Returns, Refunds & Cancellations Policy
Last updated: 7 September 2026
Returns Without the Runaround
At The Quirky Workshop, we hope you love whatever arrives at your door.
Many of our products are handmade, CNC machined, laser cut, 3D printed or produced from wood and other materials with care. We put a lot of attention into making, checking and packaging every order before it leaves us.
Sometimes, though, things don’t quite go to plan.
If you’re unhappy with something you’ve purchased from us, please let us know as soon as reasonably possible and we’ll do our very best to help.
This policy explains how we handle change-of-mind returns, refunds, cancellations, handmade and wooden products, natural timber variation, made-to-order items, incorrect sizes, faulty goods, accidental damage, misuse and delivery damage.
Nothing in this policy is intended to restrict or remove any statutory consumer rights you have under UK law.
1. Our 30-Day Returns Policy
For eligible products, we offer a voluntary 30-day returns period starting from the date your order is delivered.
If you’ve changed your mind about an eligible product, please contact us within 30 days of delivery.
For an item to qualify under our voluntary change-of-mind returns policy, it should normally be:
- Unused
- Undamaged
- Unmodified
- Complete
- Returned with any supplied components or accessories
- Packaged appropriately for the return journey
- In a condition suitable for resale
Once 30 days have passed from delivery, we will not normally accept a voluntary change-of-mind return.
This 30-day period is our voluntary returns policy. It does not mean your legal rights concerning faulty, incorrectly manufactured or misdescribed goods disappear after 30 days.
2. Your Right to Cancel an Online Order
Our 30-day returns policy is separate from your statutory cancellation rights.
For many standard products purchased online, customers normally have 14 days after receiving their goods to tell the retailer they wish to cancel, followed by another 14 days in which to return them.
There are exceptions to those cancellation rights, including certain products that have been made to the customer’s specifications or clearly personalised.
Where statutory cancellation rights apply, those rights take priority over our voluntary policy.
3. Handmade & Machined Products
A large proportion of products available from The Quirky Workshop are made rather than simply taken from a warehouse shelf.
Depending on what you’ve ordered, your product may be:
- Handmade
- CNC machined
- Router machined
- Laser cut
- 3D printed
- Hand finished
- Sanded
- Assembled by hand
- Manufactured from timber or wood-based materials
- Made to order
- Produced specifically for your order
Small differences between individual products can therefore occur and are sometimes part of the character of a handmade or naturally sourced product.
4. Natural Wood, Knots, Grain & Timber Variations
Real Wood Has Character
Many of our products are manufactured from natural timber.
Wood is a natural material, and no two pieces of timber are exactly the same.
Natural characteristics may include:
- Knots
- Grain variation
- Colour variation
- Mineral streaks
- Different grain directions
- Small natural marks
- Changes in tone
- Light and dark areas
- Natural texture
- Small surface variations
- Differences between adjoining pieces of timber
- Naturally occurring imperfections
These characteristics are a normal part of working with real wood.
Knots & Natural Imperfections Are Not Automatically Faults
Where your product has been correctly manufactured, is structurally sound and matches its description, natural knots, grain patterns, colour differences and normal timber characteristics will not ordinarily be considered faults.
For that reason, we will not normally provide a refund solely because a customer dislikes the position of a knot, grain pattern, natural colour variation or another normal characteristic of the timber.
Product photographs on thequirkyworkshop.co.uk are examples of the type of product you may receive.
We cannot guarantee that the exact piece of timber used for your order will have:
- Identical knots
- Identical grain
- The same grain direction
- Exactly the same shade
- Exactly the same markings
- Exactly the same natural features as the product photographed
That’s simply not possible with genuine wood.
5. Natural Variation vs a Genuine Fault
A natural timber feature is different from a genuine manufacturing or material fault.
The following would not normally be considered faults by themselves:
- A visible knot
- Different grain from the website photograph
- Natural colour variation
- Normal timber markings
- Minor variation between two wooden pieces
However, if your product is structurally defective, incorrectly manufactured, significantly split or damaged beyond what could reasonably be considered a natural characteristic, made to the wrong specification because of our error, or otherwise not as described, please contact The Quirky Workshop.
