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If you have a question, you’re likely to get the answer by checking our Frequently Asked Questions section. You can’t find what you were looking for, or you just want to say hi, please email us at hello@theforwardlab.comor fill in our contact form.
We’ll aim to reply to you within 12h to 48h (excluding weekends).
As a marketplace, we sell sustainable brands – but we don’t hold stock, so when you order a product from us, the item gets shipped from the brand itself. This eliminates needless carbon emissions and use of resources from not having to have the item packaged and shipped to us, and then repackaged and shipped out again to the customer; and not having to run major warehouse operations in addition to those of our brands.
If you have purchased multiple items from different brands at the same time, each item will be sent separately and directly from each individual brand.
The Forward Lab is therefore not directly responsible for the delivery of items purchased on our site. Responsibility for this is passed to the brand, once the purchase has been made and payment has been collected by us. However, we manage all customer communications, so if you have any issues with delivery of your item, please contact us at hello@theforwardlab.com
Each of our brands select which countries in the world they deliver to, and they set their own delivery costs for each country (which will vary). If this is not clearly stated on the individual product page, then you will be able to check in the shopping bag before proceeding to payment.
Our brands also select their own couriers and shipping costs which may also differ by country. All information is provided on the product description.
Our partner brands undertake to send you your parts within a maximum of 72 hours. Once the package has been handed over to the carrier, allow a delivery time ranging from 2 to 7 working days, depending on the country of dispatch of the goods, and the country of destination.
We leave the freedom to our partner brands to choose the logistics provider of their choice. Your orders can be sent by Colissimo, DHL, DPD, UPS, Royal Mail, Mondial Relay, FedEx etc.
Please note that the deadlines are given for information only. Once the package has been handed over to the carrier, we no longer have control over it and delays may occur.
A delivery confirmation email from The Forward Lab will be sent to you as soon as the order has been sent. This email will contain a tracking number and the date the brand dispatched the item.
If you want to know the status of your delivery, please use the tracking number and link in this delivery confirmation email. This is the easiest and quickest way for you to get this information.
If a brand is experiencing a high volume of orders, or other factors such as poor weather or postal strikes, delivery may be delayed by a few days.
If you experience a delivery issue which has not been resolved by the brand, please contact us athello@theforwardlab.com and we will do our best to resolve this.
If you use a promotional code, the reduction is usually applied only to the price of the product and not the delivery cost.
If you order an item that ships to you from within your own country, there will be no additional taxes or fees on receipt of goods.
If you order an item that ships to you from another country, your order may be subject to VAT and/or import duties, which are the result of international trade agreements between countries and unfortunately not within our control.
Please note the following scenarios:
Customers within the EU
All products shipped to you from within the UE country already include VAT, and there will be no further charges.
Products shipped to you from outside the EU under 150 Euros will also already include VAT, and there will be no further charges.
Products shipped from outside the EU over 150 Euros may be liable to import duties on delivery of the item.
Customers within the UK
All products shipped to you from within the UK already include VAT, and there will be no further charges.
Products shipped to you from outside the UK under £135 will also already include VAT, and there will be no further charges.
Products shipped from outside the UK over £135 may be liable to import duties on delivery of the item.
Customers in the rest of the world, including USA & Canada
The majority of regions outside UK & EU do not have VAT or import duties that apply except for very high value orders – however this differs by country, so please check with your local customs office if you aren’t sure.
Payment of VAT & Import Duties
As the customer, you are responsible for paying any duties that apply in your region. These will be charged at point of delivery, and payable through the courier. Please note, you will be required to pay any relevant VAT & duties before your order will be released to you.
Depending on the courier used by the brand, you will have either an option to pay any additional fees online by following the tracking number available once your order is shipped, or directly to your courier upon delivery.
Unfortunately, if you fail to pay these charges and the parcel is returned to sender, we will not be able to refund your original shipping costs, although we will of course refund the cost of your item when it has been received by the brand.
We understand that from time to time things might not be quite what you expected. So here is our policy and instructions if you ever need to return a product.
The Forward Lab is a multi-brand marketplace. That means we offer products from different brands based in different countries. You need to return your item directly to the brand supplier, not to The Forward Lab.
If you want to return an item, you need to inform The Forward Lab, rather than the brand. Please email us at hello@theforwardlab.com. You have 14 days to inform us of your desire to return an item, and then a further 14 days from the date you notify us to send back the item.
