Government of Ontario

Full Terms and Conditions

These terms and conditions are incorporated into all contracts for the supply of goods and services (“Goods”) by Publications Ontario ("Supplier").

Where there is a separate written agreement, which has been signed by an authorized representative of the Supplier, the terms of that agreement will prevail over these terms and conditions.

Goods supplied may differ in non-material respects from those advertised in the Supplier's catalogue or other promotional material. These terms and conditions will be interpreted in accordance with the Laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada.

Ordering


Orders can be placed online.

Invoice Orders/Purchase Orders


An invoice order occurs when goods are shipped prior to payment being received and an invoice is sent to the customer for the amount owing. The Supplier only accepts invoice orders where:
  • the total dollar value of the order is over $250.00, before shipping and taxes;
  • the order is being delivered within Canada;
  • the order is being placed by a company, an organization, or the broader public sector, and;
  • the order is accompanied by a legitimate purchase order number
How to Place An Invoice Order / Submit a Purchase Order
  • Create an account on the Publications Ontario website
  • Add the items and their quantities to the shopping cart
  • Click Checkout
  • Ensure that all contact information is accurate and then click Proceed to move to the next step
  • Capture the information on the screen that summarizes:
    • The total order costs broken down by goods, shipping & handling and taxes
    • The delivery information / address
    • The order details ‐ publication numbers, titles, prices and quantities
This information serves as your quote upon which to generate a purchase order from within your organization. You can use tools such as Windows Snipping Tool, your internet browser's Print to PDF or Save as PDF, etc. to record this information.

  • Ensure that your purchase order is on official letterhead and includes the following information:
    • Date
    • Publications Ontario customer number, if known
    • Purchase order number
    • Full company name and address, including:
      • Identify “Attention To” personal name with department name
      • Telephone number and email address
      • Identify the “Ship To” address if different from the “Bill To” address
    • Publication name, publication number(s) and quantity of each
    • Dollar value of purchase order must reflect the quote inclusive of product costs, shipping cost and taxes
  • Submit your purchase order via:
    • Email: PubsBillings@ontario.ca.
If your order does not meet all these criteria, it must be paid with a credit card or prepaid by cheque or money order (see below). Please note that the submission of a purchase order does not reserve stock.

Pricing


The price payable for Goods shall be the total price specified in the Supplier’s current price list or catalogue, less any discounts agreed in advance in writing by the Supplier and plus any applicable costs for packaging, postage and delivery (Delivery Charges). Prices and Delivery Charges are subject to change without notice.

Discounts agreed by the Supplier are valid for one order transaction, unless specified otherwise in writing. All prices are subject to applicable taxes at the applicable rate. Items marked as “Final Sale” cannot be returned, refunded or exchanged.

Despite the Supplier’s best efforts, a small number of the items in its catalogue may be mispriced. If an item's correct price is higher than our stated price, the Supplier will, at its discretion, either contact you for instructions before shipping or cancel your order and notify you of such cancellation.

As required through the course of completing an order, you shall pay the applicable price as instructed in the payment description screens which are presented to you for verification and authorization.

Terms of Payment


For all customers, payment is due at the time of purchase of Goods, unless a Supplier-authorized on-account agreement is in place. All payment terms identified in on-account agreements will supersede the standard payment terms and conditions identified in this section.

All transactions are denominated in Canadian dollars. Payments are accepted by Visa (debit or credit) and MasterCard (debit or credit).

Pay in Advance Subscriptions


Pay in Advance ("PIA") Subscriptions will commence on the date specified on the Supplier's Invoice ("Commencement Date") and continue until terminated by either party. The price for any PIA Subscription is the Supplier's list price at the date of the order. The price for subsequent years will be the Supplier's list price in effect on the subscription renewal anniversary date.

Shipping Charges


Shipping charges will be applied at the time of purchase of Goods. However, these charges may not apply if specialized agreements are in place or shipping charges are not required.

Shipping charges may be refunded at the sole discretion of the Supplier.

Delivery

Orders for Goods placed with the Supplier are subject to the availability of stock.

Delivery of purchased Goods will be made to the address specified in customer’s order or in the purchase order document.

All risks associated with the purchased Goods pass from the Supplier to the customer upon their physical and/or digital delivery to the customer by a designated shipment company. Title to Goods will pass to the customer on payment in full.

Loss or Damage during Delivery


The Supplier's liability for incorrect delivery or failure to deliver Goods is limited to the value of replacement goods if the customer requests such replacement to be delivered.

Claims for damage, partial delivery or non-receipt of Goods must be received by the Supplier within ten (10) business days of the shipping date. All claims submitted after the expiration of the 10-day period will be processed by the Supplier at its discretion.

