Important Information About Your Parcel Delivery

This useful guide contains information and advice about all aspects of your delivery. Please take a few minutes to read it. Also, please print it or save it on your computer for future reference. You should also have received our Important Product Information with comprehensive advice and useful tips to help you enjoy your purchase to the full. Please contact us if you have not received it.

This document also includes advice about signing the delivery note and what to do if your delivery is late or damaged.

CONTENTS

Scroll down or click on the links below:

• YOUR SAFE PLACE
• Never wait in for a delivery! Give us a safe place and come and go as you please, even if your delivery is late...

• YOUR PARCELS
• See how your parcel is handled. Most of our parcels are big, heavy and difficult to deliver, but nearly all arrive undamaged within a few days...

• THE DELIVERY VEHICLE
• See our delivery vehicles and check that your access is suitable. If not please contact us, we can always help...

• THE DELIVERY
• See when and how your parcel will be delivered...

• LATE OR DAMAGED DELIVERY
• What to do if your delivery is damaged or late...

• THE DELIVERY NOTE
• Useful tips about receiving your delivery...

• THE PARCEL NETWORKS
• The only way to deliver fast throughout the UK is using parcel networks. See how the networks operate...

YOUR SAFE PLACE

• We need somewhere to leave your parcel.
• If you have already advised us of your safe place, thank you. No further action is required.
• Never wait in for the delivery. Instead, always advise a safe place where your delivery can be left if you are out.
• A safe place instruction leaves you free to come and go as you please. It is so much easier.
• Remember, not every delivery arrives on time. We need a plan that deals with a delay.
• You probably gave us a safe place instruction already, but if not please advise a safe place now.
• If you want to amend your safe place instruction at the last minute, just leave a note for the driver on the front door.

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YOUR PARCELS

Parcels can be anything from a small bag up to a huge box that requires two people to move it. Small bags and boxes are easier to deliver with fewer problems than our larger parcels. Unfortunately, over 80% of our parcels weigh more than 25 kilograms, which most people consider heavy. Our heaviest parcels weigh around 75 kilograms. Our parcel deliveries include greenhouses, metal gazebos, metal sheds, garden furniture and a multitude of accessories.

PICTURE: A typical pallet of our parcels awaiting dispatch, including 1 small bag, 1 box 5' (1.5m) long and 11 boxes 7-9' long (2.1-2.7m).

• Most of our parcels are over 6ft (1.8m) long and weigh over 30 kilograms.
• Nearly all UK parcel networks refuse to carry such large and heavy parcels.
• Despite this every year we successfully deliver many thousands of our large and heavy parcels.
• The vast majority of our parcels consistently arrive on time and undamaged.
• Rather than waiting in for a delivery, we recommend that you give us a safe place where the parcel can be left if you are out. That way you can come and go as you please.

PICTURE: A typical polycarbonate greenhouse awaiting dispatch, with 2 boxes of metal components 9' long (2.7m) and a glazing box 5' long (1.5m).

• The only way we can deliver our parcels throughout the UK within a day or two is using national parcel networks.
• The service is very good with few problems but with any national network problems may occur with a small percentage of deliveries.
• A typical parcel network consists of a local depot in each city with a large central hub.
• The local depot based near us in Norwich collects from us every day and delivers your parcel to the central hub.
• The final stage of the journey is delivery to you by your local depot.
• Every day several national parcel networks collect from our warehouses.

PICTURE: A sack barrow with 2 small parcels, each 2'x1'x1' (600x300x300mm).

• The drivers use trolleys known as sack barrows to move small and medium size parcels without assistance.
• If there is reasonable access they can normally deliver small and medium size parcels well inside your property.
• Many of our largest parcels are too big for a sack barrow.

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THE DELIVERY VEHICLE

The delivery vehicle is normally no smaller than the large van pictured below.

PICTURE: A large van.

• The delivery vehicle is normally no larger than the 7.5 tonne lorry pictured below.
• We cannot always control which vehicle will be used for your delivery.

PICTURE: A 7.5 tonne lorry.

• Please advise if access for a 7.5 tonne lorry is difficult.
• Reasonable access to your property and parking directly outside is assumed.
• Please contact us if there are any low bridges, narrow bridges, weight limits, width limits, parking restrictions, unloading restrictions or narrow lanes at or near your property.

PICTURE: A large refuse lorry.

• Our larger lorries are bigger than the large bin lorry pictured below.
• Please advise if a large bin lorry cannot easily park outside your property.

