Some items in our store may be offered to you as a pre-order. This cancellation policy lays out how you can change or cancel these kinds of purchases.
Pre-orders
When you purchase a pre-order, you are buying an out-of-stock or soon-to-be-available product not yet in inventory. We may collect no payment or a partial deposit at checkout, store your payment method, then fulfill and charge the full or remaining payment at a future date.

EU RETURNS & RIGHT OF WITHDRAWAL POLICY

1. Scope of This Policy

This policy applies to consumers purchasing goods from us at a distance, including through our website, where the statutory EU right of withdrawal applies.

For the purposes of this policy, a “consumer” means an individual acting wholly or mainly for purposes outside their trade, business, craft or profession.

The statutory 14-day right of withdrawal does not apply to purchases made wholly or mainly for business or professional purposes.

Nothing in this policy limits any mandatory consumer rights that cannot legally be excluded or restricted.

2. Your 14-Day Right to Cancel

If you are an EU consumer purchasing eligible goods online, you have the right to withdraw from your purchase without giving a reason.

The withdrawal period expires 14 days after the day on which you, or a third party nominated by you other than the carrier, takes physical possession of the goods.

Where multiple goods forming part of the same order are delivered separately, the withdrawal period generally runs from the day you receive the final item.

You must notify us of your decision to withdraw before the 14-day withdrawal period expires.

You do not have to provide a reason for cancelling.

3. How to Exercise Your Right of Withdrawal

To exercise your right of withdrawal, you must provide us with a clear and unequivocal statement confirming that you wish to cancel the contract.

You may do this by contacting us at:

Email: info@ac-engineering.uk

Postal address:
A C Engineering (North East) Limited
Unit 6 Stephenson Court, Barrington Industrial Estate, Bedlington, NE22 7DN

Please include, where possible:

• your full name;
• order number;
• delivery address;
• details of the goods being returned; and
• the date the goods were received.

You may also use the model withdrawal form at the end of this policy, although use of that form is not compulsory.

We recommend contacting us before dispatching any goods so that we can provide the appropriate return instructions.

4. Deadline for Returning Goods

After notifying us that you are exercising your right of withdrawal, you must return the goods without undue delay and no later than 14 days from the date on which you notified us of your withdrawal.

The return deadline is met if you dispatch the goods before the 14-day return period expires.

You should retain evidence showing when the goods were returned to us.

5. Return Shipping Costs

Unless we have expressly agreed otherwise, you are responsible for the direct cost of returning goods when exercising your 14-day right of withdrawal.

This includes appropriate packaging, postage, courier charges and any other direct return transportation costs.

For goods which, because of their size, weight or nature, cannot normally be returned by ordinary post, the estimated return cost will be provided where required before purchase.

We strongly recommend using an appropriately insured and trackable delivery service and retaining proof of dispatch.

This section applies to change-of-mind withdrawals and does not affect your rights where goods are faulty, damaged, incorrectly supplied or otherwise do not conform to the contract.

6. Your Responsibility for the Goods

You may inspect the goods to establish their nature, characteristics and functioning, in broadly the same way that you would reasonably be permitted to inspect goods in a physical shop.

You must take reasonable care of the goods while they are in your possession.

You may be responsible for any reduction in the value of the goods resulting from handling beyond what is reasonably necessary to establish their nature, characteristics and functioning.

Examples of handling which may result in a reduction in value include, where applicable:

• using the goods beyond what is necessary to inspect or test them;
• installing or fitting goods where this is not reasonably necessary to inspect them;
• operating goods in production or commercial use;
• machining, cutting, drilling, grinding, welding or otherwise modifying the goods;
• programming or configuring equipment in a way that cannot reasonably be restored;
• removing, altering or damaging identification marks, labels or serial numbers;
• damaging surfaces, finishes, coatings or protective components;
• contaminating goods with oil, coolant, chemicals or other substances;
• damaging the goods through misuse or improper handling;
• returning goods with missing components, accessories, manuals or supplied parts; or
• inadequately packaging goods for their return, resulting in damage.

Where the value of returned goods has been reduced because of handling beyond what is reasonably necessary, we reserve the right to deduct an amount reflecting the actual reduction in value from any refund, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Any deduction will be based on the loss in value of the goods and will not be imposed simply as a penalty or arbitrary restocking charge.

7. Packaging and Contents

Where reasonably possible, goods should be returned in their original packaging and with all items originally supplied, including accessories, fixings, cables, documentation and manuals.

