Postage and Packaging

Can you post to me?

Colourcoats Paint/thinners - We are able to post to mainland Great Britain (no islands or Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland - checkout should not offer postage options if we cannot send to you). Due to enamel paints/thinners being classed as dangerous goods, posting requires us to adhere to certain regulations. At present we are able to post using Parcelforce and UPS with order rates depending on number of tins. We also offer free postage for paint orders over £100. Please see below for more details.

Do you dispatch everyday?

We are a small business that is ran around the dayjob, university classes and family life therefore we do not dispatch everyday. Our dispatch days are listed on the yellow header bar- orders placed by 7am on dispatch day will be sent. Our collection is very early in the day due to our location therefore orders placed after 7am will be included in the next dispatch. Days may vary due to outside commitments but this will be detailed on the annoucement bar at the top of the website.

 

** Please contact us to dispatch via Parcelforce **

Parcel force items are sent under their 'express48' service. However, please allow up to 4 working days for your item to arrive before contacting us. We have found that their express48 service can take an extra day or two - please contact us for parcelforce pricing as this is considerably more expensive than UPS.

UPS items are sent under the standard UPS service - usually next day delivery but please allow 3-5 days for delivery in exceptional circumstances.

Postage costs will automatically populate during checkout. Exception postcodes as detailed below are usually sent via Parcelforce and will cost more for small orders, we offset the cost for larger orders.

Please specify in order notes if you wish for a certain courier to be used otherwise orders will be defaulted to UPS.

 

Order Quantities - dangerous goods - Paint/thinners

Paint and thinners classify as flammable liquid and can only be sent via our specialised contract as they are dangerous goods. We have a various options based on order quantity to allow us to reduce the postage cost to our customers. 

We reduce the postage charge to be more affordable to our customers on larger orders. Free postage is offered on orders over £100.

Exception Postcodes

Postcodes which incur higher charges for under 6 tins. 6 tins and above have reduced postage more inline with our standard postage rates. This cost is offset by removing all profit on these orders.

AB37

to

AB38

AB44

to

AB45

AB53

to

AB56

CA18

to

CA27

HS1

to

HS9

IM

to

IM

IV14

to

IV28

IV30

to

IV32

IV36

to

IV36

IV40

to

IV56

IV7

to

IV7

IV9

to

IV12

KA27

to

KA28

KW

to

KW

LA15

to

LA23

PA20

to

PA20

PA21

to

PA38

PA41

to

PA41

PA42

to

PA49

PA60

to

PA60

PA61

to

PA78

PA80

to

PA88

PH17

to

PH26

PH30

to

PH44

PH49

to

PH50

TR21

to

TR25

ZE

to

ZE

 

International Orders - CURRENTLY PAUSED

Colourcoats Paint - We are only able to send paint directly to retail customers in the following countries as per our courier contract dictates.

Mainland Great Britain

Specific postcodes within Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemberg, France, Germany, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, HUngary, Czech Republic, LIechtenstein, Poland and Italy. See here for full details.


Please contact your nearest stockists as they may be able to help you. Follow this link for international stockists.

 

 

How long will it be until I receive my order?

Under normal circumstance we aim to despatch orders twice a week. This may change and will usually be detailed on our drop down bar at the top of the page. All paint orders are shipped under Parcelforce48 stipulates that this 48 hours is from the time the parcel is dispatched until the end of business in 48 hours.  However please allow up to 4 working days for your item to arrive before contacting us. We have found that their express48 service can often take an extra day or two. UPS usually takes 2-3 days for delivery.

You will receive an automated email with tracking details for these services. Please contact us if you have any queries. Please note that any parcels not delivered on the first attempt are usually taken to your nearest sorting office for collection. Any parcels not collected are returned to us at our cost. If you missed your parcel/did not collect it and want it sent out again, then you are liable for the additional postage cost.

 

Why does it cost so much to post to me?

Enamel paint is classed as flammable liquids and therefore subject to certain regulations regarding shipping around the UK and abroad. We have had to undergo package testing and must adhere to specific regulations for packaging to be able to ship these within mainland UK with Parcelforce and UPS. For retail orders, we charge considerably less than the cost of packaging/posting.

We are always looking for ways to keep postage costs down as we understand this is just a cost rather than value adding.

We are unable to post via the usual couriers as enamel paint/thinners is classed as a prohibited item and can results in consequences on Sovereign Hobbies. We are aware of many other retailers sending paint through Royal Mail or other couriers however this is illegal if not fully declared and subject to the safety regulations.

 

Can you post to me in Europe/North America/South America/Far East Asia/Australasia?

RETAIL Colourcoats Paint - At present we are only able to ship paint retail orders to mainland Great Britian and selected European countries (currently paused). We are working on a range of international stockists, these can be found on our stockists page.

TRADE Colourcoats Paint - We are able to post trade stockists order anywhere in the world. Shipping for enamel paint internationally incurs costs greater than what a retail customer would be willing to pay (starting from £400 for 5kg packages). However we are always open to orders should you wish to pay the costs - please email us at info@sovereignhobbies.co.uk. Group buys between freinds or club members is one mechanism to ease this burden and we would be very happy to assist any groups interested in exploring this.  

 How will my order arrive?

All paints are shipped in grip seal bags, surrounded by an absorbent material  in a double walled postal box, taped securely to prevent spillages or leakages. Our packaging will ensure your paint arrives safely and undamaged. In the last 9 years we have had only one order arrive in less than perfect condition. Should your order not arrive in good condition please contact us at orders@sovereignhobbies.co.uk.