About

Thanks for coming to Shopping Direct. Here are some things you might not know about us:

We have been trading on the internet since 2001.
We never charge your payment card until we actually pack the item to post to you.
Our customer service team has years of experience helping our customers if something goes wrong. Call them on 01451 823298 or send them an email

Welcome to Shopping Direct Help

1. Order Information

Do you need advice on your order, your account or how to return an item? We've tried to answer all your questions on this page.

2. Forgotten Passwords

If you have forgotten your password we can automatically send you a reminder, click here to go to the user logon page and request a password reminder.

Enter the email address you use to log-on to the Shopping Direct site in the email address box and click on the 'click here' link at the bottom of the login section, where it explains that your password will be sent to you via email.

3. Contact Us

We handle the majority of our enquiries via email and if you need to contact us to ask a question please email us at the following addresses

Order information and general enquiries:
Product returns

If you have an urgent enquiry or need to speak to us, you can call our customer service team on the number below:

Customer Services telephone number: 01451 823298

You can see our full contact details on our contact page, here.

4. Frequently Asked Questions

Click here to see our Terms and Conditions

Deliveries • Who do you use for deliveries? • Where do you deliver to? • What if my item hasn't arrived when I expected it to? • What happens on Bank Holiday Weekends? Returns • Common "faults" on DVDs. • Information on the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive) • How can I recycle my old batteries? Ordering • About our prices. • What types of payment do you accept? • How are Pre-Release orders for not yet released titles handled? • What is your Pre-Release Price Promise? • Do you have a price match policy? • Do you take telephone orders? Your Account • How do I create an account • How do I change my password? • What do I do if I've forgotten my password? • How do I change my EMail address? • Where's my stuff, how do I track my orders? Terms and Conditions • Who Are You? • Where can I read your Terms and Conditions? Regional Coding • What is “Regional Coding”? • What other regions are there? • What does Region 0 mean? • How do I find out what region my DVD player is? Aspect Ratios • What is meant by the term ‘Aspect Ratio’? • What does “Letterboxed” mean? • What does “Pan and Scan” mean? • What does “Anamorphic” mean? • I heard someone say that the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen cut off the picture. • So are all forms of full screen formats inferior? Sound Specifications • What is surround sound? Certification • What do the certificates mean? • Why don’t you sell R18 titles?
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Deliveries
*Q. Who do you use for deliveries?*
A. We use the Royal Mail to send our items unless the item is particularly heavy, in which case we will use a courier. Depending on the value of the goods delivered we may also send them Recorded, or Special Delivery.
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*Q. Where do you deliver to?*
A. United Kingdom this includes England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Wight, the Isle of Man, Channel Isles and all BFPO addresses. We also ship to the following countries - Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
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*Q. What if my item hasn't arrived when I expected it to?*
A. We send our items via Royal Mail PacketPost from the UK or from Switzerland. Note that deliveries from Switzerland will still come via Royal Mail post. Deliveries from the UK should arrive within 1-3 days and from Switzerland in only 3-5 days. The Royal Mail state that 90% of their First Class mail arrives the next day, and 90% of their Second Class mail arrives in 2 days, but if yours doesn't they have the following advice: Is it less than 4 working days since your mail should have arrived? If so, hold tight, it's probably on its way but may have been held up by an incomplete address, no Postcode, or unusual circumstances. Is it 4 to 14 working days since your mail should have been delivered? If so, your mail is officially delayed and you should check with your neighbours to see if a parcel has been left with them, check any outhouses you might have where mail may be left if it cannot fit through your letterbox and contact your local sorting office to see if the item has been returned to the depot as undelivered and awaiting collection. You can locate your local depot here. Have 14 working days passed since you item was posted to you? The Royal Mail will now class your item as lost and we will either send you a replacement or give you a refund. Please send us an email, to returns@shoppingdirect.co.uk, stating your order reference number and confirming that you have never received the item as we will pursue the issue with the Royal Mail for compensation and your letter will be used as evidence. We cannot refund or replace items that the Royal Mail has lost until 14 working days have passed. NOTE: Please make sure that your address details are entered correctly and accurately. We cannot be responsible for delivery problems caused by inadequate address details.
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*Q. What happens on Bank Holiday Weekends?*
A. Please allow additional time for your orders to arrive over the bank holiday. We suggest allowing an additional 2-3 days for your packages to arrive to allow for delays within the Mail.
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Returns
*Q. Common "faults" on DVDs.*
A. Many users report some faults that we cannot reproduce on our systems, these include: Unable to see the Special Features. This is often the case on DVD players priced at the cheaper end of the market. It is vital that you test the DVD in a different DVD player as most of the discs returned for this reason work perfectly on our range of test equipment.
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*Q. Information on the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive)*
