FAQ FAQ

Yes. We consider the security of your information to be of paramount importance. We have implemented security measures designed to provide the peace of mind you should expect when purchasing goods over the internet. When you place an order, our secure server uses SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) to connect to our website, which encrypts all the information sent from your PC.

The following indicates that you have entered a secure session and will be present when you are requested to enter your credit card details: 
-The "https" in place of the usual "http" in your browser address box
-The small padlock either at the bottom or top of your browser (this will depend on the browser you are using)
-SSL (Secure Socket Layer) Certification – Global Sign

Hallmark has a current Global Sign certificate, which gives you the peace of mind of knowing that we are a legitimate company, and can provide a secure environment in which you can transact. To view details of our security certificate, please click on the Global Sign logo.

You will receive an email when your order has been successfully placed, and another email notifying you when your order has been shipped. We estimate that all orders will be shipped within 48 hours of ordering (excluding weekends).

We currently accept MasterCard and Visa credit card payments. We will be adding PayPal as an option in the coming months.

Once your order has been placed, it cannot be cancelled.

Once your order has been placed, additional items will have to be ordered separately.

Not presently, however we plan to have this option available in the coming months.

Your card is charged when your order is placed.

All prices on the site are in Australian Dollars (AUD). When your order is placed, the order total is also in AUD. When it's charged to your card, your card company will convert the total to your country's currency at the currency rate when it's processed. If you need to be refunded, the refund will be processed at the current currency rate. This may differ from the rate when your card was charged. Your card company may charge additional fees for conversion. Please contact them for more details.

All prices on this website are in AUD, and include GST.

We prefer orders are placed online, as this limits delays in delivery. If you would like to place an order over the phone, please call Customer Service on 1800 729 999.

Your invoice will be sent to the email address you specified. You can print your confirmation from your email.

Hallmark Australasia does have its own creative team who are supported by larger teams in the US and UK. For this reason Hallmark does not take ideas from the general public.

For many years Hallmark has chosen to support the National Breast Cancer Foundation and our new Forever Friends Foundation. For this reason Hallmark generally does not offer donations for other organisations. However if you do wish to send us a request for support, please send it to:

Marketing Manager
Hallmark Cards Australia
PO BOX 5000
Ferntree Gully, VIC, 3156

Hallmark Australasia advertises all current Australian vacancies on seek.com.au and all New Zealand vacancies on seek.co.nz. To view our list of current vacancies click here.

Hallmark Australasia hires for our distribution warehouse, marketing, sales, retail merchandisers, information technology, operations, finance, human resources and customer services.

Yes! You are able to purchase personalised cards here, and recordable storybooks here.

No. This software is only available for purchase through the Hallmark USA website.

You will need to contact your software provider or the Hallmark USA website for help with your software. This product was designed for sale only in the US. Hallmark Australasia is unable to offer any technical support for this.

Hallmark Australasia values all feedback as it helps us to improve the quality of our product. If you would like to send us some feedback, please contact one of Hallmark's offices.

Use the Find a Retailer system built into this site. Enter your postcode, and you will be able to view the list of retailers that stock Hallmark products closest to the postcode you entered.

Unfortunately we do not have inventory information available at Hallmark retail stores. Please check with Hallmark retailers in your area to see if they carry the Hallmark product for which you are looking. To find your closest retail store that might have the item you are looking for, you can use the Find a Retailer feature on our website.

The most important step in opting-out or unsubscribing from unwanted emails is to identify their source. You may be receiving the following:

• Unsolicited, Phoney Ecards
  If you are receiving many emails with attachments that claim they are from Hallmark, it's likely they are phoney ecards. These emails do not originate with Hallmark Cards Australia. Please see "Is Hallmark sending spam ecards with a virus?" for more information.
• Legitimate Ecard Notifications
  If you have sent ecards through the Hallmark Cards Australia website, you will receive a maximum of three emails per ecard: when it is created, when it is sent and when it is opened for the first time. If you do not wish to see these emails, the simplest way to opt-out is to stop using the ecard system. Additionally, you may also delete ecards that have already been sent. Please see "Can I delete an ecard?" for instructions.
• Legitimate Ecards
  If you have identified that you are receiving genuine Hallmark ecards (please see "How can I tell if a Hallmark ecard is genuine?"), and they are unwanted, the first course of action should be to reply to the notification email. In most email clients, the original sender's email address will automatically be put into the "To" field of new email. Let the sender know that you do not wish to receive any more ecards from them. Please be aware that Hallmark is only a proxy for ecard communications. We do not send them directly, nor without the request and action of a separate individual.
• Hallmark Cards Email Campaigns
  We at Hallmark Australia and New Zealand comply with all local privacy and anti-spam laws. In the case of marketing emails (newsletters), we always provide a clear way to opt-out of our mailing list. Follow the instructions to unsubscribe from the footer of the email.

