Thank you for choosing FirewireDirect.com!

Our knowledgeable and courteous staff is here for you both before and after your purchase. Offering best-of-class customer support channels, not offered by anyone else in the industry, we can be contacted via: LiveChat Online, HelpDesk Express and Phone - compare and you will see why our best business is our return customers and referrals.

For your convenience, our phone hours are Monday through Friday 10am through 5pm (CST) excluding U.S. National Holidays.

If you have a question about our producst or would like assistance with finding a partner, our knowledgeable sales staff is available by calling 512.302.0012. Spam has become a huge problem for everyone but to contact us outside our phone hours, you may also issue a HelpDesk ticket.

Information on this terms and conditions policy page includes:

Support and Return Policies
When You Recieve Your Order
If You Need To Return an FirewireDirect Product
RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) Guidelines
General Warranty and premium service plan info
Software Compatibility Statement
Shipping Options and Couriers
Turnaround Time On Online Orders & Payment Methods
Shipping to an address different than the billing address
Cancelling An Order
Ordering "Offline"
Sending Your Order and Payment By Mail or Fax
Arranging Payment by Wire Transfer
International Orders
Privacy Policies & Statement.
Disclaimers & Legal.

Support and Return policies:

Every FirewireDirect order is carefully assembled, tested, packaged and shipped, and we support our products before and after the sale. If you have questions about support for FirewireDirect products, or need to return your purchase for some reason, please be aware of the following guidelines.

When you receive your order:

Please check the contents of your shipment immediately against items marked as shipped on your invoice. Report any discrepancy in the number of items or damage to packaging to the carrier/agent that delivered the shipment to you. Sign only for the cartons actually delivered. If, upon further inspection , you notice further damage or loss, please save all packaging material and notify the carrier/agent immediately. If you make a report to the courier agent (notate deliverers name & time), please retain a case number (if given) and contact FirewireDirect via our HelpDesk Express System or Phone.

For other support, including online documentation and software, please see product pages for links to resources. For direct support, we are happy to provide free real time LiveChat support during normal business hours.

If you need to return an FirewireDirect order or product:

We believe your order will reach you promptly and your product will work for you without a problem, but if you do have trouble, can't resolve it with the support resources mentioned above and need to return an item to us, please be aware of the following guideliines:

FirewireDirect offers a 30 day product money back guarantee on all items unless otherwise indicated through the partner/dealer or distributor you purchased the product through and/or specified online when ordering. Custom Built RAIDs (RAID CENTER) have a 15 day product money back guarantee.

Contact technical support to request an RMA number, but we hope you or your customer will visit us in online chat support to troubleshoot your problem before returning it. You must have an RMA number to return merchandise to FirewireDirect. The purchaser/customer is responsible for shipping back to FirewireDirect. We are not responsible for loss or damage incurred in shipment back to us, and we strongly recommend that your insure the package(s) your returning.

If you do return something purchased from FirewireDirect, for tracking and control purposes we ask that you note the following RMA Guidelines:

RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) Guidelines

After you have contacted technical support, you will be issued a number for your return and sent an email telling you the procedure and return policies.

Those steps and policies can be summarized as follows:

• Contact our support staff by phone, email or phone to obtain an "RMA number".
• All products must be returned in the original packaging and include all documentation, manuals, software and cables (no exceptions).
• All packages will be refused if an RMA number is not issued or clearly marked on the outside of the box.
• All packages will be refused if returned COD or our shipping account number was used without previous permission..
• Domestic Orders: Purchaser is responsible for the return shipment and insurance cost.
• International Orders: Purchaser is responsible for shipping costs "to" and "from" FirewireDirect.
• FirewireDirect is not responsible for damage or loss incurred during shipment back to us, and we strongly suggest you insure your package.
• RMA numbers are valid for 15 days, and the product(s) must be received by FirewireDirect before expiration. RMAs cannot be extended or re-issued.

All Returns must have an assigned RMA number visible on the package in order to ensure their efficient delivery and tracking.

General warranty and premium service plan info:

All products have a one (1) year warranty for parts and labor, with some exceptions or unless otherwise marked. Additional warranties or extended service plans are available for RAID Center items and others, please contact FirewireDirect for details.

