Shipping

Firstly we are a rural business located far away from any city or town and, as such, the Royal Mail collect parcels for depatch from us once or twice a week. We have no means of altering this and in the depths of winter we may not get a collection at all if the weather is particularly bad. This panoramic view is on our doorstep

We are often asked to despatch an item quickly, the expectation being that we will travel to the nearest post office the same day the order was placed. This is an expectation that simply can’t be met – the nearest Post Office is 25 miles away. We appreciate that if you have left it till the last minute to order something then it might be urgent for you but we cannot influence the status quo and we send items as quickly as we can and circumstances allow. It is usually just a few days from ordering.

We ship to most countries in the world. All carriage rates are based upon The Royal Mail’s rates and all parcels will be sent using only The Royal Mail’s signed for and/or tracked delivery program which will require the recipient, no matter where they might be located in the world, to possibly be required to sign for their delivery where applicable.

The Royal Mail operates under a Royal charter hence its name of The Royal Mail rather than British Mail. The charter sets out is operating procedures in law, its aims and goals for delivery. They are not guaranteed.

Not all countries operate a tracking service, many of which might surprise you. You will be advised of this with your despatch e mail notification. Keep an eye open for your despatch e mail – it may appear in your spam or junk folder if your filters are set too high.

UK DELIVERIES

If you are in the UK then your order will be shipped 2nd class recorded delivery which means you may track it. It will usually, but not always, be shipped, if in stock, within a few days of the order being placed should that placing of the order be a working day and within working hours. You will be advised of a tracking number the day after it is collected or the day before it is collected in some instances.

We will only ship using signed for and tracked delivery with the Royal Mail to the UK. During the current Covid 19 situation the Royal Mail will operate a contactess delivery operation which means they may well not ask YOU to sign for the parcel but sign on your behalf.

If you have asked for a note to the postman to be attached to your parcel leaving the item at another location should you not be available to take delivery yourself, you do so at your own risk and such instruction negates any responsibility for the delivery of the item by this company or any of its subsidiaries and no refund or replacement will be made should whoever you have notified as the recipient does not accept the package or doesn’t inform you of its delivery.

Please try to ensure that someone is available to take the delivery and sign for your parcel. If that isn’t possible at the time then you can arrange with the Royal Mail to deliver on a suitable alternative date or you can collect the parcel from your local sorting office after two attempts by the Royal Mail to deliver and within 28 days if their attempting to deliver your parcel in the first instance.

All enquiries should be directed, first and foremost, to the Royal Mail on 08459 272100 or use the track and trace service by logging on to www.postoffice.co.uk quoting the code you will have been advised.

No-one at Luminescents can do this for you.

Your delivery in the UK will usually be no more than a few days from order payment and confirmation unless otherwise advised by us. The Highlands and Islands and extreme rural locations such as the one we are located in can take a bit longer in our experience.

Should your parcel be delayed by the Royal Mail for any reason then you must allow, by law, up to 28 days for the Royal Mail to investigate. Why? – The Royal Mail will not even start an investigation until this period has elapsed.

Tracking information provided to you in the despatch e mail you will receive (keep an eye open for your e mail including your inbox and spam folder) will be your proof of postage and the receipt you will need to discuss the matter with the Royal Mail.

EU & OTHER EUROPEAN DELIVERIES

Destinations within the EU do not currently require a Customs declaration at the moment. All other European destinations do require a Customs declaration.

Your order will usually, but not always, be shipped, if in stock, within a few days of the order being placed should that placing of the order be a working day and within working hours. You will be advised of a tracking number the day after it is collected or the day before it is collected in some instances where applicable.

From January 1st 2021 all destinations inside and outside the EU within Europe must have a customs declaration on them. It is not the responsibility of Luminescents, or any of its subsidiaries, to include or pay a separate sovereign nation’s customs duties so please be aware that as a customer it is your responsibility to pay customs duty if applicable in the country you reside in. It is also your responsibility to aquaint yourself with your domestic laws on the importation of plant material. Luminescents cannot accept responsibility for the Customs confiscation of material illegally imported.

In our experience it takes around 10 to 15 working days from despatch to deliver to most European destinations if metropolitan and a touch longer if rural. Not all European countries have a postal service similar to EU services which is, on the whole, very good so be aware that whilst the average is 10 to 15 days it can, but seldom does, take longer. GLS are the usual domestic delivery partners of the Royal Mail within Europe.