No. Hallmark is one of several greeting card companies being targeted via fraudulent emails that are flooding the Internet. These emails claim to have a link to an ecard from a family member, friend or neighbour. Clicking on the link downloads a virus onto your computer that compromises personal data.

First and foremost, ecard emails from Hallmark Cards Australia never carry attachments. They will also clearly tell you the name of the person who sent you the ecard (exactly as they entered it) in the subject line of the email. Also, any links within an ecard email will go to a Hallmark site using the hallmarkcards.com.au domain.

If you have recieved a fraudulent ecard, please take the following action:

Delete the email without opening it.

If you have opened it and want to forward it to us, send it to abuse@hallmark.com. Due to the large amount of email we receive at that address we will not be able to reply to your email, but we will investigate. Then delete the email from both your inbox and your sent folder. If you click on the link in the bogus email, you will launch a Trojan virus. This virus installs an Internet Relay (IRC) chat client and causes the infected computer to connect to an IRC channel. Attackers then use that connection to remotely command your machine for the purpose of gathering your personal information. An example of this virus is the Zapchast virus.

If you use Windows and Internet Explorer you should visit update.microsoft.com to update your browser and operating system. Then you will be less likely to be affected by the virus.

Report suspicious email to your service provider so they can take action.

File a complaint at http://www.ic3.gov/.

We are:

• Contacting Internet providers identified as the source of the spam requesting that they shut down the imposters.
• Working with Microsoft to include the virus code in their phishing filter to protect consumers who use their web browser and email client software.
• Working with anti-virus software corporations to get the virus code added to virus definition updates.
• Reviewing Hallmark's ecard notification and pickup procedures.
• Educating consumers about how to avoid ecard abuse.

There are several reasons why an ecard email might not have been opened by the recipient, but the most common by far is spam filtering. Due to the issue of illegitimate ecards (see "Is Hallmark sending spam ecards with a virus?"), some email filters incorrectly mark genuine Hallmark ecards as spam (called false positives). In this scenario, the best course of action is to ask the recipient to check their junk / spam folder for your ecard.

If the recipient can't find their ecard in their inbox or their junk / spam folder, it is possible that the email was rejected. Some reasons this may have happened include:

Incorrect / mal-formed email address
While the Hallmark ecards system will attempt to send email to every recipient, if an email address was entered incorrectly, it's unlikely to be delivered. To view the email address entered for a recipient, use the link found in the notification email received after sending an ecard.

Recipient's mail box full
If the recipient's mail box is full, ecard notifications can't be delivered. Ask the recipient to make sure they have sufficient space for new emails.

Company policy / aggressive spam filtering
Legitimate or not, some organisations and email systems delete ecards or reject them outright. For example, government based recipients (.gov.au) are particularly difficult to reach. Ask the recipient to speak to their service provider about allowing legitimate Hallmark ecards sent by our verified mail server.

There are a few things you can do to avoid having Hallmark ecards land in your junk folder:

• Add noreply@hallmarkcards.com.au to your contact list
  In many email systems, messages from your contact list are automatically trusted.
• Mark Hallmark ecard emails as "Not Spam"
  If ecards are landing in your junk folder, and your email system allows for it, mark them as "Not Spam" so that it knows to send them straight to your inbox next time.
• Talk to your service provider
  In some cases, service providers put a blanket ban on all ecards without attempting to identify those that are legitimate. All ecards from Hallmark Australia strictly follow Australian guidelines and are sent via our verified mail server. They can be identified as legitimate quite easily.

It is not currently possible to alter an ecard once it has been queued in the system. However, it is possible to delete the ecard and recreate it in a new way.

Yes. As a sender, you are able to delete an ecard at any time, before or after it is due to be sent. To do so, visit the ecard sender page linked in the email confirmation received shortly after sending an ecard. Click the delete button on that page and confirm the action to permanently remove the ecard.

Please note that deleting an ecard after it has been sent does not remove the notification email from the recipients inbox. The recipient will see an error message if they attempt to view a deleted ecard online.

At this time, Hallmark Australia puts no automatic expiry on ecards.

At this time, the Hallmark Australia ecard site is geared toward one-to-one or one-to-few connections. For that reason, it is not well suited for bulk sending, and features like importing contacts and mail merge are not currently possible.

The Hallmark Australia ecards system depends heavily on the Adobe Flash player. Most browsers (over 99%) have an up to date version of the Flash player installed, and can view, send and receive ecards without a problem. However, if it's not installed correctly you may see a blank page or a partial ecard, such as a purple block with sound.

To fix these issues, it is recommended that you install the latest version of the Flash player. It can be downloaded from the Adobe site here:
http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/

Adobe also provide this page to check if the player has been installed properly:
http://www.adobe.com/software/flash/about/

We ship to anywhere in Australia.

All orders are dispatched from Melbourne.

We offer standard delivery via Australia Post. Please visit www.auspost.com.au for delivery schedules.

For 1 or 2 items, shipping is charged as a flat fee of $8.95, anywhere in Australia. For orders of 3 or more items, shipping is FREE!

We will ship your order within 48 hours of purchase (excluding weekends). Then you need to check www.auspost.com.au for delivery schedules.

All deliveries are made via Australia Post standard shipping, so PO Boxes can be used.

Buy 3 or more items, and shipping is FREE.

If you are a retail customer of Hallmark and you wish to return items, please contact your usual sales representative.

Please take your Hallmark product back to the store where you purchased it, and the retailer will help you with an exchange or refund as appropriate.

If you received a defective or incorrect item, we will reimburse you for the original and return shipping. Please include the shipping receipt and send it back to us. With the receipt included, we will reimburse you for the cost of shipping the item back to us via regular mail. Unfortunately, we will not reimburse for express shipping, so be sure to send it back via regular mail.

Returns can take 1-2 weeks to be processed once we receive them. Be sure to also factor in the ship time for your return to be delivered to us. When your return is processed, we will send you a notification email. If you believe your return should have been processed, but never received a notification, check your spam folder to make sure the email didn't get marked as spam.

Please address all returns to:

HALLMARK PRODUCT RETURNS
10 Caribbean Drive
Scoresby 3179 Victoria

Please read the information below.

We want you to love what you order. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, please return the item(s) for a refund. All returns must be made within 60 days of placing your order. We don't accept returns after the 60 day period.

Please fill out the return form. You can get it here: Return Form

Please indicate what you are returning and why. In order to process your return, please include your name, email address and order number along with the items that you are returning. You will be responsible for the shipping charges associated with sending the return back to us.

You will be reimbursed for the item(s) returned and the original shipping cost. The shipping cost of returning the item(s) is non-refundable unless the item is faulty. 

All returned items must be close to the original condition you received them in. If you have any other questions about returns please feel free to email us: info@hallmarkcards.com.au  

You can get a copy of the return form here. Please include your order number, your email address, and the email address of whomever placed the order, if they are different.

Recordable Storybooks are available in bookstores, department stores, leading newsagents and card and gift stores around Australia and New Zealand.  Not all stores will carry all titles.

Yes. This book has been tested and will not emit radio waves that could affect a pacemaker.

Yes. The permanent digital memory storage will not be affected by the X-rays used in airport security scanners.

Yes. Make sure the switch found inside the battery compartment is in UNLOCK mode, then turn to the page that you wish to re-record and press the REC button. For more guidance, follow the How to Record instructions.

Try moving the book closer to a table lamp or other light fixture so that the light sensors (which are found inside the holes in each page) will be exposed to more direct light.

Move the book away from sunlight or other direct light. For best results, we recommend using the book indoors.

The digital memory is permanent once the switch found inside the battery compartment is in the LOCK position, even when the batteries are removed for extended time periods. For extended storage, we recommend removing the batteries to avoid damaging the product in case the batteries were to leak.

When properly stored, the recordings should last several generations. Unfortunately, this product cannot be guaranteed as truly archival due to degradation of materials from exposure to environmental conditions.

Make sure that the page on the right side lays flat against the book. Raising the page may cause the light sensors to malfunction due to the gap between the pages.

The batteries should last through approximately 500 page plays. If the book were to be left open for an extended period of time, the battery life would be approximately 9 months.

The batteries compartment has a small phillips head (cross-style) screw, so a phillips head screwdriver will be required to open it.

The page sensors respond to light. We recommend changing your lighting conditions if you have trouble with recording or playback with only a few pages. In general terms move the book closer to a lamp or ceiling light fixture. For the best function, it is not recommended to use this product outdoors.

Move the book closer to a table lamp or overhead light fixture. So that the light sensors inside the holes in the page will be exposed by direct light.

Move the book away from sunlight or direct light from an intense spot light. The pages are not perfectly opaque and may be letting a small amount light through to the light sensor.

Make sure that the page on the right side lays flat toward the back of the book. Raising the page may allow light to get into the light sensor through the gap between the pages.

Restart the electronics by opening the battery compartment, then remove and return one of the batteries. If this does not solve the problem then replace the batteries. Removing the batteries will not harm the recording.

The recordable storybook makes it easy for you to record each page of the story as you read aloud. The first page (after the title page) lets you not only write a note to your loved ones, but also record a special message just for them. The remaining pages let you record your voice while reading the story.

