Scottish Knitwear made in Edinburgh +44 (0) 131 225 3249

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Bill Baber Knitwear was established in 1977 and traded for many years under the name of Sheepish Looks. We are in fact two companies. Bill Baber LTD which covers the retail store in Edinburgh and Bill Baber York LLP which was established in 2010 and covers the wholesale business and e-commerce activity.

We have been trading online since 1999 and offer the same warm welcome to our e-commerce customers as that which we extend to visitors to our shop.

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Delivery


We have a no quibble return/refund policy and have extended the time time you have to return things to us to 90 days, as long as you have only tried it on at home a few times – please leave the tags on and don’t wash it.

The delivery estimates below include the processing time for you order in additon to the time spent in the mail – in many cases your garment may have to be knitted from scratch which can take a couple of days before we are able to post. If at any time we think we are going to miss this schedule, we will of course notify you.

Our regular delivery rates:

  • UK (3 – 5 days) £6.00

Within the UK we continue to use the Royal Mail for our ecommerce deliveries, though we are concious that in the weeks before Christmas there can be delays and we reserve the right to switch to a courier service at our own additional cost if we deem it neccessary to avoid late delivery of your presents!

We no longer offer a free pick up in store as the garments are no longer held in stock at the retail shop. we ran out of storage space as the website expanded! If you wish to make a collection in person, please contact us by email before placing your order on info@billbaber.com.

  • Europe inc. Ireland (3-5 days) £27*
  • USA & Canada  (3-5 days) £34.50*
  • Australia & New Zealand (7 – 10 days) £32.00*
  • Rest of the world (7 – 10 days) £37.00*

*+ £2.00 for each additional item after the first

We no longer ship using the Royal Mail or their Parcel Force service, instead we use an international carrier which may include Fedex, DHL, DPD or similar. These are more expensive services whihc we regret, but we find the shipping times are much shorted and the customer service departments are far more approachable should something go wrong. These parcels are occassionally handed over to partner delivery agents for international delivery.

At checkout you will be asked to select your preferred method of shipping and the relevant cost will be added to your shopping basket.

We use a Tracked & Signed For service wherever it is available. Each delivery requires a signature upon receipt for us to ensure that you have received it safely.  If you are not home, the delivery partner will leave a “sorry we missed you” card at your address, you may be able to arrange a redelivery or redirect, or you may have to attend a local collection office to complete the delivery.

This prevents packages being left unattended while you are out and gives us confidence that you will receive it safely. We are unable to mail to a PO Box or unattended address as there will not be someone present to sign for your parcel and we cannot accept responsibility for parcels which are lost or damaged as a result of being left unattended.

As an alternative, we can send mail to your work address instead of your home address if there is usually someone there during normal office hours.

If you are unable to provide an attended address then please get in contact with us, we may be able to come up with an alternative if you are happy to take responsibility for the parcel being left unattended, we cannot accept responsibility for any missing parcels if they are not sent on a signed for service.

We however reserve the right to use a Tracked Only or other method of postage if a signature service is not available to your attended address and will accept responsibility for any loss or damage in transit as a result.

For EU customers – please note you are likely to have VAT to pay on the delivery. PLease read the notes on BREXIT below in the FAQ of this site.

Apologies for all the small print, we try to work with you to ensure you parcel arrives quickly and safely – some patience on both sides if often required!

We endeavour to ship every order within 2 working days, in some cases this may not be possible and we will notify you by email. We provide tracking numbers for all parcels and monitor them on a weekly basis. If you are concerned about the progress of an order please contact us.

When you place your order you will see delivery time estimates. We monitor and update this estimate through the year. In some cases your parcel may be delayed.

We will do all we can to resolve any late deliveries and may send a replacement or a refund if we deem it necessary.

If you have a specific delivery date that you require then please get in contact and we may be able to offer an express delivery option at an additional charge.

Please check your confirmation email after ordering to be sure the address is correct. If you do not contact us we will assume the shipping address is correct.

If you give us the incorrect address details on your order, which causes our package to be delivered incorrectly, then the responsibility is on you, the customer, to try and retrieve the parcel yourself at your own cost.

We reserve the right to charge the full shipping fee applicable to resend an item, if is returned to us because delivery could not be taken for any reason.

Courier returned items will be credited to your account, minus the courier fee. Please notify us as soon as possible if your order does not arrive within the expected time frame following your dispatch email.

BREXIT Update January 2021


The UKs departure from Europe and new trading arrangement between Europe and the UK will likely have huge impacts on the way we are able to supply customers around the world, we are not 100% clear on all the implications and may not be for some time.

