Frequently Asked Questions
1) Products
We wish we could answer this question with a general “YES”, but unfortunately life doesn’t always work out that way. That’s why we have a Upcoming Games page! If you want to know what’s coming down the pipeline then that’s the place to go.
For certain games, the publisher/developer only prints a limited number of copies. Because we want everyone to enjoy these games, we need to make sure we have some type of “crowd control” in place. This means that with some games, customers can only order one (1) copy of the game per customer, per address (billing and shipping). If we detect that more than one copy of the game is being sent to the same customer or address, we will cancel your order and refund your money. You will then have to go through the ordering process again, following these rules. If a customer is caught doing this more than once, they can be temporary or permanently banned from using the store.
By presetting the limits, we also protect the publisher/developer from scalpers and such who would attempt to buy up all the available stock and resell them for a much higher price on other websites (like eBay). We apologize for any inconveniences this may create. If you wish to buy larger quantities of a game, please contact the publisher/developer directly.
We understand that in the age of eBay and the likes, certain people buy up games and resell them at a higher price claiming rarity when a lot of times this isn’t the case. To combat this, we have placed a limit of two (2) copies per customer, per address (billing and shipping) on all games. If we detect that more than two copies of a game are being sent to the same address or customer, we will cancel your order and refund your money. You will have to go through the ordering process again, following these rules. If a customer is caught doing this more than once, they may be temporary or permanently banned from using the store. In rare cases, a limit of 1 copy per customer or address may also be imposed. Those will be clearly marked in the items listing.
2) Shipping
We charge $4.99 for standard shipping in the United States, we call it “budget shipping”. Due to the increase of pricing in the US, we’ve had to reevaluate our shipping costs. The price changes based on weight. The price tiers are $4.99 -> $7.99 -> $9.99. The latter is the max shipping costs. Usually you’ll pay that if you’re ordering more than two items.
We use the United States Postal Service for shipping.
We strive to get items out as quickly as possible. We ask that you allow us 1 – 3 business day (Domestic) and 2-4 business days (International) to get your item(s) out. Please note that Saturday and Sunday are not business days. All orders placed Friday-Sunday will be shipped out the following week.
3) International
Due to drastic increases in pricing, we are reevaluating shipping internationally, and will update this FAQ to reflect our decision. Thank you for your patience and we apologize for any inconvenience. We will continue to ship to Canada.
— Previous Policy —
We’re proud to say we do ship internationally. We understand that, since we offer all these great games in one place that it may be easier for some to order from us. We welcome our international friends! We do ship via the United State Postal Service using their international services, because of this prices may be higher. Processing times may also take a little longer because of the additional paperwork, so please allow 2-4 days. If you do not live in the United States and don’t see your country listed, please contact us and we’ll do our best to accommodate you! We currently ship to the following International countries:
- Canada
- Mexico
- United Kingdom
- Sweden
- Norway
- Germany
- France
- Switzerland
- Japan
- Australia
Please note that shipping prices increase the more you add to compensate for the weight and size of the package. We are always looking into new ways to bring international shipping cost down. We know that in some cases international shipping is expensive, but every dime paid to postage goes to postage!
Unfortunately, we do not offer pre-paid customs fees at this time. Any package shipped outside the United States may be subject to additional taxes and import fees. We apologize for this inconvenience.
4) Sales
Further information about selling with us can be found on our Standards for Selling page, but for your convenience here is a quick outline of our high standards:
Standard for Selling on The Bit Station
We will consider retro indie games for any and all consoles.
Requirements for disc based games:
- All games must consist of completely new or legally obtained coding.
- All disc based games must be professionally pressed. No self-burned CD-Rs, etc.
- Packaging (manuals, inserts, and artwork) must be professionally printed.
Requirements for cart based games:
- All games must consist of completely new or legally obtained coding.
- Carts and packaging must be constructed of newly produced parts and materials.
- Packaging (manuals, inserts, labels, and artwork) must be professionally printed.
- Games considered “boxed” or “complete” must include: a cart, manual, and box/case.
Other preferences (These things are not required, just preferred by us):
- Disc based games are professionally sealed in a factory.
- Disc based games are sold in jewel cases and not DVD style cases.
- Games sold as “loose carts” must be placed in a newly manufactured sleeve.
- Cart based games sold as “boxed”or “complete” are sealed in some professional fashion.
- Products have a barcode present somewhere on the packaging.
- Video games include material or topics that would be considered an Everyone (E) or Teen (T) rating if presented to the US’s Electronic Software Ratings Board (ESRB) (or their equivalent region counterparts). Video games that contain material that would be rated Mature 17+ (M) (or its equivalent) will be considered on a case by case basis.
Products including any of the following will be rejected:
- Cart based games that are constructed from Cannibalized carts or cases. This refers to carts or cases that are constructed of old or pre-existing video games parts or materials.
- Disc based games that are produced using CD-Rs or any other self-burnt media.
- Games that contain assets or coding of questionable legality (i.e. “asset flipping”).
- Games that would receive a rating of Adults Only (AO) if presented to the ESRB or be considered Not Suitable for Work (NSFW).
- Any game that would be considered highly offensive for some reason (religious topics, social matters, historical matters, etc.).
Since our business is located in North Carolina and items ship from there, we must charge standard 6.75% sales tax to North Carolina residents (please note this amount will be added when you are transferred to PayPal to complete your order). However, if you do not live in North Carolina, there are no sales tax added to your order.
No, we are a retail based website. If you are interested in purchasing a game or item in wholesale quantities please contact the original publisher.
5) Store
The orange swirl, based on our official logo, is our watermark. We watermark our products to try to curb scalpers and other “not-nice people” from taking our high quality photos and using them for their gain.
Yes, all orders are covered under a 30 day warranty. We do our best to insure that your order arrives to you undamaged and free of defects. In all other cases, refunds will only be issued for items that are return unopened in their original state. Just send us an email and we’ll help you with your order.
Why yes we do! If you would like to sign up, here are your two options.
- Option 1) You can sign up by making an account with us through our website. By creating an account, you will not only have the convenience of a faster checkout, but you’ll have the option to be signed up for our newsletter.
- Option 2) You can sign up using the form at the bottom of our website.
The newsletter is the best place to find out about newly announced games, upcoming sales, and other news from The Bit Station. Thanks again for your interest!
No, it is not required. If you wish to make an account, however, it will make future purchases faster. All data stored on our is secured. We DO NOT store credit card, PayPal, or any other financial information. Credit card information is handled and secured through Stripe or PayPal, whichever you choose at checkout.
6) Miscellaneous
Why wouldn’t we? Everyone knows the Dreamcast is the greatest gaming console ever developed by mankind! Also, we love the Dreamcast and want to support the people and companies that continue to keep this amazing platform supplied with new content.
First, thank you for using our site. We strive to be professional and reduce as many bugs as possible. But soemtim misstkes hapen. Oops, I mean sometimes mistakes happen. Please leave feedback by Contacting Us or taking our feedback survey. Together we can make The Bit Station the perfect place to fulfill all your indie Dreamcast needs!
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