annual Purchase Summary to each consumer and depending on our total annual sales we may also be required to file an Annual Report with the State of Oklahoma listing all Oklahoma consumers and their aggregate purchases for the preceding year.
Pennsylvania sales or use tax may be due in connection with the purchase and delivery of tangible personal property to Pennsylvania
individuals and businesses. The purchaser is required to file a use tax return if tax is due in connection with the purchase and delivery
into the Commonwealth. This notice is required pursuant to the provisions of the Tax Reform Code of 1971. 72 P.S. §7213.2.
VM Gifts (Bears Against MS) is required to provide an Annual Purchase Summary to each consumer and then depending on our total annual sales within the Commonwealth, we may also be required to file an Annual Report with the Commonwealth listing all Pennsylvania consumers and their aggregate purchases for the preceding year.
Puerto Rico sales or use tax may be due in connection with the purchase and delivery of tangible personal property to Puerto Rico
individuals and businesses. The purchaser is required to file a use tax return if tax is due in connection with the purchase and delivery
of tangible personal property into Puerto Rico. This notice is required pursuant to the provisions of Act 25-2017.
VM Gifts (Bears Against MS) is required to provide an Annual Purchase Summary to each consumer and file an Quarterly Reports with Secretary of the Treasury listing all Puerto Rico consumers and their aggregate purchases for the preceding quarter.
Vermont sales or use tax may be due in connection with the purchase and delivery of tangible personal property to Vermont
individuals and businesses. The purchaser is required to file a use tax return if tax is due in connection with the purchase and delivery
of tangible personal property into Vermont. This notice is required pursuant to the provisions of Act 134 of 2016.
VM Gifts (Bears Against MS) is required to provide an Annual Purchase Summary to each consumer
with aggregate purchases of $500 or more during the preceding year.
Customer service is of the utmost importance to us. Being a teddy bear collector, with a huge personal hug, helps us understand what collectors look for from the company with which they deal when searching for the perfect teddy. We are proud to have a 100% 5-star customer review rating on our Facebook page as well as a 100% positive eBay rating..gif){kind=small}
Click here to read some of our customer reviews.
In using the Bears Against MS website, you agree to the following terms and conditions:
The site is for your personal use only.
The site, text and photos are covered by copyright law and may not be reproduced without the written permission of Bears Against MS and/or other copyright holders.
Links to other websites are provided for the convenience of Bears Against MS users and do not imply endorsement or affiliation. In accessing a linked website, you should review that site's terms and conditions of use and privacy policy which may differ from those of Bears Against MS.
Information provided on this website (e.g. retirement dates and value guide prices) while believed to be correct, is not guaranteed and Bears Against MS assumes no responsibility for your relying on this information.
When you order from Bears Against MS, we need your name, email address, shipping address and sometimes your telephone number.
We use this information to process and ship your order and send you a confirmation by email.
When you sign up to receive our e-Newsletter, you also provide us with certain personal information.
We maintain this information on a database so that we can provide you with information on future special offers and promotions
that we think would interest you. We will not sell, rent or give your personal information to any other person or organization without your consent (except as required to process your payment, ship the bear purchased to you, distribute our E-Newsletter
or as required by law). Click here to read our full Privacy Policy.
Bears Against MS produces html and plain text format E-Newsletters with information about new exclusives available,
upcoming Specials, and other information. To be added to the Subscription list, just use the link in the left side panel.
The same Privacy Policy referenced above exists for those on the Bears Against MS Newsletter subscription list,
with the exception that the information you provide on the sign-up form is also provided to Mail Chimp®, the company that processes
our newsletter distribution. They have TRUSTe's Privacy Seal but if you want to check out their whole Privacy Policy, here's a link to that page on their website.
For a sample copy of our E-Newsletter, click here.
Other Things To Know:
We try to keep this site as up-to-date as possible, but there is usually some lag time between our obtaining a bear and posting the information. If there is a particular bear you are looking for but don't see here, please contact us. We might have it (but have not yet listed it). If not, we may be able to find it for you.
If you find a link that does not work, a picture that doesn't display correctly, or any other error on the site, please email me and let us know. Or if you have any suggestions on how to make the site more user-friendly, we'd love to hear from you.