Shipping policy

ZOIC PalaeoTech Limited ship both nationally (UK) and internationally. 

We do charge for shipping, but hear us out! Everytime you read 'free shipping' online, it's not really free. The charge is built into the price. This is great if you buy one thing, but if you buy lots you're paying over and over. We have a wide range of products, all the way from very small and light through to people who order 100kg of powder at a time. This allows us to calculate shipping based on the weight of your order. 

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Orders are typically processed within 1-5 working days, unless otherwise specified. If we are experiencing a high volume of orders, shipments may be a little delayed. Please allow additional days in transit for delivery. If there will be a significant delay in shipment of your order, we will contact you via email or telephone. We pay great attention to packaging our products safely for transportation. 

Subject to stock availability. We try to maintain accurate stock counts on our website but from time-to-time there may be a stock discrepancy and we will not be able to fulfil all your items at time of purchase. In this instance, we will fulfil the available products to you, and contact you about whether you would prefer to await restocking of the backordered item or if you would prefer for us to process a refund.

Brexit is now upon us as of the 1st January 2021. All international orders will ship ex-UK VAT and VAT charges will be applied at your local rate by your customs office. 

Domestic (UK Mainland)

Shipping charges will be calculated and displayed at checkout. 

For domestic shipments, we utilise We utilise Royal Mail, APC Overnight, DHL, DPD, Parcelforce and Evri depending on the size, value and weight of the items in the order. If you would prefer we use a certain carrier, please contact us on info@zoicpalaeotech.co.uk.

Transit time is typically 2-5 working days depending on the carrier. If delays are to be expected, we will let you know. 

Delivery Time Exceeded If delivery time has exceeded the forecasted time, please contact us so that we can conduct an investigation.

Tracking Upon dispatch, some customers will receive a tracking number, where applicable, from which they will be able to follow the progress of their shipment based on the latest updates made available by the shipping provider. Many parcels are not sent tracked, so this will not be available in every instance.

Parcels Damaged in Transit: If you find a parcel is damaged in-transit, if possible, please reject the parcel from the courier and get in touch with our customer service. If the parcel has been delivered without you being present, please contact us on info@zoicpalaeotech.co.uk with next steps. We must be notified of damaged goods within 48 hours of receipt.

Parcel Lost in Transit: If the package becomes lost by the courier or postal service please contact us immediately on info@zoicpalaeotech.co.uk so the issue can be dealt with a promptly as possible. We must be notified within 30 days if a parcel ceases tracking or has not been delivered (if untracked). 

Collection

If you would prefer to collect your order from us near Sherborne, Dorset or at one of our upcoming shows, please let us know your order via email so that we can arrange a suitable time and date and give you some directions. For our safety and yours, we will be maintaining 2m social distancing and conducting exchanges outdoors - we ask you to respect this. 

International

Please be aware that where applicable and outside of the UK, you may be charged import duties and taxes in the country of delivery. 

Most locations have pre-loaded shipping rates on our website, but if you get an error message, or would like us to provide you with a custom quote for your order please get in touch! 

We do not currently ship to the following countries: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Burma (Myanmar), China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Republic of Guinea (Conakry), Guinea- Bissau, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, North Korea, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Russia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Ukraine and Zimbabwe. However, this list is subject to change and may not have been fully updated. Please get in contact to see if we can make allowances and get a parcel to you. 

Transit time is typically 2-52 working days depending on the carrier and destination and current delays. If delays in dispatch are to be expected you will find the details on the product page. If we are aware of any particular shipping delays or issues for your destination, we will get in touch. For a more accurate estimate on timings, please contact us on info@zoicpalaeotech.co.uk. 

Carriers utilised

For some international shipping we use Royal Mail (typically for small, lightweight orders up to 1-2kg). Please note that this package will be transferred to your NATIONAL POSTAL SERVICE or a THIRD PARTY COURIER. This can be a variable experience. Please contact us via email on info@zoicpalaeotech.co.uk with your order if you would prefer a quote from a different courier that operates in the UK and the country of delivery. We will do our best to accommodate these requests, but please bear in mind this is not always possible.

