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...............................................................................Coconut Hut Boutique FAQs page..............................................................................
Please use this page as a reference for all your queries. We have tried to put the relevant subjects next to one another but it is better to scroll down the whole list just in case you find a better match. |
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Can I get NEXT DAY DELIVERY ???
GUARANTEED NEXT WORKING DAY DELIVERY is possible where the item is in stock and ready to ship and is available to UK customers ONLY. Our most popular items requested for guaranteed next day delivery is off the shelf items such as leg warmers, Sweat bands and Rainbow Wraps. Made to order items & large quantities of anything cannot be dispatched next day.
For next day delivery you need to navigate to the bottom of the Leg Warmers product page where you will see the listing. Aternatively click on the following link and it will take you there:
Click here to pay for the ....... Additional fee for NEXT DAY delivery UK ONLY!!
This costs £2.50 and you need to 'ADD TO CART' this listing in order to obain next working day delivery.
The CUT OFF point for next day delivery is 2:00pm Monday - Friday. If you place your order with next day delivery after this time then it will not be despatched by us until the following day. This is because we go to the Post Office after this time.
If in doubt just email us. We aim to get back to you ASAP but if we are not quick enough for you it is better just to GO AHEAD AND ORDER. If something is not ready to be shipped for the following day, we will contact you to offer an alternative or ask if you would prefer to cancel.
Our standard delivery is Royal Mail's 1st class recorded delivery which usually takes 1-2 working days to reach a UK destination, so very often you will receive your item the following day anyway it's just that it is not guaranteed unless you pay the ADDITIONAL FEE FOR NEXT DAY DELIVERY.
Please be aware that Royal Mail does not consider Saturday as a working day (even if you receive post on that day). If you urgently require an item for Saturday you should plan for it to arrive on Friday just in case. In our experience, a next day 'Special Delivery' item posted on friday will usually (95% of the time) arrive on the Saturday provided the address is not a business address. However, the post office only guarantee the item for delivery on Monday, as this is officialy the next working day.
If you are in any doubt please try to email first and we will be happy to help :) |
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Why don't you automaticaly offer a next day service at the check out?
Because whilst we do hold a lot of stock, many of our items are made to order. Our clothing ranges and some of the accessories need to be made first, they cannot just be packaged and sent out. The Coconut Hut prides itself on having such unique made to order items and it would be unrealistic to offer these on a next day service.
Ready made items such as Leg Warmers, Socks, Tights, Flip flops & Sarongs however, are much more likely to be ready for immediate shipment unless they are out of stock.
Larger quantities of anything may need to be ordered in and can take a few days for us to source. Either way, if something needs sourcing or making then it cannot be shipped immediately and we prefer not to offer next day delivery at the checkout for this reason. |
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Why does next day UK only Special Delivery cost more?
If you are using the listing called 'Additional fee for next day delivery (UK ONLY) ' then this means we will send out your parcel via Royal Mail 'Special Delivery'.
'Special Delivery' is more expensive for the very fact that it is the highest class of post available. It is tracked at various stages, it is insured to the highest value and it is guaranteed for delivery on the next working day.
We have worked out that on average the cost of Special Delivery for a parcel is approximately £2.50 on top of our standard P&P charge. The standard post is '1st class recorded'. The additional fee is the extra funds needed to pay for next day 'Special Delivery'. |
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Where are you based and where do you ship?
We are based in the UK and we ship WORLDWIDE!
US, Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa, Middle East, Far East, South America... Just please be aware that delivery times outside of the UK are longer than within the UK! See FAQ 'I am ordering from OUTSIDE the UK.. how long will i have to wait?!'. |
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What are your opening hours?
Our customer service hours for sales and support are Monday to Friday 9AM - 4PM. (UK GMT + 0)
Please do not call us outside of these hours. Email!
Please be aware however that we are an online only boutique so although we very often reply to emails during the evenings and process orders / send items out over the weekend, please assume we are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays as well as weekday evenings. We are a small independent boutique and do need to fulfill other aspects of the business. On these days we will not be able to get back to you until the following day.
Contact Coconut Hut Boutique |
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What is the standard delivery service do you offer?
Within the UK Our standard service is Royal Mail's first class recorded delivery. This first class service usually takes 1-2 working days to reach its destination and is very reliable. 99% of the time packages arrive within 1-2 working days but this is not guaranteed by Royal Mail.
