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 or Failed Deliveries
If your parcel comes back to us because you weren't in, didn't collect it, gave us the wrong contact/address details, or didn't respond to the courier, we'll offer to resend or refund:
Resend – the reship fee is whatever you paid for shipping the first time round. If your original order had free shipping, we'll work out the reship cost based on what it actually costs to send it again.
Pallet items – reship starts from £60, but can be more for remote areas (Highlands, Islands, NI, etc.) – same surcharges that applied the first time.
Refund instead – minus courier costs and a 15% admin/restocking fee. See our Refund Policy for how refunds work.
Please double-check your delivery details and track your parcel to avoid this altogether.
International missed/failed deliveries follow the international section below – courier and customs costs plus the 15% fee apply, there's no flat reship rate.
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.
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 every other country outside the UK, orders ship DAP – that's standard for goods sent from the UK. Your order price doesn't include the destination country's VAT or duty, so local VAT, customs duties, clearance charges and any courier handling fee are your responsibility when your parcel arrives.
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.
3.1b UK Specification: Plugs & Voltage
All our electrical products are UK spec – UK plug, UK 230-240V voltage.
If you're ordering from outside the UK, it's on you to sort out a plug adapter or rewire, and to check your local voltage is compatible. We don't rewire, re-plug, or convert voltage before dispatch, and we're not liable for damage caused by using UK-spec electrical items on an incompatible supply. If you're not sure your setup can take a UK-spec item, check before you order.
3.2 Shipping Costs
Our system is not perfect yet. Standard EU shipping normally starts from around €35, 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
This duty is collected by the courier or destination customs authority when your parcel arrives – not by us at checkout – so it'll show up as part of what's due on delivery, alongside any local VAT.
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.
3.6b What If Your Country Won't Let It In?
We'll ship almost anything to almost anywhere – if it fits in a box, we can put a label on it and hand it to the courier. But getting it through customs at the other end is on you.
It's your job to know:
- Whether the product you're ordering is legal to import into your country
- Whether it needs a licence, certificate, or extra paperwork to clear customs
- Whether restrictions apply to that item specifically (voltage, plant nutrients, electricals, batteries, etc. – rules vary wildly by country)
With over 7,000 products shipping worldwide, we can't check every country's import rules for every item – so we don't, and we won't be held responsible for a parcel that gets stopped because it wasn't allowed in, or because customs wanted paperwork you couldn't provide.
If your parcel is delayed, returned, or destroyed because of import restrictions or missing paperwork on your end, the same terms as 3.6 above apply:
- Original shipping costs (non-refundable)
- Return courier charges
- Any customs or carrier fees billed back to us
- A 15% admin/restocking fee
If it's abandoned or destroyed rather than returned, no refund will be issued.
Not sure if something can legally land in your country? Check with your own customs authority before you order – not after it gets stuck.
3.7 Faulty Products
For overseas orders, you're responsible for the shipping costs of any return, repair, or replacement – including if the item is faulty – unless we've confirmed otherwise with you 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 apply on delivery. This is normally calculated at €3 per customs item or tariff classification, and is collected by the courier or customs authority – not by us at checkout.
Check before buying if you are unsure. It saves everyone a headache.
