As part of our policy of complete disclosure, the following should be all of the information you will need to make an informed decision on whether you wish to rent a suit from us or not.   It is not intended to be scary or dogmatic but merely normal and useful information.   If you have any questions or complaints, please contact us.   It is impossible to run a business like ours continuously for 33 1/3 years if you have not provided a good product, good service and quality at a reasonable cost.   Because of the economy, WonderWorks has stayed at, or close to, the rental fees charged prior to Nov. 2008 while adding quality and value.

 

CONTACT:  

Try emailing all pertinent information to "Brick" Price at the address at the top of each page...    That is the quickest and most reliable means.   Please include dates, type of suit, quantity, location, etc. so that we can best serve your needs.   We do not have a dedicated receptionist and we are often either busy working or on location.   NOTE:  WonderWorks has adopted a 4 ten hour day schedule with Friday being a normally closed day.   There is usually someone at the front desk from 9 - 5 Tues. - Fri.   Personnel are usually at the facility from 7am to 7pm if there is an emergency.   Either the receptionist or service can “punch you through” at any time in a crisis.   However, paperwork to speed things along can best be handled via e-mail on off-hours or Saturday through Monday when phone service is not immediate.

 

SUIT INFO:  

Our Apollo A7L white EVA suit is configured specifically for commercials/ film or walkaround and is by far our most popular rental piece.   This suit is very comfortable and photographs well, if lit properly, as you can see on our web site.   The suit is light weight and comfortable at approximately 25-30 pounds and is often worn by company CEOs for presentations or for parties as well as media events.   We also have 60 other suits including "modern" Shuttle EMU/ EVA/ IVA, Shuttle LOL/ ACES, Mercury, Fantasy, Apollo 11-13, Russian Partial Pressure, Hazmat, 50's Modern, etc.   See all of rental suits by CLICKING HERE.   NEWS:   We now have a low budget suit available for education, parties, events, etc.   It is not license free for any other commercial application.   Go Here for more info.

 

RENTAL PERIOD/ EXTRA COST:

The rental fee quoted is for a minimum of one week.   We do allow a day leeway for shipping if there are no other rentals scheduled immediately following yours.    Unlike other suits, ours do not require an expensive technician on set, nor a cooling system to wear underneath, as they have been designed from the ground up for ease of use.   Nor do they require special rigging to handle the weight of the suit (A “real” suit can weigh more than 100 pounds).   The suit’s design is such that it can be fitted without instruction although photos and written instructions are included with the package and will be added to this site soon.

 

Part of the need for a minimum of a week rather than by the day is that WonderWorks adheres to the requirement of having our suits sanitized between every use which is a time-consuming and costly procedure.   After every use, the suits are treated for bacteria.   After a few uses, the suits are completely disassembled and professionally dry-cleaned by a Hollywood company whose specialty is costumes.  You needn’t worry about the health and safety of your actors or unpleasant odors.

 

PATCHES:   

What patches will you want?   NASA has a strict policy against the use of the NASA logo in commercials unless they are for the public good.   The American flag and generic shuttle delta patches should be fine.   To be certain, contact NASA directly for approval as we cannot speak on their behalf.   For film use, you will need script approval which can take a while.   Under no circumstances will we allow the suits to be used for pornography, alcohol ads, smoking ads or anything that might tarnish the image of the astronauts.   This is a WonderWorks decision and not imposed upon us by NASA.   WonderWorks cannot be responsible to changes in NASA policy.   We can create custom patches on request.

 

Shown here are two patches made for WonderWorks crew that are similar i style to Shuttle patches but are of our design.   You are free to use these as far as we are concerned, but it would still be prudent to check with NASA for commercial use.

 

SUIT SIZE: 

The largest person we've had in one is 6 feet and the shortest 5'5".   The caveat here is that people vary a lot.   I have the upper torso of a six foot man but I have short legs and stand only 5'8".   A thinner person will work better if tall and a heavier person if short.   it's easier to make a person of average height (5’8 – 5’11”) look right.

 

FACE PLATE: 

The Film Grade A7L comes complete with gloves, boots, Gold Faceplate and Clear Faceplate,  "Snoopy Cap", Back Pack, Hoses, and even includes a passive cooling system now at no extra cost.  The Commercial Grade A7L suit does not include a gold plated faceplate.   For an additional $100, we can mount a faceplate which is 24k gold plated and highly reflective.   This latter face plate is difficult to see through in bright light and nearly impossible to see through under normal lighting situations.   In addition, replacement of this piece is very expensive at approximately $1,000 if lost damaged or scratched beyond normal wear and tear.

 

HOLD DEPOSIT:

We can “pencil in” rental dates and notify you if there is a potential conflict and give you the first opportunity at renting the set pieces.   A firm hold will require a deposit of 50% of the rental fee with the balance due prior to shipping.

 

SECURITY DEPOSIT:  

A security deposit  of $3,500 is required on each white EMU/A7L suit other than our new Low Budget suit.   Low Budget suits require $2,500.   This will be returned immediately upon safe return of the suit(s) in good condition.   These items rent frequently, therefore, if they are not returned within 14 working days of their due date we will apply the deposit to their replacement value and/or lost revenue.   After 14 days, we will assume the suit to be lost or stolen and place a claim against the insurance carrier and retain the full amount of the deposit.

