Terms of service
Terms & Conditions
These Terms & Conditions apply to orders placed through abbeyessentials.co.uk and to use of our website. They should be read alongside our Shipping & Delivery Policy, Returns & Refunds Policy and Privacy Policy.
01. Company Information
Abbey Essentials is a trading name of AE Cosmetics Limited, registered in England and Wales under company number 09627087.
Registered office: 69 Bethel Street, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 1NR, United Kingdom.
For enquiries, please use our Contact Us page.
02. About these terms
These terms apply to customers purchasing from Abbey Essentials in the United Kingdom and internationally. Our general ordering and product-use conditions apply worldwide, although mandatory consumer rights may differ according to the law applicable to a purchase.
Separate written trade terms may apply to wholesale and other business purchases. Where specific terms have been expressly agreed for an order, they take precedence on the matters they cover.
Our Shipping & Delivery Policy explains delivery services and which destinations have prepaid or recipient-paid import charges. Our Returns & Refunds Policy explains cancellation, returns and refunds in more detail.
03. Products and descriptions
We aim to describe our products, quantities and main characteristics accurately. Product images are illustrative, and packaging or appearance may change without materially changing the product supplied.
Essential oils, botanical ingredients and other natural products can vary between batches in aroma, colour or appearance. A normal natural variation does not, by itself, mean that a product is faulty if it remains consistent with its description and applicable quality requirements.
We may update or discontinue products for future orders. If an accepted order cannot be supplied as agreed, we will contact you about the available options.
04. Product safety and use
Please read the product description, label and any safety instructions before using a product. Essential oils and fragrance materials can be concentrated and may require dilution, careful handling or specific storage conditions.
Do not assume a product is suitable for ingestion, undiluted skin application, use around children or animals, or a particular therapeutic purpose unless that use is expressly supported by the product's instructions. Stop using a product if an adverse reaction occurs and seek appropriate medical advice where necessary.
Customers incorporating ingredients into their own formulations or products for resale are responsible for the testing, safety assessments, labelling and regulatory compliance applicable to their intended activities.
Website information is not medical advice. These precautions do not reduce any legal rights concerning unsafe, faulty or incorrectly described goods.
05. Orders and acceptance
Placing an order is an offer to purchase the selected goods at the checkout price. An automated acknowledgement confirms receipt of the order but does not necessarily mean we have accepted it. We normally confirm acceptance when we dispatch the order, unless we have expressly accepted it earlier.
We may decline an order before acceptance for a genuine reason, including stock unavailability, a pricing error, payment concerns, suspected fraud or an unavailable or restricted delivery service. If payment has been taken for an order we cannot accept, we will refund the amount paid for that order.
Please check the products, quantities, delivery address and contact details before completing checkout. Contact us promptly if anything needs changing. We cannot guarantee changes once an order is being prepared or has been dispatched.
Your applicable cancellation rights are explained in our Returns & Refunds Policy.
06. Prices, currencies, taxes and payment
The prices and charges applicable to your order are shown at checkout. Prices and offers may change for future orders, but we will not increase the agreed price of an accepted order without your consent.
Our website may display prices in pounds sterling or a local currency. Currency conversion, rounding and destination-specific pricing can affect the amount displayed. Depending on the destination, applicable VAT or sales tax may be included in the displayed price or added as a separate checkout charge.
Shipping charges and any import duties or taxes collected by Abbey Essentials at checkout are included in the order summary. For recipient-paid international deliveries, additional customs charges may be payable after dispatch, as explained below.
Payments must be made using an authorised payment method. We may carry out reasonable payment-security and fraud-prevention checks.
07. Shipping and delivery
We deliver to the destinations and postal areas for which shipping is available at checkout. Selecting a country or currency on the website does not guarantee that every product can be shipped there.
Shipping prices depend on the destination, parcel weight and delivery service. The applicable charge is displayed before an order is placed. If an order requires a special shipping arrangement, we will discuss any additional cost before proceeding.