On 24th December 2020, the UK and the EU reached an agreement on how to trade (the Trade and Cooperation Agreement). It entered into force on 1st January 2021. As a result of the agreement, the UK is no longer part of the EU’s single market and customs union and new rules apply.

From 1st January, the UK has extended the rules which applied to non-EU postal items before. Similarly, the EU now treats postal items from the UK as it did non-EU items before.

It seems likely that customers in Europe who receive orders from us will now be liable to pay VAT at their local rate on purchases from us here in the UK. You may wish to check your own local rules on bringing goods in from outside the EU. The notes below are taken from the Royal Mail website.

EU VAT & Customs Duties

Customs clearance charges and fees may be payable on items/goods (excluding personal correspondence) entering the destination country including the EU from the UK. These depend on the contents’ value. The parcel won’t be released until payment has been received.

Items sent to the EU from England, Scotland and Wales are subject VAT and duties in the EU. The value of goods thresholds are detailed below:

Items valued at under €22 will remain part of the Low Value Consignment Relief (LVCR) Scheme for items sent to the EU and are not subject to VAT or duties until 1 July 2021 (subject to further extension date to be set by the EU).

Commercial items/goods (excluding personal correspondence) sent to the EU over €22 and below €150 may be taxed at the border and may incur a customs clearance/handling fee in the receiving country.

Commercial items/goods sent to the EU over €150 may attract VAT, customs duties and a clearance/handling fee

The customs authorities in the destination country and the customs thresholds in place determine if charges are due on imported goods. The levels and thresholds of charges vary from country to country.

The majority of items we mail from our website would be over the €22 threshold and as such may be liable for either a customs handling fee or VAT or both.

Likely that charge would be payable before delivery can be completed and would be payable to the delivery agent in your own country.

For example the VAT in Ireland is 23%, Spain 21%, Germany 19% and France 20%

Bill Baber York LLP is VAT registered and the items online will default to including VAT. If your web browser allows it, our website will recognise the country from which you are visiting the site and may remove the VAT to make it easier for you to browse the collection. Or if you enter a shipping address in the checkout then the site will automatically remove the VAT if the address is anywhere outside of the UK.

Please note if you are in the EU you are likely to pay VAT to your local tax agency, this will be billable by the courier at the point of delivery.

We will of course monitor the situation and provide updates on the reality of shipping to Europe as things become more clear.

https://www.royalmail.com/brexit

With the UKs departure from the EU, we have also removed ourselves from the Free Trade Agreement which was in place between the UK and Canada (CETA). As such customers in Canada may now be liable to pay taxes and import fees on items bought in the UK and delivered to Canada, please contact your local tax authority for further details.

https://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/in-focus/ceta/

There is a new Trade Continuity Agreement between the UK and Canada coming in to effect early 2021. We will be keeping a close eye on this development.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/summary-of-the-uk-canada-trade-continuity-agreement

Non EU Customers


Customers in the USA will not pay import duties or taxes on any orders under the value of $800. Orders over $800 may be liable to duties and the amount varies depending on which state you are located in. Please contact your local tax authority for further details.

As we are not VAT registered you do not see any additional charge for VAT online, but we are also unable to credit any VAT so the amount you see is what you pay. £100 for a sweater online means you pay £100. There are no additional taxes.

Customers in Australia will not pay import fees on any orders under the value of $1000. Orders over $1000 may be liable to duties. Please contact your local tax authority for further details.

For other countries please contact your local tax authority to confirm which liabilities might arise when you buy and receive goods from the UK. If you are not sure, please email us and we will try to help.

With the UKs departure from the EU, we have also removed ourselves from the Free Trade Agreement which was in place between the UK and Canada (CETA). As such customers in Canada may now be liable to pay taxes and import fees on items bought in the UK and delivered to Canada, please contact your local tax authority for further details.

https://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/in-focus/ceta/

There is a new trade agreement due to begin in 2021, we will of course be keeping a close eye on those arrangments.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/summary-of-the-uk-canada-trade-continuity-agreement

Sizing


Please see our Size Guide for guidance on ordering the correct size from us.

We know that everyone has a different idea about their sizing and it would be impossible to cover everything on these pages so if you have any questions at all simply drop us an email or give us a call.

Ordering


We accept American Express, Visa, Maestro, Delta and MasterCard using PayPal.

You can pay for your order with these credit or debit cards without having to register for a PayPal account. If you do have an account already then you can of course use it.

