Information

Here you will find all the information you need about our company
and it's policies and terms and conditions of trade.

Click the link to go to the relevant section:

About Us - Company & contact information
Shopping with Characterland - How to use our web site and making a purchase
Delivery & Shipping Info - Delivery & shipping information
Money Back Guarantee - Details of our money back guarantee
Cancellations - Canceling Orders
Returns - Details of our returns policy
Faulty Goods & Complaints - About faulty goods and our complaints procedure
Credit Card Security - Information on credit card security
Privacy Policy - Our privacy policy explained
FAQ - Frequently asked questions
Terms & Conditions - Our terms and conditions

Easter & May Bank Holidays:

Telephones will be unmanned:

Thursday 21/04/2011 16.00 - Monday 25/04/2011 16.00
Friday 29/04/2011
Monday 02/05/2011
Monday 30/05/2011

However you can still contact us by email and business will mainly continue as usual.

Happy Easter & Holidays.

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About Us

Welcome to Characterland, part of Rugs (UK) Limited, registered in England and Wales.

Our registered office and main trading address is at:

Characterland
Rugs (UK) Limited
93, Highgate
Kendal
Cumbria
LA9 4EN

Our company registration number is: 5462612

We are VAT registered, number GB534 4836 36.

Please contact us at the above address and on:

Telephone: 01539 738412
Fax:           01539 724419
email:         info@characterland.co.uk

We are a registered company and a family run business with over 30 years experience in the soft furnishings trade and we still operate a traditional rug & soft furnishings shop in the Lake District as well as our online business.

Please be aware though, that while all Characterland customers are more than welcome at our retail premises, the 2 businesses are separate and have different prices and trading policies and are bound by different laws and regulations. The Terms and Conditions found on this web site relate only to purchases made online and not to any purchases made at our retail premises.

Please just remember that not everything online is in our showrooms so please contact us if you are thinking of making a special journey to view a specific product..

Ring the shop on Tel. 01539 730140 if you have any queries regarding opening hours or any information related specifically to the shop side of the business.

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Shopping with Characterland

We aim to have one of the biggest collections of character products online in the UK offering you tremendous choice and incredible value. The products you see on our site are supplied by leading companies with full licensing rights. They are well established companies making quality products that we - and you - can trust.

Please bookmark our site and keep coming back on a regular basis as it changes constantly.

Ordering the product/s of your choice

First have a good browse through our extensive choice of products. Clicking on a product image brings up a new window with a larger image of the product. Select a size from the drop down menu (if applicable) and click the add button to put the product into your shopping trolley. After you have finished browsing go to the checkout to finalise your order.

Once you confirm that the right product is in your shopping trolley and you want to proceed with the order, the easiest way forward is to make the purchase online. Its safe, fast and you can do it whenever you like. Bear in mind nothing is sent to us until you complete and send the information on the credit card details screen. We accept most major credit/debit cards and even your personal information such as name, address etc. is taken over our secure servers so you have total peace of mind. An order acknowledgment is then sent to your email address by return, which you can print out or just save in a safe place. If you do not enter an active email address on ordering you can always request a hard copy of your order acknowledgment at a later date. We do reserve the right to refuse any order if - in the unlikely event - the wrong price has been posted on our web site.

For those of you who either don’t entirely trust the Internet security or are just happier dealing with a real person, you can fax, email or telephone your order through if you prefer.

To mail or Fax your order through, just print out the contents of your checkout and either mail or fax it through to us along with your credit card details.

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Delivery & Shipping Information

Delivery Charges
All UK mainland delivery charges start from as little as £2.45 and are based on the weight of the total of your items including packaging. Unfortunately there are too many delivery options to include the price of delivery for each product on each page.

