Who are the people behind the company?

"Welcome to I See Me! Our mission is to provide the highest quality, most personalized children's books available. We opened for business in May, 2000, after a year of active product development. My husband Allan and I received a personalized book as a gift for our first son in 1998. While we loved the fact that it was personalized, we thought that the illustrations could have been much better and the story more customized to the child. Thus I See Me! was born.

My husband Allan, who is a graphic designer, and I developed the first book as a team. Our goal was to produce an educational book that would teach young children how to recognize letters and spell their names. After I developed the concept and wrote the book, we brainstormed together to develop the characters in the book. Allan found and hired the illustrator, and designed the book, while I wrote the business plan.

The illustrator of this original book, Mark Mille with Mason Illustration, lives in Wisconsin and is nationally known for his fanciful illustrations. Mark spent over a year illustrating all of the detailed images of colorful animals in My Very Own Name.

My goals in writing My Very Own Fairy Tale were to show each child how absolutely unique and special she is, to teach the child how to spell her name, and to build vocabulary skills. The illustrator Joyce Patti, who lives in Seal Beach, CA, took over two years to illustrate all of the fairies because she painted them with such exquisite detail.

Allan's design firm, Haag Design Inc., in Minneapolis, designed and produced both books, and also designed the unique fairy dresses in My Very Own Fairy Tale. A fulfillment center in Minnesota with extensive experience producing high quality personalized products assembles and professionally binds the books, and sends them to our customers. We hope that you enjoy the books!"

--Maia Haag, author and co-founder of I See Me! Inc.

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Is there a customer satisfaction guarantee?

All of our products are backed by a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee. If you are unsatisfied with the product for any reason, you may return it for quality adjustments or, at your election, a full refund. Please see our policy below regarding special animal and fairy requests, and repeated animals or fairies in the stories.

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What if the child's name is longer than the maximum number of letters allowed in the book?

Our website states that there is a maximum of 15 letters allowed for the first name, another 15 letters allowed for the middle name, and another 15 letters for the last name. However, we can manually change our production process to allow a maximum of 18 letters for the first or middle name if needed. We can manually change our production process to allow a maximum of 16 letters for the last name. Please send an email to customerservice@iseeme.com after your order is placed, to alert us that your order is slightly outside of the maximum that is stated on the website.

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Are these books appropriate for an adopted child?

Yes, both books work wonderfully for adopted children. Before the author Maia Haag published each book, she met with adoptive parents to ensure that each would work for adopted children. At the beginning of the story, the text says that the child "arrived", rather was born. This enables you to decide whether you want to include the child's actual date of birth, or the date when the child arrived in the family. Many families provide the date when the child arrived into the family. The book can be used as an educational tool to explain to the child how he or she was named by the family.

Below are testimonials from customers who ordered the book for an adopted child:

"Our daughter is from China and she is just amazing. I am going to mention your books to the families we went to China with because so many of the books specifically about adoption are really corny. Yours open up dialog in a subtle and natural way by talking about the arrival of the baby, rather than the birth. This makes it another way for us to talk about adoption with her."
Elizabeth V, Beverly Hills, CA

"The adoption community loves these books! Thanks for such high quality books for our kids!"
Grace A, Pottstown, PA

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Can I select certain animals or fairies to be used in the book?

Yes, but it's not guaranteed. We do not encourage this because it would be impossible to accommodate this request if every customer asked. However, if you have a strong request for a certain animal or fairy, please write your request in the "comments" section during check-out. We cannot guarantee that we will accommodate your request, but we will make every effort to do so.

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Are the animals or fairies used in the books ever repeated?

We make every effort not to duplicate an animal or fairy, unless absolutely necessary. Our inventory includes 3-4 animals/fairies for every vowel, and 2-3 animals/fairies for almost every consonant. Occasionally, a book will have a repeated animal or fairy. Should this occur, and you find it objectionable, simply call our customer service department at 1-877-281-0536 or email us at customerservice@iseeme.com. If we are able to correct the error, we will arrange for you to ship the book back and the animal/fairy will be replaced. We cannot, however, accommodate requests for animals/fairies to be changed due to a preference for one animal/fairy over another.

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How do I include the child's middle name in the book?

If you would like the child's middle name to be included in the book, there is an extra $4.95 charge. Please type the child's name in the field called "Child's Middle Name". By the next field that says, "Include Middle Name", you must select "Include (+4.95)". If you type the child's middle name, but forget to select "Include (+4.95)", we will assume that you do want the middle name included, and we will charge the extra $4.95 to your credit card. You will see this as a separate charge on your card.

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Why is there an extra charge for middle name?

The inclusion of the child’s middle name makes the book longer. Animals or fairies bring letters to spell out the child’s middle name, one letter and one page at a time. The extra charge is to cover the extra paper and labor needed to add those pages and personalize them.

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Can I include the child's first and middle names instead of first and last names?

