I am trying to order online, but every time I add something to my shopping cart, I get a message that my cart is empty.  What do I need to do?

Most of the time, this is caused by cookies being disabled on your computer.  Our shopping cart must be allowed to write a small cookie to your computer to "remember" what you place in your shopping cart.  To find out how to enable cookies for various browsers, please refer to this web page:  Google: How to Enable Cookies.

How long will my order take to arrive?

Orders received before noon ET, Monday through Friday, are usually shipped the same day.  We offer several different UPS services ranging from overnight delivery to Ground.  To see how long UPS Ground delivery will take to arrive at your location, check our UPS Ground Transit Time Map.  UPS delivery days are Monday through Friday.

What is the cost of shipping?

Shipping costs are based on the weight of the package, the destination, and the service selected.  The cost will be calculated once you enter your address during checkout.

Is my shipment insured?

All shipments are fully insured through UPS, so you are guaranteed to receive your product in good condition.

How can I check on the status of my order?

If you need to check the status of your order at any time, or look up the UPS tracking number, you can always click on the "Order Status" link near the top of the page.  Once you enter your order id number and the email address submitted with the order, you will see the complete details of your glow stuff order, including the address information, product details, and the UPS tracking number if your order has already been shipped.

How do glow sticks work?

Glow sticks contain two chemicals that when mixed will create luminescence.  When you ‘snap’ a glow stick, you are actually breaking a small, glass vial that contains a hydrogen peroxide solution, allowing the solution to mix with another solution of phenyl oxalate ester and fluorescent dye.  The phenyl oxalate ester reacts with the hydrogen peroxide solution to create the glow, and the fluorescent dye provides the color of the glow stick.

How long do the glow sticks/bracelets/necklaces glow?

Most glow products last for between 6-12 hours once activated. As a guide, glow necklaces and glow bracelets last for between 6-8 hours and glow sticks in all sizes last for about 10-12 hours. After this period the glow sticks do not just 'turn off' but will continue to glow more dimly for 24-48 hours.

What is the shelf life of glow products?

If kept in their original packaging, glow sticks/bracelets/necklaces can be stored for approximately 2 years. Glow products are sensitive to heat and humidity so it is important to store them somewhere cool, and if possible, in their original packaging, out of direct sunlight. Room temperature or colder is fine.

Can the reaction be stopped so I can use them again?

Temperature affects the intensity and duration of the glow.  The warmer it is the brighter the glow and the less the duration of the glow.  Cold temperatures will make the glow less bright, but will extend the duration of the glow.  Placing a glow stick in the freezer will greatly slow the reaction, which will preserve the glow for 7 days or more.  Once the glow stick is warmed, the glow will resume.

What happens if I accidentally break the plastic casing?

The solutions contained in our glow sticks, glow bracelets, and glow necklaces are non-toxic and will not cause injury to the skin or eyes. Eye contact may cause temporary discomfort similar to that produced by soaps or shampoos. Should an accident occur, rinse the affected area thoroughly with water, then repeat the process. These solutions can soften or mark paint and varnish, and can stain fabric. Dry cleaning, however, may remove these stains.

Can I resell your products?

Yes, many of our customers purchase our glow products for resale at fairs, concerts, carnivals, fundraisers, parades, parties, and other events.

What payment methods do you accept?

We accept all major credit card and debit card payments, which include Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, PayPal, and Google Checkout.  All payment methods are kept secure using 128-bit encryption.

Is your site secure?

We employ state-of-the-art data encryption to ensure safe and secure transactions on our site.  Our payment area is secured using industry standard Secure Sockets Layer technology (SSL). You’ll know when you enter this area because the small yellow padlock appears in the bottom right hand corner of your browser. The other indication is in the address bar. When you enter the secure area of the site, the background of the address bar will turn dark yellow. You’ll also notice that http:// is replaced by https:// (the ‘s’ standing for ‘Secure’).

My order didn't go through, but my bank says there's a charge on my credit card. Why?

When a merchant receives an order, they send a request for authorization to the bank that issued your credit card. The bank sets aside the requested funds without transferring them anywhere until the actual request is sent by the merchant's bank. Once the request is received and verified, your bank transfers the funds to the merchant's bank. If the transaction does not go through for some reason, no authorized request will be sent and the funds will be made available again in 2-4 business days.

This situation also applies to multiple attempts at payment. If you try 3 times to pay for an order (due to errors in the information you enter on our secure form) and only 1 of those goes through, the other 2 transactions will show on your bank's records until they disappear for lack of authorization.

In either case, the thing to look for is a confirmation email from The GlowStuffStore. This email will contain an order ID number and a summary of your order. If you are concerned about receiving more than one order, check the totals in this email to make sure they are correct. If your payment did not go through, you should not receive an email from us so chances are your order did not go through. Don't forget to check your spam blocker before assuming your order didn't go through!

When in doubt, please don't hesitate to email us.  We will check to see if your order did or did not go through.