*As a guide the postage costs to mainland UK for some of our most popular items are are as follows:
Single Bedding £4.08, Double Bedding £6.70, Bags £2.14 - £4.08, Clocks £3.51, Bean Bags £5.30, Curtains From £6.00, Blankets £3.51, Money Banks £3.51, Bath/Beach Towels £3.51

There are various delivery options available for you to choose from once you enter the checkout. Please select the option that corresponds to your location, i.e. If you live in Ireland or Offshore UK select Ireland and Offshore UK. If you live in the US or Europe please select the appropriate air mail service that relates to your country.

We regret that we cannot send some items overseas due to size restrictions with particular mail services. These items include Bean Bags and some Bedroom Rugs and will be listed on our website as UK delivery only.

Delivery times for the mainland UK normally are 1-2 working days on a first class service. If an order is placed before 2pm it will be usually be dispatched the next working day or within 1-2 working days there after.* Most products are dispatched via Royal Mail but larger orders/products may go out via Parcelforce or an independent carrier. Offshore deliveries and deliveries to parts of Scotland may take an extra day or so depending on how remote your location as may some deliveries to Eire and Northern Ireland. In the very unlikely event that the product you have chosen is out of stock we will contact you to let you know of any delay and ask how you wish to proceed. Please note that during busy periods e.g. the run up to Christmas, Easter etc; orders can sometimes take slightly longer to be processed than usual. We ask that during this busy time for us, that you allow a little extra time for delivery. If you need an item on a Next Day Delivery Service then please contact us before ordering as this is often possible (at an additional cost) however some items require additional wrapping time and some items are sent by courier resulting in limits to the availability of this service.

All other deliveries i.e. United States and Europe can take anywhere from 5-15 working days however the former is most likely.

*Working days do not include Saturdays or Sundays and during busy periods for us e.g. Xmas, Easter etc, your order may take a little longer to process.

Timed deliveries.

We often get asked what time the goods will be delivered but unfortunately we are unable to provide this information.

International Orders

We welcome international customers, but please be aware that you are responsible for any customs duties levied. EU countries do not levy customs duties on each other. Note that some items may only be available to UK buyers. This is either because the postage is ridiculously expensive compared to the value of goods, or we know that the goods cannot be sent internationally, or the goods are too fragile or heavy for safe international shipping. In general we do not deliver bean bags or bean chairs overseas and some rugs.

If an item is not available for delivery overseas it will say 'UK Delivery Only' underneath the picture of it.

All international order must be paid via Paypal due to the inability to verify international credit card accounts.

We are unable to accept credit cards for International transactions. Please remember to pay via PayPal when you order. We do not have the technical capability to disable acceptance of international credit cards, so our shopping cart will process international credit card payments. However, if we receive payment via international credit card, we will cancel your order, notify you via email, and request that you submit your order again with a Paypal payment.

We can ship only to confirmed PayPal addresses. The shipping address you provide must be the verified address on your PayPal account.

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Money Back Guarantee

Once you have received your goods, you have 14 days in which you can return them should they be unsatisfactory for which you would receive a full refund of the purchase price or a credit note for any other items you may wish to purchase form our store. To be able to return the goods you must notify us within 7 working days of receipt of the goods of your intention of returning the goods and the reason for doing so.

It is your responsibility to pay for the cost of returning the goods. When we have received and inspected them and we are happy they have been returned in the same condition that they were dispatched, we will refund the total goods value. For full details see Returns.

*Please remember that while every effort is made into accurately reproducing the colours of each product, we do not accept any responsibility should there be a misrepresentation of colour and our products cannot be construed as faulty should the colour vary from the colour displayed by your computer screen.

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Cancellations

You can cancel an order at any time prior to it being dispatched for a full refund. Once the goods have been dispatched you can still cancel the order but will be responsible for all carriage costs incurred by Characterland.

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Returns

If you are to return goods they must be returned unused in their original packaging and in a fully resaleable condition or they will not be eligible for a refund.

You must arrange this yourself and we advise you to get a receipt and proof of postage and ensure the goods are adequately insured.

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Faulty Goods and Complaints

Please check all goods carefully as soon as you receive them. If the goods are faulty, please let us know immediately and no later than 7 working days from date of receipt so we ensure to get them returned and inspected no later than 14 days of receipt.