Returns and Refunds


The Supplier does not take title to returned Goods until they arrive at the warehouse. At the Supplier’s discretion, a refund may be issued without requiring a return.

Refunds for returned, partially delivered, lost or damaged Goods will be issued via the same method as the original payment.

Claims for damaged, partially delivered or incorrect Goods must be filed with the Supplier by calling 416-326-5306 or emailing PubsBillings@ontario.ca. Once the Supplier opens a claim and provides its number to the customer, the latter should return damaged or incorrect items to the following address citing the claim number:

Gilmore Global Logistics Services
Attn: Publications Ontario Returns
1299 Teron Road
Kanata ON K2K 0P3

The Supplier will process refunds for returned items only upon their receipt by the warehouse.

The Supplier will accept returned Goods only if they have been received:
  • In resalable condition;
  • The current edition;
  • Returned within 10 days from shipping date; and
  • Not identified as “Final Sale” at the time of purchase.
Third Party Resellers: Please refer to your Agreement. A 10% restocking fee may be applied to your account for any return(s).

Libraries: No returns allowed.

MTO & Other Miscellaneous Accounts: Please refer to your return policies that have been outlined in your Ministry/Agency Service Level Agreement.

Service Guarantee


For publications ordered online and delivered within Ontario, we guarantee that if you meet the eligibility criteria, your order will be delivered to you within 6 business days or your money back (up to a maximum value of $100).

Definitions. In these terms and conditions, the following words and expressions have the following meanings:

“Business Day" means any day other than Saturday, Sunday, any statutory holiday, and any other day that Publications Ontario has elected to be closed for business.

"Delivery Address" means the address Identified for delivery when placing the order.

"Delivery Date" means the date on which the carrier first attempts to deliver the order to the Mailing Address provided at the time of ordering.

“Order Date" means the date that your order was received by Publications Ontario through the Publications Ontario Website.

“Publications Ontario Website” means the website maintained by Publications Ontario for the purpose of receiving orders for Ontario government publications.

The Service Guarantee. Publications Ontario will deliver your ordered publications to your Mailing Address within six (6) Business Days. If the Delivery Date is not within six (6) Business Days of the Order Date, the fees paid for your order will be refunded to you, to a maximum amount of one hundred dollars ($100.00). This Service guarantee is subject to the following conditions:

If your order is placed after 4:00 pm but before 11:59 pm, the Order Date will be considered to be the following Business Day.

If no one is present at the Mailing Address to sign for the delivery on the Delivery Date, the carrier will leave a delivery notice providing further pickup or delivery options. Publications Ontario has satisfied the Service Guarantee if initial attempt to deliver your order is within six (6) Business Days of the Order Date. If the actual pickup date is more than six (6) Business Days of the Order Date, you will not be eligible for a refund so long as the Initial attempt to deliver your order was within six (6) Business Days.

The Service Guarantee does not apply if you decline the delivery or the order is returned as undelivered.

Eligibility. In order to be eligible for the service guarantee, your order must meet the following conditions:

  • Your order must be made using the Publications Ontario Website.
  • The Service Guarantee does not apply to orders with a total value of $0.00. The value of the publications and shipping and handling costs for your order must be greater than $0.00.
  • If your order contains publications that are listed as "Out of Stock" on the Publications Ontario website at the time of your order, the Service Guarantee will not apply to those parts of your order.
  • Your Delivery Address must be a complete and accurate civic address within the Province of Ontario. The Service Guarantee does not apply to post office boxes, rural route and general delivery addresses.
  • Orders Exceeding $100.00. lf the value of publications in your order exceeds $100.00, the maximum refundable amount for the Service Guarantee is $100.00.
Exceptions. The Service Guarantee will not apply to your order in any of the following circumstances:

You are a re-seller of Publications Ontario products, a Ministry or Agency of the Ontario Government or part of the Broader Public Sector, Publications Ontario determines that its ability to deliver your order within six (6) Business Days was impaired by an event beyond the reasonable control of Publications Ontario, including, but not limited to, any of the following reasons:
  • Major failure in the technological systems of Publications Ontario, the Government of Ontario, or any vendor contracted by Publications Ontario to fulfill your order;
  • Major disruption to the warehousing operations of any agent of Publications Ontario;
  • Labour dispute, strike, lockout or other labour protest in the Government of Ontario or in any service used by Publications Ontario to deliver your order;
  • Lack of hydro-electric power;
  • Disruptions or delays in the air or ground transportation network used to deliver your order; or
  • Natural disaster or act of God.