Should your parcel be delayed by your domestic carrier then they are your first point of contact using the tracking or signed for proof of postage code you will have been supplied in your despatch e mail. You must allow, by law, up to 28 days for them to investigate. Why? – They will not even start an investigation until this period has elapsed.

THE USA, CANADA, AUSTRALIA & OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD

Destinations to all other parts of the world require a Customs declaration. It is not the responsibility of Luminescents, or any of its subsidiaries, to include or pay a separate sovereign nation’s customs duties so please be aware that as a customer it is your responsibility to pay customs duty applied to your order by your government if applicable in the country you reside in.

It is your responsibility to aquaint yourself with your domestic laws on the importation of plant material. Luminescents cannot accept responsibility for the Customs confiscation of material illegally imported.

In our experience it takes around 10 to 15 working days from despatch to deliver to most USA & Canadian destinations if metropolitan and a touch longer if rural. It can, but seldom does, take up to 28 days. Canada is particularly slow as is Australia however.

Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and points East regularly take up to 28 days. The Middle East and Africa even longer.

TRACKING

WE GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO PROVIDE TRACKING ON YOUR PURCHASE SIMPLY SO THAT YOU CAN, AT ANY POINT ON YOUR PARCEL’S JOURNEY, AND WHERE APPROPRIATE AND APPLICABLE, CHECK ON YOUR PARCEL’S PROGRESS.

IT NOT ONLY INFORMS YOU OF WHERE YOUR PARCEL IS BUT ALSO IF THERE ARE ANY PROBLEMS WITH DELIVERY THAT ONLY YOU CAN CORRECT SUCH AS MISADDRESSED PARCELS, NOT BEING IN WHEN YOU HAVE TO SIGN FOR THE PARCEL OR RE-ARRANGING A DELIVERY TO SUIT YOUR SCHEDULE.

AVOIDING USE OF TRACKING WILL ONLY LEAD IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES TO YOU LOSING YOUR ORDER WHERE YOUR ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED BY THE CARRIER TO COMPLETE DELIVERY. LUMINESCENTS CANNOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR MISADDRESSED PARCELS ( YOU CREATE THE LABEL WHEN ORDERING) OR FOR YOUR NOT BEING AVAILABLE WHEN YOUR LOCAL CARRIER ATTEMPTS TO DELIVER YOUR PARCEL

PLEASE USE THE TRACKING SERVICE – IT IS SIMPLE AND EASY TO USE AND WILL HELP YOU AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT

ADDRESSING AND DELIVERY

The address label on your parcel is generated by the information you input at the time of your order which is the way all professional websites work. Be careful when you input any information which is relevant to your order and double check it before saving it. We cannot change it after the event.

If, for some reason, your parcel is not delivered because the parcel is addressed incorrectly or the delivery address does not exist or, even, if several attempts have been made by the local carrier to deliver the item but to no avail therefore returning the item to the sorting office and if not collected by the intended recipient or nominated responsible individual within the time frame allowed by the local carrier, the item will usually but not always, be returned to us.

That may take some days or even weeks dependant upon the location in the world the delivery is intended. It is only when the item has been safely received back by us that we will issue a refund on the purchase price of the item. All return costs are the responsiility of the purchaser. No item thus returned will be re-sent. Should you require the order, you should correct any information relevant to the delivery of the item and place the order again. Luminescents reserves the right to refuse orders from addresses which have already been the subject of dispute or disputed delivery.

WHY DO WE USE TRACKING AND SIGNED FOR DELIVERY?

Plant material (which includes essential oils) is a restricted postal item in many countries around the world with Australia and New Zealand, being perhaps, the most vigorous in ensuring they keep a check on what comes into their countries so that an audit trail from the merchant to the purchaser has to, by law in such countries, be established. Only a parcel tracking system and a signed for or tracked (recorded delivery) can ensure this and allows the purchaser to check on the whereabouts of their parcel at any time depending on its destination.

Not all countries operate a tracking AND a signed for service however and you will be advised in your despatch notification as to your parcel’s status with tracking numbers etc if applicable.

