Frequently Asked Questions

The shipping method depends on various factors, such as size, weight, value of goods, fragility, and is either via DHL or with one of our freight transport partners. A complete overview of our shipping options, including shipping costs, can be found here.

With our free standard freight transport delivery service the goods are only unloaded from the delivery vehicle - the transport into the building and to the point of use, and the disposal of the transport packaging, are not included and must be undertaken by yourself.

With our Comfort Delivery Service, the goods are brought to the desired location and the outer packaging, including pallet, disposed. (Any necessary assembly of the furniture is not included in this service.)

As comfort delivery is based on delivery via a two-man team, maximum weight limits apply. For objects heavier than 100 kg, including packaging, comfort delivery cannot be booked as an additional service. Particularly large, heavy and/or bulky USM furniture can therefore only be delivered partially assembled, for assembly in situ. The recommended delivery option, including any necessary assembly service, is automatically suggested in the shopping basket.

The delivery times can be found on the article pages under the price. This always corresponds to the selected configuration. Please note that the delivery times for individual variants may differ. If ordering multiple objects you are welcome to contact us for an approximate delivery forecast.

In-stock, and per DHL shipped products, which are ordered and paid for by 12 noon from Monday to Friday are normally dispatched that day and are, generally, delivered 2 to 3 days (within Switzerland) or 3 to 5 (rest of mainland Europe) Delivery times can however always vary. Delivery via DHL occurs Monday to Saturday, delivery via freight transport Monday to Friday during usual office hours. A complete overview of our shipping options and delivery times can be found here.

Many of our products are available in their standard versions immediately, but most individual product configurations and special requests must be made to order by the manufacturer. Usually these are delivered within 3 to 6 weeks. The delivery time depends on the manufacturer, a standard delivery time for all non-stocked items will be displayed below the price on the item page when you configure your item. We will inform you of the anticipated delivery date to our warehouse as soon as possible after receiving the confirmation from the manufacturer.

Orders paid in advance by bank transfer will be dispatched as soon as we receive your payment. Please note that a regular transfer within Switzerland takes about 1 to 2 days and a transfer from other countries takes about 3 to 6 days. If your online banking allows you to pay by real-time transfer, your payment will be transferred to smow within 10 seconds and we can process your order immediately after receipt.

When paying by credit card, your account will be debited directly and so we can ship in-stock items immediately after the order has been received.

When ordering via PayPal or TWINT the payment is transferred directly from the PayPal site. In-stock items can therefore be shipped as soon as the order has been processed.

In the case of deliveries via our freight transport partners, the delivery date will be advised in advance by e-mail or SMS. If you do not respond to the link in the e-mail and have only registered a landline number, you will be notified by telephone. If you have registered a landline and a mobile number, you will automatically receive a notification via SMS. If you do not wish this type of notification, please contact us by e-mail service@smow.ch or by phone 031 981 40 67. Deliveries through freight forwarders take place Monday to Friday during normal office hours. Deliveries through DHL take place Monday to Saturday without prior notification; however you will receive a shipment tracking number with which you can request delivery to a secure location or a second delivery.

In-stock USM objects usually need to be assembled in our warehouse before shipping, this is generally completed within 1 to 2 working days. If it is a larger configuration, or if the spatial conditions at your location do not permit a completely assembled delivery, the final assembly will be carried out on site by a certified USM installation partner. Please contact our USM service team for more detailed information concerning your specific order.

With your shipping confirmation you will receive a tracking link that allows you to view the current status of your shipment at any time. If your consignment is sent by freight transport, the local office responsible will contact you in advance by phone to coordinate the delivery date.

Upon receipt please check your shipment immediately for damage visible from the outside and note this on the acknowledgment of receipt or the delivery note. Please also contact our customer service team for further advice and assistance. Hidden transport damage, that which wasn’t immediately visible on receipt, must be reported to smow within 7 days.

We ship within Switzerland as well as throughout Europe - within Switzerland and Germany as well as to Austria our standard delivery service is free of charge. All our shipping options and prices can be found in this overview.

We ship our goods untaxed and duty unpaid to non-EU countries, except Switzerland and Liechtenstein. This means that you will receive from us a net invoice without the VAT. The shipping costs include the transportation and the fee for the import customs clearance. Possibly additional fees and import VAT are determined by the respective authorities depending on goods, price, size and weight are not included and are to be paid by the recipient. A customs duty itself usually does not apply, as our products are preferential goods of exclusively European origin. Before placing an order it is however advisable to inquire about the import regulations at your local customs office.

