Christmas 2023 last posting dates
All orders are despatched by Royal Mail. They have advised that the last posting dates for Christmas are as follows:-
- Monday 18th December - 2nd Class (Standard free delivery) and 2nd Class signed for (Large letter service)
- Tuesday 19th December - 1st Class (Premium) delivery and 1st Class signed for (Large letter service)
- Wednesday 20th December - Royal Mail Tracked 48hr (Standard free delivery)
- Thursday 21st December - Royal Mail Tracked 24Hr (Premium delivery)
The last order date for collection from a Hive Network Shop will be Thursday 21st December. Please check the Christmas opening times of the selected Bookshop to ensure they will be open for collection.
We would recommend placing orders well in advance of these dates to ensure there is plenty of time for your order to arrive. Parcels that are too big and heavy to fit through a standard letter box are automatically sent on a tracked service. If your order has been despatched on a Tracked service, details of the tracking reference will be included in your despatch confirmation email.
Delivery Times & Costs for delivery within the UK
- Collection from Hive Network shops: Within 3-5 working days after dispatch - FREE
- Standard (2nd class): Within 3-5 working days after dispatch - FREE
- Premium (1st class): 1-2 working days* after dispatch - £3.25
- Premium (1st class) tracked + signature - next working day* if ordered before 2pm £3.85 -
* Orders placed on Saturday/Sunday will be despatched on Monday
Collection from Hive Network Shops
The collection service means that you can have your order delivered to your local or chosen favourite Hive Network shop for FREE. The great thing about it is that you can conveniently collect your order in your own time from hundreds of fantastic and friendly shops.
How does the collection service work?
The option is displayed at the checkout. The shop will email you to let you know that your product has arrived safely and is ready for collection. They will hold Hive orders for a maximum of 28 days. Orders that are not picked up within 28 days will be returned to us. To find your nearest Hive collection shop please visit our store locator page.
Home Delivery
All items are delivered directly to your door.
Standard FREE Delivery
All orders qualify for free standard UK delivery with no minimum spend threshold. Items that are in stock will be with you within 3-5 working days, with the exception of bank holidays.
Parcels are usually delivered by Royal Mail but at peak times of the year (Christmas) we may also use alternative carriers, and where possible will be tracked to your door, with text and/or email alerts to advise delivery, and the ability to provide 'Leave in Safe Place' instructions. We will ask for your mobile number and delivery instructions during the checkout process, and will pass on these details to Royal Mail (or an alternative carrier) if your parcel can be tracked. It is not possible to select which delivery company is used as this is based upon parcel weight, size and delivery service selected. However, for most of the year orders will be delivered by Royal Mail.
Orders received before 3pm will usually be despatched the same working day, though this is not guaranteed for orders placed over bank holiday periods. Orders placed over the weekend will be despatched on Monday
Premium Delivery
If you'd like your order to arrive more quickly, you can select our premium delivery service, which incurs an extra cost. This means that your order will arrive the next working day if ordered before 2pm. Orders placed over the weekend will be despatched on Monday to arrive the next working day (Tuesday), with the exception of bank holidays when items will be despatched on the next normal working day. This applies to all items that are in stock.
Where possible the parcel will be tracked to your door, with text and/or email delivery alerts and the option to provide 'Leave in Safe Place' instructions. Orders should be placed before 2pm in order to be despatched the same working day.
We do not offer an international delivery option - items will only be despatched within the UK
VAT
The prices payable for goods are as set out in the website, inclusive of VAT where applicable (books are currently zero rated).
Ordering 'Out of Stock' items and pre-orders
If all the items in your order are not in stock, we will not hold your order until everything is available, but will despatch items as they become available. This may result in several shipments.
If a product is listed as 'Out of Stock, more expected soon' we are anticipating receiving more, it can normally still be ordered for delivery. As soon as the items are available they will be dispatched to you (usually within 10-14 days) - you will not be charged for 'Out of Stock' orders until they are sent to you. However, if you paid using PayPal full payment is taken when the order is placed and not when items are dispatched. Please note that ordering an item that is 'Out of Stock' alongside in stock items will not delay the dispatch of these items.
If you place an order for multiple copies of the same item, if insufficient stock is available to fulfill the order in full, the order will be held until all items are available. If you require a specific number of copies, please let us know so we can check and confirm that sufficient stock is available to supply in one shipment.
Providing that all pre-orders are placed at least three days before the release date, we will endeavour to deliver it on the day of release, though this cannot be guaranteed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change my delivery address after I've ordered?
Unfortunately once the order has been placed and acknowledged you will be unable to change the delivery address. If your order has not been despatched, you can cancel it (go to My Account) and then place a new order for the correct delivery address. If you require assistance, please contact customerservice@hive.co.uk
Can I order large quantities?
We're happy to accept bulks orders and would suggest that you contact us prior to placing an order to check that sufficient stock is available. Orders are only suppplied when all stock is available, so the order would be held until it could be supplied in full, which might delay your order being despatched.
Do you deliver BFPO?
Unfortunately at this time we do not deliver to BFPO addresses.
Returns
For full details of how to return an item, please see our Returns Policy
