Back in ActionFrequently Asked Questions - FAQs
Frequently asked Questions and Answers
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| General Questions | Tripp Trapp Questions | Tempur Questions |
General FAQs:
1. Do you ship outside the UK?
2. Will you Price Match / Price Beat?
3. Can you send me a catalogue for...?
4. How much is a xxx in my own currency?
5. Am I eligible for VAT relief?
6. Do you offer VAT relief for customers abroad?
7. Which chair is right for me?
8. Can I hire a Backlife?
Tripp Trapp FAQs:
1. Will you Price Match Tripp Trapp?
2. How do I assemble and adjust a Tripp Trapp?
3. Should I buy a Cushion Set for my Tripp Trapp?
4. Should I buy a Baby Set for my Tripp Trapp?
Tempur FAQs:
1. Will you Price Match Tempur?
2. Am I eligible for VAT relief on Tempur?
3. Do you offer a 60 day trial on Tempur mattresses?
4. Will a Tempur mattress suit me? / Should I buy a Tempur mattress?
5. Can I try out a Tempur mattress at home?
6. Can I use an electric blanket with my Tempur mattress?
Answers to General Questions:
1. Do you ship outside the UK?
We can ship outside Mainland UK addresses, however this must be arranged directly with our staff, and we must receive payment by an irrevocable method such as bank transfer or cleared cheque. You can make contact here, or place an order via the internet where we will contact you before finalisation.
If we are to ship overseas, then we recommend you inspect goods at our warehouse or provide a mainland UK delivery address where you can inspect the goods prior to overseas shipment. We accept no Returns from overseas shipments under any circumstances, except for faulty or incorrect goods. In the event of faulty goods, our sole remedy will be to ship a replacement component. We realise these are strong terms and conditions, and we assume you will use a local source of the product if such exists. Our overseas service is intended for customers where a local source does not exist. Many times it may be best for you to arrange for a friend or family to bring the goods back for you.
You may also be interested in FAQ 4. How much is a xxx in my own currency? and FAQ Do you offer VAT relief for customers abroad?.
2. Will you Price Match / Price Beat?
As we state in our Price Promise, we guarantee the lowest prices. If you have seen any products on special offer elsewhere we will always better the overall price by a decent margin.
You don't need to email us to confirm the Price Beat. Just add the product(s) to your basket and checkout in the normal way. Tell us where and when you've seen the lower price in the comments box when you confirm your order on the last page of the checkout process and we will do the rest!
3. Can you send me a catalogue for ... ?
I'm afraid we do not have a catalogue. Many of our products are shown on our website, and most of these have printable versions. If there is anything that you are interested in, but do not see on our website, please call one of our showrooms where we'll be happy to help.
4. How much is a xxx in my own currency?
We can accept payment only in UK pounds by Mastercard, Visa Credit, Visa Debit or Switch. The exact exchange rate you will get will depend on your card issuer, but you can get an idea of the cost in your own currency from any of the online exchange rate converters, e.g. www.xe.net
5. Am I eligible for VAT relief?
We promise that our prices are the best you can get, but there may be a way to save even more! There is a little known VAT office concession which allows most Back in Action customers to buy certain products without paying the VAT element. If you (or someone who will be using one of these specific products) are suffering from a chronic/long term condition you should fully explore if this concession applies.
To make it clear: the 17.5% VAT saving is in addition to the low prices shown on the Back in Action web site unless it says otherwise.
To make sure you don't miss out on this concession here is a brief summary:
- To claim the VAT concession both you and the product you are buying from us must qualify.
- To decide if your condition allows the concession simply call us. We will talk you through the criteria.
- If we agree that your condition justifies VAT relief Back in Action will deduct
VAT on the following products.
Tempur Mattresses (pre-March 2007 if we have stock)
Tempur Foam products (pillows, backrests etc.)
Tempur Adjustable bases
Back in Action Mirrorform Mattress
All mattresses when purchased with an adjustable base
Riser chairs
The Mobiliser. - You will be sent a Back in Action Vat Exemption Form with your order confirmation, on which you will simply say your condition, sign it, and then post or fax back to us. We sign it, and keep it on file with your order paperwork. If you do not return the form inside 14 days then (of course) we will have to charge you the VAT.
