Terms of service

At Absorbent Minds we are proud of our customer service and dedicated to your total satisfaction. If you have any suggestions or comments please email us.

Our Contact details: Absorbent Minds Ltd, Brook End, Luckington, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN14 6PJ, United Kingdom

Email: info@absorbentminds.co.uk (please email first)

Terms and Conditions for Absorbent Minds Ltd

Welcome to the Absorbent Minds Ltd website terms and conditions for use. These terms and conditions apply to the use of this Website and by accessing this Website and/or placing an order you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions set out below. If you do not agree to be bound by these terms and conditions you may not use or access this Website.

Before you place an order, if you have any questions relating to these terms and conditions please contact info@absorbentminds.co.uk.

Please be aware that many of our products are not toys, and where they are toys this is made clear. Owing to properties essential to their purpose, items may not be suitable for children under 3 years of age and should always be used under adult supervision. It is important that teachers always assess the risks of the activities presented to children.

Use of the website
Access: You are provided with access to this Website in accordance with these Conditions and any orders placed by you must be placed strictly in accordance with these Conditions.
Our site is only intended for use by educational establishments and businesses, by placing an order through our site you agree to our business terms and conditions.

Our rights
We reserve the right to modify or withdraw, temporarily or permanently, this Website (or any part thereof) with or without notice to you and you confirm that we shall not be liable to you or any third party for any modification to or withdrawal of the Website; and/or to change the Conditions from time to time, and your continued use of the Website (or any part thereof) following such change shall be deemed to be your acceptance of such change. It is your responsibility to check regularly to determine whether the Conditions have been changed. If you do not agree to any change to the Conditions then you must immediately stop using the Website.

Third party links
To provide increased value to our Users, we may provide links to other websites or resources for you to access at your sole discretion. You acknowledge and agree that, as you have chosen to enter the linked website we are not responsible for the availability of such external sites or resources, and do not review or endorse and are not responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for (i) the privacy practices of such websites, (ii) the content of such websites, including (without limitation) any advertising, content, products, goods or other materials or services on or available from such websites or resources or (iii) the use to which others make of these websites or resources, nor for any damage, loss or offence caused or alleged to be caused by, or in connection with, the use of or reliance on any such advertising, content, products, goods or other materials or services available on such external websites or resources.

Making A Purchase
Currency
Converting the prices on our website into your currency couldn't be easier. Simply click on the currency drop down and choose the country of your choice, and it will automatically convert all prices on this site into that currency. It will remember your selection as you browse the site so you won’t need to keep selecting it.
Please take note of the following:
1. All of our prices are charged in British Pounds Sterling.
2. Conversions are approximate only.
3. When it comes to paying for your products, PayPal, your credit card company or your bank will convert your payment automatically to £GBP when you pay. This amount may differ to the converted prices shown due to currency fluctuations.
4. The £GBP price is the only price not converted.
5. If you pay in another currency and it is more than the amount requested we will put a credit on your account with us, if it does not cover the full amount we will cancel items to cover the deficit and credit your account with any remaining excess.

Basket
It is a simple process to make a purchase. Just browse our store, and add any items that you wish to buy into the shopping basket. After you have finished your selection, click on 'Checkout' and you will be asked for a few details that we need to be able to complete the order.

Each Product purchased is sold subject to its Product Description which sets out additional conditions related to that Product. We will take all reasonable care to ensure that all details, descriptions and prices of Products appearing on the Website are correct at the time when the relevant information was entered onto the system. Although we aim to keep the Website as up to date as possible, the information including Product Descriptions appearing on this Website at a particular time may not always reflect the position exactly at the moment you place an order.

If the item you require is not in stock you can register for an alert to be automatically sent to you once it is available again.

Payment methods
We accept credit and debit card payment online. If you are shopping from another country, place your order and your credit card company will convert the transaction to your own currency. We accept Visa and Mastercard and many other credit and debit cards.
We accept PayPal payments.

We accept Bank Transfers. UK buyers can use faster payments which are very quick, buyers from overseas must cover any fees charged for sending the money, our bank does not charge for receiving money. Please check with your bank to find out when the payment will reach us, please ensure payment reaches us within 10 days of your order.
Bank transfer payments are refunded by credit to your account with us rather than the money being returned to your bank account.

We do not generally accept cheque payments as we receive them so infrequently and therefore have to make a special trip to pay them in.  If payment by cheque is your only option then please add this item http://www.absorbentminds.co.uk/payment-by-cheque.html to your order.

We will take all reasonable care, in so far as it is in our power to do so, to keep the details of your order and payment secure, but in the absence of negligence on our part we cannot be held liable for any loss you may suffer if a third party procures unauthorised access to any data you provide when accessing or ordering from the Website.

