Customer Services

Mill Finish refers to the surface condition of metal as it comes from the mill, which can include visible scratches, light blemishes or areas of oxidation or contamination, and is not usually selected for decorative appearance. Mill finished products are normally further treated before use, for example by painting, polishing, anodising or machining, to achieve the required finish and performance.

Metals4U does not offer general trade accounts, but a 30 day credit account is available to organisations such as schools, colleges, museums, government bodies, local authorities and NHS units. All other customers must pay in full when placing an order, using options such as credit or debit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amazon Pay or by requesting a pro forma invoice to pay by bank transfer.

Metals4U does not provide a separate native app, but its mobile website is designed to work like an app that can be installed directly from the site. Once installed, it gives quick access to an optimised version of the website from your device home screen, following the provided instructions for installing the mobile web app.

The square tube connectors supplied are designed specifically to fit 25 mm or 20 mm aluminium box section with a 1.5 mm wall thickness. They may also fit other materials with the same external dimensions and wall thickness, but this cannot be guaranteed because material tolerances vary between products and manufacturers.

Metals4U offers a custom cutting and polishing service for materials purchased. If additional fabrication is required, the company can deliver the materials directly to a fabricator chosen by the customer so that further work can be carried out.

Materials are supplied in fixed lengths or sheets rather than sold directly by weight. However, the weight of each product is listed on the website to help customers estimate load and shipping considerations.

Yes, Metals4U offers bulk discounts for orders over £1000, with 5% discount on orders above £1000 and 10% discount on orders above £2000. The basket value is calculated excluding VAT and delivery, and eligible discounts are applied automatically at checkout based on the total basket value.

The team will always try to provide as much technical help as possible, but they cannot specify exact dimensions or sizes required for a customer’s project. This is to avoid giving incorrect guidance and to ensure there is no conflict with building regulations or other formal requirements.

Grade 303 stainless steel offers good corrosion and oxidation resistance in mildly corrosive environments but is not suitable for high temperatures or marine conditions and has relatively poor welding properties. Grade 304 provides very good corrosion and oxidation resistance with excellent weldability, although it can suffer from pitting in warm chloride environments. Grade 316 delivers very good corrosion and oxidation resistance in more aggressive chemical environments and has good weldability, is considered the highest grade supplied in this range, but is not suitable for oxy-fuel welding; further technical detail is available in the company’s technical resources.

Pipe is specified and measured by nominal bore, while tube is measured by its outside diameter, so a 1 inch pipe has a diameter of about 33.4 mm whereas a 1 inch tube has an outside diameter of 25.4 mm. Pipe is pressure tested because it usually carries liquids or gases, while tube is mainly used for structural or architectural applications where precise external dimensions are important.

Orders are normally dispatched on a standard next working day delivery service when materials are in stock, and over 90% of orders arrive with customers on the next working day. If there is likely to be a delay the customer service team will contact you, and if you need delivery urgently or on a specific day you should speak to customer services to arrange this.

Metals4U can currently ship orders to private individuals in Northern Ireland for non-commercial purposes. Due to the requirements of the Windsor Framework they are not currently able to ship to business customers in Northern Ireland, and customers there must place orders by calling the customer services team.

Many polished products are held in stock and available for quick dispatch, but some items are only available on a polished-to-order basis, which typically adds about 5 to 7 days to the lead time. For an accurate lead time on a particular polished product, customers are advised to contact the customer service team for up-to-date information.

Samples are not provided free of charge, but customers can buy the minimum custom-cut length of 50 mm for any eligible product to assess it. If a later order for the same product is placed with a total value over £150 including delivery and VAT, the value of the sample order, up to the cost of five samples including delivery, will be refunded, subject to any stated restrictions.

Acetal is an inert copolymer suitable for use in food preparation areas, with higher strength and better sliding properties than nylon, good wear resistance and resistance to strong alkalis, and low moisture absorption, which helps it maintain dimensional stability in wet or submerged environments. Nylon is a thermoplastic well suited as an insulating or thermal break material between steels, with excellent tolerance to high temperatures, impact, vibration and abrasion, but it can absorb up to around 7% of its weight in water in very humid or submerged conditions, which can cause dimensional changes over time.