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DecalCenter.com
Frequently Asked Questions FAQ |
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CUSTOM
DECALS & GRAPHICS: |
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VOLUME
DISCOUNTS & WHOLESALE ACCOUNTS: |
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SELECTION
AND SIZING YOUR NEW DECALS: |
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RACING
STRIPES QUESTIONS: |
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ANSWERS
TO GENERAL QUESTIONS: |
Where can the graphics and decals be installed? |
These vinyl
graphic products can be installed on any smooth,
wax free surface. This includes glass, plexiglas,
painted surfaces, fiberglas, some plastics,
etc. |
Can I install the
decals myself? |
Yes, most
of our products, with the exception of racing
stripes are easy enough for a novice to install!
Simply follow the included instruction sheet
and use the complimentary squeegee application
tool! |
Will They harm the painted surfaces of my
car? |
The vinyl
will not harm any of these surfaces. This
is the same material that is used for truck
lettering, & commercial signage. |
Are the decals legal on my vehicle? |
Different
states and countries have vastly different
laws and regulations regarding decal placement.
Most decals and stripes are legal as long
as they do not block the driver's view of
the road. Check with your local laws beofre
making a purchase! |
Do you have a hardcopy catalog? |
Because our
product line is constantly changing, we do
not offer a hardcopy retail catalog. Instead,
we encourage our customers to continue checking
our the website for updates and new products. |
Will the decals effect the rear window defroster?
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Since all
the vinyl graphic products are designed for
outdoor installation, window tint will not
be effected by the decals. |
Will the decals effect tint on the window? |
Since all
the vinyl graphic products are designed for
outdoor installation, window tint will not
be effected by the decals. |
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ANSWERS
TO DECAL CONSTRUCTION AND PRICING: |
What are the decals and graphics made of? |
All our vinyl
graphic products are made from high quality
self adhesive vinyl material (the same type
used for OEM Original Equipment Manufacturers)
These materials are first quality and have
excellent workability and removal properties. |
Will the decals last
a long time? |
Yes, your
decals should last a long time. The average
life expectancy for our high quality self
adhesive decals is between 5 to 7 years, and
7-9 years for racing stripes. In fact we have
had customers who's decals have lasted longer
than their cars! |
What are the differences in decal quality?
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There are
many different manufacturers of raw vinyl
material used to make the decals. Obviously
the cheaper materials yield less lower quality
products. The cheapest vinyl material (Sparcal
Promo Plus - not used by us, but used by one
of our lower priced competitors) will fade,
shrink and crack within one year of installation. |
Are there cheaper decals? |
Yes,
there are cheaper decals available from
some of our competitors, which are made
from lesser grade materials. With
years of experience in this field we have
determined what the best material are for
this application.
As in most
industries, there are other companies with
less expensive products, but the difference
is in the quality of the product and the
customer service received. As with the analogy:
If you need a car to drive to work, you
could choose a Yugo, or a Mercedes Benz.
They are both cars, right? Well the
same holds true for decals. You can get
the cheaper one, but will it last a long
and look as good as the higher quality,
slightly higher priced one? You decide.
Our pricing structure has remained constant
for the past 6 years. |
How long have you been making decals? |
We have been
in the sign industry for over 12 years, including
a sign shop in New Jersey and a separate retail
location at the local racetrack near our shop.
Our internet site has been selling quality
decal products for over 3 years. We have seen
that good quality and customer service will
bring you back! |
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ANSWERS
TO ORDER AND EMAIL QUESTIONS: |
Why hasn't my email question been answered? |
Possible
reasons for no response from us is if the
email address or other information is either
incorrect or incomplete. BE CAREFUL AND
ACCURATE!
Over 95%
of all emails sent are answered within 2
business days, however, emails containing
questions which are answered on this page
will not be answered. |
Why hasn't my order arrived? |
All orders
are shipped within 24 hours of order confirmation
(excluding weekends and holidays). Possible
delays include invalid or declined credit
card, waiting for money order to arrive, shipping
delays caused by USPS Priority Mail, Customs
Service (International Only) or other issues.
Lost shipment claims can not be filed with
the USPS until 30 days from time fo shipment.
See More
Info on Claims |
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ANSWERS
ON CUSTOM DECALS & GRAPHICS: |
Do you make Custom Decals? |
Yes,
in fact, we specialize in custom decals!
We can create or recreate an existing logo
for you in our self adhesive vinyl material.