Processing periods and delivery dates are estimates unless a guaranteed delivery service has been expressly agreed. Customs inspections, local carriers, severe weather and other circumstances may affect international transit times.
If a parcel is lost, damaged or not delivered, please contact us. We will investigate with the carrier and arrange an appropriate resolution in accordance with the law applicable to your purchase.
Further information is available in our Shipping & Delivery Policy.
08. International duties, import VAT and customs charges
International orders are shipped using one of two customs-payment arrangements. The arrangement for your destination is set out in our Shipping & Delivery Policy.
Duties and taxes paid (DDP, PDDP or DTP): Where a sender-paid service is offered, applicable import taxes and customs duties are calculated and collected through checkout, either separately or within displayed prices according to the market. We arrange the corresponding sender-paid shipping service. You should not normally be asked to pay those same charges again on delivery. If a carrier requests payment, please contact us promptly and provide its notice so we can investigate.
Recipient-paid delivery (DDU or DAP): Import VAT, customs duties and local clearance or handling charges are not prepaid by Abbey Essentials. The recipient is responsible for charges properly assessed by the destination's customs authority or delivery carrier and may need to pay them before the parcel is released or delivered.
Customs assessments depend on the goods, declared value, origin and destination rules. Charges assessed by overseas authorities may differ from estimates. We will address any discrepancy involving charges we agreed to prepay through the appropriate carrier or customs process and in accordance with applicable law.
09. Customs clearance and customer contact details
International customers must provide a complete delivery address, working email address and valid telephone number. Customs authorities and local carriers may need these details to request information, arrange delivery or collect recipient-paid import charges.
Depending on the destination, the recipient may receive a telephone call, text message, email or payment link. Customers should monitor their contact channels and verify payment requests through official carrier or customs websites before making payment.
Customers must provide accurate information reasonably needed for clearance and respond to legitimate requests within the required time. Failure to do so may delay delivery, result in storage charges or cause a parcel to be returned.
These responsibilities do not make a recipient liable for import charges that Abbey Essentials expressly agreed to prepay.
10. Import restrictions and prohibited deliveries
Some countries restrict particular oils, fragrances, cosmetic ingredients, liquids or other products. A product appearing on our website does not guarantee that it can legally or safely be shipped to every destination.
We may decline or cancel an order where dispatch is prohibited, unsafe or unsupported by the available carrier service. We will contact you and refund any payment due for goods that cannot be supplied.
Customers ordering for commercial use or resale must ensure that their intended import, use, formulation and resale comply with the rules applicable to their activities. This does not remove any obligations that legally remain with Abbey Essentials.
11. Refused, unclaimed and undeliverable parcels
Delivery can fail when an address is incorrect, the recipient cannot be contacted, required customs information is missing or recipient-paid import charges have not been paid.
Where a delivery failure is caused by circumstances within the customer's control, we may require payment of the reasonable cost of another delivery attempt. We may also seek recovery of documented return, storage or carrier charges where legally recoverable.
Refusing delivery or ignoring customs payment requests does not automatically entitle a customer to a full refund. It does not necessarily amount to a valid statutory cancellation. Customers wishing to cancel should notify us clearly using the procedure explained in our Returns & Refunds Policy.
Any refund or deduction will be assessed in light of the circumstances and applicable law. If an order was sold with import charges prepaid and the carrier requests those same charges again, please contact us so we can investigate.
12. Cancellations, returns and refunds
Our Returns & Refunds Policy sets out the applicable cancellation periods, return procedures, product-condition requirements and refund arrangements.
Original delivery charges are normally non-refundable for voluntary change-of-mind returns. Where a valid statutory cancellation requires reimbursement of standard outward delivery, we will provide it. Customers normally pay the return postage for unwanted goods where properly disclosed and legally permitted.
Products that have been used, consumed, contaminated or damaged beyond reasonable inspection may be subject to lawful deductions for loss of value. Certain qualifying sealed hygiene products and personalised goods may be excluded from change-of-mind cancellation rights where the applicable law allows.