Once you make your payment you may not be able to change your order. There may be a repacking fee, payment charges fee and / or an additional postage and handling charge if your order is changed prior to despatch. Items added offline are charged at the offline rate not our website prices.

When confirmation of the order is received, this is to indicate that we have received your order. We will check the order in the case that a mistake has been made in pricing, we have inadvertently under-priced goods, or we are no longer able to supply a particular product for some reason. In the case of any changes, we will always contact you first to ensure that the changes are acceptable or give you the option to cancel.

Non-acceptance of an order may be a result of one of the following:
The product you ordered being unavailable from stock.
Our inability to obtain authorisation for your payment.
The identification of a pricing or product description error.
You not meeting the eligibility to order criteria set out in the Terms & Conditions.

The contract will be concluded in English.

We only despatch items once we have received cleared payment. If for some reason there is a debt on your account we charge a flat fee of £10.00 and then 5% per month on the outstanding amount.

Shipping
Our delivery rates are calculated according to the destination and the size of your parcel, sometimes it is the volumetric weight rather than the actual weight that determines the price. Some items, particularly Nienhuis products, are sent directly from the supplier and may incur additional shipping charges which will be calculated by the checkout.
If you require us to store your order at our warehouse and delay the delivery there is a charge of £10.00 + VAT per month or part month.
We normally despatch your order within 1-2 working days. For most deliveries we use a standard 48 hour delivery service to the UK and a 3-4 day service to neighbouring countries. We aim therefore to deliver within 1 week to the UK and close neighbours. This excludes Nienhuis items which will be delivered at an additional charge and will delay the delivery. You can select this option if you do not want the rest of the order delayed.  You can choose an express service of next working day delivery for orders placed before 10am for the UK, but please contact us for availability.  We cannot normally deliver to PO Boxes or BFPO addresses, please use your geographical address.  The untracked postage option has no tracking and the liability for non-delivery is with the receiver.

If there is an error in your delivery address there may be an additional charge from our couriers to correct this or the delivery may fail and be returned to us, the buyer would be responsible for the cost of the correction or return.

Please inform us immediately of any damage to your parcel or any missing items, if we are not notified promptly we may not be able to rectify the matter.

Customs and Tax Charges
All UK buyers are subject to VAT (sales tax) of 20%.  If you wish to change a tax invoice there will be an administration charge of £20.00.  Orders from outside Great Britain will not be charged UK VAT but may be liable for customs charges and VAT on entry to your own country.  If you fail to pay these charges any return charges we incur will be deducted from your refund.  Apart from residential addresses, all EU orders require an EORI number obtainable from your government.  Please ensure you are aware of any import processes required for your country, and arrange these in advance with us.  It is your responsibility if the delivery fails if we have not been notified of an EORI number or any customs requirements of which we have not been made aware. It is important that you check that the goods you are ordering are permitted to be imported into your destination country. Absorbent Minds Ltd does not accept liability for costs incurred if ordered goods are refused entry. Overseas customers must pay all due customs and duties and understand that Absorbent Minds Ltd cannot refund purchases that are refused delivery due to unpaid customs charges. For any returned items, the customer will incur an additional charge.

Credit Card Security
We do not process the card details directly on our website but use a secure payment gateway provided by PayPal. This ensures that your card details are not accessible via our system.

Guarantee
We hope you will be pleased with your purchase. We will be happy to refund or exchange a faulty product provided it is returned in unused condition.  Returns should be made within a reasonable time (usually 8 days) and in original, undamaged packaging. We would need a clear reason for the return, notice should be given in writing (an e-mail will suffice) and we will arrange the return method. This right will have been fulfilled if you return the goods unused and in perfect and unsued condition (apart from the fault) in their original undamaged packaging before the expiry of this period. For full details of our returns policy please see the relevant section below. If items are missing or have been damaged during the delivery process it is essential that you contact us within 48 hours of receipt, keep the packaging and take pictures of the outer packaging and the damage.

Returns and Refunds procedure
We hope you will be pleased with your purchase. Should you wish to return anything bought from us, we will be happy to refund a product provided it is in fully resaleable condition. Returns should be made within a reasonable time (usually 8 days) and in original, undamaged packaging. No reason is necessary for the return, but notice should be given in writing (an e-mail will suffice) and by returning the goods (at your risk and cost). This right will have been fulfilled if you return the goods unused and in perfect and resaleable condition in their original undamaged packaging before the expiry of this period. If we find that the product has not been returned to us in fully resaleable condition, or the packaging is marked or damaged, we reserve the right to refuse a refund on the item, or deduct a percentage of the original selling price from the refund amount. We will refund the value of the goods purchased but not postage charges you might incur. Where an item returned was from a pack of bundled items the item will be refunded at 25% off its normal list price. If multiple items are returned we reserve the right to charge a 10% restocking fee. Nienhuis deduct a 10% restocking fee for all returns to them that are in perfect resaleable condition. Bank transfer payments are refunded by credit to your account with us rather than the money being returned to your bank account, you can also opt for this account credit instead of refunds for other payment methods.  Apart from account credits, all other refunds are subject to a £2 or 2% charge (whichever is greatest) because we are not fully refunded by our card processing provider.