Upon inspection, should your goods be confirmed to be faulty, we will offer you a replacement, a mutually agreeable re-selection or a full refund, inc. cost of collection, whichever you prefer.

Please note that variation of colour is not accepted by us to constitute faulty goods - see terms & conditions - therefore we do not accept responsibility for any costs incurred returning products whose colour has been misrepresented.

If you have any other complaints regarding our company or web site please email them to info@characterland.co.uk and we will reply with 5 working days and do our best to solve the complaint as quickly as possible.

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Credit Card Security

Once you proceed with an online order with us you are switched to secured-url's or RomanCart's secure servers. This is done a stage earlier than with most other online shopping carts which seem to act like it is only your credit card details that are important enough to be protected. We feel your identity is private too, so when you fill in the online order forms you are already connected to secure servers so not only are your valuable credit card details save from prying eyes but so is all your personal information like who you are, where you live or what you are buying. This is the kind of privacy you deserve.

Secured-url.co.uk and RomanCart use 1024 bit encryption or better. For more information double click the padlock icon when you reach the name & address page of our shopping cart. If you would prefer to use the Paypal checkout system to process your order this option is also available, just select checkout with Paypal on the checkout page. Most customers find that Paypal is the quickest and most convenient way to pay for goods ordered from Characterland. PayPal is 100% Secure, every purchase is confirmed with an email receipt and they provide 100% protection against any unauthorised payments sent from your account. We would prefer that International customers use the Paypal checkout option and UK customers use the normal checkout option. Whichever method you choose, your order will be processed quickly, reliably and securely.

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Privacy Policy

We are committed to protecting your privacy. We will only use the information that we collect about you lawfully (in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998).

All personal information we collect on you over secure servers is used for accounts purposes only to enable us to process your order quickly and efficiently. We will not give out any of your information to any third party.

We will not e-mail you in the future unless you have given us your consent.

We will give you the chance to refuse any marketing email from us or from another trader in the future.

The type of information we will collect about you includes:

• your name
• address
• phone number
• email address
• credit/debit card details

We will never collect sensitive information about you without your explicit consent.

The information we hold will be accurate and up to date. You can check the information that we hold about you by emailing us. If you find any inaccuracies we will delete or correct it promptly.

The personal information which we hold will be held securely in accordance with our internal security policy and the law.

Please note that cookies are used to keep track of purchases on this web site. Please ensure that you adjust any browser security settings and/or security programs to enable the use of cookies when buying goods on our site. If you are unsure of your settings carry on as normal and if you encounter any problems using our site contact our customer service.

For further information about our privacy policy please email info@Characterland.co.uk

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FAQ

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Terms & Conditions

These are the terms and conditions of the www.characterland.co.uk web site. By placing an order on this web site you are accepting these terms and conditions and agree to be bound by them.

1. Our Terms and conditions

1.1 We reserve the right to update these terms and conditions at any time. Please check that you have read and understood our current terms & conditions. Last updated 13th March 2009.

1.2 These terms and conditions relate only to our www.characterland.co.uk web site and not to our retail shop or any other web site.

2. Placing an order

2.1 You may place an order with us either by adding goods to either of our shopping carts and completing the checkout procedure or by placing an order with us over the telephone.
In both cases you will have ample opportunity to check the details of your order are correct.

2.2 On completion of 2.1 above, you are now deemed to have placed an order with us and will receive an order acknowledgment by email and/or by post. When you receive this please check once again that your order details are correct. Contact us immediately if there are discrepancies.

2.3 We welcome international customers, but please be aware that you are responsible for any customs duties levied. EU countries do not levy customs duties on each other. Note that some items may only be available to UK buyers. This is either because the postage is ridiculously expensive compared to the value of goods, or we know that the goods cannot be sent internationally, or the goods are too fragile or heavy for safe international shipping. In general we do not deliver bean bags or bean chairs overseas and some rugs.

