1. Introduction and Acceptance

These Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) govern every purchase made through https://www.healthhorizon.co.za (“the Site”), operated by Health Horizon (Pty) Ltd, a company/ incorporated in South Africa (“the Company”, “we”, “us”, or “our”).

By placing an order through the Site, you (“the Customer”, “you”, or “your”) agree to be bound by these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and any additional terms disclosed to you at the time of purchase. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Site or purchase products from us.

These Terms are concluded electronically in accordance with section 11 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (“ECTA”), which affords electronic agreements and electronic signatures the same legal validity as documents and signatures in writing.

2. Company Information (Regulation 3 of the ECT Act Regulations)

  • Full name: Health Horizon (Pty) Ltd
  • Trading name: Health Horizon
  • Legal status: Pty Ltd
  • Registration number: [PENDING]
  • VAT number (if applicable): [PENDING]
  • Email: sales@healthhorizon.co.za
  • Telephone: +27 79 399 5423
  • Website: https://www.healthhorizon.co.za

3. Eligibility to Purchase

You must be at least 18 years old and have full legal capacity to enter into a binding contract to purchase products from the Site. By placing an order, you warrant that you meet these requirements.

Given the specialised nature of the products sold, you further warrant that you are purchasing on behalf of a legitimate research, laboratory, educational, or institutional purpose, and that you have the necessary knowledge, training, and facilities to handle such products safely and lawfully.

4. Nature of Products — Research Use Only

IMPORTANT — PLEASE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE PURCHASING

  • All products sold on the Site are research-grade chemical/peptide products intended STRICTLY for in-vitro laboratory research, forensic, analytical, or educational use by qualified researchers and institutions.
  • Our products are NOT intended, labelled, or approved for human or animal consumption, injection, ingestion, inhalation, topical application, or any other form of use in or on the human or animal body.
  • Our products are NOT medicines, health products, complementary medicines, foodstuffs, or cosmetics. They have NOT been evaluated, registered, or approved by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) under the Medicines and Related Substances Act 101 of 1965, and no claims are made or implied regarding the diagnosis, treatment, cure, mitigation, or prevention of any disease or condition.
  • Products are sold and labelled “Not for Human Consumption” and “For Laboratory/Research Use Only”, and must be stored, handled, and disposed of in accordance with applicable health, safety, and environmental legislation.
  • By placing an order, you represent and warrant that you will use the products solely for lawful research purposes, that you will not resell, distribute, or supply the products for human or animal consumption or as a medicine or supplement, and that you are solely responsible for ensuring your use of the products complies with all applicable South African and, where relevant, international laws (including but not limited to the Medicines and Related Substances Act, the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act 54 of 1972, and any applicable customs, import/export, or controlled-substances legislation).
  • We reserve the right to refuse, cancel, or restrict any order where we reasonably suspect the products will be used for human or animal consumption, resale as a medicine or supplement, or any unlawful purpose.

Nothing in these Terms constitutes medical, dietary, or health advice, and you should not rely on any product description on the Site as such.

5. Product Information and Pricing

We take reasonable care to ensure product descriptions, specifications, certificates of analysis (where provided), and images on the Site are accurate. However, we do not warrant that all information is completely error-free, and we reserve the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions at any time, including after an order has been submitted.

All prices are displayed in South African Rand (ZAR) and exclude Value-Added Tax (VAT) unless otherwise stated. We reserve the right to change prices at any time, but changes will not affect orders already confirmed. Delivery charges, where applicable, are shown separately at checkout.

6. Orders and Formation of Contract

An order placed via the Site constitutes an offer by you to purchase the selected products. We reserve the right to accept or decline any order at our discretion, including where a product is out of stock, where we suspect fraudulent activity, or where we reasonably believe the products are intended for a prohibited use as described in section 4.

A binding agreement of sale is only formed once we send you an order confirmation email or otherwise confirm acceptance of your order. Until such confirmation, no contract exists between you and the Company, notwithstanding that payment may already have been processed.

In accordance with section 43 of ECTA, before you conclude your order we make available to you, in a manner that allows you to review your order: a description of the products, all costs (including delivery and any taxes), the manner and period of payment, delivery arrangements, and our returns/cancellation policy, all as set out in these Terms and at checkout.

7. Payment

Payment is processed securely through our third-party payment gateway (PayFast). We do not store your full card details on our servers. All payments must be received and cleared before an order is processed and dispatched, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

We reserve the right to cancel an order and refund any payment received where a transaction is declined, reversed, disputed, or reasonably suspected to be fraudulent.

8. Delivery

We aim to dispatch and deliver orders within the timeframes indicated on the Site, using our nominated courier partner(s). Delivery times are estimates only and are not guaranteed. We are not liable for delays caused by the courier, customs, or circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

Risk in the products passes to you on delivery to the address provided at checkout. It is your responsibility to ensure someone is available to receive the delivery and that the delivery address and any special handling/storage instructions (e.g. cold-chain requirements) are correct.