We’ll assess the problem properly and provide the appropriate remedy where required.
In simple terms:
Natural wood character = normal.
A genuine manufacturing defect = something we’ll deal with.
6. Particular Wood Appearance Requirements
If the exact appearance of the wood is especially important to you, please contact us before ordering.
For example, you might prefer:
- Fewer visible knots
- A particularly rustic appearance
- A more uniform grain
- Darker timber
- Lighter timber
- Particular grain characteristics
We can’t guarantee that we’ll always be able to meet a specific natural-grain request, but we’ll be happy to discuss what’s reasonably possible before your product is made.
Once a product has been made from naturally varying timber, disliking an ordinary natural feature of the wood isn’t the same as the product being faulty.
7. Made-to-Order, Made-to-Measure & Personalised Products
One of the things that makes The Quirky Workshop different is our ability to make products specifically for our customers.
Depending on the product, you may be able to choose or supply:
- Width
- Height
- Length
- Thickness
- Custom dimensions
- Personalisation
- Finish
- Design options
- Other specifications
Products genuinely made to your individual specifications or clearly personalised can fall within an exception to the usual statutory change-of-mind cancellation right.
Simply making an item after it is ordered does not automatically make it legally bespoke, so we will consider the nature of the individual order when applying this policy.
8. Please Check Your Measurements Carefully
If you’re ordering something using dimensions that you select or provide, please check them carefully before submitting your order.
Measure twice, order once.
If you’re unsure about anything, please contact us before placing the order.
We’d much rather spend a few minutes helping you get the size right before the machines start running.
9. What If I Order the Wrong Size?
If we manufacture the item correctly to the measurements or options you supplied, but you’ve selected or supplied the wrong measurements, the product is not faulty simply because it doesn’t fit your intended space or purpose.
Where the product is genuinely made to your individual measurements or specifications, we may not be able to accept it for a change-of-mind return or provide a refund.
However, we’ll still try to help.
Depending on the item, we may be able to offer:
- An alteration
- A replacement component
- A modification
- A partial remake
- A replacement at a reduced cost
- Another practical solution
Where we help outside your statutory rights, additional material, manufacturing and delivery costs may apply.
What If We Make the Wrong Size?
That’s different.
If you’ve supplied or selected the correct measurement but we manufacture the product incorrectly, that’s our error.
Please contact us and we’ll put it right in accordance with your applicable consumer rights.
10. Cancelling an Order
Before Manufacturing Starts
Changed your mind?
Please contact us as quickly as possible.
If your product hasn’t entered manufacturing, preparation or dispatch, we’ll normally do our best to accommodate your cancellation request.
The sooner you contact us, the better.
Once Manufacturing Has Started
For custom-sized, personalised and genuinely made-to-specification products, once manufacture begins we may already have committed:
- Timber
- Sheet material
- Hardware
- Components
- CNC machine time
- Laser cutting time
- 3D printing time
- Labour
- Other materials specifically to your order
Where an item qualifies as goods genuinely made to your specifications or clearly personalised, we reserve the right to refuse a change-of-mind or accidental-order cancellation once manufacturing has begun, where permitted by law.
If you’ve made a mistake, please contact The Quirky Workshop immediately.
11. Accidental Orders
Ordered the wrong thing?
Clicked twice?
Changed your mind five minutes later?
It happens.
Please contact us as soon as possible.
If production or dispatch hasn’t begun, we’ll do our best to stop the order.
For genuinely personalised or made-to-specification products, we may refuse an accidental cancellation once manufacture has begun where the applicable statutory cancellation right doesn’t apply.
Standard products remain subject to the statutory cancellation rights that apply to them.
12. Delivery With Evri
Our preferred UK parcel delivery provider is Evri.
Where available and applicable, The Quirky Workshop purchases additional Evri Parcel Cover appropriate to the declared value of eligible parcels, rather than relying solely on the basic level of cover included with the delivery service.
