|
What is The Southwestern Company? What does it do?
Is the person at my door really contracted to sell your products?
How long do I have to cancel my order?
Why can't I purchase the products online?
Why don't the student dealers leave a business card or brochure?
Why is a check made out to the student and not Southwestern?
How do I know I will get my order?
What if I move before my order is delivered? What if I am
on vacation when my order is scheduled for delivery?
Why do I have to wait until the end of the summer to get
my order?
Canada: Is the product sold in Canada in Canadian dollars
or U.S.?
What is the Southwestern Company?
What does it do?
The Southwestern Company, located in Nashville, Tennessee, has been in
business since 1855. In 1868, Southwestern began helping college students
finance their college expenses through selling books. Southwestern expanded
into the UK in 1994. Today, Southwestern is part of Southwestern/Great
American, Inc., one of middle Tennessee's largest private companies.
The student dealers market family-oriented educational, reference products.
Last summer, over 3,400 students represented over 430 colleges and universities
throughout the world.
The Southwestern summer program allows students the opportunity to run
their own business during their summer breaks. They are independent contractors,
purchasing products at wholesale and selling them to their customers at
retail. The student dealers also have the opportunity to earn up to nine
college credit hours (three per summer) that are transferable to most
U.S. colleges and universities from Trevecca University in Nashville.
Among others, Southwestern is a member of the following organizations:
Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
Better Business Bureau of Middle Tennessee (Charter-member)
Direct Selling Association* (DSA) - US, UK & Canada
Approved with the Office of Fair Trading, United Kingdom
National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and
its five regional associations
*DSA members are leading companies engaged in direct selling around
the world. All DSA companies adhere to a strict code of ethics and promote
a high ethical standard in our industry.
Is the person at my door really
contracted to sell your products?
Each summer, thousands of college students participate in Southwestern's
summer program. The students come from all over the world and represent
nearly 400 colleges and universities from the USA to Canada, the UK to
Estonia and France - even Africa and South America just to name a few.
The students are independent dealers in Southwestern product spending
their summer breaks learning the independence of running a business far
away from home and building a resume with both selling and life skills.
Students that sell Southwestern products are provides with a photo ID
badge and lanyard with Southwestern's contact information. Dealers selling
in the US will also have a Direct Selling Association member ID card.
The student dealers carry a sample case with book samples and business
supplies to demonstrate their products and conduct transaction with their
customers. The order books the student dealers carry have information
regarding cancellation policies and Southwestern contact information including
toll-free number and the website.
Typically, the student dealers live with a local host family for the
summer and open a local bank account. If a local ordinance requires the
dealer to have a solicitation permit, they should be able to produce it
if asked. If you feel the need to check on the credibility of the student,
you can call our toll-free Customer Service number at (888) 551-5901 or
in the UK call 0117 978 2525. Please be patient, as there may be some
hold time in the busiest times of the summer.
How long do I have to cancel
my order?
United States:
Per your signed contract and under Federal Trade Commission guidelines,
you have three business days from the date of sale to cancel your order.
The sale is a legally binding transaction between you and the student
dealer. As a third party to the sale, Southwestern does not have the legal
authority to authorize a cancellation after the three-business day period.
The Customer Service department is here to answer questions regarding
the summer program and product and to process transactions within the
allotted cancellation period.
To cancel within three business days, call Customer Service toll-free
at (888) 551-5901 or mail a copy of the receipt with your intentions to:
The Southwestern Company
Attn: Customer Service
P.O. Box 305140
Nashville, TN 37230
The postage date will be used as the date for cancellation.
Canada:
Canadian customers have ten business days from the date of sale to cancel
your order. The sale is a legally binding transaction between you and
the student dealer. As a third party to the sale, Southwestern does not
have the legal authority to authorize a cancellation after the ten-business
day period. The Customer Service department is here to answer questions
regarding the summer program and product and to process transactions within
the allotted cancellation period.
To cancel within ten business days, call Customer Service toll-free or
mail a copy of the receipt with your intentions to:
The Southwestern Company
Attn: Customer Service
P.O. Box 305140
Nashville, TN 37230
Canada:
British Columbia (800) 453-4655
Alberta (800) 551-5902
Manitoba (888) 276-7791
Ontario (888) 615-3912
The postage date or date of initial contact will be used as the date
for cancellation.
United Kingdom:
Per your signed contract you may cancel your transaction without any penalty
or obligation within 14 business days from the date of sale. The sale
is a legally binding transaction between you and the student dealer. As
a third party to the sale, Southwestern does not have the legal authority
to authorize a cancellation after the 14-business day period.
