Help & FAQ
Sample Sale
Our sample sales have a different policy than usual. If you're buying a sample, here is the low down:
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Our samples - also known as seconds - are imperfect versions of our normal swimsuits.
These imperfections are: small marks or print errors, wonky stitching, missing labels and labels printed with the wrong size. Some samples may have one or a few of these imperfections. The use and wear of the swimsuit is not affected.
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Small imperfections are usually caused by human-error during production and transportation. The entire process of designing, recycling, making, printing, transporting and packing is a human one, and so mistakes are inevitable.
In the fashion industry, millions of pieces of clothing are sent to landfill and incinerated each year, adding harmful and avoidable carbon emissions to the atmosphere.
By finding value in our imperfect swimsuits, it means the time and energy that went into making them (both human and environmental) is not wasted.
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After much consideration, we have made the decision to stop separating the samples into different grades.
There are a few reasons for this. The process was incredibly time-consuming at our end, with us often trying to categorise and distinguish between tiny imperfections. It also became clear from the feedback we were receiving that the grading system created more confusion than needed.
To make our sale more simple and fair, all samples are now half the price of our regular swimsuits.
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Our samples fit the same as our normal swimsuits, so stick to your usual Batoko size.
If this is your first time ordering, head over to our size guide to figure out which size will fit best.
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No, the volume of orders we receive during our sample sale slows down our fulfilment process so we are unable to offer express delivery on orders during this time. Thank you for your patience.
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All sample sale items are final sale and returns are not accepted, so please ensure that you have checked our size guide prior to placing your order.
Orders
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We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay and PayPal.
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To redeem your digital gift card, simply enter the long number into the discount box during checkout and click the 'apply' button.
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Yes, please contact us within 15 minutes of placing your order.
Make sure to include your order number plus the full name and email address you used for the order.
This information helps us find your order on our system quickly and gives us the chance to stop and cancel/make changes your order before it gets dispatched at our fulfilment centre.
Regrettably we are unable to cancel or make changes to your order if it has already been dispatched. If this is the case, you would need to return your order for a refund. More information about our returns policy can be found on our returns page.
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Yes, our website is secured with the very latest encryption technology (2048 signature / 256 bit encryption) SSL. This system ensures safe and private browsing. A padlock icon will be showing in your browsers URL bar, which means the connection is secure. Any personal information you provide when on our website while the padlock icon is showing will be encrypted. This means no-one can intercept your details and read them.
We also keep a secure database where we can see your name, email address, billing address, delivery address and phone number (if provided). We use these details to contact you about your order and to deliver your order to you. We do not see nor store your card number/payment details, nor do we share your personal information with any third party.
Delivery
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We deliver worldwide. You will find the full list of countries we deliver to along with the delivery options and costs at checkout.
If you don't see your country on the list, please contact us and we will happily assist.
For further information please visit our delivery page.
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For the latest information on UK delivery costs please visit our delivery page.
For international orders, all available options and costs will be calculated at the checkout before you complete your order.
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You can find your estimated delivery time in your order and dispatch confirmation emails. For the latest information on delivery times please visit our delivery page.
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Your tracking link is in your dispatch confirmation email. Simply click the 'track order' button, which will take you to the relevant tracking page.
If you haven't received this email, please check your junk/spam folder. If it's not there, please contact us and we will resend your email.
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We are based in the United Kingdom, so deliveries made within the UK will not be charged customs fees.
International deliveries may be subject to customs fees (taxes and duties). If this is the case, you must pay these fees to receive your order. Customs fees are charged and collected by your countries government and the rates differ depending on where you live in the world. For more information please contact your countries customs office.
Ireland & EU
Since the UK left the European Union, you will now be expected to pay customs fees to receive your order. This is not a charge made by us and we do not receive this money. Please visit our delivery page for more information on these charges. -
If your order hasn't arrived in the estimated delivery time and your tracking information isn't updating, please contact us and we will look into this for you.
If your order hasn't arrived because your delivery address contains an error or missing information, the delivery company will most likely return your order to us. If this is the case, we will contact you when we receive your order back to arrange re-delivery or a refund. If you entered a valid delivery address incorrectly (e.g. your previous home address or a different door/flat/office number) then you would need to organise a way to retrieve it from this address.
We ship orders to the delivery address you provide us with at the checkout. Regrettably we are unable to amend your delivery address once your order has been dispatched and we are unable to re-direct it to another address.
