Delivery Information

Coronavirus Update

If we are experiencing any significant delays to our dispatch there will be a banner on our front page. For updates on any potential issues in your area please check the links below for each of our couriers.

With regards to receiving a parcel, the virus should not live long on objects such as parcels, with this in mind the follow the links below to advice from each of our couriers containing information with regards to their processes:

Royal Mail - Covid-19 Updates
Royal Mail Daily Service Update

DPD - Covid-19 Updates
DPD Domestic and International Service Updates

APC

Dispatch Schedule

At The Vanilla Valley we dispatch Monday to Friday. Dispatch is not made on Saturday or Bank Holidays. Dispatch covers the process from picking your order to handing it over to the carrier.

Orders placed on the Standard services are dispatched within 2 - 4 days of receiving payment.

Express orders placed before 12pm are prioritised to be sent same day.  Any orders placed after 12pm on this service will be processed for dispatch on the next working day.

Next Day orders placed before 3pm are prioritised to be sent same day.  Any orders placed after 3pm on this service will be processed for dispatch on the next working day. 

We process dispatch notifications in bulk at the end of the working day, rather than at the time of dispatch.

Packages are dispatched via collections from Royal Mail and our couriers every afternoon, we do not "drop off" any parcels for delivery and as such our dispatch is confined to these collections. 

Whilst every effort is made to deliver orders within our estimated time frames please be aware that delays may occur, on occasion, due to unforeseen factors. The Vanilla Valley will not be held liable/responsible for delays to deliveries outside of our control, I.E. traffic or weather constraints, 3rd party delays or strike action.

1. UK Mainland Deliveries

Certain Mainland Postcode Restrictions Apply - Please Read Section 2 Below Carefully Before Placing Your Order

Delivery estimates are based on postal and courier transit times i.e the time that the package is likely to be processed and out for delivery, this does not include the day that the order is processed by The Vanilla Valley. 

Standard Services

These services apply to Mainland UK – See more information in the sections UK Islands & Highlands and International, for which shipping charges will apply at check-out.

Standard - Small Parcel (Up to 5 Working Days)

£2.99 or Free Shipping over £35

This service is suitable for most orders, however there are a handful of heavy or excessively large items for which only the Large Parcel service will be available. This includes light but large items over 17” and over, as well as some excessively heavy items, to include large cake drums, boxes, cake tins and our Vanilla Valley Roll Out mat. Items which may have restrictions will be indicated on the product page and in the basket. 

Free Shipping on orders over £35 applies to certain UK Mainland addresses only. To receive free shipping, the total product value must be over the £35.00 threshold after any discounts have been applied. 

For orders under £35, a £2.99 delivery charge is applicable which will be sent by the Royal Mail Tracked service and in most cases will be delivered within 3 working days of dispatch, but we would expect an order to be delivered within the time frame of 5 days at worst case scenario.

Standard - Large Parcel (Up to 5 Working Days)

£5.99 or Free Shipping over £50 

This service is suitable for all products however this will be the only available Standard service for oversized or heavy items. Items which may have restrictions will be indicated on the product page and in the basket.

Free Shipping on orders over £50 applies to certain UK Mainland addresses only. To receive free shipping, the total product value must be over the £50.00 threshold after any discounts have been applied. 

For orders under £50, a £5.99 delivery charge is applicable and your order will be carried by APC or DPD and in most cases will be delivered within 3 working days of dispatch, but we would expect an order to be delivered within the time frame of 5 days at worst case scenario.

Express (2 Working Days) - From £3.99

This option will be dispatched via Royal Mail's Tracked 48 service, unless the size, weight or value exceeds Royal Mail's limits, in these cases DPD will be used instead.

Orders for this service must be placed before 12pm for same day dispatch (Monday to Friday), it will otherwise be sent the next working day.

Deliveries are made on working days, Monday to Friday, delivery is not guaranteed on Saturday. Royal Mail's delivery aim for this service is two working days (Monday to Friday). The Vanilla Valley is currently receiving a 97% success rate for this service. If no one will be available to accept the package you can provide delivery instructions for a safe place that the parcel can be left; this is done so at your own risk.

This is not a Royal Mail priority service and as such this time scale is not guaranteed, as such packages would not be considered late unless undelivered on the 3rd day. Your tracking number will be available on request.

