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On-line Horoscope Readings by Michael Star.

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Credit Card Orders
for Emailed Horoscope Readings

(To go back to the Order Form page for emailed horoscope readings, please use your browser's BACK button, or select this |ORDER-FORM| hot-link.)

February 1999 Update

Until recently I was not able to offer the convenience of paying for horoscope readings by credit card. I have now arranged to use a secure transaction service when you order horoscope readings for a Total Payment of US $20 or more, through the secure transaction service of InternetSecure Inc. of Oakville, Ontario, Canada, a trusted company which has been processing secure transactions world-wide on the Net since 1996.

When you order readings directly from me, I send them directly to you BEFORE you send your credit card data, asking only that you promise to process your payment on-line within one day AFTER you have received your readings. This is a 128-bit encrypted secure server, which transmits your confidential card data via special telephone lines directly to your bank for authorization and does not store it or reveal it to the merchant. This is more secure than providing your data by telephone or fax, since there is no need for me or any person to see or store your card number or expiry date. (Telephone and fax options are not available at this time - please mail a check or money order if you do not wish to use the secure on-line transaction process.)

Quick Summary - Details Given Below

A more detailed explanation of these points follows below. If you wish to skip the details and go back to the Order Form page now, please use your browser's BACK button (so you do not lose any data you already entered), or select this |ORDER FORM| link.

The Details

I am happy to process your credit card order, but would much prefer to receive a money order or a personal check instead, if it is all the same to you. Why? It costs me much more to process a credit card payment than to deposit a check or money order. You may even post-date your check for one week after the day you receive your Readings, if you wish to pay later.

My bank will cash personal checks drawn on Canadian, American, and British (UK) banks, as long as they have the magnetic strip of numbers at the bottom which provide transit numbers for the banking system. Usually, a check drawn on a branch office of an international bank from these three countries will also be accepted - for example: a Lloyd's of London bank branch in Australia or Malaysia or Hong Kong; or a CitiBank or Chase Manhattan bank branch in Sweden or Japan. A "bank draft" or "money order" from most any international bank in any country will also be acceptable, if it is drawn in US dollars (you purchase these at your local bank).

Using your VISA or Master or Discover Card

If you would like to use a VISA or Master or Discover Card to pay for your horoscope readings, please go back to the |ORDER FORM| page after reading this page, and complete your Order Form as usual - but add these two additional steps:

(1) Select "VISA CARD" or "MASTER CARD" or "DISCOVER CARD" (without the quote marks) in the answer box which asks you to state the Type of Payment you will be using.

(2) In the answer box which asks for your Postal Address, please enter your name and the exact address registered with your credit card company, including postal code or zip code. (You may also enter your phone number, so I can contact you if there is any problem with your Order, but this is optional.)

If you have any questions, or run out of space, you may enter a short note in the "Special Instructions" box, or send a separate email using the hot-link in the |CONTACT-Michael| section. There are no detailed instructions about credit cards on the Order Form, so please make note of the above steps.

Some conditions apply to credit card orders - please read this first!

Credit card orders must be for a Total Amount of not less than $20 in American dollars. I reside in Canada, but quote my fees in US dollars because it is an international currency and most of my clients are from the USA.

When your transaction is processed by the bank which issued your credit card, it will be converted at their current exchange rate for American dollars into your own country's currency. (Please note that the alternate foreign exchange rates I accept for payments by check, cash, or money order, as listed on the Order Form, are often to your advantage; but I cannot offer these better rates for credit card transactions because I have no control over how they are processed.)

For Canadian clients - From January 1998 to January 9003, the American dollar was worth about CD $1.40 to $1.56 in Canadian dollars, so the Canadian fees should be about 40% to 53% higher than my US dollar fees, but are similar in actual value. If the Canadian dollar goes up in value, in relation to the US dollar, then the Canadian dollar fee will go down. When it is converted to your home currency, it should remain close in value to the original US dollar amount you were quoted as the fee for your reading. If you see a slight discrepancy on your credit card statement, it will be due to these currency conversions, something we cannot control. (When you send a personal check in US dollars or UK pounds sterling, or a money order in US dollars or any major currency, these currency conversions are not necessary, and you will know exactly how much you are paying in your own currency when you purchase the money order.)

Here are some typical Canadian dollar prices which are equivalent to the US dollar fees, assuming an exchange rate of 1.50 CD (Canadian dollars) per 1.00 USD (US dollars):
* C1 Cupid Compatibility Reading: USD $25 = CD $37.50
* P1-5 plus P11 "Six-Pack" of 6 Personality Readings: USD $15 = CD $22.50
* C2 Karmic Gifts and Lessons Reading: USD $15 = CD $22.50
* C4 Career Counselor and Success Secrets Reading: USD $15 = CD $22.50

If you are a resident of Canada, you will see a payment which is close to these amounts being entered on the statement sent regarding your own VISA or Master Card account. If you are a resident of the USA you should see a transaction for an amount equal to the original US dollar fee, without any tax added.

I will be sending any or all of these emailed Readings to you myself BEFORE you use your credit card, and you may deal directly with me regarding any questions, as usual.

