Delivery
Once my order for non-live items is placed online, how long until I receive it?
All non-live orders leave our offices within 1-3 working days unless the item(s) are out of stock, or if your order includes a Live product with a chosen send-out date of 3 weeks or less away (in which case we will dispatch all goods, live and non-live, on the requested send out date).
Once your order is dispatched, standard delivery time for the UK is approximately 1- 4 working days, depending on your location. Please allow 10 days for orders outside of the UK. A Next Working Day option is available for UK delivery only.
Live orders may be delayed in extreme weather conditions.
Caterpillar Orders - UK Only
Caterpillars are normally dispatched on Tuesdays and Fridays from March through to mid-September (weeks including a bank holiday will differ). Please pre-order for the date you would like your caterpillars. If delivery is required directly after Easter or during the first two weeks of June, please pre-order at least one month beforehand to ensure availability.
Once your order is dispatched, standard delivery time for the UK is approximately 1-4 working days depending on your location.
Other Live Items - Other live items may be dispatched from another location and will arrive 1-4 working days following dispatch. Where no send out date is required, most orders will be delivered within a week.
Caterpillar Orders - EU
Caterpillars are normally dispatched on Mondays*, from March to mid-September (weeks including a bank holiday may differ). Your order will be dispatched from France and may be delivered by a third party company based within the EU.
Once your order is dispatched, delivery time is approximately 2 -7 working days depending on your location.
Any non live items ordered (including Butterfly Habitats) may be shipped separately to your caterpillars and may take up to 10 working days to arrive. We will endeavour to dispatch your non live items at least one week before your caterpillar shipment (where your chosen send out date allows).
*If you have selected a Tuesday or Friday for your dispatch, this will be updated to the following Monday.
Delivery outside the United Kingdom: Every effort has been made to avoid any import duties and tax charges needing to be paid when the delivery reaches your country. In the unlikely event charges do occur you will be responsible for payment.
How much should I expect to pay for shipping?
Mainland England, Wales and Scottish Lowlands: For orders up to £75, standard delivery is £4.95. For orders more than £75, carriage is free. For orders containing only one refill set of caterpillars (item code 102), delivery is reduced to £2.99.
Scottish highlands, Channel Islands, Northern Ireland and Remote areas: Standard P&P is £6.99, however, unfortunately due to your location, there may be an additional shipping charge required if the size and/or weight of your order exceeds the standard mail option charged for online. Should this be the case you will be contacted by email by one of our team after your order has been placed. For orders containing only one refill set of caterpillars (item code 102), delivery is reduced to £2.99.
European and BFPO Delivery: Standard P&P is £9.99, however unfortunately due to your location, there may be an additional shipping charge required if the size and/or weight of your order exceeds the standard mail option charged for online. Should this be the case you will be contacted by email by one of our team after your order has been placed.
If you choose to upgrade your delivery to a Parcel Force service (mainland UK only), live products with a chosen send out date will still be dispatched on the selected date. Please note that even when choosing next day delivery - caterpillars and most other live items are only available for dispatch on certain days. The Parcel Force service does not include delivery on Saturdays or Sundays. Orders placed after 1pm will likely be dispatched on the next working day.
Returns & Replacements
Before returning anything, please contact us for a return authorisation reference. Packages returned without a reference cannot be accepted.
All claims for missing items, damaged goods, or defective merchandise must be made within 14 working days of receiving them (in the event of missing goods please contact us within 10 days of expected receipt of the goods). If returning an item, please use the original box and include your order number and full address.
Merchandise returned will be credited to your account or refunded to your original payment method, if in a saleable condition.
Ordering
I'm having trouble ordering online, what can I do?
If you have any trouble ordering please use our online chat service, call our customer service team on 01726 860273, or email us sales@insectlore.co.uk and we will be happy to assist you with the process. Our office is open 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday (closed Bank Holidays).
What payment methods do you accept online?
You can pay via Amazon Pay, PayPal, or by credit/debit card using the ‘Elavon’ payment platform.
Cards accepted: Visa, Visa Debit, Visa Electron, MasterCard, MasterCard Debit and Maestro.
Ordering By Phone:
Call our customer service team 01726 860273 Monday - Friday, 09.00 – 17.00 GMT.
We accept Visa, Visa Debit, MasterCard, Switch and Maestro. Please have your payment card ready before calling.
Please note we cannot redeem vouchers by phone, they must be redeemed online using the unique code.
Ordering By Post:
Insect Lore, Unit 11 Indian Queens Trading Estate, Warren Road, Indian Queens, Cornwall, TR9 6TL
Download Order Form (pdf file)
Do you accept Purchase Orders?
Yes, we accept Purchase Orders for UK based schools, by post, email, online or phone. If placing your order by post or email you can use your own letterhead or our order form.
Visit our FAQ on how to order online using a Purchase Order reference.
What about ordering live critters?
If you are ordering live items please make sure you are ready to receive them and plan ahead for any holidays. All shipments containing live goods must be opened immediately upon receipt. If delivery is to a school and your order arrives at a main office/site, please make arrangements to have your living order passed on swiftly. We cannot be responsible for live shipments that are left unattended.
How do the kits work if I order one with a voucher?
The vouchers are redeemable for live insects and critters. Vouchers are like money in that they're worth the value of your live product. They are great as gifts because the recipient is able to choose when to order the live portion of the kit. If you order vouchers, put them in a safe place and we recommend you make a note of the unique code, unfortunately we cannot replace lost or misplaced vouchers. Your original vouchers must be redeemed online using the unique code before the live specimens can be shipped.
What if I've lost my voucher for the live shipment?
Each voucher has a unique code that's "worth" the live critter shipment. Unfortunately we cannot replace lost or misplaced vouchers, without the voucher code we will not be able to assist you.
We cannot redeem vouchers by phone, email or Live chat and cannot be responsible for lost vouchers.
Ordering Live vs Ordering with Vouchers
If you are ordering live items please choose your dispatch date wisely. Consider the dates of upcoming holidays to ensure you do not miss a vital part of the insects development. As an example, the Caterpillars can take between 3-5 weeks to change into butterflies.
Live kits are dispatched as a complete kit, on the chosen send out date within the UK. If ordering within the EU, the non live part of the kit may be shipped directly to you at an earlier date.
Voucher kits are normally sent out the same, or next working day. These kits are great as gifts either out of the caterpillar season, or for when you are unsure of when the recipient may want to start the project.
All shipments containing live items must be opened immediately upon receipt. If you’re ordering for a school and your order arrives at a main office/site, please make arrangements to have your living order passed on swiftly. We cannot be responsible for live shipments that are left unattended.
If you order a voucher make sure you make a record of the code and the order number, as without one of these we will not be able to track your order. Your voucher must be redeemed online using the unique code. The voucher must be redeemed before the live critters can be shipped.
We cannot redeem vouchers by phone, email or Live chat and cannot be responsible for lost vouchers.