Service FAQs

There are several ways to place an order: Online at www.coleparmer.com, by fax at 1-514-355-7119, by email at [email protected], or by calling us at 1-800-363-5900.

Terms of payment are Net 30 days with established credit. We welcome new accounts with an approved credit application. Download and complete this Credit Application (.pdf), fax it back to our Credit Department at 1-514-355-7119 when you place your initial order. (International customers, please contact your local dealer).
We accept Visa®, MasterCard®, American Express®, and Discover® credit cards; procurement cards; checks; or money orders. Credit card charges are submitted at time of shipment.
If you are paying by credit card, you may do so by entering that information through our secure web site or you may call 1-800-363-5900. It is not our company policy to accept credit card numbers via email or fax.

We appreciate all orders, so Cole-Parmer has no minimum order requirement. Occasionally, a supplier may require a minimum and you will be advised of this at the time of your order.

We will charge the tax that is required by your state and local municipality. If you are tax exempt, we must have a valid tax exemption certificate on file. Please fax your certificate to 1-514-355-7119 or e-mail it to [email protected].

If the item(s) is in stock and the order is placed before 1:30 pm Central Time, the order will ship out that same day. Orders placed after 1:30 pm will ship out the next day. If the item is out of stock, an expected ship date will be given.

If a shipping method is not specified, we will determine the most expedient and efficient means of shipment. Appropriate charges (such as freight and insurance), provided by the various carriers used by Cole-Parmer, will be added to your invoice. These charges are determined (at time of shipment) by product plus packaging weight, overall package dimensions, as well as any other special shipping requirements, such as HAZMAT materials. Your final shipping costs may differ. Cole-Parmer will not be liable for any claim, loss, or damage caused in whole or in part due to delay in or failure to make delivery when such delay or failure is directly or indirectly caused by act of God; strike or other labor difficulty; transportation problems; inability or delay in obtaining necessary labor, material or products from usual sources; material shortages; accident; act of any civil or military authority; act of war; or act of purchaser; or by the occurrence of any other contingency beyond Cole-Parmer's reasonable control. In such event, the date of delivery or time for completion shall be postponed by such length of time as may be reasonably necessary to compensate for the delay.

Cole-Parmer places the highest priority on customer satisfaction and believes that our products are of the highest quality on the market. If you are not happy with your purchase for any reason, please let us know how we can make it right. We'll do whatever it takes to fix the problem. All we ask is that you request a Return Authorization at 1-800-363-5900 or [email protected]. Please note that there may be some restrictions on certain products such as custom or special order items, expired, refrigerated, radioactive or DEA regulated materials, open liquids, chemicals or reagents.

If you receive a damaged product, please contact our Returns Specialists at 1-800-363-5900 or [email protected].

Product returned more than 30 days after shipping are subject to a restocking fee. Some larger items, chemicals and hazmat items may be subject to restocking fees.

Please see Terms & Conditions.

An account number is assigned to you at the time you set up your first order.

At the top of our website click the link for “Sign In”. From there click on "Forgot Password?". You will be prompted to enter the e-mail address used when you registered— your USER ID. That email address will be used to send a link to reset your password. If you have any problems or concerns, please contact Customer Service.

Once you register online you can manage your default settings for your Contact & Sign-in, Addresses, Communication Preferences, Lists, My Docs, etc. in My Account. You must be logged in to access most settings.

If you are registered, you can look up past orders by entering your order reference number and EITHER your billing zip/postal code, PO number, OR account number. If you are registered you can see all past orders. Go to Order Lookup.

Yes! We have access to most of our suppliers complete product lines. Our Applications Specialists are happy to help you source the product you need. See Special & Custom Orders.

Yes. We have Customer Service Representatives that will be happy to speak to you in Spanish.

You can place a blanket order for up to a year with us, specifying the amounts and dates you want shipped.
 

The reference number is an internal number that we assign to your order. It assists us in locating your order if you need to discuss it with us. When contacting us, you can refer to either the reference number or your purchase order number.

Many of our items will automatically be discounted based on quantity. Whenever possible, we will try to give you a discount. Please contact our Customer Service Representatives at 1-800-363-5900 or [email protected] for assistance.

If you receive a written quote from us, the pricing will be honored for 60 days unless otherwise agreed upon.

As a supplier of "Dual Use" scientific products—those having both civilian and military applications—Cole-Parmer has a responsibility to the safety of the people and nations of the world and must comply with United States export laws. In fulfilling our lawful duties, we may require additional information in the processing of your order. This additional level of diligence will protect our instruments from being used improperly. The additional details you may be required to provide include:
Who will be using the instrument?
How will the instrument be used?
What country is the final destination of the instrument?
We understand these extra questions can pose a burden, but being a leading global provider of scientific instruments requires our constant diligence.

NAFTA certificates are provided for orders that have a final destination outside the United States.

You can view our products on our website. If you don't see what you need, we will see if we can special order it for you.

There are several ways to contact us: Through Live Chat Online at www.coleparmer.com, by fax at 1-514-355-7119, by email at [email protected], or by calling us at 1-800-363-5900.

Yes! Our application and technical support is free! Please contact one of our Application Specialists to help with troubleshooting, product recommendations, application assistance and custom & special ordering.

Yes! Please contact our returns group to set up a Return Authorization for your product. See full details.

Please contact one of our Application Specialists. Our highly trained team will help you source the custom product you need. See Special & Custom Orders.

There are several ways to contact our technical staff: By phone at 1-800-363-5900 from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM Central time, by email at [email protected] or via live chat on our website.

Our Application Specialists can assist you with product selection and recommendation, troubleshooting and technical assistance, manuals and documentation, custom and unique product sourcing, complete application solutions and much more!

Our customer service representatives located at our headquarters in Vernon Hills, IL are trained to take care of all of your requests. Your orders will also ship out from our warehouse in Vernon Hills, IL.

At Cole-Parmer, we understand your concerns about online security and privacy. All orders on our site are encrypted using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology. SSL is a complex form of cryptography that makes it virtually impossible for a third party to decrypt any useful information you provide. You can use our site knowing that your personal and credit card information is protected when transmitted online. Cole-Parmer uses GoDaddy website security services, allowing you to place Internet orders with confidence, knowing that your credit card information will be secure.

By placing an order, an account will be automatically set up for you. However, this does not mean your order must be placed "on account." You can order online as a guest anytime and we accept credit cards.

Yes, go to Sign In or Register page. Click the “Look up Account” link. You will need a past order, quote or invoice number from within the last 12 months.
 

See our full Terms and Conditions.