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| Please contact us if your question is not answered here. (Revised 10/1/08) |
| MEMBERSHIP & REGISTRATION |
| How do I become an Objects Online member? |
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To review our Terms of Use concerning the use of Objects Online, please visit www.objectsonline.com/conditions.php. While anyone can freely browse Objects Online, only members are able to download the free or commercial products available on our website. The new member application is the first step in becoming an Objects Online member. If you have not yet registered on our site, please do so by clicking on the Create Account link at the top of the page. Make sure to completely and accurately fill out all required information and read through the Terms of Use before clicking the Continue button to send in your registration. We will then review your information and confirm your identity before activating your account, a process which normally takes up to 1 business day and does not occur over weekends or recognized U.S. holidays. To expedite your account activation, please call us during our normal business hours.
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| I submitted my new member registration...why can't I purchase yet? |
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CUSTOMER VERIFICATION
While Objects Online uses secure and encrypted transactions to safeguard your sensitive information during a sale, many of our new customer accounts contain either incomplete or inaccurate information which can lead to problems at the time of a purchase. Because it is impossible for an automated system to distinguish between honest mistakes and intentional fraud in new member accounts, we manually confirm the information of all of our new customers before activating their accounts. This means you will usually not be able to create a new account and immediately make a purchase unless you call us to confirm your account information.
In order to become an approved Objects Online member, your account information must be accurate and complete. The telephone and email address you provide must be in proper working order. Your billing address should be an exact match of the billing address on your credit card statement or PayPal account. When in doubt, it is better for you to wait and create your Objects Online account when you have your credit card statement/PayPal account information in front of you, as missing or inaccurate information in the new member application may result in either the removal of the new member account or problems during a sale. If your new account activation is delayed or rejected, you may wish to call us during our normal business hours to expedite your account setup.
While we strive to create a quick and convenient shopping experience for all of our customers, it is essential when starting out with us that your account information is completely accurate. While confirming the accuracy of your contact information is generally sufficient for us to be able approve your account, if a problem arises we reserve the right to ask that you send us one of the following documents:
1. (For PayPal users) From your PayPal account profile, a faxed, mailed or emailed copy of the Email page showing your PayPal email address and either the Credit Card or Bank Acount page showing only the last 4 digits of the financial account linked to your PayPal account.
2. (For credit card users) A faxed, mailed or emailed copy of your latest credit card statement displaying your billing address and only the last 4 digits of the credit card intended to be used for purchases in our store.
3. (In very rare cases) A faxed or mailed copy (NEVER email complete credit card info!) of the front & reverse sides of the credit card being used for OO purchases and/or a government-issued photo ID showing the address of the person associated with your account's billing. This information is shredded once received and confirmed.
As Objects Online membership is free, you are never charged anything until you have successfully completed the checkout process. A sales receipt is automatically emailed once an order has been completed.
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| How do I submit products/become an Objects Online product developer? |
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If you have created symbols, objects, textures, or software that you would like to have placed on Objects Online for other customers to purchase or download for free, we'd love to have you on board as a product developer. Please note, the products you submit must be your creations and not based, in part or in whole, on someone else's work. Any and all liability for copyright infringements rests solely with the developer responsible for the violation.
It only takes one product to get started. First, if you have not already done so, please create a customer account on Objects Online. Then contact us to request a copy of our Developer Agreement and Product Submission Guidelines. To avoid delays when submitting a product, please log into the Partners Zone using your account email and password, then click on the Add a Product link. If you have product ideas or need suggestions/feedback from us, please let us know.
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| How do I become an Objects Online reseller or sales affiliate? |
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If you are currently involved in sales or have a website that receives traffic, then we want to hear from you! There are two ways you can earn income by selling or promoting Objects Online's products. The first is to become a reseller, which requires a certain amount of active participation in sales. The second is to become a sales affiliate, which is a passive activity in which you place a special link on your website to our website. The extent to which you are involved in either sales program is entirely up to you.
Our reseller program is designed for companies or individuals who are generally already involved in some type of active selling in their daily business. Candidates are pre-qualified based on their sales experience, focus, and vision. All interested candidates should fill out a brief questionnaire to submit to us for consideration. Approved candidates will then receive further information on the Objects Online reseller program.
