FAQ

Who are Cybercandy?
Do you recycle?
There's a problem with my order who do I contact?
How do I place an order?
How can I pay for my order?
What happens if the product I order is out of stock?
How much will it cost to ship my parcel?
When will I receive my order?
My order has not arrived. What should I do?
Does Cybercandy ship overseas?
Is it safe entering my credit card number?
Are your products guaranteed?
How do I contact Cybercandy?
What is Cybercandy's privacy policy?

"Cybercandy" is a registered trademark of Moocher Ltd licensed for the exclusive use of Cybercandy Ltd.

Who are Cybercandy?
Cybercandy is a family owned and run business initially set up and run from our dining room table in North London.  We launched our small business in 1999 just as all the big dot coms were going bust!  We've always run our business on the traditional business principles of working hard long hours and not buying things on the 'nod'.  We have never sought venture capital or even met our bank manager let alone asked for a loan!  Which is why we've seen competitors come and go over the years.  In late 2002 we finally reclaimed our dining room table and after six years in the business we now have two shops: one in London's most prestigious shopping area: Covent Garden and the other in North Laine Brighton; as well as two large distribution warehouses in North London.  We haven't made a dot com million yet (and what you haven't got you can't lose! ) but we still love our business as much now as the cold February morning in 2000 when we made our first non-family sale. We are still 101% committed to bringing the Cybercandy "WOW" experience to as many people as possible. We employ a team of 16 people throughout the business who are all very dedicated and work very hard to bring you the best online or offline shopping experience possible. We're always on the lookout for good people so if you think you could have something to offer either as an employee or a supplier drop us a line enquiries@cybercandy.co.uk

Our Policy on Packaging and Recycling
For some people the very word packaging is a rude word, we would defend the right of candy to be well clothed. It is often stated that in Japan the packaging of a product is considered almost as important as the product itself. This is perhaps why Japanese candy, as well as being delicious has some of the most exciting well designed and beautiful packaging in the candy world. We agree with the Japanese that nice packaging is very important, and we choose our products not just for what they taste like (though that's important too!) but also because they look beautiful.

We recognise the benefits of recycling as a means of protecting our environment.  90% of the waste generated by our company is cardboard and we now recycle almost all of this cardboard (in house) as a packaging material which can be used, where possible, to protect the goods in the parcels we despatch.  We have found this material to offer the best protection of any product we have tried and as a result have reduced the number of items received by customers damaged.  So we consider this a win/win/win situation for the World, our customers and our business.

If your parcel contains some of our recycled cardboard we would ask you to join us in saving the World by re-recycling it either by putting it in your nearest cardboard recycling bin or even better by using it as protective packaging in a parcel you are sending (remember to ask the recipient to re-re-recycle it!).

Customers will notice that their invoice is printed on an off white paper.  This is because we now print all our packing lists on 100% recycled and de-inked paper.  Much recycled paper is produced only from paper that was never actually used (i.e unprinted) it is, in other words, paper that was wasted in the first place.  The recycled paper we use is produced from paper that has already been printed on , but is then mulched and de-inked.  The de-inking process removes most of the ink but not 100% which results in a lovely noble parchmenty hue.

Problems?
We are very keen that you should be happy with our service and the products you purchase and we promise you that we will always do our best to help resolve any questions or problems we can as quickly as possible. We don't promise to never make a mistake (everyone makes mistakes)... especially when picking and packing complex and varied orders from a very wide range of exotic products.  If we do make a mistake or there is a problem with your order all we ask is that you take a deep breath (we understand it's frustrating) keep calm, drop us an email or give us a call and let us know the problem (remember to tell us your name and order number) and we will do our best to sort the problem out.  If you have any suggestions or comments please email us at suggestions@cybercandy.co.uk

Making a Purchase
Placing an order is easy, you can either order online or via our customer service number shown at the top of every page.

To order online visit the various sections of our site. When you find a product you wish to buy click the buy button and then confirm the quantity you wish to purchase. Once you have completed selecting the products you wish to purchase click on the checkout button in the top right hand corner of the page.

