COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions at Packrat

COVID UPDATE NOVEMBER 20, 2020

November 20, 2020 Packrat Update:  We are saddened to hear of the continued rise in cases of COVID and the impact it has on our friends and family.  We have continued to follow all of the safety measures recommended by the health department and CDC. However, Franklin County cases have risen to a point where they have issued an advisory to stay at home.  We want you to know the steps we're taking next.

• We will remain open for as long as we can.
• We will limit the number of guests in the store to 10 people.
• When you enter the store you are required to wear a mask and use the hand sanitizer by the door upon entry.
• If you are sick, stay home.
• Employees will be asked to stay home if they are showing any signs of COVID.
• We will continue to offer the curb side pick up on orders.
• We will continue the cleaning and sanitizing of the store.
• We will continue to receive our weekly comics. We encourage you to join a subscription. If our doors get closed we will have to modify our orders accordingly.

SUBSCRIPTION ORDERS

• If you have comics on hold for your subscription, we are asking you to make arrangements now to pick them up and do so weekly.
• If you can't make it in, we can bill your card on file or send you an invoice to review and pay with other payment options.
• Diamond Comics has already told retailers they will not hold comics should shutdowns happen again so we will be receiving our weekly orders. If we are told to close our doors, our comic orders will be adjusted accordingly.

ONLINE ORDERS/SHIPPING OPTIONS - www.packratcomics.com

• We will continue to add new product daily and if you're looking for something online and you've seen it in the store send us a message and we can get it online.
• We have several ways to get your order to you. Shipping, curbside pick up and local delivery.
• We are waiving our local delivery fee. So if you live locally, we will bring your order to your door. Simply order $20 or more and the free delivery option will be available as checkout.
• If you're local and we ship to you, we will include a gift card you can use during your next visit that will help split the cost of shipping.

Now for the FAQ.

Are you open?

We are open.

What is curbside service?

Our curbside service, currently available in our Hilliard location, is simply offering you an opportunity to pick up any orders that you make over the phone, online, via email or text. If you place an order for in store pick up, park your car by the 3860 door and text (614) 664-7691 upon your arrival, let us know who you are and we'll bring the order to you. No need to get out. If you're a pull customer and you've submitted the credit card authorization form, you can text us before you leave your home and we will send you a list of what you have. If there's anything you want to add we can add it and bill you. If you did not put a card on file, you are able to pay cash or credit at the time of pick up. Text us upon arrival (614) 664-7691 and again, we'll bring it to your door. If you have any questions, please feel free to call us at (614) 527-8450. 

Can I place an order online?

Yes. www.packratcomics.com  We have been adding inventory for several years with all the new releases and back issues.  We have begun dedicating more time to increase comics and graphic novels every day. With COVID-19 we plan on adding games and toys to the website as well. If there's anything you're looking for just drop us a line and we can add it to the website if it's in store. You can have it shipped, delivered, or held for in store pick up (in store pick up is available at both the Hilliard and Marysville locations).

Do you deliver comics?

We are willing to deliver comics to your door within a reasonable radius.  You can call or email us to make those arrangements. This will be  a FREE delivery service during the pandemic.

Will you ship my subscription?

We will gladly mail your comics as long as you have a credit card on file or a valid paypal email account.

Do I need to put a credit card on file?

If you are willing to have a card on file during this time, we encourage you to drop the form off at the comic shop or fill one out in person.  We are hoping to get everyone to keep their weekly/bi-weekly/monthly visits for as long as possible. As we mentioned before, we pay for all the new releases on a weekly basis and have enough reserves to cover for a short term. We are not a multinational billion dollar organization.  We will do our best to check in regularly with everyone to make sure you want to continue your subscription, make changes or suspend should your needs change.  We will be modifying our orders on a weekly basis as needed.  We are hoping the publishers slow the pace of comics released weekly to help with the current mandated shutdowns around the country.  While it hasn't impacted Packrat yet, we are just trying to be prepared.  We have added the current curbside pick up and delivery option and are at worst case scenario (government mandated shutdown) gathering billing information (either credit card or valid paypal email). This will help cash flow should we have a mandated shut down and the publishers have not stopped or slowed shipping. Again, if you are willing to have a card on file during this time, we encourage you to drop the form off at the comic shop or fill one out in person.

I don't have a subscription. How do I get comics?

We haven begun scaling back our risk and will continue to do so over the next several weeks. The first week that will be impacted will be April 8.  If you do not have a subscription we can not guarantee there will be much available since we do not know what the governor plans to do with non essential businesses.  Join a subscription now to guarantee your comics.

If you have any other questions or need further clarification, feel free to reach out to us.

We want to thank you for your continued support and truly appreciate each and every one of you. Take care of yourself and look out for those who may be in need. If there's anything anyone needs let us know, from baby wipes and baby sitters to grocery shopping for an elderly family member, drop us a line and we'll do our best to help out. Stay healthy. Excelsior!