Refund & Returns Policy

Effective Date: July 6, 2026 Last Updated: November 6, 2026

This Refund & Returns Policy (the "Policy") governs all purchases of products (the "Products") from LighteningPeps Research LLC ("LighteningPeps Research," "we," "us," or "our") through https://lighteningpeps.com (the "Site"). This Policy is incorporated by reference into, and is part of, our Terms of Service. By placing an order you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Policy.

1. Research-Use-Only Products - Read Before You Order

All Products sold by LighteningPeps Research are supplied strictly as research-use-only ("RUO") chemicals and reference materials intended for in-vitro laboratory research and development by qualified, trained professionals.

The Products:

• are NOT drugs, foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics, or medical devices;
• have NOT been evaluated or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other regulatory authority for any use;
• are NOT for human or animal consumption, ingestion, injection, inhalation, topical application, diagnostic, therapeutic, clinical, or any in-vivo use of any kind; and
• are NOT intended to diagnose, treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent any disease or condition.

By placing an order you represent and warrant that you are a qualified researcher or a duly authorized representative of a research, academic, analytical, or commercial laboratory entity, that you are at least 21 years of age, that you are purchasing the Products solely for lawful in-vitro research, and that you will handle, store, use, and dispose of the Products in accordance with all applicable laws and good laboratory practices. Your qualified-researcher representation, your assumption of all risk associated with handling the Products, and your indemnification and limitation-of-liability obligations are set out in, and governed by, our Terms of Service and remain in full force regardless of any remedy under this Policy.

Because the Products are research reagents and not consumer goods, the suitability of a Product for any particular research purpose is your responsibility. Dissatisfaction with experimental results, a change of research direction, a mistaken interpretation of a Product's intended use, or any belief that a Product may be used for a purpose outside the RUO scope described above is not a basis for a refund, return, or exchange under this Policy.

2. No Returns: All Sales Are Final

We do not accept returns, and all sales are final. Because the Products are sensitive research reagents whose identity, purity, sterility, and stability cannot be verified or assured once they have left our custody and chain of control, we do not accept returns or exchanges for any reason, and we do not offer refunds for buyer's remorse, ordering errors, change of mind, no-longer-needed items, delayed research timelines, or failure to meet a researcher's expectations.

This no-return rule exists to protect the integrity of the research-reagent supply chain and is consistent with industry practice for laboratory chemicals and reference standards. It is not a denial of any non-waivable right you may have under applicable law.

3. Defective, Incorrect, or Non-Delivered Orders

We stand behind the condition of Products as shipped. You may be eligible for a replacement or store credit (at our election, see Section 6) only in the following circumstances, and only if you comply with the claim procedure and deadlines in Section 4:

3.1 Defective Items. The Product, as delivered, materially deviates from the specifications published on its product page or accompanying Certificate of Analysis ("COA") at the time of purchase. Claims of this type may require photographs, the lot number, and/or independent verification (see Section 5).

3.2 Wrong Item Shipped. You received a Product, quantity, concentration, or SKU different from what your order confirmation reflects.

3.3 Non-Delivery / Lost Shipment. A tracked shipment is confirmed lost in transit by the carrier and our investigation confirms non-delivery. Package Protection is available at checkout for lost, stolen, or damaged packages. If we are unable to ship your order within 3-5 days of receiving your properly completed order (or any longer period clearly stated at checkout), we will notify you and offer you the option to consent to a shipping delay. As additional alternatives, you may choose to modify your order by selecting a different available Product or receive store credit toward a future purchase.

Exclusions from these exceptions. The exceptions above do not apply to: (a) Products that have been opened, used, reconstituted, repackaged, relabeled, or altered in any way except to the minimum extent necessary to discover the defect; (b) Products damaged by you after delivery, including by improper storage or handling; (c) Products refused at delivery, undeliverable, or returned to us due to an incomplete, inaccurate, or unverifiable shipping address you provided; (d) Products seized, detained, or destroyed by any customs, postal, or governmental authority; (e) minor variations in color, appearance, or labeling that do not affect the Product's stated specifications; or (f) claims submitted after the deadline in Section 4.

4. How to Make a Claim (Deadlines & Procedure)

To be eligible under Section 3, you must notify us within 14 days of the delivery date shown by the carrier's tracking (for defective or wrong-item claims) or within 15 days of the expected delivery date (for non-delivery claims). Claims received after these windows will not be honored, except where a longer period is required by non-waivable law.

