Frequently Asked Questions
How do I wash my Sun Protection Zone hat or clothing?
All of our hats and clothing items can be hand washed, or machine washed on gentle cycle using cold water and a mild detergent. Make sure the item is rinsed thoroughly and is hang dried only. Do not use bleach, solvents, or fabric softener, and no ironing or dry cleaning.
How do I know which size to get?
There are size charts on each product page that are specifically for the item being viewed. Just scroll down the product page, and under the product photo you will see tabs with different information about the product your viewing. One will be titled "Size Chart", and that's the tab that will tell you everything you need to know about sizing for that item.
Where do I find more information about a product I'm interested in?
Go to the product page of the item your interested in, and scroll down the page, just under the product photo, and you will see tabs with different information about that product. The tab that is titled "Features" will be on every product page on our site, and this will tell you more about the item you're viewing (e.g. UPF rating, fabric features, etc.). If applicable to the product, there will be a tab titled "Fabric Details/Care Instructions", and this will tell you the fabric content of the item, and how to wash it. The third tag, again, if applicable to the product, will be titled "Size Chart", and this will provide measurements for the the item to help you determine which size to buy.
How does sun protective clothing work?
We're glad you asked! Click this link to read our "Sun Safety Facts": https://www.sunprotectionzone.com/Articles.asp?ID=
The information on this page will tell you everything you need to know about sun protective clothing, and also include information that is specific to our products. We will explain things like UPF vs. SPF, how little protection a t-shirt provides, and tips for making your clothing last longer. We also encourage you to contact customer service if you don't find an answer to your question, or if you want a more in-depth explanation on a topic.
ACCOUNT QUESTIONS
How do I create an account?
Click on the "My Account" link in the top right area of your screen. On the next page click the "Continue" button under the "New Customers" area. Fill out the form with all required information, and click the blue "Continue" button. If you are accessing the website through a tablet or smartphone, then you are using the "Mobile" version of the website, and accessing the link mentioned above will be slightly different. You will need to go to the Home page, and click the menu button on the upper left hand side of your screen (the button is 3 short, horizontal lines). There you will find the "My Account" link, and can follow the same prompts listed above.
How do I edit my account information?
Once you have created an account, log in and you will be automatically taken to your "My Account" page. Here you will be able to add and save additional information to make your checkout process quick and easy. Information such as a shipping addresses, billing addresses, payment info and more can be saved. You can also log in and make changes to your saved info at any time. To log into your account from the home page, you can either click the "Login" link, or the "My Account" link, both located in the upper right area of your screen. Again, if you are on the Mobile version of the website, these links will be accessible from the menu which is located on the Home page.
Can I create an account during checkout?
Yes, you can! Fill out the information, and be sure to choose an email address that you want to be associated with your account. When you get to the "Create Password" field, create the password that you want to use for the account, and then retype it again. The address info you enter for your order should be automatically saved for you to access later in your "My Account" page. The debit or credit card that you use for payment is not automatically saved, there is a check box that you can leave checked if you want this info saved, or uncheck the box so that the info is only used once for the current order you are placing.
Can I log in to my account during checkout?
Yes, but you will need to log in before you start inputting any information. To log in, scroll back up above the "Billing Information" to where it says "Returning Customer?" on the upper left hand side, and click the link that says "Sign in". A little pop up window will appear, and you will be prompted to enter your email address and password. Click the blue "SIGN IN" button, and you will then be able to access the checkout page again. Any information that you have saved in the past will now be available for you to choose during your checkout.
I forgot my password.
If you have forgotten your password, go to the "Login" page and click on the "Forgot My Password" link. You will be prompted to enter your email address. You will then receive an email with a link to reset your password.
Do I have to create an account?
No, you can check out as a guest by simply skipping the "Create Password" fields when inputting in your information.
Why am I getting an error message stating my email address already has an account?
If you are trying to check out as a guest and you receive this message after you click to place your order, then it's because you created an account at some point using the same email address. You can try the following options to resolve the issue:
- Check out as a guest if you have a different email address you can use to place your order. As long as you skip the "Create Password" fields, the email address will not be saved, and can be used in the future to place more orders without signing in.
- Log into the existing account. You will then be able to access your saved information for a faster checkout. To do this, scroll up above "Billing Information" on the left side, and click the "Sign In" link next to "Returning Customer?". A small window will pop up where you can enter your email address and password. If you've forgotten your password, click the link inside the small popup window that says "Forgot your password?", and follow the prompts to reset your password and continue to log in.
- Have the existing account deactivated. If you don't have a secondary email address you can use, but you want to check out as a guest rather than logging into the existing account, you can contact customer service to request that the account be deactivated. Once the request has been processed, you should be able to use that email address again to place an order as a guest.
ORDER QUESTIONS
(Before You Order)
What is your return policy?
We accept returns made within 30 days of receiving your order. We do not pay for return shipping, but there is no charge for us to ship exchanged items, and a full refund (including the original charge for shipping) is issued when all items in an order are returned. Please refer to our "Returns" page for complete information, and instructions on returning and exchanging items. You can click here to be taken directly to the page: https://www.sunprotectionzone.com/returns.asp
How much does shipping cost?
We charge a flat rate of $5.50 for Ground shipping. This means that you can order as many items as you want and ship anywhere in the U.S., and the price will remain the same. We ship all Ground packages through the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), but if you need an order expedited, please contact customer service to get the available options and rates.
Do I have to pay sales tax?
