Delivery Information and Options
PLEASE NOTE: All delivery times quoted are the transit times AFTER your order has been shipped, so please take note of despatch times for the products you are buying, they vary depending on if they are in stock, out of stock or have to be made to order.
UK Delivery Options
International Delivery Options
Royal Mail 1st Class Recorded
This method of postage requires a signature, delivery would normally take 1 day, but the parcel is not tracked, it will go through the normal postage system, and the only difference between this and standard first class delivery is that it will need a signature upon delivery.
If there is no-one to receive delivery a card will be left (we do get quite a few customers who do not get left a card, so if you receive an email confirming despatch and it does not arrive, then check back with us to confirm it has been posted and then check with your post office) and the parcel will be returned to your local post office.
The post office will keep it for 1 week before returning it to us.
The disadvantage of this postage method is that if your delivery does not arrive there is very little we can do until 15 working days have passed, as it will not officially be classed as lost until then.
If you choose this service and your parcel is lost, you would have to wait until it is officially classed as lost by Royal Mail before we could send out a replacement, which is currently 15 working days.
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Royal Mail Tracked.
This is a relatively new service offered by Royal Mail, the parcel will be tracked at every point of its delivery cycle, so it is far less likely to be lost. Delivery will take 2 - 3 days. A signature is not required for delivery so the parcel can be left in a safe place or posted through your letter box if it will fit. When you order you can enter shipping instructions for the courier to leave in a shed, safeplace or with a neighbour.
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Royal Mail Special Delivery
This is the best delivery method offered by Royal Mail, in our opinion it is the best delivery method to choose, but costs a bit more.
With Special Delivery your order will be delivered next working day before 1.00pm, this is guaranteed by Royal Mail and they they rarely miss the deadline, but in practice there is not a lot that can be done if they do miss.
Although a Saturday Delivery is not guaranteed, they will on the majority of cases deliver on Saturday as well.
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Courier Next Day Delivery
The next day service from our courier is very reliable, they deliver next day in about 99.7% of cases. Please note the next day service does not mean you will receive it the next day after you place your order, it means it will be delivered the next working day after it is shipped. Please see product details for shipping times.
This service is recommended if you are at the delivery address all day or are getting your order delivered to a business address. The disadvantages of this method are that if there is nobody in to accept delivery it will be taken back to the depot and you will have to phone to re-arrange delivery for another day. The depot can be upto 70 miles away so collecting from the depot yourself can be difficult. When you order you can enter shipping instructions for the courier to leave in a shed, safeplace or with a neighbour.
The Courier will not deliver on a Saturday unless a Surcharge has been paid, the Surcharge is in our opinion very expensive, it is in most cases an additional £25.00.
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Courier 2 Day Delivery
This is exactly the same service as for next day (above), but takes 2 days, it is for the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
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Courier 3 Day Delivery
This is exactly the same service as for next day (above), but takes 3 days, it is for the Northern Island.
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International Delivery Options
Royal Mail International Signed For
This delivery method is the cheapest international service we offer, It requires a signature upon delivery so if there is no-one to receive delivery a card will be left and the parcel will be returned to your local post office.(we do get quite a few customers who do not get left a card, so if you receive an email confirming despatch and it does not arrive, then check back with us to confirm it has been posted and then check with your post office).
The post office will keep it for 1 week before returning it to us.
The disadvantage with this method is that it can take from 1 - 4 weeks for delivery.
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DPD By Road
Delivered by the DPD road network, delivery can take 2 - 5 days depending on your location, this service can only be used for European deliveries, the further you are away from the UK, the longer it will take to get to you.
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Fedex International Delivery
The best and quickest international delivery option we have, it is more expensive than the others but delivery will be 1 - 2 days to USA/Europe and 2 - 3 Days worldwide. Fedex will start clearing your order with customs before it has even left the UK, this makes them the quickest delivery service for international deliveries.
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We look forward to receiving your order.
The Widdowsons Team