FAQ

I am a licensed practitioner, how do I place an order?
I am not a licensed practitioner, can I still place an order?
How long will it take for me to receive my order?
Can we refer you to a member physician?
How do I know if something is out of stock?
What is a backorder and how does it work?
What is a drop shipment and how does it work?
What discounts do you offer?
What is your return policy?
What forms of payment do you accept?
What kind of warranty do I get?
What address do I use to mail a check?

~ I am a licensed Practitioner, how do I place an order?

It’s simple! If you want to place an order on our Website, you’ll need to register for an account. There’s still one more small detail – we need to verify your credentials. After that, we’ll send you a confirmation email when your account has been approved, and you’re good to go! You can then log in and add items to your cart to place orders.

If you have any problems navigating the Website or finding what you need, give us a call for a brief tutorial on how to make our site work for you. We’re good at tutorials!

 ~ I am not a Licensed Practitioner, can I still place an order?

Not to worry, although lots of the products on our Website are restricted to licensed practitioners, there are many items available to the general public. Here’s the key: If the product has a price and an “add to cart” button, that means it can be purchased by anyone. Products that don’t show a price are restricted to practitioners only (we’re sorry!). Is there something you’re looking for but can’t find? Try our advanced search and use the "Retail items" filter so you only get results for items you can purchase. Alternatively you can Send us an email and we’ll let you know if it is available for retail sale. There’s another option, too -- if you’re looking for a product that is restricted to practitioners, we can help you find a qualified practitioner in your area that may be able to provide the item directly to you, in person.

~ How long will it take for me to receive my order?

We’d love it if we could teleport products to you instantaneously, but until that technology becomes available, the next best option is a shipping service. Golden Needle uses FEDEX and USPS Priority Mail to ship orders. Most US orders should arrive within 1-3 shipping days when using the expeditied shipping method (only avalable within the continuous United States). If you opt into Standard or free shipping (orders over $250) then your order will be sent Fedex ground or US Mail (at our discretion) and will take 2-7 days. Please click here for a detailed FedEx map of transit times.

UPS service is available by request and will be billed at actual cost. We are always happy to use your UPS or FedEx account, if you have one.

International Shipping Information

~ Can we refer you to a local practitioner?

Absolutely! If you would like to be referred to a member practitioner in your area, please email us at info@goldenneedleonline.com. Give us an idea of your needs so that we can find the right practitioner for you. Don’t forget to include your city, ZIP code and phone number in the email so we can pair you up with someone in your area.

 ~ How do I know if something is out of stock?

At times we do run out of stock, and our website will notify you if you add an item to the cart that is not available. Our technologically savvy website will then ask you to choose whether you want to back-order the item (add to cart) or order at a later time (do not add to cart). If there’s a glitch and the Website fails to notify you that a product is not available to ship, our super efficient human representatives will call and let you know, and they’ll even offer substitutions and/or an estimated date of arrival for the original item you ordered.

~ What is a backorder and how does it work?

If you choose to back-order an item because it shows as out of stock on the website, we will not bill you for that item until we receive it from our supplier and it ships from our warehouse. If you received a discount on that order or item, it will transfer to the back-order. Typically a back-order will arrive between 1-5 days unless it is out of stock at the manufacturer. An added plus is that we pay for shipping on all back-orders inside the US! We will never back-order an item if the shipment is going outside the US. If you have an international shipment and you back-order something from our Website, we will hold the order and wait for it to arrive and ship everything at once.

~ What is a drop shipment and how does it work?

A drop shipment is an order paid for by you but shipped directly to your patient. All drop shipments come with a packing slip with the patient's name and the package contents. No prices are shown to the patient. You will receive an itemized invoice.

To drop ship an order, change the "Is this a Drop Shipment?" box in the checkout screen to "Yes".

~ What Discounts do you offer?

ALL DISCOUNTS ARE FOR WEB ORDERS ONLY. WE DO NOT STACK DISCOUNTS - WE APPLY THE HIGHEST DISCOUNT AVAILABLE, CALCULATED PER ITEM.

We offer the following discounts:

• First Online Order Discount: 10%
• American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) Member State Association Discount: 5%***
• Student Discount: 10% (Must be an active student enrolled in an accredited in-person holistic program)
• One-time Graduation Discount: 20%*
• Educational Institution Discount: 10%
• POCA Discount: 5%***
• American Herbalist Guild Member Discount: 5%***

Note: Discounts marked with an asterisk (*) and triple asterisks (***) have specific requirements or conditions as outlined below.

CONDITIONS:

• *One-time Graduation Discount: Intended for students who have previously registered with us and made at least one purchase as a student. Must be used within 3 months of obtaining state licensure.

• ***Membership Discounts: Must provide current membership verification and expiration date. Discounts only apply from the time complete membership details are submitted and verified.

EXCLUSIONS:

Table Paper, Mail Away Sharps Containers, Heat Lamps, Classical Pearls, Seven Forests, White Tiger, Peak Scents, and Natura Health Products are not eligible for discounts.

~ What is your return policy?

Need to return an item? No problem. We accept returns within 30 days for exchange, credit or refund. All you need to do is include a copy of the original invoice or Web order receipt. Returned merchandise must be in unused, salable condition (i.e unmarked, original, unopened and undamaged packaging).

Acceptance of returns over 30 days and returns without a copy of the invoice is at Golden Needle's discretion and may be subject to a 15% restocking fee.

~ What forms of payment do you accept?

We love plastic! We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.

30 day terms may be extended upon completion of a credit application which can take up to two weeks for approval. We require you keep an active credit card on file to be charged if a payment is overdue for 2 months with failure to make payment arrangements. Overdue accounts are subject to a 2% monthly interest charge. Please email accounting@goldenneedleonline.com for a credit application.

~ What kind of warranty to I get?

 The warranty for all durable goods is 30 days or manufacturers' warranty. This does not include damage from mishandling, dropping or alterations. If there is something wrong with a heat lamp or electrical device, it will be your responsibility to ship it back to us. If we conclude the product is defective, we will fix or replace the item, and refund your shipping cost.

~ Where do I send a Payment Check to?

PO Box 707
Candler, NC 28715