SHIPPING & DELIVERY POLICY
Last updated: August 2026
Most of our products are handmade to order in our workshop. This means there is normally a production period before your order is ready for dispatch.
Please read the information below carefully, particularly if you require your order by a specific date.
This Shipping & Delivery Policy should be read together with our Terms of Sale.
Nothing in this policy affects your statutory rights.
STANDARD PRODUCTION TIME
Our normal production lead time is 10–15 working days, unless a different lead time is shown on the individual product page.
Working days do not normally include weekends or UK bank holidays.
The production lead time is the time required to manufacture, finish, check and prepare your order for dispatch.
It is separate from the courier delivery time.
For example, where we use a next-working-day courier service, this means delivery would normally be attempted on the next working day after your order has been completed and dispatched. It does not mean delivery on the next working day after you place your order.
Because many of our products are individually handmade, some larger, more complex or unusual orders may take longer.
If you need your order by a particular date, please contact us before ordering.
STANDARD DELIVERY
We use DPD or DHL for our deliveries unless otherwise stated at the time of ordering.
Our courier deliveries are tracked and tracking information will normally be provided once your order has been dispatched.
The delivery service shown at checkout relates to delivery after manufacture unless specifically stated otherwise.
FAST TRACK EXPRESS
Where available, Fast Track Express can be selected at checkout for an additional charge.
Fast Track is primarily a priority production service.
It means that, where reasonably possible, your order is moved forward in our workshop production queue and given priority during manufacture.
The additional charge is principally for priority production rather than simply for a faster courier service.
Different products require different manufacturing processes and some products can be completed considerably more quickly than others.
For this reason, Fast Track does not guarantee manufacture, dispatch or delivery within a specific number of working days unless we have expressly agreed a particular date with you.
Once completed, Fast Track orders will normally be dispatched using our usual tracked courier service.
If your order is particularly urgent or must arrive by a specific date, please contact us before placing your order so that we can confirm whether your required date is achievable.
The current Fast Track Express charge is displayed at checkout.
TRACKED DELIVERY
Our DPD and DHL deliveries are tracked as standard.
Where a separate Tracked option is displayed at checkout, selecting this confirms that you specifically require a tracked delivery service and tracking information.
Selecting Tracked does not move your order forward in our production queue or reduce the normal manufacturing lead time.
If you require priority production, please select Fast Track Express where available.
SATURDAY DELIVERY
Where available, Saturday Delivery means that your order will be scheduled for delivery on the Saturday nearest to the completion of its normal production lead time.
Selecting Saturday Delivery does not reduce or Fast Track the manufacturing time of your order.
Your product will still be made within the normal production schedule applicable to the product ordered.
Once your order is completed, we will arrange dispatch using the appropriate Saturday courier service so that delivery is scheduled for the nearest available Saturday.
For example, if your order is completed during the week, rather than being sent for normal weekday delivery, it will be scheduled for delivery on the next appropriate Saturday.
Saturday Delivery is subject to the courier's service availability and normal delivery conditions.
If you require delivery on a specific Saturday, please contact us before ordering so that we can confirm whether your required date is achievable.
ORDERS REQUIRED BY A PARTICULAR DATE
If you need an order for a wedding, birthday, anniversary, Christmas, house move, installation or another particular date, please contact us before placing your order.
We will always try to accommodate reasonable deadlines.
However, a particular delivery date should only be considered agreed where we have specifically confirmed that date with you.
Selecting Fast Track Express, Saturday Delivery or another enhanced delivery option does not by itself mean that we have agreed to deliver your order by a particular date.
TRACKING & DELIVERY NOTIFICATIONS
Once your order has been dispatched, you will normally receive tracking information.
If you provide a mobile telephone number when ordering, DPD or DHL may also contact you directly by text message or email with delivery information.
Depending on the service being used, the courier may provide an estimated delivery window and options for changing your delivery arrangements.
SAFE-PLACE DELIVERIES
You may be able to instruct the courier to leave your parcel in a nominated safe place, such as a porch, shed, garage or another location at the delivery address.
If you choose to nominate a safe place, please make sure that it is suitable and sufficiently secure.
Where you specifically authorise the courier to leave your parcel in a particular safe place and the courier delivers it correctly to that location, delivery will be treated as having been completed in accordance with your instructions.
If the parcel is subsequently lost, stolen or damaged after being correctly delivered to the safe place specifically authorised by you, we will not normally be responsible for replacing or refunding the order.
WHERE THE COURIER LEAVES A PARCEL WITHOUT YOUR AUTHORITY
A courier independently deciding to leave your parcel somewhere is different from you authorising a safe place.
