BIOCHEM STORES
Procedures
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Accepted methods of payment at Biochem Stores include: University of Iowa Funding, VA Medical Center Funding, University student/staff ID or other methods such as a personal check, a money order,
or a
We do not require this MFK on any type of University requisition, but we do require that you to supply all of the MFK account fields before we can set up your new Biochem Stores account. When we have verified that the MFK is valid, we will issue you a Biochem Stores Express Service Card, or more than one if you so request, for each different MFK account you open at Biochem Stores. Your Express Card will have our address and phone number on one side and a bar coded label of your Biochem Stores account number on the other side. See the example below:
Bring your card, why!- Your Biochem Stores Express Service Card is required to purchase from Biochem Stores. If you do not bring your Express Card, we may know your account number, or be able to find out what your number is however, there is no "easy" way to do this and while we do this for you, you will be causing other customers to be delayed unnecessarily. Have consideration for those who brought their Express Card and may be in the middle of a timed experiment. For lost cards, see Lost Card Procedures. VA University Faculty, Staff or
Student- You will be allowed to purchase admissible items, as determined by
Biochem Stores management, with your personal check, a money order, Staff/Student ID, or a |
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Making Your Purchase- Walk in and inform our front counter staff of the items needed and we will pick the items you have requested while you wait. It is not required, but very helpful if you can provide as much relevant information as possible about the items needed. Such information should include: the Biochem Stores catalog number, the company of manufacture, a description of the products, dimensions, pack or bottle sizes, or the required purity or grading specification of chemicals, etc. Our white 3" x 1" Biochem Stores barcode labels will be on most items you purchase. This label will contain a barcode of the items catalog number and description, and a 6 digit number representative of the items Biochem Stores catalog number. Verify Your Order- We request that, while you wait for your order, you verify that the products, and quantities, picked and charged out are correct. While we endeavor to accurately pick and charge out your requested items, we can make mistakes. Some item descriptions given can be vague or inaccurate, and thus, are subject to our interpretation of what you want or need. Similarly, we stock thousands of items in our inventory and many classes of items can be very similar in description. (i.e.-pipets, eppendorf tubes, pipet tips, etc.) With both you and we, verifying the accuracy of the purchasing process, we can minimize the possibility of errors. The Invoice- At the time of your purchase, you will be issued an itemized invoice of the items purchased. Your signature will be required at the time of purchase, so we can verify, upon request by your department, whom has made the purchase for that particular invoice. A copy of the invoice can be obtained from us at the time of purchase if you so require. |
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The items you purchase will need to be packed for transport to your lab. The distance and difficulty of the trip should be a consideration on the container used and the method utilized for packing your order. We may have a supply of bags, empty boxes, and packing materials on hand for your use in safely packing your purchase. To lessen the risk of breakage, Biochem Stores will assist you in packing your order however, we are not responsible for any breakage that may occur during packing or transport. Biochem Stores does not deliver. In most instances you should be able to carry your purchased supplies to your lab, but should you purchase a large enough quantity of items that they can't be easily carried, a cart may be required. We have carts available if you do not have one available for your use. However, as these carts are also used to process our incoming freight, if used, they must be returned immediately after use and will be subject to availability. Please ask stores staff about the availability of our carts. Transporting Chemicals- Extra caution needs to be observed when transporting chemicals. All bottles of chemicals should be packed in a box and placed on the lowest level of your cart. Be especially cautious while entering and exiting ramps and elevators. Small lab carts tip very easily. Similarly, they can tip when their small tires become wedged sideways in the slot between the elevator shaft and the building floor. Chemical Transport Recommendations: If you are transporting your purchase out of the building, we recommend that you bring adequate containers for transport of hazardous chemicals, and a cart as necessary, to safely transport your items to your lab.
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Before you can make a purchase and be billed, you will need to have a method of payment and/or open an account. When Your Account is Billed- Invoices for items purchased during the month, are honored during the month of purchase. Similarly, University issued MFK accounts, or grants, are debited for the total amount of the invoices for that month, on the last working day of the month. Tracking Your Purchases- You may ask to receive a copy of your invoice at the time of purchase, or you can wait for the end of the month Invoice Sales Recapitulation statement. This statement will show the MFK account the purchases were charged against, the Invoice numbers and dates of purchase, the items purchased, and the relevant totals. All departments receive the end of the month statement for their accounts on or about the 2nd working day of the month. Check with your departmental administrator, or accounts person, if you do not receive a copy of the statement please contact us. Charges Applied to Multiple Accounts- Our billing system does not allow us to "split" the billing of an item among multiple MFK accounts. Should you purchase more than one item, we can manually "split" your order between accounts by charging separate items, to separate accounts. However, our ability to divide your order equitably among multiple accounts is dependent on the quantities and prices of the items purchased. Please inform us of your need to charge to multiple account before we process your order. Charges Billed to an Incorrect Account- Our online accounting system will only allow us to make accounting changes, adjustments between accounts, when the change is made within the same month as the charge (e.g.-for an invoice issued on Nov. 20th, the adjustment must be made before Dec. 1st). All required accounting changes initiated after the end of the month, are the responsibility of the department in control of the funding. Contact your departmental accounts person for more information. Before we can make any changes between accounts, we will need your Biochem Stores, or MFK, account number and invoice number for the account that was incorrectly charged and the account number of the account that should be charged. Other Problems With Your Billing- If you have any other questions or problems concerning billing matters, please contact us. Please have all of the applicable invoice numbers and dates of purchase available for all items and invoices in question. |
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Replacing a Lost Card- Should you lose your Biochem Stores Express Service Card, you can receive another by bringing in: another Express Service Card of the same MFK account, your Biochem Stores account number for that MFK account, or your University issued MFK account number for that Biochem Stores account. We will make you a new card while you wait. We will require you to obtain a new Express card before making any purchases. If you leave your card here, or lose it and we have it turned in to us, we will keep it a couple days and then destroy it. Canceling a Lost Card- We can cancel the MFK account of a lost card, however the process to open you a new Biochem Stores account and reissue new cards can be problematic. To date, we have never had an instance of a lost card being used by an unauthorized person. |
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Copyright © 2007. Biochem Stores, University of Iowa. All rights reserved.
Page last updated January, 2007.
Comments, concerns, or problems with this page, contact Justin Rogers.
URL: http://stores.biochem.uiowa.edu/
This page developed and maintained by Biochem Stores.
University of Iowa,