Close To My Heart Consultant Manual Procedures United States Home Office Information Our dedicated office staff is here to offer assistance to Consultants who have questions pertaining to orders, commissions, and their Close To My Heart businesses. Please note that everything a Consultant Services Representative tells you is superseded by the most current materials published by Close To My Heart. How to Contact Us Home office mailing address: Close To My Heart 1199 West 700 South Pleasant Grove, UT 84062 Email address: ctmhoffice@closetomyheart.com Website: www.closetomyheart.com All phone lines are available from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm (MT) Consultant Services Line (toll-free): 1-800-528-6715. Listen carefully to the menu items. This number is for Consultants only, and is never given to anyone else. Customer Referral Line (toll-free): 1-888-655-6552. Customers who call this number will be referred to a Consultant in their area via the Consultant Locator. Close To My Heart s offices will close to observe the following US holidays: New Year s Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Thanksgiving and the day following Christmas holidays New Consultant Applications New Consultant Applications are submitted to Close To My Heart online via www.closetomyheart.com or a Consultant s OBA website. Credit cards are the only payment type accepted. Gift Certificates If a Consultant elects to sell a gift certificate, it is the Consultant s complete responsibility to have funds available to redeem them. If a Consultant is unable to place an order to redeem a gift certificate for any reason (such as when a Consultant becomes inactive, resigns, or is terminated), the Consultant must refund the price of the gift certificate. Close To My Heart will not be held responsible for redeeming gift certificates issued by Consultants for any reason. Turnaround Time Standard in-house turnaround time for most orders is two to four business days (Monday Friday excluding Home Office closures) from the time the order arrives at Close To My Heart. We will make every effort to maintain this turnaround time; however, on occasion we may exceed this time frame during peak seasons. Revised December 1, 2017 2
Special shipping options do not affect in-house turnaround time. Close To My Heart is not responsible for the time it takes an order to reach its destination after it leaves our facility. In House Rush Special shipping options do not affect in-house turnaround time of 2-4 business days. For an additional $50 fee, Close To My Heart offers you the ability to have an order rushed in-house. You can select this option in Order Entry. This option is not available for faxed or mailed orders. Selecting this option will not rush the shipping time from FedEx or USPS. If you want to expedite shipping, see the Special Shipping Options information. The following information only refers to business days, Monday Friday. Orders need to be submitted by 11:59 am MT in order to ship the same day. If the order is submitted at 12:00 noon MT or after, it will ship the next day. If the order has a backorder, the order will ship without the backordered item(s) and the backordered items will still ship separately, not rushed. This in-house rush fee is considered a handling fee, so it is not taxable in five states: Oklahoma, New Jersey, Idaho, Wyoming, and Massachusetts. All other states require you to pay tax on this fee. Free In- House Rush for Orders over $1,000 We will automatically upgrade orders totaling over $1,000 to free in-house rush orders. This will ensure expedited turnaround time in our warehouse. The order total is based on your order subtotal before commissions, shipping, or tax. If your order meets this requirement, you do not need to do anything, since in-house rush will automatically be applied regardless of the shipping method selected. Please do NOT check the in-house rush checkbox when checking out in Order Entry or you WILL be charged the in-house rush fee. Remember these guidelines for in-house rush orders: Orders submitted by 11:59 am MT ship the same day. If an order is submitted at 12:00 noon MT or after, it will ship the next day. If an order is submitted on Saturday or Sunday, it will ship on Monday. If an order contains any items on backorder, the order will ship without the backordered items, and the backordered items will ship separately, not rushed, when they become available. Remember, this option will not rush the shipping time from FedEx. Backorders Occasionally, an item may be on backorder. Backorder status will be marked next to the appropriate item on the packing list as BO. As soon as it becomes available, the backordered item will be sent via the same shipping method as the original order to the person who received the original order. A list of backordered items is posted in Online Office under Reference Lists. If we receive an order containing an item that is on backorder but will be received in fewer than four business days, we may hold the order until that item is received. By doing so, we will save money on shipping costs and help you and your customers avoid the inconvenience of receiving items in separate shipments. Credit Back CB means credit back. When CB is listed on the packing slip next to an item that means we are out of the item and will not be ordering more. The Consultant will be credited back the amount for the item on their next commission check. Revised December 1, 2017 3
Damaged Products Always inspect your order shipment immediately upon receipt. Report any defective products to Close To My Heart immediately (see Returns, Exchanges, Missing Items, and the Close To My Heart Guarantee for complete information). If damage has occurred during shipping, follow the liability procedure explained in the Shipping section. Close To My Heart Guarantee Close To My Heart guarantees its stamps and other products to be free from manufacturing defects when they leave our warehouse and for 90 days from the shipping date. Within that period, the company will repair or replace any defective products free of charge. Please inspect your stamps and products immediately upon receipt. Exchanges When a Consultant or a customer orders a product and later realizes they submitted an incorrect item number or decides they would like something different, Close To My Heart will exchange the item(s). In an exchange, the Consultant or customer is responsible for: Postage necessary to return the item to Close To My Heart; Any price difference between the Close To My Heart