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THIRSTY MEEPLES BATH
39 Gay Street
Bath
BA1 2NT
United Kingdom
Phone: 01225 427120
Email: bath@thirstymeeples.co.uk
CAFÉ HOURS:
Monday to Friday: 11:00 – late
Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 – late
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THIRSTY MEEPLES OXFORD
97/98 Gloucester Green
Oxford
OX1 2DF
United Kingdom
Phone: 01865 244247
Email: oxford@thirstymeeples.co.uk
CAFÉ HOURS:
Monday to Friday: 11:00 to late
Saturday & Sunday: 10:00 to late
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Our Cafés
Opening times & contact details
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FOR GENERAL ENQUIRES: hello@thirstymeeples.co.uk
VAT Reg Number: GB 182058313
Company Reg Number: 08246784
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How can I reserve a table at Thirsty Meeples?
Please use on our online reservation system. Pick your destination café:
Thirsty Meeples Bath
Thirsty Meeples Oxford
Bookings can be made for groups of up to 10 people and last for 3 hours. Once a reservation is made you will have the option cancel the booking or to adjust the number of people booked for up to 24 hours prior to the start of the booking.
Please be aware that there is a per person cover charge of £8 for Adults / £7 for Children aged 12 & under (if ordering from our food and drink menu) and £10 per person without a food or drink order.
To confirm a table booking at Thirsty Meeples, debit or credit card details are required from the person making the booking. No charge is made when making a reservation. However, in the event that the booking is cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice or the booking is a no-show, a charge will be made to the debit/credit card provided of £10 per person booked. Where a group size arriving at Thirsty Meeples is less than that booked for, an additional £10 per person will be added to the final table bill for each person missing.
Are you dog friendly?
Well behaved dogs are welcome at our cafés. When making a booking, please leave a note that you'll be bringing a dog.
Orders
How do I make a purchase on your website?
Making a purchase could not be easier. Just browse our store, and add any items that you wish to buy into the shopping cart.
As well as our cafés, Thirsty Meeples has a separate warehouse where online orders are fulfilled from. All our stock for sale is brand new and sealed. We only purchase stock from certified distributors or direct from publishers.
After you have finished your selection, click on 'checkout' and you will be asked for a few details that we need to be able to complete the order.
We accept credit/debit card payment or payments by PayPal, ApplePay, Google Pay and SuperPayments.
How long does it take to ship my order?
Our warehouse operates Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). In most cases, orders placed by 1:30 pm will be dispatched the same day.
Can I make changes to an order that has been submitted?
As long as the order has not already been shipped, we would be happy to amend an order. Get in touch with us here
If you request to cancel an order before it has been shipped, including pre-order items, a refund will automatically be issued as store credit. Should you prefer a cash refund instead of store credit, any PayPal or card processing fees incurred will be deducted from the refund amount.
Order Problems (damage, incorrect item or quantity) - what should I do?
If, upon receiving your order, you find that the items sent do not match your order, please notify us within 48 hours so we can investigate and resolve the issue.
If you receive an item that has been damaged in transit, please contact us at hello@thirstymeeples.co.uk. Include your name, order number, and a description of the damage. Attaching a photo of the damage will help expedite the process. To assist us in addressing the issue, please notify us within 48 hours of receiving the item, and inspect your product promptly upon arrival. Please do not remove any outer wrapping or seals, or otherwise open the item.
After reaching out, please await further instructions from our sales team. We typically respond to emails within one working day.
Manufacturing problems (missing pieces, misprint, faulty part) - what should I do?
If you have purchased a new product which has faulty or missing items, the fastest way for you to get a missing component is to be in direct contact with the publisher. Most publishers have their own service that provide players with missing components, these are typically listed on their websites.
If you don't receive a response from the publisher, or they are unable to assist, then please contact us.
Do you offer gift cards?
Gift Cards can be emailed or sent as a physical card. Choose which version you wish to purchase in our webstore. Both versions can be used for game purchases in our café as well as online through our webstore.
Gift cards issued via email include the option to enable Apple Wallet Passes which will allow our gift cards to be used on iOS devices in Apple Wallet. With Passes, customers can check a gift card's balance and redeem a gift card in-store.
Can a gift card be used more than once?
Yes, provided there is still a balance remaining on the card.
Can more than one gift card be used towards a purchase?
Yes. A customer can redeem another gift card during checkout.
How do customers check their balance?
