Atera Certo 480 black roof box (420 litres) no....

Atera's Certo boxes have a contemporary and individual design which combines strength with practicality - the design brief was that they should be "robust, attractive, secure, spacious". They've been thoroughly tested and approved by the German TÜV, including "City Crash testing" which is becoming a norm in our sector.

General features:

• Dual side opening so you can either mount it in the middle of the car or (usually the better option as it minimises the strain on your back) on either the left or the right side
• 3 point central locking on each side for extra security. You can't remove the key from the lock unless the box is properly closed.
• The Master-Fit box to bar fittings are very quick and easy to use. Just turn the adjuster knob until the fitting is tight and then press down the red security button to prevent the system from loosening.
• The maximum load limit is 75kg, but please also consider the weight of the empty box, and the bars, and avoid carrying more than your vehicle's maximum permitted roof load
• Internal luggage straps are included and should be used
• 5 year guarantee

Atera is the leading German car rack systems brand, although they have their boxes made for them in Holland. Atera's commitment to engineering excellence and quality is demonstrated by the fact that the majority of their business is with the Original Equipment market, i.e. direct to the car manufacturers, where major customers include Audi, BMW, Daewoo, Chrysler, Fiat, Honda, Mitsubishi, Mercedes, Opel, Subaru, Suzuki, Vauxhall and Volkswagen.

Summary: A very good box, well designed and well made.

If you don't need a box hoist, our alternative gift is a set of 3 Fasty straps. Although of much less financial value they will be useful for 1,001 things, time and again. To order the 3 straps, 'untick' the Free box hoist tick box by clicking in the box, and then tick the Alternative free gift one instead. Please note that only one box hoist or one set of straps will be included per roof box ordered.

Technical specifications at a glance:

• External dimensions: 192 (l) x 82 (w) x 42 (h) cm
• Internal dimensions: 184 (l) x 75 (w) cm
• Volume: 420 litres
• Weight: 17.5kg
• Max load capacity: 75kg
• Max number of skis: 6 (max 183cm)
• Opens from: both sides
• Type of struts: dual force springs
• Fits bars up to: 94mm wide; aerobar adapters also available (see below)
• Distance between roof bars: min 54, max 91cm
• Distance between fittings on each roof bar: 46cm
• Guarantee: 5 years
• Colours: gloss black lid/black base

Very few customers know much about the roof box market before they visit our site. We have a lot of information about the things to think about before buying, and the “real world usefulness" of various roof box features, but you’ll be buying sight unseen, and you probably won’t have used a roof box before, so there is inevitably some luck in getting a box that you’ll be happy with.

We want to remove the risks of buying these large and often expensive items, perhaps from brands which almost every other roof box retailer doesn’t stock, and so we have a unique “90 day Exchange Scheme” for roof boxes.

This allows you to use a roof box and, with the benefit of experience, to exchange it for a new one within 90 days of invoice date. Most exchanges are from a shorter box to a longer one, or from a wider box to a narrower one.

These are the rules of the Exchange Scheme:

• You are allowed one exchange only.
• The original box must be in "as new" condition, subject only to fair wear and tear.
• The replacement box must be a different model.
• The replacement box must not be part of a package deal or be from our Bargains section.
• Roof bars are never part of the Exchange Scheme.

This is how the exchange scheme works:

• We charge in full for the replacement box, including the appropriate carriage charge and a charge for any packaging needed for the return of the original.
• We arrange the collection and pay the return carriage costs.
• When the original box arrives back here we refund you for the invoice value of the original box, but you won't get back more than the invoice value of the replacement box. In other words, if the replacement is cheaper than the original we won't be giving you "extra cash back".

Delivery charges and arrangements:

We charge a contribution towards delivery costs, depending on what you order, where you live, and how quickly you want the goods.

For most UK addresses, the charge for our two to three day service is £5.50 (£9.50 for orders including a roof box) and our charge for Next Working Day deliveries is £8.50 (£12.50 for orders involving a roof box). AutoSock, and small spare parts, are charged £3.95 (1st Class post) or £5.50 (express courier, usually Next Working Day).

There are different charges for any delivery including a sea crossing, and deliveries to Skye - we will contact you with a quote on receipt of order.

Orders for Next Working Day delivery need to be received by 4.00pm.

There are no deliveries on Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays. Next Working Day orders placed on a Friday will be delivered on the Monday, Next Working Day orders placed on a Saturday will be delivered on the Tuesday.

We are very flexible with our deliveries and will aim to deliver on a day and at an address which suits you. Goods can usually be left without signature - we prefer this with roof boxes. There's a "Special Delivery Instructions" box in the checkout area where we'll ask you to choose a typical instruction and then amend it to suit your particular requirements.

No retailer or courier company can ever "guarantee" a Next Working Day delivery. All courier companies occasionally have the same transport problems as can happen to everyone else, including snow blocked roads, closed roads, traffic jams, mechanical breakdown, an inability to find the delivery address, or to gain access to it if, for example, it's in a block of flats. We work with some of the best couriers in the business, and overall they provide an outstanding service.