Below is a list of our most frequently asked questions. Feel free to contact us if there is anything that is not answered below. We aim to respond to your emails within 24 hours but often do so much faster.
Please note that we are still working during the CoronaVirus Outbreak. All enquiries are being dealt with by email. The following paragraph supercedes any contradictory information below.
Delivery times are being affected with orders taking on average 7-14 working days to be delivered. Please note that we are shipping items in from our warehouse. You will be given tracking information once we have booked your order in for final delivery to yourself. The tracking information is sent out a couple of days before your order arrives with us from our warehouse. This will then update a few days later on the courier's system to give you a delivery date.
1. What happens when I place an order with Cotswold Cameras and how long does delivery take?
Once you have placed your order with us and our system has taken your payment we will very quickly process your order. You will be kept informed every step of the way with email updates to let you know that we have received your order and again once we dispatch your order. You will receive tracking information via email and in your Cotswold Cameras account so that you can see when your order will arrive.
Once your camera is delivered please check it immediately to ensure that you are happy with everything and that it is in perfect working order.
Standard UK delivery takes 7-14 working days.
2. Are your products brand new and genuine?
Yes and Yes. All our products are genuine brand new items straight from our suppliers. We only sell brand new items that are of UK specification, fully boxed and with all the usual accessories including 3 pin plugs and English manuals. We offer a 14 day money back guarantee on all of our products so if for any reason you are unhappy then simply get in touch with us and we will authorise a return and full refund. We offer a 14 day money back guarantee. Simply email us to obtain authorisation for your return within 14 days of receipt. Returned items must be in new unused condition or we reserve the right to charge a restocking fee of 30%.
3. Are these 'imports'?
In short, yes they are. Manufacturers want to fix their prices within an area so as to maximise their profits and they know that as European customers we will pay more for goods. We pay more than Asia and the US for identical items. All cameras are imported into the UK, whether it is by us or Canon and Nikon UK. They are all made at the same factories and work in exactly the same way. The only difference is that we provide the warranty on our models. Sometimes our cameras may be provided with an adaptor for the battery charger and a photocopied manual but apart from these differences they are the same. It is up to you to decide if you would prefer the significant savings or not.
4. Are your cameras eligible for cashback promotions?
Our models are not eligible for cashback promotions. Even taking cashback promotions into account, we offer very competitive prices.
5. Where do Cotswold Cameras deliver to?
We deliver to the UK and most EU countries.
Orders are currently being sent from our warehouse abroad. You will never be charged any additional taxes if you are a UK or EU customer.
6. Will I be charged import charges, VAT or any other fees?
No, If you are a UK customer then your order will usually be sent from our UK offices in Cheltenham or Coventry.Our prices are the final cost to you. Even if items are sent directly from our HK warehouse you will not be billed for any additional charges. Existing customers may remember that previously they might have received an invoice from the courier. This will no longer ever happen as we have changed how we do things to ensure a smoother and easier transaction for our customers.So, just to confirm, you will never pay more than the price that you see on our website!
7. When will I receive my item?
Standard UK mainland delivery orders usually arrive with customers within 4-7 working days.
We use Royal Mail and expedited courier services from UPS, FedEx or TNT which are fully trackable. When your order has been dispatched, we will notify you. If you created an account with Cotswold Cameras when you checked out, you will be able to log back into your Cotswold Cameras account and access your tracking number. If you enter this into the courier's website it will update you with the estimated delivery date. You will also receive tracking information via email when your order dispatches.
8. How long is the warranty and is it valid in the UK?
All cameras and lenses come with a 3 year warranty. You can upgrade the warranty to 5 years by visiting this page. All warranty work is carried out in the UK.
9. I would like a quote for a camera or lens that isn't on your website. Are you able to source this?
We would be delighted to help. Please email us with your request and we will look to source this for you and email you a quote. Please note that for new product releases, we put the product on our website as soon as it is available to pre-order or order.
