Ordering & Payment FAQ

Buying a hot tub, sauna, or cold plunge is rarely a small purchase, so the ordering and payment side of the transaction matters as much as the product. This FAQ covers the practical workflow — how to place an order, which payment methods we accept, whether the checkout is secure, what confirmation documents you'll receive, and what happens if you need to change something after ordering. We're a UK retailer working with accredited UK distributors; every order is placed through Shopify's PCI-compliant checkout and backed by UK consumer protection.

How do I place an order?

Placing an order takes about three minutes. From any product page on steamandoak.co.uk, click Add to Cart, then proceed to checkout. You'll enter delivery details (postcode is the critical field — it determines delivery options for large items), select your preferred payment method, and confirm. For larger items (hot tubs, saunas, cold plunge tubs, heat pumps), we follow up by email within one working day to confirm delivery scheduling, access details, and any site-preparation requirements. If you'd prefer to order by phone or have a complex order (multiple items, trade enquiry, specific delivery date), call 03330 1515 33 Monday–Friday 9:00–17:00, or email help@steamandoak.co.uk with your shortlist and postcode — founder Sarb Gill (BSc Biology) reads every enquiry personally.

Is my payment secure?

Yes. All payments are processed through Shopify Payments, which is PCI-DSS Level 1 certified — the highest level of payment-card security compliance available. Your card details are never stored on our servers; they're handled directly by Shopify's payment infrastructure with end-to-end encryption (TLS 1.2+) and 3D Secure (Visa Secure, Mastercard Identity Check) for cardholder verification on every transaction. We also offer PayPal (with PayPal's own buyer protection), Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Klarna for finance — each of which carries its own dispute-resolution and fraud-protection layer. If you ever see anything suspicious on a transaction, your card issuer and PayPal both provide statutory chargeback protections under UK consumer law. Steam & Oak holds Companies House registration as SGEcommerce Ltd, Company No. 16994007, Registered Office 128 City Road, London EC1V 2NX.

Do you accept finance?

Yes. We offer Klarna as a finance option at checkout — Pay in 3 (interest-free three-month split), Pay in 30 days (no interest if paid in 30), and longer-term financing depending on basket value and Klarna's approval. Klarna is fully regulated by the FCA and runs its own soft credit check (no impact on your credit score for an application). For larger purchases above £4,000 we can also discuss bespoke arrangements — email help@steamandoak.co.uk with your order number and Sarb will respond the same working day. We don't quote interest rates publicly because they're set by the finance provider at the time of application based on basket value and term.

Which payment methods do you accept?

We accept all major UK credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay, and Klarna for finance. Bank transfers can be arranged for trade enquiries or orders above £5,000 — email us with your order details to set this up. Cheques and cash are not accepted. All payments are processed in GBP (£); international cards are accepted but may incur conversion fees from your card issuer.

Can I reserve a product?

For most products, the cleanest way to secure stock is to place the order — Shopify deducts your unit from inventory immediately, locking it for your delivery. For genuinely high-demand or limited-edition items (the Chill Tub Obsidian, Fonteyn limited-run barrel saunas), we sometimes hold a unit for 48 hours against a £100 refundable deposit while you finalise site preparation or finance. Contact us by phone or email to arrange — we don't offer this as a self-serve option because the unit-counts are too small.

Will I receive confirmation and documentation?

Yes, automatically. Within 5 minutes of order placement you'll receive: an order confirmation email with your full order summary and invoice; for large items, a VAT invoice attached as PDF; and a delivery-planning email within one working day covering scheduled delivery window, access-route checks, and any electrical pre-install requirements. If you don't see the confirmation email within an hour, check your spam folder — Gmail and Outlook occasionally filter Shopify transactional emails. If it's still missing, email us with your card-statement reference and we'll re-send.

Can I change my order after placing it?

If the order hasn't been dispatched yet, yes — email help@steamandoak.co.uk with your order number and the change you need (address change, swap to a different model, add an accessory). Small parcel items can usually be changed up to the same-day cut-off (12:00 noon, Monday–Friday). Large items dispatched via specialist freight are typically locked once the freight carrier has booked the slot — usually within 2–3 working days of order. After that, changes may incur supplier restocking or carrier rebooking fees, which we'll always confirm with you in writing before proceeding. See our Returns & Cancellations FAQ for the full picture on changes after dispatch.

What's next

If you've placed an order and have a question about it, the fastest channel is email — help@steamandoak.co.uk, quote your order number, and we'll reply the same working day. For browsing before you order, the hot tubs, saunas, and cold plunge tubs collection pages are the right starting points. Trade enquiries and bulk orders welcome — call 03330 1515 33 Monday–Friday 9:00–17:00.