Damaged deliveries

If it arrives broken, we replace it.

Tell us within 48 hours of delivery, with photos. A slab broken in transit is replaced at our cost, including delivery of the replacement.

Email your photos ➔Or call 01908 46 46 56, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm

In short

  1. Check the pallet before the driver leaves.
  2. Visibly damaged? Sign for it as "damaged".
  3. Photograph the slab, the whole pallet and the packaging.
  4. Email the photos with your order number to sales@blueskystone.com within 48 hours.
  5. Don't fit a damaged slab. Contact us first.

Email your photos ➔ or call 01908 46 46 56

On delivery day

Wrapped and strapped pallet of slate hearths, marked fragile, as it arrives
Check the wrapped, strapped pallet before the driver leaves.

Before the driver leaves, look over the pallet and the wrapping on all sides.

  • If the pallet, crate or wrapping is visibly damaged, write "damaged" on the driver's paperwork or device before you sign.
  • If it looks fine, sign as normal, then unwrap and check the slab within 48 hours.
  • If you can, take photos before anything is moved.

Signing "damaged" helps us claim from the haulier and get your replacement moving.

What to send us

Within 48 hours of delivery, email sales@blueskystone.com with:

  1. Your order number (it starts BLU-).
  2. A photo of the full slab.
  3. A close-up of the damage.
  4. A photo of the whole pallet and its packaging.
A good photo: the whole riven slate slab on its pallet with all four edges in frame
Good: the whole slab, all four edges in frame.
A good close-up: a chip on the edge of a slate slab with a coin beside it for scale
Good close-up: the chip, with a coin for scale.

Take photos in daylight, in focus, with the whole slab in frame. Clear photos let us decide quickly.

Prefer to talk? Call 01908 46 46 56, Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.

Don't fit a damaged slab

Contact us before you cut, fix or lay it. Once a slab is fitted we can no longer check the damage or send it back.

What we do

Broken in transit: we replace the slab at our cost, including delivery of the replacement.

Chips and edge marks: judged case by case, from your photos of the full slab and a close-up. We can only judge from clear photos.

What isn't damage

Riven slate is split by hand along its natural layers. An uneven surface, ridges, changes in colour and texture, and small natural flaking on the face are the character of the stone, not damage.

Natural riven ridges and layer lines across the face of a slate slab
Not damage: natural riven ridges and texture.
A riven slate slab with a broken edge
Damage: a broken or chipped edge. Report it.

Sawn edges: a slightly wavy line where the riven face meets the sawn edge, and small natural pits in the edge, are normal. A chip is where a piece has broken away.

The sawn edge of a riven slate slab with a slightly wavy top line, and a coin for scale
Not damage: a normal sawn edge. The wavy line along the top is normal.
A shell-shaped chip broken out of the edge of a slate slab
Damage: a chip, where a piece has broken away. Report it.

See what to expect from each grade in our Grade Guide ➔

Damage or a crack?

Arrived damaged (broken or chipped on arrival): this page. Report it within 48 hours of delivery.

Cracked after fitting: our 14-Day Crack Guarantee. Fit your hearth within 14 days of delivery. If a slab cracks in that time, we replace it free.

Read the 14-Day Crack Guarantee ➔

Questions

My hearth arrived broken. What do I do?

Don't fit it. Email sales@blueskystone.com within 48 hours of delivery with your order number and photos of the slab, the whole pallet and the packaging. We replace a slab broken in transit at our cost.

How long do I have to report damage?

48 hours from delivery. If the pallet is visibly damaged when it arrives, sign for it as "damaged" before the driver leaves as well.

What photos do you need?

Four things: your order number, a photo of the full slab, a close-up of the damage, and a photo of the whole pallet and its packaging. Daylight and in focus is best.

There's a small chip on the edge. Is that covered?

We look at chips and edge marks case by case, from your photos of the full slab and a close-up. Send them within 48 hours and don't fit the slab until we have replied.

The pallet looked damaged but the driver was in a hurry. What should I do?

Write "damaged" on the paperwork or the driver's device before you sign, even if you have not unwrapped it yet. Then photograph the pallet and email us within 48 hours.

The surface is uneven. Is my slab damaged?

Probably not. Riven slate is split along its natural layers, so ridges, an uneven face and colour changes are normal. Our Grade Guide shows what to expect from Standard and Premium. If you are unsure, send us a photo.

My hearth cracked after it was fitted. Is that the same?

No. That is covered by our 14-Day Crack Guarantee: fit your hearth within 14 days of delivery, and if a slab cracks in that time, we replace it free. Damage on arrival must be reported within 48 hours of delivery.

Your statutory rights

Your statutory rights are not affected. This page explains how we handle damage in transit. It does not limit your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Changed your mind instead? See Returns and Refunds.