All countries where tracking and signed for deliveries are optioned belong to the International Postal Union and whilst the updating of a parcel’s progress will be on the Royal Mail’s tracking site, the Royal Mail itself, is only responsible for your parcel to the point where it has left the UK’s shores and arrives at the port of destination at which point it is the responsibility of the local domestic postal carrier ( The US Postal Service, for instance, in the USA which since withdrawing from the postal union has been respsonsible for the increased cost of carriage around the world) who report on its progress within the country of destination using their own tracking systems which, because of their membership of the International Postal Union, is copied across to Royal Mail’s systems. All these systems are interlinked.

We also receive around 5% of orders where the delivery address is just plainly wrong – the purchaser has not checked what they have written in the delivery instructions (from where ALL professional websites derive their parcel labels) and without a tracking service it is impossible for us or the final delivery company to trace a parcel that will have gone missing in such circumstances. We cannot accept liability for the misaddressing of parcels where the delivery address is derived from the input of the purchaser.

It is the purchasers responsibility to ENSURE that they check and correct any anomoly in their billing and/or delivery address – we cannot do this for the purchaser. If you realise that you have made a mistake just after placing an order then you can e mail us with the correction you wish to make and we will confirm, or otherwise, if we are able to manually change a delivery address on your parcel ( which is usually the case )

If, however, no correction is made to an inaccurate address and the parcel is already posted then we will refund the purchase price of the items as soon as and if the parcel is returned to us and not before. This may be a matter of days or weeks depending upon the parcel’s final intended destination.

UNIVERSAL POSTAL SERVICES

Just as we, as a supply company, do not work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year neither does any postal service anywhere in the world. There are usually no postal delivery services on a Sunday or a Public Holiday and no collection services similarly. We, like many other supply companies, close down during the Christmas and New Year Period, re-opening in early January.

BIO SECURITY

Almost all forward looking countries that have signed up to the IPPC regulate the importation, movement and carriage of plant material from one sovereign territory to another to avoid the risk of disease, pest contamination or restricted plant material being brought into a country. Commonwealth countries, in particular, have the most stringent and harsh rules on the movement of plant material from one country to another with Australia and New Zealand followed by Canada being the harshest.

If you have ordered any item which is restricted in the country of destination then it is quite a possible that it might be confiscated should the destination country’s Customs and Excise become involved. Luminescents can accept no liability for the confiscation of material ordered from any of its websites by the destination country’s Customs and Excise authority. It is entirely the responsibility of the purchaser and not the merchant to familiarise themselves with their local customs and laws on the matter and accept responsibility when ordering and accepting terms and conditions for purchase.

GENERAL

Confirmation of despatch means that the item/s ordered have been placed in the Royal Mail pickup area of this complex so, for instance, confirmation of despatch on a Sunday means that the item is already in The Royal Mail’s hands but will not be processed by them until first thing on the next working day.

When you receive confirmation of despatch which is an automated e-mail with receipted delivery notification, then please be aware that this is confirmation that the item you have ordered has been deposited for collection by The Royal Mail and is reliant upon them from thereon. As soon as a parcel arrives in its destination country, if outside the UK, then from that point on, the delivery to you is the responsibility of that domestic country’s postal service and has nothing to do with the Royal Mail.

Outside the EU, all parcels must have a customs declaration on them. It is not the responsibility of Luminescents, or any of its subsidiaries, to include or pay a separate sovereign nation’s customs duties so please be aware that as a customer it is your responsibility to pay customs duty if applicable in the country you reside in.

RESTRICTED GOODS

There are some countries in the world where we cannot post some items included on this website due to local restrictions on imports or EU restrictions on exports. In such cases we will advise upon ordering. Should your domestic Customs and Excise department confiscate and destroy any item you have ordered because of local restrictions on the importation of any goods you may have ordered then Luminescents accepts no liability under such circumstances and will make no refund. It is your responsibility to make yourself aware of your own country’s restrictions before placing any orders.

Buyers are responsible for following any applicable laws or shipping restrictions around plant material and seeds. Regulations for plant material and seeds vary depending on genus and country of origin. Also, regulations for a particular plant or seed may change depending on the pest or disease status of the originating country.

You should check with your local government agency, such as the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), for specific guidance on what is allowed to be sold across state and national borders. Note that certain countries may have importation requirements such as a phytosanitary certificate.

