Questions About Ordering
We have been designing and selling online for over 25 years. We have refined the process a bit to make it easier for everyone. When our customers order, we get a number of the same questions time and again. That is expected. So we decided to put the answers here for easy reference.
Have an ordering question? You’ll find the answer here:
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Yes, we’d love to have your business. How to order? Simply add your items to the shopping cart, just like normal. But instead of checking-out online, print out the ‘cart’ and mail this to us along with your check or money order. Be sure to add $4.95 shipping to cover standard shipping cost.
Have another question about decals, signs, lettering,
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Sadly we don’t have a printed catalog. The online selection grows to fast to keep a printed catalog accurate (over 26,000 decals online). If your looking for something specific you might try the online search. If you need any help with anything let us know.
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Detailed Customer Question
A few months ago I ordered from you, can you just send the same thing again and just charge my card? Or do I have to go through the order process again?
It would be nice if you could just drop an email to us and skip the ordering process. A couple of points that makes this a ‘no go’.
First, we don’t have any credit card numbers on file. To insure security, the ordering process is completely automated. This normally is a very good thing. But it does mean we can not manually create a ticket and charge your card. (Also for your security, never send credit card information by email. While you may trust us, that is not the concern. All the computers that route your email between your computer and ours are not secure with a simple email transmission. Again, never send credit card information by email.)
Also, because of the “p’s and q’s”* nature of this business, it really is best to go through the ordering process. (p’s and q’s = so many things to get just right – or that we could get just a little wrong – ie p’s and q’s are very similar). For instance, if the mailing address is just a little wrong, it will cause needless waste of time and postage. Or, regarding the actual decal, stripe, sign, etc…, there are so many details to get just right – color, size, quantity, options, etc… that it really is best to take the time and be sure to get it the way you want. What may help on this is: your old order. If you no longer have access to it (threw away paper invoice, deleted email invoice from your inbox), no worries. Let us know, we’ll look it up and email it to you. You can then use this as a guide when placing your order.
Have another question about decals, signs, lettering,
or stripes? -
Yes, we’d love to have your business. How to order? Simply add your items to the shopping cart, just like normal. But instead of checking out online, print out the “cart” and mail this to us along with your Purchase Order. Be sure to add the shipping desired to cover standard shipping cost.
Mail PO to:
SignSpecialist.com
105 Ruth Ann Lane
Broadway, NC 27505Your invoice with PO number will mail with your order. Net 30. If you have any questions let us know.
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or stripes? -
It depends on the product. On products we make – always. On products that we have selected because of their high quality to resell, sadly… no. The prices on these items are already as low as we can go.
Why do we offer discount pricing on the products we make (and not just offer the lower pricing to start with)? Answer: it takes almost the same amount of time to produce 1 of something as it does 10. So the overall time spent on each item is much less when large quantities are ordered. So we gladly pass this saving on to the customer.
How much of a discount? This is where it gets complicated. It really is a job by job calculation. Some smaller more detailed decals and lettering take a lot of time for each one. So really not much time is saved on each item – even if a lot are ordered. But on other items, we offer up to a 50% discount.
Another variable figured into the discount is size. Some sizes are very wasteful on material – leaving a lot of scrap – and room for discount pricing. Other sizes are not wasteful at all – not leaving much room for discount pricing. NOTE: We don’t like waste. Many customers can attest that sometimes they get more than they ordered. If the material is going to be wasted, we’ll ‘nest’ another ‘extra’ item and ‘throw it in’ with the order. Because of this variable (size), quantity discounts can vary a lot from job to job.
I know this doesn’t offer the answer most are looking to receive. Most would like something standard: order 5 or more get 10% off, order 10 or more get 15% off – or something similar. But don’t worry. If you are thinking of ordering a large quantity, email us your details (sizes, colors, item number, etc…) and we’ll quickly figure your discount.
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After you have added your first item to your cart, you can go back and add other items very easily.
First, think: where is the next item. For instance, if you just ordered a decal, but now want lettering, click on the LETTERING link at the top of the shopping cart. If, on the other hand, you just ordered lettering and would like to order more lettering, simply ‘back click’ your browser and start again (adding your next item to the shopping cart).
