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General Purchasing Policy

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Contracts

eBid

PReqs

Professional Services Agreements (PSA)

Amazon for Business

Purchasing is excited to announce Amazon Business.

eBuy is the University’s preferred procurement method for our contracted vendors.  This system creates an entirely electronic process from procurement to payment, reducing redundant data entry and order process time.  eBuy helps you get what you want, when you need it and faster & easier at University of Iowa’s contract price!

 

If you have questions pertaining to refunds, login issues and your University Amazon Business account, contact Amazon Business at amazon-business-cs@amazon.com phone number (866) 486-2360. For Amazon University related questions not pertaining to eBuy please contact Tammy Paulus.

Current users of Amazon Business:

  • Seamless transition to eBuy - just start ordering. Your account has already been transferred along with previous purchase detail.
  • Shipping Address:  Amazon Business punchout will show a shipping address. Do not change this address.  Your correct ship to code will be inserted when your order is loaded to preqs system.
  • Changes in quantity or line items will need to be made prior to Amazon punchout.  Changes to the cart cannot be made when in eBuy or in preqs. Order will be cancelled if changes are made in eBuy.

New Users:

  • If you have used your @uiowa.edu email address place a personal orders on the Amazon.com retail , your personal Amazon account will need to be updated to a non @uiowa email address prior to ordering through eBuy.  
  • If you are accessing a non-University Amazon for Business account with you @uiowa email address you will need to de-register their business account prior to ordering through eBuy. 
  • Instructions to assist with these process can be found at https://ap-purchasing.fo.uiowa.edu/purchasing/preqs/ebuy including usage guides Amazon user guide and tips.

What Do I Need to Do

To purchase go to eBuy.

Will my purchasing process remain the same?

Yes, your purchasing process will remain the same.  The Amazon Business is now a contracted supplier through the U.S. Communities Cooperative for The University of Iowa extending program benefits.

Program Benefits:

  • Business Prime Shipping: Free two-day shipping on any eligible products, no matter the order size. For items not eligible for free 2-day shipping, you can receive free standard shipping on eligible orders over $25. Additionally, you will have early access to lightning deals on Amazon Business.
  • No sales tax for purchases of products shipped and/or sold directly by Amazon.  Please note, products sold and/or shipped directly by third parties may still be charged sales tax by Amazon however the purchases can be transitioned to another method of purchase to ensure taxes are not charged.
  • Access to a specialized Amazon for Business customer service team.

Program Notes:

  • Users are reminded that the University Amazon Business Account is for University Business related purchases only.
  • Personal purchases are prohibited and could result in user access to the University Amazon Business account being removed.
  • Please allow an extra day for delivery through campus mail past what your order in Amazon may state.
  • All UI purchases need to be shipped to a UI address. (It is the departments discretion after they are received on campus to send them off campus from that point.)
  • Products which require a medical license to purchase are not available to purchase on Amazon.
  • Please note any rewards Amazon sends you; the University does not allow you to accept.
  • Amazon ebuy/punchout now allows for ebook purchases
  • Amazon ebuy/punchout does not allow for bundled item purchases
  • Any future purchases through Amazon shall be made through the University’s business account.

Other Helpful Tips:

Some University users have received messages from Amazon including offers such as Amazon Smile and benefit programs for Local Associates. According to university policy, users should not participate in these offers. Please contact Purchasing if you have any questions. We also encourage you to report to Purchasing if offers are continued to be received.

University purchases with Amazon will no longer be made through www.amazon.com with your procurement card.  All purchase will be made through the eBuy business account.

Questions may be directed to eBuy@uiowa.edu.

Or visit the following link for more information about eBuy https://ap-purchasing.fo.uiowa.edu/purchasing/preqs/ebuy

Returns process  

End users must email IBOR-Amazon-Returns@amazon.com for all returns. A USPS, FedEx, or UPS return label will then be provided for the return. Once the label is received and applied to the package by the end user, the sealed package can be sent back as follows. 