Yes, we can make a book that includes the child's first and middle names, instead of first and last names. This does not compromise the book in any way; the book will be excellent. To use a middle name and not a last name, please enter the middle name in the middle name field but do not check "include middle name." Also do not enter anything in the child's last name field. This combination will allow the book to be made as you want it with no extra charge for the middle name. In the "Comments" section during check-out, please write, "I would like the child's first and middle names included instead of the last name."

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How do I request a special date to be printed on the plate instead of the child's birth date?

We can print another special date on the plate instead of the child’s birth date. If you would like the plate to feature the child’s baptism date, or adoption date, for example, simply select that month, day and year instead of the child’s birth date.

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How long does it take to receive the book once it has been ordered?

Approximate delivery times for domestic shipments:
	Standard	Expedited	Air
My Very Own books	2 weeks	1 week	3 business days after order date
Who Loves Me? book	2 weeks	1 week	3 business days after order date
World According To kits	10 days	1 week	3 business days after order date
You & Me kits	10 days	1 week	3 business days after order date
Personalized Puzzles	2 weeks	1 week	3 business days after order date
Personalized Plates	3 weeks	NA	NA
Personalized Wall Art	3 weeks	NA	NA
Personalized Tee shirts	10 days	1 week	3 business days after order date
Gift Certificates	1 week	1 week	3 business days after order date
A Christmas Bear for Me book	2 weeks	NA	NA

Gift Sets: The item in the gift set with the longest delivery time will determine when the gift set arrives.
Orders with multiple items: We ship items individually so they may arrive at different times, unless they were ordered as a gift set.
Air Delivery: We cannot ship to P.O. Boxes with Air delivery.
International: All items shipped internationally, including to Canada, take approximately 4 weeks for delivery. Items shipped outside the continental U.S. will take a couple of extra days to arrive beyond the domestic time frames listed above.

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How much does shipping cost?

Standard domestic deliveries:
If the order total is up to $7.50, add $1.80.
If the order is between $7.51 and $15.00, add $3.60.
If the order is between $15.01 and $30.00, add $7.95.
If the order total is between $30.01-$45.00, add $8.95.
If the order total is between $45.01-$50.00, add $10.90.
If the order total is between $50.01-$60.00, add $13.90.
If the order total is between $60.01-$75.00, add $14.95
If the order total is between $75.01-$105.00, add $16.95.
If the order total is between $105.01-$145.00, add $19.95.
If the order total is $145.01 or more, domestic Standard SHIPPING IS FREE! This represents FREE standard shipping on 5 or more books ordered in a single order.

Note: If you ship to Alaska, Hawaii or the American Territories, add an additional $2 in shipping fees to the order.

Expedited domestic deliveries:
If you order with expedited delivery, use the below table instead of the standard rates:

If the order total is up to $7.50, add $4.80.
If the order is between $7.51 and $15.00, add $6.60.
If the order total is between $15.01 and $30.00, add $10.95.
If the order total is between $30.01-$45.00, add $11.95.
If the order total is between $45.01-$50.00, add $13.90.
If the order total is between $50.01-$60.00, add $16.90.
If the order total is between $60.01-$75.00, add $17.95
If the order total is between $75.01-$105.00, add $19.95.
If the order total is between $105.01-$145.00, add $22.95.
If the order total is between $145.01-$200.00, add $25.95
If the order total is over $200.00, please call for shipping rates.

Note: If you ship to Alaska, Hawaii or the American Territories, add an additional $2 in shipping fees to the order.

The reason for the extra charge for expedited delivery is that we must handle all facets of production manually and expedite each process. These books are produced before the books with Standard delivery. This service is available to accommodate buyers who need a book by a certain date such as a birthday.

Air domestic deliveries:
$23.95 per item. Air delivery to Hawaii, Alaska or the American Territories costs $32.95 per item.
The reason for the extra charge is that these books are shipped by air, and we must handle all facets of production manually and expedite each process. These books are produced before the Expedited and Standard delivery books. This service is available to accommodate buyers who need a book by a certain date such as a birthday.

Canadian deliveries: $10 per item

International deliveries: $26.00 per item

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Do you ship internationally?

Yes, we ship all around the world. Please see above for international delivery times and fees.

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Do you ship The World According to [Your Child] Kit and Book internationally?

Yes. During check-out, select the shipping method "Canada" or "International" (for all other countries.) You will pay to ship the kit during check-out. The recipient will receive the kit in approximately 4 weeks. The kit will include interview questions, color markers, drawing sheets, and an envelope for the recipient to mail the child's drawings and interview answers to us. The recipient will need to apply postage to this envelope. We will cover the cost to ship the first copy of the book to the recipient. The recipient will receive the book approximately 4 weeks after we receive the child's drawings and interview answers.

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Do you ship to P.O. Box addresses or an APO addresses?

Yes, we can ship to P.O. Boxes and APO addresses with Standard delivery and Expedited delivery. However, we cannot ship to these addresses with Air, because our air shipping carrier does not deliver to P.O. Boxes or APO addresses.

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Where do I enter my free shipping or discount code?

