Frequently asked questions

Please find the answers to some questions we are asked most frequently.

Q. I have applied a gift voucher or discount code to my basket and have changed my mind, and would like to remove it.

A. If you click on 'view basket' you can adjust the number of products in the basket, and chooose to remove any gift vouchers or discount codes you have applied.

Q. When does my card get debited?

A. When you enter your details, we are given a ?pre-authorisation’ from your card issuer. This confirms that there is sufficient money available to make the purchase, but does not debit your card. We only debit your card at the time when we despatch.

Q. Why was my payment was declined?

A. Some of the most common reasons for payment to be declined are:
1. The card details were entered incorrectly.
2. Your billing address did not exactly match that registered with your payment card company.
3. There are insufficient funds available
4. As part of anti-fraud measures if the transaction is for an unusual amount.

If you wish to try placing the order again, please first check your address details in the ?your account’ section of the site and amend if necessary.
Take extra care when entering the card details, and remember that the security code on the back of the card is the last three numbers only.

If find that you are still unable to place your order, we may be able to take payment by phone. Please feel free to call us on 023 9275 2755 between 9.30 and 5.30 Monday to Saturday, alternatively send us an email, with your name, brief details of your problem and a convenient time for us to phone you.

Q. The Card Payment Screen shows a different value to the checkout total

A. This will only happen if you have been through the checkout as far as the card details screen, and then pressed the back button and changed the products in your basket.
We use an external provider for our card processing, and unfortunately once your original order is transferred to them, there is no direct way to cancel it. Your order details will stay there for a period of time, or until you complete the process.
If you do want to change an order at this stage, the simplest method is to deliberately enter your details incorrectly. This will result in your order being declined, and you will be returned to our site with an empty basket.
We are working on a better solution to this!

Q. I have forgotten my user name

A. If you have forgotten your user name, please contact us and we will send it to you by email. If you are in a hurry to place an order, you can always re-register, it only takes a minute, but you not be able to use the same email address as you originally registered with.

Q. Why do I have to register before viewing the checkout screen?

A. You can see all the details of your order from the ?view basket’ screen.
We need your details to correctly process and deliver your order, and in case we have to contact you should there be any problems.
The good thing is that when you enter your details once, a personal account is automatically set up for you, so next time you visit, all you have to do is log in to manage existing orders or place new ones without having to re-enter all your details (for security reasons, we do not store your payment card details, so these must be entered each time you place an order).

 Q. Why is Delivery only available for the UK Mainland?

A. In order to offer good prices online and to keep postage charges to a minimum we have to use the most cost efficient method to ship each order. Depending on the size and weight of an order we will either send it by Royal Mail or by Courier.

Royal Mail does not charge extra to deliver to UK islands (excluding Channel Islands), however they have various restrictions on size of packages, and once an item exceeds 1kg the charges escalate significantly, in which case we would would normally use a courier. In order to send an item away from the mainland, courier companies add a surcharge, which can more than double the cost.

It is possible for us to send items outside the mainland, but this is decided on a case by case basis, and may involve a surcharge. We do not make a profit out of the surcharge, it merely reflects the additional cost to us.

If you give us a list of items you would like to order, we will be able to tell you if they would require a surcharge to send.

Q. Why was I charged £3.95 for delivery when the Royal Mail postage cost was lower?

A. The £3.95 standard delivery charge includes VAT and is the same for any order under £30 regardless of size or weight. If you spend over £30 we do not charge anything for standard delivery.

In order to keep our prices down, we select the least expensive method of shipping for each order. Even so, the vast majority of our orders cost more to ship than the standard delivery charge.

The price charged by Royal Mail or our courier company only makes up part of the cost of sending an order. On top of that is the cost of processing and packing, which is fairly constant regardless of the value of the order. As a result, even if the Royal Mail charge was relatively low (as in the case of some small, lightweight items) it is unlikely that any profit was made out of the delivery charge. There are a few items on our website which are at such a low price that if we did not apply the delivery charge we would make a loss every time they are ordered hence there would be no point in selling them.

Our delivery charges are simple, unambiguous and are clearly displayed from the moment you add an item to your basket. We believe our delivery policy is both fair and reasonable, and regularly assess it against many of our competitors.

Q. I want to order a lot of items, can I have a discount?

A. We welcome enquires for bulk orders, and are often able to offer a discount for volume. Please contact us with details of the items you are interested in and we will be able to provide a quote.