Ordering & Delivery

 Ordering and Delivery Details: 

See also: Returns

🎄Christmas & New Year posting dates

Wednesday 18th December 2024 is the last posting date for Royal Mail 2nd Class post - which is how we send our parcels out. BUT - last year, we found that some of the things posted on the "last posting dates" didn't actually arrive in time. UK delivery address only. Please contact us for overseas delivery details.

So if you want to order anything from us in time for Christmas, we suggest you get your order to us by Monday 16th December 2024, just to be sure.

The last day we're posting orders out before Christmas is Monday 23rd December 2024, any orders placed after that date will be posted out on the 3rd January 2025.

How much is postage in the UK?

There is a 2nd Class £3.99 postage and packing charge per order, no matter how many products you order. We use Royal Mail to deliver your order.

We don't offer recorded delivery or 1st Class delivery as standard but it is available. If you'd prefer your order to be signed for upon delivery please give us a call on 01229 777606 and we'll be more than happy to help. 

If you'd like your order to be sent 1st Class as opposed to 2nd Class please give us a call and we'll do our very best to help.

I want to order online

Once you’ve found the book you’d like to order click 'Add to Basket'. You can repeat this with as many products as you want. Then to complete your order and pay securely, just click on 'View Basket' which can be found at the top right of the page and follow the instructions to enter your delivery address and pay for your order.
You can see what's in your shopping basket at any point by clicking on 'View Basket' in the top right of any page. Don’t worry, you can also add more products to your basket by clicking on “Continue Shopping”.
Once you add something to your basket, a little red circle will appear with the number of products currently in your basket.
Sadly we don't offer the 14 day free trial for orders placed on our website. Instead we ask you to pay before we post the books by either credit or debit card or via Google Pay, Apple Pay or PayPal.
If you'd like to order your books on the 14 day free trial period, please call us on 01229 777606 and place your order with either Shanice, Shannon or Jade.

I don't want to order online

If you'd rather not order online, you can call 01229 777606 to order over the phone.
Or you can put your order in writing and send it to: The Helpful Book Company, 13B Devonshire Road Estate, Millom, Cumbria, LA18 4JS. 
Or email us at queries@helpfulbooks.co.uk 
Our full contact details and opening times can be found here.

What methods of payment do you accept?

We accept all major credit and debit cards on our website or by phone, except for American Express. We also accept payments by PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay on our website.

We still accept cheques, which should be pounds sterling and made payable to “The Helpful Book Company”.

We’re unable to accept cash.

If you’re unsure about which payment method to use please give us a call on 01229 777606.

When can I expect delivery?

If you place your order before 2pm Monday to Friday, we'll aim to get your order out the same day. If you place your order after 2pm on a Friday your order will be posted the following Monday (unless it's a bank holiday - in which case it will leave us on Tuesday).

Books

We use 2nd Class Royal Mail delivery, so you can expect to get your books in 3 to 4 working days after you place your order but please allow at least 7 working days from the date you placed your order before calling us for an update.

Android Tablet orders

If you have ordered an Android Tablet, your order will be sent out using the Royal Mail Tracked 24 service. Please allow 1-2 working days for it to arrive.

Products on Pre-Order

If your order contains any products which are on pre-order, then your order will be despatched once those items are in stock. Please call us on 01229 777606 if you have any concerns about pre-ordered items, or email queries@helpfulbooks.co.uk

Courses

You'll have access to the course right away and receive an email with the full details of the course(s) you've bought.

Do you deliver outside the UK?

We can post books outside of the UK but a few extra terms apply:

  1. Instead of the £3.99 postage and packing charge, the amount of postage you pay will be worked out based on the weight of the order and your location. If you place your order online this will be calculated for you during checkout. Or if you prefer to place your order over the phone we will be able to tell you the postage cost once we have taken your order.
  2. If you place an order to be shipped overseas your order may be subject to import duties and taxes, which are calculated once the order reaches your country. Any additional charges for customs clearance must be paid by yourself/the recipient. The levels and thresholds of charges vary from country to country - we're not able to confirm what these will be in advance. Sorry.
  3. If you are ordering for a friend or as a gift to be sent overseas, please consider that the recipient may have to pay these extra charges. If the order is a gift we'd advise ordering the books to be delivered to your UK address and then post them onto your friend as a "Gift".
  4. Please make sure you give us your telephone number and email address when you place your order. These details help to avoid any delays to your package going through Customs. The details you provide give Customs more info on where the package is going and if Customs need to contact you about your package they can do more easily.

If you have any queries please email queries@helpfulbooks.co.uk or give us a call on +44 (0) 1229 777606 and we'll do our best to help.

    What to do if an order doesn't arrive

    Depending on the time of year it could be delayed due to the volume of post the Royal Mail has to deal with. Please allow a full 7 working days for UK orders to arrive before contacting us. Please call us on 01229 777606 and we'll do our very best to help.