Sales tax is charged on all orders that are shipping to an address in California.
When will my order ship?
Orders may take up to 1 – 3 business days to ship from the date they are placed. If you contact customer service to have an order expedited, the order will ship same day, as long as the order is placed before 1:00 PM PST. Otherwise, the order will ship out on the following business day. Shipping closes at 3:00 PM PST, Monday - Friday.
Why does my order keep failing?
There are a few common reasons why your order is repeatedly failing:
- A piece of information was missing, or not entered correctly. Go back through and review all of the information that was entered. Also make sure that all fields with an asterisk (*) next to them are filled in, as sometimes certain fields will be erased when an order is placed and does not go through. If the order is attempted again with one of the required fields being blank, it will fail and show another error message.
- Your credit or debit card was declined. If the error message you are seeing is due to your debit or credit card declining, take these steps to try and resolve the issue, as you will be temporarily unable to try again after the third decline:
- Make sure the billing address you used is the address on file with your bank or credit card company. If this address is different from the one being used for shipping, then make sure you have entered two different addresses.
- If you have recently moved, but have already given the bank or credit card company your new address, try again using your old billing address. Sometimes they can be slow with updating information, so even though it's been provided, they may have not updated their system yet.
- If neither of these apply to your credit card failing, then it could be a typing error when entering the card info. Go back through from the beginning to make sure all of the required fields are still filled out, and then try entering your card info again. Take a little more time when entering it, and double check it before you submit the order.
Still can't get your order to go through? Please contact customer service and they can take your order over the phone.
(After You Order)
How do I fix an error on my address, change the quantities on an item, or cancel an item after I have placed the order?
You will need to promptly contact customer service for assistance. You can send an email or call the customer service line, but if you reach the voicemail system be sure to leave a message. Sometimes we ship an order as soon as the same day it is placed, so if we do not hear from you right away, then the order will ship with all of the information originally provided by you. If an error was made on the address you provided, and the order is returned because we did not receive notification from you about the error, we will charge another shipping fee of $5.50 to re-ship the order. You have the option to cancel the order if you don't want to pay the additional charge to have it re-shipped. If you receive unwanted items because we were not notified of an issue with the item ordered, or quantity of an item ordered, you are responsible for paying for and coordinating the return of these items for a refund. To learn more about our return policy and instructions, please click the link: https://www.sunprotectionzone.com/returns.asp
I need a copy of my receipt/invoice.
As soon as your order is successfully placed, an order confirmation and a receipt for the transaction will be sent to the email address that you listed on your order. There will be an invoice marked as paid in the box that your order arrives in as well. You can also log into your account at any time to get a copy of an order that you placed. Once logged in and on the "My Account" page, look under the "My Orders" section and click the "Review orders / track packages" link. Select the appropriate date range to search for the order that you need, locate the order in the results (if the order doesn't appear, try changing the search date range), then click the "View Order" button located to the right of the order. Once you are viewing the order, you can print an invoice by clicking the "Need to print an invoice?" link in the upper left hand area of your screen, just under "Order Details".
Has my order shipped?
You will get an email notification when your order has shipped. If you don't receive an email within the specified time for order fulfillment, please check your spam folder to make sure the confirmation did not end up there. If the confirmation is not there either, please contact customer service for an update. If you placed your order via phone, then customer service will send you an email letting you know the order has shipped, and will include the tracking number and invoice number.
How do I track my order?
The email confirmation will list a USPS tracking number. You can click on the tracking number, and it will take you to the USPS website to see the progress of your package. You can also copy the number, go to the USPS website (www.usps.com/tracking), and paste the number into the "Track Packages" field. If you received your email from customer service, there will be a link to the carrier website that you can click on, and enter (or copy and paste) the tracking number in the "Track Packages" field. If your tracking number does not work or brings up information you believe to be incorrect, please contact customer service for assistance.
My order never arrived.
An order that is shipped Ground can take from 1-8 business days to deliver, depending on how far the delivery destination is from our fulfillment warehouse. If your order does not arrive within this time frame, please contact customer service for assistance.
An item in my order is missing, incorrect, and/or damaged.
Please contact customer service for assistance - Do not return a damaged or incorrect item yourself, if we have made an error, please give us the chance to correct it for you.
How do I return or exchange items?
Please refer to our "Returns" page for information and instruction on returning or exchanging an item. You can click here to be taken directly to the page: https://www.sunprotectionzone.com/returns.asp
PAYMENT QUESTIONS
When will my credit card be charged?
Your credit card is charged at the time that your order is placed. An order will not go through if your credit card declines for any reason. If your order is placed over the phone, then your credit card will be charged prior to the order shipping out.
My credit card was declined, but there are pending charges on my account.
If your credit or debit card was declined, but you are seeing pending charges, it's because the information you entered was accepted by your bank or credit card company, but was not accepted by our payment system. When this happens, our system automatically sends a notification to your bank or credit card company that says we denied the payment, and that any funds they are holding need to be released back to the customer. It is then up to them to remove the pending charge from your account. Some banks/card companies take longer than others to process these notifications, which is why they may not disappear right away. If you have any concerns about the time it's taking for these charges to be removed, you will need to contact your bank or credit card company since the funds are being held by them, and have not been passed to us in any way.
When will my credit appear on my account?
We will issue a credit back to the original payment method once we receive the returned merchandise. Timing for the credit showing up on your statement will depend on how quickly your credit card company or bank processes the credit.