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Legal | SPICA
Last updated: 1 October 2026
SPICA is the brand and trading name of COVALIX SCIENTIFIC LTD, a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales on 23 September 2026, with company number 17475745.
Registered office: 20 Wenlock Road, London N1 7GU, United Kingdom. The website at spica.global (the Website) and the SPICA-branded store are operated by COVALIX SCIENTIFIC LTD. References to SPICA, we, us or our mean COVALIX SCIENTIFIC LTD trading as SPICA, which is the seller and contracting party.
These Terms govern purchases of products, software supplied with products, documentation and related services (Products) from us. Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal data. Our Cancellation, Returns & Refunds Policy supplements these Terms and forms part of the Contract where made available before you order. Neither policy nor any product-specific term removes mandatory statutory rights.
You must be at least 18 years old and authorised to act for any organisation named on an order. Customer service and complaints: info@spica.global. Our registered office is a correspondence address; please obtain shipping instructions before returning a Product.
A Business Customer is a person acting wholly or mainly for purposes relating to a trade, business, craft or profession. A Consumer is an individual acting wholly or mainly outside those purposes. Your legal status depends on the circumstances of the purchase, not simply the account type or our description of the Website.
The Website is primarily intended for Business Customers. If you order for an organisation, you confirm that you have authority to bind it. Where you are a Consumer, nothing in these Terms excludes or restricts rights that cannot lawfully be excluded, including rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 for eligible contracts, and applicable protections under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.
For Business Customers, these Terms apply instead of terms in a purchase order or other customer document unless we expressly accept those terms in writing. A signed distribution, framework, service or negotiated supply agreement prevails to the extent of a conflict, subject to mandatory law. B2B exclusions and limitations apply only insofar as enforceable, including the reasonableness requirements of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 where applicable.
We take reasonable care to keep descriptions, specifications, images, availability and prices accurate. Images are illustrative, but goods must match the description and any material characteristics agreed for the order. The applicable specification is the one made available or expressly agreed before the Contract is formed, together with any agreed product-specific documents. Later website updates do not retrospectively change an accepted order.
For Business Customers, we may make minor technical or packaging changes that do not materially reduce the agreed function, performance or safety, where permitted by the Contract. We seek agreement before a material substitution or change. Consumer goods must match their description and applicable statutory requirements.
Products must be used in accordance with their labels, instructions, datasheets, safety information and applicable product-specific limitations. Technical guidance assists qualified users and does not replace appropriate validation, risk assessment, professional judgement or regulatory approvals. This does not remove our responsibility for accurate information, agreed advice or compliance with applicable law.
An order submitted through the Website, email, purchase order or another agreed channel is an offer to buy. An automated acknowledgement confirms receipt only, unless it expressly states that the order is accepted. A binding contract (a Contract) is formed when we send express written acceptance, issue a dispatch confirmation or dispatch the Product, whichever occurs first. Taking payment alone does not constitute acceptance.
Before acceptance, we may decline an order or propose changes because of availability, credit status, suspected fraud, export controls, delivery restrictions, a disclosed minimum order requirement, an obvious pricing error or inability to verify relevant customer information. Proposed changes require your agreement. If we decline an order, we promptly refund any payment for it. After acceptance, we may cancel only where the Contract or law permits, subject to your applicable rights.
Each accepted order is a separate Contract. Business orders may be accepted and delivered in instalments if agreed or stated in the quotation. We do not impose additional instalment delivery charges on a Consumer without agreement.
Custom, configured, calibrated, made-to-order, special-import or non-stock Business orders may require a deposit and have limited cancellation rights where explained and agreed before acceptance. Any deposit retention or cancellation charge is subject to the agreed terms and applicable law. A non-stock or specially imported item is not automatically excluded from a Consumer's statutory cancellation rights.
For Consumer orders, we provide the required pre-contract information and confirmation in a form you can retain, such as email, no later than the time required by law. These Terms do not replace that order-specific information.