A. All Electronic and Electrical Equipment (EEE) placed onto the market from January 2, 2007 must be marked with this symbol to indicate that it is covered by the WEEE Directive, the provisions of which require that producers or manufacturers of EEE become liable to pay for take-back treatment and recycling of end of life equipment (WEEE): What are Shopping Direct's obligations according to the WEEE Directive? As a distributor of EEE Shopping Direct, must facilitate the take-back of household WEEE from UK consumers and has decided to fulfil its obligations in this area by joining the Government approved "Distributor Take-Back scheme" (DTS) set up by Valpak. By joining the Valpak scheme Shopping Direct is contributing to the establishment of a network of Designated Collection Facilities (DCF) where consumers may dispose of their WEEE free of charge for recycling and treatment in an ecologically sound manner. In this way Shopping Direct can ensure that WEEE is disposed of by customers in a way that optimizes its re-use and recycling. The recycling and treatment of WEEE itself is part of the producer's obligation under the WEEE Directive. As a consequence of our membership of the Valpak scheme Shopping Direct will not accept returns of household WEEE itself and cannot accept WEEE returns for recycling, neither do we make arrangements for its collection. How does Shopping Direct ensure safe disposal of my WEEE? Shopping Direct has decided to join the Distributor Take-Back scheme (DTS) commissioned by the British Retail Consortium. This scheme is run by Valpak who are officially approved by the Government. As part of this scheme we ask that you take your old piece of equipment to a designated collection facility (DCF) run by Valpak in your area. An online search facility to help you identify a DCF near you is available on the following website: www.recycle-more.co.uk Are there any other ways of disposing of my old electronic equipment? If your old piece of electronic equipment is still in a good working condition or could be repaired for further use, please consider donating it to a charitable organisation or by giving it to someone else in need. By extending the lifetime of your old equipment you are also contributing to the efficient use of resources and avoiding additional waste. Please note that from July 1, 2007, it will be possible for you to dispose of your WEEE and ensure that it is recycled. EEE may contain hazardous substances which, if exposed, may have a serious detrimental effect on the environment and human health. That is why all WEEE that you volunteer for recycling will be specifically collected and treated by designated local waste facility centres and by licensed WEEE compliance schemes. By ensuring that you dispose off your old electrical and electronic equipment according to the new WEEE legislation you are helping to preserve our natural resources and protect human health. What is the WEEE Directive? The production of electrical and electronic equipment is one of the fastest growing domains of manufacturing in the western world, and with broad consumer take-up of products in this area, there is also a mounting issue of waste. In June 2000, the European Commission put forward proposals to address this issue, and in December 2002 these were passed as the EU Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) Directive. For the UK, the WEEE Regulations were laid before Parliament on December 12, 2006. The main requirements and obligations on producers and distributors of Electronic and Electrical Equipment (EEE) came into effect from July 1, 2007. The major provisions of the WEEE Directive are: All manufacturers (or anyone else selling a product on the market in the EU) are liable to pay for take-back, treatment and recycling of end-of-life equipment. Improve re-use/recycling of WEEE. Ensure the separate collection of WEEE. Inform the public about their role in dealing with WEEE. Which products fall under the legislation and how do I recognise them? The WEEE Directive divides Electronic and Electrical Equipment into ten categories: Category 1 - Large household appliances (fridges, cookers, microwaves, washing machines, etc.) Category 2 - Small household appliances (vacuum cleaners, clocks, toasters, etc.) Category 3 - IT and Telecommunications equipment (PCs, mainframes, printers, copiers, phones, etc.) Category 4 - Consumer equipment (radios, hi-fi, musical instruments, videos, camcorders, etc.) Category 5 - Lighting equipment (fluorescent tubes and holders, sodium lamps, etc.) Category 6 - Electrical and electronic tools (drills, sewing machines, electric lawnmowers, etc.) Category 7 - Toys, leisure and sports equipment (electric trains, games consoles, exercise machines, etc.) Category 8 - Medical devices (analysers, dialysis machines, medical freezers, etc.) Category 9 - Monitoring and control equipment (smoke detectors, thermostats, scales, etc.) Category 10 - Automatic dispensers (hot drinks machines, sweet and chocolate bar dispensers, cash machines, etc.)
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*Q. How can I recycle my old batteries?*
A. Under the Waste Battery Regulations, we are now offering a take back scheme for all portable waste batteries. We will accept the return of your waste batteries at our head office, or, alternatively, you can find your local waste portable battery recycling facility at http://www.recyclenow.com. Most Supermarkets and shops that sell batteries willl have collection bins for used batteries, and some town halls, shools or libraries may alos set up collection points. End-users may find stores in their local area more accessible. Please do not return your used batteries to us via mail.
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Ordering
*Q. About our prices.*
A. All prices listed on the site include VAT (where appropriate). Non-book items priced less than £18.00 may be fulfilled by Online Commerce GmbH (Switzerland) based on stock availability and will not incur VAT. This will be confirmed on the dispatch email. Delivery from Online Commerce GmbH (Switzerland) is still by Royal Mail First Class Post and takes on average 3 to 4 days. As no VAT is incurred we will not provide a VAT receipt.
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*Q. What types of payment do you accept?*