- VAT registered companies such as Back in Action have their VAT figures checked on average every three years. During this the VAT office will select a few forms and check that everything is correct from your side and ours.
6. Do you offer VAT relief for customers abroad?
We don't charge VAT (tax) when shipping outside Europe. Nor do we charge VAT to companies with a valid VAT numbers who are inside Europe but outside the UK. In these cases please therefore divide all prices by 1.175 to get the price without tax.
7. Which chair is right for me?
Back in Action staff have the skills to help you make an informed choice. However, even with 20 years experience, we cannot guarantee the effectiveness of any product to relieve any specific symptoms. It is almost impossible to recommend a chair without seeing you and without you trying them out yourself.
In our experience, your habitual posture when sitting is a key factor, and without making positive changes to this, changing your chair is unlikely to make much significant difference. We offer a postural training service to all clients who visit us for an office chair, and it is this that makes the biggest difference. The chair becomes a tool to help you maintain the positive changes to your posture and balance without strain.
Clients travel to see us from all over the UK, including Scotland and Ireland (and sometimes from even further afield), to take advantage of our unique training and advice. All four of our showrooms offer free appointments for this to ensure that there is someone free to see you, as the process typically takes 60-90 minutes, including choosing a chair. Simply telephone the showroom which is most convenient to you to book.
8. Can I hire a Backlife?
You can hire the Backlife for £25 per month (plus delivery and collection if you are not close enough to one of our showrooms to collect and return in person). You can find details about the Backlife by clicking here.
Answers to Tripp Trapp Questions:
1. Will you Price Match Tripp Trapp?
Yes, we will beat any like-for-like offer by £1.50 (i.e. same colours, etc.) This includes 'combination' packages. We have all colours in stock, and would normally expect you to receive your goods within a day or two. (see delivery).
You don't need to email us to confirm the Price Beat. Just add the product(s) to your basket and checkout in the normal way. Tell us where and when you've seen the lower price in the comments box when you confirm your order on the last page of the checkout process. We will always contact you before processing your payment to confirm the discount price.
2. How do I assemble and adjust a Tripp Trapp?
IMPORTANT: You should adjust your Tripp-trapp regularly. Subscribe to our newsletter and we will send you an occasional reminder and a re-issue of our comprehensive instructions.
Good question ... it's important and if you request a Tripp Trapp on line we will call to make sure you know how to keep your child both happy and safe.
When you checkout we ask you for a contact telephone number. We will ring you back within the time band you request to answer any questions you may have such as about delivery, assembly, harnessing, cleaning, options, adjustment or warranty.
3. Should I buy a Cushion Set for my Tripp Trapp?
Our general advice to parents is that the cushion set is purely cosmetic. By all means have one if you like the look of it, but in our experience it does not make the chair more comfortable. In fact, we specifically advise against using the seat part of the cushion set for young babies because it encourages you to set the seat of the chair too far forward for the baby to be comfortable, and it makes it more difficult for the child to swivel on the chair; a baby already has plenty of seat padding via a nappy anyway.
4. Should I buy a Baby Set for my Tripp Trapp?
The Baby Set consists of a higher backrest and wooden rail, plus leather strap. In our opinion, this converts the Tripp Trapp to the best high chair in the world. It should be used for babies from 5-6 months up to about 14-18 months of age.
The test of whether it is appropriate or not is your baby's mobility. If he/she is agile enough to climb into the chair, then we recommend NOT using the baby set, as they will have to climb over the rail which is far more hazardous that sitting in the chair without one. At this age, a harness is a more suitable restraint if you require one. If you are in any doubt, please telephone one of our showrooms to discuss your child's particular requirements.
Answers to Tempur Questions:
1. Will you Price Match Tempur?
The Tempur products we have in stock are not the same as those available from Tempur Direct or from high-street outlets; we cannot therefore price-match Tempur Products.
