📦 METHOD A: Standard Parcel Delivery (Small to Medium Items)

• Courier Service: Smaller items are shipped nationwide using standard couriers such as DPD.
• Our Transit Guarantee: Unlike heavy freight, if a courier parcel arrives broken or cracked, you do not need to worry. Simply send us a photograph of the damage within 14 days of delivery, and we will dispatch a brand new replacement item to you completely free of charge.

🚛 METHOD B: Pallet Freight Delivery (Large, Heavy Stoneware)

Because our larger handcrafted pieces are heavy and classed as freight, they are delivered securely via a third-party pallet network (Hacklings). Please review our mandatory terms below:

1. The 15-Minute Delivery Inspection Window

• Kerbside Delivery: This is a kerbside delivery only. Drivers are not permitted to move heavy pallets onto your property, gravel drives, paths, or lawns.
• Check Before You Sign: All drivers allow a 15-minute window for a consignment to be checked. You should cut away the clear pallet wrap quickly using good scissors or a sharp knife (taking care not to scratch your items) to perform a visual inspection.
• If It Arrived Damaged: If you notice severe damage or breakage, you must refuse the pallet and hand it straight back to the driver. If you refuse a damaged pallet on the spot, we will provide a full refund or a hand-carved replacement completely free of charge.
• Minor Scratches: Small surface scratches can occasionally occur during transit. These will naturally disappear over time with weather exposure, or can be easily smoothed away with a small brush.

2. Damage Reported After Signing (Our Split-Risk Guarantee)

• Please be advised that signing for a consignment as "clean" or "received in good condition" counteracts any future claim of transit damage or missing products with the freight network.
• If you accept the pallet and report structural transit damage later, we will still happily hand-carve a replacement item for you because we value our customers. However, the customer will be entirely responsible for covering the full shipping and pallet freight costs for the replacement.

3. Road Restrictions & Vehicle Sizes

• Standard Delivery: Deliveries are made on large commercial freight vehicles.
• Smaller Lorry Request: If your delivery address has tight lanes, low bridges, or weight limits, you must report these road restrictions to us before delivery is booked. The network can provide a smaller 7.5-tonne delivery lorry (approx. 3 meters high), but this carries a mandatory vehicle surcharge of £20.
• Failed Delivery Surcharges: If a delivery fails on the day because of unreported road restrictions, you will be hit with a surcharge for both the smaller lorry swap (£20) and a redelivery fee (£40), totaling a £60 surcharge. If you are unsure about your access, please contact us beforehand to discuss it.

4. Failed Delivery Attempts & Time Slots

• All deliveries are arranged for a specific day or time slot of your choosing. Someone must be physically present to check and sign for the goods.
• Drivers will not leave a heavy pallet without a signature. If you are not there when the lorry arrives, it triggers a failed delivery surcharge of £40 plus any special request surcharges.
• For specific time slot upgrades and their associated costs, please browse our site upgrades menu or contact us directly.

5. Tracking Your Pallet Freight ETA

• For on-the-day arrival times, you can email eta@hacklings.co.uk or call Hacklings directly on 01451 820379 (Select option: ETAs).
• Please quote your unique delivery reference number. Please note that Traditional Cotswold Stoneware has no direct control over the specific timing of the vehicle route on the day.

6. "Change of Mind" Cancellations & Returns

• Made-to-Order Exclusion: Many of our pieces are hand-carved to order and carry a strict 4-week production lead time. Once casting and carving have commenced, these bespoke orders cannot be cancelled or refunded.
• Standard Return Freight: If you purchase a standard stock item and simply change your mind, you have 14 days to request a return. The customer is entirely responsible for arranging, securing, and paying for the return shipping or pallet freight. Items must arrive back at our workshop completely undamaged.