Customer care
Complaints & Refund Policy
We take great care when preparing and packing every order. If something is not right, please tell us and we will work with you to resolve it fairly and as quickly as possible.
Tell us promptly
Please contact us as soon as possible after discovering a problem with your order.
Send the details
Include your order number, postcode, photographs and a short explanation of what has happened.
We will investigate
We aim to reply to customer enquiries within 1–5 working days.
Nothing in this policy limits or removes your statutory rights. Products must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described.
Reporting a problem
Damaged, faulty, incorrect or missing items
If your order arrives damaged, faulty, incomplete, incorrect or not as described, please contact us as soon as possible after delivery.
Because our orders can contain chilled and perishable food, we ask that delivery problems are reported within 12 hours wherever reasonably possible. Prompt notification helps us investigate the delivery and condition of the products.
Please send us:
- Your order number.
- Your full name and delivery postcode.
- A description of the problem.
- Clear photographs of the affected product.
- Photographs of the packaging and delivery label.
- The product’s best-before date or batch information, where relevant.
Please do not dispose of an affected product or its packaging until we have responded, unless keeping it would be unsafe or unreasonable.
Your legal rights
Faulty goods
Goods supplied by us must be of satisfactory quality, fit for their intended purpose and match their description.
If a product does not meet these requirements, you may be entitled to a refund, replacement, price reduction or another remedy, depending on the circumstances and the nature of the product.
Sale and promotional products carry the same statutory rights as full-price products.
Before dispatch
Cancelling an order
If you need to cancel or change an order, please contact us immediately.
If your order has not been prepared or dispatched, we will do our best to cancel it and issue a refund. Once a chilled or personalised order has been prepared or dispatched, cancellation may no longer be possible.
Contacting us quickly gives us the best chance of stopping the order before it leaves us.
Change of mind
Returns for online purchases
Customers purchasing eligible non-perishable goods online will normally have the right to notify us of a cancellation within 14 days of receiving the goods and then return them within a further 14 days.
However, statutory cancellation rights contain exceptions. They do not normally apply to goods that are liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly, which can include chilled and perishable cheese products.
Cancellation rights may also be lost for sealed goods that are not suitable for return for health-protection or hygiene reasons once the seal has been broken, where that legal exception applies.
Eligible non-perishable returns
If you wish to return an eligible non-perishable item, please contact us before sending it. Products should be unused, unopened and looked after with reasonable care.
- Contact us within 14 days of receiving the eligible item.
- Return it within 14 days after notifying us.
- Include your order number and proof of purchase.
- Package the item securely to prevent damage in transit.
Unless the item is faulty or we agree otherwise, the customer is responsible for the cost of returning an item following a change of mind.
Delivery
Late or missing parcels
Please contact us if a parcel is late, missing or shown as delivered when you cannot locate it. We will investigate the delivery with our courier.
We remain responsible for an order until it is delivered to you or to a person you have identified to receive it. If you specifically nominate a safe place, delivery may be treated as completed when the parcel is left in that nominated location.
Please also check your courier tracking email for delivery updates, photographs and safe-place information.
Food care
Storage after delivery
Cheese should be brought inside and refrigerated as soon as possible after delivery. Please follow the storage instructions and best-before information shown on the product packaging.
Chutneys and other products should be stored according to their individual labels, including any instructions that apply after opening.
We may be unable to provide a remedy where deterioration has been caused by incorrect storage or handling after successful delivery. Every case will be considered fairly, and this does not affect your statutory rights.
Resolution
Refunds and replacements
Once we have reviewed the information provided, we will explain the available resolution. Depending on the circumstances, this may include:
- A full or partial refund.
- A replacement, where appropriate and available.
- A price reduction.
- Another suitable resolution agreed with you.
Approved refunds will normally be returned to the original payment method unless otherwise agreed. Your bank or payment provider may take additional time to display the refund after it has been processed.
For a full cancellation of an eligible online order, any refund of delivery charges will be limited to the cost of our standard delivery service. Additional charges for an upgraded delivery option are not normally refundable.
Where a return is required, we will process the refund without undue delay and normally within 14 days of receiving the returned goods or satisfactory evidence that they have been sent back.
Complaints
How we handle your complaint
We aim to deal with every complaint politely, fairly and consistently. We will review the order details, delivery information, photographs and anything else relevant to the issue.
We aim to reply within 1–5 working days. Responses may take a little longer during Christmas, events season or exceptionally busy promotional periods.
If we need further information, we will explain what is required. If we cannot resolve the complaint immediately, we will keep you informed and explain our final decision and any further options available.
Need to report a problem?
Email: support@gbcheese.co.uk
Telephone: 0161 399 2536
The Great British Cheese Company,
Unit 4a, Kingston Mill Industrial Estate,
Manchester Road, Hyde, Cheshire, SK14 2BZ
