Shipping Policy.

This policy sets out how Alphex Limited dispatches and delivers orders. It is the binding version. Where the shipping page on our site describes the same thing differently, this policy applies.

1. Where we ship from

All orders are dispatched from UK domestic stock. A UK order does not cross a border and is not inspected at customs.

2. Dispatch times

Orders placed before 2pm, Monday to Friday, are dispatched the same working day. Orders placed after 2pm, at a weekend, or on a bank holiday are dispatched on the next working day. Working days exclude weekends and English bank holidays.

An order may be held beyond these times where we are verifying age, identity, professional affiliation, delivery address or intended use, as set out in our Terms and Conditions. We will tell you if that happens.

3. UK delivery

Service	Cost	Estimated delivery
Royal Mail Tracked 24	£3.99	Aims for the next working day after dispatch
Royal Mail Tracked 24, orders £60 and over	Free	Aims for the next working day after dispatch

The free threshold is calculated on the order value after any discount, and applies to UK delivery addresses only. It is applied automatically at checkout.

Royal Mail Tracked 24 is a service that aims to deliver the next working day. It is not a guaranteed next-day service, and we do not present it as one.

4. International delivery

Destination	Service	Cost	Estimated transit
Europe (EU and EEA destinations we list at checkout)	Royal Mail International Tracked	£24.99	1 to 3 working days after dispatch
Canada and USA	Royal Mail International Tracked	£29.99	2 to 4 working days after dispatch

International transit times exclude time in customs, which we cannot predict or control. The free UK threshold does not apply to international orders. If your destination is not offered at checkout, email lewis@alphex.co.uk before ordering.

5. Customs, duties and import

For any order outside the United Kingdom you are the importer of record. Customs duties, import taxes and clearance charges are your responsibility, are set by the destination country, and are payable in addition to what you pay us. Import restrictions on research chemicals vary widely and it is your responsibility to confirm that import is lawful where you are.

If a shipment is detained, seized or returned by customs or a regulator, we deal with it under our Returns and Refunds Policy. In short: shipping and handling are not refundable in that situation, and goods that cannot be recovered may not be refundable.

6. Delivery estimates and the 30 day rule

Every timeframe on this page is an estimate, not a guarantee, unless we have agreed a delivery date with you in writing. Estimates run from dispatch, not from when you place the order.

Unless we agree otherwise, we will deliver within 30 days of the day the contract is formed. If we do not, you may treat the contract as at an end and receive a full refund.

7. Packaging and handling

Vials are vacuum-sealed, labelled with the batch code, and packed in a discreet outer carrying no compound branding. Material is dispatched from refrigerated stock; in lyophilised form it travels safely at ambient temperature. Refrigerate or freeze on arrival, following the storage conditions on the product page.

Where insulation or cold packs are used, they are for transit only. A gel pack that is warm on arrival does not indicate that the material has been compromised.

8. Tracking, risk and a parcel that goes wrong

A tracking link is emailed when the carrier collects. Please check the tracking before contacting us, as most enquiries are answered by it.

If you are a consumer, the goods are your responsibility only once you or someone you have nominated takes physical possession of them. If you are buying as a business, risk passes when we hand the goods to the carrier.

Every order is covered against loss and damage in transit at no charge. Report visible damage or a wrong item within 48 hours of delivery, and a parcel that has not arrived within 14 days of dispatch, to lewis@alphex.co.uk with your order number and, for damage, a photograph of the outer packaging and the vial. Full detail is in the Returns and Refunds Policy.

If a delivery attempt fails and the parcel is returned to us, we will contact you to arrange redelivery. A redelivery may be charged at the original rate where the failure was not ours. If you provide an incorrect or incomplete address, we will do what we can, but we cannot recover a parcel that has been delivered as addressed.

9. Restricted destinations

We do not ship to embargoed destinations or to parties on sanctions or restricted party lists, including UK HM Treasury, EU and OFAC lists. Orders may be screened, and an order we cancel on these grounds is refunded in full.