FAQs

How much should I send in?

This depends on how much you’d like in return. For a 1kg Swap, please send us 1kg of clothes. For a 2kg Swap, please send us 2kg of clothes. If you send us less (for example 1.5kg) we will send you less back (for example we’d send you 1.5kg back.)

If you'd like to send us more than you'd like to get back, that's fine too! We're happy to take any extra items as donations. 

 

What should I send in?

We accept all clothes and accessories as long as they are in a good, wearable condition. We do not accept knickers or underpants. If an item is in such bad condition that we are unable to send it to other swappers, we will not accept this as part of your swap and therefore we will send you less in return, but we’ll always get in touch to chat about this with you. If you are unsure about the items you’re sending in, feel free to email us with photos.

 

Are there any clothes you do not accept? 

We will not accept: 

- Damaged items (ie: with stains, rips, tears, pilling, bobbling, discolouration or hardware that needs replacing) We will not wash items, so even if the mark is washable we will class it as a stain. 

- Underwear such as socks, knickers and bras. We will accept braletts and corsets. 

- Swimwear without the hygiene label 

- We will not accept kids clothes 

- Non-clothing items (such as hand mirrors, phone cases, key rings, fans) 

If we cannot accept an item in your swap, this will not count as part of your swap as we will be unable to rehome it. As it will not count as part of your swap, you will receive less items in return. Your quality band may also be lowered as a result. We will be unable to refund you money for this as our staff will have spent time unboxing your swap and relocating the damaged items.  

What countries do you ship to? 

As of January 2022, we currently only ship to the UK. We are working on setting up international bases too, so keep an eye out on our socials for updates on that!  

What sizes do you go up to? 

We have an every size guarantee, which means we will always send you a Swap in your size - no exceptions! Check this out for more info.

 

What clothes will I get sent?

That’s up to you! After checkout on our ‘Bespoke Swaps’ you’ll be sent a style form asking for more info about your style and size preferences and we will handpick clothes which we think will suit you.

You can also claim available items on our Instagram (@bigsisterswap) where we regularly post photos of our favourite pieces.

Will the clothes I get sent be the same calibre as the clothes I send in? 

Yes, we'll try to match the quality of clothes you send in where possible. Ie: if you send in a bundle of designer/high end/ vintage items, we'll try our best to send you a bundle of similar quality items.  Please find out more about our Quality Matching here.

If you have any questions about our Quality Matching, feel free to drop us an email. 

How does the postage work?

After checkout, you'll be sent a link for a pre-paid postage label through Royal Mail to get your unwanted clothes to us. Then, for our selection for you, we'll pay the postage to get it back to you! 

How should I wrap my clothes?  

We don't mind if you use a box or a bag! Just make sure the clothes are well wrapped, with your name and address clearly identifiable. Don’t worry about what packaging you use- we reuse all packaging so it won’t be wasted!

We are not responsible if your package of unwanted clothes does not arrive with us. We recommend you send your clothes with tracking to avoid disappointment. We will not send out our selection until we have a package of your swappable clothes first. 

How long will it take to get my Swap? 

As of November 2023, our turnaround time is 10 weeks whilst we deal with a period of high demand. We're always happy to send you updated on our progress! 

Will I get photos first? 

As of February 2024, we are sending photos of our selections first to help reduce the environmental impact of returns. All customers will have one round of feedback and one free exchange included in each swap. 

What about washing clothes? 

We do ask that you send us clean clothes, out of respect for the team. In order to limit the environmental impact of washing clothes en masse, we do not wash every item before sending it out. We only wash items that clearly need a wash (ie: they are stained or smell). Therefore, we always recommend washing your entire swap when you receive it if you are concerned about this. 

We cannot guarantee that your item will be free from animal hair from previous swappers - although we always do our best to lint roll all items, the items you are receiving are secondhand. 

What is the returns policy?

You can send anything back to us within two weeks of you receiving your Swap. Although you do have to pay to get the clothes back to us, we will not charge you extra to pick out a new selection for you, and we will pay to get the replacement clothes back to you.

 

Can I donate clothes and not receive anything in return? 

Yes absolutely! Drop us a message or email and we can tell you the address to send your donation to. And if you have a lot of quality clothes to send, and you're worried about the postage costs, we'll be happy to cover it. Just get in touch and we can see what we can do! 

How long do I have to claim items? 

You can claim items through our Instagram & TikTok channels. Although there is no time limit on claiming, to avoid items being stored for long periods of time, if you take more than 3 months to complete your Swap, we will send you an email to check if you would still like to reserve the items. If we do not hear from you, we unfortunately will have to unclaim the items to make sure they are sent to loving new homes. 

How long does it take to receive my Next Steps email? 

This should come through straight away, but our automated emails sometimes bounce back so please drop us a message and we can resend it! 

I'm having issues generating my Royal Mail postage label? 

 

If you're having issued downloading your label, please make sure to clear the cache on your browser, as you may not have enough memory to generate the label. Please also make sure you have clicked the tick box at the bottom of the page to confirm your items do not exceed the maximum size limit. If you're still having issues - drop us an email and we can help! 

If you don’t see your question listed here, feel free to drop us an email:

hello@bigsisterswap.co.uk