Bellsouth Policy Statement

Bellsouth Poultry Equipment is a long established, privately owned, small business operating in south-east Melbourne. As leading importers of well established brands, we are synonymous with quality and constant improvement. Our warehouse dispatches high volumes of equipment and spare parts to our customers Australia wide. 

As with any shopping experience, there are terms and conditions that apply to transactions at Bellsouth. By placing an order or making a purchase with Bellsouth you agree to the terms and policies set out below. If something doesn't make sense please let us know. 

Our attendance at field days and exhibitions may result in the office being closed or we may not be as available during those times.As a small business we schedule holidays and supplier visits in December-January each year when we close for counter and phone sales. We do attend to mail, email, online orders and check our answering machine from time to time during that period. We attend international events from time to time in search of new products, ideas and training. The downside is we are less available during these times however we all benefit with new products, information and knowledge.

Purchasing

With regards to pricing, Bellsouth reserves the right to change prices for products online and in the foyer. Pricing errors may inadvertently occur however price matching is not available. We do not offer layby or timed payment agreements.

If you place an order for items which we either do not normally stock, we may ask for a deposit or full payment upfront to order that stock. If you change your mind, and we have already ordered the item, that deposit is not refundable, and the remainder is also payable. 

Every transaction will have a valid tax invoice. We don't offer a discount for cash, please don't ask, if our refusal will embarrass you.

If your purchased product is not in stock or no longer available we will refund monies paid in full.

Tracking your Order

Small parcels are generally shipped by Australia Post unless you specify otherwise. Please ask for a quotation if you wish to use a different carrier or need insurance however quotes take extra time so please allow for that to happen.We will send dimensions if you wish to organise your own carrier. An extra packaging and admin charge applies. We will advise when your goods are packed and ready for pickup by your nominated carrier.

An example of the costs of packaging and handling are as follows:

• Small boxes: $5.50
• Large boxes/cartons: $11.00
• Skids and odd sizes $33.00
• Pallets $44.00.

If you do not pick up the goods when you say you will, we will charge a fee of $50 a day for storage costs. We want your freight to be as cheap as possible but we don't want to pay for your freight with our time, effort and money, so the more considerate you are and more efficient your chosen freight company is, the less it costs for freight. We will advise when goods are available for pick up, as you will still need to book the job, provide consignment (or any other paperwork to Bellsouth) and tell us when the courier is coming.

We will not cover any redelivery fees, if you send the courier/freight company, before we advise goods are ready. We discourage unattended delivery (authority to leave), because if an item is stolen after delivery, you may be disappointed to learn that this is not our responsibility. 

Parcels shipped uninsured, are not covered by any automatic Bellsouth Insurance as they are uninsured, and though losses and damage is very very rare, they can occur. Please advise if you would like insurance on your delivery and we will give pricing. All parcels dispatched by us are recorded in our mailing manifest book, and a photocopy of the mailing book is considered by us evidence that the dispatch has occurred. 

Bellsouth does not send tracking automatically. Courier shipments are usually tracked and if an email is supplied, that email is sent tracking details.

Delivery Information

Since the delivery of your order can be affected by many events beyond our control once it leaves our facilities, and is no longer within our control, advise Bellsouth on lost, late or damaged deliveries. 

We don't guarantee delivery dates or timeframes. Freight, postage and insurance are not automatically included in the cost of your product. Please ask for insurance to be included in your freight cost.

Freight is noted as a separate charge (where relevant) on your invoice). Prompt dispatch is our goal. Up to 90% of goods are dispatched in the next freight shipment after receipt of payment (often same day if orders are placed and paid before noon) but usually next business day. This is a target we regularly meet with stock on hand, however we freely admit that occasionally we fail to meet this target. Our response, is why did this happen and let’s take steps to ensure it doesn’t occur again. 

If we are unable to ship within 5 days of your payment, we will notify you as soon as practical, after placement of the order. We make every effort to dispatch as soon as possible but we can not guarantee 

against something unexpected happening. So, if you hear us say 'it should get out today' or 'we will try to get it out today' this cannot be imagined as a promise. It means we aspire to getting it out as soon as possible. 

Your goods will be packed to a standard which ensures that they will arrive in a condition fit for the purpose for which they were purchased. Where possible recycled materials will be used in packing/packaging. Large shipments will be shipped using our standard couriers/bulk freight unless you specify otherwise.

Freight rates are quoted before shipment. Freight quotes given by us are gained online and by phone from various companies. Please note that shipping companies rarely deliver to residential locations - please provide a business address (with a forklift if it's a bulky item). If you specify a home address or undeliverable address, we reserve the right to charge you any redelivery fee. Generally, couriers will not leave goods without a signature and if no one answers the door within a short period of time, the courier will leave and charge a redelivery fee. In our experience couriers will not call beforehand to arrange delivery. Please supply a 9am to 5pm business delivery address for the courier deliveries. Bellsouth is not a freight company, nor do we sell freight or carriage. We gain our freight quotes from couriers/carriers so we facilitate freight however we don’t sell freight. You are free to choose a freight method you prefer, including pickup however administration fees will apply. We do have accounts with Australia Post, TNT and others which enables us to dispatch your freight quicker, but we do not insist on these carriers.