The amount payable for this service will increase dependant on the weight of the order.

Next Working Day - From £6.99

Next Working Day delivery is available for orders placed before 3pm for same day dispatch. This is NOT a guaranteed service, however DPD has a 98% success rate for this service. Please allow for courier delays when placing your order as this cannot be foreseen by The Vanilla Valley.

This is a next working day service, as such deliveries on this service are made Monday to Friday only. Deliveries are made between 9am and 6pm. If you provide a mobile number when you place your order you will receive a text from the courier on the morning of the delivery to advise the hour window the delivery will be made; this cannot be pre-selected by The Vanilla Valley.

Someone will need to be present to accept the package as the delivery requires a signature. If no one will be available to accept the package you can provide delivery instructions for a safe place that the parcel can be left; this is done so at your own risk. You can enter this information during the checkout process. When selecting this service please provide a valid mobile number for the courier to contact you on; you will receive a text to notify you of your delivery slot and be provided with "in flight" options such as changing the day of delivery etc. 

The amount payable for this service will increase dependant on the weight of the order.

Saturday Delivery - From £7.99

Saturday Day delivery is available for orders placed before 3pm on Friday. Please note if you order using this service Sunday to Thursday your order will be dispatched as normal and APC may deliver the next working day. They do however offer in flight options via their communications in their app, by text, or by email. Please look out for these as you will be able to rearrange delivery for Saturday at no additional charge. This is NOT a guaranteed service; however, APC’s delivery success rate is very good. Please allow for courier delays when placing your order as this cannot be foreseen by The Vanilla Valley.

This is a next day service, as such deliveries on this service are made Monday to Saturday only. Deliveries are made between 9am and 4pm. Please ensure the email and phone number you provide is up to date and accurate as APC will get in touch with you regarding your delivery time and in-flight options. Our customer service team is not available on the weekend, so this is vital for APC to contact you directly.
If no one will be available to accept the package you can provide delivery instructions for a safe place that the parcel can be left; this is done so at your own risk. You can enter this information during the checkout process. 

The amount payable for this service will increase dependant on the weight of the order

2. UK Islands & Certain Mainland Highlands Postcodes

Free Shipping Cannot be Offered to all Mainland Postcodes

It is our aim to offer the best postage options to all our customers both on the UK Mainland and Islands. Unfortunately, due to restrictions and package size limitations placed on us by by Royal Mail and all of our Couriers, we are forced to add additional postage costs to certain areas. We really do sympathise with customers on the UK Mainland that get singled out for additional charges by these companies and we endeavour to minimise these costs and look for better solutions. If you live in any of the following postcodes then you will experience additional charges and the FREE SHIPPING WILL NOT APPLY!

EFFECTED MAINLAND POSTCODES: AB36-38, AB41-56, FK17-99, IV1-28, IV30-39, IV52-54, IV63, KW1-14, PA21-40, PH15-26, PH30-41, PH49-50

EFFECTED UK ISLAND POSTCODES: HS1-9 KA27-28, KW15-17, IV40-51, IV55-56, PA20, PA41-49, PA60-78, PH42-44, ZE1-3, JE1-5, GY1-10, TR21-25, PO30-41, IM1-9, BT1-99

Since a range of items exceed the size and / or weight limitations of Royal Mail’s services, these are unavailable on the standard small parcel service, however this does mean we can offer the same standard rate as the rest of the UK. You will still be able to purchase these items on the large parcel service, which will automatically be offered at checkout when these items are added to the basket.

Items include:

Heavy items – e.g. 5kg+ bulk packs of icing, Food Mixers plus our Sky and Monochrome Tower range cupcake stands.
Light but large items – e.g. Cake dummies, large boards and boxes, large cake tins and our Vanilla Valley Roll Out mat
In addition, we are unable to send certain hazardous items such as aerosol sprays or flammable items to these areas under any circumstances.

UK Islands & Highlands - Small Parcel - £2.99 - £3.99

This service is available for orders up to 5kg and will be sent via Royal Mail. This service will not be available for the Heavy or Light & Large items listed above.

