Shipping
PREPARING YOUR ORDER FOR SHIPPING
I believe that buying vintage and antique pieces is better for the world and as part of this philosophy, I use as much recycled and biodegradable materials as possible when packing up your items for delivery. I use paper tape as much as I can, all of my boxes are from sustainable and recycled sources and the packing peanuts which I use to protect your items are produced from GM free starch and are fully biodegradable. If you cannot re-use them, then please put them in your compost bin or dissolve them in water. The bubble wrap I use is not biodegradable; the biodegradable bubble wrap which is currently available actually uses more energy to create than standard wrap so is not environmentally friendly at this stage. Please reuse the bubble wrap wherever possible as I continue to look for more sustainable alternatives.
SHIPPING TIMES AND CHARGES
I aim to process and prepare all orders for shipping within 1 - 3 working days. The shipping times thereafter, and related charges, are as follows:
Collect
Free
You are welcome to collect your order from our business address which is Sand Platt, Church Lane, Ripe, East Sussex BN8 6AS UK. Please contact me at roberta@huntthepearl.com or on 07760 661035 before placing your order to arrange this.
UK mainland standard delivery
Included in the price of your order
This is a 1 - 3 working day delivery time
Non-UK mainland and continental Europe standard delivery
Shipping costs are calculated at checkout based on the size and weight of the item(s) you have chosen.
This is a 3 to 7 working day delivery depending on your specific location.
Rest of world
Shipping costs are calculated at checkout based on the size and weight of the item(s) you have chosen.
This is a 3 to 12 working day delivery depending on your specific location.
The above shipping times cannot be guaranteed by Hunt the Pearl as, once items are dispatched, delivery is dependent on Royal Mail and/or the courier companies used.
Please contact me if you would like to receive your item(s) sooner than the proposed shipping times as faster shipping can often be arranged at additional cost.
Surcharges for remote areas
Please note that there may be surcharges for delivery to more remote locations, such as outside urban regions in Australia, which cannot be calculated until your order is booked in with our courier companies. If this is the case with your order, I will notify you as soon as is possible with information about any additional charges and will send a payment request for any additional shipping costs. Your order will then be shipped on receipt of this additional payment.
WHO I SHIP WITH
Small items are sent by UK Royal Mail and larger items are sent using a courier service. I use a range of courier companies including UPS, DPD and Parcelforce. I keep proof of postage for every piece sent and will provide you with tracking information, where available, so that you can track the progress of your order.
Large items, such as furniture, can either be collected for free from my base in East Sussex or I can arrange delivery using a local courier service. I am also happy for you to arrange your own courier collection if you would prefer (I would recommend www.shiply.com where you can receive a number of competitive quotes from couriers across the UK). Shipping costs for these items are not included in the purchase price and will be agreed separately. Please contact me on 07760 661035 or roberta@huntthepearl.com to discuss delivery arrangements prior to purchasing the item or you may purchase the item first using the free 'local pickup' option at checkout and then contact me to pay for and arrange delivery.
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOUR ITEMS ARE LOST OR DAMAGED
I fully insure all deliveries against loss or damage and I take a great deal of care to ensure that every order is packed securely and in a way which minimises the chance of damage during the shipping process. In the unlikely event that your items are lost or damaged during delivery, the issue will be dealt with in accordance with the policies of Royal Mail or the courier service used for that particular order.
Please get in touch as soon as is possible if any of your pieces have unfortunately been damaged in transit so that I can assess the situation and contact the relevant courier company asap.
CUSTOMS
I complete a customs declaration for all orders that are shipped outside of the UK. This is attached to your parcel and will be opened by your customs agencies on arrival. This may lead to additional local taxes and charges which are solely the buyer's responsibility. Hunt the Pearl is in no way responsible for the payment of these charges or for any delays that may occur as a result of non-payment of said charges or local customs processes.