This extra cover is purchased to provide additional protection for eligible parcels during transit.
You can read Evri’s official Parcel Cover information and Evri’s Terms & Conditions for details about current cover, exclusions and claims procedures.
Courier cover is subject to Evri’s own terms, exclusions and the level of cover purchased.
The parcel cover we purchase gives us additional protection when dealing with loss or damage in transit and does not replace or reduce your consumer rights against us.
13. My Parcel Has Arrived Damaged
Before You Open It — Please Take Photos
If your parcel arrives visibly damaged, please don’t immediately open it if it is safe and reasonably practical not to.
If the parcel looks:
- Crushed
- Torn
- Punctured
- Wet
- Heavily dented
- Open
- Partially open
- Re-taped
- Squashed
- Otherwise visibly damaged
please photograph it first.
Photograph the Unopened Parcel
Before opening the parcel, please take clear photographs showing:
- The entire unopened parcel
- The damaged area
- At least one other side or angle
- The shipping label
- Any holes, tears, crushed corners or dents
- Any water damage
- Any unusual tape or evidence that the parcel has opened during transit
Once you’ve photographed the outside, carefully open the parcel.
Then photograph:
- The internal packaging before removing it, where reasonably possible
- How the product was positioned inside the package
- Protective wrapping or packing material
- The product itself
- Any damaged areas
- Close-up photographs of the damage
- Any broken components
Then send the photographs through our contact form.
14. Please Keep All Packaging
If something has been damaged during shipping, please don’t throw anything away until we tell you it is no longer required.
Please keep:
- The cardboard box
- Outer packaging
- Inner packaging
- Protective material
- Shipping label
- Damaged product
- Any broken pieces
The delivery company may need this evidence while a claim is being investigated.
Keeping everything gives The Quirky Workshop the strongest possible evidence when pursuing a transit-damage claim.
15. Why We Need Photographs
We’re not asking for photographs to make things difficult.
Courier claims rely heavily on evidence.
Photographs can help establish:
- The condition of the parcel when it arrived
- Where an impact occurred
- Whether the exterior packaging was damaged
- How the product was packaged
- The condition of the goods after transit
- Which shipment was involved
Other major delivery companies use similar evidence requirements.
For example, UPS’s official supporting-document guidance explains that damage claims may require photographs showing the damaged item, packaging, shipping label and damaged exterior of the package.
This is why taking photographs before opening visibly damaged packaging can be particularly valuable.
16. We’ll Deal With the Courier
If we arranged the delivery, you shouldn’t have to spend your time fighting with the delivery company.
Please contact us and we’ll handle the courier side of the matter.
We’ll use the photographs and information you provide to investigate what happened and, where appropriate, pursue the delivery company’s Parcel Cover or compensation process.
Any claim between us and Evri is separate from your consumer rights against us.
We won’t make your statutory rights dependent upon whether the delivery company decides to compensate us.
17. What If I’ve Already Opened the Parcel?
Don’t worry.
We know most people don’t photograph every delivery before opening it.
If you only notice the damage after opening the parcel, stop unpacking where reasonably possible and take photographs immediately.
Please photograph:
- The damaged product
- The outside of the parcel
- The inside of the parcel
- Internal packaging
- Shipping label
- Any visible damage to the box
Then contact The Quirky Workshop.
Not having a photograph of the unopened parcel does not automatically remove your statutory rights.
We simply strongly recommend taking those photos where possible because they make a delivery-damage investigation considerably easier.
18. Faulty Products
If you think something we’ve made or supplied is genuinely faulty, please contact us.
Photographs are extremely helpful, so please include them where possible.
Under UK consumer law, goods supplied to consumers must meet applicable legal requirements, including being of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose where relevant and as described.
If your product is genuinely faulty, we’ll provide the remedy you’re legally entitled to.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include:
- Repair
- Replacement
- Price reduction
- Refund
19. Faults After 30 Days
Our 30-day voluntary returns policy doesn’t mean we stop listening on day 31.