products being returned and the price of the new products ordered; and Sales tax on the price difference (if applicable); Postage necessary for shipping. All exchanges must be made within 90 days of date of purchase. Always use the Return/Exchange Form (found in Communications > Forms) when sending products to be exchanged. Products returned for exchange must be new, unused, featured in the current idea book, and not currently on a retired product list. Idea books, logo items, Stamp of the Month Sets, and Constant Campaign or other promotional items cannot be exchanged. If the product being exchanged has a greater retail value than the new item being requested, the Consultant is responsible for refunding the difference to the customer, and Close To My Heart will refund the difference to the Consultant on the next commission check. Close To My Heart does not offer cash refunds. Exchanges should be sent separately from any other business transaction, and the package should be marked ATTENTION: EXCHANGES. Fill out the Return/Exchange Form correctly and completely, and be sure that the mailing envelope has your return address on it. You may wish to insure the shipment because Close To My Heart is not responsible for any packages that are damaged or lost in the mail. Be sure to include the original order number on the forms, then return the stamps or other products to Close To My Heart in a padded envelope or packed well in a small box. Please allow two weeks for the processing of exchanges. Returns Close To My Heart does not offer cash refunds. In the event Close To My Heart filled an order incorrectly, Consultants can return the incorrect product on behalf of themselves or their customers for the correct product. When a product is defective, please contact the home office directly. Close To My Heart may as for the defective product to be returned. Defective products must be returned within 90 days of purchase. Defective stamps may only be exchanged for the identical stamp design. Revised December 1, 2017 4
After speaking with a Consultant Services representative and if a return is required, always use the Return/Exchange Form when returning defective product to Close To My Heart. Several returns can be sent together, but do not include orders, exchanges, or any other business with returns. The representative will give you further instruction on how to return the item at no cost to you. Missing Items Every order goes through many steps to ensure accuracy; however, an occasional error may occur. In the event that items are missing from your order, please contact Consultant Services and report the missing item(s). We will verify and correct the problem within two or three working days of your call. Please do not duplicate the request by contacting us more than one time. If items are missing because the box was damaged, please refer to Shipping Liability. Missing items must be reported to Close To My Heart no later than 90 days from the date of purchase. Be ready to provide the following information at the time of your call: Consultant name Consultant number Order number Specific shipping address Item number and description of the missing item Was the item listed on the packing slip or not? Substitutions Close To My Heart reserves the right to substitute a product of similar function, quality, and value for a product which has been retired or which has changed. The specifications of the actual product delivered may differ from those contained in the idea book. Submitting Orders by Mail When submitting orders by mail, Consultants must submit accurate information on the authorized paperwork. Close To My Heart only accepts the white copies of each form. Consultants may send the orders from several Home Gatherings together in one envelope; however, each Home Gathering order must have its own payment. Credit card information must be submitted on a Credit Card Authorization Form to avoid unnecessary fees and delays. If there are any discrepancies we will go by item number. The order must be received by the last day of the month for the monthly commissions or monthly specials. Please send your completed order and payment to: Close To My Heart, Attn: Orders 1199 West 700 South Pleasant Grove, UT 84062 Close To My Heart will deduct any postage due from the Consultant s next commission check for any postage due. For priority mail, make sure the service you use has guaranteed, timely delivery to Pleasant Grove, Utah. (Note that the US Postal Service s two-day priority mail is NOT guaranteed to this area.) Revised December 1, 2017 5
Guaranteed Funds To receive the benefits of orders submitted before a deadline, it is imperative that orders be submitted with guaranteed funds in the form of checks, credit cards, or other Close To My Heart-approved payment. Orders received at the end of the month accompanied by checks or credit cards that are denied by the banking institution will be counted toward the month in which guaranteed funds are received. By ensuring that the check is valid and the credit line is adequate, Consultants can avoid delays in processing and ensure that orders will qualify for the desired month s sales activity. Unpaid Orders Shipped In the event that an order is filled and shipped by Close To My Heart despite lack of valid payment from the Consultant, the Consultant will be charged a sum equal to the full retail value of the order, plus shipping and handling charges and sales tax. Any amounts so owed by the Consultant to Close To My Heart may be offset against any commissions or compensation due to the Consultant, whether payable in money or in goods. Shipping Liability According to FedEx policy, all requests for shipping refunds must be made within 21 days from the date of scheduled delivery. Close To My Heart cannot guarantee the arrival time or condition of your shipment. However, if you do encounter a problem, Close To My Heart will help you resolve the situation and will submit your claim to FedEx. Be sure to keep the damaged box or container, merchandise, packing materials, and any paperwork until the carrier advises you otherwise. FedEx has fees for any changes of address that are made to a package after they have already picked up the package. Consultants requesting this change will be charged the amount FedEx provides to Close To My Heart. Cancellation of Consultant Agreement A Consultant who actively resigns by giving written notice to Close To My Heart or whose Consultant Agreement is terminated (including for failure to meet the quarterly sales requirement) will be