Purpose of Terms and Conditions
The purpose of this page which details our companies Terms and Conditions is to protect both our selves (Northern Geological Supplies Ltd) and your self, the customer by implementing UK law and legislation as well as offering the best solution we think viable. As such, we have attempted to make this page detailing our Terms and Conditions as easy to read as possible, eliminating 'jargon' text and 'long winded' paragraphs. We hope this will make the details below less confusing, however, if you do still wish to have clarification on any of the Terms and Conditions below, you are more than welcome to contact us via phone or email and talk about it.
Making A Purchase
Making a purchase could not be easier. Just browse our web site, and click on any items that you wish to buy and put them into the shopping cart. After you have finished your selection, click on the shopping cart icon and you will be asked to proceed to checkout. Select this option and we will require a few details that we need to be able to satisfy your order such as name, address, etc.
Processing Orders
Once you submit your order, we receive an electronic order in the admin section of our website. The time it takes processing orders depends on the amount of items ordered, size and fragility of items, time the order was placed, how many orders were placed during that day and whether the items are currently in stock.
Assuming all items are in stock and placed during the day or evening previous, orders begin being processed that same day. Small orders take just a few minutes to complete, larger amounts of items take longer as does orders for fragile items, which take longer due to ensuring the items are packaged well so that the product does not break or get damaged.
In general, small orders placed before 12 pm will be processed that day and possibly shipped out that day. Orders placed after this time will be processed that day but may instead be shipped out the next working day. Whilst we always try to get your order dispatched as soon as possible, please note that our couriers show up at different times each day, which may result in your parcel not being sent out until the following day.
Quality of Goods
At Northern Geological Supplies Ltd, we strive to provide the highest quality goods we can offer as described in product descriptions and depicted in product images. For the majority of the tools and equipment, what you see in the image will be exactly what you receive (some colours may vary). However, although we will do our best, this cannot be said for natural specimens such as rocks, minerals or fossils where the image and description are representative only. The exceptions to this are the special items such as the one off large display minerals and fossils where the description and image you see will be exactly what you receive.
Specimen Sizes
With regards to our specimens, these are natural products, where there is expected to be variation in terms of sizes. All of our samples are hand trimmed after having gone through a rock crusher. Attempting to over trim a specimen to reach an exact size is near impossible. The majority of our specimens are supplied in one of our card trays. The size listed for a majority of our samples refers to the card tray the specimen is packaged in, rather than the exact size of the specimen itself. If a specimen is too large for a certain tray, then it will be sold as the size of the next card tray up. As such, please note that there may be variance with the size of the specimen you receive.
Prices
All prices stated on the website are displayed excluding the current rate of UK value added tax (VAT) which is currently 20%. Prices are to the best of our knowledge correct. However, prices are subject to change at any time without warning. This can be for a number of reasons, such as increased rates from suppliers and distributors etc. Please note, we will advise ahead of any price changes and seek your decision of whether or not you wish to continue to purchase the goods. You will be notified of the total cost of your order including VAT before you have to pay and of course, if you no longer want the item, we will refund your money back in full.
Tax and VAT
For orders made within the UK, the standard rate of value added tax (VAT), shall apply to the total amount of your order (postage and shipping costs included). The current rate of VAT is 20% of the total value of your order. However, this rule shall not apply should you purchase certain items, such as: printed media (books), certain pieces of safety equipment and maps.
Should you reside outside of the UK, you will not be subject to any VAT costs at all. Note, VAT may appear at the checkout, but this shall change when you change the country, at which point the page shall refresh and any VAT costs will have been removed.
Tax and VAT on Postage/Shipping
For all orders placed within the UK, the standard rate of VAT shall apply to postage or shipping costs as well. This shall not apply however, if you only purchase VAT exempt items (printed media and safety equipment). In which case, VAT will not be charged on shipping costs. However, should you purchase the above mentioned items alongside VAT chargeable goods, then standard VAT shall be applied to the cost of shipping.
