Experiencing Problems?

This page covers some of the more commonly asked questions on payments, course access, contacting us, and completing your course.

Payments

My credit card is being declined

If you are unable to purchase a course because your credit card is being declined it is usually for one of two reasons: there are insufficient funds in your account, or your bank is declining your card because Childbirth International is registered in Singapore and they have blocked overseas purchases. You can contact your credit card provider and ask them to accept the transaction – it will be from Childbirth International Training which is a Singapore registered company and will be a charge in US dollars. This usually resolves the problem. Alternatively, you can try a different payment method.

Why is amount on my Childbirth International invoice and my credit card statement different?

Some banks or credit card providers charge an additional fee for overseas transactions. The amount on your Childbirth International invoice is what we charge – if this is different from your credit card statement it is a fee imposed by your credit card provider and not something we have control over. We do not add any foreign transaction fees. If you contact your bank or credit card provider you can request them to deduct the charge – many students have successfully had this removed by their provider.

How do I find out the course cost in my own currency?

All our courses are charged in US dollars. The currency exchange rate used is determined by your credit card provider or Paypal if you are using that option and your local currency is not USD. We are unable to determine the exchange rate they will use as it differs between providers and countries. To get a rough estimate of the amount in your local currency you can use Google by typing in USD $amount local currency (e.g., USD 900 AUD to convert from US dollars to Australian dollars). This is not going to be 100% accurate since the exchange rate used will be determined by your credit card provider but it does give an estimate.

My credit card has been lost/stolen. How do I set up a new one?

If your card is lost or stolen and you have an active payment plan, you can log in to the shopping cart (click Shop in the top menu then log in). You will see your subscription listed. You can then change your credit card details and your next payment will be charged to the new card.

I need to put a temporary hold on my payment plan installments

This is not a problem. Just contact our student support team at students@childbirthinternational.com and we can stop the next installment from being deducted and reinstate your account when you are ready. When a student’s account has been temporarily held you will not have access to your course materials through the student website. This will be automatically reinstated once your payment plan is re-established.

I would like to pay with a bank transfer

We do not accept direct bank transfers. If you would like to be able to pay from your bank, you can link your bank account to your Paypal account, transfer the funds from your bank into your Paypal account, and then pay using your Paypal balance.

I am a current student or graduate but the student discount is not appearing

If you have previously registered for a CBI course you are entitled to a 15% discount on future certification courses. The discount will only appear if you log in to the shopping cart (click on Shop in the top menu, then choose Log In and use the email and password you previously used when purchasing) AND will not appear until you add the item to your cart. If you have done this and the discount is still not appearing, contact our student support team for guidance at students@childbirthinternational.com.

How can I calculate the shipping cost if I order printed manuals?

In order to calculate the shipping cost we need your delivery address. You will put your shipping address in at the checkout and once this is done the shipping cost will be calculated. Shipping cost depends on your location and the course/s you are purchasing. You will not be charged anything until after you have gone to the checkout and entered your credit card details.

What payment options are available?

We accept all major credit/debit cards through Paypal or Stripe. With Paypal, you will need to have a Paypal account either with Paypal balance or linked to a credit card. With Stripe you do not need to create an account – you can just enter your credit card details and your payment will be processed.

I would like to pay for my course over more/less months than offered in the payment plan

Currently, we offer the option for courses to be paid in one payment or in five monthly installments. If paying in installments, you will have immediate access to the course materials online through the student website. At the end of your payment plan you can order printed manuals separately if you would like them.

I would like to pay my balance off

No problem! If you contact our student support team at students@childbirthinternational.com they can prepare a statement of the balance for you. An early payment discount may be applicable.

A previous payment failed and I would like to reinstate my payment plan

Great! Just contact our student support team at students@childbirthinternational.com and they can provide you with a statement and instructions on reinstating your payment plan. An administration fee may be applicable.

Why is the payment plan more expensive than paying with a single payment?

We offer a discount of US$50 for each course to students who choose to pay in full in a single payment. Students who choose the payment plan option will be charged US$10 per month (total US$50) for administration fees.

I would like a refund

Not a problem! Our refund policy allows you to cancel your course within 48 hours of purchase. Contact our student support team at students@childbirthinternational.com and let them know. They will issue a full refund, less a US$50 cancellation fee. If you purchased your course more than 48 hours previously we do not offer refunds but if you are experiencing financial problems we can put your payments on hold until you are able to reinstate the payments.

