Delivery Terms
1. Delivery Zones
Le chocolat des Français delivers its products to mainland France and to all countries of the European Union.
The list of available destinations may change depending on logistical, regulatory, customs or climatic constraints.
Only the destinations and delivery options offered during the ordering process can be selected.
During the summer period, deliveries may be limited to mainland France (excluding Corsica) and Monaco in order to preserve the quality of the products.
2. Delivery Address
Products are shipped to the delivery address provided by the Customer when ordering. The Customer must check that the information provided is accurate and complete, in particular:
- the recipient’s last name and first name;
- the street number and name;
- the building, floor or staircase;
- the postal code and city;
- the country;
- access codes;
- the name or number on the intercom;
- the recipient’s telephone number.
The Seller cannot be held liable for a delay or failure of delivery resulting solely from incorrect, incomplete or insufficient information provided by the Customer. Costs incurred for a new shipment made necessary by an address error or by the absence of essential information may be charged to the Customer after they have been informed.
The invoice is not included in the parcel. It is sent electronically and made available in the customer account.
Address restrictions: deliveries cannot be made to a P.O. box.
3. Delivery Methods
The available options depend in particular on:
- the delivery address;
- the time of year;
- the forecast temperatures;
- the nature and volume of the order;
- the services offered by the carriers.
Depending on these factors, the Customer may be offered:
- pick-up point delivery with Colissimo;
- home delivery without signature with Colissimo;
- home delivery with signature with Colissimo;
- express delivery with signature with Chronopost;
- temperature-controlled delivery with signature with Chronofresh;
- collection via "Click and Collect" in our network of stores.
The periods during which the various carriers are used are provisional. They may be brought forward, extended, suspended or modified depending on the weather and transport conditions.
The options actually available are those displayed at checkout.
4. Order Tracking
When the order is shipped, an email containing the carrier’s tracking number is sent to the Customer. This number allows the Customer to follow the progress of the delivery on the relevant carrier’s website.
The information displayed is provided and updated by the carrier. There may be a delay between the actual shipment of the parcel and the activation of its tracking. The Customer is invited to check the tracking regularly, in particular when they have chosen pick-up point delivery or delivery without signature.
5. Pick-up Point Delivery with Colissimo
The Customer may select a post office, a partner shop, a Pickup relay or any other Colissimo network pick-up point offered at checkout.
The address, opening hours and collection procedures are provided in the parcel tracking or in the messages sent by Colissimo.
The recipient must generally present:
- proof of identity;
- the number, collection code or a QR code;
- any other document requested by the carrier.
The length of time the parcel is held depends on the type of point selected. The exact period is the one communicated by the carrier in the email or in the parcel tracking. It generally ranges from 5 to 14 working days depending on the pick-up point.
Given the food nature of the products and chocolate’s sensitivity to storage conditions, it is strongly recommended to collect the parcel within a maximum of 48 hours after it is made available.
Uncollected Parcel
If the parcel is not collected within the period set by the carrier, it may be returned to us.
In that case, the Customer is invited to contact customer service to agree on an appropriate solution.
Depending on the condition of the products and the circumstances, the following may be offered:
- a new shipment, the costs of which may remain the Customer’s responsibility;
- a refund for products that can still be sold;
- a credit note;
- any other suitable solution.
The delivery costs originally incurred may not be refunded where the failure of delivery results solely from the Customer’s failure to collect the parcel.
Given the food nature of the products, no refund can be guaranteed where they have become unfit for sale or consumption due to late collection or to storage conditions that are not attributable to the Seller.
Each situation is examined individually.
6. Home Delivery Without Signature with Colissimo
Where delivery without signature is offered, the parcel is left directly in the recipient’s letterbox if its dimensions and accessibility allow.
Where the parcel cannot be left in the letterbox, it may be:
- handed to the recipient;
- handed to a third party present at the address, in accordance with the carrier’s procedures;
- left at a pick-up point;
- made available at a post office;
- presented again for delivery.