The currency and agreed price are stated at checkout or in the accepted quotation. A price change proposed in an acceptance requires your agreement. Prices directed at Business Customers may be exclusive of VAT, delivery, insurance, handling, import duty and customs charges where this is clearly stated; applicable charges and payment terms are identified before the Contract is formed.
For Consumers, prices include applicable taxes and unavoidable fees or charges wherever they can reasonably be calculated. Where a variable charge cannot reasonably be calculated in advance, we prominently explain how it is calculated and include it in the total as soon as it can be determined. Optional extras require your express agreement. We do not introduce undisclosed mandatory charges later in checkout.
For international Business deliveries, the quotation or confirmation may identify an agreed Incoterms 2020 rule and named place. That rule determines the parties' agreed delivery responsibilities. Unless it provides otherwise, or we expressly agree to act as importer of record, the Business Customer is responsible for import clearance, duties, taxes and local permits. Consumer delivery and import arrangements are explained before ordering and do not override mandatory rights.
Payment is due at checkout unless we grant written credit terms. Business Customers must pay invoices in cleared funds by the agreed due date and promptly notify us of a genuine invoice dispute, while paying undisputed amounts. We may suspend unperformed Business orders or credit terms on reasonable notice for overdue payment or a material deterioration in credit risk, subject to the Contract and applicable law.
For qualifying commercial debts, we may claim statutory interest, fixed compensation and recoverable reasonable costs under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 and related regulations. This commercial-debt regime does not apply to Consumer purchases.
Before acceptance, an obvious pricing error may lead us to decline the order and refund payment. After acceptance, an error does not give us an unrestricted cancellation or price-increase right. We will contact you to resolve the issue and rely only on rights available under the Contract and law. We do not increase an accepted Consumer price without lawful grounds and your agreement where required.
Delivery dates are estimates unless we agree a binding date. We take reasonable steps to meet them and notify you of material delays. Consumer goods are delivered without undue delay and within 30 days of Contract formation unless another period is agreed. If we fail to deliver, a Consumer may require delivery within an appropriate additional period or end the Contract where the statutory conditions apply, including where timely delivery was essential or we refuse to deliver. Refunds due following termination are made without undue delay.
You must provide an accurate address and suitable receipt and storage arrangements, including prompt transfer to specified temperature conditions. For Business Customers, reasonable redelivery, storage or temperature-control costs caused by failure to comply with agreed receipt arrangements may be charged where disclosed or agreed. Consumer charges are subject to fairness and applicable law.
For Consumers, risk passes when you or a person you nominate, other than the carrier, physically receives the goods. Where you independently commission a carrier we did not offer, the statutory exception may transfer risk when that carrier receives them. Business risk passes on delivery at the agreed destination, unless a different point is specified by an expressly agreed Incoterms rule.
For Business goods supplied on credit, title remains with us until the amounts due for those goods are paid in full. Until then, keep the goods identifiable, safely stored and adequately insured where practicable. This does not authorise unlawful entry, seizure or interference with your rights.
Business Customers should inspect deliveries promptly and report visible damage, shortage or incorrect supply within five working days, and latent defects promptly after discovery. Late notice does not automatically extinguish a valid claim, but may affect recovery to the extent avoidable delay causes prejudice and the law permits. These reporting periods do not restrict Consumer rights.
Our Cancellation, Returns & Refunds Policy provides additional procedures. Mandatory rights prevail over any conflicting term or procedure.
Business cancellations and change-of-mind returns require our written agreement. An agreed return may incur a disclosed restocking charge of up to 20% of the returned goods' net price, plus reasonable transport, handling, decontamination and repackaging costs where agreed. We confirm applicable charges before authorising the return. These change-of-mind charges do not apply where a return results from our breach or incorrect supply. Deposits and special-order cancellations are dealt with under the terms agreed before purchase and applicable law.