Please note that your right to return products does NOT apply to products which fall into the following categories unless they are faulty:
Goods made to your specification
PDF files as these cannot be returned
Goods ordered especially for you from a third party supplier.

If you find a damaged item please inspect the packaging to determine whether it was damaged in transit. If this is the case please e-mail us within 48 hours, it is important that you keep the packaging in which we sent it to you, and it is helpful if you can send us a photograph of the damage to the item and the packaging. If a product is faulty rather than damaged please notify us within 8 days preferably with a picture showing the fault.

Please could you include the notes below with your item so we can deal with the issue promptly when we receive your return:

*Order Number:

*Contact Name:

*The code number of the item - please see packing list / invoice for this information:

Please pack all items carefully and do not mark their original boxes. Please ensure items are returned in their original undamaged packaging so they can be resold, we reserve the right to discount your refund if we have to resell on the outlet page if items and their packaging are not returned in perfect resaleable condition. We would not normally accept returns of products notified to us after 8 days of delivery.

If your return brings your order total below the threshold for free or discounted delivery, you will be charged the full delivery cost for the items.

Nienhuis/Heutink items may need to be returned directly to Holland, please contact us for a return number for any of these items you wish to return.

General
Intellectual property and right to use
You acknowledge and agree that all copyright, trademarks and all other intellectual property rights in all material or content supplied as part of the Website shall remain at all times vested in us or our licensors. You are permitted to use this material only as expressly authorised by us or our licensors. You acknowledge and agree that the material and content contained within the Website is made available for your personal non-commercial use only and that you may (if necessary to make a Purchase) download such material and content onto only one computer hard drive for such purpose. Any other use of the material and content of the Website is strictly prohibited. You agree not to (and agree not to assist or facilitate any third party to) copy, reproduce, transmit, publish, display, distribute, commercially exploit or create derivative works of such material and content.

.pdf files should be downloaded and saved to your device promptly and within 28 days.  These will expire at some point after 28 days or once the maximum download attempts have been made.

Compliance with laws
The Website may be used only for lawful purposes and in a lawful manner. You agree to comply with all applicable laws, statutes and regulations regarding the Website and any transactions conducted on or through the Website.

Limitation of liability
While we will use reasonable endeavours to verify the accuracy of any information we place on the Website, we make no warranties, whether express or implied in relation to its accuracy. The Website is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without any representation or endorsement made and we make no warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, in relation to the Website, or any transaction that may be conducted on or through the Website including but not limited to, implied warranties of non-infringement, compatibility, security, accuracy, conditions of completeness, or any implied warranty arising from course of dealing or usage or trade. We make no warranty that the Website will meet your requirements or will be uninterrupted, timely or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that the site or the server that makes it available are free of viruses or bugs or represents the full functionality, accuracy, reliability of the Website. We will not be responsible or liable to you for any loss of content or material uploaded or transmitted through the Website. To the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, we disclaim any and all warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, in relation to the Products. We will not be liable, in contract, tort (including, without limitation, negligence), pre-contract or other representations (other than fraudulent or negligent misrepresentations) or otherwise out of or in connection with the Conditions for: o any economic losses (including without limitation loss of revenues, profits, contracts, business or anticipated savings); or o any loss of goodwill or reputation; or o any special or indirect losses suffered or incurred by that party arising out of or in connection with the provisions of any matter under the Conditions. Nothing in the Conditions shall exclude or limit our liability for death or personal injury resulting from our negligence or that of our servants, agents or employees.

Severance
If any part of the Conditions shall be deemed unlawful, void or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed to be severable from the Conditions and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any of the remaining provisions of the Conditions.

Waiver
No waiver by us shall be construed as a waiver of any proceeding or succeeding breach of any provision.

Survival
Each provision of the Conditions shall be construed as separately applying and surviving even if for any reason one or other of those provisions is held to be inapplicable or unenforceable in any circumstances.

Entire agreement
These Conditions govern our relationship with you. In this way, we can avoid any problems surrounding what Absorbent Minds Ltd and you are expected to do. You confirm that, in agreeing to accept the Conditions, you have not relied on any representation save insofar as the same has expressly been made a term of these Conditions and you agree that you shall have no remedy in respect of any representation. Your Statutory Rights are not affected by these terms and conditions. Nothing in this Clause shall limit or exclude our liability in respect of any fraudulent or negligent misrepresentation whether or not such has become a term of the Conditions.

Law
The Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and you irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.