Some orders of a higher value are despatched via Special Delivery as this is insured to a higher value, it also happens to be a next day service. If you want to pay a little extra, we can offer Special Delivery on any item if requested in advance. If you need something guaranteed quickly then you will need to use this service. Please see FAQ 'Can I get Next Day Delivery' above.
Parcels going abroad are sent via Royal Mails 'International Signed For' post. This takes about 2 weeks depending on your country - However, we do not ever guarantee delivery times for parcels going overseas. Please read the notes in the FAQ called 'I am ordering from abroad.. how much is postage and how long will i have to wait?!' below.
Visit the Royal Mail web site for more information on these services:
www.royalmail.com |
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How quickly do you despatch?
We usually despatch ready made items such as leg warmers, socks and flip flops on the same day that the order is received, depending on the time of day you place your order and whether or not this occurs before we have gone to the post office that day yet. If you place your order late afternoon or in the evening then, the order will not be delt with till the following day.
Made to order items, or larger quantities of anything cannot be despatched on the same day. However, we do hold a large amount of stock in certain popular items so it may be possible to send out bulk leg warmers on the same day. However, if you have a deadline its best to contact us first anyway to make sure we can meet that deadline.
Please be aware that made to order items include Wrist Warmers, Regazzacci and Diva. The Wrist Warmers are usually made within 1-3 days whilst Regazzacci clothing items are usually made within 3-8 working days. However, this does depend largely on how many made to order items are going through at the time. Wrist Warmers are usually made much quicker simply because they are smaller items. Diva is not made on site so can take up to 2 weeks to be dispatched. If you need any made to order items for a specific date then you are advised to email us first. |
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What time of day do you despatch?
We go to the post office anytime from 2:00PM Monday - Friday. Orders placed prior to this time are definately processed and packing slips printed. Where items are in stock, orders placed prior to 2:00PM Monday - Friday, will also be dispatched.
However, on many occassions we do not go to the post office until a bit later and orders placed even as late as 3:30PM may be despatched. However, we do not guarantee this and our official cut off point for orders to be processed is 2:00PM Monday - Friday. Orders placed after this time will be dealt with the following day unless you are lucky and we are going to the post office late that day! |
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I am ordering from OUTSIDE the UK how long will i have to wait?!
We use Royal Mails 'Signed For international' postal service. This requires a signature on delivery and is insured up to the required value.
The time this takes depends largely on the efficiency of the postal service in your country. Our experience shows that parcels to Europe usually take between 5 - 15 working days to reach their destination, whilst parcels to the US and Worldwide take anything between 8-18 working days. Please be aware that if the parcel gets held up in customs in your country then there could be delays. Please also note that any customs charges sent to you by your country are nothing to do with us.
Please be aware that we do not guarantee delivery times for parcels going abroad. This is because Royal Mail cannot guarantee delivery times abroad due to the fact that once the parcel leaves the UK, it is passed on to your countries postal service. We can only make a claim for late or lost items abroad if they remain undelivered after 21 working days after dispatch. We therefore cannot consider your parcel to be late or lost until the 21st working day has elapsed. |
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How is my payment taken?
HSBC
We use the HSBC Secure Epayments Gateway service. This is one of the worlds leading Ecommerce payment systems and offers maximum security and encrytion of secure data. Once you have filled in your billing and shipping details on our site you will be transferred to the HSBC Secure Epayments external secure server where they will take your payment on our behalf. You will never enter your card details on our site. HSBC is our preferred payment gateway.
PAYPAL
You also have the option to pay with your Credit or Debit card via Paypal Secure Payments. Some customers prefer Paypal because they use it frequently and like the system. At the checkout simply select Paypal from the drop down list when it asks how you wish to pay.
* Please note that Paypal charge us a higher percentage to use their merchant services, so if you can please opt to pay via HSBC instead! More of your money will go to us and less to the corporate giants for processing. |
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HSBC or Paypal?
You have the option to pay with your credit or debit card using either of these options. Both are highly secure, but we urge you chose HSBC. Why?
1. HSBC is a leading world bank with proven expertise in payment processing and security.
2. HSBC charge lower rates for payment processing than Paypal. Whilst this does not affect you the customer, if you can please opt to pay via HSBC. More of your money will go to us and less on processing.