Where the statutory right applies, you can cancel without giving a reason from the time you order until 14 days after you, or your nominated recipient, receives the goods. Special timing rules apply to split deliveries and regular deliveries. If required cancellation information is omitted, the cancellation period is extended as provided by law.
Tell us through a clear statement, for example by email to info@spica.global or post to our registered office. The model form below is optional. Send goods back within 14 days after telling us you are cancelling, unless we agree to collect them. You pay direct return costs only if we informed you before purchase; where goods cannot normally be posted, the applicable return-cost information is provided before ordering.
We refund payments, including the least expensive standard delivery offered, without undue delay. Unless we offer collection, the deadline is 14 days after we receive the goods or evidence of return, whichever is earlier, and we may withhold the refund until that point. Otherwise, the deadline is 14 days after your cancellation notice. Refunds use the original payment method unless you expressly agree otherwise and incur no refund fee. We may deduct only a lawful reduction in value caused by handling beyond what is needed to establish the goods' nature, characteristics and functioning; we cannot make that deduction if we failed to give the required cancellation-right information.
The change-of-mind right has specific statutory exceptions, including genuinely personalised goods or goods made to your specifications, goods liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly, and sealed goods unsuitable for return for health-protection or hygiene reasons once unsealed. A category label such as reagent, sterile, calibrated, special-import or non-stock does not by itself establish an exception. Any relevant exception is explained before purchase. Faulty-goods rights remain unaffected.
For eligible services and digital content supplied without a tangible medium, the cancellation period normally ends 14 days after Contract formation. We obtain the express requests, consent and acknowledgements required before starting during that period. Any lawful payment for services already provided or loss of cancellation rights follows the statutory rules.
Please contact us for a Return Material Authorisation (RMA) and shipping instructions, especially for hazardous, sterile, temperature-controlled or biologically exposed items. For Business returns, prior authorisation is required under the agreed procedure. For Consumers, an RMA is an administrative aid and is not a condition for exercising statutory cancellation or faulty-goods rights. Do not ship unsafe material; we will explain a lawful return or collection method without obstructing those rights. We bear reasonable return costs for a valid Consumer faulty-goods claim.
Complete and send this only if you wish to cancel an eligible Contract:
We warrant that, at delivery, Products materially conform to their agreed specification and are free from material defects in materials and workmanship. Reagents and consumables must be stored and used within their stated shelf life and conditions. Any additional instrument warranty, its duration, provider and conditions are stated on the relevant product page, accepted quotation or warranty document. No universal three-year warranty applies; a warranty of up to three years applies only where expressly offered for the particular Product.
Additional commercial warranties do not cover damage caused by normal wear, excluded consumable parts, accidents, misuse, contamination, an unsuitable environment, failure to follow instructions, unauthorised repair or modification, use outside specification, improper storage or transport after risk passes, or failure to perform required maintenance or calibration. An exclusion applies only to the extent relevant to the cause of the claimed issue and does not remove mandatory statutory rights.
For investigation, we may reasonably request proof of purchase, catalogue and lot or serial numbers, storage records, protocols, instrument logs, photographs and troubleshooting information. We may ask that the Product be preserved for inspection or returned safely. For a valid Business warranty claim, we may repair, replace, reperform a service, supply missing quantity, or credit or refund the affected price as appropriate under the agreed warranty and law.
Consumer goods must be of satisfactory quality, fit for any particular purpose made known and accepted, and as described. Services must be performed with reasonable care and skill; applicable digital-content rights also remain in force. Depending on the circumstances, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 provides rights to reject goods, repair or replacement, a price reduction or a refund. The short-term right to reject faulty goods is normally 30 days, subject to the rules for shorter-lived perishable goods. Later remedies remain available where the statutory conditions are met.
Your claim against us is not dependent on a manufacturer's willingness to honour a warranty, and the expiry of a commercial warranty does not by itself end statutory rights. We do not substitute store credit for a statutory cash refund without your agreement.
