At XLshop we believe your shopping experience should be both enjoyable and as simple as possible. Our help pages are your first port of call if you have a question about the website or our service. Click on a question below to find the answer.

If you still cannot find the answer to your question, please contact our Customer Relations Team or the Manufacturer.

Ordering

• Is it safe to order through your website?
• What forms of payment do you accept?
• Do you accept international orders?
• How do I search for products on the website?
• How do I order from the website?
• How do I make changes to an order?
• How do I track my order?
• How do I cancel an order?
  

My Account

• How do I change my personal details?
• What is your Policy on Privacy?
  

Delivery

• How long is the delivery time?
• What is your Returns Policy?
  

Ink Cartridges

• Why are compatible ink cartridges cheaper than the original ones?
• Do compatible cartridges last as long as the originals?
• Do compatibles differ in quality to the originals?
• What are recycled cartridges?
• Are your compatible cartridges ‘chipped’?
  
  

Memory

• What type of digital memory do I need to buy?
• What are MultiMedia Cards?
• What are RSMMC (Reduced Sized MultiMedia Cards)?
• What are MMCmobile Cards?
• What are Secure Digital (SD) Cards?
• What are SDHC Cards?
• What are MiniSD Cards?
• What are CompactFlash Cards?
• What are SmartMedia Cards?
• What are xD-Picture Cards?
• What are Sony Memory Sticks (MS)?
• What are Micro SD Cards?
• What are external card readers?
• What size memory card do I need for my digital camera?
• What type of memory do I need for my mobile phone?
• How much data will my mobile phone memory card store?
• How many images will my digital memory card hold?
• How many MP3 files will my digital memory card hold?
• What is a pixel?
• What is compression?

Is it safe to order through your website?

Yes, it is completely safe. When you enter your payment details on our website, this data is encrypted by our secure server software (SSL) before being sent to the bank for authorisation. Our secure server uses 128 bit encryption – the highest level of encrypted security available. We take the security of our customers’ personal details very seriously, and will always use the best technology available in order to provide you with the highest degree of protection possible and prevent unauthorised access.

If you are still concerned about ordering on the website, you can telephone or fax your order to us, click here for our contact details.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We accept Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Solo, Electron and Delta credit or debit cards. Unfortunately we cannot accept cheques or postal orders at this time.
All prices quoted are in GBP(£) and are inclusive of Value Added Tax(VAT) where applicable. All orders are accompanied by an itemised delivery note. We will charge your card at the time of ordering.

Do you accept international orders?

Currently we accept orders from the United Kingdom (including the Channel Islands) only.

How do I search for products on the website?

There are two ways you can find products on the site; either browse through the listings or use the Search feature.

To browse, click on the most appropriate heading at the top of the page and then click on the most relevant link on subsequent pages until you find what you are looking for.

To search for products, simply type in a relevant keyword in the product search box on the top left hand side, click ‘Go’, and all the products relating to your keyword will be displayed. Your keyword can be a product name, code or printer model. For example, if you have an Epson Stylus Photo 890 printer, you can type in “Photo 890” and you will be shown all cartridges that can be used in that printer. If you only type in “890” you will be shown cartridges for the HP Deskjet 890, as well as the Epson Stylus Photo 890. The more specific your keywords are, the more specific your results will be.

Once you have found the products you are looking for, click on the “add” button to add the item to your basket. If you would like more than one item, simply enter the number you would like in the quantity box, and click amend. You can always change your order once you have placed items in the basket (see below).

How do I make changes to an order?

Click on the shopping basket on the left hand side, to view your order. From here you can remove products in your basket, by clicking on the remove button. You can also change the quantity of each product you’ve ordered, by typing the number in the quantity box and clicking amend.

How do I track my order?

You can track your order by clicking on the “Account Details” link at the top of the page and then clicking on “Order Tracker”. You will be able to check the status of your current order, and also view any previous orders in the “Order History” section.

How do I cancel my order?

