Ordering online

From ADISC Answers Wiki

Ordering diapers online can be a convenient option if you live in a remote location, or if you want higher quality diapers than what you can expect from a drug store or department store. Online orders have their ups and downs, especially for those who live with someone else (e.g. parents). If you can plan things out well enough though, online orders can really pay off in terms of diaper quality.

Payment Options

As cash and carry is not possible with virtual shops, it is more difficult to order items off the Internet, than purchasing them in stores. Shipping and handling must also be accounted for with many websites.

Credit/Debit Cards

Credit cards are available to anyone over 18 with a valid ID. However, it is best advised not to get into debt over some diapers unless you are able to pay your bill on time. There are better ways to pay for things.

Debit cards are like credit cards but linked to your bank account, they are generally accepted online where ever credit cards are, although it my depend on the site and the type of debit card. In several countries you can get a debit card at a younger age than a credit card (it depends on which you country you live in. In the UK you can have a debit card at any age). Visa Electron is widely accepted. Be sure that you have enough money in your bank account, because having insufficient funds will result in an overdraft, or the payment may simply fail.

Prepaid credit cards

Prepaid credit cards can be bought at many drug stores and convenience stores, however, they do cost money to buy them (10$-30$). They don't require any ID, and you can use them at websites like a regular debit/credit card. They are also charged automatically. Also as long as you don't exceed the amount on the card, it's the same as a normal credit card.

A problem with the prepaid credit card, is when you try to use them at a merchant that does Address Verification System (AVS). This means that if they ask for the billing zip code, you will have issues. You can avoid these issues by calling the issuer of the card and getting the zip code set correctly.

Money Orders

Money Orders are available to anyone for a fee depending on how much you are spending with the money order. You can get them at convenience stores, drug stores, post offices, banks, or money transfer places like Western Union. Remember to get the right amount, however, because you can't really add or subtract credit with a money order. These are not as commonly accepted as credit/debit cards, but are easier to obtain, as many local stores and banks offer them.

Regarding the cost of money orders, it would be wise to check the website of the place you are buying them from, and seeing if they list the price of the money order.

Example: Say you live in the United States, and you wanted to buy a money order from the USPS (United States Postal Service). Well they have a list of how much the money orders are to obtain from them, listed here.

Getting the right amount

Make sure the price (shipping included) is within your boundaries of cost. If you are ordering multiple things, and it costs too much, it might be best to remove one or a few, and buy them later. More than likely, they will still be available next time you go to buy.

Warning

Be careful because it will take longer to process. You will have to send it via mail and wait for them to cash it before they send out your diapers. It could take a few days for the check to reach them; another two before they cash the money order; another few days to get the package. Its better to go with pre-paid credit cards for speed. If you bought it via money order your diapers might show up when your parents/roommates are home. Plus it overall just takes longer.

PayPal

PayPal is available for anyone who has a bank account with a debit card or a credit card. You can save multiple credit cards and/or debit cards on a single PayPal account, and pay through that account, rather than giving out a credit card number which is alot safer because you can trust paypal and cannot be tricked by any fraudulant sites. Paypal also has insurance. Another good thing about PayPal is that when you order something through your PayPal account, the bill on the credit/debit card/bank account doesn't reveal what was actually ordered. It usually says something along the lines of "PayPal Transfer". Note that some websites require PayPal, and a fairly significant amount of eBay auctions require payment through one.

PayPal isn't really recommended for those under 16-18, as there are other options available.

Physical money

Big online stores put aside, private dealers often accept physical money mailed in an envelope. This method of paying is one of the less safe routes and should always be handled with as much care as possible. The good thing about sending physical money is that you will leave no traces of your order whatsoever, and you will remain 100% anonymous if you decide not to write a return address on the back of the envelope. The downside of mailing physical money is that postal services often require you to use special envelopes for sending banknotes. Such envelopes are not see through, which makes theft less likely. Such envelopes can be purchased at any postal office. Keep in mind that mailing large amounts of money is very dangerous unless you request a priority stamp and/or the letter to be signed before the receiver may receive it.

Online diaper stores that do this

North Shore Care

Dangers

Even after you get your prepaid card, money order, or your banknote [see physical money] ready; you still might be too scared to order online even though you know what diapers you wanted. Here is a list of dangers that you can avoid. If one of these incidents do occur, it's best to not to try to order again without knowing if they have received your order. The best thing to do, is to check your email for any confirmations on the order. If you want to be really safe, wait a week or two to see if your order comes.