Returns
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You may return your order within 28 days for a refund providing the swimsuit is unworn (except for the purposes of trying on), unwashed and in its original condition with all tags, labels and hygiene sticker still attached. Returns are not accepted for sample sale items. Please visit our returns page for more information.
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To make a return, simply follow the instructions on our returns page.
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We will notify you by email once we've received your return and processed your refund. We aim to process returns within 7 days of receipt.
As noted on our returns page, we advise sending your return using a tracked service. By tracking your return, you can see when we have received it and also have peace of mind that your refund (and confirmation email) will be on its way shortly.
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We are not currently offering straight exchanges. Instead, we've found the most effective way to service an exchange is for you to reorder on our website and to send the unwanted item back for a refund. To make a return, simply follow the instructions on our returns page.
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If you have received a swimsuit as a gift and would like to change it for a different size or print, please contact us. We can only issue a refund to the person who placed the original order.
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Please contact us with your order number and we will have the correct item sent out to you as quickly as possibly.
Batoko
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We don't have any stockists, our online store is the only place you can buy genuine batoko swimwear. The good news is we are open 24/7 (thanks internet!) and ship worldwide from North West, England.
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Our swimwear is manufactured in China. You can learn more about our supply chain here, where we discuss why we choose to make our swimwear in China, the protection of workers rights plus our environmental responsibility.
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Our swimwear is recycled from PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic waste. PET plastic is what plastic bottles are made out of, as well as lots of food containers and textiles (clothes, carpets). If you see the number #1 printed on plastic, this is PET. It's the most common type of plastic and the most widely recycled.
The creation from plastic to swimsuit goes like this: plastic waste is sorted, then shredded into clean flakes. The flakes are melted, extruded and then spun into polyester yarn for our fabric. The amount of plastic that goes into making our swimwear is recorded by weight and is the equivalent of approximately 10 plastic bottles per swimsuit. The process is overseen by the GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certification, which you can read more about here.
Did you know that all swimwear is plastic? Polyester, nylon, spandex, elastane, lycra and neoprene are all synthetic fabrics. The difference is that our swimwear is made from recycled plastic that was headed to landfill rather than creating new plastic and adding to the approx 300 million tons that is produced every year.
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Our swimsuits are durable, quick to dry and won't fade in the sun.
The lifespan of our swimwear will generally depend on how you use and care for it, that's why we've written an extensive care guide to help you get the most wear out of your swimsuit, with tips on wear and tear, washing, drying and dealing with chemicals like chlorine and sunscreens.
We receive feedback from customers who's batoko swimsuits are still going strong 4 years on, which you can see by viewing these story highlights.
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As a conscious choice with the environment in mind, our swimwear has not been treated with any chlorine-resistant coating or chemicals. Polyester is a hardy fabric that is generally very resistant to chlorine. If you will be using your swimsuit regularly in a chlorinated swimming pool, visit our care guide for information on how to protect and prolong it's wear.
Our swimwear has not undergone any official tests, therefore we do not have an official UPF rating. Polyester is generally highly resistant to UV radiation and has a very high melting point, which means it can stand more prolonged exposure to the sun without the material breaking down. Our fabric is also tightly woven which makes it harder for the sun's rays to penetrate through.
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It's likely that over time, with wear and tear, our swimwear will begin to shed microfibers. We've created a dedicated blog post on the subject where we discuss this issue, from fabric (quality and weave makes a significant difference) to washing tips. We also put one of our swimsuits through it's very own shed test, which you can read here.
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We are currently unable to accept donations of plastic waste. If you have collected rubbish from a beach clean, it's best to contact your local council for advice on what you can and cannot recycle in your area. Some councils may not accept specific plastic collected from beaches as it is too low grade and can contaminate/cause issues during the recycling process, so it's best to ask before tipping it all into your recycling bin. Organisations like TerraCycle also offer a variety of free recycling programmes.
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We don't have a recycling programme yet - instead we encourage you to repair, sell or donate any old, unwanted clothes. If you are hesitant to sell or donate your worn swimwear, check out this instagram post which proves that there are lots of people willing/already buying used swimwear.
If you don't think your swimsuit is in good enough condition to sell or donate to charity, then take a look at these brilliant organisations:
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We are not currently offering wholesale. The re-sale and distribution of Batoko swimwear for commercial reasons if strictly prohibited at this time.
If you would like to be added to our contact list, please contact us with your details and we will get in touch if this changes in the near future.
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We do not currently have an ambassador program. Our instagram is where we feature our customers photos and share news about our brand.