Shipping and Returns

Last updated August 6, 2026

Current status

The Five C Theory is in prepublication, and paid preorders are not open. No payment is being collected. Final service areas, pickup points, carriers, charges, dispatch estimates, and return addresses will be published only after each fulfillment route is tested and approved.

When ordering opens, the product page or written quote will show the terms that apply to that edition and destination before payment. If a specific order confirmation provides more favorable terms, those terms will apply to that order.

Where we expect to fulfill

Planned routes include pickup or local delivery in Sierra Leone, domestic shipping within the United States, selected international destinations, and separately delivered digital editions. Availability may differ by edition, quantity, destination, and publication stage. A displayed country or an inquiry form does not guarantee that shipping is available there.

Processing and dispatch

Any processing or dispatch estimate will appear before payment and in the order confirmation. Estimates begin after payment and any required address, customization, institutional approval, or fraud review are complete. Business days exclude weekends and public holidays applicable to the fulfillment location.

Signed, personalized, bulk, event, institutional, or made-to-order quantities may require additional processing. We will not substitute a materially different edition without the customer’s agreement.

Shipping charges, taxes, and duties

Shipping, local delivery, or pickup charges will be shown before payment or stated in an approved quote. Customers are responsible for providing a complete, deliverable address and any lawful customs information. International customers may be responsible for import duties, taxes, brokerage, or customs charges that are not collected by us; these will be identified before checkout whenever they can reasonably be determined.

Tracking, pickup, and delivery

Where tracking is available, it will be included in the dispatch notice. Some local delivery or pickup routes may use a confirmation reference instead of carrier tracking. Pickup orders must be collected by the named customer or an authorized person using the confirmation method stated in the pickup notice.

A carrier scan may not always establish that the correct recipient received a parcel. If an order is marked delivered but cannot be found, check the delivery area and contact the carrier or local delivery contact, then notify us through Contact and Support.

Address changes and failed delivery

Request an address correction as soon as possible. We cannot guarantee a change after an order enters fulfillment. If a parcel is returned because the address was incomplete, incorrect, refused, or unclaimed, we will contact the customer about reshipment or refund options. Additional delivery costs may be deducted or charged when the failure was caused by information supplied by the customer, except where applicable law requires otherwise.

Delays and cancellation before dispatch

If we cannot meet a promised dispatch time, we will provide the revised information and the available choice to wait or cancel, as required by applicable law. A customer may request cancellation before dispatch. We will confirm whether fulfillment can still be stopped. If an eligible cancellation is accepted after payment, the refund will be issued to the original payment method.

Damaged, defective, incorrect, or missing orders

Inspect the order promptly. Report a damaged, defective, incomplete, or incorrect order within 7 calendar days after delivery when reasonably possible. Include the order number, a description, and clear photographs of the product and packaging if available. Do not send sensitive identity or payment information.

After review, we may provide a replacement, the missing item, a repair where appropriate, or a full or partial refund. If we require a return for our error or for a verified defect, we will provide return instructions and cover the reasonable authorized return cost. Lost shipments will be reviewed with the carrier or delivery record before replacement or refund.

Returns for other reasons

Unless a product page states a longer period, request authorization within 14 calendar days after delivery. An eligible print item must be unused, unmarked, and returned in resalable condition with its order reference. Do not send a return until instructions and the correct return destination are provided.

The customer is responsible for authorized return shipping when the item was correctly supplied and is not defective. Original shipping and customs charges are not refundable in that situation, except where applicable law provides otherwise.

Items with limited return rights

Signed or personalized copies, opened bundles containing access codes or digital benefits, clearance items identified as final sale, and custom institutional or event orders are not returnable for change of mind. They remain eligible for review if damaged, defective, materially misdescribed, or supplied incorrectly. Digital products follow the separate Digital Download Policy.

Refund timing

Once an eligible return is received and inspected, or another refund is approved, we will notify the customer and send the refund to the original payment method. Provider processing times may vary. A required refund for an order we cannot fulfill will include the amounts that applicable law requires, including shipping or related charges where required.

Bulk and institutional orders

Bulk, classroom, library, government, event, and institutional orders may have a written fulfillment plan covering quantities, staged delivery, inspection, cancellation, returns, and invoicing. The approved quote or agreement controls where it differs from this general policy.

Get help

Use Contact and Support and include the order reference, market, edition, and a concise description of the problem. Current fulfillment information is also published at Shipping and Delivery.