"Frequently Asked Questions"

This page is about the practicalities of buying puzzles. See also: About cookies - About us (legal and suchlike)

On this page: Selecting puzzles - Checkout - Other questions

Selecting puzzles

How do I find puzzles?

Use the links at the top of each page to the puzzle pages for each theme or artist - you'll find more details of these pages in the Contents page. Use the Search page to look for particular themes, sizes, and so on.

What then?

Click "Add to basket", to make your selection.

What if I can't find the puzzle I'm looking for?

We can order any puzzles from the manufacturers we sell, so if you find a puzzle you want in one of the manufacturers' catalogues, please ask. There is no extra charge for special orders, but there may be a wait depending on our ordering schedule.

Checkout

How does the checkout work?

Once you add a puzzle to the basket, the checkout box should appear at the top right corner of the screen. You can then click "View" to check the basket contents, or "Checkout" to select the shipping and go to the payment page. You will need to select the destination country, but only once, since we use a cookie to remember the selection. We also use a cookie to store the best guess for your country, so it will always be the first choice in the menu.

What payment methods do you accept?

For all credit and debit cards, we accept payment through PayPal. In some countries you can make a PayPal payment by bank transfer, and we will also offer direct bank transfer in some countries. When you make a payment through PayPal, please make sure you supply the correct card billing address where required, even if the shipping address is different.

What about other payment methods?

Please just ask us.

What are the shipping options?

For speed, we offer either the Post Office EMS express, or (to limited countries) Yamato Express ("International Ta-Q-Bin", handled by UPS in many countries). SAL, the economy airmail service, is completely discontinued for the time being (perhaps forever). So there is no very good economy option for small orders, but if you want to be patient and make a large order, surface mail is (very) slow, but tracked and reliable, and the best economy.

Can I have a puzzle shipped directly to someone else as a present?

Yes. Please make this clear with a note in the comments box on the PayPal form, or on the "follow-up" form when you reach my confirmation page. We will send the puzzle with a gift message in the place of the invoice. But please note that any customs charges or taxes would be the responsibility of the recipient, so make sure they understand the package is arriving.

Other things

What are the prices based on?

We sell puzzles for the standard Japanese retail price before "consumption tax" (which does not apply to exports); we currently give a 10% discount on all puzzles.

How will the charge appear on my credit card statement?

When you pay by PayPal, the debit will appear as "PAYPAL IMAGINATORM" (they only give me up to 12 characters!).

What does PayPal mean by "unconfirmed address"?

Any address that does not match your credit card (USA only). So if you are outside the US, did not use a credit card, or want the puzzle shipped as a present, this message will appear. Generally it can be ignored.

What exactly does the price include?

The puzzle and shipping to you. If there are any customs charges or taxes, you will have to pay them. Please note that in some cases the Post Office may charge a "handling fee" for passing the charges on to the authorities, and this "handling fee" can be any amount. In particular in the UK, Parcelforce charges £8 for SAL/airmail, and £13.50 for EMS packages if any import VAT ("tax") is payable, regardless of how little. More details

Can you say it's a gift or write zero as the value on the customs form?

No, we can't, I'm afraid. We are bound to declare the true value.

What exactly does the box contain?

See details for each manufacturer: Apollo - Appleone - Artbox/Ensky - Beverly - Epoch - Tenyo - Yanoman

Are the puzzles all in stock?

Unless indicated, we have puzzles in stock. And if there is a sudden surge in demand for a particular puzzle, we can get new supplies from the manufacturer normally within a week. Please note though, that puzzles may go out of print, or sometimes be out of stock for periods of months.

What sort of packing do you use?

Generally we ship puzzles in custom cartons. In some borderline cases, for example two heavier-than-average 1000-piece puzzles, we made need to use minimal packaging to get under the weight limit.

Can you send me a printed catalogue?

No, I'm afraid not. We only have the manufacturers' catalogues, and to post copies would be prohibitively expensive. But if you want to know about a genre - works by a particular artist, for example - please ask, and I will give you all the information I can. The manufacturers page includes links to online catalogues where I have been able to find them (but I'm afraid these links keep breaking, as they rearrange their websites at frequent intervals).

Do you sell frames?

A qualified "Yes". We can get frames, but there are dimension limits on shipping, making it implausible to send (standard) 2000-piece size frames to the USA for example. Please see the page Jigsaw puzzle frames — frames are not yet integrated into the checkout system, so please use the form on that page to ask for more details.

What about missing pieces?

Ah! Well, please look everywhere again, including under the carpet. Then contact us: Missing pieces. We will do our best to get a replacement from the manufacturer. Please note that this cannot absolutely be guaranteed, because sometimes the puzzle die is changed (so pieces only fit in puzzles from the same batch), and sometimes puzzles do become completely unavailable.