Shipping policy
Shipping Costs
UK buyers
UK orders of £100 or more include free tracked delivery. Depending on the order value, parcel size and insurance requirements, orders may be sent using Royal Mail or Parcelforce.
For UK orders under £100, paid tracked delivery options are available at checkout, including Royal Mail Tracked 24 and Royal Mail Tracked 48 where available.
Higher-value or larger parcels may be sent using Parcelforce Express 24 or another fully insured tracked service where required.
International buyers
International shipping starts from £7 and is calculated at checkout based on the destination, parcel weight and service selected. We use tracked Royal Mail international services wherever available.
Some higher-value items may be eligible for free tracked international shipping. Where this applies, it will be shown within the product listing and/or at checkout.
We do not offer untracked international shipping options, as they provide less protection against loss, theft or missing parcels and may invalidate shipping insurance.
Customs Duty, Import Taxes and Duty-Paid Delivery
For selected international destinations, we may collect import duties and taxes upfront at checkout. Where these charges are clearly shown and collected at checkout, your order will be sent using a duty-paid shipping service where available, helping to reduce the chance of additional import charges being requested on delivery.
This service is currently available for selected destinations only. Eligible duty-paid destinations may include the United States, Switzerland, Norway, and selected European countries supported by Royal Mail PDDP.
Selected European duty-paid destinations currently include: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and the Republic of Ireland.
United States: Import duties and taxes may be collected upfront at checkout where shown. Royal Mail PDDP to the United States is only available for packages up to $800.
Luxembourg is currently excluded from our standard duty-paid checkout due to Royal Mail's €150 PDDP limit for this destination.
Where duties and taxes are not shown or collected at checkout, orders are shipped Delivered Duties Unpaid (DDU). This means customs duty, import VAT/tax and local handling fees may be charged by your local customs authority or delivery carrier before delivery. These charges are set by the destination country and are the responsibility of the customer.
We complete all customs declarations accurately, including item descriptions, values, HS codes and country of origin. We are unable to mark orders as gifts or declare a lower value.
Please note that duty-paid destination availability, value limits, customs charges and carrier handling fees may change. The checkout will show whether import duties and taxes are being collected upfront for your destination.
Combined Shipping
Combined shipping is available for buyers purchasing multiple items where the items can be safely packed together.
Shipping rates are calculated at checkout using weight-based shipping parameters. This helps provide a more accurate combined shipping price when multiple items are added to the same order.
Due to the variation in product sizes, weights and packaging requirements, the checkout price may not always perfectly reflect the final parcel cost. If a significant overpayment occurs after combining items, we may refund the excess shipping cost back to the original payment method.
If you are considering a larger international order and would like to check shipping before purchasing, please contact us with the item names and destination country, and we can confirm the most suitable shipping option.
Dispatch & Delivery Times
Orders are usually dispatched within 1 working day after cleared payment.
UK: Royal Mail Tracked 24 is usually delivered within 1 business day after dispatch. Royal Mail Tracked 48 is usually delivered within 2-3 business days after dispatch.
Large or high-value UK orders: Parcelforce Express 24 is usually delivered within 1-2 business days after dispatch, depending on the parcel size, destination and service availability.
Europe: Royal Mail Tracked is usually delivered within 3-5 business days after dispatch.
Rest of World: Royal Mail Tracked is usually delivered within 6-7 business days after dispatch.
Please note that delivery timeframes are estimates and may vary due to customs checks, postal delays, peak periods or circumstances outside our control.
Tracking Your Order
Once your order has been dispatched, you will receive a shipping confirmation email containing your tracking information.
You can also track your order directly through our website by going to the About & Help section in the navigation bar and selecting Track Your Order.
Shipping Delays
If there are known postal delays or service disruptions, we will announce this on our website where appropriate.
If your order has not arrived within 2 working days of the expected delivery timeframe, please contact us at jay@thecollectablesvault.com and we will check the tracking information and provide an update as soon as possible.
For international orders, parcels may occasionally be selected for customs checks in the destination country. These checks are outside our control and may cause delays beyond the estimated delivery timeframe.
Incorrect Shipping Addresses
Please ensure your shipping address is complete and accurate before placing your order.
If an order is returned to us because an incorrect, incomplete or partial address was provided, or if delivery is refused and the parcel is returned to sender, we will cancel the order and refund the original purchase price minus any shipping, handling or return costs incurred.
Missing, Stolen or Damaged Shipments
If your order has not arrived but the tracking shows it has been delivered, please contact us as soon as possible. We will raise an investigation with the carrier and use the tracking information to help resolve the issue. Please allow up to 21 days for the investigation to be completed.
If your parcel appears damaged on delivery, please take clear photographs of the outer packaging before opening it. If the item inside is damaged, please contact us straight away with photographs of the packaging and item so we can advise on the next steps.
All parcels are packed carefully and sent using tracked services to help protect both the buyer and seller throughout the delivery process.