A. We accept payment by credit or debit cards.
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*Q. How are Pre-Release orders for not yet released titles handled?*
A. You can make sure you receive a title that is not yet released as soon as it is released by placing a Pre-Order at Shopping Direct. Any title whose release date is in the future can still be ordered and we will hold your order for dispatch when the title has been released. Generally, we dispatch new releases on the working day prior to the release date, and you can expect to receive the title on the release date itself. Your credit card will not be charged until we actually dispatch the item to you.
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*Q. What is your Pre-Release Price Promise?*
A. Sometimes, the price of a Pre-Release item might change before it is released. If the price of the item is reduced, we will charge you the newer, reduced price when we charge you credit card. If the price is increased, we will only charge you the price you originally ordered the product for. An example: You place a Pre-Release order for a title at £39.99. If, before it is released, the price of the title is increased to £49.99 you will only pay the £39.99 that you originally ordered the item for. If, before the item is released, the price is reduced to £34.99, then we will only charge you £34.99. This guarantees that you get the best price in any situation when you place a Pre-Release order.
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*Q. Do you have a price match policy?*
A. No. We do not have a price match policy.
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*Q. Do you take telephone orders?*
A. Yes. You can place an order over the phone using our freephone telephone order line: 0800 783 7983.
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Your Account
*Q. How do I create an account*
A. You can create an account when you place your first order, or you can enter your details in the User Logon box that you can find on the left hand side of each page. The easiest way to create an account is to select the items you want to buy and click on the Checkout button. This will take you to the User Logon screen. Click the link on this screen that allows you to register and create a new account. If you want to register, but do not want to buy anything yet, you can enter your Email address in the User Logon box on the left hand side of each screen and press the Logon button. As your email address will not be recognised, you will be prompted to create a new account.
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*Q. How do I change my password?*
A. First, logon to Your Account. You can do this by clicking on the account tab at the top of every page, or by scrolling down the page until you see the logon box. Enter the Email address that you used to register with us and your current password. You are now logged on. Again, scroll down to the logon box in the left hand column of the screen and click on the button named Details. This will take you to the Modify User page where you can change any of the details that are displayed including your Email address, Address and Password. To change your password, enter your current password in the Old Password field, and then enter your new password in the New Password field. Enter the new password again in the Confirm New field to make sure that you have not mistyped it. Once you have made your changes, press the Update button at the bottom of the page.
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*Q. What do I do if I've forgotten my password?*
A. If you have forgotten your password click on the 'Account' tab at the top of the main page. This will take you to the user logon page. Enter the email address you use to log-on to the Shopping Direct site in the email address box and click on the 'click here' link at the bottom of the login section, where it explains that your password will be sent to you via email.
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*Q. How do I change my Email address?*
A. First, logon to Your Account. You can do this by clicking on the account tab at the top of every page, or by scrolling down the page until you see the logon box. Enter the Email address that you used to register with us and your current password. You are now logged on. Again, scroll down to the logon box in the left hand column of the screen and click on the button named Details. This will take you to the Modify User page where you can change any of the details that are displayed including your Email address, Address and Password. Once you have made your changes, press the Update button at the bottom of the page.
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*Q. Where's my stuff, how do I track my orders?*
A. Logon to your account. The main account screen will show a list of your orders with the most recent orders at the top. An overall order status is shown. Clicking the Details button shows the status of each item that on this order. The status column may say something like Dispatched 14:19 28/01/2003. The information will also include Tracking Numbers if your item was sent Recorded or Special Delivery.
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Terms and Conditions
*Q. Who are you?*
A. Shopping Direct is owned and operated by Online Commerce Ltd., a UK registered company. To contact Online Commerce Ltd. you can write to Online Commerce Ltd. Unit 44 Rissington Business Park Upper Rissington Gloucestershire GL54 2QB
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*Q. Where can I read your Terms and Conditions?*
A. You can see our Terms and Conditions by clicking here.
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Regional Coding.
*Q. What is “Regional Coding”?*
A. Regional coding is a system implemented by the manufacturers of DVD software and equipment to control the release of DVD discs throughout the world. When DVDs where first introduced this meant that DVDs purchased in one region would only play on equipment purchased from the same region. Today, however, most DVD players are Multi-Region and can play DVDs from all regions. The UK is situated in region 2, and thus, discs at Shopping Direct are coded to region 2 unless otherwise stated.
