Warranty & Complaints

1. Commercial warranty

We warrant that our instruments are free from defects in material and workmanship under normal, intended professional use for a period of 12 months from delivery, unless a different period is stated for a specific product.

Exclusions

• Normal wear and tear, and consumable or wear parts.
• Damage from misuse, mishandling, dropping or use outside the intended purpose.
• Improper cleaning, reprocessing or sterilisation contrary to the instructions for use (IFU).
• Unauthorised modification, repair or use of non-approved accessories.
• Corrosion or damage caused by unsuitable water quality, chemicals or process residues.

2. Statutory legal guarantee (consumers)

If you are a consumer, you benefit from a statutory legal guarantee of conformity under applicable consumer law — for example, EU Directive (EU) 2019/771 in the EU, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 in the UK, and applicable state law (such as the Uniform Commercial Code and implied warranties) in the US — independently of any commercial warranty.

• Goods must conform to the contract for a minimum of two years from delivery.
• During the first year, any lack of conformity is presumed to have existed at delivery (reversed burden of proof).
• You are entitled to have the goods brought into conformity — normally repair or replacement first, then a price reduction or contract termination if repair/replacement is impossible, disproportionate, or fails.
• Your statutory rights are not affected by any commercial warranty we offer.

3. Business conformity (B2B)

For business sales, conformity is governed by the contract and by the sale-of-goods law applicable to the transaction (for example, applicable national sale-of-goods legislation in the EU or UK, or the Uniform Commercial Code in the US). Business customers must inspect the goods and give notice of defects within the periods set out in our Terms of Sale & Delivery.

4. How to claim / RMA

To make a warranty claim or complaint, contact us at info@equateinstruments.com with your order number, a description of the issue, and supporting evidence (such as photographs).

• We will issue a Return Merchandise Authorisation (RMA) where a return is required.
• Any returned instrument that has been in clinical use must be cleaned, disinfected and, where applicable, sterilised, and accompanied by a completed decontamination/hygiene declaration.
• Claims should be raised without undue delay after the defect is discovered.

5. Remedies & turnaround

Where a valid warranty claim is confirmed, we will repair or replace the instrument, or provide a credit or refund where repair or replacement is not feasible. Target assessment and turnaround time is 10 business days from receipt of the returned goods.

6. Contact

For warranty and complaint matters, contact us: