Returns Policy & Useful Information

At Outdoor Experience, we have a long history of dealing with reputable companies who we believe provide good quality, reliable goods. However, once in a while, an item that doesn’t meet our high standards of quality control slips through the net and makes it into the hands of one of our valued customers.
Alternatively, one of those valued customers may have made an error of judgement themselves, either with the selection of their purchases or in the use of their item.
The details below explain our procedures relating to the returning of goods purchased from www.outdoorexperience.co.uk
Items purchased from our retail shops are not covered by this policy and you should refer to your till receipt for details of our in-store purchase returns policy.

ALL ITEMS MUST BE INSPECTED IMMEDIATELY UPON RECEIPT. FAILURE TO DO SO MAY RESULT IN THE WARRANTY BEING INVALIDATED AND US NOT BEING ABLE TO ASSIST YOU FURTHER.

Help! I’ve ordered the wrong item!
If upon receipt of your delivery you decide that although we’ve fulfilled your order perfectly, the item that you have in front of you isn’t the one that you required, then please contact us immediately, via telephone on 01626 832792 or by email on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
We will be happy to accept the return of an item if we are notified within 7 days of the date of delivery. All items being returned to us must be unused, in their original packaging, and in perfect condition so that we are able to re-sell them to another customer. The item must be received by us within 28 days from the date of delivery. Upon receipt of the returned item we will inspect the goods and if all is well we will issue a refund to you for the full value of the item, except for Tent and Awning returns where a handling charge of 10% of the tent or awning value will be applied. We will not be able to refund the original carriage cost, or any cost incurred by you in returning the item to us. We recommend that you use registered post or guaranteed delivery when returning items to us as we will not be held liable for any goods “lost in the post”. Where “free” delivery was awarded at the time of purchase, the cost of this will be deducted from any refund made to you.
Should you decide that you would like the item replaced by an alternative product, then you should order this from our website in the usual way.

My delivery has arrived but my goods are faulty or there is a shortage. (EXCLUDING TENTS & AWNINGS)
Although we expect all of our products to be in perfect condition when we receive them, occasionally a product may not meet our high expectations. When this situation arises, we must insist that the following procedure is carried out, as we may not be able to address the situation if any deviation has occurred.

• All goods should be inspected upon delivery. We MUST be advised of any issue within seven days of delivery.
• Upon discovering the fault, you must immediately contact us either by telephoning our Web Returns department on 01626 832792 or by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
• We will discuss the problem with you, and if necessary, arrange collection of the faulty product.
• Once we have received the faulty item, either ourselves or the manufacturer will inspect the product to identify the detail of the problem.
• If after examination, we agree the goods are faulty, we will send a replacement item to you.
• Should, upon inspection, we or the manufacturer discover that there is no fault with the product, or that the fault highlighted has been caused by misuse, then we will make a charge to you to cover our collection and re-delivery costs, plus a £10.00 handling fee.
• We reserve the right to replace or repair any part of any faulty item under the manufacturers guarantee, with proof of purchase, within 12 months from the date on your purchase receipt.
• All faulty returned items should be returned with their original packaging and documentation and accompanied by a completed Customer Return Form. The information given on this form will help us to identify any issues with the product and speed up the returns process.

Outdoor Experience Picking Packing and Postage Errors
Once in a while our staff will make a mistake when picking, packing and posting your order. Although this doesn’t happen often, simple human error can cause our effective, streamlined machine to throw a cog and you end up with something you didn’t order, or even want. If this is the case, please contact us immediately by telephone on 01626 832792 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we will arrange for collection of the “wrong” items and at the same time, delivery of the items that you wanted in the first place! Obviously the member of staff concerned will be severely berated, and you will receive our sincere apologies.

Issues concerning Tents and Awnings

Instructions
Each Tent or Awning that we sell contains instructions from the Tent or Awning Manufacturer.
Many of the issues that our customers have with their products are due to these instructions either being ignored or not followed correctly. Please ensure that BEFORE you begin to assemble your purchase, the instructions are read carefully, understood and adhered to during assembly. In our experience, very few Tents and Awnings are actually faulty before they leave their packaging, but are damaged during the assembly process.

The wrong Tent or Awning has arrived!
If when your delivery arrives you discover that we have not sent the product that you ordered, please refer to the “Outdoor Experience Picking, Packing and Postage Errors” section above. Please do not unpack or attempt to pitch the product as this will then deem the tent to have been “used”.

I’ve ordered the wrong Tent or Awning!
Should, upon receipt of your order, you realise that you have ordered the wrong product from us, don’t panic! Please read the section above entitled “Help! I’ve ordered the wrong item!” Please ensure that the item remains packed, untouched and in perfect condition. Once the tent or awning has been pitched for the first time, it becomes a “used” item, even if this has been done in your front room!

