FAQ

ZBag & rebates

ZBag is for personal purchases and personal gifts. Business use is not eligible.

How do I earn and use ZBag?

Eligible NiceList customers earn 5% of eligible merchandise in ZBag, whichever payment method they use. Paying with ZBag earns another 5% of the ZBag used on qualifying purchases. Rebates become available seven days after purchase for a later order.

ZBag is separate from gift cards and Shopify store credit. You can use it for merchandise, Rush My Order, and gift cards. It cannot directly pay shipping; gift cards can. Buying a gift card or loading ZBag earns no rebate.

Read How ZBag Works: Rewards, Spending & Gifting for the complete explanation, including:

Refund eligibility and refund destinations are covered by our Refund Policy.

SPECIAL ORDERS

Q. What does it mean?

Special Orders let you pre-purchase out-of-stock items so you don’t have to chase reprints or marketplace swings. Sometimes the item exists at distribution and we translate your order into incoming product right away; sometimes it’s awaiting a reprint and simply isn’t available yet. Your orders help set our backorder quantities—our customers guide the inventory we chase.

Q. What does “Rush processing not available… Minimum 3–5 business day additional handling expected.” mean?

It means there’s an internal transfer first. Once you order, we initiate a transfer between facilities and ship as items land. Expect a minimum of 3–5 business days of additional handling. The system’s good—but not perfect—and we keep refining it.

Q. How do I purchase Special Order products?

First, load your ZBag (wallet funds) in a separate order with enough to cover the entire merchandise subtotal. All Special Orders must be paid with ZBag and will be declined if not paid entirely with ZBag. Credit cards are not accepted for Special Orders.
Our policies protect a program built on patience and weekly effort on your behalf. This is not a straight product sale; you’re hiring us to secure a game when it becomes available. Splitting the process—first funding ZBag, then placing the Special Order—confirms you understand the terms for both.

Q. When will my Special Order arrive?

We fill Special Orders from oldest to newest as product arrives. We usually can’t give dates—even for specific titles—because reprint/Restock timelines are out of our hands. Think of it like a Kickstarter vibe: you stake your claim now to avoid paying more later; when it hits our dock, it ships to you.

Eligible shipped RUSH orders take priority.

Q. I placed an order with both Special Order and faster-turnaround items—what now?

We automatically split for what can go now vs. what must wait.

  • In-stock items will wait briefly for transfer items we expect within ~2 weeks.
  • Anything still not here by then will move to a separate order.

When items arrive, you’ll get options:

  1. Start a new order and we’ll send the arrived items at no extra charge (same shipping priority as your original), or
  2. Pay a $6.19 shipping origination charge to originate an economy shipment that pairs with your already-paid portion.

We hold arrived-but-unclaimed items for about 6 months from first notice, then ping you again. If we don’t hear back within 2 weeks of that second notice, we may return the item to general stock and issue store credit less 15% to cover storage and potential equity loss.

Q. Can I cancel Special Orders that haven’t come in yet?

24-hour grace window (all orders): Any transaction can be canceled for a full refund to the original payment method within 24 hours of purchase, provided it has not already been fulfilled or redeemed as store credit within that window.

After 24 hours: In-stock product is non-refundable. We may grant store-credit exceptions at our sole discretion. Payment-source cancellations requested after the 24-hour window and before shipment may incur a 15% processing fee (see Refund Policy).

For Special Orders: If the item has not been invoiced to us by our supplier, we can restore your ZBag so you can choose something else. Once invoiced/committed, the order is treated as in-stock and is not cancelable. Email dean@boardingschoolgames.com to request.

PREORDERS

Q. How do I place a preorder?

Preorders follow the same process as Special Orders.

Q. When will my preorder arrive?

We ship to land around the street date, but we don’t guarantee on-or-before delivery. Publishers control street dates and sometimes don’t get product to us in time to ship early. Typical arrival is within 1–2 days of release; when possible, we ship up to 2 days prior for distant addresses.

Q. Will you get enough of product X?

We forecast and place preorders early, and we work with every US distributor (and a few international) to maximize allocations. Shortfalls can still happen. Preorders are filled before we release product to general sale. For tight allocations, preorder early for the best odds. If limits become clear, we’ll close the window; otherwise, we treat preorders like Special Orders and fill as product appears. Preorder cancellations follow the Special Order policy.

LOCAL DELIVERY

Q. How long does Local Delivery take?

Local Delivery orders are usually completed within one calendar week (seven calendar days) after every item in the order is on hand. This is an estimate, not a guarantee. Orders with incoming, preorder, or Special Order items wait until all items are on hand.

Q. Can I use Rush My Order with Local Delivery?

No. Local Delivery orders are not eligible for Rush My Order.

Q. What happens if my gate code is missing or incorrect?

Please provide a current, accurate gate or building access code when one is required. If a delivery cannot be completed because required access information is missing or incorrect, we reserve the right to apply a $5 surcharge to cover the additional time and fuel required for another delivery attempt.

See the Local Delivery policy for full details.