- US Based
- 40+ Years in Business
- (702) 476-0006
If you need additional information on our products, click any of our specific product guides (please give each guide a minute or two to load):
Before making a purchase decision on a bright light product such as a light box, please do your homework carefully. This decision impacts your health as well as your wallet, so please don’t make a hasty decision, purchasing the cheapest thing you find without considering other factors.
The two most important issues are whether the product has been proven to be both safe and effective. Remember that this is a product you will likely use on a daily basis, for a significant part of the year (or perhaps year-round), for many years to come, so you’ll want a product that is as comfortable for you to use as possible. The warranty and the return policy offered on the product will give you a clue as to its durability, and how well the manufacturer stands behind it.
Making the decision to invest in a light box overcomes a major procrastination obstacle for many people, and once they’ve placed the order, they want to get the product yesterday. While this is impossible, of course, getting the order processed and en route promptly should not be. Shipping options to expedite your order are discussed below.
For those unsure of whether a light box will be helpful for them, the idea of renting one rather than purchasing may seem attractive – this approach has its advantages and disadvantages, which are discussed below. You may find it helpful to contact your health insurance company before proceeding – sometimes insurance policies cover light box purchases, if you follow the proper procedures. It’s worth a call to find out – some of our customers have gotten full coverage.
The last topic in this Buyer’s Guide is our “Fact Vs. Fiction” section, where we debunk many of the myths surrounding the use of bright light products, and the inaccuracies promoted by unscrupulous companies.
While many light box companies have their customers’ best interests at heart, there are many others that only care about the bottom line: separating you from your money. Be careful and do you homework to make sure that any company you choose to do business with is a reputable one.
Some of our customers have been reimbursed by their insurance companies and others have had no luck getting any coverage, even after many appeals.
The issue of insurance coverage is complicated for many reasons. First, insurance companies vary greatly in classifying various treatments. Second, they vary their coverage from one policyholder to another, based on their respective coverage.
To date, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has not evaluated light therapy. Because of this, many insurance companies claim bright light treatment is experimental. However, many published studies support bright light treatment as a viable therapy, and in fact, it is the approved, mainstream treatment according to both the American Medical Association and the American Psychiatric Association.
To determine whether your health insurance policy covers light therapy devices, you will need to contact your insurance company directly and inquire. If they say that they will (or even ‘may’) cover a SunBox purchase, make sure you GET IT IN WRITING, and that you fully understand their procedure(s). Sometimes a claim is denied because our customer was overenthusiastic and ordered the product before obtaining either a prescription from their health professional (not required for purchase but may be required for the reimbursement claim) or the proper pre-approval from their insurance company. Unfortunately, you need to play by your insurance company’s rules.
If you receive a noncommittal response and decide to take a chance on receiving reimbursement, you’ll probably want to have your doctor write a letter on your behalf that resembles the following sample letter:
Sample Letter #1 : For Insurance Company Reimbursement
To whom it may concern: (Insurance carrier)This is to certify that (patient’s name) is a patient of mine. (S)he is being treated for recurrent major depressions with a seasonal pattern. Referral to “seasonal patterns of depression” has been included in the most recent revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV). Phototherapy is no longer considered experimental, but is a mainstream type of psychiatric treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). According to the December 8, 1993 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), “For many patients with SAD, light therapy should be regarded as a first-line treatment, given its high success and acceptance rate” (Vol. 270, No. 22, pages 2717-2720). In 1989, the American Psychiatric Association’s Task Force on Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders (Vol. 3, pages 1890-1896, A.P.A. Press), recommended light therapy as a treatment for the range of clinical depression diagnoses including:
In order to administer phototherapy adequately, a bright light unit is required. In (patient’s name)’s case, the use of the bright light unit should be regarded as a medical necessity and may be used in conjunction with other forms of treatment. These procedures conform to April 1993 U.S. Public Health Service-Agency for Health Care Policy and Research guidelines for management of this disorder.
(Prescribing doctor’s signature) |
Our products are not for everyone, and we realize that many of our products represent a considerable financial investment for a lot of people. If our products don’t help you, we don’t want you to be stuck with them.
All products purchased from The SunBox Company may be returned within 60 days from date of purchase for a full refund (less shipping costs) if returned in good condition. We ask that you keep the original shipping materials to reuse in case of return, as this is the best way to ensure that the unit will not be damaged in transit back to us. The return shipping cost is the responsibility of the customer.
Unlike some of our competitors, who may take up to weeks to ship orders, we ship within 1 business day of receiving your completed order. In fact, most of our orders ship the same business day. Our standard shipping method is UPS Ground or USPS Ground Advantage. If you’re in a rush to get your order, most orders can be shipped by expedited methods, for an additional fee. Please contact our office to purchase expedited shipping.
We do ship worldwide, but do not have standardized fees for international shipping charges. Therefore, if you are placing an order to be shipped outside the U.S.A., please contact our office to obtain a shipping quote. We will need the following information before we can obtain the quote:
The shipping fee does not include any applicable duties and taxes that may be due for the item. Any customs fees are the responsibility of the customer and will be due prior to final delivery.
Occasionally, our products arrive in damaged condition, despite our best packaging efforts (most damage occurs in November-December, when the carriers are overwhelmed with Christmas packages). Should this happen to you, simply contact us within 7 days, and we’ll do what we can to remedy the situation quickly and with as little inconvenience as possible.
The warranty a company offers on their products is a pretty good indication of how long the product should be expected to last. Everyone knows someone who made a major investment in a product, only to have it break down within a week after the warranty period expired!
All SunBox light boxes come with a 7 year warranty on the box and 1 year warranty on the bulbs. This warranty is valid for the original purchaser and covers any normal wear and tear of the lamp.
If repair is needed, simply contact our customer service team to get a return authorization. You can then return the unit to us, and we will repair and return the unit to you at our cost. If failure of the unit has resulted from accident, abuse, or misapplication, we shall have no responsibility to replace or repair it at our cost; however; we will quote a price to you for repair at your expense. If the bulbs are not replaced every 3 years with SunBox bulbs and the damage is determined to be ballast due to non-compliance; we will repair at your expense. Cost to ship the unit in for repair is the responsibility of the customer.
The fluorescent tubes within the light box are guaranteed for one (1) year from date of purchase.
Fluorescent Lamps: The SunBox Company guarantees its fluorescent tubes for one (1) year from date of purchase against failure.
All other products sold by The SunBox Company are covered by the respective manufacturer’s warranties, which vary by product. Contact us for more information about warranties for specific products.
*To maintain this seven-year warranty, the light bulbs must be changed every (3) years to prevent ballast failure. Bulb replacement must be SunBox bulbs.
Please contact us direct at 702-476-0006 regarding any warranty questions.