FirewireDirect warrants its products (see exception below) to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one (1) year from date of purchase unless otherwise marked or additional warranties or extended service plans purchased. During that time, should your product fail to be in good working order at any time, FirewireDirect will, at its option, repair or replace the device at no additional charge, except as set forth below.

Warranty service or replacement will be provided after you contact FirewireDirect Technical Support to obtain an Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) and instructions on where and how to obtain repair or replacement.

Important - Do NOT return a FirewireDirect product without retaining a RMA number.

Premium Service Plan: FirewireDirect.com knows that data is one of the most important assets of your business. To help protect that data and keep your downtime to a minimum, FirewireDirect.com offers a service plan which give you flexibility and comfort, with a service coverage when you need it most. Under the FirewireDirect Premium Services Plan (Agreement), FirewireDirect.com exchanges defective product with a configured and tested replacement unit within one to two business days after RMA issuance. The customer is responsible for installing the replacement unit (which will either be a new or new reconditioned unit, at FirewireDirect's discretion) and returning the defective equipment to FirewireDirect within ten business days. This applies to any product, in which the service agreement was specifically purchased for. If you have questions or required more details, please do not hesitate to contact us direction via Phone or LiveChat.

One Year Premium Service Agreement: From the time you purchase your FirewireDirect.com product, for 1 year of the invoice date, original party which holds the product and can present the original invoice, is guaranteed the following:

•  A replacement product will be shipped, as originally order or upgradeable to 2nd Day or Next Day Delivery Service, to customer specified location(in most cases) within Continental United States, within 24 to 48 hours of RMA issuance.
•  The product will be configured and tested, ready to go, so customer may deploy immediately.
•  Coverage includes DOA and any time period after receipt of product, for the life of the agreement.
•  Premium Service agreement is not available outside the United States.

Requirements:

• A credit card deposit is required for this service, credit card will be authorized, though NOT charged, in the amount of the current product price. A Credit Card Authorization form is required for this service, if the shipping address is different than what was on the original invoice. If the defective product is not verifiably in route to FirewireDirect, within the 10 day time period stated, an invoice for the current purchase price of product tied to the service agreement,will be charged by credit card provided. Late returns, pertaining to this invoice, may still be accepted in some cases, with a 20% restocking fee of the invoice amount.

Notes: If purchased from a FirewireDirect.com partner, customer or reseller must be able to present verifiable record of original purchase of product and purchase of the Premium Service Agreement, specifically for the product in question. Under extenuating circumstances, FirewireDirect.com may select alternative, though functionally comparable product solutions to replace product specified in RMA. FirewireDirect Premium Service Agreement is non-refundable after 30 days of invoice date. This offering is not available for enclosure kits. If you have any questions or concerns about the policies listed here, please contact us via Help Desk Services.

Software compatibility statement:

FirewireDirect products are tested extensively with every kind of machine available to us and all current (2005) versions of mainstream operating system natively support: FireWire, FireWire 800, USBv2.0/1.1, SATA, SCSI and Fibre storage solutions and adapters. If you are not sure, please contact the operating system manufacturer for verification.

Shipping Options and Couriers:

A few options are available for shipping of most orders, and you will be presented with the available options at the time of check out from the FirewireDirect store. If you are obtaining quotations for shipping cost, this can only be done by registering online as our system can only quote shipping rates when it knows were it is shipping to. Once registered shipping prices are displayed for each option, and you can choose based on price and available services. These options apply to most locations in the Continental US and Canada. If you would like to use your own courier accounts, this can be setup easily by sending us a email or fax - contact us for details.

Additional notes:

• Some remote locations may not be accessible by one day delivery service with our courier, and for these recipients "overnight" delivery can take two days or more. These locations are destinations well outside of urban areas and off the normal courier routes. We can't tell you when you order if your final destination falls into this category, but if you live in such a place you probably have some idea already. We apologize for the inconvenience, and are assured the range of our chosen courier company is expanding rapidly.
• In some rare cases when UPS or DHL/Airborne do not deliver timely (perform in the warranted time period) FirewireDirect.com can request a credit from the carrier and will credit the customer once the courier issues the credit to FirewireDirect.com (Akumen Inc). This can take weeks for the courier to credit service errors but this is out of our control and we will work responsibly for you in getting it resolved. Once the courier issues credit to FirewireDirect.com we can credit the customer within 48 hours.
• Most International deliveries are done only on an express or expedited delivery basis that to most locations takes three to four days. The situation above applies to to international deliveries as well, and occasionally there are remote locations where delivery requires an extra day. Again, our apologies. Our courier for these orders is UPS or DHL/Airborne, known for their worldwide distribution system, and we are assured they are reaching new destinations every day.
• Orders to international destinations can be delayed in customs, and the policys of border and customs agents change rapidly and FirewireDirect can't be aware of all variables. Purchaser/Customer is responsible for all customs and duties that apply in their country.
• We will supply you with tracking info on your order, but can't be responsible for a shipment that is delayed because of remote location outside of normal courier routes, or unexpected delays in customs. We'll make every effort to help you track packages, and will contact couriers for you when there are issues, but not not take responsability in any way for these types of delays occuring ourside of our offices and control..

FirewireDirect uses UPS or DHL/Airborne for overnight and international orders. All shipping rates are calculated in real time as the order is completed in our store and are drawn directly from the the rates provided us by our couriers. We believe most rates to be accurate, but all orders are reviewed before fulfillment and in the event there is a discrepancy in published shipping rate and actual rate you will be informed before your order is completed.

Turnaround Time On Online Orders & Payment Methods

Many orders on in stock items placed before 1pm can usually be shipped the very same day, especially small items such as cables, adapters and none-raid enclosures. Orders are processed on a first-in, first-out base. If you absoutely must have something, we recommend you call us before ordering to verify current stock conditions but orders are more likely to require 24-48 hours from the time the order is placed to the time they leave our offices. Once again, if you have questions about the actual turnaround time of your order, please contact us.

All RAID systems are "Custom Built" and tested after the time of order. HSB, Vangaurd III, Vanguard V systems require approx 3-7 working days and SCSI & Fibre Raids require as much as 7-10 working days. Time might vary, so please don't hesitate to contact us via: LiveChat Online, HelpDesk Express and Phone to verify current shipping timelines.

In this context, "overnight delivery" means overnight from the time it leaves us.

We make our best effort to remain in stock on all items, and to post exceptions on the web site or make other reasonable effort to inform customers about product availability. Please contact us for questions about availability of products.

All orders shipping within the state of Texas or with a payment from with a billing address with in the state of Texas is subject to 8.25% Texas Sales Tax. FirewireDirect (Akumen Inc.) does not bill or collect Sales Tax outside the state of Texas. If the customer has a Texas Reseller Certificate, this certificate must be faxed or received prior to shipping the order. It would be prudent to call and confirm reciept of your tax certificate as once the shipment is sent, then the customer will need to reclaim the funds when filing you Texas Sales & Use Tax Return.

FirewireDirect accepts: MasterCard, Visa, Discover, PayPal and American Express.

Shipping to an address different than the billing address

If the billing address on your credit card and the shipping address do not match, we will ask that you complete our credit card authorization form. This form enables you to provide a copy of your credit card for our records. FirewireDirect (Akumen Inc) will not ship, unless previously setup between customer and FirewireDirect, to an address different from the billing address without this documentation, a step taken to protect you from fraudulent orders.

If you are shipping to an address other than the billing address on the credit card, please download and complete this credit card authorization form. (PDF). Follow the instructions on this form. Your order can not ship to an address different from the billing if we do not have this form in our records.

Cancelling An Order

If you are needing to cancel an order placed with FirewireDirect (Akumen Inc.), we strongly suggest you call (512.302.0012) immediately, and not email nor HelpDesk. In stock items ship quickly and email requests to cancel orders may be received too late to stop shipment or charging of your credit card.

If you do use email to cancel an order and we fail to receive it in time, we will of course accept the return, but you will will be subject to the shipping charge both to-and-from your address. By phone or live chat, and FirewireDirect rep can cancel your order on the spot and give your confirmation information.

Ordering "Offline"

On International orders and in some other circumstances, our customers have asked that they be provided a way to order "offline".

To order without going through our on line store, in short, you will determine your price and fax or mail your order in along with payment.

