Shipping & International Order Information

UK Shipments
Delivery Tracking
International Orders Within the EU
International Orders Outside the EU
Insurance
Other Destinations and Services

This page contains a lot of detail on our shipping policy, both for UK and for export shipments. Our general policy is to ship at our cost price using fully tracked services with reputable carriers, but often without full insurance cover as we have found that unnecessary. You can opt to pay the insurance surcharge from the carriers if you wish.

Customers requesting parcels to be left without signing, or with a neighbour etc, do so at their own risk. Drivers are usually very reluctant to leave a parcel without a signature as they can be personally liable if anything goes missing. Delivering to a work address, a parent or partner, a specific neighbour, or to a local Post Office (see below) are all much preferred/recommended if you will not be available to sign for the parcel at your normal address.

This page will hopefully answer any further questions, but a general recommendation is that you contact us if delivery timing, stock availability or insurance are of particular importance for you.

UK Shipments (exc. N. Ireland, Highlands & Islands, etc)

We generally use Parcelforce for shipments within the majority of the UK. Very light weight items will usually be sent by first class post within the UK. The shopping cart will show the shipping cost and alternative shipping options (where available) before you are prompted for payment details.

Orders valued over £150 are shipped free of charge within the UK, main zone only, using the Parcelforce 24-hour service. You have the option of paying extra for next-day shipping before noon, next-day before 10am, and next-day *after* noon, but we would advise that you phone us to ensure your desired items are in stock and that you are within the time window for same-day despatch, if you really require delivery the following day.

Parcelforce charges within the UK are normally £7.00 inc VAT (at 20%) for 24-hour service (or Post Office ConvenientCollect service) up to 30kg weight (or free of charge above £150 order value), £10.33 inc VAT for next day before noon or next day after noon delivery, £12.29 for before 10am, or £16.14 for next day before 9am, or £21.40 for Saturday delivery.

We can offer a Post Office ConvenientCollect service, whereby Parcelforce will deliver direct to a Post Office near you, and you can then collect your parcel from there. This is the same price as the normal 24-hour service. Feel free to suggest a Post Office address in the 'Additional Information' field during our shopping cart checkout (below where you enter your address), and we will try to pick that P.O. from the options presented to us. We can't guarantee that your favourite Post Office will always be available and we will choose an alternative based upon your post code in the rare occasions when the preferred P.O. is not available. Parcelforce will send you an e-mail with Post Office address, opening hours and a tracking reference for the parcel. You need to print that e-mail and take it with some id to the Post Office. You can use the parcel tracking to check that the parcel has been delivered. Note that this service is only possible if you have an e-mail address and can print the e-mail from them.

No Signature Required Upon Request: UK deliveries can be left without the driver having to get a signature, by special request. We recommend the popular Post Office Convenient Collect service where it is difficult to have someone available to sign for a delivery and if delivery to a work address or neighbour is impossible. If these are all not practical, we can offer unsigned-for delivery as an option. Beware that this is at your own risk, so if you request that the driver leaves a parcel in your porch and it's not there when you get home, there is no comeback. Hence, please only request this when you really are confident this is the only realistic option and you are willing to take responsibility. If you want to take this option, please give details in the Additional Information field below your delivery address during the shopping cart checkout. Note that this is only available within the UK.

Note that we have a booking cut-off time or your order may include an item that is not in stock, either of which would result in you not receiving your order the next day (but we will still despatch the order on the requested shipping service when all items are available, so it should arrive in the given time slot on a subsequent day).

The *after* noon delivery service can be just as convenient as the before noon service - both should avoid you having to stay in all day waiting for a delivery.

The shopping cart does not display these but we can also offer next-day before 10am, next-day before 9am, and a Saturday delivery service on request. Pricing is above. Please phone us if this is of interest.

Note that we always try to keep all listed items in stock but this is not guaranteed and we will not assure that we will contact you if your order may be delayed (we do usually try to make contact, but this is not always possible during busy periods or if you don't reply to your e-mail or answer your phone quickly enough!). For example, we have such a wide range of chain gauges and lengths, we will never have every length immediately available with a sleeve already fitted and this cutting & sleeving process can sometimes add an extra day to the delivery. Regular chain preparation sessions are on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, with other days on a more variable basis. Please phone us if delivery timing is important.

The 48-hour and 24-hour/Next Day services refer to working days: A 48-hour shipment despatched on Thursday will normally be delivered the following Monday, and a next day shipment despatched on a Friday will normally be delivered the following Monday. These are not guaranteed delivery times and shipment to the Scottish highlands and islands and to Northern Ireland, for instance, will often take 1-2 days extra. An order processed after the booking cut-off will invariably take an extra day to be delivered. E.g. a next-day order placed at 5pm on a Thursday will usually be delivered on the following Monday, stock allowing, and an order placed on a Friday evening will usually be delivered on the following Tuesday. We are unable to despatch anything over the weekend.

