Postage Providers

We use Australia Post for all of our deliveries except where our products are outside their maximum dimensions.

• No items with one dimension exceeding 104cm
• No items with cumulative dimensions exceeding 140cm

If your order exceeds either of these conditions the website will not process your order so please call us for assistance, we use Interparcel to engage a courier. You will be notified of the best rates and options available for the item you are after.

EXPRESS POST - Next day delivery cannot be guaranteed

Mittagong’s postcode, 2575, is outside Australia Post’s Express Post guaranteed next day delivery zone, please be mindful of this when planning your purchase.  Australia Post usually do a great job in getting it to you as quickly as possible and often do manage next day delivery despite our location.  

If you have a limited time frame for delivery, we strongly recommend you consider EXPRESS POST but are unable to accept responsibility for delivery times once we have delivered an item to the Post Office.  We have experienced a situation where an EXPRESS POST item from a supplier took 5 business days to get from Chullora Mail Centre in Sydney to Mittagong (I could have walked there and back 3 times) apparently this is considered acceptable.  Please believe we get frustrated and angry about this too.

Anticipated delivery times

Our website software is compliant with Australia Post charges and publicly accessible information on anticipated delivery times. This is usually accurate, however neither our website host, our software producer or Victoria House Needlecraft are able to accept responsibility for Australia Post not achieving these times due to increased business volume and/or errors in new delivery schedules. We deliver to the local Post Office before 9am on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. We may be able to post before 5pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays, but this cannot be guaranteed, hence the before business post. We are closed on Tuesdays and Public Holidays.

Having said that, there have been some parcels and letters that have been delayed in delivery by up to 2 months, upon querying this with Australia Post Customer Service I have been informed that they regard this as within reason, however they will launch an investigation for a parcel or trackable letter (letters sent Regular or Priority Post are untraceable) if it is more than a week past its anticipated delivery date.  

What does Standard or Regular Post cover?

We use the Australia Post CLICK and SEND service of our customers usually report improved delivery times. Regular parcel post is used unless you have purchased EXPRESS post.   Insurance cover and/or Signature on Delivery can also be purchased for your parcel.  95% of our Regular Post customers are very happy with this option and the service it provides.

Why is basic postage so expensive?

Unless an item is outside Australia Post’s maximum weight and dimension limits we use their services, our site’s postage software has a default minimum charge of $10.95 for all parcels under 500g, which is Australia Post’s minimum charge (as of 1st July 2024) for a small parcel under 500g, EXPRESS POST is $14.95. Many of our smaller items are able to be posted in a large letter (ie will fit in an envelope smaller than 260mm x 360mm x 20mm thick).   Due to recent losses of letter post which is untraceable we recommend all letters with contents value over $25 or an item that is discontinued are sent by (new) Domestic Letter with Tracking service or Parcel Post so that it is trackable.

Minimum postage charge for small items in an untrackable envelope (less than 125g) is $3.00, (Priority post, $3.70) larger and heaver letters between 125g and 500g will be charged as below from April 1st 2024.  Once we have processed the order, the refund is processed as instantly as your original payment was made. How quickly you receive it will depend on your method of payment

• PayPal account – instantly
• Credit Card – 2-3 business days depending on your provider’s arrangement with PayPal
• Direct Debit – up to 6 business days depending on the arrangement between your bank and PayPal

Large letter rates from April 1st 2024

Unless you have selected Regular Letter post, all letters from us will be sent via Priority Letter Post service. Only charts and paper product can be sent in an Express Post letter, thread and fabric orders requiring Express Post delivery must be sent as parcels (yes even just 1 thread) at a cost of $14.10. Australia Post letter rates are as follows

                         Regular  Priority

Up to 125g       $3.00     $3.70

125g to 250g   $4.50      $5.20

250g to 500g   $7.50      $8.20

New Domestic Letter with Tracking service

Up to 500g     Medium     240mm x 162mm x 20mm     $6.65

Up to 500g     Large         324mm x 229mm x 20mm     $8.35

No minimum order value

To continue to maintain our "no minimum order value" policy, orders under $20.00 (excluding postage costs) will have a $2.00 surcharge.  All orders valued over $20.00 (excluding postage costs) will continue to only pay the Australia Post fee for this service.

Returns

RETURNS INFORMATION

We do not usually exchange or refund just for change of mind, however, we do understand that sometimes what you have bought is not appropriate to your skill level or is not quite what you thought it was. Please read our online returns policy below, to ensure you are eligible for a refund. Due to the outsourcing of postage to a third party (Australia Post) we are unable to refund postage on items we accept for return.

All eligible returns require:

1. Prior approval from Victoria House Needlecraft
2. Packaging to be intact
3. Item unworked and in a saleable condition
4. Return postage and packaging charges to be met by customer
5. A valid receipt of purchase included
6. Notification within 14 days for Australian purchases and 28 days for International purchases.

PATTERNS, CHARTS, BOOKS, ANY PRINTED MATERIAL

Unfortunately, due potential for copyright infringement, we are unable to offer a return or refund on any printed materials unless the item is found to be defective. This exclusion also includes kits containing printed charts that are packaged in a format that is easily resealable, (ie whereby they may be opened and the components removed and replaced without damage to the outer packaging).

REFUND PAYMENT METHOD & TIMING

Your refund will be credited to your original payment method.

When we process your refund, you can expect to receive the refund within the following time frames depending on your choice of credit card, direct debit or PayPal.

PayPal – instantly

Credit Card – 2-3 business days depending on your provider and their arrangements with PayPal.

Direct Debit – 6 business days depending on your bank and their arrangements with PayPal.

DEFECTIVE GOODS

We make every endeavour to send your order out in pristine condition. Of course, if your goods are not received in such a manner, or are defective in any way, we will replace, exchange or refund the goods according to the Australian Trade Practices Act and Department of Fair Trading Guidelines.