If couriers don't usually frequent your residential area as your address is considered remote, out of town or similar please provide an address in town or a business who you have agreed to receive your freight. If the courier company only delivers to the local depot in your area and asks you to collect then this is outside our control. 

However, not all freight price estimates are given a quote number or remain the same from day to day due to seasonal and weekly changes in fuel levy and similar. We will honour a manual freight price estimate for 5 business days only. If the automatic freight prices given online are incorrect, either too much or too little, Bellsouth will either adjust and refund automatically or will ask for more funds to cover the freight.

Packaging costs money as does providing multiple quotations for freight, so postage and freight charges by us include a small charge to cover that cost. Courier companies may on forward freight to another courier or to Australia Post which is outside of our control. 

Our expectations

Civil or polite behaviour please. If you are rude, do not expect us to accept that rudeness. This applies to any way you interact with Bellsouth. If you are stressed or annoyed or feel hard done by, this is fine. We can all feel this way sometimes. If it leads to you cursing, being verbally abusive, intimidating or unnecessarily rude to any Bellsouth staff member or other customers, we will terminate the conversation and ask you to leave.

If you hold an account with us, please pay on time. Failure to do this will cause suspension of your account. We may tell you this upon your next order.

Holding an account with Bellsouth is unusual and should not be seen as a right. If webelieve that the relationship with an account holder does not or is no longer tenable, then we reserve the right to withhold account privileges indefinitely.

Saying a problem has been occurring since you bought the product many seasons ago doesn't assist anyone. Don't hoard issues you have with a product - let us know when it happens. 

Warranty and Returns

At Bellsouth, we understand the importance of having products that support your passion for poultry or production. If you have purchased a product that exhibits a fault, talk to us as soon as you notice any anomaly.

We are not obliged to refund because of changes in your circumstances or your change of mind. Please take your time to make your buying decision, we won’t hurry you. Warranty is given in addition to consumer guarantees and we cannot exclude them.

Our technician\s and staff will need to assess any claimed fault, however we will troubleshoot with you upon contact, to rectify the issue ‘in situ’ if possible. Items for which warranty is claimed must be returned by the buyer promptly, at the buyer’s expense. Please call us and discuss your ‘back to base’ return as we won’t accept returns without advanced notice.

Returns for items that you think are broken in transit, incorrect or do not fit what you expect, given the descriptions of the product, must occur with 14 days of arrival and Bellsouth must be told immediately. Bellsouth does not accept returns unless it first approves those returns. 14 days is more than reasonable to discover something wrong or missing, and to start talking to Bellsouth. Note that returns does not mean you simply changed your mind. Change of mind returns are not accepted. Note, that this does not mean that we accept returns if you knowingly bought the wrong thing or if you accidentally bought the wrong thing, we all live with our decisions.

Return to base warranty. For commercial items there is usually a 3 month warranty. Commercial equipment (farm or business use) is subject to harsher conditions than most consumer style equipment and maintenance should be expected, the rougher you are the more maintenance and parts you will need. We expect manufacturer faults will be clear within 3 months. Wear and tear factors and issues beyond the control of Bellsouth or are not able to be foreseen, are not liable for 'warranty' or free repair.

Spare Parts

Bellsouth supplies new, appropriate and quality parts, we prefer for our technician to see and fix any perceived problem. Installation of parts, must be performed by a qualified person. Replacing a spare part does not mean the problem will be fixed, other elements in a machine may cause that part to immediately fail but that does not mean the part was faulty. It may mean the problem is a different part. We do not accept the risk of your parts not working as you are unable to fit them or that part not fixing the actual problem, or a problem causing the new part to break. If we agree, the part needs to be returned within 14 days and with prior notification, and agreement. 

Talk to us first and we will assess on a case by case basis. It may be necessary to repair, replace or refund the item. Misused and lack of maintenance is not a warranty issue. For example if you have an incubator and do not clean it thoroughly, then we do not believe we should refund or replace or repair for free, the fans within that incubator. For example, If you purchase Farm equipment and a part fails or is worn out by the machine being used roughly and poorly maintained or simply used a lot then it is reasonable that these parts are to be paid for by the customer, as they have worn out, not failed spontaneously. Failures caused by contributing factors, circumstances beyond our control including (but limited to) defective installation, maintenance/repair, alteration or modification, in a manner not recommended by manufacturer or neglect, abuse, abnormal or excessive use. Wear and tear is not a warranty issue, nor are brown outs or power issues that cause electronics goods to fail. If you send an item back and it is not faulty, then the assessment and return freight cost is borne by you.

Warranties do not cover abuse, lack of maintenance, incorrect use, and incorrect storage, unhygienic or abnormal use. We reserve the right to refuse warranty or service on products that are not returned in a clean and proper condition (e.g. contain live/dead insects or contains faeces). 

We may refuse to work on it until cleaned and if we choose to work on an item that isnot clean, we will charge a cleaning fee. If the item needs returning due to uncleanliness then return freight becomes the customer’s responsibility. Be prepared to providedocumentary evidence with your return. An invoice or proof of purchase is essential and you may need to provide information, facts, reports, photos to support your claim.