Shipping Rates

Our shipping rates are checked and updated frequently. Should we find that when it comes to booking your shipment that the price varies from what we have charged you, we will either issue a partial refund or, should shipping be more expensive, we will contact you with a quote for the difference. Should you decline this quote, we will send you a full refund for your order.

Importing Goods

When ordering outside of the UK, the recipient is wholly responsible for assuring the product can be legally imported to the destination country. 

There are some products that we do not ship internationally, such as flammable liquids (e.g. acetone/ethyl alcohol) and air compressors. Air compressors are bulky items that would, in most cases, be prohibitively expensive to ship. If you are purchasing one of our fossil preparation tools, we are more than happy to help you find a suitable alternative in your home country that won't cost you an arm and a leg in shipping! 

Customs, Duties and Taxes

The recipient is the importer of record and must comply with all laws and regulations of the destination country. The recipient of an international shipment may be subject to import taxes, customs duties and fees, which are imposed once a shipment reaches the recipient's country. Additional charges for customs clearance must be fulfilled by the recipient. ZOIC PalaeoTech has no control over these charges, nor can ZOIC PalaeoTech predict what they may be. It is the buyer's responsibility to investigate before placing an order.

Customs, duties, and taxes are non-refundable so a shipment that is refused because of unexpected import fees, the cost of the original shipping and any return shipping charges will not be refunded. Customs policies vary widely from country to country; you should contact your local customs office for more information. When customs clearance procedures are required, it can cause delays beyond our original delivery estimates.

To avoid a delay in receiving your order from customs, we strongly suggest:

• Providing a phone number where you can be reached by customs when your product arrives. This phone number will be listed on the commercial invoice so customs can reach you to clear your order.
• Please do not refuse a shipment or ignore requests from carriers regarding duty and/or tax liability charges. Be aware that most carriers will hold a shipment for 5 days after arrival in your country before they return it to the sender.

We do not refund original shipping charges for goods that are refused for delivery at customs.

If for whatever reason the package is seized by Customs officials, we will not issue you a refund unless all products are returned to us in their original condition. The vast majority of orders make it through customs without any problems, and most orders that are stopped are automatically returned to us. You will also be responsible for any return shipping charges, in accordance with your local regulations. We cannot necessarily predict what these charges might be.

Delivery Time Exceeded If delivery time has exceeded the forecasted time, please contact us so that we can conduct an investigation.  

Tracking Upon dispatch, customers will receive a tracking number, where applicable, from which they will be able to follow the progress of their shipment based on the latest updates made available by the shipping provider.

Parcels Damaged in Transit: If you find a parcel is damaged in-transit, if possible, please reject the parcel from the courier and get in touch with our customer service. If the parcel has been delivered without you being present, please contact us on info@zoicpalaeotech.co.uk with next steps.

Address: It is the sole responsibility of the buyer to provide a correct shipping address in the format required by the carrier. Should the shipment be delayed or returned because the shipping address was non-compliant, incorrect or incomplete, the buyer is responsible for all charges (including any additional return shipment costs). 

Tax/Personal ID: Some countries require a personal/tax ID to import goods from the UK. The buyer is responsible for providing all information at the time of purchase or before the shipment dispatches. 

Parcel Lost in Transit: If the package becomes lost by the courier or postal service please contact us immediately on info@zoicpalaeotech.co.uk so the issue can be dealt with a promptly as possible. We must be notified within 30 days if a parcel ceases tracking or has not been delivered (if untracked). 

Parcel Forwarding Services

If you use a parcel forwarding service, ZOIC PalaeoTech consider the address to which we send the parcel as the final delivery address. Should your items be damaged or lost in transit after reaching the HQ of the parcel forwarding service in the UK, please take this issue up with the provider of the forwarding service. 

WE DO NOT SHIP CHEMICALS INTERNATIONALLY. If the item says 'UK Mainland Shipping ONLY', please respect that. There may be a processing charge if this is ignored. 

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