Our sales affiliate program is currently under development, but will be up and running soon. If you are interested in becoming an Objects Online sales affiliate, please contact us requesting to be added to our list of interested sales affiliate candidates. We will send you information on the new affiliate program when it goes live.
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| How do I subscribe/unsubscribe from the Objects Online newsletter? |
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In order to receive the OO newsletter, you must first have an approved OO customer account. You may also review the latest issue of the newsletter online. To set up or change your newsletter subscription preferences, simply log in to Objects Online using your email address and password, then click on the My Account link at the top of the page, then on the Subscribe or unsubscribe from newsletters link. Toward the bottom your account profile page will be a checkbox for your Objects Online newsletter subscription preference. If you do not remember your account log in information, you may use our password recovery feature or simply contact us requesting to subscribe or unsubscribe.
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| Do you share any of my information with any outside parties? |
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To review our Privacy Statement, please visit www.objectsonline.com/privacy.php. In general, your information will not leave our company. The only exceptions are when we need to process your payments (through PayPal or the bank) or to escalate a support issue to a product's developer. All sensitive information that passes through our store is secure and encrypted. If you have any questions or concerns about this policy, please contact us.
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| PRODUCT PURCHASES & RETURNS |
| Is this product downloadable or mail order? Can I get both? |
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If the words "Mail Order" appear in the product's name, it is a mail order product. If the words "Download" appear in the product's name, or if neither "Mail Order" nor "Download" appear in the product's name, then it is a downloadable product. Some products are available in a download version and a mail order version, and will have separate product listings for each delivery method.
If you are purchasing a product that is available in both downloadalbe and mail order versions and would like to receive both formats, please purchase the mail order version and contact us requesting to also receive the download version.
If a product is only available in a downloadable format, you may add the generic Backup Disc product to your cart to receive all the downloadable items in your order mailed to you on a disc. However, if a product is only available in a mail order format on our website, a download will not be possible.
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| Which delivery service offers tracking? Can I use a different delivery service? |
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UPS offers real-time package tracking and is available for nearly all shipping destinations. If your order is being shipped via UPS, please contact us to obtain your tracking number. Once you have your tracking number, you can track your UPS package at http://www.ups.com/WebTracking/track
Real-time package tracking is not available through the US Postal Service (USPS). By default, we only offer USPS shipping to destinations outside the U.S. (in order to offer a low-cost international shipping option). Please read about your risks and responsibilities when shipping via USPS or other carriers. If you would prefer to use USPS and you reside in the U.S. (or if you would prefer to use another carrier, such as FedEx, etc.), please do not complete your order online, but instead contact us for pricing and insurance options. If a different shipping service is used, we'll need to process your order manually.
If your order is being shipped via US Postal Service (USPS), real-time package tracking is not possible. We are only able to confirm the date that the package has left our warehouse. If your package is being shipped via USPS, it is possible for us to order a trace on a package 30 days after it has left our warehouse. For packages shipping via USPS to locations inside the U.S., the average turnaround is 2-3 days. For packages shipping via USPS to locations outside the U.S., the package will typically arrive at your country's customs department within one week, but it is possible for there to be delays at customs lasting several weeks. Regardless of your location, once we have confirmed that your package has left our warehouse, please wait the requisite 30 days before contacting us again about your USPS package's whereabouts...there won't be anything else we can do until that time.
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| Is my mail order package insured? What if my package is lost in the mail? |
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If your order is being shipped via UPS, $100 shipping insurance is automatically included. If the value of your UPS shipment exceeds $100 and you would like to fully insure it (highly recommended...see below), please do not complete your order online, but instead contact us for pricing and insurance options. If additional shipping insurance is used, we'll need to process your order manually.
If your order is being shipped via US Postal Service (USPS), shipping insurance is not automatically included. Shipping insurance is sometimes available for certain package types and destinations. If you are selecting USPS and would like to insure the package (highly recommended...see next paragraph), do not complete your order online, but instead contact us for pricing and insurance options. If additional shipping insurance is used, we'll need to process your order manually.
