e - Ownership Policies: resale and sharing
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We have been asked several times recently just what our return and resale policies are and why they are unusual. It is the why that is of most importance, but for clarity, we will first state the policy succinctly.
In a nutshell, for your FIRST Enki purchase there are four weeks from the day received during which you can return the materials if they are in the same shape in which you received them (including professional shrink wrapping). You are responsible to cover all shipping and handling expenses, and a 15% restocking fee. Returning customers know both the quality and quantity of what they are purchasing so there is no return period - all sales are final.
After that, we ask that you view all expenses for the material as a family tuition. That means not reselling or sharing or giving away any of it. What seems more important for this discussion is the “why.” This is detailed on our web site in the description of Connection-Based Education: http://www.enkieducation.org/html/CBE-packages.htm
In a nutshell, why would we have such an unusual and limiting policy? Some people may feel that the materials are “theirs,” they paid for them and they can do with them as they please. Ultimately, this is absolutely true. But Enki is doing something very unusual and we cannot do it without you. We are working to bring a really different kind of education into the world. That is a very difficult undertaking in the best of circumstances. What makes it even harder in this situation is that we are truly an independent organization - beholden to no person or religious group or organization, association, or anything else. And we are working to have the business express the same “connected-wholeness” that is brought in the education.
This unusual return, resale and sharing policy requires a shift in outlook. It is a shift from a consumer based paradigm to a community based one. Basically, though now in its 22nd year, in the educational world Enki is very young. As David Marshak, Ed.D, professor, independent educator, and author of The Common Vision: Parenting and Education for Wholeness describes Enki: “In the most profound way, Enki Education is a new expression of holistic education, one that has been created in our own times. . . what is evident from a careful examination of the Enki Education materials is that there is now a third well-developed, holistic education model available to parents and teachers that embodies its very own nature and character.”
To bring this new expression into the world requires a community of people working together, much like any other healthy birthing. To do that we have to operate much like a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) - in our case, a CBE (Connection Based Education). In this model we all put in so that together we can bring the children of the world something of real value. Those at Enki central have always and today continue to volunteer a significant amount of time to make Enki a reality; those who use the material pay for it as a tuition which, like any tuition, cannot be passed on or resold. They also contribute feedback on their experience and understanding, which in turn helps us rework the materials to better serve the families and more clearly bring Enki forward. Together, each of these generous hands guides Enki through its birthing.
All told, we are birthing something new. But at the same time, in both the education itself and in the way we bring it to the world, we are drawing from the same wisdom human beings have come back to again and again since the dawn of time: the wisdom and richness of community.
We are a very small company that has been able to bring out this work through the donations of massive time and expertise of just a handful of people. There is no big company profiting behind the scenes; no one able to pick up the slack. The revenue from book sales is what makes it possible to continue to produce what we already have, to offer consultations and programs, and to develop and produce new materials. If people are reselling or giving away their books, it represents a serious loss to Enki.
It may also help to realize that while our books are somewhat more expensive than others, you get a lot more material. Our markup over hard copy costs for each book or CD is one fourth the industry standard. We could save money and increase revenues by giving you less material/choice, or by not sending the material in binders. These are choices other companies have made. But both the quantity and the format are things that support your ability to use the material flexibly, and that very flexibility is at the heart of Enki.
So we ask that, should you choose to buy, you view this purchase much as you would view hiring a teacher for which you pay a tuition, and that you consider yourself part of the team bringing this work forward.
What can you do with the books when you are finished? You may want to save them for your children when they are grown, or you may want to contribute them to our scholarship program. We very much want to see Enki in the hands of all those who want to use it. To that end, we have a scholarship program for those in need. Our ability to meet these needs is greatly affected by the contribution of used books.
We assume most of you working with Enki want to see a shift in our world, one that both nurtures and rests on the integrity of all involved. That is what we are counting on when we ask you to make this commitment. We hope you will help others understand why it matters that they honor this commitment.
I hope that helps make the reasoning more clear and makes it a little easier to join with us to help keep Enki healthy and growing.
Beth