Acceptance of Terms
This website (www.theassayhouse.com) is owned and run by The Assay House. By using this website and online shop, you accept the Terms and Conditions and also the Privacy Policy of using this site.
IMPORTANT—Please note we reserve the right to refuse the sale of any specimen(s) without giving a reason for doing so.
Modification of Terms
We reserve the right to change these Terms and Conditions at any time. Any such changes will take effect immediately when posted on the website.
It is your responsibility to read the Terms and Conditions each time you visit this website, and your continued use of the website indicates your full acceptance of the current Terms and Conditions.
Ordering Specimens—Payment
Minerals on this website are priced in GBP, and payment will be charged in GBP. Converted amounts are given in common currencies but are for guidance only. Your bank will set the actual rate of exchange for your card purchase at the time of the transaction.
IMPORTANT—We regret that no specimens can be sent on approval. All specimens must be paid for in full before they will be shipped. Please see our Returns Policy if you would like to return any items.
Payment for orders through the website is made using trusted third-party secure payment systems, for instance, Paypal. We do not process or store any credit or debit card details.
We can also accept payment by direct bank transfer into our bank account or by using money transfer apps like TransferWise. Please contact us first before placing your order if you prefer these options.
Ordering Specimens—Shipping
We aim to ship all orders within 2 working days of receiving cleared payment.
The length of time taken by shipping agents may vary and is totally beyond our control. Please inform us if your order does not arrive within a 'reasonable' period of time. We will then begin the process of investigation.
Postage rates are calculated and added automatically to the cost of the order during checkout.
Customs Duties/Fees
For international orders outside of the UK, the full value will be declared on the relevant customs declaration forms. It is the buyer's responsibility to pay all customs and duty fees locally on international orders if applied by customs agencies.
Promotions and Special Offers
Promotions and special offers will be issued from time to time at the discretion of The Assay House.
Only one promotional offer/code can be redeemed against any single order placed with The Assay House by applying the code at checkout, and it can only be used once.
Promotional offers/codes may not be used in conjunction with any other promotion. Promotional offers/codes are not redeemable for cash and are not transferable or assignable. Promotional offers/codes cannot be sold.
Cooling-Off period/Returns
In line with Distance Selling legislation, we are happy to offer a 14-day cooling-off period on items that you have bought online and haven't seen in person. The cooling-off period starts as soon as you receive the order.
If for any reason you decide you do not wish to keep the specimen during this time, please see our Returns Policy, and we will fully refund the cost of the item. YOU are responsible for the return postage.
IMPORTANT—If the specimen you wish to return was part of a larger shipment subject to a volume, loyalty, or other discount, we will recalculate the value of the specimen and refund the amount less any original discount applied.
If you wish to return a specimen, you MUST notify us by written email within 14 days of receiving the order.
IMPORTANT—If we do not receive written notification of your intention to return the specimen(s) within the 14-day cooling-off period, we will NOT accept the return.
Your order will be refunded once we receive the returned specimen.
Damaged Specimens
In the unlikely event that a specimen arrives damaged in transit, please contact us immediately by email. We will normally offer you a full refund, but we will need to see evidence of the damage—please provide us with digital photos of the damage to the specimen, including packaging.
Once we have reviewed the evidence, we will ask you to return the specimen(s) to us by post, enclosing any labels or other documentation.
Your refund will be made once we receive the returned specimen.
Site Photos and Descriptions
We endeavour to photograph the mineral specimens as accurately and truthfully as possible. Please note that the photos are not to scale and are only representative of the specimen(s). Whilst we try to capture the colour of the specimen(s) accurately, the colour may not be quite the same as it appears on your computer or device screen.
We give truthful descriptions of the specimen(s) and its location as far as is possible. Please note that we cannot fully guarantee the source of a specimen if it has been acquired by us from a third party. We check all location information by comparing each specimen with similar specimens. If you are unhappy with a stated location, please let us know and return your specimen for a full refund.
If the specimen(s) is damaged or repaired, we will state this. Please note that the dimensions given are approximate and are taken across the largest dimensions of the specimen(s).
If you are unhappy with any aspect of the specimen(s), you may return it to us for a full refund under the 14-day cooling-off period. Please refer to the Returns Policy and Procedure.
Health Warning
Whilst the majority of minerals are perfectly safe, some may be injurious to health—including those containing heavy metals or radioactive elements. Never inhale mineral dust or ingest specimens. Always wash your hands after handling specimens.
The Assay House accepts no responsibility for any health effects suffered as a consequence of handling mineral specimens bought from this website.
Mailing List
We offer a mailing list as a service to our visitors and customers. Emails are sent out periodically informing about new additions, newsworthy events, or any other interesting collecting matters.
You are free to subscribe or unsubscribe at any time.
To subscribe, please register on this website or send us an email. We will also automatically add your name to the mailing list if you have registered and agree to receiving emails.
To unsubscribe, please click the unsubscribe link on the bottom of any email you receive, and we will remove you from the mailing list.
Copyright and Trademarks
By using the website, you agree to respect the intellectual property rights of The Assay House and agree not to copy, download, transmit, reproduce, distribute, print, or commercially exploit any material from The Assay House website, including photos and text, without written permission.
All photos on this website belong to The Assay House and may not be reproduced without permission.
We are very happy to provide images to collectors, the media, educators, and other organisations on request, provided that permission is sought and the intended purpose of the image is given prior to use.
The Assay House and The Assay House logo are the intellectual property of The Assay House. The copyright of this website belongs to The Assay House.
Links from this website
This website may contain links to third-party websites. The Assay House is not responsible for the contents, privacy, and terms and conditions of these websites. We do not always share or endorse any opinions expressed or the information provided by such websites.
Reviews
If you submit a review, you grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sub-licensable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and display such content throughout the world in any media. You grant The Assay House the right to use the name that you submit in connection with such content, if we choose.
Minors
Minors under 18 are not eligible to use our online shop, and we ask that individuals under 18 years of age do not submit any personal information to The Assay House or use the online shop.
Severance
If any part of the Terms shall be deemed unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed severable from these Terms and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions of the Terms.
Limitation of Liability
To the full extent allowed by applicable law, you agree that we will not be liable to you or any third party for any consequential or incidental damages (both of which terms include, without limitation, pure economic loss, loss of profits, loss of business, loss of anticipated savings, loss of time, wasted expenditure, loss of privacy, and loss of data) or any other indirect, special, or punitive damages whatsoever that arise out of or are related to use of the website and online shop.
Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England, and any user of this website who wishes to bring about a dispute agrees to be bound exclusively by the jurisdiction of English courts without reference to rules governing choice of laws.