Payment Methods
We accept a variety of popular payment methods which include credit cards, debit cards: Visa (debit and credit card), Visa Electron, Switch, Maestro, Mastercard, Delta and PayPal.
Credit/Debit Card Security
WorldPay, a trusted global payment processing company, deals with credit card security, and handles all of our card transactions that are not processed through PayPal. All payment transactions are secure and fully encrypted to the highest global standards, ensuring your card details are always kept 100% safe and secure.
Shipping Charges
Shipping on goods is applied depending on the overall total weight and dimensions of the package. We use a variety of shipping carriers which best suite the package being dispatched.
Shipping
For the UK, our predominant courier of choice is APC. The majority of the parcels sent via APC are aimed to be delivered on the next working day after dispatch, with some extra delays for areas such as the Scottish Highlands or any of the Islands surrounding the UK. Please note there may also be further delays during busy times of the year, such as during the Christmas period. Royal Mail 1st Class Small Parcel is also available for certain areas of the UK. However please note this service is untracked and we cannot guarantee delivery times.
For international shipments, we use a variety of couriers, such as UPS, DHL, FedEx and TNT. Transit times can vary heavily depending on where in the world the parcel is travelling to. This could range from a few days to a few weeks. All tracking information will be made available. For international shipments, there may be import fees/duty to be paid, in order to clear your parcel through customs. These fees are not controlled by ourselves, and payment of them in a timely manner are the responsibility of the buyer.
Back Orders
If the item you require is out of stock, you may contact us about our estimated dates of when we will next have the items in. If you order an item, which has not yet registered on the computer as out of stock, we will quickly get the stock in. Delays may occur. You may contact us at any time requesting the status of your order. You also reserve the right to cancel your order with us.
Personal Details
All personal details such as names, address, etc are not shared with any other person(s) or companies except with the courier your items are being shipped with. Your contact telephone number and email address are also used to place on to the package and for you to receive tracking details from the courier. Other details such as names/delivery addresses etc are only used to print out delivery address labels for orders placed and contact details are never used except for when we must get in touch with you, the customer.
Returns
All items listed on our website are subject to the Distance Selling Act 2000. This gives you, the customer, 14 days in which you can cancel/return your order for a refund. The refund will be for the cost of goods only and not the shipping cost, as the shipping is a service which we still will have paid for and provided. Cost of returning the goods is also down to you, the customer.
Returns: Equipment, Tools, Polished Stones and Manufactured Goods
Any goods which fall under the equipment or manufactured goods category can be returned ONLY IF they have not been used and have complete packaging. If they appear damaged, scratched or are in a non-working condition due to use by you or the end user, we are regretfully unable to accept them to be returned. We will however, accept returns if the items you have received are damaged during transit, we have supplied the wrong goods, or the item has become damaged during initial use. Please contact us to arrange for this.
Returns: Natural Specimens
We will only accept returns on items which fall under the Natural Specimens category (which include: rocks, minerals, fossils and gemstones) if the items have been damaged during transit or we have supplied the incorrect goods. We cannot accept returns for reasons such as appearance preferences, minor scratch marks, or specimen size variation. Please understand that these are natural items, not manufactured, and there may be minor differences between what appears on the website and what you receive.
Cancellations
We reserve the full right to cancel any order as we see fit. There are usually legitimate reasons for us cancelling an order such as the item no longer being in stock or technical errors on our website resulting in wrong charges being applied. At this point, we will cancel the order, offer a full refund (including all costs such as tax and postage) and notify you of the refund and reason why.
Complaints
We endeavour to provide a quality service to our customers on all aspects. However, if you feel we have not met such standards and wish to make a complaint, this can be done by contacting us via phone, letter or email and we will strive to assist you through your complaint.
Company Details
Northern Geological Supplies Limited. Also operating as: Geology Superstore, NGS Ltd, NGS, Northern Geological and Bolton Rock Shop.
Physical Address: 66 Gas Street, Bolton, Lancashire. BL1 4TQ.
Tel: 01204 388754 or +44 1204 388754 for international callers.
Company registration number: 04969405. VAT registration number: 572-3610-51.