The tax value is calculated from the value of the goods, the shipping costs and customs clearance costs and other ancillary costs to the first domestic destination as well as any import duties. The invoice amount and the shipping costs have to be paid to smow. Customs duties and are payable to the respective shipping service provider via a separate invoice.

In the smow online shop you can choose between advance payment with 3 % discount, PayPal, TWINT and credit card payment. A complete overview of our payment options can be found here.

The 3 % advance payment discount is available for payments via classic bank transfer, as only then are no transaction fees incurred by smow. The discount will be automatically deducted from the invoice amount after selection of the respective payment method.

You will only qualify for a 3 % discount on advance payments by classic bank transfer, as only with this method of payment are no transaction fees incurred by us.

When paying via PayPal you will be redirected to the PayPal website. There, you trigger the payment on the account you have deposited. The debiting of your PayPal account will only take place upon completion of the order process in our online shop.

With the payment option with TWINT, a QR code and a five-digit number code are displayed. There you trigger the payment via the account you have stored. Your TWINT account will not be debited until you have completed the ordering process in our online shop via approval and confirmation.

In the smow online shop you can pay with Visa and MasterCard.

For technical reasons credit cards are charged at the time of ordering in our online shop. The subsequent card payment follows according to the agreement between yourself and the card issuer.

Depending on the credit card provider in addition to your name, credit card number, expiry date and CCV number, a security code may be requested. The so-called 3-D Secure Code is a security standard for online credit card transactions and is intended to reduce the risk of fraud and the loss of payments due to card misuse. For Visa, the service is called "Verified by Visa" and for MasterCard "MasterCard SecureCode".

For a payment with 3-D Secure, you will be directed to the website of your card issuer during the payment process and will confirm your identity there. Exactly how the authentication occurs depends on the card issuing institution and can be done, for example, by a password or a security question. If your card is not yet registered for the procedure, you will be automatically redirected to the required steps on your bank's website. Such codes are not stored or noted on the card itself; it is not to be confused with the CCV on the back of the credit card. Only when the authentication is successful, will the credit card payment be executed.

VAT is generally charged to private individuals for all deliveries within the EU and Switzerland. As a company, you are exempt from VAT - provided you supply a valid VAT ID with your order. Customers from non-EU countries, except Switzerland, do not pay VAT, and receive a net invoice.

If you would like to cancel your order, please inform our customer service team by phone, by e-mail or via our cancellation form stating your order number. If the item has already been sent, we will coordinate the process of the return with you individually. Please note that the right of withdrawal does not apply to individually configured products, spare parts and price reduced items.

As a consumer within the meaning of § 13 BGB you can cancel your order in the smow online shop within 30 days without giving any reason. The statutory period of revocation and statutory claims of the customer remain unaffected by this extended time regulation. If you are not satisfied with your order, we will organise the exchange or return.

Please note that we can only take back unused products, ideally in original packaging, that show no signs of wear. If the returned product is nevertheless damaged or shows signs of wear, you must pay for any loss of value of the goods, provided that this loss of value is due to handling them in a manner which is not necessary for checking the nature, properties and functioning of the goods. In addition, the right of revocation does not apply to individually configured products, spare parts and price reduced items.

If you would like to exchange your ordered item, please inform our customer service team by phone or e-mail quoting your order number. After receipt of your return and completed quality inspection, we will take care of the shipping of the replacement item and any open payments.

After we have received your cancellation or your return, we will refund the full invoice amount within a maximum of 14 days. Reimbursement will be made through the means of payment originally used at the time of purchase. It is not necessary to cancel payments made, for example the credit card booking, as this may result in fees. Please note that costs addition to the standard delivery, such as the comfort service surcharge, can not be refunded.

If your delivered order has a fault, we will arrange the return or exchange of the goods. There are no additional costs for you. The return shipment is also free of charge for corporate customers in the event of such a complaint.

Transport damage
In the event of transport damage which is visible from the outside, please note this on the delivery note and then inform our customer service team. If the goods are clearly damaged, you can also refuse acceptance. If it is a hidden transport damage, that which is not visible at point of receipt, please notify us within 7 days.

Quality defect
If your order has a fault or quality defect, please inform our customer service team by phone or e-mail quoting your order number. Depending on the nature of the order and defect we will organise the return or the exchange of the goods.

In case of a return please first contact our customer service team. This will prevent you from incurring costs that we may charge you.

For consignments via DHL, you, as a consumer within the meaning of § 13 BGB, will receive from us an electronic return label for the return. Stick this on the, ideally originally, packed, goods and return the package to us via Schweizerische Post. If you cannot visit your post office personally, you have the possibility to order a pick-up by pick@home at your own expense.

