Shop FAQ

Shop FAQ

Everything we often get asked
Common purchase queries answered

Orders and Shipping

We ship every order within 24 hours maximum using Australia Post.

You’ll see a notice underneath the “add-to-cart” button telling you current delivery times that we are seeing.

“Covid-19” has changed some of the shipping guarantees. For example “Express” is not overnight delivery any more. It is now classified as “the fastest way to send an item”.
It can be hours, it can be 4 days.

As soon as we have the tracking link for your order we will share it with you. Please check your spam folder in case you see it in your inbox.

During Checkout you will find a checkbox that allows you to create an account.

Just tick it and you’ll get an account.

You have to be quick with that one if you just placed an order.

Definitely let us know asap and we can see what we can do.

If you want to change your address on your account just go to the My-Account Page and change it.

We send you email confirmations for every stage of your order.

If you don’t receive anything after placing your order please check your spam folder.

The steps are:

  1. Awaiting Payment: if you chose to pay with Direct Debit
  2. Processing: It’s waiting to be packed
  3. Completed: Your order is on the way to you and you will receive tracking details

No way.

We chose the most secure payment option on the market.

Stripe’s main feature is that even we can not see what you put in.

The shop system allows you to store your card details on file but only if you want to.

Technically you should be fine as our website is hosted on a dedicated server (nothing shared)

We will always charge you Australian Sales Tax (GST) which is currently 10%.

Even if you live overseas.

We do this because we only ship a few orders per year overseas and the accounting costs for separating these orders from the rest is too expensive.

Most probably but best is to ask us before placing an order.

We have to determine how high the chance is that you receive the order.

We might have to quote for a special postal service that is not handled by our system.

Yes.

In any case we will inform you how your order gets delivered to you.

If you need to swap an item

Returns and Exchanges

30 days from the Australia Post tracking time stamp of delivery.
The BUFF® Filter Mask can not be returned for health regulation reasons.

Very simple: You let us know that you want to return the item and send it back to 711 Ilkley Road, Tanawha QLD 4556.
We refund you the price of the product the same day we receive it.

Best is to let us know because then we will look out for it.

Please note that we do not refund Express Post costs.

Means we stuffed up.

Please get in touch with us and we will send you the correct item out with a return envelope.

One receiving the correct item you put the other one into the return envelope and drop it into a letter box.

Same process as the wrong item.

Get in touch with us and we send you a new one out with a return envelope to post the bad one back to us.

711 Ilkley Road, Tanawha Qld 4556.

If we stuffed up we will send you a franked and addressed return envelope.

Simply use the telephone numbers or email addresses on our emails to get in contact with us.

Alternatively you can also use the contact-us page

Hope that it isn’t shipped yet 🙂

Just get as quick as possible in contact with us and we will see what we can do.

If it’s already shipped we’ll contact the shipper and see what we can do.

Of course. Any time.

Once it’s shipped then, of course, we have to wait till you send us the order back to issue a refund.

In any case let us know asap and we will figure it out together.

Yes and no 🙂
We often can’t say if a certain design is coming back or when it will arrive back.

But we can make a reminder if you ask us.
We will then get in touch with you as soon as it is back in stock.

Free Australia shipping

$9.50 Express Option

Easy 30 days returns

30 days money back guarantee

Australian Warranty

1 year local warranty

100% Secure Checkout

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Only Non-Toxic and Non-Itchy Ingredients – Oekotex Certified

The most dangerous way for a toxin to enter the body is not through the digestive system, but through the skin

A toddler wearing a Baby Buff® as a face mask. The toddler looks happy. Source: buff.eu
A Buff® passes the most stringent test for fabrics. Free of anything irritating or harmful for babies.

Did you know that fabric ingredients are grouped into toxic or safe and non-itchy?

The difference in costs is huge.

This article shows you how to spot the safe products and why Buff® headwear ticks the right boxes

What makes you itch?

There are 2 main reasons for fabrics itching.

The first is bacteria. Call it bad hygiene or simply fabrics that make you sweat and breed bacteria (cheap polyester beanie hat for example).

The second is toxic and irritating ingredients in making the fabric.

There are ingredients available that can not only make you itch but also severely impact your health.
These ingredients are on a list and banned in most 1st world countries.

How safe are we in Australia?

Not at all, unfortunately.

Australia has no tests or regulations regarding safe textile ingredients. You can import into Australia whatever you like.

This leads to Australia being the only 1st world country supplied with 3rd world quality clothing.
Whenever we mentioned in China that we are from Australia and want headwear that passes the Oekotex test, we heard something like, “Why do you want to waste money on Oekotex. You are from Australia. You do not need this …”.
We were quite shocked at first but got used to hearing it all the time.

Here is a nice article from Choice that goes into more detail
https://www.choice.com.au/shopping/everyday-shopping/clothing/articles/chemicals-in-clothing
My favourite quote is

Products that are made in China for the Australian market could not even be sent back to China, as many of them would not meet the Chinese product safety standards but are acceptable here.

How do you find safe and non-itchy clothing in Australia?

You look for the Oekotex® certificate.

Oekotex® is a worldwide testing standard for classifying the safety of clothing.

