You can find below the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions. If you have any queries that aren’t covered here, please get in contact
What is British Gift Box?
British Gift Boxes are a range of quintessentially British themed gift boxes containing snacks, food and souvenirs designed to deliver a small taste of Blighty to expats and anglophiles in all corners of the world. They are a celebration of all that is great about home!
British Gift Boxes were conceived as meaningful and heartfelt gifting solutions for Brits with loved ones living overseas. They can of course also be a convenient, evocative and fun solution for expats looking for a treat from home themselves.
What are the gift options with British Gift Box?
You can send a specific box from our range of themed gift boxes as a one-time gift, or you can buy a highly customisable subscription for regular deliveries of gift boxes of your choice to your loved ones. The third option is to send them a Gift Card with a gift voucher amount of your choosing for them to buy or subscribe to a British Gift Box themselves.
Are gifts personalisable in any way?
Absolutely! All gift options are personalisable. Gift boxes include a message up to 200 characters. Your message will be handwritten on a gift card and included in the gift box. For an extra special touch, there is a paid option to upload photos for us to print out for inclusion in the gift box – your loved ones will be thrilled to get a heart-warming gift, and touched by the latest photos of family and friends back home. Photos are printed out on 6 x 4 inch photo paper. Personalisation can be added at the check-out stage of ordering. Gift Cards containing the gift voucher code for redemption will be sent electronically to your recipient and can include a personal message for your loved one.
What if I am buying for myself?
No problem at all! You can also buy any box from our range of themed gift boxes as a one-time purchase or you can subscribe to our Subscription Box for regular deliveries of treats from home. Even if you only buy a single gift box to give it a try, we hope that once you have experienced the joy of your first gift box that you will come back for more, or better yet, sign up for a Subscription Box.
How does the subscription work?
Our Subscription Box is based on a subscription to our wonderfully nostalgic range of Nibbles Boxes. Our Subscription Box plan is highly customisable so you decide how long you want the subscription for, how frequently you want a Box delivered and what Nibbles Boxes you want to include. It is also flexible and easy to manage from your online account on our website – change address, payment details and even cancel any time (skip a cycle and upgrade functionality also coming soon).
Will my subscription auto-renew?
All continuous subscriptions will auto-renew according to the delivery frequency you picked. It will renew every time a Box is scheduled for delivery, at which point payment is taken and you will receive a renewal order confirmation. You can cancel your subscription at any time (a temporary pause function allowing skipping of deliveries instead of permanent cancellation will also be available soon).
For fixed-term (3 month/6 month/12 month) subscriptions, auto-renewal will also apply in accordance to your delivery frequency but only within the duration of the fixed-term. We will not auto-renewal when it reaches the end of the term. Instead, we will send you a reminder email when the last Subscription Box has been dispatched in the fixed term to ask if you want to renew your subscription for another term or continuously. For customers who give a fixed-term subscription as a gift, the reminder email will also be sent to the recipient should they wish to continue to receive regular boxes and to take over the subscription themselves.
Can I upgrade for a bigger gift box that’s not in the Nibbles Box range?
This functionality is coming soon….we are working on enabling ad hoc upgrades to our bigger Nosh or Gastronomy Boxes at any time during a subscription to give subscribers even more choice and flexibility. Watch this space!
How do I skip my box for next month?
This functionality is coming soon….we are working on the facility to allow subscribers to skip a scheduled delivery for when they need a bit of a break for whatever reason. We’ll keep you posted!
How do I update my subscription details or cancel my subscription?
To manage or cancel your subscription simply login to your Account and click on ‘subscriptions’ on the menu on the left. Chose the relevant subscription where you can then edit your shipping address and payment details.
Subscription renewals can also be cancelled at any time. If you’ve already been billed for a renewal, all boxes in that cycle will be shipped and your cancellation will take effect in the next billing cycle. To cancel, click the “Cancel” button. Please make sure to let us know via our contact form why you are cancelling as we are always looking at how we can improve our products. Please note that you are cancelling all renewals and not previous orders.