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Keep in mind we are fast. Most orders go out the very same work day as they come in.
So ‘how long will it take to get to me?” usually is dependent on what kind of shipping you selected and where you live.
Check out this map. It will give you a good idea how long it takes to get your order when Priority Mail is selected.
To get a more detailed answer, check out the Post Office’s Map. Enter 27505 as the “Shipping From” zip code.
Of course you can also ship UPS Overnight and UPS Ground. UPS Overnight is self explanatory. But for our UPS Ground map, click here.
Have another question about decals, signs, lettering,
or stripes? -
Keep in mind we are fast. Most orders go out the very same work day as they come in.
So ‘how long will it take to get to me?” usually is dependent on what kind of shipping you selected and where you live.
Check out this map. It will give you a good idea how long it takes to get your order when UPS Ground is selected.
To get a more detailed answer, check out the UPS Map. Enter 38485 as the “Shipping From” zip code.
Of course you can also ship UPS Overnight and Priority Mail. UPS Overnight is self explanatory. But for our Priority Mail map, click here.
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or stripes? -
A SignSpecialist.com gift certificate takes the guesswork out of gift giving! Give your friends and family a gift certificate for any amount. They can either choose a product with an existing design or they can create a design from scratch.
How to Buy and Redeem a Gift Certificate:
You can purchase a gift certificate by going here. Also on this page, you can customize your gift certificate by adding a personal message to the recipient. You can redeem your gift certificate by entering the code that is on the emailed gift certificate at checkout. Your gift certificate balance doesn’t expire and will be stored in your account under Gift certificate / Account Balance.You can purchase any product that we sell with your gift certificate and the balance will be automatically applied whenever you make a purchase. The only limitation is that you can’t use your gift certificate to buy another gift certificate .
Additional Information about SignSpecialist.com gift certificates:
We don’t currently have a physical gift certificate that we send out, only a digital version that we email. When you purchase the gift certificate, you can track whether or not your gift card has been emailed by going to your Look-up Order Page. Please allow 12 hours for the delivery of your gift certificate . If it hasn’t arrived by email in that time, please be sure to check your junk and spam folders. If it still hasn’t been received, you can contact us toll free at 888-708-0021 to have it resent.If you happen to have received multiple gift cards, you can use as many as you want on one order! Also, you can pay for your order using both a gift certificate and a credit card.
If your SignSpecialist.com Gift certificate account balance is less than $10, you may request that the balance be paid to you in cash.
SignSpecialist.com Gift certificates are not otherwise redeemable for cash except where required by law. You may not return SignSpecialist.com Gift certificate for a refund.
SignSpecialist.com is not responsible for lost or stolen gift certificate . SignSpecialist.com will issue a replacement gift certificate if SignSpecialist.com verifies that the lost or stolen certificate has not been redeemed and the original purchase receipt is presented.
Not for resale. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.
The purchase and use of SignSpecialist.com Gift certificate are subject to the SignSpecialist.com User Agreement and Privacy Policy and are governed by the laws of the State of California. All SignSpecialist.com Gift certificates are deemed purchased in, and issued from, the State of North Carolina.
You can purchase a gift certificate by going here
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If you can’t get through, leave a message. We’ll get right back with you. However since we are predominantly an Internet company, all initial contact is through email. Or, here lately, by text. And just like everyone else, we get flooded by spam calls at times. Leave a message, we will get back with you. Also, it is good to note, we do not take phone orders. Many good reasons for this.
The number one reason is accuracy. When taking an order on the phone there are many opportunities for errors to creep into the order. For instance, shipping and email addresses. If it is misspoken or written down wrong, the order will return or with the email and phone number – we can’t contact the customer. In the United States we have many dialects. Many times it can be difficult to understand some (not many – but some).
This takes us to the second reason no phone orders – efficiency. What enables us to have good pricing is good old American efficiency and mass production. To illustrate, imagine someone calls in a $5 order. But we find out the credit card number given was inaccurate (or rejected). After calling back, we run the card again with the same response. Now, the $5 order has taken 30 minutes of employee time – but still no order. On the other hand, when placing an order online, the card number – for instance is verified the exact moment you order. If it off by a number, the customer is prompted to correct.