If for any reason you would like to cancel your order, please call Customer Relations quoting your order number, and we will be happy to offer a full refund. Alternativley, you can cancel by logging on to the site and clicking on “Order History ”. Select the order you wish to cancel and follow the on screen instructions. Please note, once you have placed an order, provided the goods are in stock, within half an hour your order will be picked and packed and on its way to you. Please check our Returns Policy if you have received your order and would like to return it to us.

How do I change my personal details?

Click on “Account Details” at the top of the page, login (if you are not already) and then click on the “View/update Account Details” link. You will then be able to type in your new details where appropriate, and click “Update Account Details” when finished.

How long is the delivery time?

All items are sent out via First Class Packet Post. If in stock, the item will usually be dispatched within 24 hours, and should reach you within 2-5 working days.

Why are compatible cartridges better value than the original ones?

1. They do not spend millions a year on global advertising.
2. They do not invest in designing the printers.
3. They often sell direct to the retailer cutting out the middle man.
4. They often keep costs down by using small packaging.

Do compatible cartridges last as long as the originals?

Yes. Compatibles contain at least the same amount of ink as originals, and in many cases they contain more, so they could last longer.

Do compatibles differ in quality to the originals?

We have selected PrintRite and Inkrite as our suppliers of compatible cartridges, because they are manufactured to a high quality (ISO9001), and in our tests produce the best results compared to other compatible cartridges. As with all of our products, the compatible cartridges come with a 12 month guarantee, and if found to be faulty we will offer a one for one replacement.

What are recycled cartridges?

Recycled cartridges are original manufacturer’s cartridges that have been cleaned and refilled with ink by a third party company. Some manufacturers have patents on their cartridges and therefore cannot be copied. Recycled cartridges work in exactly the same way as the original cartridges, and not only are they a cheaper alternative, but more environmentally friendly too.

Are your Epson compatible cartridges 'chipped'?

The ‘T’ range of PrintRite and Inkrite compatible cartridges are pre-chipped for plug and play ease.

Top

What type of digital memory do I need?

Digital Memory is an often overlooked but essential digital camera accessory. It is also a useful addition for many other devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, camcorders, voice recorders and MP3 players. It comes in many different formats and sizes but the type of memory card that you need to purchase depends on the type and brand of device that you own. The different types of memory are Multimedia, SD, SDHC, CompactFlash, SmartMedia, xD-Picture cards and Memory Sticks , along with Reduced Sized MultiMedia , Mini SD, MMCmobile and Micro SD for use with mobile phones.

What are MultiMedia Cards?

MultiMedia Cards (MMC) were designed especially for PDAs, mobile phones and digital imaging. These cards are a reliable, rugged and lightweight form of removeable flash memory, storing up to 1Gb.

What are RS-MMC

Reduced Sized MultiMedia Cards are smaller versions of MMC for use in mobile phones, storing images, video and music files. These cards are compatible with all devices featuring an MMC slot as they can be used with an MMC adaptor. They have a high storage capacity and a high shock rating minimising the chances of being damaged if dropped.

What are RS-MMC

Reduced Sized MultiMedia Cards are smaller versions of MMC for use in mobile phones, storing images, video and music files. These cards are compatible with all devices featuring an MMC slot as they can be used with an MMC adaptor. They have a high storage capacity and a high shock rating minimising the chances of being damaged if dropped.

What are Secure Digital (SD) Cards?

Secure Digital Cards are small, efficient and very reliable, and have become popular for use in digital cameras. They can also be used in PDAs, organisers, camcorders, voice recorders, mobile phones and mp3 players. Most camera's that support SD also support the similar MMC format. However SD cards are a newer and more technically advanced format of memory, containing a write-protect switch for added data security. They are generally faster with a higher capacity.

SD Cards come in a variety of transfer speed ratings with most ‘High Speed' or ‘Ultra High Speed' devices capable of reaching up to 2Mb per second. The newest cards from Sandisk (Ultra II and Extreme) are capable of transferring as much as 8-10Mb of data per second. If you use your card in recording motion video or high quality audio tracks the card speed is quite an important consideration.

What are SDHC Cards?

SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) was established to meet the growing demand for HD (High Definition) video and high resolution image recording now used in many SD-enabled devices that can support cards up to 32GB in capacity.

