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Ordering National Cancer Institute Publications: Questions and Answers
- What is the National
Cancer Institute's (NCI) policy on the distribution of publications and
other materials?
The NCI's publications are free, and orders for up to 20 items are shipped
at no charge. Bulk orders of greater than 20 items incur a shipping and
handling charge.
- What is the charge for shipping and handling?
There is no shipping and handling charge for orders of 20 or fewer items--such
an order may consist of 20 copies of one title or any combination of titles
up to a total of 20 items. Orders for more than 20 items have a shipping
and handling fee of 15 cents per copy, with a minimum charge of $8. Current
Federal Government budgetary constraints and the NCI's commitment to meeting
the increasing demand for information about cancer
have made these charges necessary. A program to recover costs of shipping
and handling helps to ensure that the information needs of cancer patients,
their families, health professionals, and the general public are met.
- How do people within the United States place orders
for NCI publications?
Orders may be placed online through the NCI Publications Locator Web site
at http://www.cancer.gov/publications
on the Internet. Orders may also be placed by calling the Publications Ordering
Service (POS). The POS, a service of the NCI's Cancer
Information Service, can be reached by calling toll-free 1-800-4-CANCER
(1-800-422-6237) and selecting prompt "2." The POS is available
Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. local time. Callers with TTY
equipment may call 1-800-332-8615. Orders may also be faxed to 410-646-3117
or mailed to:
Publications Ordering Service
Post Office Box 24128
Baltimore, MD 21227
- Is there a limit to the number of copies of
publications that can be ordered?
The number of copies of individual titles that may be ordered varies depending
on current inventory. To ensure that publications are available to all requesters,
NCI may set limits on the maximum number of copies that may be ordered by
any one requester each month. For information on the current availability
of NCI materials, please call the POS at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237)
or visit the NCI Publications Locator Web site at http://www.cancer.gov/publications
on the Internet.
- How often can publications be ordered?
Cancer patients, their families, and the general public may order NCI publications
as often as necessary to fulfill their needs. However, in order to maintain
an adequate supply of publications, the NCI requests that health professionals
and organizations place bulk orders for individual titles no more than once
a month.
- If my organization needs more publications than
we can order, how can we get more copies?
Organizations may purchase more copies of NCI materials by adding on to
the Government's print order. Adding on to a Government print order is called
a "Ride-On." A Ride-On lets organizations purchase extra publications
more economically because of lower Government printing costs. For more information
about Ride-On printing, see the Ride-On printing fact sheet at http://cis.nci.nih.gov/news/Ride-On_printing.pdf
on the Internet or contact the NCI's Office of Communications and Education
by e-mail at ncipoetinfo@mail.nih.gov.
- How are NCI publications shipped?
All orders are shipped from the NCI's Distribution Center in Baltimore,
Maryland. Most orders are shipped through the U.S. Postal Service. Bulk
orders are shipped by FedEx. In the continental United States, orders shipped
by FedEx should arrive within 5 business days, depending on geographic location.
- What are the methods of payment for orders?
Arrangements for payment of shipping and handling charges must be made
in advance. Bulk orders placed through the NCI Publications Locator Web
site must be paid by credit card. Payment for bulk orders placed by phone
may be made by credit card (VISA, MasterCard, or American Express only)
or purchase order. Orders placed by mail can be paid by check, money order,
or credit card. Institutions that place an order by mail may also pay by
purchase order. Checks or money orders should be made payable to the Publications
Ordering Service. Payments for bulk orders should be mailed to the following
address:
Publications Ordering Service
Post Office Box 24128
Baltimore, MD 21227
- Is there a charge for rush orders?
The charge for rush orders is the actual cost of the expedited shipping.
This charge is in addition to the shipping and handling fee that is applied
to bulk orders. Payment for rush orders must be made via credit card at
the time of ordering. VISA, MasterCard, and American Express are accepted.
- How are underpayments, overpayments, and refunds
handled?
Underpayments:
If an order is underpaid, the quantity of materials shipped is adjusted
down.
Overpayments:
If an order is overpaid by $10 or less, the quantity of the materials shipped
is adjusted upward. Overpayments of more than $10 are refunded by check
in the amount of the overpayment.
Refunds:
The POS does not make refunds or offer exchanges on orders after they have
been shipped. In the event of a shipping error on the part of the POS, a
refund and/or free replacement of the order will be provided.
- Can people outside the United States order
NCI publications?
Yes. It is NCI policy to send up to five publications without a shipping
charge to individuals or organizations outside the United States. All foreign
orders for six or more publications are charged actual shipping costs. Foreign
orders are limited to 100 total copies, based on current inventory availability.
Requests for materials to be sent to a non-U.S. address can be submitted
as follows:
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E-mail:
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cisocc@mail.nih.gov |
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Fax:
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301-330-7968 |
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Mail: |
Publications Ordering
Service
Post Office Box 24128
Baltimore, MD 21227 |
The process for ordering six or more items is as follows:
- The requester submits a list of requested materials to the POS and includes
complete shipping address and contact information (telephone number, fax
number, or e-mail address).
- POS responds with the shipping cost of the order.
- The requester mails, faxes, or e-mails the list of requested materials
and payment (credit card preferred; check or money order in U.S. currency)
to the address or fax number above.
- The order is shipped when payment is received.
- How can people find out more about NCI's publications
distribution policy? Additional information about NCI's publications
distribution policy is available by calling the POS toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER
(1-800-422-6237) and selecting prompt "2." For TTY service, call 1-800-332-8615.
# # #
Related NCI materials and Web pages:
For more help, contact:
- NCI's Cancer Information Service
Telephone
(toll-free): 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237)
TTY (toll-free):
1-800-332-8615
LiveHelp® online chat: https://cissecure.nci.nih.gov/livehelp/welcome.asp
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