Shipping
We aim to get orders sent out in 1-2 business days of purchase (unless resize or alteration work is required). It's just the two of us though, so please be patient if it takes a little longer! If you need something shipped out like yesterday give us a heads up and we'll see what we can do.
All parcels are covered by our shipping insurance up to the point of delivery. Should the worst happen and your parcel goes missing (it's very, very rare) then we will refund you in full and pursue a claim with the carrier directly.
All shipments can be tracked door-to-door with a signature required on delivery. The signature option is required for our insurance cover but if you need a parcel to ship without a signature let us know (however please be aware that it will not be covered by our shipping insurance).
Domestic Shipping
UK orders ship with Royal Mail Special Delivery 1PM (next working day).
International Shipping
Orders over £300: DHL Express shipping is included free of charge (it's not free, you're paying for it, but we've built the cost into our pricing). Delivery times vary depending on where you are, but it's fast (typically 1-3 days to mainland USA, for example).
Orders under £300: choose between DHL Express shipping and Royal Mail shipping. Royal Mail takes longer, but both options are secure, insured and reliable.
US Shipments
US Customs no longer charges a 10% tariff on antiques shipped from the UK. We will ensure that our parcels are correctly declared using the relevant HTS codes to qualify for the tariff exemption and zero-rated (0%) duties so you won't have any customs fees to pay at the border. You will remain liable for any handling/storage fees charged by DHL as a result of a delay in providing any additional customs information.
Parcels over $2500: US customs will require a SS# or business tax ID to clear higher value parcels. DHL will request this information from you directly. More information can be found on the US Customs and Border Protection website.
[Last updated: September 2026]
Customs
We're based in the UK. Please make yourself aware of any customs procedures or charges that may apply, as these vary country-by-country. You are responsible for any duties, taxes, or fees charged at your country's border (US customers, see above).
Where applicable we declare shipments as "Antique Over 100 Years Old" for customs (HTS code 9706) which will, in many cases, reduce or zero the import duty. Import fees are usually collected at the time of delivery, or can be paid directly to the carrier in advance so please check your tracking updates.
Any parcel returned to us due to unpaid customs fees will incur a 20% restocking fee.
Returns
Returns are accepted. We get it. You're buying off pictures and descriptions.
If you wish to return an item please let us know via email within 7 days of delivery and be prepared to ship the item back promptly after this. You agree to cover the cost of the return shipping and accept liability for the item(s) until we have it/them back in our possession. On receipt of the item in the same condition as it was sold, a full refund (minus the cost of outbound shipping) will be processed within 7 working days. Should you wish to take Store Credit this can be up to the full purchase amount.
We recommend using a fully insured shipping service with tracking and signature on delivery (DHL, FedEx, UPS etc).
Lost Owl must acknowledge and authorise any return via email only. You will then be provided with a returns address and further shipping/customs recommendations. We cannot be liable to cover any customs charges or fees incurred from incorrectly declared inbound shipments, these will be paid and deducted from the refunded amount.
Unauthorised returns may not be accepted.
Please note that resized rings and altered pieces of any nature become final sale only and cannot be returned.
Cancellations
Orders that are cancelled prior to shipping will incur a 5% restocking fee. This is to cover PayPal's processing fee which is not returned when we refund a transaction.