Birch & Berg

Delivery

Pallet delivery: what to expect when your sauna or cold plunge arrives

How kerbside pallet delivery of a sauna or cold plunge works: booking the date, the tail-lift lorry, moving it from the kerb, checking for damage and getting your base and route ready.

By Birch & Berg. Last checked .

Saunas and cold plunge tubs are too big and heavy for a parcel van. They come direct from the manufacturer or distributor, by pallet or specialist carrier. This guide explains how that works and what to have ready, so delivery day goes smoothly.

Short answer: unless the product page says otherwise, delivery is kerbside. The carrier books a date with you, lowers the pallet from a tail-lift lorry and moves it by pallet truck to the nearest accessible point at the front of your property. Moving it from there to the garden is up to you, so plan the people, equipment and route before the day.

1. Before you order

  • Check the weight and packed size on the product page. They tell you how many people or what equipment you'll need.
  • Think about the lorry. Tell us before dispatch about narrow roads, weight limits, steep or unmade drives, or anything else that might stop a large vehicle reaching you.
  • Check where we deliver. We deliver to addresses in mainland Great Britain. We can't price delivery online to Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Wight, the Isles of Scilly or the Scottish islands, so email us for a quote before you order. For the Scottish Highlands, we check the delivery with the manufacturer before your order is sent.
  • Delivery charges: unless the product page says delivery is included, it's charged by distance from the maker's warehouse to your postcode. Enter your postcode on the product page to see the cost; it's shown again at checkout, before you pay.

2. How the date is booked

  1. We place your order with the manufacturer. The expected dispatch time is on each product page. Made-to-order items take longer, as the page states.
  2. Dispatch: you get an email with the carrier's name and tracking or consignment details.
  3. Booking: the carrier contacts you by phone, text or email to book a delivery date. Make sure the phone number on your order is one you answer. The exact date is only known once the carrier books it with you.

Need to change the date? Contact the carrier as early as possible, using the details in their booking message, or reply to us and we'll pass it on. If a booked delivery fails because nobody is there or the item can't be reached, the carrier may charge for redelivery. We'll tell you the cost before rebooking.

3. On delivery day

  • The lorry's tail-lift lowers the pallet to the ground.
  • The driver moves it by pallet truck to the nearest accessible point at the front of your property.
  • Pallet trucks need firm, flat ground, so steps, gravel, grass and steep slopes mark the end of the line.
  • Carriers don't carry items into your home or garden, or through the property.
  • Someone needs to be there to check and sign for the delivery.

4. Check before you sign

  1. Count the packages against the delivery note.
  2. Look at every side of the packaging for holes, crushing, tears or wet patches.
  3. If the packaging is visibly damaged, write "damaged" and a short description on the carrier's delivery note. If the item is clearly broken, you can refuse it.
  4. Photograph any damage to the packaging or the goods, including the labels.
  5. Email the photos to hello@birchandberg.co.uk within 24 hours of delivery, with your order number. We'll arrange replacement parts or a replacement with the manufacturer.

Reporting damage later doesn't affect your legal rights, but prompt reports are settled much faster. The goods are at the seller's risk until they come into your physical possession. From then on, looking after them is up to you, which is why checking at the door matters.

5. Moving it from the kerb

  • People and kit: use enough helpers for the weight on the product page. A sack truck, furniture dollies, boards to protect the lawn, straps and gloves all help.
  • Kits can usually be unpacked and carried round in pieces. Keep panels flat, dry and off the ground, and check the parts against the manufacturer's list before you start assembling.
  • One-piece or part-assembled items need a clear route wide enough for the whole package. Measure the narrowest point (a gate, side passage or doorway), then check corners, steps and overhanging branches. Compare the measurements with the packed dimensions on the product page, and leave room for hands and equipment.
  • Don't leave it at the kerb longer than you need to. Once it's delivered, it's in your care.

If your route is tight, check before you order whether the product comes as a kit.

6. Keep the packaging

Keep all the packaging until everything is checked and assembled. If you change your mind, you can cancel within 14 days, starting the day after delivery. Large items can't go back by post: we'll offer to arrange a carrier collection, and if you accept, you pay its direct cost. The estimated cost is shown on each product page before you buy, and we confirm it in writing before booking. You can use your own carrier instead. Items need to go back securely packed, ideally in the original packaging.

You can inspect the item as you would in a shop. If it has been assembled, installed, connected, filled or used beyond what's needed to establish what it is and how it works, we may reduce your refund to reflect the loss in value. So open and check first, and assemble or fill it once you're sure.

7. Get ready before delivery day

  1. Base built, level and fully set (see our base guide).
  2. Route from the kerb to the base measured and cleared.
  3. Helpers or equipment booked for the day.
  4. A dry place to store the parts if you're not assembling straight away.
  5. An electrician booked for after assembly, if the product needs a new supply (see our electrics guide).
  6. Your phone switched on, and the carrier's booking message saved.

FAQs

Will the driver help me carry it into the garden?
No. Delivery is kerbside unless the product page says otherwise, and carriers don't carry items into your home or garden.

What if I'm not in?
If a booked delivery fails because nobody is there, the carrier may charge for redelivery, and we'll tell you the cost before rebooking. If you can't make a booked date, tell the carrier as early as possible.

What if it arrives damaged?
Write "damaged" and a short description on the delivery note, or refuse it if it's clearly broken. Photograph the damage and email us within 24 hours. We'll sort out replacement parts or a replacement with the manufacturer. Your legal rights are not affected.

This is general guidance. The product page and our delivery and returns policies set out the terms for your order.

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