Postdata

When you hit the back button at the page that says your order is sent, and hitting forward again without reading the windows pop-up you will send the order again. Do not do this! You will order the same bag of diapers twice, which, if you have that enough money on your payment method, will send out two bags of diapers instead of one.

Browser Stops Responding

If your browser stops responding, depending on your internet browser, it make give you a pop up with these options: "Close the program" or "Wait for the program to respond". You should click the second option, and go through the pain of waiting. It usually doesn't take that long, but if it does, it might just be better to end the program and check your email for any confirmations of your order.

Power Outage

It is unlikely this will happen often, but to avoid a potential power outage, it's best to avoid ordering during some kind of storm.

Typographical Errors

Read over every page more than once, to make sure everything is accurate. Otherwise, you could make a costly mistake on your order.

Order timing

When ordering from any online store, you should check the shipping time (if you can). Most online stores will have a pretty good idea of ground shipping time, given your zip code when you go to make your purchase. The customer service desk (by telephone or email) will be glad to tell you what their usual transit time is. You can also get an idea of how long it may be just by looking at the location of the store you are ordering from.

Take XP Medical for example: You can find their location, just by scrolling down and looking at the left hand toolbar. As you can see, they are located in California, so if you are ordering from them, and you also live in California, your shipment may arrive a lot sooner than someone ordering from the other side of the United States.

Just carefully plan ahead when you are ordering, so you don't get an unpleasant surprise. If you can, plan for possible delays.

Order Shipping Speed

Sometimes a site will offer a faster method than ground transportation or the default shipping method. Overnight or second-day service are examples of potential methods, but they are usually at an increased cost due to the bulk and weight of what you're ordering.

Testimonials

For testimonials, please include the company's name [from where you ordered], your location (state/providence/etc), the shipping method, the carrier, about how long it took from the time you ordered to when they arrived. You can also include any other information you would like.

• Example: Dry 24/7. California. Their shipping was pretty fast. It took about half a week. I'd say their boxes are greatly discreet, which I find reassuring.

Discreet Shipping: Where to Order

Shipping is called "discreet" when a company ships the sold goods in a plain box, normally with little or no marking on the outside. The box will not have printed words on it such as diapers, incontinence, medical supplies, etc. This is a good way to get your items past parents and family. The following companies are known to offer discreet shipping. Keep in mind though, that even if a site claims of discreet shipping, that by law, a label with an idea of what's inside must be on the package if shipping between countries.

US

XP Medical

XP Medical is great about discreet shipping. Currently, all orders placed are shipped discreetly by default. The outside of the box has only a few bar codes with numbers, the shipping address, and shipping label. FedEx seems to consistently deliver packages from XP Medical on Saturdays, so they must select the Saturday delivery option when selecting shipping options. This is a minor downside to ordering from XP Medical.

Another slight downside with XP Medical occurs when ordering a case of Abena brand diapers. XP Medical does turn the box inside out so that the label is not showing, however the boxes have two hand grab holes on the sides to make handling a parcel of this size easier. It is possible to look through the grab holes and see the contents. It is not visible at a distance, but for close inspection by someone curious as to the boxes contents, a small amount of the diaper bag would be visible. Depending on how the bags are arranged inside the box, this could end up being a non-issue as the only thing visible would be simply the color of the bag and would not give away its contents.

North Shore Care

North Shore Care also offers discreet shipping. They ship in plain brown boxes, with "Samela, Inc." on all return labels and invoices, for added privacy.

Dry 24/7

Dry 24/7 does discreet shipping in plain brown boxes, however the return address is listed as "Dry Care", which could be seen as a medical term. Make sure the box makes it into your hands first to avoid a confrontation with the receiving party.

Canada

Creatingyourdesires by Louise

Creatingyourdesires by Louise Bambino and Secure x-plus brands, discrete shipping in plain brown boxes

UK

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Germany

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Australia

• Independence Solutions
• Bright Sky

Please note that both of these sites do offer discreet shipping, however the level of discreetness may not be to your satisfaction. Independence Solutions ships their diapers in a sturdy, plain brown cardboard box that is roughly the size of the package you are ordering, although it comes with a noticeable sticker on it that says "Urgent Medical Supplies" in bold-font. Bright Sky may ship your package of diapers in a very large, oversized and flimsy (but otherwise plain) cardboard box. In order to maintain maximum discreetness, taking precautions is recommended if ordering from either of these businesses.

Sweden

• VUXSHOPEN

See Also

• Hiding Diapers - Ordering Online
• Getting Diapers - Over the Internet