How do I redeem a British Gift Box voucher?
Congratulations! Someone must really care about you to have sent you a British Gift Box Gift Card! Redeeming your gift is easy. Visit our website and select your choice of British Gift Box or a subscription for regular boxes. When you are ready to order, go to the shopping basket and enter the coupon code that came with your Gift Card to redeem it against the value of your order.
What is the shelf life of the food products in gift boxes?
We only include ambient, non-perishable, sealed foods in original manufacturer’s packaging in our gift boxes. Most of the items in our boxes have a long shelf life giving you plenty of time to enjoy your treats from home, although in our experience, the goodies don’t hang around for long!
There are some boxes which may contain items with a shorter shelf life, typically bakery products like cakes, tarts and tray bakes with shelf lives which can be as short as 2 weeks. Dependent on how long your box has to spend in transit, it is possible that these items may have reached their “Best Before” date by the time they are reach you. The Food Standards Agency states that the Best Before date is about quality and not safety. The food will be safe to eat after this date but may not be at its best. You can still freeze these items when they arrive and enjoy them at your leisure. All our boxes containing short shelf life items will have the following symbol:
Will my chocolate items be safe going to a hot country?
Chocolate can of course melt and sometimes ‘bloom’ in certain conditions such as in high storage temperatures. This article explains how chocolate blooms are caused and whilst it may give the chocolate a white appearance that may look unappetising, it is safe to eat. We want your chocolate treats to be enjoyed in their best possible condition but melting and blooming can sometimes happen in transit. Please bear this in mind if the Gift Box you want contains a lot of chocolate to be sent to (or through) a hot climate or destination experiencing unusually hot weather and consider if it might be safer to send an alternative box under the circumstances. Purchasing chocolate or confectionery is therefore done so at your own risk as our carriers do not transport our parcels in temperature-controlled containers.
What if an item in a box I have ordered is unavailable?
As we purchase to order, on rare occasions, if an item within a box you have ordered is unavailable or out of stock, we will replace it with a substitute equivalent product of at least equal value to the out of stock item.
Can I suggest products I think are great for you to consider in future gift boxes?
We would LOVE to hear your suggestions! Email us at [email protected] and we will see what we can do!
Do I have to sign up for an account before ordering from British Gift Box?
Yes, you will be signed up for an account as part of the checkout process. Registration is free and there are benefits in doing so. When you register, you will save time and effort in not having to enter your details at the checkout every time you shop with us and the details of your previous orders are stored on our website which can be a helpful reference for your next order. For orders containing Subscription Boxes, registration for an account on our website is essential for us to operate and fulfil the subscription over its duration and in order for you to view historic activity on your account and manage the subscription according to your needs. All you need to register an account is to add a password as part of the checkout process.
How do I sign up for an account?
If you choose to register for an account with British Gift Box then you can do so either by clicking on the sign up icon on the menu bar at the top of each page or when you get to the checkout process. You will be asked for an email address and to set a password which you will then use to login for future purchases and to manage your account.
What if I forgot my login details?
If you cannot recall your password, simply click the ‘Forgot Password’ link on the login screen. You’ll be asked for your email address and an email will be sent with details on how to reset your password.
How do I update my registered details?
Once you have registered with our site, to update your contact details, login in via the home page and you will be able to view and amend your details. You can update all of your personal details here including your email address, address, phone number and password.
How do I sign up to receive updates?
To sign up to receive updates from us and be kept up to date on new products and special offers, use the ‘Contact Us’ form and tick the box to receive emails from British Gift Box before you submit. You can also opt in during checkout when you are placing an order. Signing up to receive updates does not create an account with us and you can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the link at the bottom of our update emails.
How do I place an order?
Being here on our website is a good place to start! Dependent on whether you are ordering a one-time gift box, a Subscription Box or a Gift Card, this is how you place an order:
Gift Box – from anywhere in the website click “Our gift boxes” on the menu bar or from the Gift Giving page click “Send a gift box” to see our range of boxes. Click on the box you’re interested in to go to the box details page and there, click “Buy Now” for the item to be added into your shopping basket.
Subscription Box- from anywhere in the website click “Subscribe” on the menu bar or from the Gift Giving page click “Send Subscription” to go to the subscription process. Answer a few questions to customise your subscription before the Subscription Box is added to your shopping basket. Similarly, you can also subscribe directly from the Subscription Box product page.
Gift Card – from the Gift Giving page click “Send Gift Card” to populate details of your gift card amount before the Gift Card is added to your shopping basket. You can enter the recipient’s email address for delivery of the Gift Card and a personalised message at checkout.
When you’re ready to place the order, click on the shopping basket. Here you get a shipping estimate by choosing the the destination country for your order, add any personalisation if your order is a gift and redeem any Gift Cards / eligible coupon codes before checkout. Don’t forget to tick that you have read and accept our T&Cs before completing checkout.
Can I place my order over the phone?
Sorry, we do not take orders over the phone. Orders can only be made on our secured website as we take the protection of our customers’ details very seriously and cannot take sensitive payment information in any other way.
What currencies do you accept?
All of our products on our website are priced in Pounds Sterling (GBP). We also only accept payment in GBP. If your ‘home’ currency is not GBP, your credit card or PayPal account will automatically convert the GBP payment to your home currency when you pay.
Which payment methods are accepted by British Gift Box?
We accept all major credit & debit cards (such as Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and American Express) as well as payment by PayPal if you have a PayPal account.
Are my credit card details safe when using this website?
Absolutely! We take the protection of your personal information very seriously, including the security of your payment details. We use Braintree, a PayPal company, to process our online transactions using their secure encrypted payment screens. Whilst you remain on our website at all times during the checkout process, our website does not have access to or store any of your card details, which are all encrypted and processed securely through Braintree’s payment screens. In addition to cards, we also accept PayPal for payments. We are PCI compliant.
When will I be billed?
Dependent on what you order, your order will be billed as follows:
One-time gift box/gift card purchases – billing occurs immediately at completion of checkout process.
Continuous subscriptions – will be billed immediately for first delivery of the subscription at completion of checkout process. Subsequently, the subscription will auto-renew and bill at each anniversary date of initial purchase at the delivery frequency you picked for the subscription. You can cancel any time BEFORE the anniversary date of the next planned delivery.
Fixed-term (3 month/6 month/12 month) subscriptions – will be billed immediately for first delivery of the subscription at completion of checkout process. Subsequently, auto-renewal and billing will follow the same anniversary basis rule as for continuous subscriptions but only within the duration of the fixed-term subscription period. Billing will cease when it reaches the end of the subscription period unless you opt to renew your subscription for another period or continuously, or if the recipient opts to take over the subscription at the end of the fixed-term period if it was originally given as a gift.
Where do you deliver?
We deliver to over 200 countries Worldwide from the UK. Use the Shipping Calculator at checkout to confirm if we deliver to your chosen Country. There are a few countries that we do not ship to where the chances of successful delivery are low (e.g. countries in war zones, under international sanctions, that have no secure delivery infrastructure, etc) – these countries will not appear on the dropdown menu in the Shipping Calculator. Our couriers cannot deliver to PO Box addresses due to a signature being required. We offer a number of postal and courier shipping options dependent on parcel weight and volume to suit all budgets and service requirements.
Please note, whilst we will accept orders for shipment to all the countries listed, shipping a Gift Box to some countries can be more problematic than others! The common destinations that most of our customers send Gift Boxes to (like USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and most of western Europe) have well-developed customs procedures for goods coming into their countries and good local distribution networks to ensure your shipment is normally delivered fairly quickly and efficiently to your recipient. However, there are still many countries that have less developed logistics infrastructure and practices (e.g. overly strict customs procedures, poor transport links/local distribution networks/security, etc) which can interrupt, slow or even lose parcels during the shipment process. We have already excluded the worst known ones but many countries on the list in parts of Latin/South America, Africa, Asia and even parts of Eastern and Southern Europe fall into this category. Should you wish to send a Gift Box to one of these countries, you should be aware of the risks, a greater potential for issues to arise during the shipment process and build in additional time if appropriate to allow your Box to be delivered for when you want.