PICTURE: A hydraulic tail lift, after it has been lowered to the ground.

• The larger lorries often include a hydraulic tail lift at the rear as pictured above, so the driver can lower the heaviest parcels to the ground without assistance.
• The larger lorries often include a sack barrow which makes it easier to move parcels up to around 5'x2'x1' (1.5x0.6x0.3m), even if they are heavy. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to move larger parcels, which includes many of our products.

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THE DELIVERY

• Your delivery could be at any time between 8am and 6pm unless you ordered our AM delivery option.
• Our AM delivery service is available in many areas at extra cost. Delivery could be any time between 8am and 1pm.
• If the AM delivery arrives after 1pm the extra AM delivery charge will be refunded in full.
• The busiest parcel carriers do not phone you before delivery. Instead we recommend that you advise a safe place where the goods can be left so you can come and go as you please.
• If you are called away unexpectedly and you did not advise a safe place, leave a signed note on the front door with instructions for the driver.
• Parcels are delivered by one driver, often using a trolley known as a sack barrow.
• All parcels are carried onto your property. The driver can normally carry small parcels into the back garden if required. This may also be possible with the largest parcels but sometimes these may be left at the front.
• A sack barrow can move easily over smooth concrete, paving or tarmac. It may also move a lighter load over softer gravel or lawn. The tyres are normally solid. It may not be possible to manoeuvre a sack barrow over steps or steep slopes.
• Take advantage of the driver while he is there. Most drivers are happy to help. So if you want the driver to help you with a heavy box, just ask. We cannot guarantee success every time but the driver could save you a lot of effort.
• If possible store the delivery somewhere undercover and off the ground. If not keep it dry and cover it as soon as possible after delivery.

PICTURE: A selection of sack barrows.

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LATE OR DAMAGED DELIVERY

Occasionally a delivery is late. Perhaps the driver could not find your property or ran out of legally allowed driving time. Perhaps your parcel was loaded on the wrong van. Perhaps a parcel missed an overnight connection and failed to reach the local depot in time for delivery the next day. This is more likely in remote areas where the distances are greater.

• In most cases a late delivery follows on the next day. If not please contact us without delay, no later than the following day, so we can track your delivery.
• Occasionally a parcel may be delivered with signs of damage. If so check the contents promptly, no later than the following day. Often it is only the packaging which is damaged and the components are intact. If so, the box has done its job. If not, please report the damage
• If required we have a limited range of spares and we offer an old fashioned spares delivery service for many of our products.
• It is important to report a late or incomplete delivery promptly, no later than the following day.
• It is important to report a damaged delivery promptly on the day of delivery and to report the details of the damage, if any, no later than the following day.
• We need you to report late, incomplete or damaged deliveries promptly because within a day or two the driver may not remember the delivery. Conversely, if you report a problem quickly the driver may remember details such as where he left it or who received it.
• We also need you to report late, incomplete or damaged deliveries promptly because we have only a few days to make a claim on the carrier's insurance. If we do not claim quickly we receive nothing for lost or damaged deliveries. If you do not report problems promptly it is assumed that there were no problems.

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RECEIVING YOUR DELIVERY

• If you expect somebody else to receive the delivery on your behalf, please email this guide to them or print a copy and give it to them.
• If you are at home for the delivery, check the condition of the packaging and the number of cartons before you sign.
• The total number of packages is printed on every label e.g. Carton 1 of 3, Carton 2 of 3, Carton 3 of 3.
• If one or more packages is damaged or missing please do not refuse the delivery but add the word "damaged" or "missing carton" next to your signature.
• There is always space on a delivery note or a hand held device to add a brief note.
• If you are out for the delivery, check the number of cartons and the condition of the packaging on the day of delivery.
• Any damage or missing cartons must be reported on the day of delivery. Please CLICK HERE to Contact Us.
• Please email a photograph of any damage to enquiries@summergardenbuildings.co.uk. This makes processing a claim faster.
• When signing for the goods, never use the words "unchecked" or "not checked", which are often interpreted as "received in good condition".
• Since the Covid-19 pandemic, there is often no requirement to physically sign for goods. However, you are still receiving a delivery whether you sign something or not. You should report any damage or suspected damage to the driver and ask to see evidence that your concerns have been noted. If you are not reassured please advise us promptly on the day of delivery.