3. HSBC give us the choice to accept the payment straight away or once the item is ready to ship. So if you have chosen to pay via HSBC and your item is not in stock (or is a made to order item that is not ready for shipping yet) then we can 'accept' the transaction at a later date when the item is ready for shipping. However, Paypal on the other hand take your money immediately.
4. HSBC hold the money for less time than Paypal. When you make a transaction via HSBC, we will normaly receive the funds in our bank within 1-3 working days. However, if you make a transaction with Paypal, it can take 7-10 working days for the money to go into our bank. Whilst this does not affect you the customer, if you pay via HSBC we will receive your money quicker and it will spend less time accruing interest at Paypal for their own benefit!
5. HSBC refunds processing is quicker than Paypal. For exactly the same reason as above (but in reverse!), if we issue a refund to a customer who has paid via HSBC, then the refund will show up in your account within 1-3 working days. However, if we issue a refund to a customer who has paid via paypal then it will take 5-7 working days to show up in your account.
6. When paying via the HSBC payments gateway, you have a wider choice of cards you can use. For example, you can use your American Express card if you select to pay via HSBC. |
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My address is not showing up on the HSBC epayments site?
Q: I have tried to purchase some items and after putting my card details in I was shown the 'confirm your details' page. However, while my card number was on there, the billing address and delivery address sections were blank. I cancelled my order as I wasn't sure this was right. Surely it should show both addresses so that I can confirm they are correct?
A: If your address does not show don't worry. Most importantly you must enter your billing and shipping address details CORRECTLY on Coconut Hut. You cannot edit any address details once you have been passed to HSBC. HSBC only take your payment - they do not confirm the acuracy of your address. This is precisely why on our site we ask you to enter your BILLING address EXACTLY as it appears on your statement.
When you are passed over to HSBC, your address details are encrypted for security reasons. These address details are used for various online security checks includng AVS (address verification service). Upon successful payment, your Coconut Hut order number is given a successful Transaction ID. When we subsequently download the orders we receive the ones with successful payment and transaction IDs in one folder - and the ones without successful payment (i.e. declined cards or customers who abandoned the transaction at the last minute) in another folder.
The HSBC e-payments facility is fully integrated with our ecommerce software. The partnership and integration between our E-commerce software and HSBCs Secure E-payments system is in fact one of the leading partnerships in the world. Customers therefore need not worry that their address does not 'show up' once transferred to HSBC. As detailed above, the billing address has been encrypted and it would be impossible for the transaction to even proceed if they did not have your address. You cannot see it because the system we use does not allow you to alter it once at that stage anyway.
Please therefore ensure that when you are entering your billing address on our site COCONUT HUT that you enter it exactly as it apears on your statement. The billing address you enter on COCONUT HUT is the address that HSBC use for verification purposes.
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I am having problems whilst on the External Secure Payments site
You have the option to pay via HSBC Secure Epayments or Paypal. So if one of these systems does not work for you then go back and try the other. If you cannot access one of these gateways then it is possible that they are currently unavailable for technical reasons. Although this is very rare, it does occassionaly happen. Please understand that in this instance, the problem is not with Coconut Hut, it is a problem with their payment systems or servers. This is precisely why we offer two different payment solutions. If one is down or you are experiencing problems, you can still pay using the alternative.
However, if you are successfully on the HSBC Secure Epayments site or Paypal Secure Payments site but are having problems making the payment, make sure you are allowing enough time for the payment to be processed. This can take anything from 3 seconds to 3 minutes so please be patient. Once it has worked you will get a confirmation (whilst still on the external site) telling you so. If you do not get this then try again from scratch as it is unlikely to have gone through if you do not receive confirmation. However, you could also try checking your email account to see if you have received an automated email telling you the order is being processed - this would indicate that the transaction did go through OK.
If you seem to be losing connection every time you try to make the payment then perhaps you are on a networked computer that forbids you from shopping online? perhaps there are parental controls within your anti-virus software stoping you from performing certain tasks? try clearing your cookies? try from another computer all together? There are all sorts of possible settings on your computer that might be preventing you from making payments online. |
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I don't know if the payment has gone through, and I don't want to get charged twice by trying again!