2. Am I eligible for VAT relief on Tempur?
If you are unfortunate to be suffering from a chronic condition, regardless of whether this condition will benefit from any particular product, then you can avoid paying VAT on some products.
Until recently, Tempur Products were marketed through medical channels and had been agreed as VAT Zero Rated by Customs and Excise.
From March 2007 Tempur removed most of their mattress products from medical channels, and in our view this means that most of Tempur's products do not qualify for VAT relief.
The Back in Action Mattress is specifically designed for those with serious back problems, and is only available via us. Because we are Health Specialists, the Back in Action Mattress can be purchased at Zero Rate VAT if you provide a signed form which confirms a chronic Health condition. (see also Am I Eligible for VAT Relief)
If you would like to confirm your eligibility, please call us. If your condition qualifies then we provide you with a simple form. If this is correctly filled in we will not have to charge the VAT.
Alternatively you can call the Customs and Excise National Advice Service on 0845 010 9000. A word of warning though, most mattress products do NOT qualify for VAT relief, so you may need to remind them that the Medical Mattresses have a special exemption. In our view you only need their advice concerning your condition
If the VAT office subsequently query your eligibility, then you will have to provide proof of your condition to them. If they do not agree your eligibility, then you will be liable to pay the VAT.
3. Do you offer a 60 day trial on Tempur mattresses?
We offer a 60-day trial on our Back in Action Mattress, but not on Tempur.
We are unable to offer a 60-day Tempur trial, as Tempur do not offer this through their retailers. Any Tempur trial that you may have seen advertised is only available directly through Tempur.
Back in Action are the UK's largest back care bed centre. We have the skills to help you make an informed choice. However, even with 17 years experience, we cannot guarantee the effectiveness of any product to relieve any specific symptoms.
Before purchasing a mattress please take into account that (unless we have offered our own 60-day trial) we cannot accept it back once it has been opened. You must take personal responsibility for choosing a sleep surface that is appropriate to your personal circumstances. Our bed centres in Amersham and Bristol have a large range of different types of sleep surface for you to try. Our London and Marlow showrooms have a more restricted range, but both include our Back in Action Mattress.
Nothing in our terms and conditions affects your Statutory Rights.
4. Will a Tempur mattress suit me? / Should I buy a Tempur mattress?
We liked the Tempur mattresses made before March 2007. We sold many, many thousands of them. Tempur have produced new versions and we are not sas keen. We may still have stock of the original versions, but due to their limited availability we do not offer discount.
For many years we have heard of people finding Tempur mattresses hot to sleep on. Because historically Tempur was unique, we used to ask people to acclimatise to their Tempur mattress, and almost all did. Recently, especially since Tempur changed their products, we think the balance has changed; there are cooler sleep surfaces than Tempur which arguably offer better comfort for those with back-pain.
Driven by tempur's product changes, we approached Sealy, one of the world's largest bed companies, and asked them to produce a mattress to our design, specifically aimed at back-pain sufferers (we include neck-pain).
So for 2008, we strongly recommend the Back in Action Mirrorform, or if you're feeling very adventurous, consider one of our water mattresses.
5. Can I try out a Tempur mattress at home?
See 60-day trial above. We offer a 60-day trial on the Back in Action Mattress.
6. Can I use an electric blanket with my Tempur mattress?
This is very good question! Tempur mattresses are very dense, and if your bedroom is cold, it may take hours for your body to warm up the mattress.
Tempur mattresses are designed to change their hardness with changes in temperature and to perform optimally at body temperature. For this reason you might be tempted to heat your bedroom, or to use an electric blanket. Unfortunately, Tempur do not recommend using electric blankets with Tempur mattresses, so we stress that Tempur works best in bedrooms which maintain a fairly constant warmth all day, even in winter.
When designing the Back in Action mattress, we made the foam less sensitive to temperature changes; for this reason it is more suitable for bedrooms with large temperature swings. The Back in Action mattress is lense dense, and needs less of your body's heat to warm it up. We think the use of an electric blanket under your body decreases the moulding effect of the mattress, so we suggest using an overblanket, and timing this to turn on to a gentle heat from late afternoon; then the mattress will feel wonderful when you get into bed.