It is durable for us on the inside or outside
of the vehicle and is available in many
sizes and over 24 colors! |
How can I have a Custom Decal made? |
Simply fill
out one of the Custom Decal forms located
at the top of every page, choose an approximate
size, color(s), typestyles, and we will email
you an image prior to making it or charging
you! |
Can I have special sizing or colors? |
You can size
the decal anywhere from 1"x4" to
22"x150". You can mix-and-match
colors and sizes for each decal to create
a custom decal for your application! |
Do you charge artwork or setup charges? |
NO!!,
we have never charged any additional fees
for creating a custom decal or logo. |
Do you accept images to design Custom Decals? |
We accept
most IBM compatible formats including BMP,
PCX, JPG, TIFF, GIF, & EPS format. Files can
be compressed using ZIP extensions. |
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VOLUME
DISCOUNTS & WHOLESALE ACCOUNTS: |
Do you offer volume discounts? |
Yes,
we offer volume discounts based on amount
purchase (over $150.00) frequency of purchases.
We strive to give car clubs, and other organizations
the best price for their decals. Email or
call us for volume pricing information.
BE CAREFUL!
As with pricing for our standard products,
there will always be a lower priced competitor
using lesser grade materials, without the
knowledge and customer service to make you
a satisfied customer! All orders, including
volume and custom orders ship within 24
hours! |
Do you offer wholesale accounts? |
Yes, we are
eager to find other companies who want to
make more money reselling our products. Depending
upon your volume of sales, the wholesale prices
can range between 25% to 40% off the prices
listed on the internet. We offer same day
shipping, and credit card billing. Most of
our dealers set up display boards at their
shops and have examples of some of the popular
decals to show potential customers. |
How can I become a wholesale dealer? |
To
become a wholesale account you need to fill
certain requirements including business
tax information, valid credit card for billing,
an initial order of at least $500.00, and
a yearly guarantee of $1000.00. Email or
call us for additional information!
Becoming
a wholesale deale ris less expensive and
much less work than trying to purchase the
machines, software, supplies, and scan the
images to make the products yourself!
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SELECTION
AND SIZING YOUR NEW DECALS: |
What size decal should I get? |
Measuring
for custom decals is simple. Using a tape
measure or yard stick, estimate the total
width (left to right) and height (up and down)
for your desired decal (total size, not size
of individual letters). All of our decals
are categorized by scale (square, rectangular,
or windshield) Remember for windshield decals,
most cars will fit a 4" x 40" decal. |
What color would look good on my car? |
When choosing
a color for a decal which is to be installed
on a car window, keep in mind that if you
are installing on a window, that surface is
naturally dark, so dark colored decals are
not as visible (black, dk blue, dk green).
We suggest lighter colors such as silver,
white yellow or gold colors which might accent
the vehicle's other areas (wheels, interior,
etc.) |
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ANSWERS
TO SHIPPING AND PAYMENT QUESTIONS: |
What payment types do you offer? |
We accept
VISA, Mastercard, Discover, Money Orders.
Sorry, we do not accept any personal checks
and no CODS. Business checks are accepted
only from established wholesale accounts.
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Why don't you offer American Express or
personal checks? |
To
keep our overhead costs lower, we have decide
not to accept American Express Cards. The
merchant rate (percentage rate charged merchants
based on total amount of sale) is over 2%
higher than standard Visa, Mastercard, and
Discover cards. Until this is changed, we
have no other choice.
As for personal
checks, when we did take checks, we averaged
receiving 1 bad check out of every 5 sent.
With our bank charging $28.00 per check,
and no feasible way of collecting, we decided
against accepting personal checks. |
How long does it take to make and ship my
order? |
Most orders
are manufactured and shipped with 24 hours
of order confirmation (except weekends and
hoidays). the only delays in shipping are
caused by invalid or declined credit cards
or out of stock materials. You will recieve
email regarding any delays. |
How and when will my decals arrive? |
All of
our vinyl graphic products are shipped in
sturdy oversized cardboard boxes or oversized
Envelopes. All boxed orders are packed with
styrofoam packing peanuts it insure safe
delivery. The phrases or words which are
cut in vinyl come on a prespaced strip.
The decal products have an adhesive paper
tape covering which protects the them prior
& during installation.
All orders
are sent via USPS Prioty mail unless otherwise
specified. Average deilvery time is between
2-4 days nationwide, and 5 to 14 days internationally.
