OctoInkjet dispatches orders both domestically within the UK and Internationally and as such the following policies will apply.
Updated: 31st October 2023
Services Available
OctoInkjet ships orders using a variety of services including:
DHL Parcel, Fedex, DHL Express, Royal Mail. Spring Global and other partner services (as appropriate).
Service Availability/Restrictions
Our store system has built in limits that automatically remove some services based primarily on order value although we are developing a system to filter out services that will not accept or ship certain products (eg: fluids). These limits are designed to reduce the potential for fraud and also reduce the problems associated with package loss and/or damage which protects both ourselves and the customer.
Free/Discounted Shipping (Availability & Policy)
Shipping costs have now been incorporated into product pricing and as such we are now able to offer some key products with free shipping options baked in as part of the listing. This is particularly true of Printer Pad products where letterbox friendly “large letter” or “flats” dimensions allow us to take advantage of low cost shipping options.
For more expensive orders shipping is discounted in direct relationship to the value of the order so higher value orders will have discounted or free shipping offered as a result.
Some countries (specifically the USA) have increased their standard postal rates for incoming mail, and as such we are unable to offer completely free shipping but in such cases the shipping options available have been discounted.
Please note that free shipping options are usually free/economy services and often untracked which means that delivery timeframes are much slower and often have no ETA on delivery. We strongly recommend selection of a priority service wherever possible.
At key times (e.g. Christmas) we will opt to adjust the services used for “free shipping” options to higher priority services as this offsets the issues (i.e. delays, losses) caused by high volume of packages and/or seasonal workers in the postal system. Prices are adjusted to account for this.
Dispatch Speed
UK orders are usually processed on the next or same working day (order cut-off times dependent). International orders are usually shipped within one to two working days dependent on the service selected.
Other factors can also affect dispatch speed so please take into account the following:
Product Availability
Some products have specific “Availability” information which indicates the number of working days/weeks before that product is available for dispatch. Wherever possible we will try to ship sooner but the indicated delay may be required before an order can be dispatched.
Order cut off
Normal Schedule
- Orders received before 12am Monday to Friday are usually sent same day depending on product availability (see above).
- Orders received between 12am and 2pm Monday to Friday may be sent same day depending on staffing and product availability (see above).
- Orders placed after 2pm Friday will be shipped the following Monday (or Tuesday, if Monday is a National Holiday).
International (Spring Global)
These services are slightly different in that packages are aggregated and sent by UK courier to a processing hub that then sorts and dispatches the orders via their International hub. Compared to Royal Mail services these have proven substantially faster so the extra days travel is rarely an issue.
Estimated Time of Arrival/Delivery
Different shipping services and target destinations have widely varying ETA’s, most of which are guidelines rather than contractual obligations on the part of the shipper.
Please note:
- The timeframes used below are from time/date of dispatch, not ordering (see order cut off information above).
- The number of “days” indicated are usually working days (Monday – Friday) and do not include public holidays.
UK Services (ETA):
| UK Economy | Up to 5 working days (usually 2-3) |
| UK Standard | Up to 3 working days (usually 1-2) |
| UK Priority / Next-Day | Up to 2 working days (usually 1) |
| Fedex Priority / Next-Day | Up to 2 working days (usually 1) |
| DHL Parcel Priority / Next-Day | Up to 2 working days (usually 1) |
European Union Services (ETA):
| Spring (GDS) Economy | Up to 21working days (Average 10) |
| Spring (GDS) Tracked | Up to 14 working days (Average 7) |
| DHL Express | Up to 5 working days (usually 1-2) |
| Fedex Economy | Up to 6 working days |
| Fedex Priority | Up to 3 working days |
| RM EU Economy | Up to 21working days (Average 14) |
| RM EU Signed-For | Up to 16 working days (Average 10) |
| RM EU Secure / Tracked | Up to 16 working days (Average 9) |
International Service (non-EU):
| Spring (GDS) | Up to 18 working days (Average: 10 working days) |
| DHL Express | Up to 6 working days (usually 2-3) |
| Fedex Economy | 3 – 6 working days |
| Fedex Priority | 1 – 4 working days |
| RM Global Economy | Up to 30 working days |
| RM Global Signed-For | Up to 25 working days (Average: 15 working days) |
| RM Global Secure | Up to 25 working days (Average: 15 working days) |
Balancing Safe Receipt against Speed or Cost.
Our primary concern is with getting your order delivered to you safely rather than placing any emphasis on speed or budget. To that end we do not offer cut price shipping services from companies like Hermes, nor basic/untracked services like “Airmail” for high value orders. Similarly services like “Special Delivery” or “Priority” are primarily used to reduce likelihood of loss rather than speed of dispatch
Customs Procedure for International Orders
Orders purchased for International addresses outside the UK are subject to customs procedures in accordance with International agreements on import/export and as such OctoInkjet Ltd is obliged to follow these.
Product Identification for Customs Purposes
All products dispatched are required to be marked in accordance with the devices original purpose. As such items such as syringes and sterile needles must be marked as medical equipment regardless of their intended purpose (within the remit of OctoInkjet products) eg: refilling cartridges.
When placing an International order with OctoInkjet you understand these requirements and cannot hold OctoInkjet Ltd responsible for your order being rejected based on your countries import laws/restrictions for such items.
Indicated Customs Value
As above, we are obliged to indicate the accurate value of a packages contents for all goods being shipped. We must politely decline requests to provide any other value or information.
In the event that goods are split amongst multiple packages we will, by default, include a full invoice on one package to avoid multiple import duty/admin charges, and mark the rest accordingly.
“Gift” items
To avoid problems with items being seized, delayed or similar, we are unable to mark items as gifts under any circumstances.
Shipping Delays/Losses
Thankfully, package loss is incredibly rare, primarily due to the way tracked services are required for higher value items.
Before treating a package as lost, we will always ask customers to check the date of dispatch and the ETA table provided (see above). No package will be treated as lost until this period has expired.
The only exceptions to this are for tracked services where tracking information indicates a package is not being correctly tracked. In such instances we will endeavour to identify the packages location before taking any further action.
Refund/Replacement of Losses
If a tracked item is deemed lost by OctoInkjet we will immediately re-send the original order using an appropriate or higher grade trackable service at no extra cost to the customer. Should a customer request a higher-grade/cost service we reserve the right to require payment to meet the difference in cost between their original service and the one requested.
For untracked items, once a package has been deemed lost we will offer a replacement but customers are required to pay the difference in cost to allow re-sending the order via a tracked service.
In all cases, customers will be required to complete a form confirming their item has not arrived, along with related details. This, along with additional information about the order value, destination, etc. allows us to refer the matter to the relevant shipping service and/or authorities for further investigation.
Additional information regarding refunds/replacement is available in the appropriate policy
Undelivered, Uncollected or Rejected Items
If an order is returned for any of the following reasons:
- Not collected from Post Office after delivery attempts exhausted by postal service
- Returned “Not known at this address”
- Signature Required but nobody available to accept order and/or provide signature
- Item rejected by person(s) at shipping address
…that order will incur a re-sending fee up to the value of the original postage cost if the customer wishes it to be re-sent.
In this instance, should a customer request a refund, this will only be honoured for the value of the goods ordered. No refund will be made on postage & packing costs.
Special Circumstances
In some instances we may be unable to ship/deliver particular items using your chosen method for security, safety or other reasons. If this is the case we will inform you as quickly as possible and work with you to resolve any issues.