For consignments by freight transport, we arrange collection by the forwarding company.

Please note the following points:

• Always use our returns label when returning goods
• As a company you bear the return costs yourself
• It is best to use the original packaging for the return shipment in order to avoid the risk of transport damage
• Attach the invoice or invoice copy and/or the delivery note to the return shipment

Our address for returns is:

smow Solothurn
Kronengasse 15
4500 Solothurn
Switzerland

We charge CHF 20.00 per parcel for the return of parcel-transportable goods fromSwitzerland, Germany and Austria.

For returns of parcel-transportable goods from Belgium, Denmark, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, we charge CHF 20.00 per DHL parcel (incl. VAT).

Business customers always bear the costs for the return shipment themselves. We charge business customers CHF 20.00 (incl. VAT) per package when ordering the return of goods that can be sent by parcel post.

We do not bear the costs for the return of goods that cannot be sent by parcel post - irrespective of whether they are private or business customers. For the return shipment of forwarding shipments, we will arrange a collection in consultation with you if necessary. For returns from Germany a flat rate of CHF 69.00 (incl. VAT) per shipping pallet is charged, for returns from the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Luxembourg, France and Denmark a flat rate of CHF 149.00 (incl. VAT) per shipping pallet is charged. For returns from Switzerland we charge a flat rate of CHF 200.00 per shipping pallet.

Returns from countries other than those mentioned above and other non-EU countries will be treated separately. Please contact our customer service team.

If you have received a payment reminder, even though you have returned your order or have already correctly transferred the invoice amount, please contact our payment service provider Unzer. Generally such is an unfortunate overlap and can be quickly resolved. Access to the Unzer Customer Portal can be found on your payment reminder. Alternatively, Unzer can also be contacted by e-mail at info@payolution.com or at the following telephone numbers:

Tel. Switzerland 0800 404 33 00

USM stands for Ulrich Schärer Münsingen.

USM Haller is an extensive modular furniture system that offers a high level of creative freedom. At smow you will find a large number of preconfigured USM units, but you also have the possibility to individually plan your ideal furniture in our USM Configurator, or have it planned by us. Due to the nature of the system, it is not possible to present all possible options in a price list. The prices of individual configurations can be calculated in the smow online shop or in the smow USM configurator.

An all-inclusive catalogue from USM is not available, but you can request from us the brochures "Make it your Home" and "Make it your Workspace". The catalogues present a variety of examples from both the private and office sector. In addition, you will find a large selection of different furniture from USM Haller in our smow catalogue.

USM Haller E is a product line in which USM furniture is provided with light and/or USB ports: additions supplied via an electric current integrated into the furniture structure. Electrified USM units allows e.g. the targeted illumination of drawers and compartments, as an indirect light source or as a charging station for mobile devices.

You can order a selection of USM Haller E units with integrated light or power supply elements online from smow. Please contact our USM customer service for more information, configurations and pricing information.

The USM Kitos desks are available in many variations and can be individually configured in terms of the bases, the type of height adjustment, the functionality and look of the table top. In order to find the ideal solution for your needs, we recommend a personal consultation before you buy. If possible, visit one of our smow stores, where you can usually test the product directly, or contact our USM customer service team.

If you have ordered a USM Haller unit without locks, but the doors are locked, it is probably the transport protection which is intended to prevent the opening of the flaps during transport. You can unlock them by turning the slot in the middle of the handle 90 ° to the right with a coin or a screwdriver so that the slot is horizontal. If you have ordered a shelf with locks and the keys are missing, please contact our customer service team.

Yes. And almost anything is possible with the USM Haller furniture system - countless dimensions and colours are available to you in the planning. Use the USM configurator from smow to design your own customized USM furniture or edit USM furniture from the smow online shop by selecting the option "More options in the USM configurator" on the corresponding product page. Alternatively feel free to contact our experienced USM Haller consulting team on 031 981 40 67 or visit your local smow store for assistance with more complex furnishing requirements.

In our USM configurator you will find the most common axis dimensions and door variants in all USM colours, as well as various accessory options such as metal intermediate trays, cable outlet and door locks. We are constantly working on expanding the configuration options, but the USM system is not only very complex due to the multitude of possibilities, but also linked to special safety regulations. In order to make the configuration as simple as possible for you and to guarantee individual price displays, a complete depiction of the USM assortment is unfortunately not yet possible.

However, we are also happy to plan complex USM configurations for you and assist you in planning your office, surgery, law firm or shop with USM. Please contact our USM customer service team or a local store for an individual consultation.