Objects Online is not responsible for lost, misdirected, or abandoned mail. The customer assumes all responsibility for replacing uninsured or underinsured packages. To ensure the safe arrival of your package, we recommend that you double-check your shipping address prior to completing your order, and select a delivery option that includes full shipping insurance coverage.
All taxes, tariffs, import duties, customs fees, and shipping brokerage fees are the responsibility of the customer. Objects Online has no involvement in establishing these fees, nor any means of estimating them. If the customer refuses to pay fees required by the shipper or local governing authority, Objects Online reserves the right to recover the package and assess a 20% restock fee plus all associated shipping costs to the customer.
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| How do I make purchases or get free products on Objects Online? |
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In order to make purchases or get free products on Objects Online, you must be an Objects Online member. Purchasing products in our online store is easy. Here's what to do:
1. Log in to your Objects Online account by entering your email address and password at the top of the page.
2. Locate the product you want and click the Cart+ button located directly beneath the product's price to add it to the cart. If a product has options that must be specified, you will be taken to a product detail page where, on the left side, you can make those selections and add the product to your cart.
3. When a product is successfully added to the Cart, you will be taken to your Cart page, where you can either manage the products in your cart, checkout, or continue shopping. To proceed with your purchase, click Checkout.
4. There are 4 Checkout pages. On the first page, you can review your cart contents and charges, select a shipping method (if applicable), add comments to your order (such as previous serial numbers if you're ordering an upgrade), and confirm or change your shipping address. Click continue to proceed to the second checkout page, where you can confirm your or change your billilng address and contact info, enter your payment information and/or coupons, and enter any additional comments. If entering a coupon code, click the Redeem button before clicking the Continue button so that the coupon will be applied. On the third page, you'll confirm your shipping & billing info, product ordered, and order total. Click the Confirm Order button to submit the order. The final page will confirm that your order was succesfully processed and will include any applicable product download links. (If your order does not successfully process, please contact us to report the problem so that we can assist you in completing your order.)
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| My purchase won't complete or was declined. What do I do? |
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Objects Online uses an advanced suite of fraud detection tools during payment processing. This is designed to protect both the consumer and the merchant from unauthorized credit card usage, but it may occasionally lead to legitimate purchases being declined or held for further review.
When a credit card purchase is declined, payment is not authorized and there is usually not much we can do to correct the situation. You will either need to contact your credit card's issuing bank to see why it is declining, or try using a different card. When a purchase is "held for review," the card is authorized for payment, but the payment is not processed and therefore the transaction is not completed until we authorize it on our end (typically within the next business day). If either happens to you, please contact us so that we can assist you in completing your purchase. We will strive to get your order completed and your products to you as quickly as possible.
For some PayPal users, it is possible on rare occasions for PayPal's server to process your charges without notifying our cart that payment has been transferred. This results in the order remaining in an "Incomplete" status, preventing the delivery of your products. If you believe this has happened to you, DO NOT place a second order. Instead, please contact us so that we can assist you in completing your transaction.
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| How do I get the products that I ordered? |
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If you are experiencing problems downloading a product or if you would like to check on the status of a mail order, please contact us for assistance.
Mail order products will be shipped to you according to the shipping method you selected. With the exception of pre-order products, all mail orders will ship the same business day they are received if they reach us before 1:00 PM Eastern U.S. Time (check current time). Normally, we will email you a confirmation when the shipment goes out, and the shipper will email you tracking information, if available.
Downloadable products can be obtained from the Order Information page. Download links remain active for 72 hours after purchase. There are 2 ways to get to the Order Information page:
1. If you have just completed your order, the confirmation screen at the end of Checkout will show Download buttons for each of the products you purchased. Click on each Download button to begin downloading.
2. If you are returning to our website after a purchase has been made, first log in, then click on My Account in the red menu at the top of the page. Near the top of this page, you'll see an overview of your previous orders...click on the View buttons on the right to view each Order Information page. Once on an Order Information page, you will see Download buttons for each of the products you purchased. Click on each Download button to begin downloading.
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| What if I need to change or cancel my order? |
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If you ordered mail order products and it is still before our 3:00 PM shipping cutoff time (check current time), we can probably make the changes to your order. Please contact us as soon as possible to discuss what can be done. If the product has already been delivered, then our return policy applies.
