SHIPPING & RETURNS
Shipping Policy
Order Processing and Dispatch
We normally prepare orders within 1–2 working days. Our regular dispatch days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday, excluding UK bank holidays and other announced closures.
Orders placed after 5:00 p.m. UK time are treated as received on the next working day and will be sent on the next available dispatch day. During exceptionally busy periods, processing may take a little longer.
Processing time is the time needed to prepare your order before it leaves us. It is separate from the carrier's delivery time. Delivery estimates shown at checkout begin from the date of dispatch and are estimates rather than guaranteed arrival dates unless a guaranteed service is expressly stated.
Once your order has been dispatched, we will send a dispatch confirmation and tracking information where the selected service includes tracking.
Shipping Costs and Delivery Services
Available delivery services and charges are shown at checkout and depend on the delivery address, parcel size and the products ordered.
Please check that your name, delivery address and contact details are correct before completing your order. If you notice a mistake, contact us immediately. We cannot guarantee that an address can be changed after an order has been processed or dispatched. If a parcel is returned because the address supplied was incomplete or incorrect, additional delivery charges may apply before it can be sent again.
International Shipping
We ship to many international destinations, including much of Europe, the United States and Australia. However, delivery is not available to every country, and some products may be restricted by local law or by the carrier. The destinations and services currently available will be shown at checkout.
If we are unable to send an order because of a destination or carrier restriction, we will contact you and cancel and refund the affected order or item.
International delivery times vary by destination and may be affected by customs clearance, local postal services, public holidays and other circumstances outside our control.
Customs, Import VAT and Other Charges
International orders may be subject to import VAT, customs duty, handling fees or other charges imposed by the destination country or the local carrier.
Unless your checkout or order confirmation expressly states that duties and taxes are included or prepaid, these charges are not included in the price paid to Al Muattar and are the responsibility of the recipient. We may use a service that prepays some charges on certain orders, but this should not be assumed unless we confirm it in writing.
Customers are responsible for checking the import rules and likely charges that apply in their own country before ordering. Customs authorities and carriers determine these charges, so we cannot guarantee the amount or waive charges imposed after dispatch.
If a parcel is refused or remains uncollected because import charges have not been paid, it may be returned to us. Any refund will be considered once the parcel has returned and will be handled in accordance with the applicable law. Customs charges paid directly to a government authority or carrier cannot be refunded by Al Muattar.
Delays, Missing Parcels and Damage in Transit
If your order is delayed, please check the tracking information first. International tracking may not update while a parcel is awaiting customs clearance.
If tracking shows that an order has been delivered but you cannot find it, please check with other members of the household, neighbours and any nominated safe place before contacting us.
If an order arrives damaged or leaking, or appears to have been lost in transit, contact us as soon as possible with your order number and photographs of the parcel and products where appropriate. Please keep the product and all packaging until we have responded, as the carrier may require them during an investigation.
Cancelling Before Dispatch
If you wish to cancel an order before it has been dispatched, contact us as soon as possible. If the order has already left us, it will need to be dealt with under the Returns and Refunds Policy below.
Returns and Refunds Policy
Every Al Muattar product is prepared and finished by hand. Small variations in colour, finish or presentation may occur and do not necessarily mean that a product is faulty.
We do not offer a voluntary change-of-mind return period beyond the rights customers have under applicable consumer law.
Online Orders: UK Change-of-Mind Cancellations
If you are a UK consumer who purchased through our website, you may cancel the order without giving a reason by notifying us within 14 days after the day on which you, or a person nominated by you, receives the goods.
After notifying us, you must send the goods back within a further 14 days. Please contact us through our Contact Us page before posting anything so that we can confirm the correct return address and provide return instructions.
Unless the product is faulty, damaged, incorrect or not as described, you are responsible for arranging and paying for the return. Products must be securely packaged, and we strongly recommend using an appropriate tracked service and retaining proof of postage.
You are responsible for taking reasonable care of the products while they are in your possession. You may inspect them as you reasonably would in a shop. If a product has been used, damaged or handled beyond what is reasonably necessary to establish its nature, characteristics and functioning, we may reduce the refund to reflect any loss in value, as permitted by law.
Where the whole order is cancelled, we will refund the price paid and the cost of our least expensive standard delivery option. Any extra amount paid for express, premium or upgraded delivery will not be refunded. If only part of an order is returned and the original delivery charge would have been the same for the products kept, the original delivery charge will not normally be refunded.
We may withhold the refund until we have received the returned goods or you provide evidence that they have been sent back, whichever occurs first. Refunds will be made to the original payment method within 14 days of that point, unless another method is expressly agreed.