The USM furniture system is a modular system that enables customised solutions. These can be extended, changed and converted at any time. As a result, USM offer the opportunity for individual designed units which can be adapted to meet future needs. This high degree of flexibility and variability requires a large number of individual components. For example, the USM Haller furniture system consists of more than 2,000 individual parts. Due to this complexity, it is absolutely necessary to have the assembly, dismantling and re-assembly carried out by specially trained personnel. Not least because through this, the value and longevity of the USM products can be guaranteed.

Incorrect installation risks damaging the user or the furniture. Furthermore, legal claims arising from product liability and warranty can invalidated. In addition, as a manufacturer of high-quality products, USM has committed itself to meeting prevailing technical standards and safety regulations.

To maintain the high quality of USM, and for product liability reasons, USM Modular Furniture should only be assembled or disassembled by trained personnel. However for the addition of simple elements such as intermediate trays, drawers, etc., which you can order directly in our online shop, the delivery is accompanied by an assembly manual. In addition, you can find installation tutorials for various accessories on our YouTube channel.

We are happy to make you an offer for the conversion of your USM furniture. We work together with assembly partners throughout Switzerland, who have many years of experience, and the necessary expertise, in the conversion of USM products.

The USM system consists of 2'000 parts, all of which are compatible with each other. And which can be combined again and again - thus USM furniture can react flexibly to changing requirements and thus have a particularly long service life. In order to remain manageable and neutral, the colour spectrum of USM furniture is limited to 15 pure-coloured standards, and thus help ensure the durability, regardless of time-limited colour trends. In addition, for larger orders USM can be requested in any RAL color. Please contact our customer service team for more information.

The basic idea is (per product line) an open system that consists of single-grade materials. The shelves are made of powder coated steel. Complex moldings unsuitable for mechanical production, such as fittings, clamping elements and handles, are made of plastic injection molding or die-cast metal, depending on the strength requirements. The tabletops are made of glass or synthetic resin, linoleum or chipboard covered with real wood veneers. The veneered tabletops are sealed with a multi-layer, radiation-curing lacquer coating on an aqueous basis. The glue used is low in formaldehyde and meets the requirements of the lowest emission class E1. The table frame and the supporting structure are made of chromed steel.

The USM ball is a chrome plated brass ball with six M8x1 threaded holes.

The demand for high technical quality over several life cycles, narrow tolerance ranges, dimensional stability despite variations in temperature and humidity and resistance can usually be achieved only with the precise material steel. For the top horizontal level, however, wood or plastic panels are possible under certain conditions.

The "ball centre to ball centre" dimension refers to the distance of the furniture axes and is used to simplify the description of the grid. If one considers the ball diameter, then one can simply deduce the universal dimension from this: For width and depth, the "ball centre to ball centre" dimension is + 3 cm, for the height (due to the leveling feet) the center distance is + 4 cm.

The dimensions given are grid dimensions of the USM modular furniture system and refer to the distance from the center of a ball to the center of the next. The ball/tube connection is facilitated by the so-called connector (double wedge) with a length of 40 mm. For the pipe connection you need 2 connectors (2 x 40 mm) plus 2 x the distance pipe end/ball center (2 x 9 mm), in total 98 mm. Thus, the 100mm tube is the smallest possible.

The longer the tube, the less favorable the static ratio between tube diameter and tube length. Tubes longer than 750 mm would bend under normal load.

USM Haller and USM Kitos table tops have a thickness of 19 mm.

The maximum permissible load (surface load) for all metal elements (including perforated), intermediate metal shelves and inserts up to a size of 750 x 500 mm is 50 kg. Heavy punctiform loads (e.g., metal sculpture on a small pedestal) cause large deflections. In the case of metal elements with corresponding punctiform loads, or surface loads of more than 50 kg, a support profile must be used for reasons of stability. However, in such cases we would recommend you contact us in advance to clarify the requirements.

It is possible to place cable ducts in the furniture. These are rectangular cutouts (63 x 48 mm) in the panel, which are provided with an edge protector. Cable ducts can be easily added to your order in the online shop.

We are happy to assist you in the search for your desired item and order any product from the manufacturer in our collection.

All articles from our online shop and the smow catalogue can be ordered in the smow stores. Part of our assortment is also exhibited in the stores. It is best always to call your local store to see if your desired piece of furniture is currently on display.