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| What is your return/exchange policy? |
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To review our End User License Agreement (EULA), please visit www.objectsonline.com/license_agreement.php. The terms in the EULA supersede any information on this FAQ page; the information in this FAQ is just a general guide.
ALL SOFTWARE SALES ARE FINAL. Replacements are available on damaged/defective products, if executed within 90 days of date the product was purchased. Defective products are defined as products that do not conform to the specifications in the product description, or whose installation media does not allow for the proper installation of the product. Before purchasing, please read all product descriptions and system requirements/compatibilities carefully, explore any demo versions when available, and contact us with any specific questions if you need more information.
If you received damaged, defective or incorrect products, please contact us to receive a functional version of the product you ordered. It is helpful if you can attach screen shots or a description of any error messages observed. In the case of a product defect, we may first try to explore all possible support options prior to issuing a replacement, to determine the full nature of the defect and possible solutions. If we determine a product to be defective due to a faulty file conversion or an irreparable flaw that renders the entire product unusable, we may, at our sole discretion, arrange for an in-store credit.
EXCEPTIONS: The following software developers offer money-back guarantees if their product is returned with all the original contents within the the number of days specified below:
Informatix (Piranesi): 15 days from the date of purchase
Nemetschek (VectorWorks): 90 days from the date of purchase
Hot Door (2D Graphics Plug-ins): 90 days from the date of purchase
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| When do OO gift certificates expire? |
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Objects Online gift certificates expire on the calendar year they are issued. We can make an exception to this if the gift certificate holder requests an extension before the last business day of the calendar year, otherwise the gift certificate is forfeited. Gift certificates issued during the month of December are automatically extended into the next calendar year. Only one extension shall be granted on any single gift certificate. We will email one reminder notice during the month of December that a gift certificate is about to expire. When our accountant closes the books at the end of the year, unclaimed gift certificates are voided unless they have been extended by request in advance.
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| PRODUCT INSTALLATION & SUPPORT |
| Is your product compatible with my software? |
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Product compatibility is displayed after each product description. We're currently in the process of converting most of our 3D objects into the following formats: 3DS (3DStudio), GSM (ArchiCAD), DXF (AutoCAD), DWG (AutoCAD), AOF (Artlantis), FACT (ElectricImage), LP (Lightscape), EPX (Piranesi), U3D, VRML, and OBJ (Wavefront). If the product you're interested in is not available in one of these formats, please contact us to see if a conversion is available.
If you are uncertain whether a product you are interested in will work with your system, feel free to contact us. If a product you have already purchased does not work with your system, please review our return policy.
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| I am unable to decompress my file. What do I do? |
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Please make sure you are using the latest version of your decompression utility. We recommend:
For Windows (ZIP files): WinZip, available at
http://www.winzip.com/downwzeval.htm
For Mac or Windows (SITX or ZIP files): Stuffit Expander, available at
http://www.stuffit.com/detect_expander.html
From there, refer to your decompression utility's instructions on how to decompress files. It should be either a simple right-click or drag-and-drop procedure. If you continue experiencing difficulty, or if your file was not delivered in a .ZIP or .SITX format, please contact us for further assistance.
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| How do I install my product? |
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For CAD 2D or 3D objects, normally you'll want to store your objects and/or textures in a "Custom CAD Library," a folder you create that is located in an easily accessible location, such as inside your computer's Programs folder. It is generally recommended that you do not place your Custom CAD Library folder directly inside your CAD software's program folder, as information in these folders can sometimes be automatically removed or accidentally deleted when updating or upgrading software. Some products from our store include specific installation instructions or installers.
Fonts will normally come with their own installation instructions, and once installed they should be accessible within all applications on your computer. For questions on installing other types of products, please contact us for further assistance.
