This policy applies to purchases made through the Vale Farm & Vineyard web shop. It explains how we handle returns, refunds, damage reports, and quality concerns for both retail and trade customers.
Nothing in this policy limits any statutory rights that apply to consumers.
Definitions
A Consumer or retail customer is someone buying for personal use and not for business purposes.
A Trade or business customer is someone buying on behalf of a business, including purchases made through a trade account, with trade pricing, or otherwise identified as business purchasing.
A. Consumers (retail customers)
1. Change-of-mind returns
If you buy online and change your mind, you normally have 14 days from the day after delivery to tell us that you want to cancel your order. Once you have told us, you normally have a further 14 days to return the goods.
To be eligible for a change-of-mind return:
- the wine must be unopened and unused
- it must be returned in resaleable condition
- original packaging should be included where possible
Opened bottles are not eligible for change-of-mind returns.
If goods are handled more than is necessary to inspect them, we may reduce the refund to reflect any loss in value.
Unless the goods are faulty, damaged, incorrect, or otherwise not as described, the cost of return shipping is the customer’s responsibility. We recommend using tracked delivery and suitable protective packaging.
Where applicable, we will refund the product price and the standard outbound delivery charge. If you chose a more expensive delivery option, we refund only the cost of standard delivery.
We will make any refund due within 14 days of receiving the goods back, or within 14 days of receiving evidence that they have been sent back, whichever is sooner.
2. Self-service returns portal
For eligible retail returns, you can start a return here:
https://track.shipstation.com/f/r/n/SgH1gvjP8QkVbes1GHBwTgpXE0jCDvPpWU8ftdxWZCk%3D
This portal is only for straightforward change-of-mind returns of eligible unopened retail orders. It is not for:
- damaged, broken, leaking, missing, or incorrect items
- suspected faulty wine
- concerns about deterioration caused by storage or heat exposure
- trade orders
- local pickup orders
If your issue falls into any of those categories, please contact us directly by email instead of using the portal.
3. Damaged, leaking, missing, or incorrect items
Please check your order promptly after delivery.
If anything is broken, leaking, visibly damaged, missing, or incorrect, please contact us as soon as possible, ideally within 48 hours of delivery, so we can investigate quickly and resolve it properly.
We will usually ask for:
- your order number
- photographs of the outer box
- photographs of the internal packaging
- photographs of the affected bottle or bottles
- batch or lot information where available
Where a transit issue or fulfilment error is confirmed, we will offer an appropriate remedy. Depending on the circumstances and stock availability, this may be a replacement, refund, or credit.
4. Faulty wine and quality concerns
Not liking the taste of a wine is not, by itself, evidence that it is faulty.
If you simply decide a wine is not to your taste, opened bottles are not refundable. Any remaining unopened bottles may still be eligible for return under the change-of-mind terms above.
If you believe a bottle is faulty, for example because of cork taint, oxidation, contamination, or another genuine quality defect, please contact us and we will review the claim.
To investigate, we may ask you to:
- keep the bottle and closure
- keep as much of the remaining contents as possible
- send photographs
- tell us when the bottle was opened
- tell us how it was stored after delivery
Where appropriate, we may ask for the bottle to be returned or collected for inspection.
If a fault is confirmed, we will normally offer a replacement or refund for the affected bottle or bottles.
5. Storage and temperature
Wine is a temperature-sensitive product and should be stored in cool, stable conditions after delivery.
We cannot accept responsibility for deterioration caused after delivery by poor storage, excessive heat, direct sunlight, or other handling outside our control.
This does not affect your rights where goods are genuinely faulty or not as described at the point of delivery.
B. Trade customers
1. No change-of-mind returns
Trade purchases are business-to-business transactions. Change-of-mind cancellations and consumer cooling-off rights do not apply to trade orders.
2. Delivery checks and transit issues
Trade customers should inspect deliveries promptly and report shortages, breakages, leaks, visible damage, or incorrect items as soon as possible, ideally within 48 hours of delivery.
We will usually ask for order details, supporting photographs, and batch or lot information where relevant.
Where a transit issue or fulfilment error is confirmed, we will usually offer a replacement or credit note. A refund may be offered where we agree that this is the appropriate remedy.
3. Quality and fault claims
If you believe wine supplied on a trade basis is faulty, please notify us as soon as reasonably possible and retain the affected bottles and closures so we can investigate.
We may ask for photographs, storage details, and return or collection of samples for assessment.
Where a fault is confirmed, the usual trade remedy is replacement or credit note, unless we agree otherwise.
How to request a return or report a problem
For returns, damage reports, fulfilment errors, or quality concerns, please contact:
Please include:
- your order number
- a short description of the issue
- photographs where relevant
- any batch or lot information available on the bottle or packaging
Returns should only be sent back once we have confirmed the return details with you.
Our returns address is:
Vale Farm
Tattingstone Place
Park Lane
Ipswich
Suffolk
IP9 2FP
If goods are returned without suitable protective packaging and are damaged in transit, we may reduce any refund accordingly.
Refund method
Refunds will be made to the original payment method unless we agree otherwise.