1. Determine your price: The best way to determine your price is to place the order in our on line store, where you will be quoted a final price before being asked for any credit card information. If you stop here and don't enter credit card info, you will not be charged, but the price you are quoted will be final. You can use that to determine your price on an order you mail in or fax. Since shipping rates depend on your ultimate destination, exact package weights, and the shipping option you choose, there is no other accurate way to determine your cost.
2. You may choose your payment option in the store, and print the order directly from the page. This page can be faxed or mailed to FirewireDirect (Akumen Inc).
3. You can also easily go through an order process and save the orders as a quotation and print the quote so you have a final price which you can send in with your payment.
4. Mail or fax your completed order form in.. Payment can be mailed in or arranged by wire transfer (contact a FirewireDirect rep for banking information)

Sending your order and payment by mail or fax:

FirewireDirect.com (Akumen Inc)
3300 Bee Caves Rd, Ste. 650, Nr.147
Austin, TX 78746
USA

Our fax number is 512.302.0064 - Tel: 512.302.0012

Arranging payment by wire transfer:

When paying by wire transfer (For International orders) your bank will ask you for information on our bank. Contact us for details.

A Note About Special Offers & Discount Pricing

FirewireDirect often makes special prices and promotions available to it's customers on our mailing list or through other special web offers. Sometimes these orders will be billed in a special way to reflect the promotion.

Any items designated in a mailout special offer or on the product web page as "Preorder Status" means the item is not currently in stock, and is either a preorder of a new product or an advance order on a new build of a product being updated or its shipping delayed until a later date for some reason. Often we advertise special new low prices and designate items as preorder because we are buying a large volume of parts at a special low price and passing the savings on to you. In order to lock these orders in so we can better estimate total numbers, we will often charge your credit card early. These kinds of orders can still be cancelled, but charging your card early allows us to lock in a low price, and then ship orders quickly (with the paperwork all done) when they finally ship. If you feel your credit card has been charged before your order ships, please check the web page for that product to determine if it is a preorder item.

Notes on international orders:

There are a number of special circumstances the customer should be aware of on orders shipping to an international address.

Credit Card Authorization On International Orders

FirewireDirect (Akumen Inc) is happy to ship orders to International destinations. But in order to protect ourselves and our customers, we require additional verfication of credit cards in the form of a legible photocopy of the front and back of your card mailed or faxed to us after your order is placed and before it ships. It is very important to know that the back of the card must be ledgeable so we can contact the bank in question for verification.

1. Place your order in the FirewireDirect store (If you have been referred to this page, you probably have already placed your order)
2. Download and complete Credit Card Authorization Form, which contains all necessary instructions. Click here to download form. (PDF). NOTE: All information on the credit card must be legible as we contact the issuing bank for verification of address, persons name, etc... Please make sure we can read the front and back of the card clearly or this will delay your order.
3. Fax or mail completed form to FirewireDirect - All contact info is on the form and again at the bottom of this page. If using regular mail, please inform us so we will know to expect your documentation.
4. Orders not validated in this way within 15 days are dropped from our records and your credit card information expunged. Your completed form will be kept on file and these steps will not be required on future orders unless your credit card expires.

These steps are taken to protect against credit card fraud. Double verification of your credit card protects YOU against someone else using your account without your card. Many companies are no longer shipping internationally because of these problems. Some countries or shipping destinations require all sales only accepted by wire transfer or paypal funds transfer.

If you can't download this form or for some other reason cannot place your order, please see our instructions for placing orders off line (including bank wire transfer information and instructions for completing orders outside of our on line store) or call a FirewireDirect representative for assistance..

Additional information about international orders:

• There are no special charges on international orders, but all shipping and insurance costs to and from international customer destinations are the sole responsibility of the customer.
• FirewireDirect is not responsible for duties and taxes imposed by customs in your country. Our courier for international deliveries recommend you check with the local office in your city to find out if any additional fees will be imposed at the time of delivery or billed later. FirewireDirect (Akumen Inc.) is not responsible for these charges, tarrifs or fees levied in your country. Even in the event you refuse delivery of your package, you are still responsible for any charges incurred.
• Shipping and insurance charges in our on line store are taken from service charge tables and reflect standard rates for your destination, but in some cases may differ from actual final shipping charge. FirewireDirect will contact you if there is any difference in the shipping charge you are quoted and your final charge.
• All shipping and insurance costs to and from international customer destinations are the sole responsibility of the customer.

