Return/Refund Policy

RuralGuard Returns & Warranty Policy

30-day money-back guarantee

We give you a full 30 days from the day your order arrives. If the camera is not right for you, get in touch within that window and we will arrange a refund or an exchange, whichever you prefer.

To start a return,  email support@ruralguardsecurity.co.uk. Have your order number to hand, or the postcode the camera was delivered to — we need one or the other to locate your order and book the return in.

We will then send you our return instructions by email, along with a prepaid Royal Mail Tracked returns label. Print it, attach it to your parcel, and either book a collection from your address or hand it in at your nearest Post Office or delivery office.

Cameras should come back to us complete, in a condition we can resell, with all mounts, cables, brackets and accessories included. You are welcome to unpack the camera and inspect it as you would in a shop — that will not affect your refund. If an item comes back damaged or with parts missing, we may reduce the refund to reflect that.

Return costs. Where you are returning a working camera because you have changed your mind, the cost of the return label is deducted from your refund. Where the camera is faulty or was damaged in transit, we cover the return postage in full and nothing is deducted.

Our return address is:

RuralGuard Security Ltd, 31 Langdales Avenue, Cumbernauld, Glasgow G68 9DH Scotland

Once your return reaches us

We will email you as soon as your return has been received and processed. We aim to complete this within five working days of the parcel arriving. Refunds go back to the card or account used for the original order, and usually land within two to three working days of us processing them.

SIM plans and subscriptions

RuralGuard SIM plans are a service rather than a product, so they work slightly differently to hardware.

Monthly plans can be cancelled at any time and will run until the end of the period you have already paid for. We do not refund part-months.

If you have paid for a year up front and cancel within your first 30 days, we will refund the annual fee less one month, to account for the service you have already used. The balance goes back to your original payment method once processed.

If you return a camera for a refund, tell us whether you would like the linked SIM plan cancelled at the same time — we will not cancel it automatically, in case you are keeping another camera on the same account.

12-month warranty

Every RuralGuard camera is covered for 12 months from the day it arrives with you.

If something goes wrong in that time, email support@ruralguardsecurity.co.uk with your order details and a description of what the camera is doing — the more detail the better, including any error messages, what the app shows, and where the camera is mounted.

We will usually start by talking you through a few checks over the phone or by email. A good proportion of faults turn out to be signal, power or app settings, and we can often get you back up and running the same day without the camera going anywhere. If those checks do not resolve it, we will arrange for the camera to come back to us for proper testing at our expense.

Where a genuine fault is confirmed, we will repair or replace the camera, or refund you, depending on what you would prefer and what stock we have available. Any work carried out under warranty is free of charge.

What the warranty does not cover. Damage caused in transit is our responsibility and is always covered. Physical damage caused after delivery is not — that includes impact damage, cut or chewed cables, water ingress from an incorrectly sealed installation, and damage from attempted repairs or modifications. If a camera arrives back with us showing that kind of damage, the warranty will not apply and we will contact you with the cost of any repair before doing anything.

Out of warranty

If your camera develops a fault after the 12 months are up, still get in touch. Our technical support does not stop at the warranty date and we are happy to talk you through diagnostics and settings at no charge — most issues are solved that way.

If the camera does need to come back to us, repairs outside warranty are chargeable. We will test it first, then contact you with a clear price before any work begins. We will never carry out chargeable work without your agreement.

Before you install

4G cameras rely on mobile signal at the exact spot they are mounted, which can differ from the signal at your house. If you are unsure, contact us before installing and we will help you check coverage. A quick conversation beforehand avoids most of the returns we see.

Support

Frequently asked questions

Everything people ask us before and after they buy. If your question isn't here, ring or WhatsApp us on +44 7494 304682, or email hello@ruralguardsecurity.co.uk — a real person answers, including at weekends.

Before you buy

There's no electricity where the camera needs to go. Is that a problem?

No — that's exactly what we're built for. Over half our customers have no mains power at the spot they want covered. The Solar 360 runs on its own solar panel and battery, so there's nothing to wire in and no trench to dig.

There's no WiFi out there either. Will it still work?

Yes. Our 4G cameras use the mobile network rather than your broadband, the same way your phone does. The camera works whether or not WiFi reaches the field, the shed or the far gate — and it keeps working if the broadband at the house goes down.