To submit a claim, email us at:

Your email must include all of the following:

1. your order number and the name on the order;
2. a description of the problem and which exception in Section 3 applies;
3. for wrong-item claims: clear photographs of the outer packaging, shipping label, inner packaging, and the affected Product, taken before discarding any packaging; and
4. the lot/batch number on the Product label, where applicable.

Do not send any Product back to us. We do not accept returned Products; a returned parcel may be refused, is not eligible for a refund, and may be disposed of without credit. Retain the affected Product and all packaging until your claim is resolved.

5. Verification

5.1 Verification. We may ask for additional photographs or information before approving any remedy. We may also, at our discretion, request independent third-party analytical verification of a defect claim, performed by a mutually acceptable accredited laboratory. If verification confirms the Product conformed to its published specifications and COA at the time of shipment, your claim may be denied and you may be responsible for the cost of the analysis.

6. Remedies

Our Remedy Election. For an approved claim under Section 3, we will, at our option, ship a replacement of the same Product or issue a store credit. We do not issue monetary refunds. Where a remedy is required by non-waivable law, we will provide the remedy the law requires.

7. Order Cancellations & Address Errors

We do not accept cancellation of an order. You may request to modify an order before it ships by emailing support@lighteningpeps.com. We process orders quickly and cannot guarantee that a modification request will reach us before a Product has been packed or shipped. Once a Product has shipped, the order is governed by Sections 2–6. You are responsible for providing a complete and accurate shipping address; we are not responsible for orders delayed, lost, or undeliverable due to address errors you provided, and re-shipping costs in that situation are your responsibility.

8. Chargebacks & Payment Disputes

If you believe you are entitled to a refund, please contact us first at support@lighteningpeps.com so we can resolve the matter directly. Filing a chargeback or payment dispute before contacting us and allowing a reasonable opportunity to cure is a breach of our Terms of Service.

By placing an order you acknowledge and agree that, in the event of a chargeback or payment dispute, we may present this Policy, your order records, our delivery and tracking records, your acceptance of the RUO terms and these refund terms at checkout, your qualified-researcher representation, and related communications to the card network, payment processor, or bank as evidence that the transaction was authorized and that the Products were delivered as described. Initiating a fraudulent or bad-faith chargeback - including a dispute that contradicts your acceptance of this Policy or seeks a refund for a reason this Policy excludes - may result in suspension of your account, recovery of the disputed amount plus dispute and processing fees, and referral to collections, to the extent permitted by law. Nothing in this Section limits your right to pursue a legitimate dispute you are entitled to bring under applicable law or card-network rules.

9. No Human-Use Implication; No Health Claims

Nothing in this Policy - including any reference to replacement, refund, satisfaction, quality, or condition - shall be construed as a representation, warranty, or implication that any Product is safe or appropriate for human or animal consumption or any in-vivo use, or that any Product has any health, therapeutic, or nutritional benefit. Any remedy under this Policy relates solely to the condition, identity, or delivery of a research reagent and not to any use prohibited by Section 1 or by our Terms of Service. Your assumption-of-risk, indemnification, qualified-researcher, and limitation-of-liability obligations in the Terms of Service remain in full force.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, and without limiting the limitation-of-liability and warranty-disclaimer provisions of our Terms of Service, our total liability arising out of or relating to any Product, order, or this Policy - whether in contract, warranty, tort, or otherwise - shall not exceed the amount you actually paid for the specific Product giving rise to the claim. We are not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, including lost research, lost data, lost profits, or the cost of substitute reagents. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so portions of this Section may not apply to you.

11. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution

This Policy is governed by the laws of the State of TN, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Any dispute arising out of or relating to this Policy is subject to the binding arbitration, class-action waiver, and dispute-resolution provisions of our Terms of Service, which are incorporated here by reference. In the event of a conflict between this Policy and the Terms of Service regarding dispute resolution, the Terms of Service control.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. The version in effect at the time you place an order governs that order. We will post the current version on the Site with an updated "Last Updated" date. Material changes will be identified as such. Your continued use of the Site or placement of new orders after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.

13. Accessibility

We are committed to making this Policy and our Site accessible and to conforming to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. If you have difficulty accessing this Policy or need it in an alternative format, contact support@lighteningpeps.com and we will work with you to provide the information in an accessible manner.

14. Contact Us

This Policy was last updated on November 6, 2026 and is effective as of July 6, 2026.