Shipping Policy & Rates

We aim to send your order within the displayed dispatched times* but will inform you of approximate delivery times should any item on your order be out of stock or on supplier back order due to manufacturing and/or transport delays caused by global or regional shortages.

OUR SHIPPING CHARGES:

  • UK mainland orders £45 and over: FREE - DPD or alternative courier delivery*
  • UK mainland orders under £45: £4.90 Fixed Rate - DPD or alternative courier delivery*
  • Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Highlands & Northern Ireland: £14.90 Fixed Rate
  • European Union: £13.90 + 5% of order value (maximum £30)
  • Rest of the World: £19.50 + 8% of order value (maximum £55)
  • BFPO Post Codes: £20 (see Delivery Terms for BFPO at end of this page)
  • FPO & APO Unfortunately we are unable to arrange delivery to FPO/APO addresses
  • PO Boxes - All our deliveries need to be signed for, therefore, unless prior arrangements are made with us, we do not deliver to PO Boxes.

* The dispatch days stated in our product listings refer to working days excluding weekends and UK holidays.  Products temporarily out of stock, subject to backorders, or marked as special orders may require longer dispatch times. We will inform you of this after your order is confirmed.

Please note that we do not use Royal Mail or Hermes-Evri, and all items dispatched through courier (DPD, UPS, TNT, FedEx) are tracked and must be signed for. In order to ensure safe delivery, UK customers with orders over £500 will receive PIN codes from DPD. If the recipient cannot receive the shipment, the PIN code can be shared with an authorised person so that they can receive the delivery on behalf of the recipient.


Porch Piracy & Reception or Concierge Delivery Warning: 
Every parcel we send out to the UK and abroad is tracked and a request for signature is made on dispatch. We instruct couriers to deliver parcels directly and in person to you, at the delivery address you provided. Some couriers will allow you to amend delivery instructions i.e. to leave items in "a safe place", with a neighbour, on the porch, in a bin etc. Please note we cannot take responsibility if you change our secure delivery instructions negating the need for a signature,  whereby the risk of damage or loss of any products purchased are passed on to you. We will ship to workplace addresses and buildings with reception or concierge sorting for internal distribution of delivered items, but cannot take responsibility for any items misplaced or lost after delivery has been made and signed for by anyone else on your behalf.  



SHIPMENTS AND TERMS
  1. We will ship anywhere in the world but for areas local or international restrictions and/or online trading restrictions may apply. 
     
  2. We reserve the right to cancel any transaction with an immediate and full refund where deemed necessary.
     
  3. We aim to dispatch stock items within 2 working days. Any delivery date will be an estimate only. We shall not be liable for delays caused by matters outside our control including any stock shortages due to supplier delays. Unless we have contacted you in advance, for UK mainland shipping please allow 7 working days for delivery before contacting us and for other and worldwide deliveries allow 14 working days.
     
  4. Depending on the size, weight and overall value of the goods and delivery destination, we will use a courier service of our choice.
     
  5. We cannot be held responsible for delays caused by courier companies we use or delays due to customer absence from a delivery address, erroneous address at checkout, or any customs clearance issues. If any product is not collected at the delivery address specified by you, within the timeframe specified by the courier/delivery service and dispatched goods are returned to us, you will be liable for any additional charges.
     
  6. Risk of damage to or loss of the product shall pass to you at the point at which they are delivered or a courier package is signed for. Please check any package for possible damage and make sure the parcel is intact, unopened and undamaged before accepting/signing for it.
     
  7. Due to limited availability of some of the products we sell, a particular item may be out of stock or pending a delayed delivery from supplier. In that instance we will contact you with an expected delivery date. If you wish your order to be sent in more than one shipment, we may do so without any extra charge at our discretion. Alternatively we can cancel your order in part or full towards a refund.
     
  8. Certain items like cylinders and large or heavy products may only be available for UK mainland delivery and this will generally be outlined in their description. If you would like a quote for outside the UK please get in touch with us.
     
  9. Any claim based on any defect in quality or condition of the goods (fault and/or suitability for use) must be notified to us within 14 days of delivery in writing by email or post - after which you will be deemed to have accepted the products. Any fault or defect which develops after this period needs to be notified to us as soon as possible for a speedy remedy.
     
  10. For courier consignments we reserve the right to charge any extra fees for redirection to an address other than the delivery address specified in your order. If no delivery address is specified, consignments will automatically be sent to the billing address.
     
  11. All orders outside the UK will only be shipped to the registered billing address. All orders paid via PayPal, domestic or foreign, will only be shipped to the PayPal verified address.
     
  12. If any order is returned to DirDirect by a courier service (inclusive of Royal Mail) because of a customer's failure to accept the delivery, clear it through their own customs, cover the required tax/duties/handling fees in their country, failure to clear any delivery through and with the relevant courier service and/or due to the customer providing a mistaken/insufficient address or failing to receive and/or collect the item from any courier or postal delivery service for the provided address: Any refund on the purchase will be made only after the product is received back in unused and new condition at Underwater Explorers and any additional shipping charges whether outbound or inbound, relevant duties, customs, penalties or additional fees have been deducted from the original total price of the goods. 
     