If a gift card is associated with a customer account, then the customer can check the balance by using the link provided in the gift card email. For customers without accounts, please contact us via email and we will confirm it for you.
Can gift cards be reloaded?
No, you can't reload a gift card.
Can a gift card be used to buy a gift card?
No, you can't use a gift card to buy another gift card.
Can you match the price of another retailer?
Unfortunately, it is the policy of Thirsty Meeples not to price-match with other retailers. We make every effort to price our products at competitive rates.
We also have a generous loyalty scheme which offers fantastic savings. Read up here.
Shipping
Our Shipping Policy
Thirsty Meeples · Customer Policies
Shipping
How we pack, when we dispatch, and what delivery costs — for every order from our webstore.
Dispatch
All online orders are picked from our separate warehouse. We always ensure that your games are well packed before leaving. Wherever possible we'll re-use a cardboard box that we received games in from one of our suppliers — we figure it's better that way for our planet. But we do also use new boxes and wraps. If you have a strong preference either way, please let us know in your Order Comments.
We aim for orders placed before 1:30pm Monday to Friday to be dispatched the same working day. If this is not possible, your order will be dispatched on the next working day. Orders placed outside our Monday to Friday office hours will be dispatched on the next working day.
UK Delivery Rates
Orders of £65 or moreROYAL MAIL TRACKED
FREE
Royal Mail Tracked 482–3 BUSINESS DAYS
£4.50
Royal Mail Tracked 241–2 BUSINESS DAYS
£6.00
ALL DELIVERY COSTS ARE SHOWN AT THE 'MY BASKET' SCREEN, BEFORE ANY MONEY IS TAKEN.
Collect in Store
At checkout you'll have the option to collect your order from our cafés in either Oxford or Bath and avoid the shipping charge. We'll notify you by email as soon as your order is ready to collect.
If your item is currently in stock at the café you've chosen, it will normally be available to collect the same day. If it needs to be transferred from our warehouse, collection will take a little longer:
- Allow up to 3 days for Oxford collection orders.
- Allow up to 7 days for Bath collection orders — collection orders are mostly sent over to Bath on Wednesdays, so depending on when you place your order the wait may be shorter or longer.
- Orders are held for a maximum of 21 days before being returned to our warehouse.
Good to Know
International delivery
At this time we do not ship outside the UK.
Working days
Working-day delivery does not include Sundays, Bank Holidays, Public Holidays or substitute days (see the GOV UK website for clarification).
Safe places
If you request that the package is left in a safe place, this will only be done at the discretion of the delivery driver.
Postal delays
Shipping times are not guaranteed. From time to time unforeseen problems outside of our control can lead to postal delays. We do not accept responsibility for these and will not refund shipping fees in these circumstances. If it is imperative that your order reaches you the next working day, please contact us so we can quote for a guaranteed next-day postal service.
Returns
Our Returns Policy
Thirsty Meeples · Customer Policies
Returns
Our 30-day returns policy — what's eligible, how to send things back, and what happens next.
The Essentials
We offer a 30-day returns policy beginning on the day you receive your goods. Within this period you can return your items for store credit or an exchange. If a cash refund is requested for an online order (not including damaged games) instead of store credit or an exchange, the PayPal or card processing fees we have been charged will be deducted from the refund.
Once 30 days have passed since you received your goods, we're unable to offer store credit or an exchange.
In the rare circumstance you have received an incorrect item, please inform us within 48 hours of receipt and do not open or use the item you have received.
What Can Be Returned
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unopened and in the same condition that you received it, in the original packaging including the outer cellophane wrapping. For book returns there must be no obvious signs of use.
We can't accept returns if
- The item has been opened.
- The item has been damaged in return transit due to insufficient packaging.
- The item is over the 30-day returns period.
Please note: gift cards are non-returnable. To complete your return, we require a receipt or proof of purchase.
Damaged in Transit?
In the unfortunate event that you receive an item damaged in transit, please contact us at hello@thirstymeeples.co.uk with your name, order number and a description of the damage — a photo helps speed things up a great deal. We need to be informed of any damage within 48 hours of receipt, so please check your product as soon as it arrives. Please do not remove the outer cellophane wrapping or otherwise open the game.
Then await further instruction from a member of our sales team — emails are usually answered within 1 working day.
If game components are missing or misprinted, the fastest route is usually the publisher's own replacement-parts service — see our FAQ for details.
How to Return an Item
In person
Returns can be made directly to one of our cafés — a café manager will be glad to assist you.
