Refund and Returns Policy

microEngineering Labs, Inc. Policies

Listed below is information about the way we do things and what you can expect from us.  If you have additional questions or suggestions for this page, contact me directly at charles@melabs.com

Thanks for shopping at microEngineering Labs,
Charles Leo

Shipping

Actual Shipping Charges are always displayed before you are asked for payment!

Domestic Shipping

FedEx is available for all shipments.  USPS is available for select products in single quantity.

International Shipping

We currently offer FedEx International methods as well as USPS Express Mail International.  USPS requires an extra day of processing time before the order is shipped.  We are well-versed and automated when it comes to customs documents.  We have shipped thousands of orders to destinations on all seven continents.  A few countries are restricted by our government, and so don’t appear in the country list during checkout.

Shipment Processing Time

Most orders placed before 1pm Mountain Time – Monday through Thursday – are shipped the same day.  Our shipping office is closed on Fridays.  Notable exceptions to this are:

  • Orders shipped by USPS.  Postal
    orders are usually delayed one day for extra processing time and pickup scheduling.
  • Orders for large quantities of a single product.  Our stock levels are determined by past history.  It is possible to surprise us with a large order, forcing us to buy/build more product.  If this happens, you will be contacted, informed of lead times, and offered options.
  • Orders for programming adapters.  Programming adapters are assembled after they are ordered.  This may delay shipment 1-3 days.
  • We need more information or suspect credit card fraud.  In these cases, we try to contact you via the email address that you gave us when you ordered.  Please monitor your email and respond to our inquiry so that we can resolve any issues and expedite your order.
  • Some days we are swamped and fall behind.  It happens occasionally.  If it’s one of those days, we give priority to air and express shipments.  Otherwise, shipments are processed in the order in which the orders were received.

Estimated Shipment Transit Time

The table below shows the estimated time in transit for the shipping methods we offer.  These are conservative estimates based on our experience.

Ship method Days in transit (estimated)
FedEx Ground/Home – Continental US 1-7 days, depending on distance from our Colorado office.
FedEx Express Saver 3 days in most cases
FedEx 2Day 2 days, very reliable
FedEx Standard Overnight 1-day, very reliable
FedEx International Priority (international) 2-5 days to local customs.  Clearing customs takes a day or so in most countries.
USPS Express Mail International 7-14 days to local customs.  Clearing customs takes a day or two in most countries.

Tracking Information

A shipment notification email with a tracking number is always sent to customers when the order is processed.

Shipping Method Substitution

We make it a point to try always to ship using the method that you choose during checkout, but this is not always possible  We reserve the right to change to the next best method if necessary, without notification.  If there are problems that require a drastic change, for example to an alternate carrier, we will ask permission first.

Handling Charges

We don’t add handling charges on orders within the United States.  We try our best to charge you exactly what the carrier charges us.  The shipping charges on international orders are estimates that might be slightly higher (sometimes lower) than actual charges.  These calculations are periodically adjusted in an attempt to offer you the lowest charges possible.

Hidden Charges

There are none.  What you see during checkout is what we charge.  Customers outside the US may be subject to additional customs fees upon delivery, but we have no way to control or estimate these charges.

Insurance

We insure select shipments at our expense.  The decision to insure is based on the size, contents, destination, and shipping method of the order.

Required Signature

Signatures are not required except in special circumstances.  We will notify you before we ship if a signature will be required.

Unattended Delivery

Many customers ask for us to “leave the shipment at the door”.  The truth is, we have no control over this.  We normally don’t require a signature.  The decision to drop a shipment at your door or on your porch is totally at the discretion of your local delivery driver.

Shipping COD or on Customer’s Accounts

We don’t offer COD shipping. Occasionally, when circumstances justify it, we will charge shipping to a customer’s UPS or FEDEX account. If you wish to request this service, YOU MUST CONTACT US PRIOR TO PLACING THE ORDER!  (support@melabs.com)

Returns

Unopened products (except integrated circuits) may be returned within 30 days for a full refund of the purchase price.  Shipping charges will not be refunded.

  • No refunds are available on downloaded software, or on physically-shipped software that has been opened.
  • No refunds are available on microcontrollers and other integrated circuits.
  • No refunds are available on shipping charges.
  • Opened packages are returnable for 30 days, but we charge a 25% testing and restocking fee.  Refunds will only be approved if the product is in absolutely like-new condition and our testing finds that it is in complete working order.

Contact melabs technical support to arrange a return.

Warranty

All products except microcontrollers and other integrated circuits carry a 30 day warranty.  We will repair or replace defective products at our discretion.  Warranty will not be honored if we feel that the product has been damaged from misuse.

You must contact technical support to determine whether the problem can be resolved without a return.  If a support technician feels that the product is defective, you will be instructed as to the return procedure.

Tax-Exempt Sales

We do not collect sales tax on orders shipped outside the states of Colorado and North Carolina.

Colorado or North Carolina organizations that require tax-exempt status may submit a photocopy or scan of their tax exempt certificate only after creating an account on our online store.  You may send the image, along with your store username, via email to support@melabs.com..  Your store account will then be made tax-exempt and future orders will not be charged tax.

Pb-free / RoHS Compliance

This new standard is in effect in Europe and will be spreading throughout the world. It requires discontinuing the use of hazardous substances, most notably lead, from manufactured products.

Most of our products are now RoHS compliant and pb-free. Some, however, must be ordered pb-free by special request, and some products are not likely to ever be compliant.  The state of compliance is shown in each product listing.

If your order will be shipped to a country that requires RoHS Compliance, please don’t order products that don’t meet this requirement!  Doing so will only delay your order.