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, our obligation to provide good title to goods, liability under the Consumer Protection Act 1987 that cannot be excluded, or any other liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. Consumer mandatory rights and statutory remedies remain unaffected.
For Consumers, we are responsible for loss or damage that is a foreseeable result of our breach or failure to use reasonable care and skill. The Business liability cap and exclusions below do not apply to Consumer Contracts. If you buy as a Consumer, we are not responsible for commercial losses arising from business use, subject to mandatory law.
For Business Customers, subject to the exceptions above and the requirements of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 and other applicable law:
A Business Customer will indemnify us against third-party claims and reasonable losses and costs caused by its unlawful or unsafe use, relabelling, resale, modification or disposal of Products, excluding amounts attributable to our breach, negligence or other fault. We notify the customer promptly, take reasonable steps to mitigate loss and do not agree a settlement for which it is responsible without its consent, not to be unreasonably withheld. This indemnity does not apply to Consumers.
Intellectual property in the Website, SPICA branding, documentation, designs, software and proprietary materials belongs to COVALIX SCIENTIFIC LTD or the relevant owners or licensors. Buying a Product does not transfer those rights. You may use accompanying documentation and embedded software for the intended operation of the Product, subject to any lawful licence disclosed before purchase. No other licence is granted except as expressly stated or provided by law. Nothing restricts rights that cannot lawfully be excluded, including applicable statutory software rights.
Each party must protect non-public technical, pricing and commercial information received from the other and use it only for the relevant Contract. This does not apply to information already lawfully known, publicly available without breach, independently developed or lawfully received from another source. Disclosure is permitted where required by law or to personnel, service providers and professional advisers who need it for the Contract and are subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations.
Each party must comply with export-control, customs, sanctions, anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws applicable to its activities. You must not divert Products to a prohibited destination, person or end use, and must provide reasonably required end-use and import information.
We may withhold, suspend or cancel supply to the extent necessary where performance is unlawful or we have reasonable grounds to suspect a legal breach, while taking reasonable steps to verify the position. We explain the position where legally permitted. Payments for cancelled, undelivered Products are refunded promptly unless retaining or returning the funds is prohibited by law. This clause does not excuse our own breach or exclude mandatory liability.
A party is not liable for delay or failure to the extent directly caused by an event genuinely beyond its reasonable control, such as serious transport disruption, natural disaster, epidemic, government action or unavoidable utility failure. A shortage, labour dispute, system failure or supplier failure qualifies only if it is beyond the affected party's reasonable control and cannot reasonably be prevented or overcome. The affected party promptly informs the other, takes reasonable steps to reduce the effect and resumes performance when practicable.
Payment for Products already supplied is not excused. If the event continues for more than 60 days, either party may end the unperformed part of the affected Contract. We refund payments for Products not supplied following termination, subject to any lawful, expressly agreed Business provisions for genuine custom work already completed. Consumer delivery, cancellation and refund rights apply throughout and do not depend on waiting 60 days.
These Terms and each Contract are governed by the law of England and Wales. This choice does not deprive a Consumer of mandatory protections that apply under the law of their habitual residence where the applicable conflict-of-laws rules preserve them.
For Business Customers, the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction. Consumers may bring proceedings in England and Wales or, where applicable, in the courts of Scotland or Northern Ireland where they live. Any other mandatory Consumer jurisdiction rights remain unaffected.
Send complaints to info@spica.global or to COVALIX SCIENTIFIC LTD, Attn: Customer Complaints, at our registered office. Please provide your order reference and a description of the issue. We acknowledge complaints and seek to resolve them fairly and without undue delay. No specific legal wording is required.
Where we are required by law or agreement to participate in an alternative dispute resolution or other complaint-resolution arrangement, we provide the required information about that arrangement. Otherwise, we may agree to an appropriate accredited ADR process for a particular dispute; these Terms do not commit us to a specific scheme. Using our complaints process does not limit statutory rights or access to the courts.
