Terms of service

TERMS OF SERVICE

Last updated: June 2026

Welcome to The South Pacific Tube Outpost. By placing an order or using our website, you agree to the following terms. Please read them carefully.

1. About Us

The South Pacific Tube Outpost is a New Zealand-based specialist retailer of vacuum tubes and related audio components. Our business is operated from New Zealand, and these terms are governed by the laws of New Zealand.

2. Eligibility

By purchasing from us, you confirm that you are of legal age to enter into a binding contract in your country of residence. We reserve the right to refuse service at our discretion.

3. Product Descriptions & Condition

We take care to accurately describe every item we sell, including condition grades, test results, and specifications where available. However, please note:

  • Vintage and New Old Stock (NOS) tubes are pre-owned or aged components. Minor cosmetic imperfections — label wear, light oxidation, original box wear — are normal and expected, and are not grounds for return unless specifically misrepresented.
  • Tubes listed as "untested" or "sold as-is" are sold without any performance guarantee and are not eligible for return.
  • Where tube measurements (gain, noise floor, matching) are provided, these reflect our testing at the time of listing. Tube characteristics can change over time and with use — these figures are informational, not a guarantee of performance in any specific piece of equipment.
  • Images are representative. Exact label variants, date codes, or factory markings may vary for NOS stock unless specifically stated.

4. Pricing & Currency

All prices are displayed in New Zealand Dollars (NZD) unless otherwise stated. Prices are subject to change without notice. We are not responsible for currency conversion fees or exchange rate differences charged by your bank or payment provider.

5. Orders & Payment

Placing an order constitutes an offer to purchase. A binding contract is formed when we confirm your order and payment is successfully processed. We reserve the right to cancel any order prior to dispatch — for example, in the event of a stock discrepancy, pricing error, or suspected fraudulent activity — and will issue a full refund in such cases.

6. Shipping, Risk & Customs

We ship from New Zealand using tracked international services and pack every order with care. Once your parcel is handed to the carrier, risk of loss or damage passes to you as the buyer.

We ship on DAP (Delivered At Place) terms. This means:

  • The prices you pay us do not include import duties, VAT, GST, or other taxes levied by your country's customs authority.
  • You are solely responsible for all import charges assessed upon delivery.
  • We are not responsible for delays caused by customs processing.

Delivery timeframes provided at checkout are estimates only and are not guaranteed.

If a parcel is refused or goes unclaimed, we will refund the product cost minus outbound shipping and any return freight or customs costs we incur.

7. Returns & Refunds

Our Returns & Refunds Policy forms part of these Terms of Service. Please review it in full before purchasing. Key points:

  • Returns accepted within 14 days of delivery, subject to eligibility conditions.
  • Dead on Arrival (DOA) claims must be raised within 7 days of delivery.
  • Tubes that have been installed, powered on, or used by the customer prior to return are not eligible for return.
  • All returned tubes are inspected and tested by us before a refund is issued.
  • Return shipping is at the purchaser's cost.

8. Limitation of Liability

Vacuum tubes are technical components intended for use by persons with appropriate knowledge of valve electronics. We are not liable for:

  • Damage to amplifiers, equipment, or other components caused by the use of tubes purchased from us.
  • Losses arising from incorrect installation, mismatched specifications, or improper use.
  • Any indirect, consequential, or incidental losses of any kind.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total liability to you in connection with any order is limited to the purchase price of the item in question.

Nothing in these terms limits any rights you have under applicable consumer protection legislation that cannot lawfully be excluded.

9. New Zealand Consumer Guarantees

For customers located in New Zealand, the following statutory guarantees apply under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 (NZ) and cannot be excluded:

  • Acceptable quality — goods must be fit for purpose, free from defects, safe, durable, and acceptable in appearance and finish, having regard to the nature of the goods and the price paid.
  • Fitness for particular purpose — if you told us the specific purpose you needed the tube for and relied on our skill and judgement, the tube should be fit for that purpose.
  • Correspondence with description — goods must match the description we provided.
  • Right to remedy — if a product fails to meet a consumer guarantee, you are entitled to a repair, replacement, or refund depending on the nature of the failure. For a significant failure, you may choose a refund or replacement. For a minor failure, we may choose to repair or replace.

We honour these obligations fully for all New Zealand customers. If you believe a product has failed to meet a consumer guarantee, please contact us and we will work with you to find a fair resolution.

Note: The Consumer Guarantees Act does not apply where goods are purchased for business purposes. If you are purchasing tubes for commercial use, please let us know at the time of order.

10. Australian Consumer Law

For customers located in Australia, you have rights under the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) that cannot be excluded. Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the ACL. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.

11. International Customers

For customers outside New Zealand and Australia, these terms are governed by New Zealand law. Many countries have their own consumer protection legislation that may apply to your purchase regardless of this clause. We aim to deal fairly with all customers and will always try to resolve disputes in good faith.

12. Intellectual Property

All content on our website — including product descriptions, photographs, and branding — is our property or used with permission. You may not reproduce, copy, or redistribute our content without prior written consent.

13. Privacy

We collect and handle personal information in accordance with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for full details on how we collect, use, and protect your data.

14. Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to update these Terms of Service at any time. Changes take effect upon posting to our website. Continued use of our store after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

15. Contact

If you have any questions about these terms, please contact us at support@southpacifictubeoutpost.com