Q. Jude, how do I renew my membership? It was a wonderful gift and I just love your newsletters!
Sarah Wineburg, Barnedsville, NJ

A. Have I got some great news for you, Sarah! Gift recipients are eligible for a one-time Renewal Bonus of 50% off your next month when you sign up to continue the service on an "open" basis and commit to at least 3 months! And you can pay in monthly installments or any number of installments. Simply email us at customerservice@chocolatemonthclub.com or go to our website to renew, or just call us at 800-625-8238.

Q. I want to give a gift to my parents for their Anniversary, but my Dad loves microbrews and my Mom loves chocolates. How can I make them both happy? Please help me out Jude!
Daniel Slipp, Sidney, NE

A. Daniel, I can definitely help you find a solution to this dilemma… and furthermore, I don’t know of any other club that offers these great options! You can have Microbrews, Flowers, and International Wines, Cheeses, Chocolates, and Cigars delivered consecutively… or choose any combination of products, and months! Daniel, this means you could send your parents a gift that would enable them to celebrate their anniversary over and over again!

I recommend that if you have siblings, make it a collective tribute to your loving parents! Send microbrews and chocolates on alternating months… checkout our Whatever Whenever Program! It’s a knock out punch! PS: So many parents tell me this is the very best gift they have ever gotten! And you can always keep renewing it, so you’ll never need to worry about what to get them again!

Don’t forget Memberships make great gifts for Brides and Grooms, clients and consultants… for all special occasions, and you can request complementary, and personalized Gift Announcements! Just call 800-625-8238

Q. I’m so excited, Jude! I’m getting married to the most incredible, loving gentleman!! Can we register with Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club to receive some of your Monthly Clubs for Wedding presents?
Carolyn Hodges, Seattle, WA

A. Oh Carolyn, I just love weddings!! So much to do, but so many wonderful memories! Of course our International Wines and Cheeses, American Microbrews, Gourmet Chocolates, and Fresh Cut Flowers make outstanding gifts for Brides and Grooms. Every month our Newlyweds are setting aside time to celebrate their marriage and renew their wedding vows. Many plan a special place to share their love, and memories of their wedding and honeymoon. My goodness, I wish I were young again!

Your guests will be sooo relieved and excited to see our gourmet products on your registration list! It wasn’t always this hard to find a special wedding gift… when everyone got married in their twenties! The whole idea of wedding gifts was to help a new marriage get a good start. Now, most couples are combining two households, and that means they already have two versions of the essentials! And what can you possibly get them that will be meaningful?

In my humble opinion, people today, seem to be more interested in creating rejuvenating and meaningful experiences, rather than accumulating things. Bravo! You humans are finally getting into the meaning of being alive! Carolyn, Darling, your guests will be thrilled to know they can help you set the course for ongoing celebrations of your new marriage, by sending a wedding gift that nurtures your romantic memories and touching moments. One that you and your new husband will surely anticipate and plan for each month!

And it’s so easy for your guests… all of the details will be attended. No worries about wrapping and shipping, or worse yet, duplicating something you already have. And then you have to spend time returning it! Each time a gift order is placed, you will receive an elegant custom tailored gift announcement, printed on specially designed wedding paper.

We tell Brides and Grooms to call us so we can record their preferences, and their answer questions. Then to give their guests our toll free number, 800-625-8238, and the website addresses for the products they would enjoy receiving. At any time you can call and we will look up the number of months that have been purchased. You can stop the purchase of a product if many people have purchased the same thing… or change your mind as often as you wish!

Carolyn, you and Your Groom can receive these gifts consecutively, or have more of them sent during special times of the year, like your Anniversary and other personal holidays. It’s totally up to you to design the way in which you wish to receive these gifts. And you can always change your mind! Just pick up the phone or email us!

PS: Carolyn, lots of Brides and Grooms have been ordering gift memberships for each other… and also for their parents to show appreciation, and for other members of their wedding party to honor them for their support and love.

Q. Jude, we want to give our bridesmaids and groomsmen memberships… What can we give to them at the rehearsal dinner? John Bozelle, White Plains, NY

A. I’ll bet that making the decision to wed may not have been as difficult as selecting the members of your wedding party without hurting feelings! And I know you want to honor the members of your wedding party, including your parents, with gifts that show your appreciation and affection, over and over again.

We will work with you to create outstanding Gift Announcements, printed on elegant paper, to present at your rehearsal dinner… or whenever, wherever you wish! Every message may be customized to each individual, expressing exactly how you feel, or if you’re stuck for the right words, we’ll share some ideas with you. And to help you stay within your budget, you may spread the cost of your gifts over the term of the memberships!

Q. I heard you have a program where you can give your friends FREE American Microbrews, Flowers, and also International Wines, Cheeses, Chocolates, and Cigars, Jude. Please enlighten me! Oscar Kildare, Chicago, IL

A. Oscar, I’m so glad you asked this question! It’s true! It’s really true! Your Name can open all kinds of doors for friends, colleagues and family members! Every time anyone joins our Cheese, Chocolate, Cigar, Beer, Wine, and Flowers of the Month Clubs [or gives a gift] for 3 months or longer, we will give them 50% off their first month… but only when they mention your name! And we also give YOU 50% off one month! You can apply it toward your current membership… better yet, try one month of any of our other clubs!

Q. I’m not really comfortable ordering anything over the Internet. What happens if I order a membership for a friend and they never receive it? Charlene Porter, Inkster, MI

A. Charlene, If you’re worried about placing an order on a web site, you’re not alone… although orders placed on our website are very secure, many people prefer to call us, and get questions answered at the same time. Just give us a call at our toll free number below. We’ll take your order over the phone, answer all of your questions…. and we will also send out a first class complementary, and custom tailored card to your friend, for you!

Honestly, Charlene, I can count on my front paws the number of times that a shipment has been lost this year… it’s really quite rare, and always for good reasons, like the wrong zip code. We ship all of our chocolates by 2^nd Day Federal Express, and we have tracking numbers for each shipment, so usually we can tell you exactly what’s going on.

If your shipment is misplaced in transit, simply give us a call at 800-625-8238 and we’ll run a trace for you. Don’t worry, all of your shipments are guaranteed! And if you gave us the wrong address and your shipment was returned to our consolidation center, we can reship, and you will only be charged the 2nd shipping charge. The repackaging is complementary. Consult our Welcome to The Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club letter for more information about specific scenarios, such an Address Changes, or Shipping Dates. If you have a questions about your Credit Card Statement, call at 800-625-8238 or email us at customerservice@chocolatemonthclub.com .

Q. Jude, What about, shipping chocolate to a hot climate… is that a problem?
Randy Hampton, Austin, TX

A. Since the finer chocolates are perishable, we always recommend that you ship to an address where someone will be available to care for your chocolates when they arrive. A work address is fine… as long as no one knows what’s inside otherwise you may have to share them!

We send the chocolates with ice packs in Styrofoam coolers to warmer climates and during the summer, but that doesn’t mean they will be happy sitting by your door in the hot sun! Since the chocolates featured in our club are all hand crafted in traditional methods, they actually travel very well. Mass-produced chocolate often contains wax.

Yours in Chocolate, Jude

PS: Cater to your guests’ sophisticated palates… serve them American Microbrews, and International Wines, Cheeses, Chocolates, and Cigars. And we can help you with Fresh Cut Flowers for your centerpiece, too!

Although this information comes from many resources, we would like to thank Chocolatier Magazine, the Chocolate Manufacturers Association, and the National Confectioners Association for being such great sources for information about Chocolate.