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*Q. What other regions are there?*
A. There are six regions:
Region 1: Canada and America. Region 2: Europe, South Africa, Middle East and Japan. Region 3: South East Asia and East Asia. Region 4: Australia, New Zealand, Central and South America, Pacifica and Caribbean. Region 5: India, Africa, Russia and former Soviet Union. Region 6: China
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*Q. What does Region 0 mean?*
A. Region 0 discs are essentially uncoded and will play on any DVD player.
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*Q. How do I find out what region my DVD player is?*
A. Check the documentation which arrived with your machine or contact the manufacturer. PLEASE NOTE - If you purchase a non-region 2 DVD from us the site will prompt you to confirm that you are aware you are buying a non-region 2 DVD. We cannot accept the return of any DVDs that have been opened or used and cannot accept the return of DVDs because your DVD player does not play DVDs from that region. DOUBLE CHECK your player can play DVDs from the region before you buy.
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Aspect Ratios.
*Q. What is meant by the term ‘Aspect Ratio’?*
A. The aspect ratio of a film is essentially the ‘shape’ that the film is shown in, a specification which varies from film to film. Films made prior to 1954 were generally filmed in Academy standard ratio, which is about 1.37 to 1 (roughly similar to a standard television screen) other formats are generally “wider” including 1.66 to 1 (VistaVision), 2.35:1 (CinemaScope) and others.
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*Q. What does “Letterboxed” mean?*
A. Standard television sets have a ratio of roughly 4:3, whereas most films seen in the cinema are much wider. Thus, in order to view a film in its correct aspect ratio on a standard television, a compromise must be made, to do this, the picture is reduced in size and black bars appear at the top and bottom of the screen.
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*Q. What does “Pan and Scan” mean?*
A. Pan and Scan is an alternate system used to adapt a film so that it fits on a standard television screen. This system crops the image so that it is the shape of a standard television screen, the image shown varies depending on where the essential action is taking place on the film. Although the image is bigger and fits entirely on a standard television screen, up to 50% of the original image is lost in this method, depending on the film’s original aspect ratio.
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*Q. What does “Anamorphic” mean?*
A. Anamorphic widescreen is designed to provide a higher definition image in a widescreen format. Looking closely at your television you might spot that the image consists of hundreds of horizontal lines which, when viewed from a more sensible distance form an image. Discs formatted anamorphically (or labelled ‘enhanced for widescreen televisions’) essentially are made up of more of these ‘lines’, resulting in a sharper image on widescreen televisions. Anamorphic films will work normally on standard televisions, although they will not benefit from the enhancement.
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*Q. I heard someone say that the black bars at the top and bottom of the screen cut off the picture.*
A. A myth, you see more of the picture, it is just a little smaller.
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*Q. So are all forms of full screen formats inferior?*
A. Not at all. As mentioned before, films made prior to 1954 are pretty much full-screen anyway, while some recent films – such as The Blair Witch Project, and most of Stanley Kubrick’s work – were originally made with a standard television in mind. In addition to this, films such as Disney’s A Bug’s Life were actually re-tooled so that they would fit on a full-screen television without losing any of the image or resorting to displaying black bars.
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Sound Specifications.
*Q. What is surround sound?*
A. Surround sound systems require a number of additional speakers arranged around the room. Discs are formatted so that different speakers play different sounds from a variety of sound “channels” resulting in a surround effect. Those without multiple speaker sound systems shouldn’t have a problem playing any encoded discs, although the benefits will not necessarily be apparent without the correct equipment. Mono 1.0: One channel sound. The same sound information is relayed by all speakers. Dolby Digital 2.0: Also referred to as Dolby Surround. This utilises the front two sound channels. Other sound information is broadcast through the same speakers. Dolby Digital 5.1: This uses the two front channels, a centre front channel, two rear channels and an additional ‘low frequency effects’ channel. It is the standard for most cinemas and many DVDs. Dolby Digital EX: An enhanced version of Dolby Digital 5.1, includes a centre-rear audio channel. DTS: An acronym for Digital Theatre System. Essentially similar channel usage to Dolby Digital 5.1, but superior compression techniques result in enhanced sound definition. DTS ES: Similar to Dolby Digital EX, this adds a centre rear channel to DTS.
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Certification.
*Q. What do the certificates mean*
Certificates are mandatory for all DVDs including their additional material. They generally restrict the age of those viewing the media, but also provide an advisory capacity for prospective viewers. E: Exempt from certificate. Uc: Universal, particularly suitable for children. U: Universal, suitable for all. PG: Parental Guidance. Some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. 12: Unsuitable for those under 12 years old. 15: Unsuitable for those under 15 years old. 18: Unsuitable for those under 18 years old. For further information, including notes regarding the criteria on how films are rated, check out the BBFC website: http://www.bbfc.org.uk
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*Q. Why don’t you sell R18 titles?*
R18 titles, reserved for hard core pornography, are only sold by licensed sex shops and are not available through mail order.
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