Don't worry, if you are unsure then definately try again. If we receive two identical orders both with payments that have gone through then don't worry we will reject one of them. It is very obvious when this happens, and it is better that you are totally sure than the other way round. We will reject any additional identical orders when we first notice them. This is usually within a few hours. Please note that during this time, it will appear from your banks point of view that you have indeed made extra orders. You could always phone them up to find out if a payment has gone through if you are unsure. |
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How else can I pay?
Remember that you have the option to pay via HSBC Secure Epayments or PAYPAL. So if one of these systems does not work for you then go back and try the other.
If neither of these work and you are totally fed up with trying to pay online, then we are more than happy to take your payment via Cheque. If this is you just email us and we will give you the necessary details. Please note that your cheque will need to clear before any items are sent out. Sorry but we do not accept telephone payments. We do all our card processing using secure online systems and do not want anything to do with the risks associated with taking payments over the phone! |
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Do you accept American Express?
Yes, you can now pay with your American Express card when you select HSBC e-payments as the Payment method. If you want to pay by American Express do not select Paypal as your payment method. |
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Is my billing address the place I want it shipped to?
NO! The Billing / Invoice address is the address that appears on your card statement. It should be written EXACTLY as it appears on your bank statement. No spelling mistakes or abbreviations. If you enter this incorrectly then the transaction comes back to us as Fraudulent. We then have to look into the transaction in more depth, and in some cases we may not be able to accept the transaction at all. This process takes up our time unnessessarily and delays your order.
Please enter your billing address exactly as it apears on your bank statement. |
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But I want my parcel shipped elsewhere!
Thats fine. Once you have filled in your billing address you will be asked if you want your parcel shipped to another address. If you tick the box to indicate that Yes you want it shipped elsewhere, then the screen will open up a new address field into which you can enter your desired shipping address. This may be your work address, or a friends address. It is usually advisable to enter a shipping address where you know someone can sign for the parcel. |
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If no one is in what happens?
We send items via recorded post. This means someone HAS to sign for them, so if no one is in to sign for the item then the postman/woman will put a card through your letter box which will give you details on where to get your package from. You will normally just need to go to your local postal sorting office with ID and collect the package. So if you know you are not going to be in then there is no problem with putting your home address as the shipping address. Most sorting offices are open in the evening and most are also open on saturdays too. Please note however, that if your item is left in the sorting office for more than 5 working days then it will be returned to us! I know this doesn't seem long and we agree, but this is what they do. We would then have to send the package out a second time, so PLEASE COLLECT IT ASAP! |
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I have received a shipping email but my parcel is not here yet!
If you have received a shipping email then that means we are dispatching your parcel that day. You should therefore expect to receive your parcel within 1-3 days within the UK.
If you do not, then generally this means your parcel has failed to be delivered. In this instance, the parcel will have been returned to the local sorting office and is awaiting collection by you. You will get a card through the door from the postman detailing this. Please collect your parcel as quickly as possible because after just 5 working days (sometimes a bit longer depending on the sorting office) they return to sender. If for any reason you do not see this card through door and it has been more than a few days then email us and ask for your tracking number. We always obtain a tracking number. If for any reason a note is not left then the only thing to do is complain to your local sorting office or post man, as this is negligence on their part not ours.
To track your item you will need to go to www.royalmail.com
Once you enter your tracking number you will get a response from the website detailing the where abouts of your parcel. We will normaly look this up for you too once you alert us to any delays.
We would like to stress that although we can never be held liable for the postage system, we actually have very good faith in them. It is extremely rare that we have problems with Royal Mail. |
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Where is my parcel?
If you have had an email from us saying that your item has been destpatched, but there is still no sign of it! Please email us and ask for the tracking number. We will provide you with the tracking number and you can go to www.royalmail.com where you will be able to obtain datails on the status of your delivery. Once you fill in your tracking number at Royal Mail, the system provides the information it has about the bar code of your parcel. Usual responses say things like 'It's on its way' or 'We have your item' or 'This item was delivered on ...'.
The post office only allows us to make a claim for missing items after a certain period of time. For overseas parcels this is 21 working days, and for the UK it is slightly less - although you will be pleased to hear that this eventuality has not yet occured in the UK.
Please understand that we can never be held fully liable for the postal service and its efficiency because we are not them. For further reading please visit www.royalmail.com |
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Can I exchange a clothing item if it does not fit?
