Sound and Vibration Instrument Hire and Calibration
Hire Notes and FAQ
These notes describe the hire procedure in plain English and cover Frequently Asked Questions.
The full Terms and Conditions available here are also supplied with our Hire Agreement, to be completed before equipment is dispatched.
Accessories
Cables and other accessories are not included unless specifically mentioned - so you only pay for what you need. Please add any additional items you want from our wide range of accessories.
Charges
Our ISO and BSI status requires extensive testing of equipment before and after each hire, so a minimum hire period is unavoidable.
Standard Hire - 4 day minimum hire
The hire period (and therefore the charges) begins the day you receive the equipment and continues up to and including the day our carrier collects the equipment, by prior arrangement* in good working condition. This arrangement ensures you only pay for equipment when on your premises and not in transit.
* When the equipment is ready for collection, it is the customers responsibility to telephone, early that morning, to advise us and get an off hire number.
If you elect to make your own arrangements for the return of the equipment then the hire charges continue until the equipment is received back in our offices in good working condition.
Long Term Hire
Instruments are available for hire at a greatly reduced rate for customers able to commit to hiring for a 12 month period. Instruments are delivered with a 12 month calibration certificate. If the Instrument develops a fault whilst under normal operating conditions then a replacement Instrument will be made available until the repair is completed. This way instruments are always available with better safeguards than buying one and after a year you can replace it with the latest version if one has become available. We issue invoices on a monthly basis and our payment terms are strictly net thirty days. Instruments must be returned to Gracey & Associates at the end of hire period.
Cancellation
Charges may be due if you return a signed hire agreement to us and subsequently cancel the hire. Please read the Terms and Conditions for more information.
Delivery
Delivery is normally by noon next day to most parts of the UK. If you are near a main centre then 10.30 am or even earlier can be arranged at extra cost. There are no guarantees, we are all in the hands of the carrier, although 10.30 and noon are usually pretty reliable.
Same day delivery, using a small local carrier or taxi, may be possible, but this option is relatively expensive and not always possible at short notice. If the equipment is being shipped away from mainland Britain, or to remote areas, or the timely arrival of the equipment is of utmost importance to you, then we recommend allowing for possible delays by the carrier; this could mean shipping a day earlier.
Insurance
Comprehensive insurance, new for old, must be arranged for the duration of the hire. As most organisations already have a policy covering equipment hire, this is not usually a problem.
Insurance in Transit:
When we dispatch goods, they are insured in transit. Carriers are notoriously bad at providing adequate insurance cover, so we recommend you check with your carrier to ensure the equipment is covered on the return journey or alternatively you can contact us and we will arrange the collection on your behalf. If you wish us to organize this service, we must know before 11 am on the day the equipment is ready, packed and labelled.
Overseas Hire
As a UK company our Hire Agreements are not covered abroad. Therefore we may only hire to UK based organisations or their overseas affiliates.
Neither can we offer an export service as each country have their own regulations and strict paperwork requirements governing the import and export of equipment. Hires also tend to come under special 'temporary import' rules and are best handled by someone with local knowledge.
Overseas customers are welcome to hire through their UK branch or affiliated companies who can organise shipping and return of the equipment.
Setting up an account
This is a straight forward procedure and usually only takes a couple of hours. We can only supply registered companies or known organisations and do not accept Credit Card payment.
To set up an account we require your company registration number and two trade references ** including telephone numbers and contact names. Please submit your references on a company letterhead adding any additional information that may be relevant, such as the invoice address if different, contact name and numbers of the person hiring the equipment, etc.
Once the account has been approved, we send you a Hire Agreement. Please check it carefully to make sure we have understood your requirements and dates. Please sign the Schedule, include your order number and return it to us. Our Hire Agreement(s) must be signed and received back before goods can be dispatched.
The first hire will be dispatched to your office address, but any hire thereafter can be delivered to an alternative address or even collected from our premises.
See also the minimum hire, insurance, delivery/collection options detailed above.
** Trade references are not required for well known organisations.
The full Terms and Conditions available here are also supplied with our Hire Agreement, to be completed before equipment is dispatched.
