Terms & Conditions

1. Your Information: We physically store your information for up to one year.  This includes credit card authorizations, copies of documents, supporting documents and order forms.  After one year, this information is destroyed by a professional shredding company.  Information submitted via e-mail or uploaded online may be stored for up to five years.  All physical and digital FBI, WSP and fingerprinting order forms and supporting documentation is destroyed within 30 days.  Information shared with fingerprint requesting agencies, the FBI, city/state/federal police agencies and channelers and subsidiaries are the responsibility of the respective agencies.  Once we have mailed or submitted fingerprint data to the agency, we do not maintain control over that data and is the responsibility of the receiving agency.
2. Tracking software and Cookies: When you provide us your information online, you agree to allow us to contact you by e-mail, phone, and text message. When you visit our website, tracking software (cookies) may be placed on your browser by third party companies (such as google, Acuity and third-party apps used to facilitate the provision of services). This is to provide us with relevant information to process your order facilitate tracking of your order.

CHARGE BACKS, BOUNCED CHECKS, & FAILURE TO PAY FOR SERVICE ORDER:

1. If you initiate a charge-back with your credit card company, we will submit a copy of your receipt, order forms and copies of all supporting documents regarding your order including the apostille, legalization/authentication certificates, copies of the documents you submitted to us, credit card authorization forms, fingerprint request forms and all applicable correspondence to the merchant processor/bank. Your account will be banned from scheduling services.
2. If your check bounces, you will be charged a $45 penalty.
3. If you believe you are a victim of fraud, contact us directly at support@bellevuefs.com or by calling us at 425-603-1033.
4. All instances of suspected fraud will be reported to the proper authorities. For any chargebacks, failure to pay for services, or bounced check after order is received, we reserve the right to invalidate the apostille, authentication/legalization request, background check request with the FBI/city/county/state/federal requesting agency. For apostle and legalization orders, the relevant Embassy/consulates and authorities will be notified.

APOSTILLE, DOCUMENT AUTHENTICATION AND LEGALIZATIONS:

1. Document Acceptance by Other Countries: Bellevue Fingerprinting Service cannot guarantee foreign countries will accept your documents even if they have been apostilled or authenticated or legalized by the Secretary of State, Department of State, authenticated by a foreign Embassy or Consulate or other authenticating agency. You must verify that the country you plan to submit documents to will accept them. Apostilles and legalized documents do not contain an expiration date, but many foreign countries will only accept them for a certain amount of time.  It is your responsibility to submit documents to the receiving country in a timely fashion and follow the receiving country’s policies on the acceptable age of your documents. Once we have received your documents (you mail, upload or deliver them to our office) you agree that you have verified acceptance of those documents with the country you will submit them to.  After the Secretary of State (state level documents) or Department of State or Federal authentication agency attaches a certificate (for Non-Hague convention countries) or apostille (Hague Convention), our obligation of service has been fulfilled.
2. Document Return Shipping: Documents can be picked up at our Bellevue location or we will ship the documents to you for free via USPS first class mail. Shipping via priority, priority express, FedEx, UPS, and DHL is available at an additional cost.  Upon completion of an order, we will ship all your documents to you in one shipment.  If you would like documents mailed you individually before the entire order is complete, additional return shipping charges apply. If your package is returned as undeliverable, and your return address is in the US: You are responsible for the return fee to our office ($35) and you will be charged $35 to re-ship to your shipping address. We cannot guarantee carrier shipping times, this is the sole responsibility of the shipping carrier.  Ensure you have provided us with a phone number and e-mail address as we will add both to your return shipment order so that the carrier may inform you of updates to your delivery.  We are unable to change the return address listed on your order form after your order has shipped.  We are unable to offer refunds for carrier shipment delays. 
3. International Document Return Shipping: If you would like your documents shipped to a return address outside of the US, documents will be shipped via international priority mail, FedEx or DHL for an additional fee. 
4. If your shipment is returned as undeliverable, and your return address is outside the US: You are responsible for the return fee to our office ($175) and you will be charged $175 to re-ship to your shipping address. You may elect to add international overnight shipping for an additional cost.  We cannot guarantee delivery times for international shipping.  You must provide a valid stateside contact and an international contact as backup to facilitate return of documents shipped internationally.

Processing Time & Shipping

Processing your order to be mailed to another agency (FBI direct, OSPI, Apostille, WSP) may take 1-3 business days.  Processing time is separate from shipping/mailing time.  Selecting an expedited shipping option does not expedite our or third party’s order processing times.

Apostille, Authentication and legalization Fees

• Fees are listed on your order form, and our schedule of fees for state. State and Federal apostille/authentication requests do not include fees for legalization and authentication for non-Hague countries.  Unless you order Embassy legalization/authentication services for documents to be used in non-Hague countries, you are responsible for all fees incurred for processing authentication requests for non-Hague countries once your order is received. 
• For embassy legalization services: If we are unable to process your embassy legalization request at the embassy/consulate, you will be refunded up to the embassy/consulate’s document charges (up to $40 per document).
• There are no refunds for apostille/authentication services processed with the US Department of State or any Secretary of State. However, if the state or federal authentication authority places the incorrect apostille or certificate, you must return the document to us within 48 hours.  We will mail the documents to the Secretary of State or US Dept of State to correct the error at no additional charge to you and return the documents to you via priority mail or FedEx.

Order Cancellations

• There are no refunds for apostille, authentication & legalization services once your documents and payment are received. You are responsible for payment for any changes to your order (i.e. shipping upgrades, shipping changes, additions, etc.). You may cancel your apostille/authentication order prior to delivering your documents to us, cancellations will incur a 10% cancellation fee. If you decide to cancel processing of your order, your documents will be returned to you via first class mail or you may provide a postage paid label/envelope.

---

Fingerprinting Services & Appointments in Our Offices

• If you are unable to come to your appointment, call or e-mail our office as soon as possible. This will allow people on the waitlist to obtain their reservation. Please extend this courtesy to others if you cannot make the appointment you booked.
• Weekend and after hours appointments are non-refundable and ineligible for refund even if cancelled.
• Weekday in-office appointments are eligible for 50% refund if cancelled at least 24 hours prior to the start of the appointment. Requests must be made in writing (e-mail CService@bellevuefs.com).  Cancellations requests with less than 24 hours notice are not eligible for refund. 
• Cancellation periods are different for employer paid and employer packages.
• Appointments may be rescheduled with at least 24 hours notice (re-scheduled appointments are not eligible for refund if later cancelled). 
• No-shows: If you fail to show up for your appointment or check-in on time, your appointment will be considered a no-show and cancelled; prepaid fees are forfeit and you will need to reschedule. 
• Employer direct billed accounts will be charged a missed appointment fee up to the cost of services ordered.
• Weekend and after-hours appointments:  Access to the building is secured during these times.  You must call the technician on duty at (425) 603-1033 upon arrival–leave a message if no one answers, the technicians are likely fingerprinting the person before you.

Background Check/FBI Processing Cancellations

• After fingerprints have been submitted to the channeler, FBI, State Patrol, or other requesting agency (OSPI, your employer), we are unable to cancel the order. Electronic (live scan) fingerprint orders are submitted at the time of service.
• Orders marked incomplete or unable to be processed due to illegible handwriting or failure to provide the requested information are charged the full rate (rolling plus submission fees).

REJECTIONS & FINGERPRINT RE-PRINT POLICY

If your ink fingerprints were rejected due to quality issues, we will re-roll your fingerprints for free and provide you additional cards to re-submit. You must present your rejection letter within 14 days of the date on the rejection letter and your rejection letter must specifically indicate the rejection due to fingerprint quality issues (i.e., your fingerprints are deemed unclassifiable or characteristics too low to be used) and your receipt. You must have submitted your fingerprints to the requesting agency within 30 days of the date the fingerprint technician signed your card(s).  You will need to return to our office within 30 days of the date of rejection to be eligible for free-reprints.  Applicant is responsibile for any processing fees.

If your electronic fingerprints are rejected for fingerprint quality issues, we are unable to provide free re-prints.  These rejections are the result of the quality of the applicant’s hands and the ability of the equipment to detect the ridge detail.  Rejections are considered a result.  You will need to re-submit the request and pay all associated fees.

Your fingerprint technician is responsible for ensuring that your name, date of birth and signatures and date of fingerprinting are on your fingerprint card(s). It is your responsibility to fill in all other fields on your fingerprint card(s) that your requesting agency requires. We are not responsible for rejections due to applicant failure to follow the instructions of the requesting agency (i.e., law enforcement, licensing agency, employer); failure to submit all required information/suplemental paperwork or applicant’s failure to fill in required fields on the fingerprint cards.  

Refund Policy:

Refunds will only be issued under the following circumstances:

• Duplicate payments made in error (e.g., you paid onsite as well as online for the same appointment).
• The Bellevue Fingerprinting Service office location had an unscheduled closure and you were unable to be processed as a result.

Refunds will NOT be allowed under the following circumstances:

• After an applicant has been fingerprinted
• You arrived to your appointment but did not have appropriate ID.
• Scheduled fingerprinting services for the wrong background check process, requested services for the wrong government agency (e.g. Fingerprinted for Adoption services under DSHS but should have been fingerprinted for Foster Care under DSHS) or you should have been fingerprinted at another agency, or failure to provide all necessary information on your fingerprint card for processing by the requesting agency/third party.
• Failure to show up for your appointment, late arrival resulting in cancellation.
• Eligible for a refund for one or more of the above allowed reasons, but a refund request was not submitted within 6 months.
• Changing a weekend, mobile or after-hours appointment to a weekday, in-office appointment. 
• Failure to submit your fingerprints to the requesting agency within 30 days.
• Your fingerprints were rejected. 

• Do not bring additional people to your appointment. Only the person being fingerprinted is allowed in the fingerprint room during fingerprinting. One parent or guardian may accompany a minor who is being fingerprinted, obtaining passport photos or notary services.

Notice Regarding Children/Infants:

Parents of infants/small children: It will be physically impossible for you to hold or carry your infant/children while you are being fingerprinted. Both of your hands will be covered in ink and/or used at the same time to obtain electronic fingerprints.

• DO NOT bring children to your appointment unless they are being fingerprinted, obtaining notary service or passport photos. Exception: Infants or small children that are secured in a stroller or infant carrier (no slings or wearable-forward facing child holders) are welcome.
• Children must be supervised at all times. You may not leave children unattended the the lobby.
• DO NOT LEAVE CHILDREN UNATTENDED IN YOUR CAR
• If you arrive with infants or small children, we will not be able to fingerprint you. Your appointment will be cancelled and all fees forfeit.  You will need to book a new appointment.