Shipping & payments

Shipping Surcharge
We make a one off flat rate surcharge for overseas shipping, this is £4 for Europe and £9 for rest of the world. This fee covers tracked shipping to destinations outside the UK and since we have introduced this we have not had a single order go missing. With a tracked shipment if there is a delay or a need to chase the item to find out why it has not been delivered, we can help out as we have a means to trace the package. This charge is not mandatory though you are encouraged to select the correct destination at checkout which will add the fee to your total. However, without this fee we cannot help you if your package goes missing and you as the customer will be liable for the loss of the goods. With a tracked shipment we will do all we can to help you find the consignment and will be able to claim for its value if it does not turn up.

How will my goods be shipped?
If your order is for small parts of low value Royal Mail First Class post will be used. If the item has greater value (a laser module for example) then Royal Mail Special Delivery will be used for its speedy insured service. European orders will be sent using Airmail Small Packet service through Royal Mail. Large orders will be shipped out using whichever courier can offer the most appropriate service including insurance.

How long before I can expect delivery? Updated
If the goods are in stock you should receive them the day after the payment is cleared. For laser modules that are not kept in stock, we keep shipping costs to a minimum by collecting many orders together, the benefit to you is that in most cases you will have to pay no shipping from china which for a single laser is about £60. The downside of this is a delay of a few weeks from when you order while we get a sufficient amount of items together. If you need the item urgently then we will be able to order the item from the factory with shipping from a courier such as DHL or UPS. There will be an extra charge for this please make sure you inform us when you order if you are needing fast shipping otherwise we will assume we can add to the stock order and delivery may take a few weeks.

Will I have to pay VAT or customs duty?
No. Beyond the VAT that you will pay at checkout there will be no additional VAT or duty to pay. All the goods are shipped directly to the UK office where they are tested and checked for shipping damage. Therefore we take care of all costs and these are included in the price quoted.

Do you drop ship?
No. To ensure you get the best quality of service and products all items will be shipped out to customers from our UK office. This way we can ensure all the goods have survived shipping from China and are in tip top condition and meet the specifications of the item you have ordered when you take delivery.

What if my laser develops a fault?
If you have a problem with a laser module (or anything else) you must first ship the item back to us here in the UK where we will asses the fault. If we can rectify the problem here we will and ship it back to you as soon as we can. Sometimes a laser may need to be shipped back to the factory for clean room repairs. In this case the item will be returned to you from the factory as soon as possible.

How can I pay? Updated
Our favoured method is Google checkout as they are secure, trust worthy and have very reasonable fees. We can also accept cheque, direct bank transfer or Paypal which you can select at checkout time. We can also accept cash if you want to collect your goods in person. Please contact us to arrange this as we don't entertain calls that have not be pre-arranged. If you wish to pay cash for an item that is ordered in from the factory we will need a 10% deposit by a different method prior to ordering. We will shortly be adding further payment options to give you as much payment choice and security as possible.

Are payments secure?
Google checkout is favoured by Stanwax Laser due to its stringent checks that protect both the buyer and the seller. Our site does not need high security as all credit card transactions are taken care of by your chosen payment gateway service. We will never have access to your personal credit card details.

I don't have a Google Checkout or Paypal account.
Its easy to sign up to GC or Paypal. All you need is an email address and a valid credit Card. Often with a new account we cannot charge your credit card until GC have run a series of verification checks. This can take up to six hours but traditionally does not hold your order up too much. This ensures we have less likely hood of falling foul of fraudulent transactions. Alternatively you can pay by one of the other methods that do not require you to 'join' a scheme.

What if I want to buy several items?
Our new online shop will help you to buy several items due to the intergration of full shpping cart facilities.

How do you handle overseas payments?
Foreign orders are processed exactly the same way as UK payments, the only difference will be the need for an additional shipping charge to cover a tracked international service for all overseas orders. Additional charges will apply to orders outside of the UK. You can pay in any one of three currencies which are Pound Sterling, Euro and US Dollar.

Lasers

Can I get lasers polarised for combining with a PBS?
Yes we can have laser heads made up for you that have the polarisation otated by 90 degrees to the standard product. There is a small charge for this which is normally about £30 depending on the exchange rate. Ask for a quote and will will give you a firm price.

What power should I expect from my laser?
The rated power output of all our lasers is quoted after a 15min warmup, this value is often exceeded so the rated output should be taken as a minimum after warmup.