This takes us to the 3rd and most important reason – security. Usually we don’t handle any credit card numbers. The only person that “sees” your number is the customer that types it in. Everything else is all automated. In a sense, the customer is running their own card through a virtual credit card machine. This is much better for card security. We have no shop file that must be protected with a list of all our customers credit card numbers. In fact one of the things that bookkeeping likes so much is: reduced paperwork. When the order comes in, the card has already been charged and the money is in the bank.
This then ties all 3 points together: accuracy, efficiency, security.
Should you be worried about placing an order online with us? No.
We take every precaution to ensure all transactions are safe. The shopping cart system was selected because of its secure nature. In technical language, the shopping cart program is on a secured server using standard Internet PGP to encrypt information. This means that your information is turned into a secret code that outsiders do not have access to. All online transactions are secured by VeriSign. This means that even SignSpecialist.com and our employees do not access to your credit card information. This is much safer than giving your card to a waitress, gas station employee, or store clerk. Federal Law Protection Under the Fair Credit Billing Act protects all credit card purchases. In the unlikely event that your credit card information were stolen over the Internet or anywhere, your maximum liability is $50. If this happens during a transaction at SignSpecialist, and your credit card company holds you responsible for this amount ($50), SignSpecialist will give a credit for this amount.
Have another question about decals, signs, lettering,
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Our refund policy states that a refund is available on custom made orders for anything that is our fault. If the package was stolen by porch pirates or eaten by the neighbor’s dog or any other action outside of our responsibility, we simply can not absorb that cost and stay in business and continue to provide our service. Now if the Post Office or UPS loses a package we have recourse. We can fill out paperwork with the Post Office or UPS and resend the order out right away. But if they show our custom made product delivered to the property but somehow it is now lost or stolen. Well, we can not make it again for free. Nobody wants to work for free. Then when you add the extra material and shipping spent, well, frankly, that would not be fair.
Of course life is not always fair. If you have had a porch pirate, please contact the Police for the crime committed on your property. Still do contact us and a discount can be applied to the next order.
Also, it might be a good idea to ship to a different address.
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Since all work is custom, we strongly encourage you to give careful attention when placing your order. Your order is custom made just for you. It could not be ‘restocked’ and later resold to anyone else. We strive to achieve fast turnaround on all orders. If you make a mistake, email us right away. We may be able to change your order before production begins. However, keep in mind, most orders mail out the same day ordered.
If your custom order is made, but then your realize something should have been different….. this is very sad (since a custom made order could not be resold to anyone else). We don’t like to send out products that wont work – even if they are made how they were requested. On the other hand, we can not absorb all mistakes.
Keeping in mind we are a small family run business, we simply can not make it again for free. Nobody wants to work for free. Then when you add the extra material and shipping spent, well, frankly, that would not be fair.
What can we do? All that we can. This may mean a reduced price on sending out the corrected item.
So again, please, pay careful attention when placing your order. And if you have any questions please let us know right away.
Have another question about decals, signs, lettering,
or stripes? -
This is a very common question. We really wish there was some kind of an algorithm that could be entered in for the answer.
When it comes right down to it, nothing can replace the opinion of the customer. We can give some input, but could never answer, what really is a very personal question.
Let’s illustrate with windshield lettering. Some customers want little ‘tiny’ lettering in the middle of the windshield (but some customers would say even what they picked is to big) others want it to stretch all the way across from one end to another. Which is ‘right’? Which looks better? Completely a personal viewpoint. There is no wrong answer. What looks best depends completely on what you like. And well, maybe family and friends – so you may want to get their opinion. This same principle applies to other areas where size is a question (signs, decals, stripes, etc…).
What to do? The best answer is: go find a tape measure
. And then spend some time giving some careful thought to what you will like.Still having a hard time deciding? Email us, we can help some, in that we can let you know what others have ordered.
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Detailed Customer Question
When I track my package at the Post Office, I get this:
The U.S. Postal Service was electronically notified by the shipper or shipping partner on June 08, 2024 to expect your package for mailing. Information, if available, is updated every evening. Please check again later.
