Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Thought Hammer located?

We are headquartered in Austin, TX, USA.
As a result, we are required to charge 8.25% sales tax on all orders with a Texas shipping address.
If I live in Austin, may I go to your store to pick up my order?

Not at this time. While we are headquartered in Austin, our shipping warehouse is not located in Austin. Given that this is a shipping warehouse, we do not have staff available to meet with customers.
How can I tell if a game is in stock?

On the game's description page, if the game is in stock, there will be a green Buy Now button or a yellow Add To Cart button, depending on the page you are looking at.
If it is not in stock, this information will be noted in a red font under the game title on the game description page.

If it is a pre-order (the publisher has not released the game for sale yet), there will be Pre-Order button in yellow.

If it is a back-order (we are out of stock and expect a restock unless otherwise noted), there will be a Back Order button in red.

Because placing a game in your shopping cart does not remove it from inventory, it is possible that by the time you confirm your order, the game is no longer in stock. This is not uncommon on low-inventory items.

When you are checking out, be sure to review the games in your shopping cart. Any game that is not in stock at the time will have a "not in stock" comment with three red asterisks (***) next to the title. Below the game list will be the comment "Products marked with *** do not exist in desired quantity in our stock. You can purchase them now as a pre-order. Your order will ship when all games are available."

On the order confirmation page, again the game title will be notated as out of stock, and the comment below will be "***This order will not ship until all items are in stock."

Finally, when you confirm your order and payment is processed, you will receive an automated email listing the game(s) that were unavailable at the time of order confirmation.
Do you sell gift certificates?

We do sell gift certificates. At this time, the payment options available for orders that include a gift certificate are FirstData credit card processing and Check/Money Order. The PayPal payment module is not compatible with the purchase of gift certificates. We are working on resolving this issue.

The Gift Certificates are electronic funds that are purchased and added to a Gift Certificate balance in the purchaser's Thought Hammer account. Once you have a balance in your GC account, you can then send an electronic gift certificate to anyone via email. In the right hand of the website, just below your Cart Contents, you will see your current account balance. There will be an option to Send Gift Certificate by email as well.

If you would like to present the recipient with a gift certificate (for instance, if you want to have a gift in hand instead of sending an email before or after the occasion), you can use the Send Gift Certificate function to email yourself the GC value. Do not click on the code in the email that you receive. If you click on the hyperlink and redeem the code, the money is put right back into your account and the code is deactivated. Print out the email to give, or create an artistic rendition of a coupon yourself and write the code on it, and hand it to the recipient. The recipient can enter the GC code manually during check-out.

Another option is to pull up the web page for the gift certificate and click on the image of the gift certificate to enlarge it. A window will come up with only the GC on it. Hold the "Control" button down on your keyboard and then hit "P" button at the same time. This should bring up a print window. You can then print the image out on your printer and cut it out to give. You can write the GC code on it next to “Redemption Code”.

When will my order ship if it contains a "pre-ordered" game?

Orders will only ship once they are complete. Therefore, if you have a "pre-ordered" game in your order, your entire order will not ship until it is released. We will reserve all in-stock games for you in the event that one or more sell-out before your order ships. Also, please note that you will be charged for the entire order at the time the order is placed.

If you decide you would rather not wait, you may request to remove the unshipped pre-order(s). If removing the game(s) will not affect the shipping fee, you will receive a full refund. If removing the game(s) drops your order total below the free-shipping threshold, we will withhold $8.00 from the refund for shipping the remaining games.

On the home page of our website you will find a listing of estimated release dates for pre-orders. These dates are provided by the publishers and are not guaranteed arrival dates. Please check this list frequently, as it is not uncommon for game releases to be delayed.
How accurate are your "Expected Release" dates?

These are as accurate as provided by a given publisher. We update our site daily with any new information we have received with respect to pre-order release dates, re-print dates, or re-stocking dates. Thought Hammer has no control over when a game will be released. We do our best to contact publishers often in the hopes of providing our customers the most accurate information possible.