 

CLEANING/ DAMAGE:

All of our suits are created to look real.  Towards this end, they appear somewhat "lived in" as do real suits.   Our new suits are pre-cleaned several times and "Weathered" to look real.   This is normal and good news for production.   If the suits come back lightly soiled, there is no additional charge.   If they are badly soiled, a cleaning fee of $350 will be charged for the White Suits and $175 for the orange suits or similar.   Any damage will be repaired at our shop rate of $85 per hour and deducted from the security deposit.

 

LEGAL:

All items listed on this web site are rented/ sold in “as-is” and “where-is” condition.   No warranties or guarantees are implied or offered.   WonderWorks is not responsible for any delays in production.   We will make every effort to correct any problems which may arise with our products.   There is not much that can go wrong that cannot be readily remedied and we do have spare parts for many items.   By renting these items, you agree that you are responsible for their safe use, liability and maintenance.

 

INSURANCE:  

We will need a “Certificate of Insurance” form/ policy listing "WonderWorks Inc." as "additional insured" on your policy in the amount indicated on your invoice for each suit.    Nothing leaves here without this crucial document.

 

SHIPPING:  

WonderWorks does not handle shipping arrangements or payment.   You will need to make the arrangements and account number.   Shipping can usually be by Fed-X* except in some countries such as Russia.   Most medium to large companies and educational groups get substantial discounts on shipping costs so check it out with your carrier.   Under the right set of circumstances (such as long-term rentals), we can charge 50% of the normal weekly rate to allow for those shipping weeks out of the United States so as to allow for customs and shipping delays.   Shipping is usually about $225 each way, in the U.S., unless rushed which can double the cost.   Our suits come in sealed, water proof and crush proof containers.   Overseas, it usually takes 3-4 days each way including customs via Fed-X except in some former Soviet bloc countries.  Please check as customs can take 3-4 days alone without a customs broker.  *Note:  clients have complained recently that they have had problems with FedX.

 

An entire A7L/ EMU  suit weighs about 35 pounds and the container weight is a little more for a total of approx. 90 pounds.    We do not handle shipping but we have feedback that PACK AIR is quite good and cheaper than Fed-X or UPS.   Contact Gessler at 1-310-337-0529 x-205 or Luis Arroyo at x-209.    They can arrange a broker for you to ease through customs, prepare the Carnet and all related paperwork such as a Commercial Invoice.    Shipping Dimensions Suits: A7L or EMU 41” x 29” x 30”     The LOL/ ACES/ Mercury and similar suits, ship in a crate  19“ x 19” x 16“ h   that weighs 35 pounds.

 

LOCAL DELIVERY: 

$85 per hour portal-to-portal round trip.

 

LOCAL PICKUP:  

Please call for an appointment.   Extra charge on Saturday through Monday and Holidays.   We are closed most Monday but open for 4 ten hour days Tuesday throgh Friday.

 

VIEWING:  

These suits are stored off site in sealed shipping containers and within crates.   They are available for viewing by appointment only during normal working hours.

 

PAYMENT:  

Cash (in US dollars), Cashier’s Checks, Certified Check, Money Order or Direct Wire Transfer or PayPal.  

 

PayPal has proven to be simple and quick.   PayPal will not charge a fee on unused money.   In fact that may be the only thing that is clearly stated in the volumes of info they have on the subject.    I found this great third party calculator at http://www.rolbe.com/paypal.htm   They will be charging you a small percentage of what is actually used in 60 days on that one transaction.   Their fee is actually less than what wire transfers would add up to.    If your security deposit is returned to a different account, than you will be charged in full and we will be charged an additional amount as well and will deduct that amount from the deposit.

 

Nothing leaves without full rental payment, security deposit and insurance certificate.   Unfortunately, we do not have Credit Card capability; we are looking into this as a courtesy to some of our clients who have requested it recently.    Nothing personal but we DO NOT accept Purchase Orders in lieu of payment no matter the size of the company.   The problems we have had with POs in the past were with Fortune 500 companies.

 

RUSH ORDERS: 

Our fee for packing and handling is free for orders placed seven working days or more in advance and with all paperwork completed and payment made.    Rush Charges:  $100 for 5-6 days; $100 for 3-4 days and $200 for 2 days or less.   Less than 2 days becomes difficult unless hand carried by courier or shipped counter-to-counter via a major airline and paid for by cash, wire transfer or money order.

 

RUSH ORDERS OVERSEAS: 

There is no additional charge with one week notice.   Our fee for packing and handling is $50 for orders placed less than seven working days in advance; $75 for six days; $125 for five days and $150 for four days.   Less than four days may be impossible for your country unless hand carried by courier or shipped counter-to-counter via a major airline and paid for by cash, wire transfer or money order.

 

When you receive the invoice form, our requirements are on following pages.   Please read thoroughly and initial each page as well as signing where appropriate.

 

Thank you and I hope this answers most of your questions.