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How can I finalize my custom order? |
Existing
custom orders with Tracking Numbers can be
finalized using the Online Secure Ordering
System (Prior email contact required) TELEPHONE:
All orders can be finalized by calling the
orderline at 732-431-8160 Monday - Friday
10:00am - 5:00pm EST. FAX: You can fax your
order to us at 732-431-3446 (Be sure to include
voice line in case of questions). |
Why does my credit
card billing address have to match the shipping
address? |
To protect
us and our customers from credit card fraud,
all orders are verifyied with the card issuing
bank for proper address. The shipments can
be made to that adddress only. |
Why did I get an email
stating that my address was not valid? |
When manually
verifying your credit card billing address,
if the address given during the order does
not match, we can not make or ship your order
until we receive the correct address. |
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ANSWERS
TO RACING STRIPES QUESTIONS: |
What do I need to know before ordering Racing
Stripes? |
All Racing
Stripes created by our company are made from
High Performance Vinyl with an outdoor life
expectancy of 7-8 years minimum. The vinyl
material is durable, yet will last on the
vehicle for years to come. The stripes are
created in 57" - 60" sections which each fit
a section of the vehicle (hood, roof, trunk).
Each set of racing stripes is made to the
customer's specifications. We do not suggest
any particular size stripe kit for a specific
car. We also reccommend that stripes are not
installed on fresh paint. We suggest waiting
up to 45 days prior to installing decals on
new paint. |
How do I measure my car for stripes? |
We suggest
looking at other vehicles on the website
to judge spacing and sizing. A measuring
tape can be held to the vehicle and sizes
and scale can be estimated from that.
The insure
proper length stripes, measure the total
length needed. This is accomplished by measuring
the hood, roof, and trunk (allowing a minumim
of 24" extra for bumpers). This total (between
110" and 190") is the length needed. Next,
using a tape measure, estimate the width
you would prefer for your vehicle (between
one 6" stripe and two 10" stripes) as outlined
on the racing stripes page.. |
Can I see stripes on my vehicle before I
purchase? |
We
do not offer pre purchase racing stripe imaging.
We suggest taking pieces of paper and laying
them on the vehicle to help visualize where
the stripes should be placed. |
How do I install the racing stripes? |
Simply
follow the included set of instructions.
Make sure the surface of the vehicle is
clean and free of waxes or debris.
While all
of our products are easy to install, we
stongly recommend that first time vinyl
graphic installers seek professional help
prior and during installation of racing
stripes, especially the wider kits (double
9" and double 10"). |
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DECAL
CARE AND MAINTENANCE: |
How do I remove the few air bubbles after
installation? |
Once you
apply your new decal(s), you might find that
you have small air bubbles between the deca
and the vehicle surface. Most smaller bubbles
will disappear within a few weeks, larger
bubbles can be removed by using a pin or sharp
razor blade. Simply put a small slit in the
bubble, then work out the air with your finger
or complimentary squeegee. |
Can I install decals
on a freshly painted vehicle? |
We recommend
waiting a minimum of 45 days after a vehicle
is painted prior to installing any graphics
on the painted surfaces. The paint must cure
or it could leave a permanent mark on the
surface if not properly cured. |
Can I wash or wax my car after installing
decals? |
Yes, if following
the dry application instructions, you can
wax over the decals, or wash the vehicle with
soap and water. |
How can I keep my new decals looking good? |
Keeping the
decals looking good is simple. Wash them with
the car, do not use any harsh chemicals or
solvents on them. Wax over the decals when
possible, and if installing a decal on a vehicle
window, be careful when using an ice scraper
in the winter! |
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DECAL
REMOVAL: |
How do I remove the decals? |
Vinyl graphics
and decals can be easily removed. Simply heat
the decal with a heat gun, hairdryer. Then
using your fingernail, lift the edge of the
decal and work across the surface of the decal.
Overheating the decal will result in more
difficult removal, as will not enough heat.
Once the vinyl is removed, use PREPSOL or
thinners to remove any glue residue. |
Will your vinyl material damage glass or
painted surfaces? |
Vinyl
graphics or lettering will not permanently
damage painted surfaces or windows.
The decal
actually protects the finish of the vehicle's
paint or glass surface. If stripes or decals
are left on the vehicle for long periods
of time (more than 5 years outdoor exposure),
the paint on the vehicle will fade slightly,
while the paint under the decal does not.
This will cause a shadow effect once the
decal is removed. Avoid this by maintaining
the paint on your vehicle with wax! |
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