required to wait no less than three months from the resignation date before submitting a new Consultant Application and will be required to purchase a New Consultant Kit. A Consultant whose Consultant Agreement is canceled will receive any earned commissions or credits up through the day of cancellation, less any amounts withheld during a disciplinary investigation preceding termination of the Consultant Agreement, and less any offsets for amounts owed to Close To My Heart. Former Consultants must use credits within 30 days from the date of cancellation of their Consultant Agreement. Product credits, awards, and promotions that Close To My Heart offers have no cash redemption value. Buyback upon Cancellation of Consultant Agreement A Consultant who actively resigns by giving written notice to Close To My Heart or whose Consultant Agreement is terminated (including for failure to meet the quarterly sales requirement) may provide a written request to Close To My Heart, within 15 days of the date of cancellation of the Consultant Agreement, to buy back, at 90% of the amount paid by the Consultant less commissions and incentives paid to the Consultant on the products, any sales materials and currently marketable products the Consultant bought from Close To My Heart within the 12-month period preceding the date of cancellation. Revised December 1, 2017 6
Upon receiving a timely buyback request, Close To My Heart will contact the former Consultant to obtain (if not already provided by the Consultant) a list of products the former Consultant wishes Close To My Heart to repurchase and will check the product item numbers against the Consultant s order history over the 12 month period preceding the date of cancellation to determine the initial eligibility of the products or sales materials for buyback and will provide a report of the initial eligibility for buyback to the Consultant requesting buyback. The Consultant may then send the products or materials approved on the initial eligibility report to Close To My Heart at the Consultant s expense and risk within 30 days of receiving the initial eligibility report. Close To My Heart, after receiving the products or materials back from the Consultant, will inspect the returned items for those in unused, resalable, currently marketable condition and correlation to the initial eligibility report and will issue a final eligibility report. Close To My Heart will then refund 90% of the amount paid by the Consultant for the items determined to be eligible for buyback, less commissions and incentives paid to the Consultant on the products. Currently marketable products do not include seasonal, discontinued, or special promotional items. Because the New Consultant Kit contains a bundle of products sold at a deep discount, kit items are refundable under this policy at a pro rata value based on the ratio of the kit price to the total retail value of products contained in the kit. Foreign-based US Military Installations Close To My Heart understands that some Close To My Heart Consultants or their spouses serve in the United States Armed Forces and may be stationed at a US military installation in a foreign country. Close To My Heart recognizes that these Consultants may wish to continue as active Consultants and that they can be a valuable part of the overseas American military community. Consequently, Close To My Heart has tailored a policy for overseas military installations to allow Consultants to continue their Close To My Heart businesses under certain conditions. Close To My Heart Consultants stationed at a U.S. military installation in a foreign country are currently eligible to continue their Close To My Heart businesses provided that each of the conditions outlined below is strictly met: The Consultant or a member of his or her immediate family is a member of the US Armed Forces on active duty stationed at a US military installation located outside the United States. Consultants living outside the United States for other reasons or purposes are not permitted to conduct business as a Close To My Heart Consultant. The Consultant has an APO or FPO address. Shipments cannot be sent directly to foreign addresses. The host country s government (at any level) does not require any business permits or licenses, or the collection or payment of any taxes or fees, for home-based businesses conducted exclusively on the US military installation. It is critical for the Consultant to check with their local US military installation authority (i.e., base commander s office) about any US military or foreign country laws, regulations, or policies governing home-based businesses conducted by members of the US Armed Forces or their immediate family members. Different rules may apply to sales, shipments and/or distribution, and recruiting of new Consultants. All sales take place on the military installation and must be to US citizens. Any part or stage of the sale (i.e., receiving orders, accepting payment, or delivering product), whether in a Home Gathering, individual sale, or otherwise, cannot occur in the foreign country outside the boundaries of the US military installation. Revised December 1, 2017 7
Orders are shipped only to APO or FPO addresses, and Consultant will be responsible for making sure all U.S.P.S. and military mail rules, regulations, or policies applicable to their military installation are complied with. The Consultant must notify Close To My Heart Consultant Services of any transfers to foreign-based US military installations before soliciting any new orders. The Consultant shall indemnify and hold harmless Close To My Heart or any of its affiliates from all taxes of whatever kind or nature, whether imposed by the United States or any foreign government or local jurisdiction, which are or may be incurred as a result of his or her living and/or conducting business (including making sales, holding Home Gatherings, or recruiting hostesses or new Consultants) on any US military installation in any foreign country. In addition to Close To My Heart policy regarding foreign based military installations, Consultants are subject to the rules and regulations applicable to their base or other military installation. Consultants should become familiar with all such rules which relate to their business activities as a Consultant so they can be in compliance with them. Please consult with the office of the base commander (or other local US military authority) of your military installation before commencing any business activities. Revised December 1, 2017 8