If you have a special free shipping or discount code, you must enter that code when prompted during checkout. After you enter your credit card number, you will see a field on that same page called “coupon or promotional code”. Enter your code in that field, and click “apply”. You will see that your shipping fee is reduced to zero. If you click "apply" and your code does not work, see the next question/answer below for possible reasons why this is occuring.

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Why isn't my free shipping code working?

Below are possible reasons why your code might not be working:

• The code usually only applies to Standard delivery, not to Expedited or Air delivery. Please be sure to select Standard delivery.
• The code only applies to domestic deliveries, not international deliveries.
• The code might have expired.
• Be sure you entered the code exactly as you received it, with no extra spaces in between the characters
• If your code starts with the @ symbol, then enter that symbol as the beginning character. (If your code does not start with the @ symbol, then do not enter it or else it will render the code unusable.)
• After you enter the code, please be sure to click the "apply" button found underneath that field.

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What happens if I order a book for a child who already has one?

Once we receive your order, our system will alert us if the same book title has already been ordered for a child with the same first name, last name and birth date. If this occurs, we will contact you via phone or email to ask you if you would like to cancel your order or order another item. Providing this level of customer service is very important to us. When you order a book from us, we want you to feel confident that your gift will be unique for that child!

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How do I ship books to different addresses within one order?

You will need to place separate orders and complete the check-out process twice to ship to multiple locations.

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Do you have gift certificates?

Yes, gift certificates are delivered in the mail, along with a brochure, approximately 1 week after ordered. Click here to learn more.

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Can I order with checks or money orders?

Yes. This can be done in one of two ways:

1) Go to www.iseeme.com, click on the item that you want to order, and print the page that requests all of the personalization information for that item. Fill out the personalization information, and also provide us with your billing and shipping addresses. Mail this information with a check or a money order our address (See the Contact Us section for our address.)

2) Call us at 1-877-281-0536 (toll free) between 7am-5pm CST. International buyers may order by calling 1-507-263-8406. We will take your order information, and we will wait to process your order until we receive your check or money order.

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When will my credit card be charged?

Because each book is made especially to your order, we charge your credit card upon receiving your order. With standard delivery, you will receive your book approximately 3 weeks from the date of your order, so it is possible that you may see the charge to your credit card on your statement before the book arrives. We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee as described above, and we will refund your credit card if you are not completely satisfied.

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Is it safe for me to use my credit card on this site?

For security, we encrypt your credit card and order information using Secure Socket Layer technology. This protects you from "prying eyes" that might otherwise attempt to steal personal information from you, such as your credit card or payment information. This technology is an Internet standard.

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What is the difference between the gift message and the comments section?

The gift message will be printed on the packing slip, which is sent in the package with the book to the recipient. This message should be no longer than 175 characters. The message will be “word wrapped” by the computer so do not type the enter key to separate lines. When the enter key is pressed, your message will include a / character. Thus, please type a message like: “Dear Mike, I hope you will always treasure this book and think of Uncle John and me when you read it. Love, Aunt Mary” Instead of:

“Dear Mike,/
I hope you will always treasure this book and think of Uncle John and me when you read it./
Love,/
Aunt Mary/”

The comments section is for any additional comments that you would like to make to I See Me! Inc. These comments will not be seen by anyone other than I See Me! Inc.’s customer service specialists.

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Why does the shopping cart say it's empty when I try to put items into it?

If the shopping cart says it is empty after you have tried to put items into it, this may be occurring because you have set your security setting not to enable "cookies". A "cookie" is a message given back and forth between a Web browser and a Web server. When you enter items into a shopping cart, the shopping cart uses cookies to remember what you have ordered and put those items into the shopping cart. If you have blocked the use of cookies, then items cannot be placed into your shopping cart.

Your privacy or firewall software, or your browser might be set to block cookies. To resolve this issue, you can change your settings using the below instructions. Or, you can call us at 1-877-281-0536 and we will be happy to take your order over the phone.

To resolve cookie problems in privacy or firewall software:

1. Launch your privacy or firewall software.
2. Navigate to the section with cookie controls.
3. Choose to accept cookies.

Instructions for enabling cookies for common browsers:

Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.x:
1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. From the Tools menu select "Internet options".
3. Select the Privacy tab.
4. Move the slider down to any setting other than "Block All Cookies".

Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x:
1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. From the Tools menu select "Internet options".
3. Click the "Security" tab.
4. Click the "Custom Level" button.
5. Scroll down to the "Cookies" section.
6. To enable: Set "Allow cookies that are stored on your computer" to "Enable". Set "Allow per-session cookies" to "Enable". Click "OK".

Mozilla Firefox users:
1. Open Mozilla Firefox.
2. From the Tools menu, select "Options".
3. Click the Privacy icon.
4. Click the + sign to expand the Cookies section.
5. Select the "Allow sites to set cookies" option.
6. Click "OK".

For Netscape 4.X users:
1. Open Netscape.
2. From the Edit menu, select "Preferences".
3. Click the + sign to expand the "Advanced" option.
4. Select the "Accept All Cookies" option.
5. Click "OK" to close the window.

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