A: We are in Canada, and can only bill through the credit card system in C$, not US$. Our site now simply shows $ prices because most people worldwide are used to comparing prices in that currency, and about 95% of our business is exported outside of Canada, so this only makes sense, as few people outside of Canada know the value of our dollar. Generally, if the currencies are within a few percent of par, we absorb the difference, and your bill will be in C$ at the exact number shown. When the C$/US$ split becomes too wide (greater than 5%), we will apply the current exchange to US$ for export sales, and you will still see the correct amount on your Visa bill, but the physical slip will look a bit bigger due to our lower exchange rate for C$. Our Visa/MC is always done in C$, however, for clarity.

Credit Card companies have their own exchange rates that are typically 3% higher than world bank rates, and when they convert our C$ charges to your US$ account, there is inevitably some minor fluctuation, and we try and absorb that at our end. Exchange rates vary considerably, and over the last few years have gone from C$1.40/C$1.08 to US$1.00. The US$ and C$ are currently almost at PAR. There may be some slight variation on your final Visa/MC bill due to currency fluctuations, internal conversion charges at your bank, etc. If you are in the USA, you can also pay by US$ International Money Order or Bank Draft, if you prefer. The US Dollar has been falling rapidly in value during 2006 to 2008, almost 20% relative to Europe and Canada, so sometimes we have to make abrupt pricing adjustments to reflect that shift. You can see this shift for yourself at the Google Finance Site, HERE. For example, the US$ is worth only about $0.01 more than the C$ on September 25, 2007, and a US$ is worth only 0.70 Euros, a huge drop in comparative value of the US$ over time. In any case, we will advise you at the time of purchase what is happening, and you should see no real surprises once the final credit card bill reaches you. If you have any questions, please email SUSAN HERE for help.

A: No, they are not available to us. We can take only VISA and Master Card. If you had any idea how ugly American Express was for a seller, you would never ask for it again.

A: No, we do have other methods, but see the shipping FAQ to understand all the issues. Some methods can take weeks to arrive, and are uninsured, therefore just plain not recommended by us. Let me add that EVERY time a customer has requested some kind of cheap shipping, there have always been problems, especially in the expectation of quick delivery. There have just been huge increases in US postal costs (due to rising fuel costs), so please, just understand that it costs what it costs, and it is not really something we get to negotiate with anybody.

A: No, no pigeons or other related airborne freight-fowl species are used. Don't forget, it has to clear CUSTOMS in the USA (or elsewhere), this can take several days while they check for heaven only knows what in the package. We're pretty sure they don't believe it when we say there are slide rules in the package, and feel compelled to physically check for themselves. It goes to them first, then to you. So much for NAFTA and Free Trade. oddly, shipments to the UK (much further away) almost always take less than half the total time.

A: Because it costs money to pack it securely so that it won't be damaged in shipment. A typical piece of larger gear takes about half an hour's labor and $20 in material to pack well. Double boxed and suspended packaging takes about an hour's labor and $30 in material.

A: Yes, simply email us with details HERE. We are almost certain to ask for a picture by email, a text explanation is often not very helpful, and we have to know the CONDITION. Please include your asking price. If you don't know what you want for it, how can we be expected to know? Our normal terms are to pay immediately on receipt. We DO NOT prepay for items we have not seen or inspected, and it is unrealistic to request or expect us to do so. If we cannot accept the items once we see them, we will return them to you at our cost.

A: You have one week from date of receipt to evaluate the item, and arrange for its return or some other remedial action if you are not satisfied. We provide an additional 30 day service coverage (material and labor, but NOT freight) on test equipment items over US$100 in value, to handle any strange infant mortality problems. There is no further specific equipment warranty on used equipment beyond this period. Unlike many equipment dealers, YES, we WILL send repair parts or manuals (at our posted prices) to you long after this period if we have them available in stock, to keep your equipment working, it DOES NOT have to return to us for service. We DO provide calibration and repair service for anything we sell, but cannot always guarantee that parts will still be available later, or until the end of time.

A: All test equipment items are supplied checked, cleaned and calibrated, UNLESS we specifically state otherwise (as-is, unknown). Our lab, standards and library facilities are extensive, and there are few parameters we cannot do to very high precision, generally to ppm levels or better. We use the manufacturer's manuals for the calibration data (wherever possible), and every item has our calibration sticker showing when it was done and when it is due again (generally a 1 year period). There is no additional charge for this service, it is included in the item price. For some items, we can provide NIST/NRC traceability on certain parameters, and a certificate can be issued, there is an additional US$45 charge for this service, and you MUST REQUEST IT IN ADVANCE, it cannot be sent after the fact. No certificate is normally supplied, only the calibration sticker on the equipment. For full 17025 documentation, and detailed before/after data, our affiliate Avatar Metrology Inc, will supply this service for most items we sell. Please ask for a quote if you require this service.

A: Contact us first, and we will advise the best way to return it if within 7 days of receipt. If the item was damaged in transit, we will organize the insurance claim for you, and a replacement if possible, but you will have to provide some data to make this possible. We will refund your original purchase price, LESS FREIGHT, on our receipt of the original item, complete in the exact same condition we sent it to you. After 7 days from receipt, or if you simply want to return an item that was correctly shipped, there is a 15% re-stocking fee, and you must ship it back to us prepaid in all cases. Items returned incomplete, damaged, or after 30 days are not eligible for refund.