FAQs

Our Services

Delivery

Delivery is our main method of order fulfillment. We can ship to anywhere in the UK and globally. For full details see our delivery information page.

Click and Collect

Yes, we offer a click & collect service which is available at the checkout. Once your order is ready it can be collected from our retail store in Nantgarw. For full terms and conditions visit our Click & Collect terms & conditions page.

Helium-filled Balloons

If you're looking for a balloon for a special party, check out our range online, and if you are local, pop into our store and we can fill it at the counter for you. Thee is a charge for this service.

Cake Tin and Cake Stand Hire

Yes, we do. These are available for collection only from our retail store. Have a chat with our retail team for pricing and availability.

Placing an Order

Can I place an order over the phone?

We do not accept orders over the phone, all orders must go through our website for processing. All payments are secure and we comply with the strictest GDPR guidelines.

I had an item in my basket, why has it disappeared?

Having an item on your basket does not reserve the stock, so if another customer checks out with the last remaining stock, it will be removed automatically from your basket.

I want to order multiple quantities, why can’t I add more to my basket?

Our website will only allow you to order from available stock. Whatever you can add to your basket is the total amount we have available.

An item is out of stock on the website, can I order it anyway and wait for it to arrive?

Unfortunately, we cannot take any back orders for out of stock products. You can only order from stock we are currently holding in our warehouse. If an item is out of stock click “Notify me when this item is available” and enter your details to receive an email notification when this is available to purchase.

I want to place a bulk order, but you don’t have the amount I require available on the website. Can you help?

We will only keep enough stock to cover our regular sales so some items may not be available in large quantities, however, in most cases we can order in bulk from our suppliers. Please email sales@thevanillavalley.co.uk with the product model number, quantity needed and the date you need it by so that we can make enquiries with our supplier. If we can process the order, one of our customer services representatives will contact you to take payment up front. This will be considered as a special order, as such please be aware that once the order has been placed with our supplier, if you later cancel, the refund will be less a 35% handling charge.

Your Completed Order

Can I amend my order once I have completed checkout?

We use an automated dispatch system, which means orders cannot be amended once confirmed and checked out. This includes adding items, amending addresses, removing items and upgrading the shipping method. Please therefore ensure that the order is correct before the checkout process is complete.

Can I cancel the order once I have completed checkout?

Due to our automated dispatch system it may not be possible to cancel orders, this will depend on how far along in the dispatch process they are. Contact us as soon as possible to see if we can accommodate a cancellation but be aware it may not be possible. This also applies to cancelling individual items from orders. If we are unable to cancel an order or an item, you will only be able to return any non-edible items, in line with our returns policy

All items were in stock at checkout, why have I been contacted afterwards to say one of the items is now out of stock?

Whilst we do our best to maintain the correct stock levels, regrettably there can be anomalies in the quantity allocated to the stock in our system. We do operate regular stock takes to keep any issues like this to a minimum, however as the number of products run into the thousands unfortunately not all anomalies are caught in time.

Your Delivery

For full details please see our Delivery Information page.

How long will my order take to arrive?

This will depend on which delivery option you select at checkout. For mainland UK we offer a 3-5 Working Day, 2 Working Day and Next Working Day services; all other parts of the UK have a 3 – 5 Working Day service available. International shipping times vary on location between 5 – 9 working days. All delivery estimates are the length of time we expect the order to be with the postal carrier, so will begin from the date of dispatch which is not necessarily the same date as your order is placed. A 3 - 5 working day delivery dispatched on a Monday would therefore be expected to arrive between Thursday and the following Monday. We cannot process any claims for late orders unless they have missed the latest estimated delivery date.

My last order arrived quicker, why is it taking longer this time?

The Standard Service defaults to Royal Mail Tracked unless the package exceeds the size, weight or value limitations of the service. As such when ordering using this service please expect that your order may take up to 5 days to arrive, even if a previous order arrived via a faster courier service as an upgrade is not guaranteed.

I received a tracking number with my dispatch notification, where can I track my order?

The dispatch system we use is integrated with Royal Mail, so if you receive a tracking number in your automated email, you can use this on the Royal Mail website to track your order. If you do not receive a tracking number with your dispatch notification, you should receive a separate email or text from our courier with details on how to track the order.

My order has arrived, but an item is damaged, what shall I do?

Please email sales@thevanillavalley.co.uk with your order number, photos of the damaged item and / or any visible damage to the outer parcel and let us know if you would like the item(s) replaced or refunded. One of our customer service representatives will be in touch with a resolution.

My order has arrived, but I have received an incorrect item. What shall I do?

Please email sales@thevanillavalley.co.uk with your order number, a photo of the incorrect item you received and either a photo of the invoice from your parcel, or a note of the packers name stamped in red on the invoice so we can log the error. Please also let us know if you would like the correct item sent out or if you would prefer to be refunded. One of our Customer services representatives will be in touch with a resolution.

Returns

Can I return an item I have ordered?

Yes, any non-edible item which has not been used or open, is in the original undamaged packaging i.e. an “as new” condition, can be returned to us. Please contact us in writing via email stating your order number, which items you are returning and the reason for return within 7 days of receiving your order and kindly return the items within 14 working days.

Why can’t I return edible items?

We do not accept returns on edible items as it would be unhygienic / irresponsible for us to resell an item for consumption, which has left our care and been handled by another person. This applies whether the item is still in the packaging or not, as we would not be able to guarantee that it had not been tampered with or the effect on the quality of the returned item once it has left a controlled environment. We understand that most consumers would not be happy with receiving a second-hand edible product.

If you feel that an edible product is faulty, please email us with a full description of the fault, the usage of the product, photos of the issue and the batch number of the product and we will investigate the issue, which may involve liaising with the supplier / manufacturer. Most manufacturers keep samples of each batch for retesting should any issues be brought to their attention, and all will keep a log of any issues reported to them so we can cross reference any known issues with them. In most cases photographic evidence and detailed description is enough, however on occasion a manufacturer may request for the product to be returned to them; as such we recommend holding on to the product and any packaging until we have let you know that the issue has been resolved in case we are requested to return the product.

Product Queries

Can you make custom cake dummies?

We have limited facilities, but please send an email to sales@thevanillavalley.co.uk and we will refer it to our manufacturing department to see if it’s something we can do.

How long are your ‘Best Before’ dates?

Unfortunately, we couldn't give a guaranteed Best Before date on any product as our stock is replenished regularly, however we do not accept edibles from suppliers with shorter than 3 months on the date. This is often much longer; a year or more, in most cases. A short date would be anything under 1 month. Please note also that where an item has a Best Before rather than Use By date; the product would be at its best quality before this date but would still be usable after.

Our Trade Accounts

I have a Loyalty account, why can’t I see discounts being applied?

If you have received an email confirming the account has been opened, the discounts will automatically apply when you log in. The price you see will be inclusive of the discounts, where applicable. You will not see the price the item is on a normal retail account, only the price applicable to your own account level.

Trade Shows

Do you attend any trade shows through the year?

Yes, we regularly attend the Cake & Bake Show in London in October and Cake International in Birmingham in November each year.

Can I place an order online and collect it from your stand at Cake International in Birmingham and/or Cake and Bake in London?

Unfortunately, we cannot take customer orders to the shows with us.

Offers & Discounts

How can I find valid discount codes?

Create an account on our website and subscribe to marketing emails to receive special offers and discount codes. Be sure to give us a Like on Facebook for competitions and giveaways too! Please note that we do not endorse any external coupon or voucher websites, and only codes provided directly by The Vanilla Valley are valid on our website.