Delivery & Damage Policy

We strongly recommend reading through the guidelines below prior to placing your order to ensure a smooth and hassle-free delivery experience. If you have any questions, need further clarification, or require special delivery arrangements, please feel free to reach out to our customer support team—we are always happy to help!

Delivery Charges & Options

• Standard Delivery Charges: Orders under £399 incur standard delivery charges calculated at checkout.
  
  

• Delivery Surcharges: Orders over £399 or deliveries to specific remote postcodes (e.g., Scottish Highlands, islands, or congestion zones) may be subject to additional surcharges. Please enter your postcode on the checkout page to view accurate pricing for your location.
  
  

• Specialized Delivery Services: Express delivery, time-specific delivery slots, and specialized HI-AB (crane offload) services are available for an additional fee.
  
  

Convenient Delivery Dates

• Flexible Options at Checkout: You can select standard delivery (typically 3–5 working days), express delivery (typically 2–3 working days), or nominate a specific delivery date during the checkout process.
• Unforeseen Delays & Tradesmen: While we make every effort to deliver your order within the estimated timeframe, unexpected delays can occasionally occur due to traffic, weather, or transit logistics. We strongly advise against booking tilers, contractors, or tradespeople until your items have arrived and been fully inspected. We cannot be held liable for any financial losses, delay costs, or collateral expenses incurred from third-party tradesperson bookings.
  
  

Delivery Timings & ETAs

• Delivery Hours: Standard deliveries take place between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM, Monday to Friday. For added convenience, morning (AM) or afternoon (PM) delivery windows can be selected at checkout for a small additional fee.
• Tracking Details: You will receive tracking information via email once your order has been dispatched. Please note that tracking usually becomes active on the morning of your scheduled delivery date.
  
  

Pallet Deliveries

• Kerbside Delivery Only: Orders are delivered on pallets via heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) equipped with manual pump trucks. Deliveries can only be made on flat, hard, smooth surfaces (such as concrete or tarmac).
• Restricted Surfaces: Manual pump trucks cannot operate on grass, gravel, steep inclines, or unpaved driveways. In such cases, the driver will offload your pallet at the nearest accessible, safe kerbside point to your property.
• Property Access: Delivery drivers are not insured to enter private residences or maneuver goods inside your property. If you instruct a driver to move a pallet onto private property (such as a private driveway), this is done entirely at your own risk.
• Access Restrictions: Please inform us in advance if your delivery location has restricted access—such as narrow roads, low-hanging trees, sharp bends, or heavy street parking. Notifying us early ensures we dispatch an appropriately sized vehicle to avoid delivery failures.
  
  

Accepting Goods

• Signature Required & Inspecting Packaging: All deliveries require a signature upon receipt. Please ensure an adult is available to accept the delivery on the scheduled date. If you notice any visible outer packaging damage, or if you are unable to inspect the pallet immediately, please sign the delivery note clearly as "DAMAGED." We also recommend taking clear photographs of the pallet before unwrapping.
• Redelivery & Storage Fees: If a scheduled delivery fails because no one was available to sign, or because access was obstructed without prior notice, a redelivery charge of £40 per pallet will apply. Additional storage fees may also accrue depending on the duration of the delay. 
• Handling Heavy Goods: Deliveries are conducted by a single driver who is not permitted or insured to manually move items off the pallet into your home or garden. We strongly recommend arranging sufficient physical assistance on-site to unload and move the goods safely. Requesting driver assistance with manual lifting is done entirely at your own risk. 
• Packaging Disposal: Delivery drivers cannot remove or dispose of packaging materials or wooden pallets. Disposal of all pallets and packing materials remains the responsibility of the customer.
  
  

Damages & Claims

• Order Extra for Cuts & Wastage: We take great care in packaging and quality-checking every item before dispatch. However, due to the heavy and fragile nature of stone and tile products, minor damage can occasionally occur during transit. We strongly recommend adding 10% to 15% extra to your total square meterage to account for cuts, site wastage, and minor transit damage.

