You’re Keen on Costume Hire… But Need it Posted?
Little Shop of Horrors does offer return postage for selected costume hires, by request and arranged in advance. It isn’t part of our standard in-store process because it requires extra time, careful packing and handling through our Australia Post business account.
We’ve recently opened part of our collection for delivery, but not all costumes can be sent due to size, fragility or peak-period limits. If you’d like to request delivery or return by post, please read this page thoroughly and follow The Drill instructions below. All costumes are sent via Australia Post Express, fully insured for their replacement value and requiring a signature upon delivery.
PLEASE READ THE BELOW INFO THOROUGHLY AS IT ANSWERS ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR HIRE BY POST PROCEDURE
The Drill
The Quick Guide to Getting Your Costume Posted
- BROWSE & CHOOSE
View our full costume catalogue online and select your favourite look. - READ & CONFIRM
Go through this information carefully, and once you’re happy with the process, reach out to confirm that your chosen costume is available and eligible for postage. - RESERVE YOUR COSTUME
Book online or by phone at least 10 days before your event. - SECURITY GUARANTEE
Provide the security details we request to secure your hire. - FINAL BALANCE & POSTAGE
About one week before your event, we’ll carefully pack your costume, weigh and measure the box, and then process the remaining balance (including postage costs) on your credit card. See the cost estimate breakdown below for guidance. Your costume will be sent with plenty of time to arrive a few days before you need it. - HAVE THE BEST NIGHT EVER
Wear your costume, take those photos, and enjoy every moment of your event. - EASY RETURN
On the first business day after your event, re-pack the costume in the same box, attach the prepaid return label provided, and send it straight back to us.
PRICE
Breakdown of Hire & Postage Costs
- Regular hire cost of selected costume (plus Laundry Fairy 10%)
- Express Post with insurance & signature cost
- (Option 1) One-way postage: 25% Service
- (Option 2) Delivery and return postage: 50% Service Fee
Additional fees may apply in certain situations - for example during peak season, if your hire period needs to be extended, or if a costume requires extra packaging and handling. These are not common, but may be added where necessary.
IMPORTANT COST INFO
We are unable to provide an exact postage price until the costume is booked, packed, weighed and measured. This is only done once your hire is confirmed and ready to send. Until then, we can give you an estimate, but the actual postage cost will depend on the size and weight of the costume, as well as your location within Australia (with rural areas often being more expensive). The final postage amount is charged to your card automatically once the parcel is prepared. Once booked, deposit, postage and the service fee are not refundable.
Please understand these service fees cover the additional time, handling, packaging, and admin involved, all of which go beyond our usual in-person process.
See Past Postage Prices further down this page for real past examples and the best indication of what your postage price may be.
AGREEMENT & ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We only proceed with hire-by-post once you have read, understood and agreed to all information provided. Final postage costs are charged to your credit card on the day your costume is sent. We have provided the best estimate possible, but by proceeding, you acknowledge and accept these charges and understand that final costs may vary. We cannot accept any fault if you are unhappy with the final postage amount.
What We Need From You to Proceed
- A photo of your driver’s license
- Credit card details (provided verbally over the phone) in the name of the hirer
- Acceptance of our Terms & Conditions, including policies on damage, late returns, and non-returns. By email or phone, our calls are recorded.
- Final payment processed to the card provided prior to dispatch.
Ready to Book?
Option 1: Reserve Online
Book your costume via our website, then give us a call on (03) 5977 1288 to provide your credit card details, driver’s license, and 50% deposit. This is our preferred method as it captures all your info securely and allows us to send you tracking once your costume is dispatched.
Option 2: Call to Reserve
Prefer to speak to someone directly? You’re welcome to call and complete your booking, provide your security information, and pay your deposit over the phone.
PAST POST PRICE EXAMPLES
Below are a few real examples of past postage costs for various box sizes and costume types sent across Australia to give you an educated estimate, and help you to make an informed decision.
Important: we cannot know the exact postage cost until your costume has been packed, weighed, and measured, and entered into our Australia Post business account which is not done until the day it is ready to send.
Examples are postage only, not inclusive of costume hire, packaging or service fees.
We do not set postage prices they are calculated by Australia Post.
Must Be Organised in Advance
Return postage is not something we can arrange at the counter on the day of pickup. It involves admin time, packaging prep, accurate parcel measurements, insurance declarations and booking through our system - all of which need to be done well in advance.
We’re often juggling multiple bookings and appointments in-store, so we simply can’t stop everything to arrange postage on the spot. If you arrive without having pre-arranged your return shipping, you may experience delays or be asked to return the costume in person.
For a smooth and stress-free experience, we strongly recommend organising your return postage at the time of booking - or letting us know in advance if you’d like to request it.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Unfortunately, no. Return postage strictly must be organised through us using our Australia Post business account. We do not accept third-party shipping labels, personal postage arrangements, or last-minute freight bookings in-store.
This policy is in place for several important reasons:
- fully insured for its replacement value
- track the parcel in our system from start to finish
- packaged correctly and safely using materials we’ve provided
- you and us from loss, damage, or disputes around delivery
We understand that some customers have access to their own shipping accounts or may prefer to organise return postage themselves, but unfortunately, we cannot make exceptions. Our costumes are high-value, often irreplaceable pieces, and this system ensures they are handled with the care they require.
RETURNING BY POST WITHOUT AUTHORISATION
Returning a costume by post without prior arrangement constitutes a breach of our Terms & Conditions and will incur a Non-Authorised Return Handling Fee (Price of Costume Hire), which will be charged to your credit card. This fee covers the additional time, administration, stress and risk involved when costumes are posted back to us without proper tracking, insurance, or documentation.
We’ve unfortunately learned this the hard way — with past incidents escalating to the point of involving police due to unreturned or untraceable costumes. This is why our return process exists in the first place: to protect our collection, our business, and our customers from unnecessary complications.
To help ensure a proper fit, we may require a full-body photo and your sizing info before confirming your booking. While we do our best to select the right costume remotely, please note that without an in-store fitting, we can’t be responsible for sizing issues. If a costume doesn’t fit, please don’t try to force it — this could cause damage. No refunds are offered for fit problems.
That’s perfectly fine! And our preferred method. In-person returns are free of admin fees and postage, just bring your costume back by the agreed return date and you’re all set.
Policies are subject to change at any time.