You must let us know within 7 days of receiving the item if you want to exchange anything or claim a refund.
If you get your item, try it on and find that it is too large or too small and want to have the bigger or smaller size instead, this is absolutely fine. Email us asap with the details and we will get back to you with a return address.
If when you receive your item it is the wrong size, then we are happy to have the next size made up and send this out as an exchange. However, please do not order two of the same clothing items in different sizes with the intention of sending one back. We are a small company and our clothes are made to order. We simply cannot use up our resources by hand making an item only to have it sent back the following week. For any question regarding this please email us prior to purchase.
Please remember that all return and refund considerations have to be made within 7 days of you receiving the goods. So if you have a problem or query please contact us as soon as possible. |
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Can I get a Refund?
If you feel you have made a real mistake then we are more than happy to exchange or refund your purchase. Please chose carefully and email us first with any questions to avoid having to return items at all. Returns are not only a waste of time to us - but also to you! You will need to go to the post office, have the package weighed and get a proof of posting slip. Its all very time consumming.
However, for any REFUND or EXCHANGE consideration you must contact us within 7 DAYS of receiving the item. After 7 days there is nothing we can do. We have to have a cut off point and by law 7 days is the amount of time at which a seller must accept returns and exchanges. This excludes instances where items have been damaged by the customer i.e. when opening the parcel.
Refunds and Exchanges will only be accepted where items are UNWORN and where possible STILL TAGGED. |
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I urgently need something, if it does not arrive in time can I get a refund?
This question applies to people who are using the Additional fee for next day delivery (UK ONLY) . If you have pre-arranged next day delivery with us, and the package does not come to your door OR a while you were out card is not left saying they came to your door with a 'Special Delivery' then yes we will give you a refund. This is because, although we cannot guarantee standard 1st class recorded postage times, we can claim compensation for late items when they are not delivered on time using the 'Special Delivery' service.
However, we cannot be held liable for exact postage times when sending items out via first class recorded post. So if you need an item for a specific date but are not using the Additional fee for next day delivery (UK ONLY) then please inform us of when you need the package by. Atleast if we know the date we can do our best to make sure it reaches you in time. |
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Will I get a full refund? i.e. including postage.
This depends on the reason you are returning your item, and in most cases you will be refunded for the product being retutrned not the original postage.
If you are returning it because: it does not match your outfit; you no longer need it because the event has passed; or it was a simple mistake buy... Then we will just be refunding the cost of the product being returned. The item has been sent and arrived at its destination so we cannot refund the postage itself.
Eg. The total of your order is £6.74 this includes postage and handling - but the product itself is only £4.50. This means your refund will be £4.50
The only instance where you will get a total refund including postage is where there was a problem of somekind at our end i.e. the item is being returned because of our negligence somehow. Please note that we cannot be held responsible for any problems arising as a direct results of Royal Mail. |
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Who pays for the postage on returns packages?
If you are returning any item then you are the ones to pay the postage. This applies to people returning items because they want another colour or size, or a refund because they have changed their mind or no longer need the item.
Go to the post office and send via cheapest 2nd class post - Please obtain a proof of posting slip from the post office.
If you are OUTSIDE THE UK and are returning an item then you are still the ones to pay. You just need to work out whether or not it is worth returning the item at all when the postage costs might be quite high - depending on which country you are in.
The only time we will re-imburse postage costs on items being returned is where the item is being returned due to a fault of ours. i.e. there is a serious manufacturing fault or we have sent you the entirely wrong item. We will either re-imburse you against your order or will send out a cheque to compensate. If you have any queries just contact us. |
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I want to know the total cost of my order and postage before ordering?!
The cost of your order depends on which items you buy, how many, and where you are ordering from. The easiest and quickest way to find out the P&P costs is to select your items and proceed to the checkout in the normal way. Fill in all the required info and once you reach the point at which the system works out your postage costs, you will then have an exact figure. Just before it asks you to pay you can then abandon the transaction and return later if you wish.
Please DO NOT contact us and ask us this quesion because we would only go through the same process described above ourselves.
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How much is that in my currency? Dollars $ Euros
We show our prices in Pound Sterling GBP £ only. Your credit/debit card company are the ones to perform the exchange into the currency of your country. This will be done at the current exchange rate and is nothing to do with us so please dont ask us how much your order will be in Dollars $ Euros or anything else.