Statutory rights concerning faulty products are different from voluntary change-of-mind returns.
If you believe something purchased from us has developed a genuine fault, please contact us.
We’ll assess the circumstances fairly.
20. Damage Caused by Misuse or Accidental Damage
A manufacturing fault is different from damage caused after you’ve received the product.
We will not normally provide a free refund, replacement or repair where the problem has been caused by misuse, accidental damage or inappropriate use rather than an inherent fault with the product.
Examples may include:
- Dropping the product
- Impact damage
- Excessive force
- Overloading
- Misuse
- Using the product for something it wasn’t designed for
- Ignoring supplied instructions or warnings
- Improper installation
- Incorrect assembly by the customer
- Deliberate damage
- Neglect
- Inappropriate storage
- Unauthorised modifications
- Cutting, drilling or otherwise modifying the item after delivery
- Attempting a repair that causes additional damage
- Continuing to use an item after obvious damage has appeared
If you’re unsure whether something is accidental damage or a manufacturing problem, contact us and send photographs where possible.
We’ll assess the circumstances rather than automatically assuming one or the other.
21. Wood Movement & Environmental Conditions
Natural timber can react to its environment.
Changes in:
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Moisture
- Direct heat
- Strong sunlight
- Storage conditions
can affect wood over time.
Depending on the timber and its environment, natural wood can experience small amounts of expansion, contraction or movement.
Customers should follow any care instructions supplied with the product and avoid exposing wooden products to conditions unsuitable for their intended use.
Normal changes resulting from the natural behaviour of timber aren’t necessarily manufacturing faults.
If you believe something has happened that goes beyond what could reasonably be considered normal timber movement, please contact us.
22. Normal Wear & Tear
Even properly made products experience wear eventually.
Normal deterioration resulting from ordinary use isn’t automatically a manufacturing defect.
How long something can reasonably be expected to last depends on factors including:
- Product type
- Materials
- Frequency of use
- How it is used
- Maintenance
- Storage
- Environmental conditions
If something purchased from The Quirky Workshop appears to have failed much sooner than you reasonably expected, please contact us.
We’ll assess the circumstances rather than simply assuming it’s normal wear.
23. How to Return an Eligible Product
Before posting anything back, please contact us.
This allows us to:
- Identify your order
- Understand why it’s being returned
- Confirm the appropriate returns procedure
- Give you relevant return instructions
When contacting us, please include:
- Your full name
- Order number
- Email address used for the purchase
- Product you’re contacting us about
- Reason for return
- Photographs where appropriate
Please package returned goods carefully so they aren’t damaged on their journey back.
We strongly recommend keeping proof of postage until your return has been fully resolved.
24. Return Postage Costs
Who pays the return postage depends on why the item is being returned and what rights apply.
For an eligible voluntary change-of-mind return, the customer may be responsible for the cost of returning the product where permitted by law and where this has been communicated appropriately.
Where the product needs to be returned because it is faulty, incorrectly supplied or otherwise our responsibility, we’ll handle return costs in accordance with your statutory rights.
We’ll explain the correct procedure when you contact us.
25. Condition of Change-of-Mind Returns
For voluntary change-of-mind returns, customers should take reasonable care of products.
Where statutory cancellation rights apply, customers can inspect goods to the extent reasonably necessary to establish their nature, characteristics and functioning.
If a product has been used or handled beyond what’s reasonably necessary and its value has consequently been reduced, a deduction from the refund may be permitted in certain circumstances.
This is different from returning something because it is faulty.
26. Hygiene, Sealed & Other Excluded Products
Certain categories of goods can have specific exceptions to change-of-mind cancellation rights.
These can include certain sealed goods that aren’t suitable for return for health or hygiene reasons once they’ve been unsealed, as well as genuinely personalised or custom-made goods.
Where a relevant exception applies, we’ll aim to make this clear before purchase.
These exclusions do not remove your statutory rights where the goods themselves are genuinely faulty.