Delivery and billing addresses – can they be different?
The majority of our Gift Boxes are ordered by people as a gift to friends or family abroad so are invariably delivered to a different address to the customer’s billing address. Obviously, we also have British expats who may want to order a Box for themselves so they will be able to ship to the same address. In either case, you will be asked at checkout to fill in your shipping address in the first instance before you complete the billing address (which you can copy from the shipping address if it’s going to be the same).
How do I change my shipping address?
For subscriptions, two ways – you can log into your account on our website, go to My Account, under Shipping Address you can edit or add a new Address, follow prompts to complete change; OR you can email us and we’ll take care of it for you. Most account changes take effect on your next renewal.
For individual orders, if you realised that you need to change the shipping address after you have already completed the checkout process, we can only do that if the order has not already been dispatched and passed to the carrier! Please email us as soon as possible if that is the case and we will do what we can.
Are the prices of the boxes inclusive of shipping?
No, prices are not inclusive of shipping fee. Please see the answer to the shipping charges question below for how shipping charges work.
What are your shipping charges?
Shipping parcels overseas can be expensive but we have endeavoured to get the best possible service and rates for our customers by partnering with both Royal Mail and a multi-carrier logistics company to offer you a range of options. Please see our International Shipping page for details of all the shipping services provided in the first instance. Every Gift Box page then has a shipping tab which shows the shipping services available for that Box and the relevant shipping charges to the most popular countries our customers send to. However, the most accurate way to see the shipping options and charges for your specific order is to use the Shipping Calculator in the shopping basket / checkout page, once you have chosen the items that you wish to buy. You can select the option you want to go for once the full shipping address details have been completed.
When will my gift box be shipped?
We aim to dispatch your gift box within 2 working days after your order is processed and payment is received and 2 working days of the anniversary date for Subscription Boxes, and sooner than that if we can. This is because we hold minimum stock and curate food items for our gift boxes to order to ensure they arrive in the best condition with maximum shelf life possible, especially if your gift box contains items like cakes which have a shorter shelf life. You will receive an email to let you know when your order has been dispatched.
How long will it take for my gift box to arrive once it is shipped?
Following dispatch when your box is passed to Royal Mail or the courier for shipping, the time it takes to be delivered to the recipient will depend on the destination and the shipping service chosen. Please see our International Shipping page for expected delivery timescales for the different shipping services and destinations, although we would always recommend allowing a few extra days in case of unforeseen delays in transit.
Will the recipient have to pay extra costs when the box reaches customs in their country?
When your Gift Box first lands in the destination country, the Customs authorities there may assess the shipment for liability to any local Customs duty and taxes in that country. Many popular destination countries like the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore have sensible import thresholds of a few hundred pounds below which no import duty or taxes will be charged, so there is nothing extra to pay by you or your recipient.
However, some countries do have ungenerously low or even no thresholds to exempt imports from local duty and taxes, which may mean that your shipment may be faced with a Customs charge before it can be cleared for final delivery. As every country has its own Customs regulations and they change all the time, it is highly recommended that you check the local Customs restrictions before placing your order, just to ensure that none of the products in our Boxes are prohibited for import into that country and that you are aware of any potential extra charges which may be incurred. Where any duty or tax is assessed as being due by Customs, the parcel recipient will be responsible for paying it. British Gift Box has no control over these charges and cannot predict their amount, and as such, is not responsible for paying any such charges. This is one of the reasons why we no longer ship to EU countries post Brexit as their lack of reasonable thresholds to exempt the modest value of our Gift Boxes means that EU-based recipients are generally faced with a tax charge accompanying their gift, which isn’t a great experience!
