Deliveries

We aim to despatch all orders within 48 hours (not including Sundays and Bank Holidays when postal services are unavailable) . Usually, your order will be posted the next working day.

We use Royal Mail services to make sure every package is safe and secure - not thrown over hedges, or abandoned on doorsteps with erroneous squiggles for signatures.

Royal Mail has recognised and safe processes on a national scale, if you are out, or to arrange collection or redelivery. Their tracking system is nationwide and works well.  


All orders are sent by 2nd class post (letter post for single books under 750g) by small packet post. We have a tracking number for every shipment which can be given to you on request. Most books have to go this way because they don't fit through the letterbox. 

Items over £50 will be sent by SIGNED 2nd class post, to ensure they are covered by postal insurance and to ensure their safe receipt, with no additional cost to you, the customer.

All international orders of under £50 in value are sent by 2nd class STANDARD AIRMAIL which does not include tracking or signatures. Any orders above £50 will be sent tracked and signed for your peace of mind, but at no additional cost to you the customer. 

Worldwide... We have three 'zones' for postage costs. UK is always post free for all orders. Europe is £12.75 and Rest of World including USA and Australia is £18.50 for up to 2kg. 

The million dollar question... This depends on where you live, how often your postman delivers to you, whether he is weighed down with too many parcels that day, whether there is still a reduction in staff at the sorting offices due to Covid pandemic, or because of social distancing legislation at work. We can provide tracking numbers for every small packet and official Post Office guidance is 3 to 5 working days.... 

Returns & Exchanges

We will always replace it with the correct book at no cost to you the customer.  No need to return the 'wrong' title to us, you can keep it at no charge to read until the new book arrives, with our compliments. 

A difficult question, as you could in theory read it before sending it back and it is impossible to prove that it is unread. So we only accept returns and exchanges for books that arrive damaged, and these we replace quickly at no cost. 

Just turn the bag inside out, tape up the book and send it to: Old Curiosity Bookshop, 115 Loughborough Road, Hathern, LE12 5HZ.