FAQs

1. Who can use the UNICOR website to order products?
2. How do I register to use UNICOR's Online Store?
3. I forgot my password. What should I do?
4. Is my order secure? How is my credit card information protected?
5. Can I modify or cancel my order?
6. How can I find out the status of my order?
7. How can I resolve billing questions?
8. What options do customers have if they do not want to purchase from FPI?
9. How do I apply for a waiver request from the web site?
10. What alternatives do I have if my waiver is denied by the FPI Constituent Relations/Ombudsman?

1. Who can use the UNICOR website to order products?

Those with purchasing authority within their agencies and those with a Government Credit
Card are authorized to order from the UNICOR's Online Store.

2. How do I register to use UNICOR's Online Store?

From the UNICOR home page, click on, then click on on the login page. Once on the registration page, simply fill out your registration information. Then choose password. You will be registered instantaneously. NOTE: Do not use spaces or special characters in your password.

Please note: To place an order, you will need to provide your email address and password. Please note your password is "case sensitive".

3. I forgot my password. What should I do?

If you have forgotten your login password, click on the Fedfast or General store. Then type in your email address and click on “Forgot Password”. A new password (system generated) will be sent to you. To personalize the password, return to the online store and enter your email address and the new password. Then click on the Change Password button. You will then have the ability to personalize your password.

4. Is my order secure? How is my credit card information protected?

UNICOR uses SSL (Secure Sockets) Layer to secure all online transactions. When you sign in to the catalog, you enter our secure server. From that point on, any information you send to the server is encrypted as it passes back and forth between your browser and the server. When you submit your order, this secure server encryption is still in effect.

5. Can I modify or cancel my order?

Until you actually submit your order, you can delete or modify your shopping basket. Once you have submitted your order, you can no longer modify or cancel it on the website. Orders can be modified by contacting the Customer Service Center by phone at (800) 827-3168 or by e-mail at custserv@central.unicor.gov.

6. How can I find out the status of my order?

Any order placed with UNICOR can be accessed by clicking on "ORDER STATUS" from the UNICOR home page. Once on the Order Status page, simply search by order number, purchase order number or your name.

7. How can I resolve billing questions?

Contact our Customer Service Center at (800) 827-3168 and ask to speak to a representative in the billing department. You can also e-mail billing questions to custserv@central.unicor.gov.

8. What options do customers have if they do not want to purchase from FPI?

When purchasing a product, which is listed in FPI’s Schedule of Products, DoD buying activities are subject to the provisions of 10 U.S.C. 2410n and its implementing regulations set forth in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS). Similarly, passage of the Omnibus Appropriations Bill, P.L. 108-199, under Section 637, altered the process by which civilian agencies purchase from FPI during Fiscal Year 2004.

Essentially, the same requirements will apply to civilian agencies as are in effect for DoD agencies. Under the above statutory and regulatory provisions, market research must first be conducted to determine whether an FPI product is comparable to products available from the private sector which best meet the agency’s needs in terms of price, quality and time of delivery. Determining comparability is a unilateral decision made at the discretion of the agency's contracting official.

If the contracting official determines that the FPI product is not comparable, competitive procedures are to be used to acquire the product, a waiver is not required, and an offer must be solicited from FPI during the competitive process.

If the contracting official determines that the FPI product is comparable, FPI’s mandatory source applies. However, if the FPI product does not meet the buying activity’s critical standards, a request for waiver is justified, and FPI must be afforded the opportunity to demonstrate whether its product meets these standards.

Upon receipt, the waiver request is assigned an identification number and then routed to the appropriate FPI product business group for evaluation and decision. Written confirmation of FPI’s decision is provided to the customer for record purposes. If a waiver request is denied in whole, or in part, the customer may appeal the denial through FPI’s Constituent Relations/Ombudsman.

Complete waiver and appeal instructions, as well as on-line request forms to expedite processing.

During Fiscal Year 2003, FPI received 13,705 waiver requests. The waiver approval rate was 91.4% when factoring in appeal reversals. As a result, more than $354.2 million in potential FPI sales were re-directed to the private sector.

9. How do I apply for a waiver request from the web site?

To apply for a waiver request from the website, click here.

10. What alternatives do I have if my waiver is denied by the FPI Constituent Relations/Ombudsman?

In the event the Constituent Relations/Ombudsman upholds a waiver denial issued by FPI, the customer may further appeal the decision through the independent Waiver Review Panel.

The Panel consists of members representing the Attorney General, the Administrator of the GSA, and the President. The Waiver Review Panel’s decision is final and binding upon all parties.

Complete instructions for further appealing the Constituent Relations/Ombudsman’s denial through the Waiver Review Panel