The precise procedures are indicated in the parcel tracking.
The carrier is not necessarily required to contact the recipient by telephone before delivery.
Where the Customer is not the recipient of the order, it is their responsibility to inform the recipient of the shipment and to pass on the tracking information.
7. Delivery to an Establishment
Where the delivery address is a public or private establishment, in particular a company, hospital, clinic, retirement home or educational institution, the parcel may be handed to:
- the reception desk;
- the mail service;
- the security service;
- the goods receiving department;
- any person authorized to receive parcels for the establishment.
Deliveries to hotels or other accommodation establishments are possible only if:
- the establishment agrees to receive parcels;
- the Customer provides the recipient’s full name;
- the Customer states the name of the establishment, its full address and, if possible, the dates of the stay;
- the parcel can be received by the reception desk or by the goods receiving department.
The Customer is invited to notify the establishment before shipment.
Where the parcel is handed to the reception desk or the relevant department of the establishment designated by the Customer, delivery is deemed to have been made to the recipient or to the third party designated by them.
The Seller cannot be held liable for the time taken or the conditions in which the establishment subsequently hands the parcel to the final recipient.
8. Protecting Products from Heat
Chocolate is sensitive to high temperatures. During periods of hot weather, orders are shipped with Chronofresh only within mainland France (excluding Corsica) and Monaco. No delivery is offered to other territories.
Chronofresh delivery takes place in temperature-controlled conditions at positive cold temperatures. This mode of transport is more expensive than "standard" delivery methods, which is why the prices displayed are higher in summer. Nevertheless, we cover part of this cost in order to limit the Customer’s shipping fees.
9. Click and Collect
Where this option is available, the Customer may choose to collect their order from a participating Le chocolat des Français point of sale.
The collection location, opening hours and estimated availability time are indicated at the time of the order.
The Customer is informed by email when their order is ready. They must not go to the collection point before receiving this confirmation.
To collect the order, they will be asked to present:
- the order number;
- their last name and first name.
Where another person collects the order, they may be asked to present a copy of the Customer’s proof of identity as well as a copy of the order confirmation.
The order must be collected within the period indicated in the availability email.
10. Delivery Costs
Delivery costs are communicated to the Customer before the order is finally confirmed.
Free delivery thresholds are calculated on the total amount of the products including all taxes, after any discounts have been applied and excluding shipping costs.
10.1. Colissimo Pick-up Point
Indicative period: September 15 to May 31
| Delivery zone | Price |
|---|---|
| Mainland France and Monaco | €4.90* |
| Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg | €9.90 |
* Delivery is free in mainland France and Monaco for any order over €50 including taxes, excluding delivery costs and after discounts have been applied.
10.2. Colissimo Home Delivery Without Signature
Indicative period: September 15 to May 31
| Delivery zone | Price |
|---|---|
| Mainland France and Monaco | €6.50* |
| Belgium | €12.90 |
* Delivery is free in mainland France and Monaco for any order over €65 including taxes, excluding delivery costs and after discounts have been applied.
10.3. Colissimo Home Delivery With Signature
Indicative period: October 1 to May 15
| Delivery zone | Price |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | €13.50 |
| Austria, Spain, Ireland, Italy and Portugal | €15.90 |
| Denmark, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden | €17.50 |
| Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Malta and Romania | €19.90 |
10.4. Chronopost
Indicative period: October 1 to May 15
| Delivery zone | Price |
|---|---|
| Mainland France (excluding Corsica) and Monaco | €9.90* |
| Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden | €16.50 |
| Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia | €22.50 |
* Chronopost delivery is free in mainland France and Monaco for any order over €250 including taxes, excluding delivery costs and after discounts have been applied.