If you wish to remove an item from your shopping cart, before completing your purchase, click on 'view cart' - which is in the top right hand corner of the Cybercandy page - then press the remove button against the products you wish to remove.

Payments
Making a purchase is easy. We accept payments via Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Switch, Delta or Solo. Sorry we do not accept cheques or postal orders but we do accept Cybercandy's own Gift Vouchers'.

Once you have placed your order we will not charge your card until your order is ready to be despatched - except on pre-purchase orders.

Stock Availability - Replacements and Refunds
We try to keep all items in stock all the time. It is the nature of the product range we sell that at any time there will be a large minority of items which are out of stock at any one time. In some cases restocking takes about 8 weeks, however we are not able to restock on one item until we are ready to restock on many of the other items.

We do our best to keep our stock system as up to date as possible so that when items are out of stock they are not offered for sale on the website. However with the many hundreds of products we stock there will always be times when item/s you have ordered may not be in stock at the time we come to process your order. Where products you have ordered are out of stock we will replace them with other products of a similar price and nature (or by increasing the quantities of other products you've ordered) - unless you specify otherwise at the time you place the product in the shopping cart. When you place an item in the shopping cart if the product you are ordering is one where you would sooner receive a refund rather than replacement (if it is out of stock) then please click on the appropriate (refund) button each time that you place an item in your shopping cart.  If we feel that cancelling or replacing an item in your order will make a big difference we will try to contact you by email, however the fulfilment of all orders is always a balancing act between despatching orders speedily and as completely as possible and we will try to make the best possible compromise.

Shipping And Handling (UK)

*** Our couriers normally deliver Monday - Friday between 9am and 3pm.  If you are not normally at home during these hours please do not use your home address for delivery.  ***

It is very difficult to arrange the redirection of a parcel once it has been despatched, please use a friend, family, neighbour or work address if you are not normally available to receive a parcel during the working day.  If your parcel has been despatched already and you ask us to arrange redespatch we will always do our best to help, but we will pass on any costs incurred and we will not accept responsibility for the cost of redespatching returned parcels.

The total charge for UK postage, packing and packaging is £4.99 (Budget Shipping) or £6.99 (Standard) on most UK Mainland orders. We regret that on certain heavier orders (over 1kg) we may have to impose a shipping surcharge on non-mainland UK destinations.  We will never charge more shipping without first emailing for your approval.

Most orders are sent out on a 24 hour delivery service (either first class post or Interlink Next day before 3 - which service we despatch by is at our discretion and is based on the weight and value of the goods sent and the shipping service selected).

Delivery Schedule
All delivery schedules are estimated and not guaranteed.  The estimated shipping schedule for Budget Shipping is 6-7 working days (M-F) and 1-2 working days for Standard Shipping.  Once despatched your order will normally take approximately 24 hours or less to arrive, however this may be longer if there is no-one available to take delivery. Cybercandy cannot be held responsible for the delays caused by any third party. All timings are approximate and are not guaranteed.

The Budget Shipping Scheme is a service for customers who do not require their parcel urgently or within a specific time frame.  If you require your parcel urgently or within a certain time frame we strongly recommend choosing Standard Shipping (or if you have qualified for Free Shipping email us to upgrade).

The Budget Shipping Scheme is a less than cost service which allows us to manage our workflows more evenly.  By offering to ship goods at an average price less than cost we are able to even out the flow of work in our warehouse during busy periods.  We will never delay a parcel intentionally and it may be that when you choose this option your parcel arrives within a day or two, however at busier times we may need to use the entire (or more) estimated schedule for the scheme.

