Shipping policy
Every order is dispatched from our workshop in Victoria, Australia. Here is what to expect on delivery, duties and taxes, cancellations and returns, and a few country specific notes worth reading before you order.
Dispatch and transit
Orders usually leave the workshop within 2 to 5 business days of payment, though this can extend a little during new releases and holidays. Our workshop operates Monday to Friday during standard business hours and is closed on national holidays. Where a holiday falls inside your dispatch window we take steps to keep the delay to a minimum.
You will receive tracking by email as soon as your shipping label is generated.
As a rough guide, parcels are in transit 2 to 7 business days within Australia and 4 to 22 business days internationally after dispatch, depending on the service you choose. A more specific estimate is shown when you select your courier at checkout.
Shipping costs
Shipping cost is calculated at checkout from the weight, size and destination of your order, and the price shown is final.
We recommend adding Shipping Protection at checkout, particularly for international orders. It means that if a parcel goes missing we replace or refund it immediately, rather than waiting on a carrier investigation to conclude.
Stock availability
We try to maintain accurate stock counts, but occasionally a discrepancy means we cannot fulfil every item in an order. Where that happens we will contact you, dispatch what is available, and either hold the remainder for restocking or refund it, whichever you prefer.
Delivery addresses
Changing your address. We can change a delivery address at any time before your order is dispatched. Email us as soon as you can.
P.O. boxes. We ship to P.O. box addresses using postal services only. Courier services are not available to these locations.
Military addresses. We can ship to military addresses using USPS. Courier services are not available for this.
Incorrect addresses. Please double check your delivery details at checkout. Parcels returned to us because of an incorrect address can be reshipped at additional cost.
If delivery takes longer than expected
If your parcel has passed the forecast delivery window, contact us and we will open an investigation with the carrier.
Duties and taxes
How import charges are handled depends on where you are and which shipping service you choose.
Where duties are prepaid, the total shown at checkout already includes any import duty, tax and carrier processing fee for your order. Your parcel arrives delivered duty paid and there is nothing further to pay. Where this applies, it is stated in your country's section below and shown clearly at checkout.
Where duties are not prepaid, the price you pay us covers the goods and the shipping service only. Your local customs authority may charge import VAT, GST or duty when the parcel arrives, and your carrier or postal service will contact you for payment before delivery.
Not every carrier or service level supports prepaid duties, so the option available to you may depend on the shipping method you select. Your checkout will always show which applies before you pay.
A quick note on value. Most thresholds below are based on the intrinsic value of the goods, which is the price of the items only. Shipping and insurance shown separately on your invoice do not count towards the threshold.
United States
US tariff policy has changed repeatedly through 2026 and continues to move. Here is where things stand as at 27 July 2026.
The $800 de minimis exemption no longer applies. Every parcel entering the United States is subject to customs entry and any applicable duty, regardless of how little it is worth.
Our products are custom minifigures and accessories, which generally classify as toys under tariff heading 9503. The base duty rate for that heading is zero.
The 10% Temporary Import Surcharge that applied to all imports under Section 122 expired on 24 July 2026. From that date, goods of Australian origin fall under a new Section 301 measure carrying an additional duty of 12.5%, subject to an extensive list of product exemptions.
We collect US import charges at checkout. Any applicable duty, import tax and carrier processing fee is calculated for your specific order and included in the total you pay us. Your parcel ships delivered duty paid, so there is nothing to pay when it arrives and no carrier invoice to settle.
This applies to shipping services that support prepaid duties. If you select a service that does not, your checkout will show that import charges are payable on delivery, and the carrier will contact you before your parcel is released.
Your US shipping options, the full landed cost and a delivery estimate are all shown when you choose your shipping method at checkout.
United Kingdom
Import VAT (20%) and any applicable charges are collected by the carrier or Royal Mail when your parcel arrives, and are payable before delivery. We do not collect UK VAT at checkout.
Our minifigures are generally duty free into the UK, so in practice the main charge is VAT.
European Union
Import VAT applies to all orders into the EU regardless of value, and from 1 July 2026 a flat €3 customs duty per item type (per tariff code) also applies to consignments up to €150. This €3 charge applies even to goods that would normally be duty free, such as ours, and a mixed order can attract it more than once if the items fall under different tariff codes.
These charges, plus standard duty on orders over €150, are collected by the carrier or your national post when the parcel arrives, and are payable before delivery. We do not collect EU VAT at checkout.
Canada
GST/HST applies to most orders, and Canada's duty free allowance for imported parcels is very low. Toys are generally duty free into Canada, so the main charge is tax rather than duty. These charges, plus any carrier handling or brokerage fee, are collected from you on delivery. We do not collect Canadian taxes at checkout.
New Zealand
GST (15%) and any applicable charges are collected by the carrier or NZ Post when your parcel arrives, and are payable before delivery. We do not collect NZ GST at checkout.
China
Value limit: personal parcels into mainland China are limited to RMB 1,000 of goods per shipment (RMB 800 from Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan). Orders above this need formal import clearance and are assessed for standard duty and VAT.
Parcel tax: parcels for personal use are charged a flat personal postal articles tax of around 25%. If the tax works out to RMB 50 or less, it is waived.
Single items: a single indivisible item can sometimes exceed RMB 1,000 if customs accepts it is for personal use.
If you are ordering a larger collection, splitting it across separate orders under RMB 1,000 each, or using a mail forwarding service, is usually the smoothest route.