If an item is not available for delivery overseas it will say 'UK Delivery Only' underneath the picture of it.

3 Acceptance of an order

3.1 When the goods are ready for dispatch we will accept your order and dispatch your goods. Until this time we are not deemed to have accepted your order and may refuse it for any reason including;

the goods no longer being available, or
the goods are incorrectly described or priced, or
trouble processing your credit card payment.

4. Processing payment

4.1 We may process payment for your order as soon as you place it or may wait until the order has been accepted. Processing of your payment is not deemed to be acceptance of your order.

4.2 All international orders must be paid via Paypal due to the inability to verify international credit card accounts. We are unable to accept credit cards for International transactions. Please remember to pay via PayPal when you order.
We do not have the technical capability to disable acceptance of international credit cards, so our shopping cart will process international credit card payments. However, if we receive payment via international credit card, we will cancel your order, notify you via email, and request that you submit your order again with a Paypal payment. We can ship only to confirmed PayPal addresses. The shipping address you provide must be the verified address on your PayPal account.

5. Prices

5.1 All Prices include vat at the going rate (currently 17.5%) where applicable.

5.2 Prices may be changed at any time and all orders are processed at the current rate as displayed on our web site at the time the order is placed..

6. Delivery

6.1 As soon as your order is ready for dispatch we will accept your order and dispatch your goods.

6.2 Our products are usually delivered via Royal Mail but some may go by Parcelforce or independent carriers. We are unable to give days/times for delivery unless you pay for a premium service.

6.3 For current delivery charges see the Delivery & Shipping section on our Information page.

6.4 We will deliver to an alternative delivery address if specified, however this may slightly delay your order whilst we undergo additional security measures for the prevention of fraud. If this inconveniences any customers in any way we do apologise; we must however stress that this is deemed necessary in order to protect the privacy and security of our customers and products. If you do require your item urgently we recommend not specifying an alternative delivery address.

We reserve the right to refuse any order we suspect to be fraudulent or suspicious in any capacity.

7. Returns, Faults and Cancellations

7.1 Once you have received your goods, you have 14 days in which you can return them should they be unsatisfactory for any reason. To be able to return the goods you must notify us within 7 working days of receipt of the goods of your intention of returning the goods and the reason for doing so. You would receive a full refund of the purchase price on their safe return within this time period.

It is your responsibility to pay for the cost of returning the goods. When we have received and inspected them and we are happy they have been returned in the same condition that they were dispatched, we will refund the total goods value. See Returns.

7.2 Please check all goods carefully as soon as you receive them. If the goods are faulty, please let us know immediately and no later than 7 working days from date of receipt and ensure they are returned/collected for inspection no later than 14 days of receipt.

Upon inspection, should your goods be confirmed to be faulty, we will offer you a replacement, a mutually agreeable re-selection or a full refund, inc. cost of collection, whichever you prefer.

7.3 Please note that variation of colour is not accepted by us to constitute faulty goods and we do not accept responsibility for the cost of returning products whose colour is not as portrayed on your computer screen.

7.4 You can cancel an order at any time prior to it being dispatched for a full refund. Once the goods have been dispatched you can still cancel the order but will be responsible for all carriage costs incurred by Characterland.

7.5 If you are to return goods they must be returned unused in their original packaging, as new and in a fully resaleable condition or they will not be eligible for a refund.

8. Copyright

8.1 All logos and characters are copyright their respective owners. You may not use any photograghs or images from this site without the express written permission of their respective owner. Legal action may be taken against anyone found breaching these rights.

9. Governing Law

9.1 The terms and conditions of this site will be governed by and construed in accordance with English law. Any disputes arising in relation to these terms and conditions will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

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*We reserve the right to change these prices at any time, the prices listed here should be used as a guideline only and do not constitute the exact postage prices for every individual item i.e. Prices can vary depending on the weight of an individual item.

Copyright © 2007 www.characterland.co.uk a division of the RugsUK (Ltd) Group

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