We will not contact you if your order contains a pre-order game that is affected by a delay. Please visit our site frequently to find the latest release estimations. Please remember that these dates are not guaranteed arrival dates.
How do I remove a game from or adjust the quantity in my shopping cart?

If your order has not been confirmed, you can change the contents of your shopping cart two ways. Either click on the little box to the left of the game title(s) that you wish to remove so that a little check-mark appears, and then click on the blue "Update" button below the list. You may also remove the game by entering 0 for the quantity, and click on "Update".

To adjust the quantity of a game ordered, enter the new number into the quantity box and click on "Update".

If your order has been confirmed already, games can only be adjusted by us. Please contact us if you need to change your order.
Is a signature required for delivery of my order?

We use FedEx Ground and Home Delivery for shipping to the Continental U.S. They do not require a signature for delivery. Each driver is instructed to use his/her own discretion whether to leave a package unattended at the door of the shipping address.

If you live in an apartment or other similar community, you may not want your package to be left on your door step. Sometimes, leaving a note on your door for the driver to take your package to the leasing office works well. Or, you can use the leasing office address as the shipping address on your order.

If the driver does not feel he/she should leave the package unattended, another delivery attempt will be made the following business day. The driver will try three times to deliver the package. After that time, the package will be held at the FedEx Distribution Center for another four days. Then, it will be returned to us.

We cannot stress enough the importance of checking the status of your delivery on fedex.com using the tracking number provided in your shipment notification email.

Because a signature is not required, FedEx is not responsible for theft. If you would like to request a signature for delivery, please include a comment during check-out, or send us an email. The service does require an extra charge of $5.00.
How do I get the Free Shipping?

The offer for free shipping is for single-shipment orders equal to or greater than $125.00 USD (before tax for Texas deliveries). The offer is limited to shipping addresses in the continental U.S. It is not available to Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, APO/FPO, and international addresses.

If you place an order with us that is less than $125.00, then later place an add-on order that puts your order over $125.00, you may request a refund of your initial shipping charge. Include your request in the order comment section during check-out, or send us an email.

Orders cannot be split-shipped to multiple addresses and still qualify for a single flat rate or free shipping. Orders cannot be split-shipped to the same address and still qualify for a single flat-rate or free shipping, as may be desired if the order contains both in-stock and out-of-stock items.

How do I use PayPal or First Data to process my payment?

If you wish to pay using PayPal (either with a PP account or with a credit card), choose the PayPal option by clicking on the little circle next to it. You will not enter any credit card information on this payment page. Then, click on 'Continue' and proceed through the rest of the checkout process and confirm your order. You will then see a big Thought Hammer logo page while your order is being generated. You will then be taken directly to paypal.com to enter your account or credit card information. After accepting the PayPal payment transaction, you will receive an emailed receipt from PayPal and from Thought Hammer. If you do not receive both receipts, please contact us.

If you wish to process your Visa, MasterCard, or Discover using FirstData, choose the FirstData option by clicking on the little circle next to it. Enter your credit card information in the spaces available on this payment page. When entering your credit card number, do not include spaces or dashes or any other characters. Please be sure the name that you enter matches the name on the credit card, including middle initial or other title (Jr. III, M.D., etc.). Then, click on 'Continue' and proceed through the rest of the checkout process and confirm your order. Once the payment is processed, the screen will change to let you know. You will then receive an order confirmation email and a payment confirmation email from us. Please let us know if you do not receive any emails.

First Data will often perform a pre-authorization for one dollar before processing the actual charge for an order. This $1.00 is temporarily held and does not actually come to Thought Hammer. If a debit card was used for the transaction, the $1.00 will be removed from the balance of the bank account and held by the bank. After three days, the hold is usually released. You can contact your bank directly and they should release the hold for you at your request. The bank will not take the request from Thought Hammer.

Please Note: Our payment processing programs do not accept Visa, MasterCard, or American Express Gift Cards.