Australia
Domestic orders ship with GST already included in the price. No customs, no extra charges, straight to your door.
Everywhere else
We ship worldwide. For destinations not listed above, any import VAT, GST, duty or handling fee is set by your local customs authority and is collected from you on delivery. We do not prepay these at checkout. If you would like an estimate before ordering, contact us with your country and we will help.
Cancellations and returns
Changing your mind
You can cancel an order at any point before we create your shipping label. Email us as early as you can, because labels are usually generated shortly before dispatch.
Refunds are issued less the card processing fee charged on your original payment. Our payment provider does not return that fee to us when an order is refunded, so we are not able to pass it back to you.
Once your shipping label has been created, the order is committed to the carrier and we can no longer cancel it.
This section covers change of mind only. It does not affect your rights if an item arrives faulty, damaged or is not what you ordered, and it does not affect the cancellation rights below if you are in the EU or the UK.
If you are a consumer in the EU or the UK
You have a legal right to cancel your order within 14 days of receiving it, without giving any reason.
When the period runs. The 14 days start on the day you, or someone you have nominated, takes physical possession of the goods. Where an order arrives in more than one parcel, the period starts on the day you receive the last parcel.
How to cancel. Email us at admin@orbitalminifigs.com within that period. Any clear statement that you are cancelling is enough. You may also use the model cancellation form at the bottom of this page, but you are not required to.
Returning the goods. Send the items back without undue delay and no later than 14 days after you tell us you are cancelling. You pay the cost of return postage. We recommend a tracked service, as you remain responsible for the goods until they reach us.
Your refund. We refund the price of the goods plus the standard delivery cost you originally paid, with no deduction for card processing fees. If you chose an express or upgraded service, we refund the cost of our cheapest standard option rather than the premium. We issue the refund within 14 days of receiving the goods back, or within 14 days of you providing proof of postage, whichever is earlier, using the same payment method you used to order.
Handling the goods. You are welcome to handle and inspect items as you would in a shop. If they come back showing handling beyond that, for example printed parts that have been built into a model, played with, or separated from their packaging, we may reduce your refund to reflect the loss in value.
Made to order items. The right to cancel does not apply to goods made to your own specification or clearly personalised, such as a bespoke commission. It does apply to everything in our standard catalogue.
Everywhere else
Outside the EU and the UK we do not accept change of mind returns once a shipping label has been created. If you need to change or cancel an order, contact us before that point.
Faulty, damaged or incorrect items
Wherever you are, if an item arrives faulty, damaged, or is not what you ordered, email us within 30 days with photos and we will replace or refund it.
Nothing in this policy limits your rights under the Australian Consumer Law, or under any consumer protection law that applies where you live.
If something goes wrong in transit
We arrange the carrier, so dealing with the carrier is our job, not yours. Contact us and we will handle it from there.
Damaged parcels
If a parcel arrives visibly damaged and the courier is still present, refuse it and let us know. If it was left without you present, take photos of the packaging and the contents before unpacking any further and send them to us within 7 days of delivery. Photos matter, because carrier claim windows are short and we cannot recover a claim without them.
Once we have the photos we will replace or refund the affected items. We do not ask you to return damaged goods unless we specifically request it, in which case we cover the postage.
Parcels that do not arrive
Tell us as soon as the estimated delivery window has passed. So that we can still lodge a carrier claim, please contact us within 30 days of the latest estimated delivery date.
With Shipping Protection. We will often replace or refund straight away depending on circumstance, in some tracking instances we will wait a week for movement and to see if delivery is successful based off prior experiences. You do not wait on a carrier investigation, which is the whole point of buying it.
Without Shipping Protection. We open an enquiry with the carrier. International enquiries can take up to 30 days to conclude. If the parcel is not located in that time, we replace or refund it.
Marked as delivered but not received. Carrier scans are sometimes wrong. We will ask you for a short written statement confirming you did not receive the parcel, then treat it as above.
What this does not cover
- Parcels returned to sender because import charges went unpaid, or because the delivery details supplied at checkout were incorrect. Both are covered below.
- Delays. We will chase a late parcel with the carrier, but transit estimates are estimates and we cannot compensate for a parcel that arrives later than expected.
Where a delivery address turns out to be unsafe, or where repeated non-delivery claims are made on the same account, we may require a signature on delivery service on future orders, or decline to ship.
Refused or unclaimed parcels
This applies where import charges were not prepaid at checkout. If you refuse to pay them and the parcel is returned to us, you will be refunded for the value of the goods only, not the original or return shipping, and only once the parcel physically reaches us. Returns can take many months and are sometimes never received, so we strongly recommend paying any import charges to avoid this.
Where a parcel is returned because of incorrect delivery information supplied at checkout, we will reship once you provide corrected details and pay for shipping again.
Contact
Email us at admin@orbitalminifigs.com and we will sort it out.
Orbital Minifigs is a trading name of Orbital Ventures Pty Ltd, Victoria, Australia.
Customs rules change often. The thresholds above were current at the time of writing and are provided as a guide, not as tax advice.
Model cancellation form
Complete and return this form only if you wish to withdraw from the contract. You are not obliged to use it.
To: Orbital Ventures Pty Ltd, admin@orbitalminifigs.com
I/We hereby give notice that I/We cancel my/our contract of sale of the following goods:
Ordered on / received on:
Name of consumer(s):
Address of consumer(s):
Signature of consumer(s) (only if this form is notified on paper):
Date: