Terms and Conditions

1. By ordering from us, the customer shall be deemed to have accepted the following terms and conditions.

2. Every effort is made to ensure that all items offered for sale at Vanished Eras are described and depicted as accurately as possible, and thus to ensure customer satisfaction. However, due to the limitations of the photographic process, the photographs may not depict the item(s) shown with total accuracy; for example, colours may be slightly different (and will in any case vary according to lighting conditions.)

3. All prices include postage and packing within the United Kingdom only. Most items can be shipped overseas at extra cost; customers from outside the United Kingdom are asked to contact us for overseas shipping costs before placing their order. Although we welcome orders from outside the UK, and can ship most items overseas, non-UK customers should note that:
(a) The cost of shipping large, heavy and/or bulky items overseas is likely to be high, and may in some cases exceed the market value of the item(s) concerned;
(b) Customs and/or import duties may be payable within the country of destination;
(c) The customs and/or postal regulations of the destination country may disallow importation or delivery of certain items;
(d) We can only usually accept payment by credit card via PayPal, or from an existing PayPal balance, for overseas orders (see clause 6 below).
The currency converter (at the top right of each page - click on the words "change currency") will convert all our shop prices into a selection of overseas currencies (including Euros or US Dollars) at current exchange rates; all payments, however, should be made in pounds sterling (£GBP).

4. In certain cases, we may be able to give combined postage discounts for multiple purchases if this is arranged with us prior to ordering. Please note that this will not always be possible, for example, in cases where combining postage would cause postal weight or size limits to be exceeded, or where a large heavy item is ordered together with a delicate and fragile one.

5. All items, especially those of a fragile nature, will be packed with great care, using good quality recycled and/or new materials as appropriate.  Most UK orders are dispatched via Royal Mail First Class (delivery normally the next working day after the date of postage), although some heavy and/or bulky items may be sent via Royal Mail Standard Parcels (delivery normally within three to five working days); high value orders (i.e. £50.00 GBP or over) are sent via Royal Mail Special Delivery (delivery guaranteed by 1pm next working day except for certain remote areas) or by Standard Parcels (with additional compensation purchased) as appropriate. Overseas orders will normally be sent via Royal Mail Airmail (delivery normally within three working days to European destinations, five working days to destinations outside Europe), or, for high value orders, via Royal Mail Airsure or International Signed For (with additional compensation purchased) as appropriate. In certain circumstances, we may use an alternative courier.  We would be happy to send lower value UK orders by Special Delivery at extra cost; if you require this, please contact us before you order. Alternatively, if you wish to make your own arrangements for delivery by an alternative courier (at your own risk), you are welcome to do so, provided you let us know beforehand so that we can pack the goods in time for the courier to collect them from us.

6. Customers within the United Kingdom are welcome to pay by cheque, postal order or PayPal (which enables payment by credit card, irrespective of whether or not the customer holds a PayPal account). We regret that we cannot accept cheques issued by non-UK banks, or in any currency other than pounds sterling (£GBP), owing to heavy bank charges; customers from outside the United Kingdom must therefore pay by PayPal, unless they hold an account with an UK bank upon which cheques (in £GBP) can be drawn. We do NOT recommend that you send cash through the post; if you choose to do so, it will be at your own risk.

7. Prompt payment is encouraged and appreciated. Orders paid for by PayPal (eCheque payments excepted) or postal order will be shipped within three working days where possible; items paid for by cheque or eCheque will be shipped once payment has cleared (which takes around five to seven working days for cheques, and around ten working days for eCheques).

8. On a few occasions, we have received orders where the customer has supplied their details, but either has not proceeded to the next stage of the checkout process by selecting a method of payment, or else their attempt to pay has proved abortive; in these situations, our stock control system does not automatically remove the item(s) so ordered from sale. Experience has shown that payment does not tend to be forthcoming for such orders, even when e-mail reminders are sent; for this reason, any such incomplete orders we receive will be regarded as invalid - and the item(s) concerned will remain available for others to order - unless the customer has contacted us, within a reasonable timeframe, to let us know that they wish to complete their purchase.

9. Customers who choose to pay by cheque or postal order are requested to send payment within seven days of placing their order, and to contact us to let us know that payment has been sent (and thus to confirm that they indeed wish to complete their purchase).  If no payment or communication has been received after seven days, the order will be cancelled without further notice from us, and the item(s) put back on sale.

10. Orders that have already been paid for may be cancelled at the buyer's request for any reason within fourteen days after payment has been made. If the order has not already been dispatched, the purchase price will be refunded in full. If the order has already been dispatched, the purchase price will be refunded minus the actual cost of postage upon receipt of the returned item(s), which must either be returned unopened in, or repacked to at least the same standard as, the original packaging, and returned by insured mail or courier; the buyer must pay the return postage costs. If an order (or part order) being returned to us is lost or damaged on its return journey, we regret that we will be unable to refund the purchase price; it will become the customer's responsibility to claim for compensation from Royal Mail or the courier as appropriate, although in the case of damage we will provide photographs of the damaged item(s) and retain them for inspection if required.

11. If any items are found upon receipt to have been misdescribed by us, and we accept that this was indeed the case, the purchase price and the price of return postage (including insurance if taken out) will be refunded in full upon receipt of the returned item(s), which must either be returned unopened in, or repacked to at least the same standard as, the original packaging, and returned by insured mail or courier; we will make any necessary claims for compensation should the item(s) be lost or damaged upon the return journey. Alternatively, at our discretion, a partial refund may be offered.

12. In the rare event that any order (or part order) is lost or damaged in transit, a full refund of the purchase price of the lost or damaged item(s) will be given.  We will normally claim compensation from Royal Mail or the courier as appropriate; in the case of damage, we may request photographic evidence of the damage to the item(s) and packaging, and request that the customer retains both item(s) and packing for inspection if required.

13. Item descriptions and photographs (but not sale prices) of items that have been successfully sold and are no longer in stock will be moved to our "Archive of Sold Items", where they (with the exception of a few items which are identical or very similar to other items either currently for sale or included in the Archive) will be kept indefinitely as a source of useful information for collectors and researchers.  (Our policy, prior to June 2010, was to remove descriptions and photographs of sold items three months after the date of sale; these will be reinstated as time permits.)

14. We reserve the right to alter prices, amend descriptions (in the interests of accuracy) or withdraw items from sale at any time. We likewise reserve the right to offer items for sale elsewhere, for instance at antiques / collectors' fairs. If any such items are sold elsewhere, they will be removed from sale on this site as quickly as possible; should they in the meantime have been purchased from this site, the sale will be cancelled and any payment already sent will be refunded (with due apologies).
 
15. We reserve the right to alter the above terms and conditions without prior notice; however, any such changes will not be applied retrospectively to transactions which were commenced before the changes were made.

If you have any concerns about these terms and conditions, please contact us.

Terms and conditions last updated 27 March 2013

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