Some examples of plants regulated by the USDA include bamboo seeds and plants, citrus plants, cotton seeds and plants, sandalwood, wheat, and noxious weeds. Find out more at the USDA’s website.

For information regarding CANADA’s rules and regulations, please refer to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s website. In the EU, you can find more information at the European Commission’s website.

In general, seeds may be sent to AUSTRALIA if the Australian Government’s Biosecurity Import Conditions system (BICON) indicates they’re permitted and are not otherwise restricted from import. Buyers should check this list before supplying seeds to buyers in Australia.

Because laws vary from place to place, it is a good idea to consult an attorney or qualified legal expert if you have any further questions.

Orders may be declined without reason at the discretion of the company.

Additionally, hazardous material may require special authorisation before being despatched which will impact despatch and delivery times.

POSTAL CHARGE ENQUIRIES

Please DO NOT e-mail or telephone to ask what the postal charges are. No-one here can tell you – they are worked out by the Royal Mail’s postal module based upon the weight of the item/s you order (only the system knows that) and the destination (which only you know) – suffice to say all rates are The Royal Mail’s normal shipping rates. Simply add items to your basket, go to checkout and the system works out the postal charges for you, gives you options, if any, before you ever get anywhere near to making a payment.

DELIVERIES

Please DO NOT specify a delivery day or date with your order. This cannot be met.

Do not expect your parcel to be despatched the same day the order was placed. That will not happen. All orders are despatched in sequence of receipt and are seldom delayed, being despatched within a few days of their receipt if in stock.

You may not cancel an order after you have been notified of its despatch however with prior written agreement you may return the order when you receive it. It must be unopened and via the same method it was despatched to you – namely tracked and signed for. All return costs are the responsibility of the purchaser.

Please be aware that having received notification of despatch, this merely means that your parcel is now in the Royal Mail’s system. Your notification of despatch provides proof of postage

Hazardous material may require special authorisation before being despatched overseas

QUERIES ON DELIVERY

If you have a query about your package delivery you must raise this with Luminescents within three months of the despatch notification provided, no matter where in the World you may be located, and no later. Luminescents cannot be held liable from three months onwards for queries and notification of non receipt. We hold records for only three months and insurance is only valid for that period of time.

UPON RECEIPT

If for some reason you feel that the product you have ordered is not as described or arrives damaged, please return it to us and we will make either a full refund or re-place the item if it is damaged in any way as soon as it is received – whichever you prefer. Damaged items will require photographic evidence of the damage being claimed. Returns are at the expense of the purchaser and must be returned via prior arrangement using the same method it was despatched – signed for and tracked postage. You may request authorisation via the contact us page.

UNSOLICITED RETURNS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Luminescents accepts no responsibility nor liability for goods ordered in error or ordered with conditions attached to the order that Luminescents has not expressly accepted beforehand and will not consider a refund under such circumstances as a matter of course. Special orders for handmade goods cannot be accepted back for a refund.

We cannot accept returns for essential/fragrance oils or herbs/gums and resins ( especially those that are rare or hard to find ) without application by the purchaser to do so in advance with a written acceptable reason and subsequent written approval by Luminescents. Be sure when you order that you really do want the item as Luminescents does not sell items on sale or return. If agreed, a returned item will be subjected to laboratory analysis to ensure no tampering has taken place. Only when that has been confirmed will the return be accepted and a refund applied if approved.

REFUNDS

Where items have not been delivered due to the Royal Mail or overseas postal services being unable to locate the address for delivery provided with the order by the purchaser or where the delivery cannot be made because no-one has been available to sign for the delivery, Luminescents and the Natural Herbalist can accept no responsibility for the refund of the purchase price of the item not delivered under such circumstances until the items have been returned to us by the relevant authorities. Where overseas deliveries are concerned this might take some weeks.

Where a delivery has been attempted but no signature is available the postal authority will leave a note for the intended recipient to arrange an alternative delivery date and time to suit or make the item available for the recipient to pick up from their local sorting office. If the intended recipient neither arranges an alternative delivery date nor picks up the item from their sorting office then the item may be returned to us at which point and only at this point will a refund be made.

Postal charges are the responsibility of the recipient at all times except where the goods are returned as damaged ( see UPON RECEIPT ) and Luminescents and the Natural Herbalist will not refund postal charges under other circumstances than the return of damaged goods and with prior agreement.