Erection problems
If you have read the instructions provided by the Tent or Awning manufacturer at least twice and are still having problems pitching your purchase, please feel free to give us a call. Quite often there will be an easy answer to your difficulty and one of our experienced staff will be happy to try and solve your issue before you get too frustrated!

There is still definitely something not quite right!
After erecting your tent or awning (carefully following the instructions), if you feel that the product is damaged or faulty, then you must inform us of the issue within 7 days of receipt of the item. Firstly, with the help of the manufacturer, we will try to resolve the fault at a distance i.e. by giving a solution to the problem by phone or e-mail or by posting you a replacement part (e.g. a pole section, pegging rubber, etc.). If none of these processes produce an acceptable result, then we will arrange with you for the return of the tent or awning (or problem part) for inspection of the fault or issue by our in-house team and possibly by a manufacturer’s representative. Until the inspection process has been completed we will not be able to issue you, the customer, with a replacement product (or part) or a refund (unless under exceptional circumstances).
If the company/manufacturer is happy that the damage or fault is as a result of a manufacturing problem or defect, we will be happy to release a replacement tent or awning (or part) to you and will arrange for delivery of such.

Please be reminded of some of the basic “Sale of Goods Act” stipulations. If you are returning goods to us (faulty or otherwise) within 28 days of purchase (and you have notified us within 7 days of receipt of delivery) you may be entitled to a repair, replacement or a refund. At Outdoor Experience, we reserve the right to replace or repair any part of any faulty item under the manufacturers guarantee, with proof of purchase, within 12 months from the date on your purchase receipt.
After 28 days you are only entitled to a repair or a replacement under the terms of the manufacturer’s warranty (which will usually cover you for 12 months after purchase) or, under certain circumstances, a credit note. If you have returned faulty goods to us, we are entitled to a ‘reasonable period’ to inspect the goods and reach an informed decision. Trading Standards has deemed that a ‘reasonable period’ for goods not in daily use as being 28 days.
Remember, once an item has been used (including tents & awnings put up once), your right to a refund is compromised.

Manufacturer’s warranty – what’s covered and what isn’t
The lists below show a generalisation relating to most manufacturers warranties for tents and awnings. Please be aware!
Covered: missing or wrong parts missed or faulty stitching
Fabric flaws leaking unless otherwise specified
Mis-shapen poles faulty zips

Not: damage or leaking caused by user error
Damage or leaking caused by adverse weather conditions
Condensation
Broken poles unless visibly flawed
Any costs incurred returning faulty goods or from failure to check products before use
The weather
Tents and awnings, although designed for outdoor use, are not designed to stand up to extreme weather conditions.
It is inherent that especially here in the united kingdom, our weather is unpredictable and is often changeable. We would expect any tent or awning to cope with a light breeze, shower and even moderate rainfall. We would not recommend use of any tent or awning in gale force winds or torrential downpours. It is unlikely that any tent or awning manufacturer will ever allow storm or weather damage to be covered under their warranty, and so would not recommend using yours in bad weather.
Certainly try to avoid leaving it unattended during very bad weather unless you are prepared for it to be damaged or flat-packed upon your return.

Tent and awning tips from outdoor experience

• Always use the guy lines/storm straps provided and put them at least 1 metre from the unit. The closer they are to the tent or awning, the less stable it will be.
• Avoid over-tightening the guy ropes. Tents and awnings are designed to bend andflex with the wind. Having your guy ropes too tight will result in broken poles.
• Always use all of the pegging points. This will keep the unit secure, minimise flapping and to be honest, aren’t there to look pretty.
• Practice putting up & taking down your tent before going away.
• If you are struggling to pitch your tent or awning, ask someone for help. The camping and caravanning community is inherently friendly and an extra pair of hands is better than two halves of a tent!
• If you are really struggling to pitch it, stop! You may be doing something wrong and will cause damage to the unit if you continue. Re-read the instructions, ask for help or give us a call!
• Never leave a tent or awning packed away if it is still wet. This is an easy way to ruin it quickly!
• We recommend re-proofing your tent or awning every 12-18 months. If you want to do it more often, it won’t hurt!
• Always completely unpeg your tent or awning before taking it down. Never pack muddy or wet pegs next to the material, ensure they are stored in a separate bag.
• Always buy your tent from a reputable specialist. We would not attempt to sell you milk and bread.

Happy camping!

These conditions do not affect your statutory rights.
For help and assistance contact us on:
Teigngrace: 01626 832792
Ashburton: 01364 652377
Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it