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THE PARCEL NETWORKS

The only way we can deliver our parcels throughout the UK within a day or two is using national parcel networks. The vast majority of parcels are delivered on time and intact, but not all of them. If you are one of the unlucky ones we can only apologise and try to resolve the problem. It can be very annoying if a parcel delivery is late, incomplete or damaged. Unfortunately we cannot operate without the national parcel networks and we cannot change them. Although it does not solve anything we thought it may help you to understand a little about how they operate:

PICTURE: Cages are used to move smaller parcels safely with less risk of damage.

• National parcel networks are normally based on a bicycle wheel structure, with one central hub and lots of spokes, each leading to a local depot.
• Every day each depot collects parcels from within its own local area, which are delivered to the central hub that night.
• After each truck has been unloaded at the hub, it is filled up with parcels which need to be delivered by that depot in its local area on the following day.
• Early the next morning, the lorries return to the depot with all of the parcels they need to deliver that day in their local area.
• The parcels are then loaded into smaller vehicles, each of which delivers and collects within a small patch of the local area.
• The local depot based near us in Norwich collects from us every day and delivers your parcel to the central hub.
• The final stage of the journey is delivery to you by your local depot.
• Every day several national networks collect parcels from our warehouses.

PICTURE: Cages are used to handle smaller parcels quickly and easily.

• Smaller parcels up to around 3ft (0.9m) long and 1ft (0.3m) wide are often packed into cages at the depots.
• Cages can be moved around efficiently by people and loaded on or off lorries with a fork lift.
• Each parcel in a cage requires less handling as it travels quickly through the network.
• The cages also protect the parcels from damage.
• Small parcels which are moved in cages are more likely to arrive on time and undamaged.
• Unfortunately, most of our parcels are far too large to fit in the cages.

PICTURE: Automated parcel sorting lines being used to filter smaller parcels onto the correct conveyor belt at a parcel network hub.

• At the central hubs huge automated sorting lines automatically scan and sort thousands of smaller parcels every hour.
• Although the service for smaller parcels is more reliable, occasionally on the busiest nights the hubs are overwhelmed. This means there are more parcels than the network can deliver on the following day, so some parcels are delayed. Most delayed parcels follow on a day later than expected.
• The busiest night every week is always Thursday night, with extra parcels wanted on Friday for use at the weekend.
• The busiest nights of all are the night before a bank holiday weekend.
• It is not possible to forecast the spikes in demand with any degree of certainty. For example, when the sun comes out far more people buy garden products.
• The best way to avoid the rush is to order a few days earlier.

PICTURE: Conveyors on the right feed into the main carousel at an automated multi-level parcel sorting hub where thousands of smaller parcels are processed every hour.

• At the hub the cages are unloaded onto conveyors which feed into the automated parcel sorting lines.
• The conveyors feed parcels from inbound lorries into the main carousels, which travel around the entire warehouse.
• Each box is automatically scanned on the conveyors and filtered off at the correct exit for loading onto an outbound lorry.
• The conveyors are only 2ft (0.6m) wide. You can clearly see how boxes over 2ft (0.6m) wide could easily cause a pile up.
• If your order consists of several parcels of different sizes and weights then each parcel will be processed separately. One parcel could be in a cage with small parcels, another in a cage with larger parcels and another could be handled manually.
• Furthermore, due to network size and weight restrictions your parcels may be sent on two different networks.
• As a result, it is not unusual for each parcel to be delivered separately at different times.

PICTURE: Automated multi-level parcel sorting lines at a parcel network hub.

• Large parcels and other irregular loads are handled manually.
• Manual handling occasionally causes delays and damage but it is the only way such large and heavy boxes can be moved at all.
• On busy nights the networks do not always have enough space on the lorries for all of the larger parcels. If a backlog develops overnight it may not be cleared until the next day and some parcels may be delayed by a day.
• On a busy night at the central hubs there may not be enough staff to process all of the large parcels by hand. As a result a backlog may develop and some parcels may be delayed by a day.
• Unfortunately, most of our parcels are far too large for the automatic conveyors so they are sorted by hand.
• Unfortunately most parcel networks refuse to carry our largest parcels so our choice is limited.

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THANK YOU FOR SHOPPING WITH SUMMER GARDEN BUILDINGS

We produced these guidance notes in order to inform and reassure our customers, with detailed advice about many aspects of the delivery. However, despite our best efforts to provide comprehensive and accurate information and to update the details as required it is not always possible to describe in advance every situation which may arise. We apologise if your specific circumstances or queries are not adequately covered. All timescales are approximate and any procedures described may be subject to change. Please contact us if you have any queries.