The best thing to do is refer to FAQ 'I want to know the total cost of my order and postage before ordering?!' and then look at an online currency converter.
View an Online Currency Converter |
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I have tried to call but cannot get through what should I do?
Apologies but we are a small enterprise and could be commited to other aspects of the business at that time or even working on an outside freelance project. We have no secretary and cannot always get to the phone if we are doing a number of other things such as perhaps driving, posting orders, in a meeting, buying stock or sewing .
Your best bet is to email us. We regularly look at our emails and can get back to you very quickly in this way. If you do not get a response within a few hours (this is very rare) then it is likely that we are indeed commited to doing something else that day. In which case on this occasion we will not be able to deal with your enquiry until that evening or the following day. |
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I need a small number of leg warmers in a few days, will they arrive on time?
So long as you are just after small quantities and/or single pairs this is usually no problem at all. Please just go ahead and order. We only ask you to email us first if you specificaly need larger quantities to be delivered within a few days.
Bearing in mind that recorded first class delivery usually takes 1-2 days, then as long as the items are in stock then you are pretty safe to order up to 3 working days in advance. Even two working days in advance is usually pretty safe as long as you leave anough time for us to get to the post office that day. Just please be aware that we cannot be liable fot the postage times where they are not guaranteed by Royal Mail.
If you want it guaranteed by Royal Mail then please read FAQ 'I urgently need something, what should I do?' (towards the top of this page) for more info on Special Delivery which is a next day guaranteed service. |
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I need several leg warmers by a certain date, is this possible?
If we do not have the right leg warmers in stock then we will need to get them in ourselves first. We regularly get leg warmers deliveries but if it turns out that we are just one short of your order, or need to specificaly order in a large quantity of one colour for you, then we will obviously not be able to despatch on the same day.
The best thing to do is just email us first. This way we can get the necessary leg warmers in ourselves, and let you know if the order is possible. So long as our suppliers have the leg warmers in stock then we can get them in ourselves on the following day. This is a very quick process, so there is no need to worry. Our suppliers are very reliable.
99% of the time we can satisfy requests for larger quantities of leg warmers needed for a certain date, even if they are needed in just a few days time. Just ask. |
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I need several pairs of leg warmers in the same colour do I get a discount?
Yes. Please get in touch for details. Please note however, that if there are currently existing offers on the leg warmers such as buy three get third half price - Then you will only get further discounts on higher quantities.
Please also be aware that if you become a Funky Member with a LOG IN account - Then you can get 10% off your Cart Total regardless of quantities or existing offers! Go to Funky Members page for details of how to get a further 10% OFF |
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I have seen an item of clothing i like but do not know which size to go for!
Our size guides are just that, a guide. As you are probably aware exact sizes vary from one brand to another. An 8 in M&S could be a 12 in New Look. It really depends on the fit, style and brand.
Please note that most of the Regazzacci items are made of stretch fabrics, and are therefore more likely to fit various body shapes and sizes than non-stretch items. It is actually extremely rare that customers choose the wrong size, so it is a problem that we are not that used to. Our size guides must be pretty accurate!
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Why does the Diva Fleece take longer?
Diva fleece is made to order by an outside source, so we can never have full control over the manufacturing time. However, whilst we say Diva fleece items take 1-4 weeks to manufacture, they are usually made and ready for despatch within 10 days. We prefer to allow a little longer just in case of any unexpected delays, such as the company being extremely busy or a certain colour running out. |
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Do you take custom orders?
Yes. Regazzacci custom design service is ready at your service. We can work on anything from single custom orders to freelance work for the Film, TV and Music industries. Because the Regazzacci studio is on site, we can offer you a much more personal service than available elsewhere.
Custom orders for individuals: These are usually quite simple customisations of existing Regazzacci items. For example you might see a dress you like but want it with different sleeves, you might see a fabric you like and want it as a top? You might for example like the shape of the cropped flares but not see it advertised in the fabric you like... In which case get in touch and see if this is possible. So long as the fabric is suitable, then it is possible. We usually prefer to base special requests around items that are already available as this is less time consuming, and will rarely cost you any extra money.
