Return Policy

Scope

cBallast is a business-to-business supplier of industrial spare parts and consumables. Every order placed on cballast.com is a commercial sale between two undertakings (næringsdrivende). The Norwegian Consumer Sales Act (Forbrukerkjøpsloven) does not apply. Sales are governed by the Norwegian Sale of Goods Act (Kjøpsloven, LOV-1988-05-13-27) and the terms set out on this page. No statutory cooling-off period, distance-selling right of withdrawal or consumer-remedy scheme applies.

These terms are incorporated into every quotation, order acknowledgement and invoice issued by cBallast and prevail over conflicting terms in a buyer's purchase order unless expressly accepted in writing.

Return window

A return of standard-stock catalog items may be considered within 30 calendar days of the delivery date, subject to inspection, the condition rules below and — where the item originates from an OEM's own logistics — the OEM's own restocking policy. Returns raised after 30 days are considered at the seller's sole discretion. Beyond 60 days from delivery no return is accepted regardless of reason.

"Standard-stock" means an item held for continuous supply in the cBallast catalog. Whether an item is standard-stock is stated on the quotation and repeated on the commercial invoice; the seller's classification is final.

Condition on return

For a returned item to be eligible for credit, all of the following must hold. The seller is entitled to refuse a return where any condition is not met.

• Original OEM outer packaging unopened and undamaged where the item ships in sealed OEM packaging (bearings, seals, filter media, refrigerant valves, electronic modules and similar).
• No fitment marks, thread damage, paint or coating removal, tool marks, or any evidence of installation or trial fit.
• Original OEM labels, batch numbers, calibration seals, certificates of conformity and shipping documentation intact and legible.
• Accompanied by the original commercial invoice number, the corresponding line reference and the Return Material Authorisation (RMA) number issued by cBallast.
• Returned within the return window at the buyer's cost, insured for the invoice value, packaged to withstand return transit.

Non-returnable items

The following classes are non-returnable regardless of when the return is raised. Non-returnable status is noted on the quotation and repeated on the commercial invoice; where the invoice is silent, the seller's contemporaneous records govern.

• Special-order and made-to-order items procured against a buyer specification, drawing, sample or configuration that does not match a standard catalog SKU.
• Cut-to-length items (hose assemblies, cable reels, gasket sheet, bar stock, wire rope, chain and similar).
• Items configured, calibrated, programmed or serialised to the buyer's parameters, including but not limited to variable-frequency drives, PLC-configured process valves, gas-detection heads with buyer-set alarm thresholds, marine-approval-sealed items.
• Perishable, shelf-life-limited or first-open items: adhesives, pre-mixed sealants, lubricants opened, batteries received older than 6 months from date of manufacture, reagents and test-kit consumables.
• Items bearing an OEM "no return" marking or supplied under an OEM contract that excludes returns.
• Items released on a hold-harmless letter, sample, evaluation loan or courtesy shipment.
• Items whose commercial value is affected by regulatory, class-society or export-control status that a return would compromise.

Restocking fee

Standard-stock items returned within window in the condition described above are subject to a restocking fee of 25% of the invoiced line value, or the OEM's own restocking fee where higher. The fee covers inbound handling, OEM restocking passthrough, inspection, re-warehousing and administrative cost.

No restocking fee applies where the return is due to a supplier or shipping error attributable to cBallast, or a manufacturing defect confirmed by the OEM under the warranty procedure below.

Return shipping and risk

The buyer bears the cost of return shipping, packaging suitable to prevent transit damage, insurance covering the invoice value, and all customs and tax formalities on the return leg. Risk of loss remains with the buyer until the return is signed for at the address stated on the RMA. Returns arriving damaged, tampered with, or in packaging that does not preserve the item's original condition are refused and either returned to the buyer at buyer's cost or, after 30 days' written notice, disposed of without further compensation.

Warranty and defects

Every item ships under the manufacturer's warranty as published by the OEM at the date of shipment, and only under that warranty. cBallast passes the OEM warranty through without variation, extension or additional undertaking. Where the OEM does not publish a warranty period for the item, the item ships without warranty and this is noted on the quotation before order confirmation.

The seller's obligation for a confirmed defective-from-new item is limited, at the seller's option, to (a) replacement with an equivalent item, (b) credit or refund of the invoiced line value, or (c) facilitation of the OEM's warranty procedure. The seller does not undertake liability for loss of profit, downtime, wasted labour, consequential loss, indirect loss, or any loss exceeding the invoiced value of the specific line.

Defect-on-arrival claims must be notified to sales@cballast.com within 7 calendar days of receipt with photographs of the item, the OEM packaging and the shipping label. Latent defect claims raised beyond the OEM warranty period are considered at the seller's sole discretion.

Refund method and timing

Approved refunds are credited to the same payment method used on the original invoice. Bank transfer refunds are issued within 10 business days of inbound inspection. Credit notes against an open cBallast account are issued within 5 business days of inbound inspection and appear on the buyer's next statement.

Where inbound inspection identifies that a returned item does not meet the condition requirements, the buyer is contacted with photographs and offered the choice of return-at-buyer-cost or scrap.

Force majeure and supply-chain

Where an OEM discontinues an item, alters a specification, imposes an allocation, revokes a certification, or where a shipment is delayed, seized, quarantined or otherwise affected by an event beyond the seller's reasonable control (including but not limited to strike, lock-out, war, sanctions, epidemic, currency-control action, weather, cyber-incident or carrier failure), the seller is entitled to substitute an equivalent item, revise the delivery timeline, or cancel the affected line and refund the corresponding invoice value in full satisfaction of the buyer's claim.

Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law the seller's aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with a supplied item, whether in contract, tort (including negligence), breach of statutory duty or otherwise, is limited to the invoice value of the specific line. The seller is not liable for loss of profit, loss of use, loss of production, loss of contract, wasted expenditure, or any indirect or consequential loss. Nothing in this paragraph excludes liability that cannot be excluded under Norwegian law.

Governing law and jurisdiction

These terms and every sale to which they apply are governed by Norwegian law. The Norwegian Sale of Goods Act (Kjøpsloven, LOV-1988-05-13-27) applies. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG, 1980) is expressly excluded. Any dispute the parties are unable to resolve amicably is submitted to the Norwegian courts, with Hordaland tingrett as the agreed court of first instance.

How to raise a return

Contact sales@cballast.com with the original commercial invoice number, the line reference and the reason for return. An RMA number and shipping address are issued at the seller's discretion within 5 business days. Items returned without an RMA number, or shipped to an address other than the one stated on the RMA, are refused at delivery.