If you change your mind on a purchase already agreed to and/or paid for and not yet sent, we reserve the right to charge a re-stocking fee of 15% on the total retail price of the goods to cover administration or to refuse a request for a refund.

Products can be returned only in the country in which they were originally purchased. Obsolete products are those that were discontinued which means parts are not available and cannot be ordered. Bellsouth make beyond reasonable efforts to keep parts, however it is not always possible or reasonable to expect us to have parts for all equipment sold over our years of operation.

Resellers 

Sales to a reseller have similar warranty periods as customers. If a product sits on your (reseller/distributor) shelf for ages then the warranty period may have expired. We do not provide our resellers or distributors with warranty replication i.e. your warranty is your business, between your customer and yourself. If you are a reseller or distributor and you decide to replace an item under warranty for your customer, we may well only repair the unit, not replace it or refund it.

Our Returns Process

Don't delay in calling or emailing Bellsouth if you find that your product does not work, has perceived issues or is not performing. It may be a concern that can be fixed with a referral to a manual, liaising with supplier or a conversation to clarify usage, without the cost of ‘back to base’ return freight.  

If something is immediately faulty or not what was reasonably expected given the information Bellsouth has supplied on this item, it can be returned for assessment after you have informed us of the issue, and we have agreed, such returns need to be performed within 14 days of arrival at the destination.

Please retain your receipt as a bank statement or credit card statement may not correlate to the purchase price of the product (especially where multiple products were purchased in one transaction or the purchase was with the previous business owner). If we cannot be satisfied that you purchased the product from us, we may elect whether or not to accept your product for return. 

Goods sent to us by Cash on Delivery will not be accepted. 

For fraud prevention purposes, if you do not have a receipt and we decide to act, we will need to record your personal details i.e. drivers licence. 

Please see our Privacy Policy.

When calling or emailing about an issue, please communicate with a helpful, factual description, information and photos, so effective troubleshooting may result. Practicaltroubleshooting means we may ask you many questions - we recommend the personexperiencing the issue contacts us. If troubleshooting doesn’t gain a favourable result and the issue remains, then sending in your product, so our technician or supplier can assess and/or test the item may take a reasonable time. Replicating the problem, on our premises, is usually the first step in solving it. We are not able to offer express testing or same day assessing before we replace or repair the product.

Once proof of purchase is provided, the product can safely and clearly be assessed, then the remedy will depend on whether the fault is a major failure. Please return theproduct in clean, hygenic and safe condition so it can be safely tested or assessed. Where the product fault is uncertain, difficult or potentially dangerous e.g. electrically unsafe; we may need to consult with the supplier’s technician or agent to determine the fault and resolution. We will ask our supplier to assess the product and provide their assessment in a reasonable timeframe,

If your product contains saved data or custom settings, (i.e. an egg printer, or poultry scale it is likely that the saved data will be lost. Please back up or write down your settings or saved information

Once the product is assessed/tested, this will assist in determining:

- there is no fault found

- there is a minor fault which can be repaired within a reasonable timeframe

- there is a major fault and you are to be offered a replacement or refund or

- the product has been damaged or abused through normal wear and tear, misuse, abnormal use or negligent use.

Where there is no fault found, the product will be returned to the foyer to be collected or for you to pay return postage/freight or other costs such as the technician’s time to assess your product. Bellsouth cannot offer a refund or exchange where there is no fault found with the product.

Incubator Repair/Service

If your incubator was purchased through us you will enjoy a more than reasonable rate for servicing. If you have purchased your incubator from elsewhere (even if it is a brand we sell), we will charge a rate more reflective of real Australian costs.

Ensure your item is thoroughly cleaned and dry before sending in for repair. 

If your incubator is so unclean that it causes our technician to gag, at the smell or suffer an allergic reaction to filth, and we decide to fix it (we don't have to); we will charge what we call a gag fee, which is a half hour labour charge for cleaning, to a point where we can fix it.

Please clean them, dry them and look after them, your hatching depends upon it after all. 

Our incubator repairs close down for December/January period as we are closed for the holiday period. Please send your incubator in for repair to get to us in February (not before please) or during the year, when we return from the Christmas/New Year break. The service charge per item is $140 (inc GST) plus parts and return postage.

Payment Procedure

Payment is accepted by credit card (Mastercard, Visa card), cheque, money order or direct deposit into our account. Overseas payment may only take the form of direct deposit into our bank account in Australia dollars. Please note that international direct deposits will attract bank charges.

Direct Deposits to our account are accepted, however you must include your order or invoice number to identify the deposit. This will be given when the total of the order plus freight is sent to you. 

Please also note that direct deposits may take up to 48 hours to appear in the account and dispatch will occur when payment is verified.

Goods cannot be dispatched by Cash on Delivery as we do not use any of the COD systems. Goods cannot be dispatched until payment is received and we reserve the right to verify payments before dispatch of goods.

We do alter these policies from time to time, without notice. If you think our policies are unclear or unfair or don’t stack up please let us know so we can examine the issue.