It is always a good idea to review your order history after you place an order. You should have an order in 'Processing' after you order is placed. If you have an order, but it is 'Pending', and you did receive an emailed order confirmation or receipt, please contact us. If you do not see the order that you just placed, and you did receive an emailed confirmation or receipt, please contact us.

May I ship an order to an address different than my billing address?

Absolutely! Simply enter the alternate address into your "Address Book" and the select it when checking out. You may store multiple addresses, such as family and friends, for sending birthday, Christmas, or other special occasion gifts.

Please note: We cannot split-ship a single order to multiple addresses. Also, placing multiple orders to separate shipping addresses, but from the same Thought Hammer account, does not qualify for the free economy shipping offer.
I am paying with a PayPal eCheck. Will that affect my order?

When paying by eCheck, the money takes a minimum of 4 days to clear through PayPal. Your order will not be processed for shipping until we receive notification from PayPal that the money has been deposited in our account.

We do reserve the right to waive this delay in processing for our repeat customers who pay with eChecks regularly, and are in good standing.
May I pay by money order or check?

Yes, we do accept money orders, cashier's checks, and personal checks. We will begin processing your order for shipment once payment is received and cleared by the bank.

If you wish to pay by one of these methods, please choose the Check/Money Order payment option on the Payment Information page. The shipping address for payments will be given on the Confirm Your Order page. Also, once the "confirm order" button has been clicked on, you will receive an automated order confirmation that will also include our mailing address.
Why was my credit card charged for my pre-order/back-order game(s)?

All credit cards are processed through PayPal or FirstData. Therefore, your credit card is charged once you confirm your order. Since we do not store any credit card information, we cannot charge games at a later date.

When PayPal is chosen as your payment option, all the credit card information is entered on their site, paypal.com. Only PayPal has access to this information.

When FirstData is chosen as your payment option, you enter your information on our site, but we pass all information to FirstData, and do not store any of it. Once you confirm your payment, all credit card information is stored by FirstData.

We believe it is safer for our customers to use these sites to store credit card numbers. PayPal and FirstData have specialized security features to handle such sensitive information.
I have placed my order, but I did not receive an emailed confirmation and/or receipt. What now?

It is always a good idea to review your account history after you place an order. You should have an order in 'Processing' after you order is placed. If you have an order, but it is 'Pending', and you did receive an emailed order confirmation or receipt, please contact us. If you do not see the order that you just placed, and you did receive an emailed confirmation or receipt, please contact us.

If you did not receive any emailed notifications that a payment or order was processed, and there is no order 'Processing' or 'Pending' in your account, you may have missed a step in the payment process. Please review the FAQ regarding payment using PayPal and FirstData (preceeding this FAQ). If you feel you followed the steps correctly, please contact us.
Why is my order still "Processing"?

There are many reasons that an order is in "Processing". First, the status of "Processing" means that an order is paid in full but not yet shipped. The order is either waiting for one or more pre-ordered or back-ordered games to become available, or just waiting to be packed. If you believe that all of your items should be in stock and ready to ship, please contact us and we will investigate
Do you ship internationally?

Yes - You may create your account and order directly fom our site. However, we only ship to countries that have the ability to both send and receive money via PayPal. This covers most European countries as well as several countries in Asia.
Due to numerous significantly delayed shipments and a few losses using less expensive shipping methods, we recommend using Express Mail International. This option includes insurance and internet tracking.

We do also offer USPS Priority Mail International. This is a slower option and does not provide tracking. We will insure the shipment when possible, but can only file a claim after the USPS deems the package lost. Reimbursement can take up to one year. We assume no responsibilty for damage, delay, or loss of international shipments.
We must by law provide an accurate invoice and an accurate description of the contents for customs checks. We cannot mark a package as a gift if we accept money for it.
How do I get a shipping quote for an international order?

