DELIVERY & RETURNS

Royal Mail Industrial Action

The postal unions have confirmed that strike action will take place on Friday 9 December, Sunday 11 December, Wednesday 14 December and Thursday 15 December 2022, this will inevitably cause delays in orders being delivered via the postal system.

Due to the reduction in Royal Mail staffing, our regular postal collection on strike days has changed, and we have had to bring our "last order" cut off time forward from 4pm to 1pm on these days  All orders, for "in stock" items received before 1pm received on these days will be dispatched the same day.  Orders received after this time will be dispatched the next working day.

We expect some disruption and delays in the postal system affecting both domestic and, to a lesser extent, airmail services, as a result of the strike action, and thank you for your patience and understanding.

Please note: Royal Mail will prioritise the delivery of Special Delivery items but have temporarily removed the next day guarantee on this service.

For urgent orders please opt to use FedEx at the checkout - we aim to process all FedEx orders received by 1pm for delivery on the next business day in the UK (overseas transit varies by destination).

Christmas 2022 Last Posting Dates

Royal Mail

Royal Mail’s set of last posting dates for the Christmas period are as follows:

*Please note: Latest posting dates are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

FedEx Seasonal Schedule

When choosing a FedEx service, please read the service description in the Shopping Cart for estimated transit times. The days listed in the Shopping Cart are FedEx's estimate of transit time in business days.*

*This does not include time to pass through customs for international deliveries.

FedEx will operate a reduced service availability over the holidays, as detailed in the following table:

Free delivery on UK orders starting from £10 - Free Next day delivery from £125

We offer a variety of delivery options for orders dependent upon their weight, size and value. Relevant delivery options and cost are displayed in the basket as items are added/removed. To view the options and costs for an order, please add items to the basket (no login required).

For urgent/time sensitive orders we recommend using Royal Mail Special Delivery or FedEx next day (free on orders from £125)

Free Royal Mail 48 delivery on UK orders over £10, where all items are less than 20mm thick (including box where supplied). Delivery Mon-Sat.

Free Royal Mail 48 delivery on UK delivery on orders over £20, where any item is more than 20mm thick (including box where supplied) Delivery Mon- Sat.

The UK delivery to be charged on orders under £10, or under £20 if they contain items over 20mm thick will be calculated by weight as items are added to the basket.

Overview of UK Shipping Options

Second Class Post - ideal for non-urgent orders - our cheapest, often free, delivery service. Delivery usually takes 2-4 days (not time guaranteed or tracked). Free on all but very heavy orders over £20, and all non-bulky orders under £10. Delivery Mon-Sat.

Second Class Recorded - an upgrade Second Class option with delivery confirmation, again Delivery usually takes 2-4 days (not time guaranteed). Delivery Mon-Sat.

First Class Post - Orders over £75 and under £10kg in weight. Delivery aim for this service is “next day” (achieved for more than 98% of items), however, is not a time guaranteed or tracked service. Delivery Mon-Sat.

First Class Recorded - an upgraded First Class option with delivery confirmation, again Delivery is “next day” (not time guaranteed). Delivery Mon-Sat.

Special Delivery 1pm - next working delivery - tracked and time guaranteed delivery option. Free on orders over £125. Delivery is next working day - delivery may be attempted on a Saturday, but is not guaranteed.

Special Delivery 9am - next working delivery - tracked and time guaranteed delivery option. Free on orders over £125. Delivery next working day for 9am.

FedEx Next Day - a fully tracked next working day courier delivery service. Price is calculated in the basket - free option on orders over £125. Delivery Mon-Fri (weekend delivery may occasionally be attempted in peak periods, but is not usually the case). N.B. Last order cut off for same day dispatch for orders using this service is 13:00.

Special Delivery Saturday Guarantee - tracked Saturday delivery service from Royal Mail. If you require this service please call us to arrange.

International Orders - Excluding USA

For information regarding ordering / shipping to the US click here.

International orders can be made by selecting the destination country at the top of the page. A guide price will then be shown in your local currency, calculated on the current exchange rate. Your card will be debited in GBP, and the actual price charged in your local currency may vary depending upon the exchange rate used by your bank at the time of the transaction.

Prices shown for EU countries now exclude UK VAT since the UK left the EU on 1 Jan 2021.

Prices shown for all countries outside the UK have VAT removed, but customers will be liable for any import duties or local taxes, if applicable.

The cost of international shipping is calculated by weight, size, order value and the service method selected as you add and remove items to and from the basket. To view shipping cost simply add items to the basket and the relevant options and cost will be calculated (no login required).

Overview of Overseas (non-US) Delivery Options

Airmail - an untracked economy airmail service ideal for low value orders when speed and tracking are not a priority - delivery aim quoted in cart (not time guaranteed).