The absence of original packaging will not, by itself, remove a statutory right of withdrawal.

However, if missing or unsuitable packaging, missing components, damage or other handling results in an actual reduction in the value of the goods, this may be taken into account when calculating any lawful deduction from the refund.

Goods must be packaged adequately to protect them during return transportation.

8. Refunds

Where you validly exercise your statutory right of withdrawal, we will reimburse the payments that we are legally required to reimburse.

This includes the original purchase price and, where applicable, the cost of our least expensive standard delivery method offered for the order.

If you selected a more expensive delivery method, such as express, priority or premium delivery, we are not required to refund the additional amount above the cost of our least expensive standard delivery option.

Your direct cost of returning the goods is not refundable unless:

• we expressly agreed to pay it;
• the goods are faulty or non-conforming and applicable law requires us to bear the cost; or
• applicable law otherwise requires us to do so.

9. When Your Refund Will Be Made

Subject to applicable law, we will process the required reimbursement within 14 days of being informed of your decision to withdraw.

However, we may withhold reimbursement until either:

1. we have received the goods back; or
2. you provide satisfactory evidence that you have sent the goods back,

whichever occurs first.

Once returned goods are received, they may be inspected to determine whether any reduction in value has occurred through handling beyond what was reasonably necessary.

Refunds will normally be made using the same payment method used for the original transaction unless another method has been expressly agreed.

10. Goods Excluded From the Right of Withdrawal

The statutory right of withdrawal does not apply where an applicable legal exemption applies.

In particular, the right of withdrawal does not normally apply to:

Goods Made to Your Specifications

Goods that are made to the consumer's specifications or clearly personalised are excluded from the statutory right of withdrawal.

This may include goods manufactured, machined, modified, engraved, cut, configured or otherwise produced specifically in accordance with dimensions, drawings, specifications, selections or other individual requirements supplied or selected by the customer.

The fact that an item is manufactured after an order is placed does not necessarily make it bespoke. The exemption will only be relied upon where the goods genuinely fall within the applicable legal definition.

Other Excluded Goods

Where applicable, the statutory right of withdrawal may also not apply to:

• goods liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly;
• sealed goods which are not suitable for return for health protection or hygiene reasons once unsealed;
• sealed audio, video or computer software once unsealed;
• goods which, after delivery, become inseparably mixed with other items; and
• any other goods, services or contracts specifically excluded from the statutory right of withdrawal under applicable law.

Where an exemption applies, this will not remove any separate legal rights you may have if the goods are faulty or do not conform to the contract.

11. Custom, Bespoke and Made-to-Order Products

Where a product is manufactured or modified specifically to your individual requirements, the order may become non-cancellable once we have accepted the order and committed to producing the customised goods.

Examples may include products manufactured to:

• customer-supplied drawings;
• customer-specified dimensions or tolerances;
• customer-specific materials;
• customer-specific hole patterns or machining;
• personalised markings or engraving;
• customer-specific finishes or coatings; or
• another individual specification selected or supplied by the customer.

Where such goods qualify as goods made to the consumer's specifications or clearly personalised under applicable law, the statutory 14-day right of withdrawal will not apply.

This does not affect your rights if the goods supplied are defective or do not conform to the specification agreed with us.

12. Faulty, Damaged or Incorrect Goods

The 14-day right of withdrawal described above concerns situations where a consumer simply changes their mind.

Different rights apply where goods are:

• faulty;
• damaged;
• incorrectly supplied;
• not as described; or
• otherwise not in conformity with the contract.

Your statutory rights in relation to such goods are not affected by this returns policy.

If you believe goods are faulty, damaged or incorrectly supplied, please contact us before arranging a return so that we can investigate the matter and provide appropriate instructions.

13. Unauthorised or Late Returns

Goods sent to us without first clearly exercising a statutory right of withdrawal will not automatically be treated as a valid withdrawal.

Returns made outside the applicable statutory withdrawal period may be refused unless:

• another statutory right applies;
• we have separately agreed to accept the return; or
• applicable law requires us to accept it.

Any discretionary return accepted outside the statutory right of withdrawal may be subject to separate conditions agreed between us and the customer.

14. Business Customers

The EU consumer right of withdrawal applies to consumers.

Unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing, business-to-business purchases are not covered by this 14-day consumer returns policy.

Returns by business customers are therefore subject to our separate business terms and conditions.