Customer Service: Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the Friends of Blackwater?

The Friends of Blackwater is a nonprofit citizens support group that assists Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge, Maryland, and the Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex, to carry out their educational, interpretive, and public use missions. Currently our membership includes over 800 individuals, companies, organizations, and agencies who have helped us become one of the preeminent voluntary conservation organizations in our area.

Since our founding in 1987, the Friends of Blackwater have been responsible for countless projects at the Refuge, such as developing land and water trails, leading tours, managing the gift shop, and operating the online Eagle and Osprey Cams. In addition, we have also served as mentors to other refuge support groups around the country, helping them in their efforts to protect refuges and raise money through visitor gift shops. In 2003, the Friends of Blackwater was chosen as the "Friends Group of the Year" by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the National Wildlife Refuge Association.

Because the Friends of Blackwater is an all-volunteer organization, with no paid staff, all the proceeds from your purchase will go towards supporting programs at Blackwater Refuge. Purchases are especially helpful at this time when shrinking federal budgets are offering fewer funds to the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Why does the Friends' Eagle's Nest Book and Gift Shop use PayPal?

The online Eagle's Nest Book and Gift Shop uses PayPal for its payment processing because PayPal has a long and distinguished reputation as a secure Internet shopping cart service.

PayPal is an eBay company, and is a global leader in online payment solutions with 78 million account members worldwide. Available in 56 countries and regions around the world, PayPal is used by buyers and sellers on eBay, online retailers, online businesses, and traditional offline businesses.

PayPal uses powerful encryption methods to help protect your sensitive data and to help ensure your transactions are secure. In addition, PayPal and eBay have over 1000 people worldwide dedicated to keeping PayPal accounts safe, and stopping online criminals.

What are my payment options?

PayPal will accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, bank transfers, and PayPal balance (meaning you have a PayPal account with funds available for making a purchase). If you do not have a PayPal account, you will be offered the option of creating one during the checkout process; however, you are not required to open an account to make a purchase using PayPal.

What are my ordering options?

You can make a purchase by ordering online -- using the secure PayPal website -- or by phoning in your order at the number listed below.

If I live outside of the United States, can I still make an online purchase?

Yes, but we ask that you email the or call the phone number below to set up an international purchase.

Why can’t I send my order by email?

We don’t accept email orders because emails are not a secure way of sending credit card information over the Internet. Most emails are not encrypted, and all emails run the risk of being intercepted or lost while traveling the Internet. We would prefer that you make your purchase through our web site using the PayPal shopping cart or by phoning us at the number below.

Why are Maryland customers charged sales tax?

The Friends of Blackwater is a nonprofit organization registered in Maryland, so we are required by law to charge 6% sales tax to customers who reside in our state.

What information does the online shop collect and what happens to it?

The Friends of Blackwater will not see your credit card information after you place an order -- that information is secure with PayPal. PayPal will place a temporary cookie (a small text file) on your computer while you are shopping so they can keep track of the items you place in your shopping cart. The Friends do not use the cookies to track you and PayPal only uses them for the shopping cart feature. You can read PayPal's privacy policy on their website.

In order to fulfill your order, the Friends of Blackwater will receive your name, shipping address, and email address from PayPal, and that personal information is safe with us, as we will not share it with any third party.

What should I do if I want to exchange a t-shirt for a different size?

Please contact the or call the phone number listed below.

How can I contact the shop manager if I have a question?

You can contact us at the following:

Address:
Friends of Blackwater
PO Box 1231
Cambridge, Maryland 21613

Email:
Telephone: Call 410-901-6125 and leave a message. All calls will be returned.