International Tracked Airmail - an airmail service with tracking and priority handling, ideal for peace of mind - delivery quoted in cart (not time guaranteed).

FedEx International Priority - premium courier service with point-to-point tracking and notifications. Normally delivered within a few day - service aim for destination quoted in cart.

FedEx International Priority Express - premium courier service with point-to-point tracking and notifications. Delivery in the morning, normally within a few day - service aim for destination quoted in cart

FedEx International Economy - economy courier service with point-to-point tracking and notifications - delivery aim varies by destination, quoted in cart (not time guaranteed).

notifications - delivery aim varies by destination, quoted in cart (not time guaranteed). FedEx services also offer flexible shipping options for most destinations e.g. hold delivery / deliver to a local service point etc.

The Pen Company reserves the right to increase shipping charges for orders with a combination of high weight and low value. No changes to shipping charges shown will be made without prior permission of the customer.

All international shipping is via an air service appropriate to the weight and value of the order.

If your country is not listed please e-mail us at [email protected] for further information.

Product availability

We keep the vast majority of items advertised in stock for immediate dispatch, however, some items may not be available immediately as we are awaiting delivery or the item may be required as a special order etc. We list item availability on the product page by the “add to basket” button as follows:

Pre-order:

Items which are shown as available to pre-order such as the PaperBlanks diaries, have been ordered from our supplier but are not due to be delivered to us until the date shown in brackets.

Pre-order items can be purchased as usual from our site. Payment will be authorised, but no funds will be taken from your account until we dispatch the item to you. If in the meantime, your card authorisation has expired (e.g. passed 'valid to' date), and we are not able to take payment at the time goods arrive, we will contact you to confirm you still wish to proceed with the order and to arrange payment. Pre-order items will be dispatched as soon as we receive stock.

Available now:

Items shown as 'Available: Now' will normally be dispatched the same day if the order is received before 4pm Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. Orders received after 4pm, at weekends, or during public holidays, will be dispatched the next working day.

Available 2 to 3 days:

Items shown as 'Available: 2 to 3 days' will normally be dispatched within 3 working days.

Available 4 to 7 days:

Items shown as 'Available: 4 to 7 days' will normally be dispatched within 7 working days.

Available 7 to 14 days:

Items shown as 'Available: 7 to 14 days' will normally be dispatched within 14 working days.

These lead times are based on our experience and reflect the time we would reasonably expect to receive replacement stock from our suppliers. However, unforeseen circumstances, such as delays through Customs, weather conditions, airport delays, or manufacturing problems, can mean that the lead times for some items will exceed the time given. We will always contact you in the event of a protracted delay.

Currently Unavailable:

Items which are shown as 'Currently unavailable' are items which we normally keep in stock, but for which we haven't been able to determine a delivery date. These items cannot be currently ordered due to lack of information regarding stock availability from the manufacturer/supplier.

Contact us for availability:

These items (usually limited editions), often require checking availability status with the manufacturer. Please e-mail us using the form provided on the item page and we will advise you of the current availability. If you place an order for an item marked with this availability, we will contact you once we have received availability information from the manufacturer (no payment will be taken until your order is dispatched).

Discontinued

Discontinued items are no longer in production, we are therefore unable to supply the product.

If for any reason we can't dispatch within the period quoted, we will e-mail you, advising you of the revised dispatch date as soon as possible, giving you the option to cancel your order. If you have ordered more than one item, available items will be dispatched and delayed items dispatched separately.

It is the purchaser's responsibility to ensure that the delivery address is secure and that only authorised persons will be available to sign for the delivery. The Pen Company accept no responsibility for deliveries once they are successfully delivered and signed for.

You will receive an e-mail at the time of dispatch advising you that your order has been dispatched and the amount that your credit/debit card has been debited.

Returns

If during the fourteen days after delivery, you decide for any reason that you wish to return the goods, you may do so for a full refund of the purchase price.

All items must be returned complete and in an un-used condition with presentation box where appropriate and original packaging. Fountain pens must be returned empty and with the original ink/cartridge(s). Any damage to goods or presentation boxes due to fountain pen leakage or other cause, or in-complete returns, will be charged for.

Bespoke products such as those that have been engraved or otherwise altered at the request of the customer are not returnable unless they have been engraved or altered other than as directed by the customer, or are faulty.

Please contact us for return information and your returns reference, before you return any item.

Failure to receive goods

In the event that a customer fails to make appropriate arrangements with Royal Mail or other carrier to receive or collect the goods and as a result they are returned to us, we will refund the customers account with the value of the goods returned, less our delivery expenses.

No payment will be taken from credit/debit cards until orders are dispatched - unless otherwise agreed by the customer.