Privacy Policy & Statement:

Entire Agreement (Policies & Procedures): This Agreement (Policies & Procedures) represents the entire agreement and understanding between the parties and supersedes all prior agreements (including any credit card agreements or warranties) and understandings between them relating to the transaction. No terms and/or conditions other than those set forth in this Agreement (Policies & Procedures) shall be binding on FirewireDirect.com (Akumen Inc.) unless expressly agreed to in writing by FirewireDirect.com (Akumen Inc).

Construction: Each party intends that this Agreement (Policies & Procedures) in all respects shall be deemed and construed to have been mutually by all.

Severability: Should any provision of the Policies and Procedures be held to be void, invalid, or inoperative, such provision shall be modified to reflect the fullest enforceable intent for FirewireDirect.com (Akumen Inc), or if such modification is not possible, severed, and the remaining provisions of this contract shall not be affected and shall continue in full force and effect.

Force Majeure:FirewireDirect.com (Akumen Inc) shall not be liable for its failure to perform any of its obligations hereunder during any period in which such performance is delayed by circumstances beyond its reasonable control including, but not limited to, interruptions in telecommunication services or Internet access, fire, flood, earthquake, war, embargo, strike, acts of God or the intervention of any governmental authority.

Confidentiality: Each party acknowledges and agrees that any information or data it has acquired or will acquire from or about the other party, not otherwise properly in the public domain, was or will be received in confidence. Each party agrees not to divulge, communicate or disclose, except as may be required by law or for the performance of this Agreement (Policies and Procedures), or use to the detriment of the other party or for the benefit of any other person or persons, or misuse in any way, any confidential information of the other party, including any scientific, technical, trade or business secrets of the other party and any scientific, technical, trade or business materials that are treated by the other party as confidential or proprietary, including, but not limited to, ideas, discoveries, inventions, developments and improvements belonging to the other party and confidential information obtained by or given to the other party about or belonging to third parties. If either party's confidential information is required to be disclosed pursuant to a requirement of a governmental authority, such confidential information may be disclosed by the other party pursuant to such requirement so long as the disclosing party gives the other party timely prior notice of such requirement and coordinates with the other party in an effort to limit the nature and scope of such required disclosure.

Limitation of Liability . FIREWIREDIRECT.COM (AKUMEN INC) WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR LOST PROFITS, LOST BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES OR ANY OTHER INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO ANY TRANSACTION, EVEN IF FIREWIREDIRECT.COM (AKUMEN INC) HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOSS OF DATA OR LOSS OR INTERRUPTION OF SERVICES OR COMMUNICATIONS.

Disclaimer . EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THE AGREEMENT, FIREWIREDIRECT EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY, REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING THE TRANSACTION (SALE OF GOODS OR SERVICES), THE LINKS, TRADEMARKS AND ANY OTHER SERVICE PROVIDED BY FIREWIREDIRECT HEREUNDER, AND ANY OTHER SERVICE, CONTENT, TOOLS OR RELATED DOCUMENTS OR MATERIALS (IN ELECTRONIC FORM OR OTHERWISE) PROVIDED HEREUNDER, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND IMPLIED WARRANTIES ARISING FROM A COURSE OF DEALING OR COURSE OF PERFORMANCE. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THE AGREEMENT, FIREWIREDIRECT EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY REGARDING THE PERFORMANCE, AVAILABILITY, FUNCTIONALITY OR ANY OTHER ASPECT OF ANY FIREWIREDIRECT.COM (AKUMEN INC).

Governing Law . Any legal proceeding shall be governed by and enforced in accordance with the laws of the state of Texas . Jurisdiction and venue of any legal proceeding shall be in Travis County, Texas but both customer and FirewireDirect.com (Akumen Inc) agree that all disputes will be settled through mandatory Arbitration, located in Austin , Texas . By submitting and agreeing to our policies and procedures you have read and understand the terms and policies and procedures set forth on throughout this page and by completing any transaction with FirewireDirect.com (Akumen Inc.) agree to be bound by these policies and procedures described throughout this page. The date of execution shall be the date the order it was placed.