Frequently Asked Questions
We have tried to answer the most commonly asked questions here. However, if you have a question that is not answered here,
please 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. In some cases, "in the fur" photos are available right on the bear's listing page.
In those cases, just select the bear # you want and add it to your cart.
Where individual photos are not provided on the bear's listing page, we use a service called Dropbox to host our photo files.
For those bears (where we have/had more than one) a link to our Photo Gallery is provided
under the Photo Gallery tab on that bear's listing page.
Files are organized by brand and then in the case of Charlie Bears by collection (year, plush or mohair, etc.).
Once you have chosen the bear you want, contact us and let us know which # you'd like.
We will put the bear aside for you and let you know how to proceed.
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 email you with the total price, including shipping and you can then pay using any of the methods listed below (see "Types of Payment Accepted").
Shopping Cart:
After you have placed a bear or other item in your shopping cart, if you are not ready to check out yet,
you can select the "Save For Later" option. This will automatically log you out of your account
but the next time you log back in, you can easily find the items you placed in your cart
in the Saved Cart section on your account page.
Assuming you are logged into your account, each item in your cart is automatically reserved for you
for up to 24 hours from the time you place it in your cart.
This allows you time to view photos in our Photo Gallery, contact us to confirm availability of a specific bear
and for us to respond, all without the risk of someone else adopting the bear before you check out.
This 24 hour hold is a courtesy we provide to our collectors
but we do ask that if you decide for any reason that you do not want the bear.
that you please remove it from your cart as soon as possible so that other collectors have the opportunity to adopt him/her.
If you do not complete the check out process within the 24 hours, while you will still be able to see the item in your Saved Cart,
it will no longer be held aside for you but will be put back into available stock for other collectors to adopt.
If a bear's listing page says it is available but when you go to check out, it says it's not available,
that means it was our last one and someone else has it under the 24 hour hold.
However, because not all customers follow through with an adoption,
we recommend that you check back later to see if the bear has become available again.
Pre-Orders:
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.
We usually post on our Facebook page information on any upcoming shipment.
We will also try to give you (probably about a week's) advance warning of any of your pre-ordered bears' arrival.
When a shipment arrives and the bears have been photographed, we start working our way down our pre-order lists.
If you are in one of the top 5 spots on our pre-order list for a bear,
we will notify you by email (if you change your email address, please make sure we know)
when it's your turn to choose and payment is due at that time (unless other arrangements have been made).
If we do not receive a response to our email within 24 hours, we reserve the right
to move on to the next person on our list and move you down our list.
Once the first 5 bears have been chosen, we will post a notice on both our Facebook page
and on the Pre-Orders page of this website, with the date and time that the remaining bears
will be listed on the Pre-Orders page.
Those bears will be available on a first come, first served (meaning first adopted) basis
for those with a confirmed pre-order but not one of the first 5 spots on our pre-order list.
Once all pre-orders for a bear have been taken care of or 7 days after being listed on the website
(whichever comes first), the unclaimed bears will be made available for general adoption
and any unclaimed pre-orders will be cancelled.
For more information on our pre-order procedures, click here.
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 eight monthly payments
with the shipping charges, if applicable, added to the final payment.
Suggested terms are shown under the Layaway & Payment Options tab for each listing
but we are open to other arrangements as long as they are reasonable.
If you would like to put a bear on layaway, you should download the Layaway Agreement,
complete the agreement and email it to us. Once approved by us, we will send you PayPal invoices for your payments.
If payments are not made within 7 days of being sent, the layaway is subject to cancellation,
with a $25 per bear restocking fee forfeited with the balance of any payments made issued in the form of a store credit.
Holds:
We can hold an in-stock bear for you for up to 2 weeks without a deposit.
Beyond that, a layaway agreement or a non-refundable deposit and agreement on when the bear will be paid in full is required
or the bear will automatically be put back into available stock.
Cancelled Orders:
If you cancel an order after payment but before we have shipped it, we will issue a refund.
However, we reserve the right to reduce the amount of the refund by any PayPal or credit card fees
that are non-reversible (i.e. that we have to pay whether the order is completed or not).
Shipping:
We offer flat rate shipping on shipments under $125 and free shipping on order over $125
within the continental U.S. only (with some exceptions).
Look for this icon on the bears' listings.
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Please click 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 our 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 nor 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 or credit card 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.
Please note, there is no free shipping on overseas orders.
If you request to know the shipping charge ahead of placing your order, we will let you know how to add it to your order.
Otherwise, shipping will be invoiced separately.
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, it is no longer viable for us to ship directly to the U.K.
if the total value of the shipment is under 135 GBP (approximately $165).
We can still ship such items but the customer would need to use a third party shipping service.
Please contact us for more information regarding this option.
Customer Rewards Program:
Bears Against MS has a Customer Rewards Program that offers special benefits to our repeat customers,
including the opportunity to earn FREE bears. You will automatically be enrolled in the program once you register for an on-line account with us.
For more information, just click here.
Bears Against MS 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, PayPal offers U.S. customers two no interest financing options:
Pay-In-4 (not available in all states) 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 links 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.
Sales and/or Use Tax:
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 provisions of 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 n 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 and 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 Quarterly Reports
with the 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.
Testimonials:
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. release dates, retirement dates, suggested retail prices, etc.) 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 complete the "Mailing List" information
at the bottom of this or any other page of this website.
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.