I purchased the payment plan but it shows that it ends in six months rather than five

You will only be charged five installments. The end date is the month after the final payment is made. This is just the way Paypal and Stripe display the plan end dates.

Course Access

I have purchased a course but not received anything from you

When you have purchased a course, an email is sent to you with details of your purchase. If you cannot see the email you can search your email, including your spam folder as some email providers identify the email as spam. In the email, there is a link to activate your course. Click on that link and you will be asked to confirm your contact details. Once this is done, you can log in to the student website and your course will be displayed. If you cannot find the activation email, please contact our student support team who can assist you at students@childbirthinternational.com.

I can log in to the student website but my course is not appearing

If you are an existing student and have purchased another course, you will need to activate the course through the activation link in your confirmation email before the course will appear on the student website. Once you have activated the course, log out of the student website and log in again and your course should be there. If you still cannot see it, contact our student support team at students@childbirthinternational.com.

If I purchase the payment plan do I have to wait five months before I can start?

Not at all! Your online course materials will be available as soon as you have processed your first installment and activated your course. If you are having any problems logging in to the student website or cannot see your course, contact our student support team at students@childbirthinternational.com.

Do I have to have a computer to access the online version of the course?

Not at all! You can access through a tablet or a smartphone. If you are using a smartphone, there is an online app which you can download from the student website once your course is purchased and activated. The smartphone app allows you to read course materials offline. You will need to be able to create your assignments from the provided templates (in Word format) – these can be downloaded to a laptop/computer or opened in Google docs, saved and then uploaded to the student website.

My course was purchased by someone else. How do I change the name on my account?

If someone else purchases the course on your behalf, there is an option at the checkout to enter your own name (student’s name). If your course is showing the incorrect name, just contact our student support team at students@childbirthinternational.com and we can change this for you.

Printed Manuals versus Online Access

I chose the payment plan but cannot see where to add printed manuals or where to print them from the student website

Printed manuals are only available if you choose the single payment option, or you have paid your payment plan in full and would like to order them separately. It is not possible to print the manuals from the student website and bind them yourself. This is protect Childbirth International’s copyright and ensure the manuals are not widely distributed through email or social media.

There seem to be differences between my printed manuals and the online version

Our printed manuals are generally updated every three years with new evidence. The online version of the manuals are updated every time there is any significant research or information that is relevant to your course. The online version will always be the most up to date version. If you purchased your printed manuals many years ago, you can always order a new set of the most up to date printed version.

Contacting Childbirth International

I have been trying to contact you for several hours and not been able to get in touch with anyone

We typically aim to respond to email inquiries within 24-48 hours on weekdays. Our team is an international one so we are all on different timezones. All of us work Monday-Friday (9am-5pm) within our own timezones. Except for Christmas (Dec 24-27) and New Year (Dec 31-Jan 1) our office is open all year round. There are several ways that you can get in touch with us:

I have not been contacted by my trainer/do not know how to find my trainer’s name

After you register for a course and activate it, you will automatically be added to the student website. Your trainer will be assigned to you within a few days of purchasing your course. Once this is done, your trainers name should appear on your course pages (e.g., look in the right column on the Communication Skills course page). If it has been several days since ordering your course and your trainer is still not appearing, contact our student support team at students@childbirthinternational.com and we can quickly fix this for you. After registering and activating your course, you can complete your Getting to Know You assignment. This will be automatically sent to your trainer who will respond to you directly via email.

Completing Your Course

How long do I have to wait for assignment feedback from my trainer?

Typically, our trainers aim to have feedback to students within 14 days. This year, in 2020, we have seen a dramatic increase in students submitting work so we have extended the deadline for trainers to 21 days. They will still aim to respond within the 14 days but may take a little longer if they have a lot of very busy students!

Why do I have to wait for some assignments to be finished before I can submit another one?

Some assignments cannot be opened until a previous one is completed. This is particularly the case where assignments are designed to build on reflective practice or critical thinking. If you want to keep up the momentum of your course you can always switch to another section while awaiting your trainer’s feedback. For example, you have submitted the Having a Conversation assignment in the Communication Skills module but cannot open the next assignment. You could choose to start reading the Physiology module, or the Skills module and submit the Services Survey assignment while waiting for the first assignment to be completed by your trainer.

Do I have to do the course modules in a particular order?

Not at all! We want to support you in completing your course in a way that works for you. Many students start with the Communication Skills module as it is core to all the other modules we offer. But if you find yourself more drawn to Physiology, Skills, or Business, choose what works for you.