Dot Publications

What is your online price match guarantee? How do I claim?

Dot Publications — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:38:02 +0000

There is no cheaper way to buy new copies of our books online than direct from us, period. We check our prices against other sellers’ regularly, but if you do find brand new copies of our books cheaper elsewhere on the internet we’ll match that price.

To claim a price match, please contact us with details of the title in question and a link to the relevant website. We’ll then verify the price and provided it meets the conditions above, we’ll match it. Simple as that.

Are my payments secure when ordering from dotpublications.co.uk?

Dot Publications — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:34:21 +0000

Absolutely. All payments are processed by PayPal so we never lay eyes on your card details. That way you get the reassurance of using a big name like PayPal and we don’t have to deal with any of that side of things. That’s win-win.

Just add whichever titles you want to buy to your cart. When you click ‘view cart’ and come to pay you’ll be taken to PayPal’s website to enter your details. The payment processing is handled entirely by them.

You don’t even need to have a PayPal account, though of course if you do have one you can use it. When you click ‘proceed to checkout’, if you don’t already have a PayPal account just click on the link under ‘don’t have a PayPal account?’.

Can I return books? How do I claim a refund?

Dot Publications — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 09:30:44 +0000

We think our books are so fantastic and we’re so confident you’ll love them that we offer a 14-day no quibble guarantee. If you want to return books you have bought from us, for any reason at all, you can do so within 14 days of delivery and provided they are in their original condition we will issue a refund.

You can also return your order if it is damaged, defective or incorrect.

For full information, please see our Returns Policy, Refunds Policy and your statutory rights. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Do you plan to release any new titles?

Dot Publications — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:45:22 +0000

Not at the moment. We’re in the process of updating the current range to include the funky new artwork currently only available in the French, Spanish, Norwegian and Dutch titles. However, should the demand be there we don’t see why not. Got any good suggestions? Please do contact us with your ideas.

What’s in it for me by buying direct from you?

Dot Publications — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:45:11 +0000

Our price match guarantee means that if you find a new copy of one of our titles cheaper elsewhere online, we’ll match it. We can do that because we don’t have to give a cut to any characters between you and us.

Payment processing is handled by PayPal on our behalf, so it’s secure. We don’t lay eyes on your card details.

Don’t some other cheeky blighters have a series of ‘Instant’ phrase books too?

Dot Publications — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:44:59 +0000

Yes they do, but we’re the original and, in our humble opinion, the best. Obviously they were so impressed by the value of our brand that they decided to hop on the bandwagon… Maybe not, but we’re not too worried as we think our books are far superior anyway.

Why should I bother trying to speak Foreign, don’t they all speak English anyway?

Dot Publications — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:44:46 +0000

It’s true that many people you’ll meet abroad will speak at least a few words of English, but here are a few reasons we think it’s worth making the effort:

You get a much better feel for a place if you can understand some of what’s going on around you
There’s less chance of accidentally ordering sheep’s testicles in a restaurant.
All those foreigners will be mightily impressed at how intelligent and cultured you are, especially compared to other Brits abroad who think speaking Foreign simply involves speaking English loudly with lots of pointing. Besides, studies have shown that speaking even a few words of Foreign makes you up to 18% more attractive to the opposite sex.*
They don’t all speak English, and it’s going to take a lot of pointing to tell the waiter you’ve got a nut allergy or the mechanic that you’ve got a broken clutch.

*Source: Doubtful Statistics Yearbook, 1976.

Will using one of your books enable me to pass myself off as a native speaker for my own nefarious ends?

Dot Publications — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:37:04 +0000

No. For a start, your interlocutor will probably spot that you’re reading from a book. Seriously though, that’s not what these books are trying to do. They’re about giving you enough language to make yourself understood, not allowing you to exposit on the finer points of Gramscian political economy.

What happens if I want to say something you haven’t thought of? Is providing only a limited number of phrases part of a dastardly plan for world domination?

Dot Publications — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:36:44 +0000

What a good idea… No really, no book can cover every possible situation in which you might find yourself. However, we do have a few tricks up our sleeve. Each book has a very simple grammar guide (we know it’s boring, but it’s indispensable and only covers two pages) and the newer editions (currently only French, Spanish and Dutch) also have a dictionary. Using these in conjunction with the rest of the book will allow you get your meaning across in most situations. Future editions of the other titles will also have dictionaries.

I’m an absolute beginner, all I can say in Foreign is “I am thirteen years old”. Are your books right for me?

Dot Publications — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:36:27 +0000

Right for you? They’ve been waiting for you their whole lives! The idea is that somebody with absolutely no knowledge of a language can pick up an Instant, turn to the right section and be reading off the page in seconds. We even give you the answers you’re likely to hear.

However, that doesn’t mean more advanced speakers won’t find them useful too. Even those of you with a high level of knowledge will find situations you can’t handle without a little help. After all, who can always remember the Foreign for ‘needle and thread’ in the heat of the moment?