We have a section in our International Shipping page that covers the basics of what you need to know about Customs Duty & Tax Charges and highlights some country-specific issues that you may find useful before placing an order.
Will my delivery be insured?
The Royal Mail services we offer are not insured to keep the prices of these postal options affordable for some of our customers. No compensation is available for loss or damage of parcels and contents as a result. All courier services are insured and we have a dedicated team to make sure that every delivery gets to its destination on time. Any breakages or damage using a courier service will be refunded, but we do require photographic evidence of all breakages for a refund to be given.
How do I track my order?
Once your order is completed, you will receive a Dispatch Confirmation from us to notify you that it has been dispatched to Royal Mail or the couriers for shipping.
No tracking is available if you chose the Economy Post shipping option from Royal Mail. For all other shipping services, the shipping address recipient (whether that is you or the person you are buying for) will receive a separate email from the carrier containing a tracking number for the parcel. They will then be able to track the parcel every step of the way to delivery. Whilst the requirement with international shipping is for the carrier to send the tracking email to the recipient to facilitate communications with them and the customs authorities, we will also send you any tracking number ourselves to keep you in the loop if you are buying as a gift to send to someone else.
What do I do if I see an issue with my package on the tracking website?
For courier services, we have a dedicated team to track all deliveries to make sure that every delivery gets to its destination on time so we should know if there is an issue before you do and initiate investigations with the courier partner to solve the issue (for example – customs issues, incorrect/insufficient address, recipient cannot be reached, etc). However, if you have any concerns, please contact us and we will update you on the status and actions being taken to solve the issue. For Tracked Postal services from Royal Mail, there is limited ability to intervene in the postal process, especially once it reaches the destination country and is handed over to the local postal service. It is therefore very important that you provide a correct phone number and email address for the recipient to facilitate communications with them should issues arise.
Will the postman / courier call before delivering the parcel?
Local postal workers will not call before delivery where postal options are used. For courier services, our courier partner may work with a consignee partner in the destination country. You are asked to provide a telephone contact number for the recipient when you place the order should the delivering courier need to contact the recipient regarding delivery. Some of these partners may call or text the recipient before they deliver but this varies across destinations. Therefore, we highly recommend recipients track the parcel and make arrangements for the due delivery date or contact the courier to reschedule dates as necessary.
What happens if there is no-one home when the delivery arrives?
We encourage you to select a delivery address that will have someone available to sign for your parcel. We also encourage recipients to regularly check any tracking details and plan for the delivery date accordingly.
That being said, we know that a delivery always occurs when you just happen to nip out for 5 minutes! In this case, the postal worker or courier will attempt to deliver to an immediate neighbour or alternatively leave you a calling card with the details of next steps for re-delivery or collection. This will be country specific and specific to your local delivery courier.
What if my British Gift Box is damaged, lost or stolen?
If your gift box contains breakages and damaged products when it arrives on a courier service, please contact us within 48 hours to file a claim. See section 8 of the Terms of Sale, our policy on damaged or defective products. If it arrives damaged on a postal service, unfortunately it is not insured and no compensation is available.
If the recipient has not received the parcel, please be sure to check the tracking number if a tracked service was used. If the tracking status says that it has been delivered, we suggest first asking the recipient to check with their neighbours, or someone who might have a similar address in case it might have been delivered there by mistake. If they still cannot locate the parcel, contact us as soon as possible. However, if the tracking number says it has not been delivered, please note that delays can happen for many reasons, including customs delays and bad weather. If you require further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
What is your cancellation and return policy?
If you are buying or subscribing as a consumer, we are pleased to provide a 14 day ‘no quibble’ policy for order cancellation, in accordance to Consumer Contracts Regulations. Please refer to section 7 of our Terms of Sale for details of our cancellation and return policy.
What is your refund policy?
For qualifying cancellations and returns as well as for verified products that are damaged in transit or that are defective, we will fully or partially refund items as detailed in section 9 of our Terms of Sale.