If you have not authorised a safe place and the courier leaves your parcel unattended on a doorstep, driveway, outside the property or somewhere else of their own choosing, please contact us.
We will investigate the delivery with the courier and deal with the matter in accordance with your statutory rights.
A courier photograph showing where a parcel was left does not, by itself, mean that you authorised the parcel to be left there.
PHOTOGRAPHIC PROOF OF DELIVERY
Our couriers may photograph a parcel or obtain other evidence when making a delivery.
Where you have specifically authorised a safe place, photographic or other courier evidence showing that the parcel was delivered to that location may be used as evidence that your delivery instructions were followed.
CHANGING YOUR DELIVERY WITH THE COURIER
Once your order has been dispatched, DPD or DHL may allow you to change your delivery arrangements through their website, app, email or text-message service.
Depending on the courier, this may include asking them to:
- leave the parcel in a safe place
- leave the parcel with a nominated neighbour
- change the delivery date
- redirect the parcel to a collection point
- redirect the parcel to another available delivery location
- hold the parcel for collection
Where you make a change directly with the courier, those instructions become part of your chosen delivery arrangements.
If the courier subsequently delivers the parcel correctly in accordance with the instructions you provided, responsibility for the security of the parcel after that authorised delivery will normally pass to you.
If the courier does not follow your instructions, please contact us so that we can investigate the matter with them.
FAILED DELIVERY ATTEMPTS
If the courier attempts delivery but nobody is available, they may attempt redelivery, offer alternative delivery arrangements or hold the parcel for collection.
Please follow the instructions provided by the courier.
If you experience a problem arranging redelivery, please contact us and we will help where reasonably possible.
INCORRECT DELIVERY ADDRESSES
Please check your delivery address carefully when placing your order.
If you realise that the address is incorrect, please contact us as soon as possible.
If the order has not yet been dispatched, we will normally be able to correct the address.
Once an order has been dispatched, it may not be possible to change its destination.
Where an order cannot be delivered because an incorrect or incomplete address was supplied by the customer and the parcel is returned to us, we may charge the reasonable cost of sending it again to the correct address.
This does not apply where the delivery error was caused by us.
COURIER DELAYS
Courier networks can occasionally experience delays because of severe weather, transport disruption, unusually high parcel volumes, strikes or other circumstances affecting their network.
Where your parcel is delayed after dispatch, please contact us if you need assistance and we will investigate the delivery with the courier where appropriate.
An estimated courier delivery date or delivery window is not necessarily a guaranteed delivery date unless we have expressly agreed otherwise with you.
Nothing in this section removes our legal responsibilities concerning delivery of your order.
DAMAGED PARCELS
If your parcel arrives visibly damaged, please photograph the packaging before opening it where reasonably possible.
Please also photograph any damage to the product.
Contact us as soon as reasonably possible and include your order number and photographs of the packaging and product.
Damage caused during delivery is not your responsibility.
We will investigate the matter and arrange the appropriate remedy in accordance with your statutory rights.
LOST PARCELS
If tracking shows that your parcel has not been delivered within the expected period, please contact us.
We will investigate the matter with the courier.
If the parcel has been lost before being delivered to you, or before being delivered in accordance with delivery instructions authorised by you, we will deal with the matter in accordance with our legal obligations.
Different considerations apply where tracking confirms that the parcel was correctly delivered to a safe place or other location specifically authorised by you.
MULTIPLE ITEMS
Where you order several products, we will normally combine them into one consignment where practical.
In some circumstances, products may be dispatched separately because of their size, production requirements or availability.
You may therefore receive more than one parcel or more than one tracking notification for the same order.
INTERNATIONAL DELIVERY
We ship to a number of international destinations.
Available countries and delivery charges are normally shown at checkout.
If your country is not available at checkout, please contact us and we will confirm whether delivery is possible and provide a quotation where appropriate.
International delivery times vary depending on the destination and courier service.
Customs procedures in the destination country can also cause delays outside our direct control.
CUSTOMS, DUTIES & IMPORT TAXES
International orders may be subject to customs duties, import taxes, handling charges or other fees imposed by the destination country.
Unless specifically stated otherwise at checkout, these charges are not included in our delivery charge and are the responsibility of the customer.
We recommend checking the applicable import requirements and charges in your country before ordering.
CONTACT US
If you have a question about production or delivery, please contact us:
The Natural Wood Company UK Ltd
Email: info@nwco.co.uk
Telephone: 01233 850295
Please include your order number where possible.
Nothing in this Shipping & Delivery Policy excludes or restricts your statutory rights.