SDHC is the same physical size and shape as a standard SD Card but meets the new SD specifications of version 2.0. If the SD Card is version 2.0 and 4GB or above it is classed as a SDHC Card.

SDA (SD Association) has also established a Speed Class rating (Class 2, 4 and 6) for the standardisation of data transfer speeds (compulsory for SDHC Cards).

• CLASS 2 – A guaranteed minimum write speed of 2MB/s or Higher*.
• CLASS 4 – A guaranteed minimum write speed of 4MB/s or Higher*.
• CLASS 6 – A guaranteed minimum write speed of 6MB/s or Higher*.

* The minimum speed capability depends on the manufacturer of the host device and model. All cards are compatible with SDHC host however for the best performance the class of card recommended by the host device manufacturer should be used.

This new speed classification concept allows the host device to check the conditions of the SDHC Card (checking the fragmented state, knowing where the empty spaces are in the memory) to calculate the write speed in each section of the memory area. This determines where to write the data according to its speed requirement, for best performance. This was not possible to do with the standard SD Card format.

If the host device requires or recommends one of the rated classes of data transfer speed then that specific class of card should be used for overall best performance with that device.

SDHC Cards are not backwards compatible with standard SD host devices however standard SD Cards are forward compatible with SDHC host devices.

What are MMCmobile Cards?

MMCmobile cards come in the reduced-size MMC form factor (18 x 24 x 1.4mm). In addition to the required features of MMCplus cards, MMCmobile cards operate at both 1.65-1.95V and 2.7-3.6V ranges as a requirement. The smaller size and dual operating voltage ranges are ideal for mobile phone and other portable device applications where space saving and extended battery life are essential.

What are Mini SD Cards

For mobile phones, MP3 players and digicams, the MiniSD card has been developed. This card contains the same features as the SD card and can store photographs, videos and MP3 files, but is only 21.5 millimeters (mm) long, 20 mm wide and 1.4 mm thick.

What are CompactFlash (CF) cards?

CompactFlash (CF) cards are the most common type of memory card. They have a controller chip and allow for faster transfer rates. Most digital cameras that use CF can use any capacity up to 1 or 2Gb without any problems. However CF cards above 2Gb use the FAT-32 file system which the camera must be able to read for it to work. CF cards come in two sizes; type 1 (3.3mm thick) and type 2 (5mm thick). Only cameras with type 2 slots can use either type of CF card. Compact Flash 1 cards come in a range of sizes from 8Mb to 8Gb. Typically Type 2 cards, which tend to come in larger capacities, are only supported on larger cameras.

What are SmartMedia Cards?

SmartMedia cards are simple memory storage devices with no built in controller. This is an older memory format which is now being gradually phased out. It is incompatible with cameras made prior to 2001 as due to the SmartMedia card's lack of controller, this capability needs to be built into the actual camera itself. This format was also used in most Olympus and Fuji cameras before they jointly developed the xD-Picture Card in 2002.

What are xD-Picture Cards?

This is the newest form of memory and has the capacity to store images of up to 8Gb. xD cards are compatible with several different digital camera brands and are comparable in price to the SmartMedia Cards. They can also be used in all CompactFlash devices. The xD-Picture Card is useful in high resolution digital cameras which require a large memory capacity. Most current Olympus and Fuji digital cameras use this format.

What are Sony Memory Sticks (MS)?

Memory Sticks are a Sony branded memory product that have been in the market since 1999. Most Sony digital cameras and many video cameras use this memory format, but few cameras by other manufacturers do. Memory Sticks can also be used in Sony MP3 players, PDA's and some Sony Vaio computers.

Memory Sticks can hold no more than 256Mb, so Memory Stick Pro and DUO have been developed to provide higher speed and capacity. MS Pro cards now come with up to 4Gb memory capacity and are not compatible with pre-2003 Sony digicams, with the exception of the Cyber-shot F717. They require a newer card reader and have transfer speeds ranging from 15 - 160Mb per second.