By post
Please don't put tape or labels directly onto the product packaging, as this makes the product unsaleable. Cover the product with protective packaging, ideally an outer cardboard box, before applying tape or labels, and include your name and order number. Send returns to:
Thirsty Meeples, Unit 5 Wroslyn Road Industrial Estate, Freeland, Oxon OX29 8HZ
You are responsible for the shipping costs of returning your item, and these are non-refundable. Shipping fees paid on the original order are also not refunded as part of a return, and where an order qualified for free shipping, Thirsty Meeples reserves the right to deduct the cost of shipping from the amount refunded.
Processing, Exchanges & More
Processing times
Returns take 2–4 days to process once we've received the goods. When processed, a member of our returns team will confirm the action taken by email. Refunds are automatically issued as store credit to spend in our webstore or café shops.
Exchanges
To exchange an item, email hello@thirstymeeples.co.uk or speak to one of our café managers. If extra payment is required, our returns team will contact you.
Gifts
If the item was marked as a gift when purchased and shipped directly to you, store credit for the value of your return will be issued to you once the returned item is received.
Cancelled orders
If you cancel an order before it ships — including pre-order items — a refund is automatically issued as store credit. If a cash refund is requested instead, the PayPal or card processing fees we have been charged will be deducted from the refund.
Pre-orders
Our Pre-Order Policy
Thirsty Meeples · Customer Policies
Pre-Order Policy
How pre-orders work — payment options, arrival windows, cancellations and pricing.
Placing a Pre-Order
When a new item is announced, we will list it for pre-order with an estimated arrival window. Please note that the expected release date is only an estimate and is subject to change. The actual delivery of the product may occur earlier or later than expected due to factors such as supplier delays, production issues, shipping, customs, or licencing processes.
These types of delays are common in the world of board games and are unfortunately beyond our control. If you would like to check the status of your pre-order, we are happy to enquire with our suppliers, though please be aware we currently do not have an automatic notification system for changes in delivery times.
If you order multiple items, including a pre-order, in one order, all items will be delivered to you at once — your order will not be shipped until the pre-ordered item (and all other products in your order) have arrived at Thirsty Meeples. If a pre-ordered product arrives earlier, we will, of course, set it aside in our warehouse. To receive deliverable items sooner, please place two separate orders: one with the deliverable items, and another with the pre-order(s).
Once the pre-order item arrives at Thirsty Meeples' warehouse, it will be shipped to you within 1–2 business days.
Paying for a Pre-Order
Full paymentPAY THE FULL AMOUNT STRAIGHT AWAY
100%
DepositBALANCE CHARGED AUTOMATICALLY BEFORE SHIPPING
10%
How your card details are stored
When you pay a deposit, Thirsty Meeples never sees or stores your card details. Your payment method is securely vaulted by Shopify’s PCI DSS–compliant payment system, which converts it into an encrypted token — all we hold is permission to collect the agreed remaining balance. When your order is ready to ship, the balance is charged automatically to your stored payment method, which is then removed from the vault for security.
Paying the balance early
- Go to your order confirmation email and click "View Order".
- Select "Pay Now" and complete the checkout to pay the remaining balance.
Updating an expiring payment method
- In your order confirmation email, click "View Order".
- In the box titled "This order has a payment due in the future", click "click here" to manage your payment.
- Click "Update payment method", and an email will guide you through updating the payment method on file.
Cancelling a Pre-Order
You may cancel any pre-order item at any time before it ships, whether paid in full or with a deposit. To cancel, please email hello@thirstymeeples.co.uk and include your order number in the subject line.
Note: store credit will be issued for the cancellation of any pre-order item paid for in advance. If you prefer a cash refund instead of store credit, any PayPal or card processing fees will be deducted from the refund.
Arrival Windows & Pricing
Estimated arrival window
All pre-order items display an estimated arrival window, which may change based on updated information from our suppliers. We will update our listings if we receive confirmation of any changes. We cannot guarantee that pre-order items will arrive within the estimated window, and we do not offer compensation for items that do not arrive within this timeframe.
Pricing on pre-order items
In rare cases, the price of a pre-order item may change after it is listed. If the price is reduced before shipping, your order will be adjusted to the lower price. Occasionally, mandatory price increases may occur — for example if our supplier listed the item with a pricing error, or there are changes in currency or tax rates. If a price increase affects your order, we will notify you, and as always, you are free to cancel your pre-order at any time.