A product does not become faulty merely because its scent or characteristics are not to a customer's personal taste. This does not affect remedies for genuine faults, damage or misdescription.
13. International returns and customs refunds
Before returning goods from outside the United Kingdom, please contact us for return instructions. International return parcels must have truthful customs declarations, including accurate descriptions and values, and should be identified correctly as returned goods. Do not misdeclare a commercial return as a gift.
For voluntary international returns, customers normally arrange and pay for return shipping. We may seek recovery of reasonable costs caused by incorrect declarations or failure to follow reasonable instructions where the law allows.
Import VAT, customs duties and clearance charges already paid to overseas authorities or carriers are not always recoverable. Refunds of charges collected by Abbey Essentials are assessed under the applicable cancellation rights and customs processes. Charges paid directly by the recipient to an overseas authority or carrier may need to be reclaimed from that authority or carrier.
14. Wholesale and business purchases
Orders genuinely placed for a trade, profession or resale are business purchases. Business customers must provide accurate business details when using a wholesale account or agreed trade arrangement.
Consumer cooling-off rights do not automatically apply to business purchases. Wholesale pricing, order quantities, delivery terms and returns may be governed by separate agreed trade conditions.
We do not normally accept returns of excess stock or unwanted business inventory unless expressly agreed. Business customers retain rights and remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded.
15. Website use and intellectual property
You may use our website for lawful browsing and purchasing. Please do not place fraudulent orders, misuse accounts, interfere with website security, impersonate another person or attempt unauthorised access.
Product photographs, descriptions, branding, text and website content belong to Abbey Essentials or the relevant rights holders. They may not be reproduced for commercial use without permission or another lawful basis.
We may restrict access where necessary to prevent fraud, abuse or security risks. Doing so does not remove rights arising from an existing order.
16. Reviews, service providers and personal information
Reviews and other material submitted for publication must be lawful, accurate to the contributor's knowledge and not infringe others' rights. We may moderate or remove unlawful, misleading or abusive content. By submitting content, you permit us to display it in connection with our store, subject to applicable law.
Our website uses Shopify and other providers to process transactions and arrange delivery. Abbey Essentials remains the seller of products purchased from this website. External websites and services may have their own terms.
We use and share customer information as needed for ordering, payment, delivery, customs documentation and customer service, as explained in our Privacy Policy.
17. Website information, errors and availability
We make reasonable efforts to keep product information, availability, prices and shipping options accurate. If we discover a genuine error before accepting an order, we may correct it and offer the customer the choice of proceeding at the correct price or receiving a refund of any payment taken.
We may change our website content, services and product range for future orders. Changes to the website or these terms do not retrospectively alter the agreed terms of an accepted purchase.
18. Responsibility and circumstances outside our control
We aim to fulfil orders with reasonable care and use established delivery and payment providers. We cannot guarantee uninterrupted access to the website or prevent every disruption affecting carriers or customs services.
If an order is delayed, lost or affected by an event beyond our reasonable control, we will review the circumstances and provide the assistance or remedy appropriate to the order and applicable law.
We are not responsible for losses arising solely from a customer's misuse of a product, inaccurate information supplied by a customer or circumstances for which we are not legally responsible. Nothing in these terms excludes liability for fraud, death or personal injury caused by negligence, or any statutory rights or liabilities that cannot legally be excluded.
19. Governing law and customer rights
These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, subject to any mandatory consumer protections and jurisdiction rules applicable to the purchase.
Ordering from a UK business does not automatically make every rule in the customer's home country applicable. Equally, these terms do not remove mandatory protections that may apply to a consumer in a country to which we direct sales.
If any provision cannot be enforced, the remaining terms will continue to apply as far as legally possible.
20. Changes and contact
We may update these terms for future orders. The terms and checkout information applicable when an order is accepted will continue to govern that purchase, together with any mandatory legal rights.
For order enquiries or questions about these terms, please use our Contact Us page.
Please also see our Shipping & Delivery Policy and Returns & Refunds Policy.