To get started, simply open the book and press REC to hear the pre-recorded prompts. They’ll guide you through the recording and playback process from start to finish. For more detailed guidance and instructions, please see below.

 

How to Record
1. Turn to the page you wish to record and press the REC button.
2. Wait for the prompt, then read clearly.
3. Press the STOP button when you have finished reading the page. Your recorded voice will play back automatically. If you are satisfied, turn the page to continue, or press the REC button again to rerecord your voice. You may stop the recording at any time by:
 • Pressing the STOP button. or • Turning the page. Your recording will be saved and you will hear the prompt for recording the next page.

As you record, if the maximum recording time has been reached, you will hear a tone/beep sound. In this case, to ensure you have enough time to record, you may want to practice reading through each page before beginning to record.

How to Save and Play Recording
1. When you’ve finished recording the entire book, save and protect the recordings by unscrewing the battery compartment and sliding the switch to LOCK position.
2. Simply turn the pages to hear the recorded voice.

Tips

• Find a quiet place to record. For best results, lay the book flat about 12–18 inches away from you.
• Make sure you’re recording in a well-lit area and the sensors aren’t covered. If the book isn’t working properly, try replacing the batteries.
• For best results, do not use the recordable storybook in direct sunlight or under other intense direct light.
• To reset and erase all recordings, unscrew the battery compartment and slide the switch to UNLOCK; press REC and STOP at the same time and hold for 4 seconds. This will erase all recorded audio! You will hear a tone to confirm that the recordings have been erased.
• To preserve your recording, be sure that your book remains in the LOCKED switch position. (Switch may be found inside the battery compartment.)
• To increase battery life, keep the book closed when not in use.
• Requires three AAA batteries (included). To replace the batteries, use a small Phillips screwdriver to loosen the battery cover retainer screw. Follow polarity markings inside the battery compartment to insert new batteries.
• Don’t worry—your recording will not be erased when you change the batteries.
• Remove the batteries before storing for an extended period of time.
• Store away from excessive heat and humidity and away from direct sunlight.
  
  CAUTION: Replace 1.5V AAA-size batteries with zinc chloride R03, alkaline LR03, or equivalent. Do not mix old and new or different battery types.
  
  

Phone 1800 729 999
Email info@hallmarkcards.com.au  

Most likely we've received your email and have responded. Check your spam folder to see if our response is there. It may also be a good idea to add info@hallmarkcards.com.au to your contacts so future emails are not blocked. During sales or peak demand times, our customer service may be a bit delayed. If you sent an email and haven't heard back from us after 3 business days, feel free to send a follow up email.

Here are some ways to troubleshoot with your Story Buddy:

• Your Story Buddy may be too far away. Try moving him closer.

• Your Story Buddy may not be able to "hear" you. Make sure you are reading in a quiet environment.

• Your Story Buddy may not have "understood" you. Try rereading the bolded sentence.

• You may need to remove the pull-tab from their battery compartment.

• The batteries may need to be changed.

• The on/off switch in the battery compartment may be turned to "off."

The voice recognition technology used in Cooper combines the inflections in a reader’s voice along with the trigger words to make Cooper speak.  Although it is grammatically correct to say “Cooper,(comma=pause) I Love You”, the response rate is improved if you don’t pause at the comma. The iphone and ipad applications are valuable training tools for consumers too.

The voice recognition technology is improving with each Story Buddy – Abigail features the improved technology.

Your Story Buddy knows where you are no matter what page you read in the story, whether you start in the middle or the end.

After 5 minutes, your Story Buddy will turn itself off to conserve battery life.  Simply press the button in their ear to wake them up and continue reading.

Children's speech patterns often differ from that of adults. Story Buddies respond best to adults and children who speak clearly, usually at a third grade reading level.

This Voice Recognition software has been developed from a library of thousands of voices to take account for regional dialects.

Read in a quiet place. If your television is on, your Story Buddy may not respond as well. Make sure your Story Buddy is facing the reader so they can hear better.  The best situation is for the reader to hold the Story Buddy on his/her lap. Any other child sitting nearby that would be looking at the book's pictures can also hold the Story Buddy.

Do not put Story Buddy in the washing machine, bath tub or leave it out in the rain. You may wipe your Story Buddy with a damp cloth.

These are the magical phrases to which your Story Buddy responds. You must read the entire sentence clearly without substituting words for your Story Buddy to respond.

Within a few feet is ideal.

You may see reduced performance when using rechargeable batteries. The best choice is three AA lithium batteries. Please note that batteries included with your Story Buddy are for demonstration purposes only.

The Story Buddy knows what you're saying and likes to respond in multiple ways.

Please click here to view our privacy policy.