Shipping policy

Section 1 - Customs and Import Tax

 1. Orders shipped to addresses outside of Singapore

All prices on our websites are EXCLUDING tax

Import fees vary by country. To get an estimate of the expected fees due in your region please reach out to your local DHL / Fedex / UPS / customs representative for the best possible estimate.

Reference Only Store will not be held liable for additional shipping charges incurred upon delivery and will not accept returns or issue refunds to customers on orders that were not received due to unpaid duties.

Fees payable at destination USA will include (but not limited to) the below:

  1. Import tax (10% of declared value)
  2. Ad valorem tax (this ranges from 4 to 32% depending on the material)
  3. Brokerage fee of approximately US$ 17 per parcel cleared (this is charged by the courier to do the customs declaration which was previously not needed. Part of this goes to the US customs)

For UPS shipments to USA - Packages requiring the payment of duties, taxes and other government-related charges (“Duties”) will be assessed an additional fee of $12 USD if those Duties are not paid prior to delivery. The International Collect on Delivery (ICOD) Fee will be charged to the U.S. consignee upon delivery. In order for UPS to request prepayment of Duties by the consignee, please provide valid contact information of the consignee (recipient name, phone number, and email address). In addition to the notification, a link to pay the Duties is also provided with the UPS.com tracking results for the shipment. 

 2. Orders shipped to Singapore address

For orders shipped within Singapore, prices include GST.

Section 2 - Shipping Time

We are based in Singapore and we ship worldwide! We do not always have on-hand stocks and for off-hand stocks, we will arrange with the respective factories to ship them out to us once we receive your order. 

Most items will reach us in 14 business days but some items may take up to 21 business days.

For overseas buyers, once your order reaches us from the factory, we will use your selected postage choice and ship them out to you. Couriers (DHL / FedEx / UPS) takes 3 to 5 business days. 

For Singapore buyers, we use only tracked courier service and takes 2 to 3 business days for the items to reach you. 

Shipping earlier than the estimated shipping time frame is on a best effort basis. Kindly refrain from asking for shipping updates on orders before the estimated time has elapsed.

If you have more than one item in your order, we can only ship your items when all items are in our warehouse.

If you would like to receive some items first, please check out separately, or email us to top up for shipping.

If you will be away and would like to receive the items later, please email to let us know.

Once the parcel has been handed over to the courier / postal service, we are not liable for the delivery time as it is subjected to actual logistical conditions by the selected service provider.

Shipment delays do not qualify for refunds.

We reserve the rights to use a different courier as per selected and/or to bundle items depending on the situation.

Section 3 - Lost Parcel / Damaged During Transport

Reference Only Store shall not be held responsible for missing items when the courier and fulfillment centers have confirmed delivery of all ordered items via visual and written confirmation.

Reference Only Store shall not be liable, whether in contract, tort (including negligence and breach of duty) or otherwise, for any direct, indirect, special or consequential losses or damages, costs and expenses arising from or in connection with:

(a) delay in delivery for any reason whatsoever, or

(b) non-delivery because of incomplete or inaccurate addresses provided, or

(c) the detention or confiscation of the item by the relevant authorities in any jurisdiction. 

For Overseas Buyers

For non-delivery of items shipped overseas via DHL / FedEx / UPS for reasons other than (b) above or, for loss of the item or, damage during transit, the standard coverage will be USD20 per kg or as per the Terms and Conditions of the selected Courier, subject to approval by the Courier.

If you would like higher coverage, you may purchase additional coverage under the item "Overseas Shipping Insurance".

Please note that coverage will depend on the declared value of the item(s) or up to the selected coverage amount

For Singapore Buyers

For non-delivery of items shipped locally for reasons other than (b) above or, for loss of the item, or damage during transit, parcels are covered up to SGD 300, or the product amount whichever lower. If you would like higher coverage, please purchase additional coverage under the item "Local Shipping Insurance"

Please ensure you check all shipping details carefully before submitting your order. If you need to update your shipping details, please reach out to us via email.

Section 4 - Change in Shipping Address

For all changes to shipping address, please email us at referenceonlystore@gmail.com and ensure that a member of the Reference Only Store team has reverted with a confirmation.

For addresses outside of Singapore:

  • If the item is not en-route to you yet, you may change the shipping address, subject to a shipping top-up if required as different areas may have different shipping fee even if they are in the same country.
  • If the item is already en-route to you, then it will be on a best effort basis by the courier and this is subjected to a change address fee payable by consignee (usually around SGD 20 depending on the courier). 

For addresses within Singapore:

  • If the item is not en-route to you yet, you may change the shipping address.
  • If the item is already en-route to you, then it will be on a best effort basis by the courier and this is subjected to a change address fee (usually around SGD 5-7). In the event that the item is sent back to the sender, we will need to resend the package to the new address so do expect slight delays.

Section 5 - Damaged Parcel / Incomplete Parcel

In the unfortunate event that you receive a damaged parcel or that there are items missing / different from the shipping confirmation emailed out, please reach out to our team via email (referenceonlystore@gmail.com) to report the damage / discrepancy and provide the necessary evidence following these guidelines:

  • Reporting Damage / Discrepancy: You must report any damage to us within 5 calendar days of receiving the parcel. This allows us to promptly address the issue with relevant parties.
  • Photo: To expedite the resolution process, clear photo proof of the damage must be provided. This can include images of the damaged packaging, contents, and any relevant labels.

For damages that happen during transport, please refer to Section 3.