10. How Can I pay?
We accept all major credit and debit cards.Simply select the Stripe option at checkout. Payments are securely processed by Stripe, one of the largest and most secure payment processing companies in the World. All payments are processed using secure encryption methods to ensure the privacy of your data. Please note that you will need to have 3D Secure enabled on your card in order to pay for your order by card.
It is also possible for you to pay via BACS if you prefer. If you pay via bank transfer you get free delivery and you can save a further 1% off our already fantastic prices . Simply checkout as normal and select to pay via BACS. Payment is to our Wise's Business Account. We will hold BACS orders for 24 hours during the week and at weekends we will hold the order until midday Tuesday, after which we will cancel the order if payment has not been made. If you then wish to proceed, a new order will have to be placed at the current price.
11. How does your loyalty points scheme work?
For every £1 you spend with Cotswold Cameras you will receive 1 loyalty point. So, if you were to spend £1000 with us you would receive 1000 loyalty points which equates to a £10 discount off any future order. When you checkout you will be advised of how many points your order will accrue or how many points you can redeem against your purchase. You will need to create an account on our website to keep track of your loyalty points balance and to use your points.
12. How can you offer such low prices?
We are able to offer such fantastic prices on the best gear for a number of reasons:
13. Can I collect from you?
We don't offer a collection service as we do not hold stock on site. Don't forget that UK mainland delivery is fast and fully tracked.
14. Can you give me your best price for X Y Z or a discount if I buy a camera and lens together?
Our best prices are already on the website. We want to offer the best price to all our customers not just those who ask.
We don't offer any further discount if you buy a camera and lens together. What we do is offer competitive pricing and regular special offers. If the items that you want are not in a bundle or special offer right now be sure to check back as they may be the following week.
If you are looking to make a purchase in excess of £5000 then by all means contact us and we will look to see if we can save you even more.
15. Do you sell used cameras or take part exchange?
Occasionally we do have used items for sale. These are usually items that we have used for reviews or testing. We then sell these items on our Ebay store or list them here on the website. If it is not listed in one of these places then we don't have it in stock. Our Ebay store is called cotswoldcamera.
We no longer take items in part exchange.
16. Do you offer credit?
No we do not offer credit although we do accept all major credit cards.
17. Do you offer discounts for members of the armed forces, students or OAPs?
We do not offer any further discounting than the already excellent prices that are on our website.
18. Nikon/Canon/Panasonic etc announced that there is a service issue with camera X Y Z, are your models affected and or will this problem be fixed under warranty if my product is affected?
Please check the product page on our website for further information. Generally these issues are covered under our warranty but we do have to treat each announcement of this kind individually. For example the recent flare issue on the Nikon D750 caused quite a stir on the Internet and we received many enquiries regarding this issue. We covered this problem under our warranty and fixed anyone's camera that was affected. We then pulled th D750 from our shelves. Once the problem was resolved we then announced on the Nikon D750 product page that all new models being sold were free from this issue.
Simply checking the page of the product that you are interested in will usually reveal all the required information to confidently make a purchase.
19. I wont be in for delivery, can you arrange for Saturday delivery?
If you know that you will not be in for delivery then please wait until the courier has made the first attempt. Then simply contact them using the information on the card that they leave at your delivery address and re-arrange delivery for a convenient time. Due to the couriers that we use we cannot specify Saturday deliveries.
20. I am worried about buying an import. Will I be able to update firmware and get my camera serviced after Cotswold Cameras 3 year warranty expires?
Updating firmware is not a problem on our models. Simply use the manufacturer's website as normal or do a Google search for the required firmware version. In the unlikely event that you have an issue then please contact us and we will be delighted to help.
Once your 3 year warranty expires you will have no problem getting your camera or lens serviced by reputable service centres. You can even contact us for help with this and as valued customers we will be happy to point you in the direction of our authorised service centres.
Opening Hours - Monday-Friday 9-5pm.