We can usually ship to your work address or to a partner's address, to a local Post Office (see above), to a neighbour, etc. We reserve the right to refuse an order with an address that does not match the card billing address, especially when card details/3D-Secure checks are incomplete or when PayPal is used for payment. This is very rarely an issue and we will contact you if it is causing a problem, but certain transactions have been found to be fraudulent in the past. Being cautious protects us and it protects you from someone else trying to use your details. If you wish to use a different shipping address, please pay via SECPay (aka PayPoint.net) and be sure to give your billing address accurately, and please go through the 3D-Secure process (i.e. Verified-by-Visa or MasterCard SecureCode). We want to see billing address and post code matches and 'Cardholder Authenticated' when we process the transaction. Again, feel free to contact us if you wish.

We will not normally take any money from your credit card until an order is ready for despatch. In exceptional circumstances where an item is out of stock and you have been informed of the expected shipment date, or if it is a custom order (e.g. a keyed-alike lock), we will charge your card in advance of items being ready for shipment. You can always cancel a normal order for stock items at any time before they are booked for shipment. Cancellation due to a delay in stock availability is normally eligible for a 100% refund, but only if you contact us before the goods are despatched.

Shipments to N. Ireland, Highlands & Islands, etc

We use Parcelforce for shipping to more distant parts of the UK and usually offer the 48-hour service. Note that selecting the nominal 24-hour service in our shopping cart will actually still be processed as a 48-hour shipment due to logistics and costs for the more remote destinations. Please contact us for more details or for alternative services, if required.

Delivery Tracking

We will usually advise shipment details if you provide an e-mail address when you place your order.

Parcelforce shipments can be tracked using the reference number at http://www.parcelforce.com - this includes shipments sent via Parcelforce to the GLS/EMS/EPG network.

DHL shipments can be tracked at http://www.dhl.co.uk (follow the European Road or International Air Express links, and then Track by Ident Code - note that you must select the destination country and enter the full ident code without any spaces or dashes). UPS international services generally offer better tracking, but are also usually more expensive. UPS tracking can be performed with a tracking number via http://www.ups.com

International Orders within the EU

We can ship direct to any destination within the EU and is charged at our cost price, including for orders above £150. VAT will be charged as shown throughout our site (UK VAT is 20%, and this is included in all published product prices). The shopping cart will show the estimated shipping cost before you are prompted for credit card details.

Shipping within the EU is typically arranged with the Parcelforce/GLS/EMS/EPG network (usually using the Euro Priority service), or via the DHL Europlus service, all of which claim delivery within 2-5 working days.

Parcelforce/GLS/EMS/EPG shipping within Europe is usually a flat rate for any weight up to 30kg, so you will get a better deal by buying more products!

Insurance cover for £50 is included.

International Orders outside the EU

We can ship direct to many destinations outside the EU. VAT will be deducted from the product prices shown throughout our site when non-EU orders are processed. UK VAT is 20%, and this is included in all published prices, so the price charged for the products will be lower than those shown. Shipping outside the UK is charged at our cost price, including for orders above £150. The shopping cart will show an estimated shipping cost before you are prompted for payment details. Shipping costs for destinations outside the EU are shown without VAT so it is easier for you to compare shipping prices. Remember that the goods prices are always displayed including VAT at 20%.

Shipping outside the EU is typically arranged via the Parcelforce/GLS network on their Global Priority service, or through DHL Parcel Express or UPS Express services, which all generally claim delivery within 1-4 working days and insurance cover is included up to £50. Faster services are available and additional insurance cover is available, all at our cost price - please contact us if required.

Import duty: Although customers outside the EU are entitled to the VAT-exclusive price from us, you should expect to pay import duty as charged by your own country's customs authority. Importing security products into the United States, for example, typically attracts 15% import duty but there is usually a US$200 threshold before customs charges apply, or a AUS$1000 threshold for Australia. You are liable for all customs charges and they are usually collected by the carrier prior to, or upon, delivery.

Insurance

As mentioned above, we often ship without full insurance cover as we have found that unnecessary. Note that most shipping services include £50-£150 of insurance cover, only. First class post has no insurance whatsoever. Shipping is at your risk so if you want to pay the insurance surcharge from the carriers that is your option. Please contact us if you require more details.

Areas or Services Not Listed

Please contact us if you require delivery to a country or zone that is not offered in our shopping cart or if you require special arrangements (e.g. before 9am, Saturday, a pallet-load shipment, or international expedited delivery). We are happy to quote for other requirements. We always endeavour to provide an excellent service.