Why does the tracking information not show?
Good Question! The Post Office use to scan the packages at each point along the way to delivery. But because of budget concerns, they now only scan the package at the final spot (the “Postman” scans the barcode when delivering the package). So result will only show when delivered. This is the reason, they explain, they call the ‘tracking’ ‘Delivery Confirmation’ instead of ‘Tracking’. Related link at the Post Office site that give more detail: Post Office Frequently Asked Questions
Have another question about decals, signs, lettering,
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Good question. The short answer is almost everyone.
But a few do not.
First, our standard international mailing is through the US Post Office. So no tracking is available with out-of-country mailing.
Also, those that select UPS (United Postal Service) delivery – either with Next Day Air or regular ground – do not get an automated email with tracking. However, tracking is available. You just need to email us the request after you order.
Finally, Glasscapes, Image Quest, AutoTrim Express, and Fas Graphics are all sent out UPS (United Postal Service) even if the cheaper postage option is selected (tip for saving money), so again, an automated tracking email from the US Post Office is not available but the information can be emailed on request after you order.
Have another question about decals, signs, lettering,
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In short, because we have questions and don’t want to guess about the instructions.
We DO encourage our customers to let us know ANYTHING they want changed from what they designed online. Might as well, everything is custom anyways. You should have it made just the way you want. Plus, we love to design. And we love working with our customers coming up with unique designs just the way they imagine. It is the most fun part of our day.
Still there are challenges. When a customer gives special instructions on their order on what to change, 90% of the time the instructions are very easy to understand. But about 10% of the time, there is some ‘wiggle room’ in exactly what they intended to convey. Sure, we probably know what they mean, but if the instructions can be taken more than one way, well it leaves us guessing a bit.
Do we guess and get the order to production right away? Or do we send a proof and delay the order? Sometimes the designers are a bit backed up with design work on large orders. The delay could be a few days. What to do? Guessing is a problem, because if we guess wrong, 10% of the time we will be redoing the order. Nobody wants that!
The answer?
1. Be clear and specific in any special instructions (don’t give us any wiggle room)
2. Be prepared that special instructions can cause a delay in your order’s production -
Good question.
First, this is efficient. Most questions have already been asked before by another customer and a page like the one you are reading has probably been created that answers the concern or question. Our reply email will likely include a link to a page a lot like this one. “Efficient” is good because this enables us to have the highest quality product at the very best price. We know some really just want to talk to someone on the phone. But if this mental hurdle can be leaped, most come to embrace communicating by email or text.
But, there is another good reason to communicate by email or text. We get dozens of calls everyday where the customer does not know what they want, and just want to “talk it out” and try to figure out what will be best to order. Verbally, there is not much we can do besides provide a listening ear. The old saying is true: “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Yes, by email we can do a lot more than just “talk it out”. By email we can provide visual references to what may be the answer to questions like: How big will it be? or What color would look best? or Should I get this one?, etc…
For “nailing down” a design or concept, the written word is much better than a verbal conversation. Email and texting is even better, since pictures can also be shared.
While it is more work, especially for those that are verbal in nature or hate texting, make the effort, send us an email about your question or concern, and, in the end, you will find the initial “trouble” well worth the effort.
Have another question about decals, signs, lettering,
or stripes? -
Many good reasons for this.
The number one reason is accuracy. When taking an order on the phone there are many opportunities for errors to creep into the order. For instance, mailing and email addresses and credit card numbers. If it is misspoken or written down wrong, the order will return or with the email and phone number – we can’t contact the customer. In the United States we have many dialects. Many times it can be difficult to understand some (not many – but some).
This takes us to the second reason no phone orders – efficiency. What enables us to have good pricing is good old American efficiency. To illustrate, imagine someone calls in a $5 order. But we find out the credit card number given was inaccurate (or rejected). After calling back, we run the card again with the same response. Now, the $5 order has taken 30 minutes of employee time – but still no order. On the other hand, when placing an order online, the card number – for instance is verified the exact moment you order. If it is off by a number, the customer is prompted to correct.