How do I know if I'll get enough signal?

In practice it is very rarely an issue. Our SIMs are made for rural use rather than being tied to a single network, so they pick up coverage almost everywhere — including plenty of places where an ordinary phone struggles.

If you would like certainty before you order, one of our team can actively check the signal at your location. Get in touch with roughly where the camera is going and we will look into it for you.

Which camera should I get?
  • Solar 360 — from £159.99. No power and no WiFi at the location. Fields, far gates, remote land.
  • Defender 360 — from £299.99. Our best seller. Choose 4G if there's no internet where it's going, WiFi if there is.
  • Defender 360 Elite — from £349.99. Same idea in 4K. Best where you need to make out faces or number plates.
  • Stealth 360 — from £191.99. For when you'd rather it wasn't obvious there's a camera there.
  • 5MP Bullet — from £99.99. A fixed view rather than a moving one. Simple and reliable.

Not sure? Ring or WhatsApp us — most people are on the phone five minutes and know exactly what they need.

What's in the box?

Everything you need to get going: the camera, mounting hardware and the cabling required for that model. Security signs are included with some cameras. Your SIM is fitted and activated here before it ships, so it arrives ready to go.

Memory cards are optional on every camera — choose a card size when you order if you want one, or fit your own.

Do you install them?

No — we're a self-install company, and that's deliberate: it keeps the price down and most people have theirs up within the hour. You'll need something to fix to and a drill.

What we do provide is help. Power it up, scan the QR code and you're live. If you'd like guidance we'll walk you through it by phone, WhatsApp or video call — and we're here afterwards too.

Where can I actually mount it?

Just about anywhere. We see photographs of our cameras in every sort of location and our customers still manage to surprise us — barn walls, gateposts, telegraph poles, trees, shipping containers, fence posts in the middle of nowhere.

If there is nothing to fix to, a timber or steel post concreted into the ground is the usual answer and costs very little. Two things worth bearing in mind: a solid post beats a tree, because branches move in the wind and set off alerts, and if it is a solar camera, keep the panel clear of anything that shades it.

Will it survive a Scottish winter?

Yes. These are weatherproof cameras built for outdoor use in the UK. They live on posts, barn walls and gateposts across the country year-round.

Recording and storage

How long will a memory card record for?

It depends on the camera, because higher resolution uses more space. As a rough guide with continuous recording:

  • Solar 360 — around 3 weeks on 64GB, around 6 weeks on 128GB
  • 5MP cameras (Defender 360, Stealth 360, Bullet) — roughly a week to a fortnight on 64GB, and around three weeks on 128GB
  • Defender 360 Elite — less again, because it records in 4K

These vary with how much movement the camera sees. Once the card is full it records over the oldest footage automatically, so you always have the most recent period available.

Is it recording all the time, or only when something moves?

We set cameras up to record continuously and we'd recommend keeping them that way. It means everything is on the card whether or not it triggered an alert — so if something happened at 3am and you weren't notified, the footage is still there.

What size card can I use?

The Solar 360 takes cards up to 128GB. All the other cameras take up to 256GB. Cards are optional at checkout on every model.

Do I need the cloud subscription?

No. Your footage records to the card in the camera — that's your storage, and it's how the vast majority of our customers use theirs. Cloud storage is an optional paid extra within the app and most people never enable it.

SIMs and data

Why do I need a SIM plan?

A 4G camera needs a mobile data connection the same way your phone does — that's what gives you live view, alerts and footage where there's no WiFi. The plan covers that data on our own network, and we set the SIM up before the camera ships so it arrives working.

Which plan do I need?

Essential suits occasional check-ins. Plus is what most of our customers are on and it covers normal use comfortably. Premium is for heavy live viewing. Current prices and allowances are shown on the product page.

If you're not sure, most people are fine on Plus — and you can move up or down at any time.

What if I run out of data mid-month?

Nothing dramatic — get in touch and we'll either top your data up or move you to a bigger plan, whichever suits.

Can I pay annually?

Yes, and there's a discount for doing so. Get in touch and we'll set it up.

I've got several cameras. Is there a better rate?

Yes — get in touch and we'll sort you out. We're finalising published multi-camera pricing shortly, and we already look after customers running several cameras on one site.

Can I pause my plan when I don't need it?