Large Parcel (By region) – From £18.00

This service is available for orders up to 30kg and is available for the Heavy and Light & Large items. The cost will increase based on the weight of the order; this is different for each region.

3. International Deliveries

International Deliveries are available to both Europe and the Rest of the World. Once items have been added to your basket you will be able to change the shipping country to your location.

Please note that some items are restricted for international shipping, for example flammable items. We also restrict some excessively heavy or large items. Items which may have restrictions will be indicated on the product page and in the basket.

International deliveries are sent via International Post if under 2kg, and orders above 2kg are sent by DPD, who may pass the parcel to a partnering delivery company in some countries. Occasionally, while you may be able to select International Post, we may find once it has been packaged the size or weight of the package exceeds the limits for this service and will be upgraded to a courier service; In some cases, as couriers often charge for parcels by volumetric weight there may be additional charges, if these are excessive we may contact you for additional payment. This is not mandatory and you will also be given the option to reduce the order size or cancel it.

We are able to send shipments over 2kg to the United States, however please contact us if you are unable to check out as we will be able to provide your with a quote for a courier shipment.

You the customer are responsible for any customs charges to receive your parcel. Legislation may have changed regarding receiving parcels from the UK for countries within the European Union as the UK is no longer a member. This may mean that you are now charged for customs, you will need to check with the governing body of the country you would like your delivery sent to be to prior to placing your order as this may have changed.

If you are purchasing for a business in Europe please supply your VAT / Company Registration number at the time of ordering.

4. Click & Collect

Click and Collect is available for local customers from our store in Nantgarw, Cardiff. Collection to be made 2 working days after placing the order, we will hold your order for 5 days from this date. Click and collect orders are processed Monday to Friday only, collection to be made during shop opening hours, orders can be collected on Saturday if they are ready.

Please read the full Terms and Conditions of the service here.

The Recipient's Responsibilities

Placing an Order

It is the responsibility of the customer to provide a full and correct address and contact details. We will not be liable for any delivery errors arising from an incorrectly information. See non-receipt of orders below.

If delivery is attempted but unsuccessful it is the responsibility of the recipient to contact the delivery company, via details left on a calling card, email or text message, to arrange re-delivery or collection.

Upon Receipt of Goods

Upon receiving your order we ask that you check its contents and report any discrepancies found (if any) within 48 hours. You can contact us on 0844 856 9986. If any signs of damage to the box are evident upon delivery please check the contents before signing. If the goods look affected do not sign for the order, it will be returned to ourselves and we will issue a new order.

In cases of damaged good or missing items we will require photographs to allow us to investigate with our packing team and couriers.

Changes & Cancellations

As shipments are dispatched via collection changes to an order cannot be accepted once the order is with our packing and dispatch team and cancellations may not be accepted after 12pm as packages will be committed to our various collections

Non-Receipt of Orders

Please inform us of non-delivery of your order within 7 days from the expected date of delivery, this allows ample, reasonable time to check with couriers whether your parcel is being held, tracking information can be provided and re-delivery or collection can be arranged. No claims for non-delivery of your complete order will be allowed unless the company is advised within 21 days from the order date for UK Customers or 35 days from the order date for Overseas Customers.

In the event of:

1.  Packages delayed / returned due to non-collection or arrangement of re-delivery;

Our couriers' agents will leave a note if no signatory is present to receive the delivery. It is your responsibility to call the delivery company to arrange a re-delivery, or collect the parcel.

2. Packages returned due to incorrect address supplied;

The customer is responsible for supplying the full and correct shipping address, orders will be sent to addresses as supplied.

You will be liable for the cost of us re-sending the goods if the parcel is returned to us marked as 'Not called for' or is due to incorrect or insufficient address details. Failure to comply with these charges will result in the order being cancelled and refunded; original postage costs will not be returned. Parcels will only be resent once the charges have been met.

3. Customs charges not paid

It is the responsibility of the customer to be aware of and to pay any customs charges due to receive the parcel in another country.

You will be liable for the cost of any charges incurred by the courier to The Vanilla Valley for a returned package, including shipping and fines; original postage costs will not be returned. You will be liable for the cost of us re-sending the goods if the parcel is returned to us. Failure to comply with these charges will result in the order being cancelled and refunded. Parcels will only be resent once the charges have been met.