Memory Stick DUO products are half the size of regular Memory Sticks and, therefore, require an adapter if transferring data in a car reader or memory card slot. The maximum size available is currently 512Mb.

Memory Stick DUO Pro cards have been developed to allow even higher capacities and faster transfer rates.

Memory Stick Micro (M2) - Launched in early 2006, this is Sony's new ultra-small memory card designed to meet the growing storage needs of highly compact, multifunctional mobile phones. An M2 adaptor in the size of a standard Memory Stick will allow users to exchange data to Memory Stick PRO compatible products.
The M2 media is approximately one-quarter the volume of 'Memory Stick PRO Duo' media, yet only about 1.2mm thick. M2 media is designed as an externally removable media with a controlled eject function to prevent users losing the media.

What are Micro SD Cards?

The Micro SD (formerly called Transflash) is a new ultra small, semi-removable flash memory product currently used in some newer Motorola mobile phones. This product is not intended to be removed on a frequent basis. It stores personal information such as telephone numbers and can be used alongside an SD card. It is also compatible with SD card slot devices using an SD adaptor.

What are external card readers?

Using a card reader allows quick and easy transfer of digital camera images and other files from the flash memory card to the computer. Card readers plug into the USB or FireWire port on the PC. They are useful as they allow you to transfer data without running down the camera batteries or using cables. USB 2.0 and FireWire readers have much faster transfer rates than the cameras themselves making the transfer of images a much quicker process. Memory Card Readers can be plugged into the computer as and when you want to use them and as a result they show up on the PC as a removable drive. It is possible to buy single and dual slot readers for use with every type of memory card, or 8-in-1 reader/writers.

What size memory card do I need for my digital camera?

The size of memory that you use will not make much difference to your camera but may make a considerable amount of difference to you. Running out of space on your digital memory card is just like running out of traditional camera film. Smaller memory cards will keep filling up and this can be a real inconvenience when you have found that perfect photo opportunity. So the size of memory you buy should really reflect your level of usage.

Cards with more memory capacity can either store a larger number of pictures, or can store pictures taken at a higher resolution. A lot of cameras provide two different resolution settings so you can choose to take more photos of a lower quality or vice versa. It is better to shoot photographs at a higher resolution though as you never know when you will catch that perfect picture.

As a guide, for 1 2-megapixel camera, 128Mb of memory is usually enough, rising to 256Mb for a 3 or 4-megapixel camera. 5-megapixel cameras usually require 256Mb at least and if you have an 8-mexapixel camera and want to take high resolution shots you will almost certainly require a 1Gb memory card or larger.

 

What type of memory do I need for my mobile phone?

Most newer mobile phones use a memory card to store music files and photographs. Depending on your phone this may be a Reduced Size MultiMedia Card, Secure digital Card, Memory Stick or Transflash card. Most newer mobile phones come with a small memory card but you may want to upgrade to one with more memory space so that you can store MP3 files, video clips and photographs on your phone. Using an appropriate reader/writer you can then transfer files between your PC and your mobile phone. To find out which type and size of memory card your phone uses you should refer to your manufacturers guidelines, however the information provided below can be used as a basic guide suggesting the types of memory format each manufacturer supports:

How much data will my mobile phone memory card store?

The table below should be used as a guide only. It suggests the number of files each memory card can hold.

(these are approximations only)

How many images will my digital memory card hold?

The table below should be used as a guide only. It suggests the number of files each memory card can hold. Click here for an explanation of pixels and compression.

(these are approximations only)

How many MP3 files will my digital memory card hold?

The table below should be used as a guide only. It suggests the number of files each memory card can hold. Click here for an explanation of compression.

(The actual number of MP3s per card will vary and depends on the length of the songs, the MP3 format, and the model.)

What is a pixel?

A pixel is the smallest point on an image which on its own can be assigned colour and intensity. Photographs are made up of many thousands or millions of pixels and in generally the higher the pixel rating the better the result will be.

What is compression?

Compression is the process of reducing the number of bits in the file and making it smaller. As the compression gets higher, the loss of detail increases. Compressing images means that a higher quantity of images can be stored within a limited amount of space.