Online Delivery and Returns

At Maidenhead Aquatics we pride ourselves in offering you both excellent service and great value for money. With this in mind, we want you to be 100% confident when purchasing from our online store. To place an order, you will be asked to provide a valid email address so that we can send a confirmation email as soon as your order has been dispatched. This helps you to know when your delivery will be made. In most cases, this email will contain a tracking number and a link to the website of our nominated courier to enable you to track the status of your delivery.

Subject to availability, we will use all reasonable means to deliver the items you have ordered within the time stated for the delivery service you have selected once your order is accepted by us. In rare circumstances, we may have to split your order and you might receive multiple parcels, however, you will only be charged once for delivery.

We aim to dispatch the items you ordered as soon as practicably possible in order for them to arrive within the target delivery date. Any dates we specify for the delivery of goods are approximate and we shall not be liable for any losses, costs, damages, charges or expenses caused by any delay. If we or our suppliers make a mistake, we will use our best endeavours to rectify the problem and find an outcome that is suitable for you.

It is possible for an order to be accepted with insufficient stock to fulfil that order. In this rare event of items being out of stock, we will deliver as soon as new stock arrives unless you request a refund.

In certain exceptional circumstances, such as adverse weather, we may be unable to fulfil your delivery in accordance with these terms. In these circumstances, we may require additional time and effort to fulfil the delivery. If this occurs, we will make our best efforts to deliver your order as soon as we possibly can, or you may opt to cancel and receive a full refund.

We cannot deliver items within the same order to multiple addresses. If you require this then please place separate orders for each address. Each order will be subject to a separate delivery charge.

Until dispatch of goods by the seller to the buyer, no contract for the sale of goods shall arise.

Delivery Information and Charges

Delivery Information - We aim to dispatch items that are currently in stock on the same working day if they are ordered before 2.45 pm (excluding Bank Holidays and all items send directly from our suppliers). If an item is ordered after 3pm, we aim to dispatch the following working day providing the item is currently in stock (excluding Bank Holidays), unless any of the points below become a factor.

• We will not deliver to an address outside of the UK.
• Orders containing large items like aquariums, ponds and pond liners can not be delivered to Scottish Highlands, Scottish Isles, Northern Ireland or offshore islands. You will get an error message at checkout.
• Some postal codes for orders being delivered to Scottish Highlands, Scottish Isles, Northern Ireland and offshore may take an additional 2 days to arrive this should be displayed at checkout.
• Orders containing live plants will take up to 2 weeks to arrive. We take a week's worth of customer orders and then inform the plant farms of the specific quantities we need to fulfil that week's order to avoid wastage.
• Orders containing large items like aquariums, ponds and pond liners will take additional time to arrive as they are sent by a third party supplier.
• Unfortunately, at this time, we cannot take orders for delivery to British Forces Post Offices (BFPO), Freight Forwarders or international addresses.

Delivery Charges - The following information outlines the varying delivery charges for online orders. Any charges will be calculated based on what you are ordering and where you are asking us to deliver to. You can be confident that you will only pay one delivery charge per order, regardless of how many items are within your order.

Express delivery is FREE on online orders OVER £39 from Maidenhead Aquatics unless any of the points below become a factor. Your delivery fee should be calculated automatically at checkout.

• Some large items like aquariums, ponds and pond liners will have an additional charge of £45.00 to help offset the cost of a pallet delivery.
• Orders containing a physical gift card will have an additional charge of £2.45 to cover the cost of materials and delivery (digital gift cards are a free alternative)
• Some orders will incur an additional £17.50 delivery charge displayed at checkout this is based on the postal code provided. We only have access to delivery with DPD who has given us a list of postal codes which have this additional surcharge.

Delivery Arrangements

DPD Deliveries - Deliveries sent with DPD will require a signature to confirm receipt (we strongly advise you to inspect the carton carefully before signing). You will be provided with a 1-hour delivery timeslot via a text message or email.

Gift Cards Royal Mail - Gift cards and clownfish clothing items are sent via royal mail first class and should arrive within 3 working days of making the order.

Pallet Deliveries - Any items that arrive on a pallet must be checked over before signing and any faults or damages must be noted with the signature or acceptance of the order, we recommend refusing a damaged delivery, this is the fastest resolution. Deliveries will generally be delivered ‘curb side’ within the terms of the agreement we have with our couriers so you will need to make arrangements to transfer larger items into your home yourself.
Unfortunately, our drivers are not insured to transfer the aquarium into your home.

After the delivery driver leaves you have accepted delivery of the goods, we will therefore not accept any liability for damages claimed after this point. If an item arrives damaged we expect delivery to be refused. Deliveries from our suppliers will be made Monday - Friday only.

Delivery Terms - Once delivered, the items ordered will become your property (provided they have been paid for in full) and your responsibility. We will not accept any liability for their loss, damage or destruction after they have been delivered.

Please make sure that you check your items carefully before you use them. We recommend that you keep your receipt and order number, which can be found on your order confirmation email and on the order invoice that comes with your delivery. You will need this information as proof of purchase in the event of any after-sales enquiry.