Given the regulated nature of some products, we reserve the right to require proof of identity, age, or institutional affiliation prior to delivery, and to decline delivery to certain addresses or jurisdictions where we reasonably believe delivery would contravene applicable law.

9. Cancellation, Cooling-Off, and Returns

9.1 Cooling-off right under ECTA

In terms of section 44 of ECTA, where you are a consumer purchasing electronically, you may be entitled to cancel your order without reason and without penalty within seven (7) days of receiving the products, subject to the exclusions in section 44(2) of ECTA. This right does not apply to the extent it is excluded by law, including where the products, by their nature, cannot be returned once unsealed or used, or where the seal has been broken for health, hygiene, or safety reasons.

9.2 Products excluded from return once opened

  • Given the specialised, sealed nature of research-grade chemical products, once a product’s tamper-evident seal or packaging has been opened or broken, it cannot be returned or exchanged, except where the product is defective or does not match its description, as required by the Consumer Protection Act.

9.3 Defective or incorrect products

Where applicable, and to the extent the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 (“CPA”) applies to your transaction, you may return products that are defective, unsafe, or do not match their description within a reasonable time, and we will, at our discretion (and where required by the CPA, at your election), repair, replace, or refund the product, in accordance with section 56 of the CPA. Please note that the CPA’s consumer protections apply differently, or may not apply at all, to transactions with juristic persons (companies, close corporations, or other institutions) above the asset/turnover threshold prescribed under the CPA.

To request a return, please contact us at sales@healthhorizon.co.za within 7 days of delivery, quoting your order number.

10. Warranties and Disclaimers

Save for the warranties set out in section 4 and any warranties that cannot lawfully be excluded (including under the CPA), products are supplied “as is” for research purposes, and we make no representation or warranty that the products are fit for any particular purpose other than as described on the Site.

Any certificates of analysis, purity data, or specifications provided are supplied by our suppliers/manufacturers and are provided for informational purposes only; you are responsible for independently verifying the suitability of any product for your specific research application.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Company, its directors, employees, and agents will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential loss or damage arising from your use of the Site or the products, including but not limited to loss of profits, research data, or business opportunity, and in particular any loss, injury, or damage arising from any use of the products otherwise than for their intended research/laboratory purpose.

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, including liability for gross negligence, fraud, or wilful misconduct, or any liability that may not be excluded under section 51 of the CPA.

Subject to the above, our total liability to you in respect of any single order will not exceed the price paid by you for the products giving rise to the claim.

12. Indemnity

You indemnify and hold the Company harmless against any claim, loss, damage, fine, or liability (including legal costs) arising from your use of the products for any purpose other than lawful research/laboratory use, your breach of these Terms, or your failure to comply with any applicable law, including any law regulating the use, importation, storage, or handling of the products in your jurisdiction.

13. Intellectual Property

All content on the Site, including text, graphics, logos, product descriptions, and images, is owned by or licensed to the Company and is protected by South African copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or use any content from the Site for commercial purposes without our prior written consent.

14. Prohibited Use

  • Using the Site or products for any unlawful purpose, or in a manner that infringes the rights of any third party
  • Purchasing, marketing, or reselling the products as food, medicine, a supplement, or for human or animal consumption
  • Attempting to circumvent any age, identity, or eligibility verification measures on the Site
  • Using automated means (bots, scrapers) to access the Site without our consent

15. Export, Import, and Regulatory Compliance

You are solely responsible for ensuring that your purchase, importation, possession, and use of the products complies with all laws applicable in your jurisdiction, including any controlled substances, precursor chemical, customs, or import/export restrictions. The Company makes no representation that the products may lawfully be purchased, imported, or used in any jurisdiction other than as research/laboratory-use products within South Africa, and accepts no liability for any customs delays, seizures, fines, or other consequences arising from cross-border shipment.

16. Privacy

Our collection and use of your personal information in connection with your use of the Site and your orders is governed by our Privacy Policy, which forms part of these Terms.

17. Force Majeure

Neither party will be liable for any failure or delay in performance caused by circumstances beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disaster, load-shedding or power outages, strike, courier or supply-chain disruption, or governmental action.

18. Complaints and Dispute Resolution

If you have a complaint about your order or these Terms, please contact us first at sales@healthhorizon.co.za so that we can attempt to resolve the matter directly. Where applicable and unresolved, you may refer a consumer-related complaint to the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud or the National Consumer Commission, or lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator in respect of any privacy-related matter (see our Privacy Policy for contact details).

19. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. You agree to submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the South African courts in respect of any dispute arising from these Terms or your use of the Site, without prejudice to any right you may have to approach an alternative forum available to you under applicable consumer protection law.

20. General

  • Entire agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy and any order confirmation, constitute the entire agreement between you and the Company regarding your purchase.
  • Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.
  • Amendments: We may update these Terms from time to time. The version in force at the time you place an order will govern that order. Continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.
  • No waiver: No failure or delay by us in exercising any right under these Terms will operate as a waiver of that right.