FAQ's

The general FAQ's are listed below.  Other FAQ's can be found with the links to the left.

Where is your store located and what are your hours?

Penn State's Computer Store has two locations on the University Park Campus. Our main showroom is located in 12 Willard Building. We also have a showroom located in the HUB, next to the Penn State ID+ office.

Store hours for both locations are Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (except holidays).

Who is eligible to order?

Only current Penn State students, faculty and staff are eligible to purchase from the Computer Store. Please see our eligibility page for further details.

How can I place my order?

Penn State students, faculty, staff and departments have the following ordering options:

• Order online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Order in person at 12 Willard Building M-F, 9:00 a.m. - 5 p.m.

What payment methods do you accept?

When placing your order on-line or by phone you can pay with MasterCard, Discover Card or Visa (including Penn State Purchasing Cards). If you place an order in person at our sales locations (see above) you can also pay with cash, check (made out to Penn State) or LionCash.

Penn State departments ordering items over $2,000 can use the IBIS IDCC form to place the order. If you need assistance with the IBIS IDCC form please contact the Administrative Information Services (AIS) Support Center Help Desk at 814-863-2276.

Penn State departments can also order item via the Penn State Purchasing Ebuy web site (http://www.ebuy.psu.edu). If you need assistance with the Ebuy site please contact Penn State Purchasing at 814-865-7562.

After completing your online checkout, an Order Confirmation number will be generated and a copy of your order will be sent to you by email. A payment receipt will be enclosed in your shipment along with the merchandise. Please keep this payment receipt for reference in case of exchange or refund. The order confirmation that is provided online at the time of your order does not serve as your official receipt. The official receipt is the payment receipt that is mailed to you with the merchandise.

Will I be charged sales tax?

Personal orders shipped within the state of Pennsylvania are subject to Pennsylvania State Sales Tax (6%). If applicable, the appropriate tax will be automatically added to your order total.

Penn State departmental orders (orders that are paid for with departmental funds) and personal orders that are shipped outside Pennsylvania are tax exempt.

Where can I get a computer repaired?

Check your local yellow pages for personal computer repair resources. For computers that are under warranty, please refer to your individual warranty plan for information on getting your computer fixed.

Several groups on campus can provide excellent computer support to staff and students. Residential Computing (ResCom) is a group that can help Residence Hall students with a variety of support needs. The ITS Help Desks, located in 6 Willard Bldg and 215 Computer Bldg, can assist faculty, staff and students with many computer related issues.

What are my shipping options and costs?

We will begin processing your order immediately upon receipt and will typically ship in-stock items within 1-2 business days. If there is any delay, we will contact you immediately, either by email or by phone. If you have a question regarding the status of your order, please have your Order Confirmation number ready and call us at 814-865-2100 or 800-251-9281 during regular business hours (see above).

Note: Due to licensing and vendor restrictions, items WILL NOT  be shipped outside of the continental U.S.

Personal Orders - We offer FREE UPS Ground shipping on personal orders*! All personal orders will be shipped by UPS Standard Ground* unless another shipping method is requested. UPS Standard Ground orders within Pennsylvania typically arrive within 1-2 business days of shipment, but cannot be guaranteed.

*UPS Standard Ground not available to Alaska and Hawaii - please contact us for shipping options and costs. You can also choose to pick up your order at our showroom in 12 Willard Building. Note: Items must be picked up within 10 business days from the time you are notified that your order is ready.

Departmental Orders - Penn State departmental orders will be shipped at no charge by UPS Ground.

Why UPS?

We chose UPS for two reasons… price and service.

UPS is less expensive!

It provides great services, including tracking numbers on shipments.

UPS provides email confirmation and on-line tracking information in addition to fast, dependable delivery - typically next day for packages shipped within Pennsylvania.

Why not campus mail?

Campus mail is an excellent service, and we can't imagine Penn State without it; however, it does not provide tracking information, delivery confirmation or package insurance. In addition, many of our products exceed the package size limitations.

What is your return policy?

To ensure efficient processing of orders and to keep our prices as low as possible, the Computer Store has established the following policies regarding the return of merchandise:

• Return policy becomes effective upon customers receipt of item(s).
• All exchanges must be substantiated by the original receipt (per Penn State Procedure CR2056, Sales, Exchanges and Returns).
• Customers are required to inspect items immediately upon receipt.
• Customers are responsible for their purchase decisions.
• General return policy may be superseded by individual vendor policies.
• Special order items may not be returned.
• Return policies for site license items (part numbers beginning with “ S”) vary by vendor; please contact us prior to purchase.

Unopened Products

Unopened item(s) - with the exception of special order, site license and volume purchase items noted above - can be returned within 10 business days.

The Computer Store reserves the right to refuse a return or assess a restocking fee of 20% for any item(s) not returned within 10 business days.

Opened Products

Opened item(s), including software, may not be returned or exchanged unless verified as defective by Computer Store personnel. See below for policy regarding defective products.

Defective Products

The Computer Store reserves the right to inspect and verify defective returns. Within 10 business days, defective item(s) will be exchanged for exact same item(s). After 10 business days, individual vendor warranty guidelines should be followed. Missing parts are covered by individual vendor policies.

Customers must call to request a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number before an item is returned; invoice number is required. No returns/exchanges will be accepted without an RMA number.

Returned item(s) must include ALL original packaging, manuals, original box and invoice; RMA number must be written on the invoice. The Computer Store must receive Item(s) within 10 business days of the date the RMA number is issued. After 10 business days the RMA will expire and the return will not be accepted.

Effective Jan. 4, 2006

Is my personal information secure?

The information you provide to us will remain confidential and will only be used for shipping and billing purposes. Penn State's Computer Store uses SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption. You can tell when you're in a secure environment by the following signs: the URL to the left of the colon changes from "http" to "https" to indicate that you are using SSL. Most browsers also display a lock or key icon to indicate secure sessions.

You can click on the thawte logo on our main page to verify that this site belongs to the Penn State Computer Store.