Just look out for something like the logo below. If you spend more money to make your product safe, you will have it tested. If you can’t find it, assume the worst.
Especially if it’s our beloved “The same, just cheaper…” products.

The logo of the Oekotex® 100 certification for babies (class1). Source: buff.eu
The logo of the Oekotex® 100 certification for babies (class1)

You can always go to the AITEX website and enter the test number. That will give you all the details of the test.

So what are Buff® tested to?

The more intensive the skin contact of a product and the more sensitive the skin, the stricter the human-ecological requirements that need to be complied with.

All adult products are rated to class 2. This is the class for adults close to the skin clothing (underwear, socks, headwear,…)

All baby products are rated to class 1. The most stringent class.

You can find the logo of the Oekotex® 100 certification on the back of the Original Buff® packaging. Source: buff.eu
The logo of the Oekotex® Certification on the Original Buff®

Sources

UV/Sun Protection

Photomontage: Left image Cutout of a man with a severely sunburned face. © Jonny Hunter, Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jonnyhunter/3565036940/in/photostream/ Right image A flyfisher proudly displaying his catch. He is standing waist deep in salt water and he is wearing a High Uv Buff® as face mask. © Pat Ford
Ouch. That must hurt. The Buff® fabrics protect. (Jonny Butler / Pat Ford)

Sunburns hurt. Skin cancer can kill.

The Original EcoStretch and the Coolnet UV fabric give you UPF50 excellent protection (98% UV/Sun protection).

Scan of a UPF report issued by ARPANSA
Skin Cancer aware? If it’s not rated it will not protect you.

This is an example of a UPF report. It was performed by the founders of the UPF rating ARPANSA. Nowadays both Original EcoStretch and CoolnetUV fabrics are constantly monitored for their UPF rating at the factory. The testing company is Aitext Textile Research Institute.

BUFF® Original EcoStretch and CoolnetUV multifunctional headwear comes with a label stating the standard (AS/NZS 4399:1996), the UPF Rating and the testing laboratory.

Beware of UPF Claims without reference to the test!

We see a lot of tubular headwear that advertises sun protection claims but has no labels or mention of the test standard. Those claims are bogus. Why?

A thin fabric without a UPF rating cannot protect you from skin cancer.

For example, a T-shirt is only around UPF 6. That’s because it just filters out enough UVB to stop a sunburn. It will not stop you from getting skin cancer because it doesn’t filter out UVA enough.

UVA is harder to filter, and it goes deep into your skin, so the damage is not visible.

That’s where special dyes and other ingredients that absorb UVA and UVB satisfactorily enter the game. This function can only be tested and proven in a laboratory.

That’s why sun-protective clothing is more expensive than non-protective clothing.

So, if you see a tube with a UV protection claim that doesn’t clearly state the UPF rating with the testing standard and the testing laboratory, do yourself a favour and walk away.

Most Popular Use

 
Fly fisher holding a catch in the flats. He is wearing a High Uv Buff® as face mask. The cooling effect makes the face mask comfortable. © Pat Ford http://www.patfordphotos.com/. Licenced by Original Buff S.A for the promotion of the High Uv Buff®
Intense sun and heat. The BUFF® CoolnetUv fabric cools to make your sun protection comfortable (Pat Ford)

Fishing

The most popular application so far for sun protection. A face mask that you can wear in the heat.
All fishing professionals now wear the BUFF® CoolnetUV for this one reason: Replace sunscreen and still be skin cancer protected.

 

In the Snow

A man wearing a High Uv Buff® as face mask in the snow. He is in a ski resort. © unknown
Forgot your sunscreen? A BUFF® Original EcoStretch helps you out.

How often did you forget your sunscreen? I have tons of times.

  • Wear it as a face mask and you’re protected
  • Not sweating – It eases the biting wind

 

Travel

Halong Bay in Vietnam as seen from a kayak. The kayaker in front is wearing a High Uv Buff® as legionnaire style cap. Submitted to us as part of a testimonial. Copyright unknown
Long sun exposure during a great adventure. Good to have a protective and cooling BUFF® CoolnetUV as legionnaire cap with you.

You’re travelling and you have this opportunity to go on a tour. No cloud in the sky, and of course, you didn’t bring some specialized headgear with you. The BUFF® CoolnetUV tube as a legionnaire-style cap will give you protection.

 

Endurance Sports

A participant of the Marathon Des Sables running through the desert. He is wearing a custom made High Uv Buff® as face mask. Copyright is unknown. Distributed by Original Buff® S.A. for the promotion of Buff® products
Sunscreen sweating out, and there is no time to replace it. The BUFF® CoolnetUV protects. The fabric cools enough to wear in a desert.

Running events in the sun are a prime example. You’re sweating throughout the day, and no sunscreen will work for long. You also don’t have any time to apply sunscreen constantly.

Events like the Marathon des Sables have their custom-made BUFF® CoolnetUV for their participants. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than burning to crisps.

 

Limitations

They are thin fabrics so stretching them too much or wearing them thin over several years reduces the protection.

Sources

ARPANSA Resource Guide for UV Protective Products

Wikipedia – Ultraviolet

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