Please post or hand-deliver your pink or yellow copy of the order form
to the Bristol within 14 days of when the order was taken and send to
the following address:
The Southwestern Co. UK Ltd.
Unit 4, Bakers Park.
Cater Rd, Bishopworth,
Bristol BS13 7TT
Why can’t I purchase the products
online?
This is an increasingly common question in today's high tech world. The
Southwestern program is still very true to its roots. The program was
set up in 1868 to help students offset educational expenses. It is no
different today. Through selling educational products directly to families
in their homes, the students gain valuable experiences in not only running
a business, but acquiring valuable life skills in communication, goal-setting,
hard work and problem-solving just to name a few. It is also experience
for their resumes/CVs.
Simply put, if the product was offered online, the student dealers would
lose customers and the personal experience that goes with building character.
Why don’t the student dealers
leave behind a business card or brochure?
The students typically live with a host family during the summer, as they
relocate to another state to run their business. They do not distribute
the local host families phone number or address out of courtesy and respect
for the family's privacy.
The student is also an independent contractor, therefore not employed
by Southwestern. The students are representing themselves, selling a product
bought at wholesale from Southwestern. They have been provided a two-sided
photo ID badge that should be visible at all times. Some students do carry
cell phones for safety. It is entirely up to them if they want to distribute
their contact information.
Verification of a student dealer can be made by calling Customer Service
at (888) 551-5901 or in the UK 0117 978 2525.
Why is a check made out to the
student and not Southwestern?
The checks are not made out to Southwestern because the student dealer
is selling you the product, NOT Southwestern. Since they are running
their own business, they open local bank accounts in their name to conduct
business just for the summer. To deposit the check into their account,
it must be made out in their name. All other legitimate direct selling
companies operate the same way (Mary Kay, Avon, Pampered Chef, etc…)
Example: If a lawn service mowed your lawn, you would make the check
out to the service, not the manufacturer of the lawn mower.
How do I know I will get my
order?
Southwestern will guarantee you will get the product you order. Although
the transaction of the sale is between you and the student dealer, the
student has contracted with Southwestern to guarantee delivery of your
products. They have also contracted with Southwestern to utilize our Customer
Contact Center services for questions and transactions within the allotted
time periods. The guarantee is printed on the receipt, with two copies
left behind by the student.
The student dealer will contact you via postcard to let you know the
approximate date they will be arriving with your order. If the dealer
does not deliver your order on the date on the postcard, please allow
ten business days for the dealer to come by your home. If by then, your
product has not been delivered, you can send a copy of your receipt to
the Southwestern Customer Contact Center with the remainder of the amount
you owe and it will be shipped directly to you. With a summer full of
customers to deliver, the student may sometimes get behind in their delivery
schedule.
What if I move before my order
is delivered? What if I am on vacation when my order is scheduled for
delivery?
Simply write in care of the dealer who sold you the product and enclose
a copy of the receipt to the following address:
Attn: _________________, Student Dealer
The Southwestern Company
P.O. Box 305140
Nashville, TN 37230
Or
Attn: _____________; Student Dealer
The Southwestern Co.UK Ltd
Unit 4, Bakers Park,
Cater Road,
Bishopsworth,
Bristol. BS13 7TT.
Call 0117 978 2525
Be sure to include your new address if you have moved.
If you are on vacation at the time of the scheduled delivery, simply
call the company toll-free at (888) 551-5901 or leave a note for the student.
You can leave the remaining balance with a neighbor or mail the remainder
with a copy of your receipt to the above address and the product will
be sent to you.
Why do I have to wait until
the end of the summer to get my order?
The Southwestern Program helps college students earn money by running
their own business selling Southwestern product. Typically, college students
can not afford to purchase the product prior to selling it to families
throughout the summer. In taking a deposit from you at the time of sale,
the student remits the money to Southwestern (minus living expenses),
reserving the product for the end of the summer. The product also arrives
to your home before or at the beginning of your children’s school year,
just in time for them to get much use out of it.
Canada: Is the product sold
in Canada in Canadian dollars or U.S.?
Why might my credit card charged a different amount than what the student
dealer told me? All product sold in Canada is in Canadian dollars. The
credit card companies convert the dollars to U.S. currency because Southwestern
is a company based in the U.S. When the amount appears on your bill, it
has been transferred back to Canadian currency. If there is a small discrepancy
between what is on your statement and what the student dealer told you,
it is due to a change in the conversion rate at the time of conversion.
| 