Yes, and plenty of people do — it's common to pause over the summer after lambing and start again in the new year. Just let us know.

Can I use my own SIM?

You can, but we'd suggest not. Ours is configured before the camera leaves us, so there are no APN settings to enter in a cold shed. We also support it — if the connection plays up we can look from our end rather than sending you to a mobile network call centre.

Does it still record if the signal drops?

Yes. Everything records to the card inside the camera, not to the signal. If the connection drops you lose live view and alerts for that period, but the footage is recorded and will be there when it reconnects.

Setting up

Which app do I need?

CamHi Pro, free on the App Store and Google Play. Power the camera on, scan the QR code with the app, and it connects.

How long does setup take?

Most customers are up and running in minutes. Mounting the camera usually takes longer than setting it up does.

The time on my camera is wrong, or keeps resetting.

This is the most common thing we're asked, and it's a settings fix rather than a fault. In CamHi Pro:

  1. Tap the cog icon to open settings
  2. Go to update time, then sync to phone time
  3. Set DST to Europe/Dublin
  4. Save — the camera will reboot, and the time will hold

Europe/Dublin is the correct option for UK time in this app. Getting it right matters more than it sounds: if the clock is wrong, the playback timeline won't line up with when things actually happened, which makes footage very hard to find.

If it still won't hold, ring or WhatsApp us — it takes a couple of minutes to sort together.

Should I use 50Hz or 60Hz?

50Hz in the UK. That matches our mains frequency and stops flicker or banding when the camera picks up artificial light. 60Hz is the US setting.

Do I need to format the memory card?

Yes — format it in the camera before you rely on it. That's what sets it up to record properly. If your playback looks like disconnected still frames rather than smooth video, an unformatted or badly seated card is usually why.

Can other people view the camera too?

Yes — you can share access with as many people as you like, so family or staff can view it on their own phones.

Using your camera

I can't find my recorded footage.

Recordings are on the card in the camera and you reach them through the app. In CamHi Pro, open the camera and tap Playback. Choose a date and you'll get a timeline for that day — drag along it to jump to a time.

Two things worth knowing: because we set cameras to record continuously, there's footage on the card even for events that didn't alert you. And if playback looks like separate frames rather than smooth video, the card needs formatting in the camera.

Can I save or send a clip?

Yes. While a recording is playing back there's a download option, which saves the clip to your phone — handy for sending to the police, your insurer or a neighbour.

It's alerting me for things that aren't there.

Usually the motion sensitivity combined with where the camera is pointed. Turning the sensitivity down stops branches, rain and shadows setting it off, and adjusting the angle slightly so hedges and trees are out of frame makes a big difference.

If it's still not behaving, give us a ring — we'll go through the settings with you. It's a five-minute job and it transforms how useful the camera feels.

How long does the Solar 360 battery last?

Roughly 10 to 14 days on a full charge with no input from the panel at all, depending on how much it's used and viewed. In practice the panel keeps it topped up, so you're not thinking about it.

Position the panel facing south with a clear view of the sky — no branches or buildings shading it. That's the single biggest factor in how well it performs.

Can I charge the Solar 360 manually?

Yes — it charges over USB-C, so you can top it up from a cable or a power bank if you ever need to.

Orders, delivery and returns

How quickly do you dispatch?

Same day on orders placed before 2pm, sent Royal Mail Tracked 24. Your SIM is set up here before it leaves, so the camera arrives ready to go.

Where do you deliver?

Anywhere in the UK and Ireland.

What if it's not right for me?

You've got 30 days. Get in touch and we'll arrange a refund or an exchange, whichever you'd prefer. Where you're returning a working camera, the cost of the return label is deducted from your refund. If the camera is faulty or arrived damaged, we cover the postage in full.

What warranty do I get?

18 months on most of our products — longer than the industry standard.

If something goes wrong, email or WhatsApp us with what it's doing. We'll usually start with a few checks — a good proportion of "faults" turn out to be signal, power or settings, and we can often have you working again the same day. If it does need to come back to us, we cover the postage.

Can I get help at the weekend?

Yes. We answer messages at weekends and aim to come back to you within two hours.

Do you do trade accounts?

Yes. If you're fitting cameras for clients, reselling, or buying several at a time, get in touch about a trade account.