Shipping policy

1. UK SHIPPING COSTS

Here’s the deal:

  • Orders under £99: £8.49 shipping

  • Orders £99 or more: FREE shipping 🎉

BUT… bulky or awkward items still carry a surcharge:

  • £5 per 50L soil bag

  • £15 for large tents, trays, 6ft poles, etc.

  • £2.50 per extra 5KG of Coco bricks (over 15KG)

  • Anything that needs to go on a pallet; from £60 pallet 

If you're in the Highlands, Islands, NI, or similar, there's a flat £27 charge + any surcharges. These all get added automatically at checkout.

1.1 Missed Deliveries / Return to Sender

If your parcel bounces back to us because you didn’t collect, weren’t in, or didn’t respond to the courier:

  • You won’t get your original shipping back

  • You’ll be charged for the return to sender fee

We’ll either:

  1. Resend – you cover all shipping fees again

  2. Refund – minus courier costs + 15% admin/restock fee

Please track your parcel and make sure someone’s in or it gets collected. Nobody likes wasted shipping.

2. UK SHIPPING TIMES

We usually dispatch within 1–2 working days, and send on a next-day delivery after that (mainland UK). However, some parts of the UK like Scottish Highlands, may take 2 days to ship.

Some delays are out of our hands (stock levels, courier hiccups, bank holidays, peak sales), so please allow up to 5 working days before chasing.

Need it urgently or on a Saturday? Call 020 8686 9643 first and we’ll help.

2.1 Previously Used Courier Preferences

If you've ever told a courier “leave it in the shed/porch/bushes” – that preference may stick. They might do it again even if you didn’t ask this time.

We’re not responsible for items lost, damaged or stolen due to these delivery instructions. If in doubt, let us know in advance and we’ll try to override it.

2.2 Failed Deliveries

If you don’t collect your parcel or give the courier correct contact/address info, and it ends up coming back to us:

  • You cover return fees

  • You may get a partial refund, minus shipping, return costs and a 15% admin fee

Double-check your details. Simple as that.

3. INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

3.1 Do You Ship Abroad?

Yes, we ship worldwide 🌍

UK VAT is removed where applicable. Local VAT, customs duties and import charges may then apply when your parcel enters its destination country.

Ordering from Germany? Gute Nachrichten! 🇩🇪

We are now German VAT registered and send German orders DDP. This means the relevant VAT and customs charges are handled by us, with nothing extra for you to pay when your parcel arrives. Almost like we’re part of Europe again!

For other international destinations, local taxes, duties and customs fees remain the customer’s responsibility unless stated otherwise.

We ship in good faith, but it is your responsibility to check whether the products you order are permitted in your country. With more than 7,000 products, we cannot monitor every local restriction.

3.2 Shipping Costs

Our system is not perfect yet. Standard EU shipping normally starts from around €35 to €45, but if the actual cost is higher, we will contact you before dispatch.

You can pay the difference or cancel the order for a full refund.

Want a quote before ordering? Email info@thehydrobros.com, or select bank deposit at checkout so we can review the order before payment.

3.3 How Long Will It Take?

Europe: Usually 2 to 4 working days, although customs can add delays
USA: Surprisingly quick, sometimes around 2 working days
Rest of the world: Usually up to 7 working days or longer, depending on customs

Tracking will be provided as soon as your order leaves us.

3.4 Customs and VAT

International orders may be subject to local VAT, customs duties, clearance charges and additional paperwork.

Please provide a valid email address and phone number so the courier or customs authority can contact you if needed.

Germany is the exception. German orders are sent DDP, so we handle the relevant import charges and you should not be asked to pay anything extra on delivery.

3.5 Temporary EU Customs Duty

From 1 July 2026, the EU introduced a temporary customs duty on qualifying low-value parcels entering the EU from outside the EU.

For consignments with an intrinsic goods value of €150 or less, the duty is generally charged at €3 per customs item or tariff classification, rather than simply €3 per parcel.

For example:

  • Several identical products under one tariff classification may attract one €3 charge
  • Products under two different tariff classifications may attract two €3 charges

Where applicable, we may collect this amount at checkout so the parcel can be processed without the customer being asked to pay it later.

This measure is temporary because it acts as a bridge while the EU prepares its permanent customs system. It is currently intended to apply until 1 July 2028. After that, low-value goods are expected to move onto the permanent system, where normal customs tariff rates will apply according to the type and origin of each product.

This temporary customs duty is separate from VAT and is also separate from the proposed EU parcel handling fee, which is a different measure.

3.6 What If You Don’t Pay Customs Fees?

No payment means no parcel.

If you ignore a customs payment request, the parcel may be delayed, returned or destroyed.

If it is returned to us, your refund will be reduced by:

  • Original shipping costs
  • Return courier charges
  • Any unpaid customs or carrier charges billed back to us
  • A 15% administration and restocking fee

If the parcel is destroyed, abandoned or lost because the required charges were not paid, no refund will be issued.

This does not apply to German DDP orders where the relevant charges are being handled by us.

3.7 Faulty Products

For overseas orders, the buyer is responsible for the shipping costs involved in returning or replacing a product, including shipping in both directions, unless we confirm otherwise in writing.

3.8 International Summary

For most international destinations, customs rules, local taxes, duties and paperwork are your responsibility.

For Germany, we are VAT registered and ship DDP, so there should be nothing extra to pay when your parcel arrives.

For qualifying EU consignments worth €150 or less, a temporary customs duty may be collected at checkout. This is normally calculated at €3 per customs item or tariff classification.

Check before buying if you are unsure. It saves everyone a headache.