Shipping policy

AUCKLAND SCIENTIFIC SHIPPING AND DELIVERY POLICY

Last updated: 12 September 2026

Auckland Scientific Ltd is committed to delivering products safely and keeping customers informed throughout the ordering and delivery process.

ORDER PROCESSING

Orders for available stock are normally processed within 1–3 working days after cleared payment has been received.

Many scientific instruments and specialist laboratory products are ordered directly from their manufacturer, distributor or overseas supplier. These products may have longer lead times, which will be displayed on the product page, confirmed at checkout or provided in our quotation or order acknowledgement.

Processing time is separate from delivery time.

DELIVERY AREA

Online orders are currently accepted for delivery within the United Kingdom only.

Customers requiring delivery outside the United Kingdom should contact us before ordering. We may provide an individual quotation where international supply is available, but international delivery is not guaranteed.

DELIVERY METHODS

We use reputable courier, postal, pallet and specialist delivery services depending on the product’s size, weight, value and handling requirements.

Some orders may be dispatched directly from the manufacturer or distributor. Products ordered from different suppliers may arrive separately.

Delivery options and applicable charges will be displayed at checkout or confirmed in a written quotation.

DELIVERY CHARGES

Delivery charges displayed on our website are calculated according to the available shipping rate.

Unless expressly stated otherwise, business prices and delivery charges exclude VAT. Applicable VAT will be shown before the online order is submitted.

Large, heavy, fragile or specialist equipment may require pallet delivery, specialist handling or an individually calculated delivery charge.

If the delivery cost shown at checkout is insufficient for a specialist order, we will contact the customer before accepting or placing the order with our supplier. We will confirm the revised delivery charge and will not take any additional payment without the customer’s agreement.

If the customer does not accept the revised charge, the affected item may be cancelled and any payment already made for it will be refunded, provided that we have not already accepted or placed an agreed special order.

DELIVERY LEAD TIMES

Delivery times vary according to product availability and the relevant manufacturer or supplier.

Some products may be available for prompt dispatch, while specialist, imported or configured equipment may have an estimated lead time of approximately 6–8 weeks or longer.

All delivery dates and lead times are estimates unless we expressly guarantee a delivery date in writing.

Lead times may be affected by manufacturer availability, international freight, customs clearance, carrier delays and events outside our reasonable control.

We will inform the customer if we become aware of a significant delay and provide an updated estimate where possible.

SPECIAL-ORDER AND IMPORTED EQUIPMENT

Special-order, imported, manufactured-to-order or configured equipment will not be ordered from our supplier until the applicable product specification, delivery charge, payment and order conditions have been agreed.

Business customers may not cancel a special order after Auckland Scientific Ltd has placed it with the manufacturer, distributor or supplier unless we agree otherwise in writing or the product is faulty, incorrectly supplied or materially different from the agreed specification.

Consumer statutory rights are unaffected.

DELIVERY ACCESS

The customer is responsible for providing a complete and accurate delivery address, contact telephone number and any relevant delivery instructions.

For large or palletised equipment, the customer must inform us of access restrictions, stairs, loading limitations, delivery-hour restrictions or any requirement for specialist positioning before ordering.

Unless expressly included in our quotation, delivery does not include installation, commissioning, calibration, training, unpacking, positioning, removal of packaging or disposal of existing equipment.

Additional charges may apply if delivery cannot be completed because the information provided was incorrect, nobody was available to accept the delivery or suitable access was not available.

ARRANGING YOUR OWN COLLECTION OR CARRIER

Customers may arrange collection using their own courier or transport provider, subject to prior written agreement with Auckland Scientific Ltd.

Please contact us before ordering so that we can confirm the collection address, product availability, package dimensions, weight and collection arrangements.

The customer is responsible for booking and paying their chosen carrier and for arranging suitable transit insurance.

Where a business customer arranges its own carrier, responsibility for loss or damage passes to the customer when the order is handed to that carrier.

Where a consumer independently appoints a carrier that was not offered by Auckland Scientific Ltd, risk may pass when the goods are handed to that carrier, as permitted by law.

DELIVERY INSPECTION

Please inspect packages and products as soon as reasonably possible after delivery.

Where possible, visible damage should be recorded with the delivery driver and photographed before the packaging is discarded.

Please notify us promptly, preferably within 48 hours, if an item appears damaged, incomplete, missing or incorrectly supplied. Prompt notification helps us raise a claim with the carrier or supplier.

The 48-hour request does not remove or restrict any statutory rights available to consumers.

Retain the product, shipping container and all packaging while we investigate the issue.

FAILED OR REFUSED DELIVERY

If delivery fails because the customer provided an incorrect address, was unavailable to receive the order, refused delivery without valid reason or failed to provide suitable access, we may charge the reasonable cost of redelivery, return transport, storage or specialist handling.

This does not affect a consumer’s statutory rights where goods are faulty, damaged, incorrectly supplied or validly cancelled.

RISK AND OWNERSHIP

For consumers, risk passes when the goods are delivered into the physical possession of the consumer or a person identified by the consumer to receive them.

For business customers, risk passes when the goods are delivered to the agreed delivery address or collected by the customer or its nominated carrier.

Ownership of the goods does not pass until Auckland Scientific Ltd has received full cleared payment.

RETURNS

Products must not be returned without prior authorisation and return instructions from Auckland Scientific Ltd.

Cancellations, returns and refunds are governed by our Return, Cancellation and Refund Policy.

CONTACT US

For shipping and delivery enquiries, contact:

Auckland Scientific Ltd
Email: office@auckland-scientific.co.uk
Telephone/WhatsApp: 07853 690001

Registered office:
2A Hutchinson Close
Coundon
Bishop Auckland
DL14 8NY
United Kingdom

Please do not return products to our registered office unless we specifically instruct you to do so.