IF you reside in Canada, under Canadian law the federal government's General Sales Tax (GST) of 7% usually must be added to the total amount of all transactions. My company is presently exempt from this tax due to dollar volume of sales in Canada, but this could change in the future. No provincial taxes need be paid, and there are no other taxes or fees charged to you.

How to order when paying by credit card.

Please DO NOT enter your credit card PIN number or expiry date on my regular Order Form, but please DO enter your name and address in the "Postal Address" box the same way it is recorded by your credit card issuer, so I may cross reference your Order with your transaction when I get the statements. If the name on your Order Form and the name registered with your credit card company are different then I will have no way to identify your payment receipt as yours, except by the address on the Order Form matching the address on the copy of your Transaction Receipt I receive by email.

Once you have sent your Order Form by clicking ONCE on the |SEND| button at the bottom, I will receive your Order Form by email and then send you a Confirmation Letter to verify the birth data and other information on the form, and also provide you with instructions on how to make your payment by credit AFTER you receive your readings. If you wish to change your mind at that time and pay by some other method, you may still do so.

You do not need to complete the credit card transaction until you have received your Confirmation Letter, and have also received your Readings by email. As with the usual "promise to pay" required for other types of payment, you will be promising to process your credit card transaction within one day AFTER you receive your Readings by email. I am willing to take all the risks, and trust in your promise to pay when you have seen I have kept my promise to deliver. (If you wish to get everything done in one on-line session when you place your order, you may use the on-line card payment form at this URL: cardform-is.shtml and I will see a copy of your payment transaction (but without the confidential card data) arrive in my email. You will need to know the Total Amount of your order, but not the details of which readings you ordered. Since you might make a mistake in adding the fees, or might change your Order afterwards, I would prefer that you did not pre-pay by credit card unless you plan to be out of town when your Order is delivered, since it will cost me more time and money to make adjustments later.)

Telephone Calls

If you have any questions you may email Michael Star at michael@astrologyzine.com or telephone me (no collect calls, please) at 905-891-7436 between the hours of 11:00 AM and 11:00 PM E.S.T. (New York and Toronto time, or GMT -5 hours). I do not process the credit card transactions, so please do not call to tell me your card number. If you use the on-line secure transaction processor, I will not even need to see your confidential card data, and they will not store it on their computers - only your credit card company will see your confidential data. The best time to reach me is from 11 AM to Noon, E.S.T. (My number has been listed in the Toronto or Mississauga, Ontario, Canada phone book for more than 10 years). If you reach my voice-mail and want me to call you back (collect only), please state your full name and phone number (with area code) clearly, twice, and also state the best time (and time zone) to reach you there. It would help to also mention the date your Order Form was sent.

Your Credit Card Account Statement

You'll get your usual account statment from your credit card issuer showing the transaction, with the amount calculated by them using their exchange rate on the day they processed your credit card purchase (the same as it would be if you had used your card for purchases while on a trip to the USA). If your card is not based on US dollars, this may be slightly higher or lower than the US dollar fees I quote (because current rates fluctuate daily), but there is no way to avoid this small change when the currencies must be converted. The business name listed with the transaction on your credit card statement will not be STAR SIGNS Astrology Zine, but "Michael Star Co. via Internet Secure."

I trust in the integrity and honesty of Internet Secure Inc., but if you have any doubts about giving your credit card number to them, you can always pay me by check or money order or cash instead. Please note that you will be receiving your Readings by email the day BEFORE you have to send your payment or process your credit card transaction, and it is I who will be taking all the risks.

Why use a credit card for purchases on the internet?

The use of a credit card for purchases on the Internet using a secure transaction service has proven to be safer than handing your card to a clerk or a waiter. And purchasing through Visa or Master Card or Discover Card also gives you some measure of assurance that the vendor will deliver what you ordered, because the credit card issuer usually retains a deposit from the merchant which can be used to recover monies paid to him if there should be a complaint from the purchaser that his purchase was not delivered. Please note that I am not offerring a money-back guarantee, since you will have seen the sample readings and also received your own reading before you process your payment. The readings are unique to you, not something I could re-sell to someone else. (The fees I must pay to process a charge-back could be higher than the actual cost of the readings.)

Why I am willing to send my Readings before receiving payment.

Since July 27 1996, when someone ordered an EMAILED horoscope Reading from my web site and indicated they would be mailing me a check, money order, or currency, I sent their Reading to them BEFORE they mailed their payment - so they would NOT be taking any risk of not receiving what they had ordered from me. Since July 1996 when I established my web site, only two persons have sent me a bad cheque (and one replaced it before I noticed).

I believe in the quality of my readings and am willing to trust in the honesty of the Internet users who order them to pay for them as promised; so I will take all the risk on Orders up to $80 from one person, by sending the Readings before I receive their payment. All I ask in return is that they promise to mail their payment or process their credit card payment on-line the day AFTER they receive their Reading, and indicate this by filling in the "promise to pay" section on the Order Form.