Many manufacturers in our range also supply individual and spare parts and organise repairs. Please contact our customer service team with details of the manufacturer and the product concerned. If available, a product number or a photo can be helpful to ensure ordering the correct part.

smow only supply new and original goods. All items offered are "originals" in the sense of international copyright law and many designs are protected worldwide. Learn more here or read an article by Vitra boss Rolf Fehlbaum about the original. The brands represented at smow manufacture to the highest quality standards; predominantly in Germany, Switzerland, Italy or Denmark. Some of the products are handmade and manufactured under craft based conditions. We are committed to the original and giving the customer the security of having invested in a real classic. Because only a licensed original stands for the respect for the creative achievement of designers.

Originals usually have a Certificate of Authenticity or are identified by manufacturer logos, the designer's signature, or an identification number on the product.

Works by Le Corbusier are available exclusively from Italian manufacturer Cassina. Cassina received the exclusive rights to the furniture design in 1965 personally by Le Corbusier, and to today Cassina is the only company in the world that is allowed to produce the works of Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand. With the exclusive production rights to the original Le Corbusier designs, Cassina guarantees the use of high quality, durable materials and best workmanship.

Cassina's originals clearly stand out from cheaper copies available on the market. Counterfeits are often confusingly similar to the original, but never reaches the high level of originals. Often they are made of inferior materials, have mostly after a short time signs of wear and can not be repaired. Who uses them without hesitation or even knowingly, commits theft to the intellectual property of others. You can see the originals from the series "Cassina I Maestri" by Cassina on the signature of the author, the logo "Cassina I Maestri" and a serial number that records the production chronology.

The articles by Charles & Ray Eames are sourced exclusively from Vitra. Vitra acquired the licenses to produce the Eames furniture in Europe in 1957 exclusively from Herman Miller. With the exclusive production rights for the original Eames designs, Vitra guarantees the use of high-quality, durable materials and the best workmanship. The originals of Vitra stand out clearly from the cheap copies available on the market. Counterfeits are often confusingly similar to the original, but never reaches the high level of originals. Often they are made of inferior materials, have mostly after a short time signs of wear and can not be repaired. Who uses them without hesitation or even knowingly, commits theft to the intellectual property of others.

Thanks to carefully selected materials and perfect workmanship, design classics are not only extremely durable, many manufacturers also create sustainable products with FSC-certified woods, recyclable materials and socially responsible manufacturing methods and short transport routes.

No. You can also order from smow without registration and simply providing us with your billing and delivery data once. Please note that you can use a customer account to view the status of your orders and to manage your customer data. Your given data will be treated strictly confidential. Read here more about privacy at smow.

We will send you an order confirmation with all relevant data immediately after receipt of the order. Also in terms of shipping and payment we will inform you immediately by e-mail.

Please check that you are using the e-mail address registered with smow. If you forgotten your password, you can reset your password here. If you do not yet have a smow customer account, you can register here.

If you have registered with smow with a customer account, you can view the status of your orders and manage your customer data. Simply log in to your customer account and manage your contact details and billing and delivery addresses via the navigation.

To delete your smow customer account, please contact our customer service team.

You can unsubscribe from our newsletter via your customer account or directly in the newsletter. If you no longer wish to receive catalogues, please contact our customer service.

In terms of "data economy", we only collect data when it is needed and use it exclusively for specific purposes. We collect e.g. data to enable us to contact you or to provide services ordered. Data will not be used otherwise without explicit prior consent or legal basis.

Data entered online is securely encrypted and kept secure against unauthorised access. Only authorised employees have access to it. Data will never be disclosed to third parties.

The protection of your personal data has always been a high priority for us even before the GDPR entered into force. Of course nothing has changed, much more, GDPR was an opportunity to re-examine and improve our processing operations.

For information concerning the use of your personal data, please contact our customer service team or write an e-mail to datenschutz@labelfarm.com. Please note that we can provide information only after prior unambiguous identification of your person.

In the smow stores you can view many articles from the smow online shop, touch them and sit in them. You can find us in 4500 Solothurn, Freiburg, Konstanz and in the Black Forest, Berlin, Hamburg, München, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Köln, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Chemnitz, Nuremberg, Mainz, Essen and Kempten. Note, however, that in the ever changing shop displays not all items available in the online shop are available. Therefore should you have a specific item in mind, please contact the store in advance.

You can order our current catalogue for free via the online shop or pick up a copy in the smow stores.

We are also happy to assist you in the planning of larger projects. Simply contact us by phone on 031 981 40 67 or by e-mail at project@smow.ch. Depending on the project, plans are either realised by our (interior) architects or interior designers via the online shop or our stores. For e-mail inquiries, we ask you to provide us with your complete contact details with address and telephone number and, if available, photos and a room layout plan or description of the spatial conditions on site.

smow sounds like the English word snow - only with a M. And a lot more warmth.