  • Take the package to your campus mail pickup area. 
  • For larger pickups that you are not able to take to your campus mail pickup area, please contact Central Receiving at BS-CentralReceiving@uiowa.edu or 319-384-3905. When requesting a large pickup, please include information regarding approximate size/quantity and where it is located.  

Reminder, all returns must be sealed with the return label applied to be picked up for shipping. Returns that are not sealed and ready to ship, will not be picked up by Campus Mail or Central Receiving.  

Frequently asked questions

Having issues with ordering gift cards for work? Here are some tips for Amazon eGift Cards

  1. Amazon eGift Cards have to be whole numbers (orders for $3.25 for example will not work).
  2. If UI hits $10K in eGiftcard purchases for the day no additional orders will go through.

Question: Looking to purchase something on Amazon more than what is available? Answer: Please email amazon-business-cs@amazon.com, to help with or utilize the custom quote tool.

Question: My package was set to arrive but is late. Answer: Please allow an extra day for delivery through campus mail.

Question: I need to cancel my order. Answer: Orders can be cancelled by going to your order in Amazon, finding the order and clicking cancel. If additional assistance is needed please email amazon-business-cs@amazon.com, to help with the cancellation. Once cancelled on Amazon's portal please email purch-pos@uiowa.edu to make sure information is updated in our system.

Question: Why did I not get an email order confirmation after placing my order? Why do I not see the order in my history? Answer: Order confirmation and history go to the order originator. Therefore if you did not put the item in your cart and someone else did the cancellation would have gone to that person.

Question: Why do I not get notified if my order is cancelled? Answer: Order cancellations go to the order originator. Therefore if you did not put the item in your cart and someone else did the cancellation would have gone to that person.

Question: Ship to information; my order in Amazon states it will ship to  125 S Dubuque St PCO-202, Iowa City, IA 52240 but I would prefer this delivered to my address how do I change it?  Answer: Do not change this ship to address at check out, just click “Deliver to this address”  you will enter your Ship to code in the Preq's system later in the process. 

Note; though this screen states it is the ship to location; the system only needs it for confirming the order. If this address is changed, your order will not process. 

Question: Can departments still buy materials, books, gift cards and such that they have been getting previously on Amazon?  Answer: Yes. Please note that digital gift cards, digital books can now go through ebuy. Other digital content will need to go through your USS representative as they will be able to assist in this process. These items will need additional work to get ordered with Amazon.

Question: Someone else will now be buying, explain if they don’t have a pcard? Answer: Any UI employee is able to access eBuy so the users who are not initiators would be able to shop Amazon and at checkout would assign the cart to a pcard/initiator to transfer to a requisition.

Question: If an order is not generated to a PO within the 7 days (hasn’t completed through workflow) will whomever created it be notified it’s cancelled?  And if it’s cancelled will it be in the “cancelled orders” section of Amazon?  Answer: If the PO is finalized in workflow the requester will get an email that it is cancelled after approved.  It will show as cancelled in Amazon punchout. 

Question: How will items be shipped off campus? UPS does not deliver within SFCH will the dock folks be doing it?  Answer: The delivery model is the same, and will function as it has in the past.

Question: Explain receiving?  Answer: Receiving would only be required for transactions that fall into the following (generally this is considered a high dollar order or capital equipment mostly)

  • An IACT of 6230, 6231,6231, 6730, 6731 or 6740
  • a PReq total > or equal to $25,000
  • a PReq total > or equal to $10,000 and uses an IACT between 6200-6235

Question:  If you happen to receive “Application Error code 403” upon check out, this may be due to security settings within your browser.  Answer: We recommend that the security level is set at standard and ensure that cookies/cache is not deleted upon exit from the browser. 

Question: Having trouble accessing previous purchases before 8/17/21?   Answer: Log into eBuy then navigate to Amazon. Once in Amazon click under your name and navigate to "Your Account", then "Your Orders". Once here click on order details and either paid by the University or paid by you.

Question: Looking to purchase an Ebook or Audiobook?  Answer: Contact USS Supervisors as they are your campus connection for purchasing these items uss-supervisors@uiowa.edu. Users will need to provide the item that they would like purchased as well as names and emails of whom the books will be going to. Please note these books are not for sharing.