  13. Restrictions for orders to Russia and Belarus apply. We do not accept orders from or deliver to either of these countries.

UK AND INTERNATIONAL DELIVERIES

UK mainland orders, where possible and unless specified otherwise for in stock items, will be dispatched using DPD Next Day Delivery allowing customers to track and amend delivery date and times.

International deliveries will be carried out by appropriate courier services depending on weight and size of shipment. International customers will not pay UK tax but are liable for any tax and duties in their own countries and responsible to clear the items with their own customs authorities. At checkout please select the country of the billing and delivery address and the UK VAT will be deducted automatically. 

Products subject to special offers and/or discounted, on sale, including offers of free, discounted or exclusively priced UK and international delivery charges (i.e. referred to as free UK mainland delivery) will be shipped as one consignment only, once all items on the order are ready for despatch. Part delivery of such items is only available at our discretion. 

We reserve the right to cancel any transaction with a full and immediate refund where deemed necessary due to stock availability or trade restrictions. Certain products i.e cylinders and weights may only be listed as available for UK mainland delivery only but if you wish to obtain a quote for larger or heavier items to be shipped outside the UK, please contact us for available courier prices.

Although we do our best to ship using the fastest method, for international deliveries please allow up to 14 working days for receipt before contacting us.  Unfortunately we cannot do anything about delays in local postal services abroad.


TRADE RESTRICTIONS ON EXPORT

Some of our products from select manufacturers may have trading restrictions on delivery outside of EEA countries (i.e. Apeks, Aqualung, Scubapro etc.).  If you have any queries about these or where and how to obtain these products in your area, you are advised to contact us prior to making a purchase. There are also freight forwarding companies with reasonable rates through which you can get physical delivery addresses in a range of countries including the UK.

While we cannot give specific advise, Aramex Shop & Ship appears to have reasonable prices and reliable fast delivery world-wide whereas Alfaparcel deals specifically with the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Moldova, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan, Armenia and Turkmenistan. Shipping rates generally have a base charge and a weight charge on top. Our own studies have shown these are normally under or at around the same price we would have capped international shipping if we were to send the item direct. However please keep in mind that taxes and customs duties will apply to purchases.  

Please also note that if any fault develops with your product(s) they will need to be sent back to the country of purchase where you will be required to cover shipping charges to and from the UK.

GLOBAL SHIPPING RATE EXCEPTIONS FOR WEIGHTS, CYLINDERS, SCOOTERS

For international orders that include WEIGHTS, CYLINDERS (excluding suit inflation bottles) and SUEX SCOOTERS please contact us in advance before placing your order.

These products are not included in our global max-capped shipping rates and are only shipped outside of UK mainland after freight cost is calculated based on total weight, dimensions of parcel, location of delivery and the courier service used. We will let you know what this cost will be before processing any order - after you agree to the fee.

All cylinders we ship within and outside of UK mainland are filled and tested on site before being emptied for dispatch. Cylinders shipped outside of the UK will be empty and will also have their valves removed, requiring reassembly after you receive delivery. Twinset manifolds and bands will also be removed and dispatched together with the cylinders for safe global shipping.

      DELIVERY TERMS FOR BFPO ADDRESSES

      We deliver to BFPO addresses so long as the weight and dimensions of items ordered meet requirements of the BFPO indicator list. Items sent to BFPO post codes are subject to the BFPO Prohitibed and Restricted Items list. The delivery fee to a BFPO address is a fixed £20.00 per order. 

      In order for us to accept and process any BFPO order we request you email us in advance of placing an order so we can assist you with opening a VAT exempt account to use for your order(s). Let us know:

      Your full name and email address to be used at checkout
      Service number and rank
      Unit or Regiment
      Operation / Location name
      BFPO (address) Post Code
      A letter authorising the purchase on BFPO terms by your commanding Officer

      UK 20% VAT will then be deducted at checkout. Our BFPO fixed shipping fee is £20 irrelevant of the order total.

      If you need to, you can check your BFPO Post Code in the British Forces Post Office Locations list. Our own address validation for your order will be based on the information you provide and the BFPO Locations List. Please note your BFPO post code is a 6 digit number usually starting with BF1 as in UK post codes. 

      * Restricted items related to diving may include stand-alone Lithium and similar batteries and cells that are not attached, included or connected to a device. Prior to making an order from us for a BFPO address which includes such goods, please check the above links or contact us for advice. 

      * An authorisation letter [example] will:

      Confirm that [rank and name] is a [title] officer serving at [location] under the command of [command] and assigned to this unit from [date] to [date] listing full name, rank and address underneath.

      It will then note the [said country] is outside the VAT territory of the UK and that goods supplied to [rank and name] for his/her personal use may be relieved of VAT for the period defined above, in accordance with the HMRC policy to be found at https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/vat-exports-of-goods-from-the-uk/vexp50600