27. Refunds
When a refund is due, we’ll normally return the money to the original payment method.
After we’ve processed a refund, your bank or payment provider may require additional time before it appears in your account.
This may include payments made using:
Nothing in this section extends any statutory refund deadline that applies to us.
28. Buying Something as a Gift?
Buying early for a birthday, Christmas or another special occasion?
Tell us when placing your order.
Where appropriate, The Quirky Workshop may agree in writing to extend our voluntary 30-day returns period to take account of the date the gift will actually be opened.
Any extension is at our discretion and should be agreed with us at the time of purchase.
An extension to our voluntary returns period doesn’t alter your statutory rights and doesn’t automatically make a genuinely bespoke, personalised or otherwise excluded product eligible for a change-of-mind return.
29. Proof of Purchase
We may ask for reasonable proof that an item was purchased from us.
This might include:
- Order number
- Order confirmation
- Receipt
- Account order history
- Payment record
- Other reasonable evidence of purchase
This helps us locate the correct transaction and deal with your request as quickly as possible.
30. How to Request a Return, Refund, Replacement or Cancellation
The easiest way to get help is through our Contact Us page.
Please tell us:
- Your full name
- Order number
- Email address used when ordering
- Which product you’re contacting us about
- What’s happened
- Whether you’re requesting a return, cancellation, replacement, repair or refund
- Whether the package arrived damaged
- Anything else you think may help
Where a parcel or product is damaged, please include clear photographs.
We’ll do our best to help at every stage.
31. Official UK Consumer Rights Information
We believe customers of The Quirky Workshop should be able to understand their rights easily.
For independent and official information about UK consumer rights, online purchases, faulty products, returns and refunds, the following resources may be useful.
GOV.UK – Returns & Refunds
Accepting Returns and Giving Refunds – GOV.UK
Official UK Government guidance covering returns, faulty goods, refunds, online purchases and exceptions such as certain personalised products.
GOV.UK – Online & Distance Selling
Online and Distance Selling – GOV.UK
Official guidance explaining online-order information requirements, cancellation periods and delivery obligations.
Competition & Markets Authority
Consumer Law Guidance – GOV.UK / Competition & Markets Authority
Guidance covering fair trading, consumer contracts, returns, refunds and consumer-law responsibilities.
Citizens Advice
Independent information about purchases, returns, faulty goods, delivery problems and resolving consumer disputes.
32. Evri Delivery & Parcel Cover Information
Because we primarily use Evri for UK parcel deliveries, the following official resources may also be useful.
Evri Homepage
Evri Parcel Cover
Information about Parcel Cover and additional cover options available for eligible deliveries.
Evri Terms & Conditions
Evri’s current terms covering deliveries, Parcel Cover, compensation, exclusions and claims.
If we arranged the delivery, please contact us about a damaged order rather than trying to resolve the retailer side of the issue directly with Evri.
We’ll deal with the courier claim where appropriate.
33. Why We Ask for Delivery Photos
The request for photographs isn’t unique to us or Evri.
Photographic evidence is widely used throughout the delivery industry when damaged parcels are investigated.
For example, UPS’s official Supporting Documents for Claims guidance explains the types of photographs and evidence that may be needed when a parcel is damaged.
That’s why we ask you to photograph visibly damaged packaging before opening it wherever reasonably practical.
It gives us much stronger evidence when pursuing the delivery company.
34. We’re Here to Help
Nobody places an order with The Quirky Workshop hoping they’ll need the Returns Policy.
If something isn’t right, talk to us.
Maybe we’ve made a mistake.
Maybe something has developed a genuine fault.
Maybe the measurements weren’t quite right.
Maybe a piece of wood looks slightly different from what you expected.
Maybe Evri has had a particularly bad day with your parcel.
Whatever has happened, we’ll listen, establish what the problem is and explain what we can reasonably do.
All we ask is that you contact us promptly, take reasonable care of the product and provide any photographs or information we reasonably need to investigate the issue.
Returns Happen. Good Customer Service Should Too.
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No stress. Just good support.
