Return & Exchange Policy
Entertaining Economist LLC · Effective Oct 30, 2026 · @Marina
Policy summary
All sales are final. We do not accept returns and do not issue refunds. We offer exchanges only, requested within 30 days of the purchase date.
This policy covers books and other printed products sold by Entertaining Economist LLC, its imprints and stores, online and in person.
Exchange eligibility
An item can be exchanged only when all of these are true:
The exchange is requested within 30 calendar days of the purchase date shown on the receipt or order confirmation.
The item was bought directly from Entertaining Economist LLC or one of its stores.
Proof of purchase is provided (receipt, order number or order confirmation email).
The item is in the condition it was sold in: unread, unmarked, with no writing, highlighting, bent pages, water damage or missing parts.
The item is exchanged for the same title or another title of equal or greater value. The customer pays any price difference.
Requests made after 30 days are declined. The 30-day period is not extended for holidays, shipping time or delays in contacting us.
Exchange fee
Every exchange carries an exchange fee equal to the cost of shipping the replacement item to the customer's location. The fee is calculated at the current carrier rate for the customer's delivery address and is quoted before the exchange is processed.
The exchange fee must be paid before the replacement ships.
The customer pays the cost of sending the original item back to us, and should use a trackable shipping method. We are not responsible for items lost in return transit.
Original shipping charges are not refunded.
In-store exchanges where the customer collects the replacement in person carry no shipping-based fee.
Damaged, defective or incorrect items
If an item arrives damaged, has a printing or binding defect, or is not the item ordered, report it within 30 days of the purchase date. Include your order number and clear photos of the item and its packaging. We will replace it with the same title, subject to the exchange fee above.
Items that cannot be exchanged
Digital products: ebooks, audiobooks, PDFs, downloadable files and online lessons, once delivered or accessed.
Signed, personalized or custom-printed copies.
Gift cards.
Items marked final sale, clearance or used.
Items damaged after delivery through misuse, accident or normal wear.
How to request an exchange
Email legal@skiandbeachhaus.com or call (315) 901-8616 within 30 days of purchase. Include your name, order number, the item and the reason for the exchange.
We confirm whether the item qualifies and quote the exchange fee for your location.
Send the original item back using the instructions we provide. Items sent without prior approval will not be accepted.
After we receive and inspect the item and the exchange fee is paid, we ship the replacement.
Legal statement
This Return & Exchange Policy is issued by Entertaining Economist LLC, a New York limited liability company based in Syracuse, New York. By completing a purchase, the customer accepts the terms of this policy.
Entertaining Economist LLC may refuse any exchange that does not meet these terms. We may update this policy at any time; the version in effect on the date of purchase applies to that purchase. Nothing in this policy limits any right a customer has under applicable consumer protection law that cannot be waived by agreement.
This policy is governed by the laws of the State of New York.
© Entertaining Economist LLC. All rights reserved.
A workplace conduct case study
A Coworker Won't Stop Making Explicit Sexual Comments About Other Employees. Now What?
The situation
A union-represented employee at a retail location has been repeatedly sharing graphic, sexually explicit anecdotes about other coworkers in front of the work group. The comments involve detailed descriptions of coworkers' bodies and sexual acts. Several employees have said they are uncomfortable, and no one wants to listen, but the behavior continues.
In a separate incident, the same employee delivered an angry, hostile monologue at the on-site security guard about her participation in a political rally.
At the time, both the store manager and the manager on duty were unavailable. The store manager who would ultimately address the issue is not a union member.
The core question
Can a non-union manager discipline a union member for this kind of behavior?
Yes. Union membership is a protected status, but it does not grant immunity from workplace conduct standards. The protections that apply, such as union rep notification and the right to representation at disciplinary meetings, are procedural, not substantive. They make sure the employee isn't disciplined arbitrarily. They don't shield the behavior itself.
What the manager should do
- Document. Write down dates, times, specific language (as close to word for word as possible) and witnesses. Do this while the memory is fresh.
- Address it privately. Have a direct conversation: "These comments are not acceptable and need to stop. If they continue, there will be formal discipline."
- Follow the CBA. Before any formal discipline (written warning, suspension, termination), the employer typically must notify the union representative and allow them to be present. Skipping this step can get the discipline overturned in arbitration.
- Apply it uniformly. The same standard applies to every employee. A non-union employee who did the same thing would receive the same treatment. That consistency is what makes the action defensible.
What the manager shouldn't do
- Ignore it and hope it resolves itself. That creates hostile-environment liability for the employer.
- Single out the employee because of union status.
- Discipline anyone for their political views or for attending a rally on their own time. Address only how they behaved at work.
Political remarks at work
Political rants don't belong on the work floor either. An angry, hostile speech aimed at a coworker or a security guard is unprofessional conduct whatever the topic, and most workplace conduct policies cover it.
- Address it. Tell the employee that heated political speeches directed at coworkers are not appropriate during work time, and that further outbursts will be handled under the conduct policy.
- Judge the behavior, not the opinion. Any discipline is for the hostile, disruptive delivery, never for which side she supports. The same rule applies to every political view.
- Leave her own time alone. In New York, Labor Law § 201-d protects employees' lawful political activities outside working hours, such as attending a rally. Federal labor law also protects talk about pay and working conditions, even when it touches on politics.
- Keep it in proportion. This is a lower-level issue than repeated sexual commentary about coworkers. A verbal reminder usually comes first.
Bottom line
Repeated, explicit sexual commentary about identifiable coworkers is a harassment issue. Union membership doesn't change that. The manager has both the authority and the obligation to act. The only constraint is procedural: follow the CBA, document everything, and keep the focus on behavior, not union status.
Hostile political rants at work are handled the same way, at a lower level: address the conduct, not the beliefs.
Have you handled something like this?
How do you balance union procedural obligations with protecting your team from harassment? We'd love to hear how other managers navigate it.
Share your experienceThis article is general information, not legal advice. Union contracts and employment laws differ by workplace and state; check your collective bargaining agreement and consult an employment attorney or HR professional for your situation.