PayPal is an internationally recognised secure system used by many of the world’s top online retailers.

Please see our Size Guide for guidance on ordering the correct size from us.

We know that everyone has a different idea about their sizing and it would be impossible to cover everything on these pages so if you have any questions at all simply drop us an email or give us a call.

We supply stores in many countries around the world. They are of all different types and each one has a unique selection of our styles. We cannot guarantee that on your visit they will have a wide range of our knitwear, they may be out of stock entirely. We suggest you contact them in advance of your visit and enquire, or ask us and we will get on contact for you. Alternatively, you can order from our own website, we ship worldwide.

We supply stores all over the world and each store is responsible for its own pricing, we endeavour to supply garments to them at a very competitive price so they can pass them on to you at a reasonable rate. In many cases they have local taxes and import duties to take into account.

Our shop in Edinburgh is the factory store, many of our garments are made right there and the prices in store reflect that. The online catalogue contains items which are made to order and shipped to your home address, we have to charge a little extra for that service.

Yes, simply contact us and we can handle your order over the telephone, or send us an email and we can do it that way instead. We can take card details over the phone or organise an alternative method of payment.

No, we often photograph outfits made up of two or more styles, these are for illustrative purposes only and when you place your order you will only receive the items as detailed in the product description. If you would like to order the accessories then please email us and we will endeavour to assist you in your purchase.

Returns & Repairs


We want you to be delighted with your purchases and work very hard to ensure you are completely satisfied with every aspect of your order. If for any reason you are not happy with your purchases or the way in which we have handled your order, then we ask you to please get in contact as soon as possible and we will do all we can to make it right.

If you wish to return an item, we ask that you do so as a matter of urgency, such that we can organise a refund or replacement as soon as possible. Send us an email to info@billbaber.com, or phone us in the workshop on +44 (0) 131 225 3249 and let us know you wish to send the item or items back.

Unless otherwise stated, please return all items to Bill Baber Knitwear, 66 Grassmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2JR, UK.

If you are planning to mail back to us from a non UK address, please let us know first as there may be some arrangements required to avoid any international duty payments, we may also have a return address within your country you could use. If you can return any labels or packaging material that would be appreciated.

Upon receipt of the returns we will let you know that we have them safely in hand and will make arrangements for a refund, repair or replacement as requested.

Please read our full terms & conditions for more details.

Care Guide


Our silk and linen capes and jackets will machine wash at up to 30 degrees on a normal cycle. You can use a delicate or hand wash setting if you have them. They will normally spin dry gently as part of the cycle but do not tumble dry them as this uses too much heat.

When mostly dry lay them on the ironing table and press them flat with the iron, use steam as the dry iron will not have much effect.

When you are pressing them you can change the shape a bit, flare the hem or pull the body to narrow it at the waist. They will generally stay as you press them until you wash again. Put a new crease on the lapels or other styling features wherever you like.

Some of our customers like to hand wash our garments which is fine, remember to dry them flat!

If a garment has been in storage for a while give it a steam-press just to freshen it up before wearing it.

Great news with our linen and cotton capes, tops and jackets – these can be machine washed! Use a programme up to 30 degrees and use a delicate or hand wash setting if you have them. They will normally spin dry gently as part of the cycle but do not tumble dry them as this uses too much heat.

You can choose to press the garment to reinforce the shape it came in. When mostly dry lay them on the ironing table and press them flat with the iron, use steam as the dry iron will not have much effect. When you are pressing them you can change the shape a bit, flare the hem or pull the body to narrow it at the waist. They will generally stay as you press them until you wash again. Put a new crease on the lapels or other styling features wherever you like.

Some of our customers like to hand wash our garments which is fine, remember to dry them flat!

If a garment has been in storage for a while give it a steam-press just to freshen it up before wearing it.

The good news is that merino wool has a natural wicking effect which means they do not need to be washed often. You might be surprised by how long your merino pieces stay fresh, a lot longer than the synthetic materials that make up the majority of our clothes. Unless you spill soup on your jumper, it will be a good long time before you need to wash it.

Don’t go anywhere near your washing machine! The heat will be too high and the wool will shrink and end up with a felt like appearance.

We recommend hand washing these pieces and then squeezing out the excess water by hand. Dry these garments flat on a rack, rail or similar. It’s very important not to hang them as the weight of the water will stretch the fabric permanently.

When mostly dry you can lay them on an ironing table and press them flat with an iron, using steam. This is an optional step if you want to change the style slightly.

If a garment has been in storage for a while give it a steam-press just to freshen it up before wearing it.

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