All items returned must be in their original condition – unused, unworn, unwashed, in the original packaging and with original labels and any hygiene stickers attached. All beauty products must be unopened, with all seals in place. Unfortunately, our suppliers will not be able to accept any items that fail to meet these criteria.
Many of our suppliers don’t include a returns slip in the package itself for environmental reasons; so if you don’t find a return address and returns information in your package, please don’t worry.
Just email us at hello@theforwardlab.com, and we will send you a return slip with the return address for that brand. You are responsible for packaging up the item and posting it back at your own cost unless provided by the brand.
Any item – regular priced or sale price – may be returned and refunded. This includes items purchased with a promotional or discount code.
However, any custom-made / made to order products cannot be returned and refunded.
If the supplier offers free returns, a Free Post sticker or code will be included in the packaging. If the supplier does not offer free returns, you are responsible for packaging up the item and posting it back at your own cost. In this instance, we recommend a signed-for delivery with proof of postage.
The exception to this is when the item is faulty, in which case the brand is responsible for paying for costs of returning the item. Please inform us if you receive a faulty item as soon as possible, by emailing hello@theforwardlab.com
Any delivery costs or import taxes you may have had to pay to receive an item cannot be refunded by us upon the return of that item.
You are responsible for any item being returned until it arrives back at the supplier.
It is your responsibility to fill out any customs declaration form correctly. When filling in the customs declaration form, please consult with your post office personnel how to declare a return exempt from import duties. Otherwise the brand may be charged customs import taxes, which they will deduct from your refund amount.
Once your returned item is received and inspected, the supplier will notify us, and we will then send you an email confirming this. We will also notify you of the approval or rejection of your refund.
If your return is approved, your refund will be processed. We aim to refund you as soon as we can, once your returned item has been processed by the supplier.
We are legally obliged to ensure your money is refunded within 14 working days of receipt of the returned goods in saleable condition.
Please note that original shipping costs are not refundable unless the delivered item is faulty.
Most of our brand partners allow exchanges, although some only offer a return and refund. If you wish to have an exchange, please contact us athello@theforwardlab.com
If you have had to pay import duty on a purchase, then you may be able to reclaim that from your local tax office, if you return the goods. The Forward Lab is not responsible for any additional customs and taxes applied to an order.
The Forward Lab is not liable for any items damaged or lost during delivery. If this does occur, please let us know and we will contact the brand and then follow up with you.
You can cancel an order that you have paid for if it has not yet been dispatched. To do this, please notify us by using the Contact Us form on our website or email us at hello@theforwardlab.com
If you cancel an order that has been dispatched you are obliged to pay the cost of the return shipping. Note: we are unable to refund this or the original shipping fee.
We aim to process your refund within 5 days of receipt of goods.
Any custom-made or made-to-order products cannot be cancelled.
Please contact us using the Contact Us form if you have any questions about returns or cancellations that we haven’t answered, or email us hello@theforwardlab.com
The Forward Lab is a global platform for mindful humans combining a curated marketplace that brings together ethics with aesthetics alongside an editorial section covering all aspects of a conscious lifestyle. By shopping with us, you’re supporting our community of pioneering brands, and our collective mission for change
The Forward Lab is a multi-brand marketplace. That means we offer products from lots of different designers based in different countries.
We collaborate with lots of different designers based in different countries to bring you high quality sustainable fashion & lifestyle goods. We operate as a marketplace, which means that each brand will dispatch your purchased goods separately. Therefore, delivery times might vary.
Our focus is sustainable high quality fashion and lifestyle items. We aim to showcase the best curation of brands and designers. We are always looking out for brands whose values align with ours. If you would like to apply to be a partner, head to our Partnership Section.
We aim to provide as much information in the description section of a product. So if you have any further questions please Contact Us.
MasterCard, Visa, PayPal, ApplePay, Maestro.
We use a market leading payment processing platform called Stripe, which is PCI Level I encrypted. Therefore, all of the transactions on our website are protected from any potential data breaches. Your information is safe and secure!
Please refer to our Delivery section above.
Returns and Refunds policy above.
We aim to keep stock availability up to date. However, being a marketplace there is a possibility that sometimes brands won’t be able to update their stock numbers in real time. We do apologise for any inconvenience if this has happened to you. If we have already taken your payment, you will be automatically refunded.
You can choose whether to create or not an account to place an order. However we do recommend creating an account as this allows for a better experience on our website. For example, you can easily access your purchase history.
You might have used a different email address when registering or your password is incorrect. If you’re still having trouble logging, please Contact Us.
Please refer to our Terms & Conditions.
Please refer to our Privacy Policy.