Cancellation: Your Right to Cancel

Our products are covered by our 21 days no-quibble returns policy. If you no longer require the ordered items, you have 21 days to return them. The 21 days start on the day you received your order. All items being returned must be unopened (i.e. no broken seals) and in the original condition, they were received.

Please watch the video below (under Returns (Online Purchases Only)) for information on how to do this.

This is not intended to be a full statement of your rights under the Distance Selling Regulations. Full details of your rights are available from your Local Authority's Trading Standards Office.

Returns (Online Purchases Only)

Before attempting to return an item online or in-store please visit the returns section in your online account. If you do not have an account please contact us here https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/contact. If contact is not made through your account or by the contact form it will result in staff members in-store rejecting the return and delays in getting your refund or exchange.

If you are not 100% satisfied with your purchase online from our website, you can return the product and get a full refund or exchange the product for another one, for up to 21 days from the date you purchased it providing the above is followed. 

Any product you return must be in the same condition you received it in and in the original packaging and you must be able to provide proof of purchase or receipt (in the case of a like-for-like exchange in-store) or a valid Returns number if returning for a refund either online or in-store.

Items cannot be returned or exchanged after 21 days from receipt of the original purchase.

Customers who signed in and checked out using their online account:

As with your Right to Cancel above, you can return your items in one of two ways:

• In-store: Visit your nearest store, 7 days a week, where our colleagues will assist you. Please note: in order for a refund to be processed, the person named on the card which was used to process the payment must be present.

OR

• By post or recorded courier: Within 21 days of the dispatch date to the following address: Maidenhead Aquatics, PO Box 619, Egham, Surrey, TW20 2BS. Please inform our online store team of your return request so they know to expect your return.

Whichever option you select, you must first Submit a ‘Returns Request’ via your Account on fishkeeper.co.uk in order to obtain a unique Returns number. Please watch the short video below which walks you through how to do this. This number will be required by our stores if returning your item to your local store for a refund.

Customers who have checked out as a guest:

You are able to return any item by post or recorded courier: Within 21 days of the dispatch date to the following address: Maidenhead Aquatics, PO Box 619, Egham, Surrey, TW20 2BS. Please inform our online store team of your return request so they know to expect your return. An alternative address can be supplied if you email.

https://www.fishkeeper.co.uk/contact

If you believe an item is faulty please get in touch with us before sending the item back.

Large items arriving on a pallet

Large items arrving on a pallet must be checked over before you allow the delivery driver to leave the property. If damage is found on any part of the order you must refuse delivery and contact us. If the delivery driver is allowed to leave the property this will be taken as you accepting the item in an undamaged condition therefore any damage reported after this will be deemed as consumer error. 

Terms and conditions for online returns:

Please note that we cannot process Paypal, Klarna or Amazon refunds in store. Should you wish to return an item you have paid for using these methods you will need to return the item to us via recorded courier as above after receiving your Returns number from Fishkeeper.co.uk.

If returning items via post or courier, please obtain a receipt for your return package which can be used to track the item(s) you are returning. If for some reason they do not arrive at our warehouse, we accept no liability for returned goods that we fail to receive, or for those that get damaged when being shipped to us.

Please note all returns must have the order/invoice number clearly marked on the inside of the packaging. This can be found on your order confirmation email, or on the invoice, you received with your order. Failure to do this may result in a delay in the refund on your card.

When returning items to us, the initial postage and packaging charge, as well as any return postage cost incurred is non-refundable. Except in the case of faulty goods where only your return postage will be refunded.

Goods are your responsibility until they reach our warehouse, so please ensure that you package them well to prevent any damage in shipping. In all cases, except where an item is faulty, goods returned must be in their original condition and will be inspected on arrival.

Delivery charge refunds can only be made in accordance with your legal rights under the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 and other applicable legislation. For further information about your legal rights contact your local authority Trading Standards department.

Any online refunds will take up to 14 days from receipt of the parcel to our warehouse. Emails will be sent to the email address associated with the purchase to:

1. Confirm receipt of your return to our warehouse
2. Confirm the refund of the goods following inspection of the item

In the rare instance that incorrect items were sent to you that do not conform to your original order, we will refund your initial delivery charge and return postage. Please return the items to us using a recorded or tracked delivery service, or by standard Royal Mail (retaining your proof of postage).

Faulty products

For any damaged or faulty goods purchased online, we will seek to resolve the issue as soon as possible for you. Please contact our online team via this form and we will do our utmost to rectify and send out the new product as quickly as possible. Damaged or faulty items can also be returned to one of our stores across the UK. Find your nearest store. When returning a damaged or faulty product you will need the original order number and receipt as proof of purchase.

Recalls

In the extremely rare event that we may recall a product, you agree to cooperate fully with us and will provide all reasonable assistance as required by us.

Right to charge for aborted collection

If you are not at home when we try to collect any returns, we reserve the right to deduct a delivery fee from your refund or charge your card the direct costs to us, in accordance with the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000.

Recycling Household Electrical Equipment

With effect from July 2007, the UK's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations require that all producers of electrical equipment are now obliged to pay for the recycling of household electrical goods, where previously this bill was met by councils or items were not recycled at all. These regulations also require that all retailers both actively assist in delivering a UK wide WEEE collection infrastructure and encourage the participation of consumers in recycling electronic equipment.