My order has not arrived. What should I do?
First of all, please check your mailbox and spam box/ spam filter for any correspondence with us as the order might have been held for a specific reason. If you received dispatch confirmation email and the order has not turned up as expected:
- please check with your housemates/ colleagues and neighbours, and also in designated by you "safe places"
- for orders sent via Interlink - please contact your local Interlink depot in first instance - contact details can be found at here. Please quote the consignment number that we sent you in dispatch confirmation email for reference. If for any reason you are unable to contact Interlink, please let us know asap via email and we will assist you.
- for orders sent via Royal Mail to UK addresses - please give it 3 working days and contact your local Royal Mail depot as they should have your parcel. Please quote your name and delivery address as reference.
- for orders sent overseas, please note it may take up to 14 days for the order to arrive. If it has been sent via Airmail and not courier service, please check with your local postal services provider. If it is still not there, please let us know.

Overseas Orders
We accept orders from the EC and the USA, however as with all orders we reserve the right to refuse any order at our discretion. Because of the great variability in the cost of posting goods overseas our system does not calculate overseas posting charges automatically. At the time of placing an order your invoice will show the minimum charge, we will pack, weigh and calculate the total cost of posting your order. We will confirm this cost to you by email and await confirmation from you before charging your card or posting your order. Please allow up to one working weeks for processing overseas orders.

Overseas orders are charged at a rate determined by the weight of the products ordered. We reserve the right to levy a surcharge on all overseas orders, however no charge will be made without first emailing the customer with the amount of the surcharge and with an option to cancel.


Credit Card and Credit Card Security
We know of no documented cases of credit card fraud resulting from the use of our shopping system over the Internet. All credit card numbers are encrypted in the software when the order is placed using 128 bit encryption. They are not held in clear text on any web site.

All credit card payments are processed offline using our merchant company Streamline (Natwest). We will normally only take payment just before your order is despatched. Except in unusual circumstances and where there are unforeseeable delays in a despatch.

Guarantee
We are committed to your satisfaction. We are constantly on the look out for funky new sweets and products from around the world to offer you. We endeavour to ensure that all the products we sell are manufactured to the highest standard and should reach you in perfect condition. You can return any products within 14 days, unopened and in its original condition for a full refund of the value of the products. We reserve the right to charge a restocking fee, though this is only usually enforced for larger or bulk orders.  Please contact us by email before returning any goods for full instructions. If the products are faulty you can return the products and we will refund the value of your products plus the cost of your and our pp&p. We recommend that when returning products you use a recorded delivery service for your own protection. Cybercandy will not be held responsible for goods lost during return shipping.

If you have a complaint about our service please email us at enquiries@cybercandy.co.uk . We will endeavour to respond to your complaint within 24 working hours and attempt to deal with any issues arising from your complaint as promptly and efficiently as possible. This guarantee does not affect your statutory rights.

Reaching Us
Whether you have suggestions, questions about our products, or just need some help, we'd love to hear from you.

For the fastest response to your enquiry contact us via email. Please send us an e-mail at enquiries@cybercandy.co.uk and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

If you need to call us our number is 0845 838 0958 (standard call charges apply). If you would like to fax us, our number is 0208 801 8815. If you need to write to us our address is:

Cybercandy Ltd
3 Garrick St
Covent Garden
LONDON, WC2E 9BF

(Company No. 3842787)

Privacy Policy
We are committed to protecting your privacy. We will only use the information that we collect about you lawfully (in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998).

We collect information about you for 2 reasons: firstly, to process your order and second, to provide you with the best possible service.

We will not e-mail you in the future unless you have given us your consent.

We will give you the chance to refuse any marketing email from us or from another trader in the future.

The type of information we will collect about you includes:

• your name
• address
• phone number
• email address
• credit/debit card details

The information we hold will be accurate and up to date. You can check the information that we hold about you by emailing us. If you find any inaccuracies we will delete or correct it promptly.

The personal information which we hold will be held securely in accordance with our internal security policy and the law and the Which? Web Trader Code.

If we intend to transfer your information outside the EEA (European Economic Area) we will always obtain your consent first.

We may use technology to track the patterns of behaviour of visitors to our site. This can include using a 'cookie' which would be stored on your browser. You can usually modify your browser to prevent this happening. The information collected in this way can be used to identify you unless you modify your browser settings.

If you have any questions/comments about privacy, you should email us.