Returns & Refunds

Because we supply sensitive research materials, our returns policy is necessarily stricter than that of a general retailer. This page sets out exactly where you stand, including the statutory rights you may have as a consumer in the European Union.

Why most returns cannot be accepted

Once a vial has left our control we can no longer verify how it was stored, handled or transported. Accepting it back into stock and supplying it to another researcher would compromise the integrity of the material and the reliability of their results. For this reason, we generally cannot accept returns of opened or temperature-sensitive material once an order has been dispatched, and we cannot resell returned material.

Right of withdrawal for consumers in the EU

If you are buying as a consumer rather than for a business or institution, EU consumer law gives you 14 days from the day you receive the goods to withdraw from the contract without giving a reason. To exercise it, tell us within those 14 days using the contact form on our support page or by email, giving your order number and a clear statement that you are withdrawing. You then have a further 14 days to send the goods back.

Two exemptions set out in the Consumer Rights Directive apply to a large part of this catalogue, and we want to be straightforward about them rather than leave you to discover them after you have posted a parcel:

• Sealed goods that are not suitable for return for health protection or hygiene reasons, where the seal has been broken after delivery. A vial whose stopper has been pierced or whose seal has been removed falls into this category and cannot be returned.
• Goods that can deteriorate rapidly. Material shipped under cold-chain conditions cannot be returned once it has left a controlled temperature environment, because its condition can no longer be established.

Sealed, unopened vials that have remained within their stated storage conditions are not covered by those exemptions and can be returned under the right of withdrawal. Return postage is yours to pay unless the goods were faulty, incorrect or damaged. We refund within 14 days of being told of the withdrawal, and we may wait until the goods are back with us before issuing it.

Business and institutional buyers do not have a statutory right of withdrawal. The rest of this policy applies to them in full.

Damaged items

If your order arrives with damaged packaging or a broken vial, contact us within 7 days of delivery. Please include your order number and clear photographs of the outer packaging and of the affected items. Where damage in transit is confirmed, we will arrange a replacement or a refund.

Incorrect items

If you received a product that does not match your order, contact us within 7 days of delivery with your order number and a photograph of the item and its label. We will correct the error at our expense.

Missing items

If part of your order is missing, contact us within 7 days of delivery. We will check the dispatch records and, where an item was not sent, we will ship it or refund it.

Faulty goods

If material does not conform to the specification on its certificate of analysis, contact us with your order number, the batch number from the vial label and a description of what you found. Where a fault is confirmed we will replace the material or refund it. This is separate from the right of withdrawal and is not limited to 14 days.

Non-delivery

If a confirmed, dispatched order does not arrive within the expected delivery window, contact support and we will trace the shipment. Where a shipment is confirmed lost in transit, we will replace or refund it.

Please note that where a shipment is detained or seized by customs because import of the product was not permitted in your country, this is not treated as non-delivery: as the importer of record, that responsibility rests with you.

How refunds are issued

A refund goes back by the same route the payment came in, wherever that is possible.

• Card payments are refunded to the card used for the order. Depending on your bank, the money usually appears within 5 to 10 business days of us issuing it.
• Payments settled in cryptocurrency are refunded in the same cryptocurrency, to a wallet address that you provide. Because exchange rates move, the refund is calculated on the fiat value of the original order, not on the number of coins originally sent. We will confirm the amount with you before sending it.

We do not charge a restocking fee. Where only part of an order is refunded, any delivery charge is refunded in proportion.

Order cancellation

If your order has not yet been dispatched, contact us with your order number as soon as possible and we will do our best to cancel it and refund you in full. Once an order has shipped it cannot be cancelled, and the sections above apply instead.

How to start a claim

Use the contact form on our support page. Include your order number, the email address used at checkout, a description of the problem, and photographs where relevant. We aim to respond within 1–2 business days, and to resolve a confirmed claim within 14 days of agreeing it.

If we cannot agree

If you are a consumer in the EU and we have not been able to settle a complaint between us, you may refer the dispute to the consumer dispute resolution body in your country. Nothing in this policy limits your statutory rights.