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| I received a file in an ArchiCAD .PLA or .LCF file format. What should I do? |
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If you received a product in a .PLA (ArchiCAD Project Archive) or .LCF (Library Container File) format, you should extract it. This clears up a number of unusual problems that can occur. Here's what to do:
1. Move your .PLA or .LCF into your "Custom ArchiCAD Library" folder (see the preceeding question).
2. If extracting a .PLA, open the .PLA file using ArchiCAD's File menu: Open (you may need to set the file format to Solo Project Archives). In the next dialogue, "Create Library from Archive," by default you should be inside your "Custom ArchiCAD Library" folder (created in step 1 above), so that the library it extracts will reside inside this folder. Click the "Choose" button at the lower right corner of this dialogue to extract the library. What should result is a library folder with the extension .LIB at the end of its name.
If extracting a .LCF, open the .LCF using ArchiCAD's File menu: Libraries and Objects: Extract a Container. Make a new folder inside of the "Custom ArchiCAD Library" and give it the name of the library or object that is to be extracted. What should result is an object or a collection of folders with objects in it.
Once the .PLA or .LCF has been extracted, it should be backed up onto disc for safe-keeping and then deleted. The newly extracted library parts should be used from this point forward.
3. Go into ArchiCAD's Library Manager. Click the Local/LAN tab at the top of the Library Manager dialogue, then navigate through your hard drive on the left side of the dialogue to select your "Custom ArchiCAD Library" folder. Click the "Add" button at the bottom of the Library Manager dialogue, then the "Done" button at the lower right corner of the same dialogue. ArchiCAD should load your custom library, including your new objects, into the project. Do this consistently with each project (or with a template project you set up), and you will always have your custom objects ready to use.
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| Who do I contact for product technical support? |
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Objects Online offers basic, front-level technical support for the products we sell. Please contact us first with your questions using our web-based support form or our sales & service phone number. For training or customization issues, please use our support phone number (a $100 hourly fee will apply, billable in 15-minute increments). For questions that require higher-level technical assistance, we may refer you to the product's developer. Please "CC" us on any support communications with developers so that we can keep track of your issue's progress.
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| Am I permitted to install your software on more than one computer? |
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To review our End User License Agreement (EULA), please visit www.objectsonline.com/license_agreement.php. The terms in the EULA supersede any information on this FAQ page; the information in this FAQ is just a general guide.
If you have purchased a single license (1 quantity) of a product, then you may install your software only on one computer at a time. Multi-seat licenses are clearly marked in our store, with the number of authorized concurrent seats also indicated. If you require multiple copies of a single-license software title, please contact us for a custom price quote.
Some products we sell have serialization schemes in place to regulate the fair usage of the licensed product. In fairness to our developers who have devoted many long hours to the creation of the products we offer, we ask that you please do not re-distribute or share the files you purchase from Objects Online! Under no circumstances shall any customer, reseller, or affiliate engage in unauthorized copying, lending, or distribution of Objects Online software. Any violation of this policy shall be punished to the fullest extent of the law. If you have any questions about this policy, please contact us.
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| Am I permitted to sell or exchange your software with someone else? |
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To review our End User License Agreement (EULA), please visit www.objectsonline.com/license_agreement.php. The terms in the EULA supersede any information on this FAQ page; the information in this FAQ is just a general guide.
You may sell or otherwise permanently transfer the original license of your software to another party, provided that you remove and destroy all installed copies and backups in your possession, and you provide the new license holder with all the materials that originally accompanied the product, including the End User License Agreement (whose terms the new license holder must accept). Some products we sell have serialization schemes in place to regulate the fair usage of the licensed product, so you may need to contact that product's developer for further explanation on transferring licenses and serial numbers. The developer may reserve the right to reject the transfer of the software license. Objects Online shall not accept any fault or liability should this occur.
You may not distribute additional copies of any software purchased from Objects Online via any public or private network, forum, file exchange/sharing service, website, or any other means of electronic or physical distribution without prior written consent of Objects Online. Upon signing a reseller agreement with Objects Online, authorized Objects Online resellers and affiliates may resell our products to other parties, provided that they submit purchase orders and pre-payment for all software sold. All reseller or affiliate product fulfillment must originate from Objects Online's server or shipping warehouse. Under no circumstances shall any customer, reseller, or affiliate engage in unauthorized copying, lending, or distribution of Objects Online software. Any violation of this policy shall be punished to the fullest extent of the law. If you have any questions about this, please contact us.
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