This takes us to the 3rd and most important reason – security. Usually we don’t handle any credit card numbers. The only person that ‘sees’ the number is the customer that types it in. Everything else is all automated. In a sense, the customer is making their own invoice, mailing label, and running their own card through a virtual credit card machine. This is much better for card security. We have no shop file that must be protected with a list of all our customers credit card numbers. In fact one of the things that bookkeeping likes so much is: reduced paperwork. When the order comes in, the card has already been charged and the money is in the bank.
This then ties all 3 points together: accuracy, efficiency, security.
Should you be worried about placing an order online with us? No. We take every precaution to ensure all transactions are safe. The shopping cart system was selected because of its secure nature. In technical language, the shopping cart program is on a secured server using standard Internet PGP to encrypt information. This means that your information is turned into a secret code that outsiders do not have access to. All online transactions are secured by VeriSign. This means that even SignSpecialist.com and our employees do not access to your credit card information. This is much safer than giving your card to a waitress, gas station employee, or store clerk. Federal Law Protection Under the Fair Credit Billing Act protects all credit card purchases. In the unlikely event that your credit card information were stolen over the Internet or anywhere, your maximum liability is $50. If this happens during a transaction at SignSpecialist, and your credit card company holds you responsible for this amount ($50), SignSpecialist will give a credit for this amount.
Have another question about decals, signs, lettering,
or stripes? -
Yes, if you ordered them 3 inches.But, in life, it’s never that simple.
A. Some people order smaller than 3 inches because they don’t have the room.
B. Some folks order with a font that has descending or ascending legs to their letters, but order and OVERALL size of just 3 inches. This can make individual letters a touch smaller. Also understandable since they might like that design but do not have room for more than an overall height of 3 inches.
Either way, we will make your order exactly as ordered. In our experience, there is no ‘wrong’ way to order your numbers. Maybe because the Enforcement Officers are riding around in a boat all day? We don’t know. But they seem fairly chill about these issues.
So don’t stress over this. We have sold hundreds of thousands of boat numbers. Quite a few fudge, on purpose, and make their numbers smaller. Others have on accident ordered smaller letters. Never have we heard of anyone getting a ticket for their letters being too small.
Still be reasonable. Or if you just want to ‘cover the bases’ and want to have no problems with the officer, keep it 3 inches or more, if you have the room.
Keep in mind, all work is custom. So, no problem for our designers to make further changes. Have changes or concerns? When ordering, add some notes. We will design whatever you have in mind.
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Can the product be restocked and sold to another individual? Then YES. Or was the product custom made just for you? It may be helpful to review our warranty and return policies.
Which says in part:
You can return any product for any reason involving malfunction, damage in shipping, or anything that was our fault. However, you must contact us to let us know of the problem. Our 100% Money Back Guarantee, on everything except signed contractual agreements and custom made products, is good for 30 days from delivery. If you are not satisfied because of malfunction, damage in shipping, or for anything that was our fault, return the product(s) for a full refund excluding original cost of shipping. All products must be in original condition with all packaging and accessories. We cannot exchange or refund products unless they are damaged or defective.If the product is defective on arrival, return the package to us for replacement. Please note: You must contact us to receive return approval BEFORE you return the package. We will not accept packages w/o authorization.
You must return the package with all contents and enclosures that shipped with the product. You must return it in the protective box or other similar shipping carton as used to ship originally. Incomplete products are subject to restocking fees of from 10% to 50%. In cases of major damage or abuse, the product may be refused. For liability and security concerns, return credit can only be made to the original purchasing account. Shipping charges are NOT refundable.
If it is an issue that you just don’t want the product (would rather use money on something else, changed your mind, etc…) on an item that was custom made to your specifications, we can not issue a refund. Also, if the custom made product is just not ‘what you had in mind’, but is made to your specifications, we cannot issue a refund. It is understandable, custom made products are not saleable to anyone else. However, if a premade item (ImageQuest, FasGraphics, Auto Trim Express, etc…), the item can be restocked and a refund gladly given even if it’s because you just changed your mind. Where we can help out, we gladly will.
Have another question about decals, signs, lettering,
or stripes?