For a shipping quote, create an account and place the games you are interested in your shopping cart. Proceed to checkout and choose a USPS shipping option. Your new total with shipping will be calculated. If you do not wish to make the purchase, simply back out at this time. If you would like to modify your shopping cart to get a new quote, just check the box next to the game(s) you wish to remove, then update, then add a new game or two and go through the process again. As long as you do not enter any credit card information, you will not be charged. There is no obligation to make the purchase.
How do I check on the availability status of the games in my processing order?

Log into your Thought Hammer account and click on "Account History". This will bring up a list of all of your orders you have placed under this account. Click on any Processing order and it will show you the availability of each game - Previously Sent, Available, and Not Yet Available.

There are many reasons a game may not be available. The game may be a pre-order or a back-order. When you placed the order, all games that were unavailable at the time of check-out should have been flagged with three red asterisks. Also, a note in red letters explained that all games marked in this fashion were unavailable in the quantity ordered.

On occassion, we do have inventory errors. If you believe that a game that is marked Not Yet Available should be marked as Available, please contact us.
How do I add or remove games after my order is confirmed and paid for?

Once an order is confirmed and paid for, changes to the original order can only be made by us.

You are welcome to add games to your order. To do this, place the new game(s) into your shopping cart. Be sure to remove the games that you have already paid for if they still remain in the cart. Choose the "add game(s) to existing order" shipping option ($0.50 payment processing charge). In the Order Comment section, please reference which order you would like the game(s) added to. Then, proceed to payment.

The add-on order will be assigned its own order number, and will be linked to your other order(s) by your email address. If you ever have an email change, please notify us so that we can update all processing orders for you.

We must receive your request to add or remove a game before your order is processed for shipping. You can check on the status of your order by logging into your account and viewing your order history. If the order status is "Packed" or "Shipped", it is too late to modify your order. There is a chance that we will not read your email before the order has been processed for shipment.

If you would like to remove anything, email us and we will take care of it.
How do I cancel my order?

Once an order is confirmed and paid for, cancellations can only be processed by us.

We must receive your request to cancel your order before it is processed for shipping. You can check on the status of your order by logging into your account and viewing your order history. If the order status is "Packed", it might be too late to cancel your order. If the order status is "Shipped", then it is too late to cancel your order. There is a chance that we will not read your email before the order has been updated from Packed to Shipped. There is no penalty for canceling an order that has not been shipped.
Does Thought Hammer have a "wish list" feature?

Yes! We do have this feature on our site. However, you must be logged in to access the wish list function. The wish list is not accessible to the public, but has a feature to email the list to your friends and family members. Items are not automatically removed when purchased.
What do I do if I received a game with missing or defective parts?

Most publishers invite customers to contact them if there are issues with their products. On our site, each game's web page will have a link to the publisher's website. Once on the site, look for a "Contact" link. The site will have an email address to use, or it will have an email program for customers to enter their inquiries. Some will also post a phone number for customer contact. (If you purchased a ding-n-dent copy of a game and the contents are damaged, please contact us. If it is missing parts, then contact the publisher.)

If you do not receive a timely reply or satisfactory resolution to your issue, please contact us directly and we will work to get the problem resolved.
Is there a contact number for urgent messages?

We have a phone number that you can leave a voicemail at for urgent messages. We will monitor the messages regularly and will reply via email. We do not take orders over the phone. Please read this FAQ entry completely before calling.

When leaving a message, be sure to spell your last name (first name, too, if it is a tricky one). If you have a Thought Hammer account, we will use the email address on the account. If you do not have an account, or would like us to use a different email address, please spell out your email address on the voice mail.

We do not take orders by phone. All orders must be entered into the website by the customer for payment processing through PayPal or FirstData.

We do not have set, regular customer service hours. We have chosen to answer messages via email only.

You can leave your urgent message at 512-656-7132. Please also send us an email in case there is a delay in us checking our voice mail. We will act on your message if we can, and then reply to your email address on your Thought Hammer account.
What if my question was not answered here?

Please feel free to use the "Contact Us" button on the top bar. We do our best to answer all inquiries within 1-2 business days.