Shipping policy

At The Workers Cottage, we specialise in finding and restoring unique vintage and antique treasures. Because many of our items are fragile, rare, or one-of-a-kind, we take exceptional care in packaging them to ensure they arrive safely to your home.

Below you’ll find everything you need to know about our shipping, local delivery/pickup, and returns processes.

Domestic Shipping (New Zealand)

We offer simple, flat-rate shipping across New Zealand. Our shipping rates are calculated based on the size, weight, and fragility of the item, as well as the packaging materials required to protect it.

Our Packaging Standard: We use premium, heavy-duty materials (including double-boxing for extra fragile items) to ensure your purchase arrives in perfect condition. Our flat shipping rates reflect this high standard of care, the cost of sustainable packaging materials, and fully tracked courier delivery.

How it works:

Standard Shipping: Calculated at checkout based on the item's size (Small, Standard, or Large/Heavy).
Rural Delivery: Please select this option if you live at a rural address.

International Shipping

We love sending New Zealand vintage to the world! We currently ship worldwide on request.

Australia: Standard rates for small-to-medium items will appear at checkout.
Rest of World / Large Items: Please email us with your full address and the item you are interested in before purchasing. We will provide a custom shipping quote based on the most reliable and economical carrier.

Important: Import duties, taxes, and customs clearance fees are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer’s responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to estimate these costs prior to purchasing.

Order Processing & Times

We generally pack and send orders on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of each week.

Need it faster? If you require overnight shipping or urgent dispatch, please email us immediately after placing your order, and we will do our best to accommodate.
Tracking: You’ll receive an email notification with a tracking number as soon as your item is on its way.

Pickup - Nelson, New Zealand

Locals are welcome to save on shipping and collect their items from our central Nelson studio.

Location: We are located near the State Cinema in Nelson City.
Hours: By appointment only. Please email us to arrange a suitable time.
Contactless: If we are unavailable to greet you personally, we can arrange to leave your item in a safe, secure spot for collection.

Oversized Items & Furniture

For items over 25kg or large furniture pieces, we use specialist carriers (such as Oversize by Fliway) to ensure safe handling.

Shipping costs for furniture are often custom-quoted. Please get in touch before placing your order if a rate does not appear at checkout.

Returns & Damaged Items

Due to the nature of vintage and antique items, all sales are final unless an item arrives damaged or is significantly not as described. We do our best to describe all vintage wear accurately in our listings.

If your item arrives damaged:

Please contact us within 3 days of delivery.
Include your order number and clear photos of both the damaged item and the packaging (this is essential for insurance claims).
We will assess the situation immediately and work with you to make it right.