International Orders – Everything you need to know before ordering a bed or mattress for delivery abroad

Please note, this blog contains out of date information in light of the UK leaving the EU. Please contact us for updated information on shipping outside of the UK/delivery abroad.

Here at Natural Bed Company we often get emails from customers enquiring on the possibility of shipping our beds outside the UK. The answer is yes! In fact, we do this quite often. Our Orchid four poster and low Kyoto and Ki beds are the most popular designs with our international customers. This blog will explain all you need to know about our international delivery service. Including how to get a quote, and when to expect your order.

Overview of services

Using our international carriers we can ship to any country; no matter how remote. The service offered for delivery abroad is a ‘to door service’. This means that your shipment will be delivered to your door. There’s no need to collect from your local storage hub or airport, but the couriers do not take the goods into the house.

Here at Natural Bed Company we hand-make each bed to order. Therefore, it is not a problem to produce any size of bed including American/Continental sizes. We do not always list these sizes as available on our website, as there are far too many sizes to include when you ship to every country in the world! However, if you drop us an email we will happily get a quote for you.

What we require for a quote

To get a quote for delivery abroad to you we require the following information…

• Your full address
• The model of bed you are interested in
• The size you require
• Your preferred timber

This may seem a lot of information to provide for just an initial query. We often get asked for a ‘rough price of a bed to the US’ for example. However, the next section explains why this information is necessary.

Shipping Costs Explained

The cost of shipping depends on a number of factors. Firstly the destination country; the price is dependent on how far the goods will have to travel. However, as this only affects a small portion of the cost, this doesn’t usually result in a dramatic jump in cost from say Spain to Australia.

The main factor in shipping costs is the number of cartons, along with the size and weight of the cartons. Some beds such as our Kobe bed can be packed into two long thin cartons, which don’t weigh a great deal. Other beds such as our Ocean bed would require 4 boxes for the same size bed. Therefore, the weight would increase threefold. Likewise with timber. For example, oak is 50% heavier than pine, so the weight would increase per box. This would result in an increased shipping cost overall. This is the reason we ask for as much information as possible. We can then provide a full quote to you straight away.

Do I pay VAT?

VAT is the UK sales tax – Value Added Tax. Whether or not you are required to pay VAT depends on where we deliver the goods.

If you are a customer based in Europe then the price you pay for the bed base would be the price you see listed on our website, which includes VAT. British VAT is currently set at 20% (at the time of writing). If you prefer to pay your local rate of VAT – just let us know. We can refund the VAT on receipt of proof that your order has arrived in the destination country. In this case however you will then be required to pay your local rate of sales tax.

If you live outside Europe, VAT will be removed from the cost of the bed and from the shipping cost for delivery abroad. When we provide your quote we will include VAT where relevant. Or, remove VAT if you are exempt from paying British VAT.

NB: Our carriers provide proof that the goods have been exported so we are able not to charge VAT. However – if you use your own carriers – we are required to charge VAT. This will then be refunded when you/your carriers provide us with proof of export. In this case you may then be required to pay your local rate of sales tax and any other relevant taxes (import duties etc).

How to pay?

The most popular method of payment for international customers is by bank transfer. We email our account details for you to make a transfer. We can also accept payment over the phone. However, it may be best to notify your bank prior to attempting payment over the phone. Often, the bank will decline the transaction due to card details being used in a different country. Obviously to them this looks suspicious unless they have prior knowledge that the transaction will take place.

How long will it take?

As we hand make each bed to order here in our Sheffield workshops, our lead times can vary depending on the number of orders in production. During quieter times our production lead-time is 4 weeks, however this can stretch to 7 weeks during peak periods. The first 2 weeks of your lead-time is awaiting the delivery of the timber; we order fresh cut timber for every bed. The weeks following are production weeks, a single craftsman will take ownership of your bed and work on the project from start to finish.

After woodworking is complete our skilled lacquerer will finish your bed. Our international carriers are very quick at getting your goods to you. Usual turn around for most countries is 2-3 days. Places such as Japan, Dubai and Australia may take up to 5 days. You will be provided with a tracking number once your bed has left us so you can check on progress directly.

If you have any further queries, or would like to request a quote please email us at [email protected]