Terms & conditions

These terms apply when you request a quote, make a booking, or use any part of the Ceylon Shipping platform. Ceylon Shipping Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales (company number 16491227), trading as Ceylon Shipping.

1. Our services

Ceylon Shipping provides air freight, sea freight (T-Box and LCL/Large Scale) and UK courier collection services on the United Kingdom ⇄ Sri Lanka corridor, as described on our Air Freight, Sea Freight and Local Freight pages. Published rates are configurable and may change between the time you view a page and the time you request a quote — your quote always shows the rate that applies to you.

2. Quotes

Airline and sea cargo prices can change at any time, so a price is only held once you accept the quote: it is then held for 7 calendar days from acceptance for you to book and pay, and the date is shown on your quote. After that date the quote expires and a new quote is needed at the current rates. Getting a quote does not require an account and does not commit you to booking. Pricing for LCL/Large Scale beyond the standard cubic-metre rate, and for larger consignments generally, may require a manual quotation from our team rather than an automatic price.

3. Booking and payment

A booking is created once you accept a quote and complete the booking details, including any required declarations. Payment is by card through Stripe or by bank transfer. A card payment confirms your booking once Stripe confirms it has been received; a bank-transfer booking remains pending until our team has verified your proof of payment.

4. Prohibited and restricted goods

You must not send any item listed on our Prohibited & restricted goods page. You are required to confirm this before payment, and a shipment found to contain a prohibited item may be held, refused, or removed from your consignment.

5. Weight limits and packaging

5.1 Your declaration

Air freight packages are limited to 30 kg actual weight; Sea T-Box packages are limited to 40 kg actual weight. It is your responsibility to pack your shipment appropriately for its mode of transport and to declare accurate weights and dimensions.

5.2 Inspection of parcels

When your parcel is collected from you or delivered by you to our premises, we may weigh and measure it. The weight and dimensions we record shall be final and shall be used for the purposes of these Terms.

5.3 Additional charges where a parcel exceeds its declaration

If the actual weight or dimensions of a parcel exceed those you declared, we may recalculate the price of your shipment:

1. at the rates applying to your accepted quotation; and
2. using the actual weight or, for air freight, the volumetric weight where that is greater.

We will notify you by email of the additional amount due (the “Additional Charge”), together with the declared and recorded weights and dimensions.

5.4 Payment of the Additional Charge

You must accept and pay the Additional Charge in full before we arrange onward shipment of your parcel. Until it is paid, we may hold your parcel at our premises.

5.5 Delay

We shall not be liable for any delay in the shipment or delivery of your parcel, or for any loss arising from such delay, to the extent the delay is caused by:

1. an inaccurate declaration; or
2. your failure to respond to, accept or pay an Additional Charge promptly.

5.6 Parcels below the declared weight

If the actual weight or dimensions of a parcel are less than those you declared, the price you paid shall remain unchanged and no refund shall be due.

5.7 Parcels exceeding the maximum limits

A parcel that exceeds the maximum weight for its service (30 kg actual weight per Air Freight package, or 40 kg per Sea T-Box) cannot be shipped as packed. We will contact you to arrange for it to be repacked or divided before onward shipment.

5.8 Declining an Additional Charge

If you do not wish to pay an Additional Charge, you may request the cancellation of your booking. Our Cancellation policy applies, and in particular:

1. any UK collection charge already incurred is non-refundable;
2. a cancellation fee may apply; and
3. your parcel will be released to you in one of the following ways, at your choice:
   1. Return delivery — we will return the parcel to an address in the United Kingdom that you specify. You shall pay the cost of return delivery, which we will notify to you in advance and deduct from any refund due to you; or
   2. Collection in person — you may collect the parcel from our premises by prior appointment, on producing valid photographic identification (a passport or national identity card) matching the sender's details held on our records. We may refuse to release the parcel to anyone who cannot produce satisfactory proof of identity.

5.9 Uncollected parcels

5.9.1 A parcel is “uncollected” if, within 30 days after we have notified you in writing (including by email) that it is being held:

1. the Additional Charge has not been paid;
2. you have not arranged return delivery under clause 5.8(c)(i); and
3. you have not collected it under clause 5.8(c)(ii).

5.9.2 Before disposing of an uncollected parcel, we will send you a final written notice to the email and postal addresses held on our records. The notice will state that the parcel will be disposed of if it is not collected, or the Additional Charge is not paid, within 14 days of that notice.

5.9.3 If the parcel remains uncollected after that period, it shall be treated as abandoned. We may then sell, recycle, donate or otherwise dispose of it, and we shall have no further liability to you for the parcel or its contents.

5.9.4 If we sell the parcel, we may deduct from the proceeds:

1. any amounts you owe us; and
2. our reasonable costs of storage and disposal,

and we will account to you for any balance.

5.10 Your statutory rights

Nothing in this clause affects your statutory rights as a consumer.

6. Identity verification and customs documentation

For every shipment you are required to provide the recipient's PP/NIC number, verify your identity (passport or NIC) and complete a Cargo Declaration Form listing the goods being sent. You may book and pay first, but we will not arrange collection until all three are complete. This is a compliance requirement, not an optional step, and exists to meet Sri Lanka Customs requirements.

7. Cancellation and refunds

See our Cancellation policy for when a booking can be cancelled for a refund, and clause 5.8 for cancelling after declining an Additional Charge.

8. Liability

We take reasonable care in handling, transporting and coordinating the delivery of your shipment, including through the destination partners and subcontractors we work with. The specific liability terms, limits and exclusions that apply to loss or damage in transit are still being finalised and will be published here once confirmed — contact us before booking if you need this confirmed in writing.

9. Contact

Questions about these terms can be sent to office@ceylonshipping.co.uk or via our Contact page.