Payment by Personal Check - from Canada, USA, or UK

Since the fees I will have to pay to process a secure credit card transaction on the Internet are quite high compared to the usual credit card transaction where you sign a voucher, I would prefer to receive a check or money order if you are willing to mail your payment instead. First-class international postal mail (air mail) from outside of Canada will take about 5 to 7 days to arrive, so your check will not be cashed for about a week after you mail it. You may post-date your check 7 days after your Order Date if you wish.

I am willing to accept negotiable PERSONAL CHECKS drawn on a bank in Canada or the USA or the UK, in dollars or pounds sterling; and will send an EMAILED Order of up to U.S. $80.00 within 24 hours of the date you send your Order Form (Sundays excepted), BEFORE I receive your payment, if you promise to mail your payment the next day. If you wish to send payment in the form of a postal money order or certified bank draft, I will ship larger emailed orders over $80.00 or any printed orders within 24 hours of receiving your payment in the mail.

Please note that certain financial institutions like credit unions may not have arrangements for an international bank to clear their checks when sent out of their country of origin. If you want to send a personal check from outside Canada, please confirm with your financial institution that their check can be negotiated internationally without being sent "on collection". The long delays and high bank fees involved in these "collections" are not something I am willing to accept, and in some cases your bank may charge YOU for this "collection" service. My Canadian bank will cash personal checks drawn on any Canadian, American, or British bank without charge; so I have to say that these are the only personal checks I can accept in payment. ("Wire transfers" from your bank to mine are very expensive for both you and I, so these are NOT an option for payment.)

Money Orders

Money orders are available from most banks for amounts under one thousand dollars. The Canadian and American post offices also issue postal money orders, often at a lower cost than the banks; and you can get the required postage stamps and air-mail your payment all at the same place. Some people have sent their payment by Priority Mail, registered mail, or an international courier service. I appreciate this, but first-class mail or "air-mail" is fine with me, and will save you money.

If you do not live in North America, you may find that money orders in US dollars are available at your bank, your post office, or at branches of American Express, Thomas Cook Travel, or some other financial institutions. Certified checks are usually available at your local bank branch, or you can buy US dollars there and mail the cash wrapped inside a folded sheet of paper or smaller envelope. Do not send coins in the mail - instead, for the small amount which cannot be sent in paper money, you can enclose unused postage stamps of equal value and I will add them to my collection.

Wired Payments

I cannot accept transfers by wire from your bank to mine, since the banks charge a high fee to you, and my bank also charges me $10 to receive your wired payment. It would be much less expensive for you to mail a check or money order instead, or even to send paper money (hidden inside folded paper) by registered mail.

Direct Deposit to a C.I.B.C. Bank Branch in Canada

If you live in Canada, you can make a direct deposit in Canadian funds to my CIBC bank account from any Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce branch in Canada. If you wish to do this, please email me and I will send you my account and branch information, as well as the equivalent amount to deposit in Canadian dollars. This way, you can save on postage and on the US exchange rate.

Barter Exchange

I am a registered member of a Canadian barter exchange service, and hope to be able arrange to process international barter transactions over the Internet as soon as the service is available.

Anonymous Orders

Some people wish to remain anonymous when ordering on the Internet. If you do, I won't even need your real name to do Astrology, just ANY made-up name and your real birth data (it is Numerology which uses names). If you want to use an anonymous email forwarding service to order and receive your Reading and then mail me an anonymous money order, or even cash in your own major currency, that is fine with me. Just include the same name and email address you used to order when you send your payment, so I know which order is being paid for. If you send paper money, please wrap it inside a sheet of paper so the people handling the mail will not see it and be tempted, or send it by registered letter if you want proof it was delivered safely. (If you intend to pay by credit card, then I will need your real name and postal address as registered with your credit card company.)

Who is Michael Star?

If you should want to know who Michael Star is, there's a BIO at the |ABOUT-Michael| link. (In the past, I've been a bonded trust company officer and life underwriter; and now as an astrologer I lecture at public libraries and entertain at national banks, major corporations, and United Way fundraiser events).

Testimonial Letters

If you'd like to see some testimonials from satisfied customers, there are several unsolicited comments reproduced on the |KUDOS| page. Initials have been used because most people do not want their names and email addresses displayed on the Web.

Thank you.

Michael Star
michael@astrologyzine.com

ORDER FORM for Horoscope Readings

To go back to the Order Form page, please use your browser's BACK button, or select this |ORDER FORM| hot-link now.

Web site established JUL 26 1996. Page Updated MAR 02 2003 12:00 EST.

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Author and Address
Michael Star,
81 Lakeshore East #51,
Mississauga ON,
Canada L5G 4S7

Telephone Michael at... 905-891-7436 from 11 AM to 11 PM E.S.T.
(Eastern Standard Time is Toronto or New York time, or G.M.T. -5 hours. The equivalent Pacific Standard Times for California are 8 AM to 8 PM. For the United Kingdom on G.M.T., the times are 4 PM to 4 AM.)

Email Michael at...
michael@astrologyzine.com

Internet Web Site: STAR SIGNS Astrology Zine http://www.AstrologyZine.com

Michael has posted frequently on the UseNet newsgroup: alt.astrology

This page and its contents are copyrighted ©1998-2004 by Michael Star.