Refund policy

Before you return anything, please read this.

  • Try shoes on indoors, on carpet only. Do not wear them outside, even briefly.
  • Worn, scuffed or marked shoes are not eligible for return. Once a sole is marked or an upper is creased, we can't sell the shoes as new. Any refund will be reduced by that loss in value - which for worn shoes is usually the full price.
  • Personalised and engraved items cannot be returned unless they are faulty .

None of this affects your statutory rights for faulty goods.

What counts as faulty
An item is faulty if it wasn’t of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose or as described when it reached you. Normal wear, accidental damage, misuse or poor care are not faults.

Worn soles, scuffs and natural creasing are wear. A sole coming away or stitching failing early is a fault.

Not faults: normal wear and tear, accidental damage, or damage caused by excessive force, using a product for something it isn’t designed for, or not following its care or use instructions.

Jump to: UK returns | International returns (EU and rest of world) | Faulty or damaged items | Refunds | Cancelling an order

UK returns

Your right to cancel

You have 14 days from the day you receive your order to tell us you want to return it. You then have a further 14 days to send it back. You don't need to give a reason.

How to return

  1. Start your return. Log in to your account at account.shoe-trees.co.uk, find your order and click Request return. Or contact us and we'll help.
  2. Choose your postage. We can sell you a Royal Mail Tracked 48 return label for £4. Otherwise, use a tracked or insured service. The parcel is your responsibility until it reaches us.
  3. Pack it properly. Put the item in its original box, then wrap the box in a bag or outer packaging. Please don't stick labels or tape on any box itself as it incurs a repackaging cost.
  4. Include a note with your order number and whether you want a refund or an exchange. For an exchange, give the style and size you want.
  5. Send it to:
Returns Department
Harbourplace Ltd t/a Cathcart Elliot
49 Burrell Street
Crieff
PH7 4DG

Return costs

  • For unwanted items, you pay the return postage.
  • For exchanges, you pay the return postage and the postage to send out the replacement.
  • If we sent the wrong item or it is faulty, we cover the postage both ways.

Exchanges

Subject to stock, we aim to dispatch your replacement within 2–3 working days of receiving your return. It may take a little longer in busy periods.

International returns (EU and rest of world)

Please contact us before sending anything back. Returns from outside the UK go through customs. If the paperwork is wrong, UK import VAT and duty get charged on the way back to us.

Paperwork

  • Mark the parcel clearly: "British Returned Goods – relief claimed".
  • Enclose a copy of the original invoice, the customs declaration and the outgoing airway bill. We can supply these.
  • Full instructions: download here.

If the parcel arrives without the correct paperwork, we will deduct any import duty and customs charges from your refund.

Costs, VAT and duty

  • You pay all international return costs. Please use a tracked and insured service.
  • Any VAT or duty you paid on delivery must be reclaimed from your own tax authority. We can't refund it. Keep your invoice and customs documents.
  • If you refuse a delivery or don't pay the import charges, the parcel comes back to us. We will deduct the return charges from any refund.

EU customers: your right to withdraw

You can withdraw from your order within 14 days of receiving it, without giving a reason. Use the withdraw/cancel button in My Account → Orders, against the relevant order. You can withdraw from all or part of an order, and you'll get an email confirming we've received your request. You don't have to contact us first, but the paperwork above still applies when you send the goods back.

This right does not apply to personalised or made-to-order items once work has started, or to goods used beyond what is needed to check them. Worn or scuffed shoes fall into this category.

Faulty or damaged items (all orders)

Every item is checked before dispatch, but if something is wrong, tell us as soon as you can. Photos of the item and the packaging help.

  • Damaged in transit: contact us straight away and keep the packaging.
  • Within 30 days of delivery: you can reject a faulty item for a full refund.
  • After 30 days: we will repair or replace it. If that isn't possible, or doesn't fix the problem, we will refund you.
  • Please return faulty items clean and dry, with a note explaining the fault.
  • We aim to reply within 48 hours of receiving your parcel.
  • Where we confirm a fault, we refund your reasonable return postage.
  • Occasionally we may ask the manufacturer for a second opinion.
  • Normal wear, or damage from misuse, is not a fault.

Personalised items are covered for faults like anything else. See our Personalisation Terms for details.

Refunds (all orders)

  • We refund to your original payment method and email you when it's done.
  • We aim to process refunds within 48 hours of receiving your return. In busy periods, allow up to 7 working days. You'll always be refunded within 14 days of us receiving the goods.
  • Delivery charges: if you return your whole order , we refund the original delivery charge up to the cost of our cheapest standard service. If you chose a faster service, we refund the standard rate only. If the item is faulty or not as described, we refund all delivery charges.
  • Condition: you can try items on as you would in a shop. If an item comes back handled more than that, we will reduce the refund by the loss in value. That covers marked soles, creased uppers, missing parts, or a damaged, taped or labelled shoe box. Do not return items that are not in a sellable condition.
  • Uncollected parcels that come back to us automatically: we deduct the cost of the return carriage from your refund.
  • Gift wrapping is non-refundable.

Cancelling an order (all orders)

  • Before dispatch: contact us as soon as possible. Phoning is quickest. We dispatch quickly but will do our best to stop it.
  • After dispatch: wait for the parcel to arrive, then follow the returns steps above.
  • Personalised items cannot be cancelled once work has started.

Your statutory rights are not affected. Questions about a return? Contact us and we'll sort it out.