• Arrival Inspection: Please inspect the external condition of your delivery immediately. If visible damage is present, sign for the delivery as "DAMAGED" and take multiple clear photographs showing the pallet and the goods as they arrived. 
• Safe Unwrapping: Please exercise care when unwrapping heavy or fragile materials. Damages caused during manual unloading, unwrapping, or handling on-site after offloading are not eligible for transit claims. Claims apply strictly to damage sustained in transit. We advise taking photos or videos as you unwrap the goods.
• 72-Hour Reporting Window: You have 72 hours from the time of delivery (including weekends and public holidays) to fully unwrap, count, and report any transit damages to us. All damage claims must be sent in writing via email to: sales@royalestones.co.uk, aftersales@royalestones.co.uk 
• Claims via Email Only: For legal and record-keeping accuracy, damage claims must be submitted via email. Notifications via telephone, live chat, or social media will not be logged as official claims, and you will be directed to submit your claim in writing via email.
• Single Claim Submission: Please inspect all items thoroughly before submitting your claim. We accept only one consolidated damage claim per order. Your email must include the exact quantity of damaged pieces alongside clear, well-lit supporting photos. Claims lacking photos or complete information may be deemed invalid after 7 days, even if initially noted within the 72-hour window. 
• Do Not Fit or Dispose of Damaged Items: Please do not install, fit, or dispose of any damaged items before receiving explicit written instructions from our team. Fitting or disposing of items implies acceptance of the goods in their delivered condition and will forfeit your eligibility for refunds or replacements. Damaged items may also need to be retained for physical inspection or collection by our logistics partner.
  
  

Legal Liabilities for Damages & Claims

This policy forms part of our terms of sale upon checkout. However, nothing within this policy affects or waives your statutory rights under the UK Consumer Rights Act 2015. Our liability regarding transit damages and defects is structured as follows:

1. Immediate Replacements or Refunds (Transit Damage)

Full replacements or pro-rata refunds for damaged pieces will be issued promptly if:

• The damage is reported within our 72-hour company window with clear supporting photos.
  
  

• The damage is reported outside the 72-hour window but within 30 days of delivery, provided clear evidence proves the damage occurred strictly in transit (e.g., photos showing pristine unopened pallets with internal transit damage, broken original strapping, etc.).
  
  

2. Claims Excluded from Free Replacement

• Damages due to moving or unwrapping of goods: Any damage that occurs while moving or unwrapping of goods are not eligible for claims. 
  
  

• Damages Reported Between 72 Hours & 30 Days (Without Proof of Transit Damage): Because natural stone and fragile tiles can be damaged during moving, handling, or storage on site after offloading, claims submitted after 72 hours without proof of transit damage will not qualify for free replacements or refunds.
  
  

• Claims After 30 Days: In line with statutory guidelines, damage claims submitted after 30 days of delivery are not eligible for free replacements or refunds. For issues or latent defects reported between 30 days and 6 months, remedial solutions (such as discounted replacement stock) may be offered where appropriate.
  
  

• Damage during installation: We are not responsible for any damages that occur during installation or cutting of the tiles or products. These will not be covered under free replacements or refund criteria. 
  
  

3. Natural Characteristics & Minor Variations

Natural stone, timber, and porcelain products inherently feature unique variations. The following natural characteristics or minor handling attributes are not considered defects and are not eligible for damage claims:

• Natural color tone, veining, and surface texture variations (e.g., riven surfaces or hand-split edges in natural sandstone/limestone).
  
  

• Minor hairline fractures, micro-chipping, or small flakes along the undersides or edges of tiles/slabs that do not affect the structural integrity or visual appearance once installed and grouted.
  
  

4. Rejections & Returns Due to Damaged Goods

Please note that transit-damaged individual items do not render an entire order defective or faulty. Because these are fragile, heavy materials, damaged individual pieces are handled via replacement or partial refund.

Customers cannot reject an entire delivery or request a full return at our expense solely due to partial transit damage. If a full delivery is rejected at the doorstep or returned due to localized damage, standard return delivery charges will apply in accordance with our main Return Policy.

Contact & Support

We strive to ensure a seamless, honest, and transparent experience while complying with all statutory regulatory frameworks.

If you have any questions regarding your delivery, wish to report an issue, or need help planning your order, please reach out to our team:

• Email: sales@royalestones.co.uk

• Aftersales: aftersales@royalestones.co.uk