10.5. Chronofresh
Indicative period: May 15 to September 30
| Delivery zone | Price |
|---|---|
| Mainland France (excluding Corsica) and Monaco | €19.90* |
- €19.90 for any order under €50 including taxes;
- €14.90 for any order between €50 and €99.99 including taxes;
- €9.90 for any order between €100 and €149.99 including taxes;
- free delivery for purchases of €150 or more including taxes.
Thresholds are calculated excluding delivery costs and after discounts have been applied.
No delivery outside mainland France, or to Corsica, is offered during the summer period.
11. Delivery Times
The times indicated here are average estimates.
They include:
- the order preparation time;
- the time taken to hand the parcel to the carrier;
- the transit time announced by the carrier.
Delivery times start after the order has been confirmed and payment has been validated.
They may be extended in particular:
- in the event of stock shortages or exceptional restocking;
- during periods of high activity;
- in the event of bad weather;
- in the event of hot weather;
- in cases of force majeure.
Orders are prepared and processed from Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
Orders placed on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday are handled from the next working day.
11.1. Colissimo
Indicative period: September 15 to May 31
- Mainland France and Monaco: 2 to 3 working days from order confirmation;
- European Union: 3 to 9 working days, depending on the territory.
11.2. Chronopost
Indicative period: October 1 to May 15
- Mainland France (excluding Corsica) and Monaco: 1 to 2 working day(s) from order confirmation;
- European Union: 2 to 7 working days, depending on the territory.
11.3. Chronofresh
Indicative period: May 15 to September 30
Mainland France (excluding Corsica) and Monaco: 1 to 3 working day(s) from order confirmation.
Chronofresh shipments are made from Monday to Thursday.
No delivery outside mainland France or to Corsica is offered during the summer period.
12. Late Delivery
Le chocolat des Français makes every effort to meet the stated delivery times.
However, delays may occur during periods of high carrier activity, in particular at Christmas or Easter, or due to external circumstances.
Where the delay results from a case of force majeure, from an act of the Customer or from the unforeseeable and unavoidable act of a third party to the contract, the Seller’s liability cannot be engaged under the conditions provided for by law.
This provision does not deprive the Customer of their statutory rights. If the announced date or time limit is exceeded, the Seller may request an additional reasonable period. If delivery does not take place within this additional period, the Customer may terminate the contract under the conditions provided for by the French Consumer Code.
The Customer may terminate the contract where:
- the Seller refuses to deliver;
- the delivery date exceeds the additional period requested.
In the event of valid termination of the contract, the amounts paid for the products not delivered will be refunded no later than fourteen days after the date on which the Customer informed the Seller of their decision.
13. Transfer of Risk
The risk of loss or damage to the products is transferred to the Customer when they take physical possession of the parcel or when it is handed to a third party they have designated.
The Seller remains the Customer’s contractual point of contact for any difficulties relating to the delivery of an order placed on the website.
14. Parcel Shown as Delivered but Not Received
Where the tracking shows that the parcel has been delivered but the recipient has not received it, the Customer is invited to:
- check the delivery address shown in the confirmation email;
- look for a delivery notice in or near their letterbox;
- check any possible drop-off places around their home;
- ask their neighbors, building caretaker or the building’s reception;
- consult the detailed information in the carrier’s tracking.
If the parcel still cannot be found, the Customer must contact customer service as soon as possible, providing:
- the order number;
- the tracking number;
- the delivery address;
- any useful information.
Le chocolat des Français may then open an investigation with the carrier.
The Customer must report the problem within 30 days of the stated delivery date.
15. Damaged Parcel
Upon receipt of the parcel, the Customer is invited to check its condition. In the event of apparent damage, it is necessary to state precise reservations to the carrier where possible.
The Customer must also keep the parcel and the packaging and take photographs. The Customer must then contact customer service as soon as possible and provide us with as much information as possible.
16. Complaints
For any complaint concerning a delivery, the Customer may contact customer service from the Contact page.
Requests are examined as soon as possible.