However, for anything more complicated or where any pattern has to made from scatch there will obviously be additional fees. For all enquiries just email and we will be happy to help. |
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How are the items packaged?
We ship all packages out in grey mailbags called Tough Sac's. These are light but sturdy and suited to our products as we rarely need to send out breakables. Most of our items are textile based. Any items such as jewellery needing extra protection are wrapped in bubble wrap first.
Please DO NOT use SCISSORS to open your parcel. You might cut through your item!
We are researching hard to find a more environmentaly friendly solution to our packaging, but finding this difficult as there seems to be very little in the way of eco frindly packaging that is both waterproof and lightweight. If any one has any suggestions to this problem please do let us know! |
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Is there a handling fee?
Yes. We have a handling charge of just 25p on each order. This covers the cost of the packaging materials, the time it takes to package each item and the expenses involved in going to the post office everyday, including petrol and parking. The 25p is per order not per item. We could instead build this charge into the cost of each item but believe that this would be unfair on people ordering more than one item. |
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My payment has gone through but you have emailed me telling me my transaction is fraudulent when I know it is not!
Online credit card security these days is very secure, and the tight measures in place are only there to keep you safe from card crime. If HSBC comes back to us with details about a possible indication of card crime then we have to look into this seriously.
The silly thing is that this usually occurs because customers enter their details incorrectly. 99% of the time, possible fraud warnings are due to customers entering their billing address incorectly. People often enter their shipping address by mistake, or they enter their correct billing address but with spelling mistakes or abbreviations.
You must enter your billing name and address exactly as it apears on your statement.
Other possible fraud indicators are where people enter a P.O. Box as the shipping address. Please avoid this altogether. Remember you can have your item shipped to any address so there is no need to send it to a P.O. Box. Another possible fraud indicator is where someone from abroad places an order using a card not from that country. Because although the billling address could be exactly right, this is a strong indication that someone abroad has stolen your card details to buy items on the internet. This is in fact the most common indication of real card crime, and in this case we are just not willing to accept the transaction in the first place. If you are genuinely on holiday or temporarily out of the country then we suggest you ask a friend or family member to place the order for you.
Sorry but we have to be vigilant. If we were to accept a fraudulent transaction then we are the ones who are liable to pay back any money. |
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Why can't you just accept the transaction and take the risk?
Because it just isn't worth it. If we were to accept the transaction and it did turn out to be fraudulent then this is what we loose:
1) MONEY: Which we have to repay to the true card holders bank.
2) TIME: The process involved in having to repay the money is extremely time consuming and involves lots of arduous paper work and lengthly time wasting rituals of having to write letters and digging out proof of delivery notes etc. etc. etc.
3) STOCK: Yes we also as a result end up losing the stock, because it may as well have been thrown down the bin.
So please understand that although you may be a totally honest person.. If there is any remote doubt then we quite simply prefer not to take your order in the first place. It just isn't worth it. |
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So how are we going to resolve this problematic transaction then?
There is always a solution... Try again making sure everything is spelled correctly, try another card altogether, ask a friend to order for you or even pay via Paypal or cheque?!
Most customers understand our predicament and do their best to cooperate. The ones that don't cooperate or don't respond at all are more than likely to be the ones involved in card crime in which case we are pleased not be doing business with them. |
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How do I stop my transactions in the future from coming back as potentially fraudulent?
In most cases this is quite simple, and it is something that the banks don't tell you. Presumably because they make more money by not telling you. There is a thing called 'Payer Security Level' which is an indication of who is liable to repay any moneys if the transaction concerned does turn out to be fraudulent.
If payer authentication is supported by your bank AND you are enrolled on the scheme, then the merchant (such as us) can accept the transaction in the safe knowledge that we will not be liable to repay money if it does end up being fraudulent.
So for obvious reasons, if we know we are not liable to repay any money then we are much more likely to accept the transaction.
Most banks and associated card providers (there are exceptions) do support 'Payer Authentication' .... BUT they do not automatically enroll you on it. This is because they would rather us shops be liable than them. If you are enrolled for payer authentication, and the transaction does turn out to be fraudulent (i.e. someone has stolen your card details), then the banks are the ones to repay the money not us.
So call up your bank and ENROL FOR PAYER AUTHENTICATION now. This way even when you do make a silly spelling mistake or something similar then we can usually accept your transaction as normal. |
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