1. Where we ship
We currently ship orders within New Zealand only.
At this stage we do not offer international shipping.
2. Shipping options and pricing
All shipping charges are in NZD.
- Urban delivery (non-rural addresses)
- Flat rate: $5 per order
- Rural delivery (RD addresses)
- Flat rate: $10 per order
- Free shipping
- Free tracked shipping on orders of $200 or more (after any discounts, including GST, before shipping).
- If your order is eligible for free shipping, the free option will appear at checkout.
If your address is classified as rural by our courier (e.g. NZ Post Rural Delivery), the rural shipping rate applies even if your address doesn’t include “RD” when you enter it.
3. Order processing times
We aim to:
- Pack and dispatch your order within 2–3 working days of payment being received.
- During busy periods (for example November–December or large school orders), dispatch may take a little longer.
- If there is a significant delay or an item is temporarily out of stock, we will contact you using the email address provided at checkout.
“Working days” means Monday–Friday, excluding New Zealand public holidays and Auckland anniversary days.
4. Delivery timeframes
Once your order has been dispatched:
- North Island urban addresses: typically 1–3 working days
- South Island and rural addresses: please allow a few extra working days
These timeframes are estimates only. Delivery can take longer due to courier delays, weather, or peak-season volumes, and this is outside our control.
5. Rural Delivery (RD) addresses
Many New Zealand addresses are serviced as Rural Delivery (RD) even if they look “urban”.
- Our checkout includes an option to select rural shipping.
- We may also use automated checks to help detect possible rural addresses, but these tools are not perfect.
- If your address is Rural Delivery but you select urban shipping, we may:
- Contact you to collect the additional rural surcharge, or
- Hold your order until the correct shipping has been paid.
If you are unsure whether your address is rural, you can usually check this using the NZ Post address checker or by contacting your local postal agent.
6. Tracking and delivery
- Orders are sent using a tracked courier service (for example NZ Post or a similar provider).
- A tracking number will be provided in your shipping confirmation email once your order has been dispatched.
- Most parcels require a signature on delivery. If no one is available:
- The courier may leave a “card to call”, or
- Leave the parcel in a safe place, depending on their policy and any instructions provided.
Once a parcel has been scanned as delivered by the courier, we generally treat it as delivered. If you cannot locate your parcel, please contact us and we will help you follow up with the courier.
7. Incorrect or incomplete addresses
Please check that your delivery address is complete and accurate, including:
- Unit or apartment number
- Building name (if applicable)
- Suburb
- Postcode
If an order cannot be delivered because of an incorrect or incomplete address:
- The courier may charge additional re-delivery or return-to-sender fees.
- Where these extra fees result from an incorrect address supplied at checkout, we may need to pass those costs on to you or deduct them from any refund.
If you realise you’ve made a mistake, please contact us as soon as reasonably possible with your order number and correct address. If your parcel has not yet been dispatched, we will update the address for you.
8. Large school or bulk orders
For schools and bulk orders (for example, large class sets):
- We may pack items into multiple cartons.
- In some cases, dispatch and delivery may take slightly longer due to packing requirements or stock levels.
- If your order is urgent (for a specific workshop or school event), please let us know and we will do our best to help.
9. Lost or damaged parcels
If your parcel appears to be lost in transit or arrives damaged:
- Please contact us promptly with:
- Your order number
- Photos of any damage (product and packaging, if possible)
- A brief description of what has happened
- We will work with the courier to investigate and, where appropriate, arrange a replacement, repair, or refund in line with:
- Our Returns & Refunds Policy, and
- Your rights under the New Zealand Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 (CGA).
10. Click & collect / local pickup
We do not currently offer click & collect or local pickup as a standard option.
If you are a local school or organisation and need a special arrangement, please contact us and we can discuss what is possible.
11. Questions about shipping?
If you have any questions about:
- Shipping rates
- Rural delivery
- Urgent orders for workshops or school events
please contact us at info@littleengineers.co.nz
and include your order number if you already have one.