FAQS
Getting Started
How do I register on Lasec® Education's website?
You can purchase from Lasec® Education's e-commerce store as a guest or register to create a user account.
To register as a user, click here or click "Create an Account" next to the search box at the top of the Lasec® Education website.
To create an account, you will be asked to provide your first and last name, email address, and password. Once your account is active, you can buy products and view your purchase history.
How do I place an order on Lasec® Education's website?
1. Find the product you want to purchase.
The keyword search box can be found on every page of the website. Links to browse lists and more detailed product-specific searches can also be found in the top navigation bar. When you find a product that interests you, click the title or name to see more information about it, including availability.
2. Add to cart
Have you found the products you're looking to purchase? Once you have selected the quantity and variant required, click on "Add to Cart." Your shopping cart contains all of the products that you have chosen to purchase. After you've added a product to your shopping cart, you can return and continue searching and adding items to your cart. You can view the contents of your shopping cart at any time by clicking on the shopping cart icon in the upper right corner of any Lasec® Education page.
3. Checkout
3.1. Click "Proceed to Checkout" after you’ve reviewed the items in your Shopping Cart.
3.2. If prompted, sign in to your account or create a new account if this is your first order or you can checkout as a guest.
3.3. Enter your relevant shipping address details (make sure to fill in all details correctly and note that we cannot deliver to a P.O. Box). Please make sure someone will be available at the delivery address between 08:00 and 17:00 on weekdays, as these are the times our couriers deliver.
3.4. Select your shipping method, if applicable. For orders over R1 500 (excl. VAT) at checkout, please select Free Shipping.
3.5. Click the "Next" button to choose your payment method. Be sure you’ve applied any gift vouchers or discount codes you want to use on your order.
3.6. Review your order details, select "Place Order," and complete payment.
Payment
What are my payment options?
We accept Visa and MasterCard credit cards. Alternatively, you can select to pay by instant or manual EFT. We accept EFT payments from all the major banks in South Africa. All transactions are processed in South African Rands (ZAR). The total price shown will include the applicable VAT and a delivery fee (where relevant).
If you select to pay via our payment partner, PayFast, you will be directed to the PayFast secure payment page. Enter your details and click "Pay." You will then receive order and invoice notifications, and your order will be dispatched as soon as it is ready.
If you select to pay by manual EFT, you will receive an email with your order summary and our banking details. Please complete payment and email proof of payment to debtors@lasec.com. Once we have received proof of payment, we will dispatch your order. Remember that stock is only reserved when payment confirmation is received, so please make payment as promptly as possible.
If you select to pay by instant EFT, you will be asked to choose your bank from a list of options. You will then be redirected to the online banking login screen for your bank. You will be asked to enter your online banking credentials to proceed. You will then be directed to a ‘once-off payment’ screen. This screen will be pre-populated with the transaction amount. You will then need to click Pay and enter a one-time PIN, which your bank will send to your email or cell phone. The payment will be processed, and you will be notified of the successful transaction.
How do I pay with PayFast?
What is PayFast?
Payfast is our online payment gateway. PayFast provides a seamless checkout experience, giving you, our customers, the opportunity to pay with your preferred payment option. We support most popular payment methods through PayFast.
What payment methods does PayFast offer?
Our PayFast payment gateway supports the following payment methods: Visa and Mastercard credit and cheque cards, Instant EFT, Masterpass, SnapScan, and Zapper.
1. Credit & Cheque Cards: During the checkout process, you will be are prompted to enter your credit or cheque card details. The 3D Secure page will then appear, where you will need to authenticate yourself with your bank using either a password, one-time PIN (OTP) or via authentication in your banking application. After authentication, you can then make the payment.
2. Instant EFT: During the checkout process, you will be are prompted to select your bank and log in using your online banking credentials. Next you will choose from which account you will be making the payment. You will then verify the payment with your bank on your mobile device. After verification, the payment is processed instantly.
3. Masterpass: Masterpass is a free digital wallet from Mastercard that enables you to quickly and securely check out and make online payments. After selecting Masterpass as your payment method during checkout, you will be shown a QR code. Scan the QR code by using the Masterpass App on your mobile device or complete the payment within the Masterpass App, if checking out on mobile. The payment is authorised with your bank PIN and once processed, it will instantly reflect.
4. SnapScan: SnapScan is a ‘scan to pay’ contactless payment app that makes it easy and safe to pay and receive payments online. During checkout, you simply selects SnapScan as your payment method and scan the QR code displayed on the screen with your smartphone. Once the payment is processed it will instantly reflect.
5. Zapper: Zapper is a free ‘scan to pay’ app that makes payments convenient and secure for both you and Lasec® Education. During checkout, you simply select Zapper as your payment method and scan the QR code displayed on the screen with your smartphone. Once the payment is processed it will instantly reflect.
How do I pay after selecting Manual EFT?
During checkout, you simply select Manual EFT to make your payment directly into our bank account.
In order for us to process EFT payments, we need you to send your proof of payment to debtors@lasec.com within 3 days of placing your order. Our bank details will be on the order confirmation email you receive. We can only reserve stock and start preparing your order once we've received payment.
Manual EFT payments take 24-48 hours to reflect in our bank account. During this time, the status of your order will reflect as "Pending." Your order will only be shipped once the funds have cleared in our account. Payments from banks other than FNB can take up to 2 days to clear in our account before we can process your order.
If you experience payment issues, please check payment notifications from your bank prior to opting to pay again.
Are my Credit Card Details Secure?
We use PayFast to process payments securely:
1. PayFast acts as a proxy between the buyer and the bank to facilitate a faster, safer and easier payment process for both the buyer and the seller.
2. PayFast guarantees the highest levels of security when paying online.
3. PayFast has a Thawte EV SSL encryption certificate which gives our payment processing service an extremely high level of security.
4. PayFast is PCI DSS compliant (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards), SSL and 3D secure enabled. 3D Secure provides an extra layer of security when you use your credit card to transact online. You will have to register for 3D secure with your credit card bank.
5. Your online banking login details are NOT stored by PayFast.
6. For safety, your credit card details are not stored, and you will need to input them each time you make a purchase.
7. Your card information will not be saved on our system, nor can it be traced, intercepted or seen by unauthorised 3rd parties.
Cancellations
Can I cancel my order?
If you would like to cancel your order before the goods have been dispatched, we’ll refund you. We do, however, charge a 10% admin fee to cover transaction and administration costs. If the goods have already been dispatched from our warehouse, you will need to request a return in accordance with our Returns Policy. You can get in touch, and we’ll assist with your cancellation and process a refund.
How do I cancel my order?
To cancel an order, please contact our customer service team at customerservice@lasec.com to cancel your order. We can simply cancel the order if it has not yet been paid for. If you have already paid for it, you have the option of receiving a full refund.
Shipping and Delivery
Can I change my delivery address?
We can only make changes to your delivery address if your order has not yet been processed for dispatch. If the goods have already been processed for dispatch from our warehouse, we unfortunately can’t make changes to your delivery address.
What are my delivery options?
Lasec® only provides one method of delivery, which is by courier. We deliver directly to your home, school or office, anywhere in South Africa. All delivery and tracking details are supplied once your order has been dispatched.
What will delivery cost me?
Delivery is free of charge to main centres for orders of R1 500 (excl. VAT) or more and will be made to street level at the address you provide. Orders below R1 500 (excl. VAT) will incur a delivery fee of R300 (excl. VAT) and will only be delivered once all stock is available, while a handling fee of R150 will be charged on collections from our office.
Special delivery requirements, such as tail lift trucks, additional labour or hazardous material packaging, will attract additional freight charges and will be quoted separately. All costs associated with deliveries outside of main centers will be for your account. Note that the delivery of any chemical will always have special delivery requirements. The delivery of chemicals incurs a special delivery charge of R500 (excl. VAT) for main areas or R1000 (excl. VAT) for outlying areas, in addition to the standard freight charge. Lead times are calculated from receipt of confirmed order and compliance with relevant payment conditions.
When can I expect delivery?
Goods are transported by road freight. You can expect your parcel to arrive within 5-10 working days from receipt of payment, no matter where you are in South Africa. Although we try our very best to ensure this happens, we can unfortunately not guarantee it based on your delivery address, the location of the stock, and the availability with our couriers. Please take note that we also simply cannot guarantee that your parcel will be delivered at a certain time. We will coordinate with the courier as much as possible and try to meet your time, but please rather give a 2-hour delivery window. If you are nervous that you may not be at home, rather add a place of work where someone will be at all times as your delivery address. During promotional periods, the processing of orders could take up to 5 working days. If we do run into any unexpected delays, we will contact you.
PLEASE NOTE THAT NO DELIVERIES WILL TAKE PLACE ON WEEKENDS OR PUBLIC HOLIDAYS. Orders placed over weekends or public holidays will be processed on the next working day.
If I am an international customer, can I order online?
Online ordering is unavailable for International Customers. Currently, we process online payments in South African Rands (ZAR) only. However, we are committed to providing exceptional service and addressing your needs. If you are an international customer, we would love to assist you through our traditional sales channel. To ensure your inquiries are promptly attended to, we kindly request you to log an enquiry or send us an email at internationallabsales@lasec.com or contact one of our sales specialists to place your order. Freight costs (including duties and customs charges) will be calculated separately.
Returns
How do I track my order?
We'll send you an email with tracking information once we've received confirmation that your order has been shipped from our Dispatch Team. If in doubt, contact us.
Please visit the relevant courier company’s website, indicated on your shipping confirmation email, to track your order. Input the tracking number provided when the parcel ships and you will receive information about the status of your order. Unfortunately, our customer support team doesn't have the ability to speed up the delivery or give you more information than already provided via the tracking link.
Please note: The countdown in terms of the shipping period begins only once your payment has been approved and reflects in our bank account. Business days are defined as Mondays to Fridays, excluding public holidays.
How does Lasec® Education handle returns?
You can request to return an item you have purchased within 7 working days of delivery. All costs associated with returning such products to Lasec® Education shall be for the account of the customer. Lasec® Education shall be entitled, at its discretion, to charge a minimum handling charge of 15% (fifteen percent) of the quoted price of a product returned to the company for credit. All goods returned must be in its original packaging and be fit for transport. Lasec® Education will only accept the return of chemicals as a result of an error by the company.
To return a product, please contact us via email at customerservice@lasec.com or call your nearest sales office. Include the order number in your communication. Once the return has been approved, we will arrange for the courier company to collect it from you.
Refunds for returns will be processed once the returned item has been received and inspected at our warehouse. It takes 3 to 5 days from collection or drop-off to receive and inspect the items at the warehouse. Once inspected, it takes up to 5 working days for the refund to reflect in your account. We’ll also keep you updated on the progress of your return and refund via email. If a refund is issued, we’ll request your banking details so we can transfer the money into your account. It will take 2 days to process the refund and up to 5 days for it to reflect in your account.
How do I exchange a product for something else?
We do not currently offer product exchanges. You’re welcome to return unwanted goods. See the above returns section for details.
I've received a broken product. What is my next step?
First off, our apologies! Please send your order number and a photo and description of the damaged or incorrect items to customerservice@lasec.com to report the problem. Our customer service team will be happy to help resolve this for you!
We will collect the damaged goods at our own cost. Once we have received and checked the product, we'll either replace it or issue you a full refund. Returns will be processed once the returned item has been received and inspected at our warehouse. It takes 3 to 5 days from collection or drop-off to receive and inspect the items at the warehouse. Once it has been inspected, it takes up to 5 working days for the refund to reflect in your account. We’ll also keep you updated on the progress of your return and refund via email. If a refund is issued, we’ll request your banking details so we can transfer the money into your account. It will take 2 days to process the refund and up to 5 days for it to reflect in your account.
My order is incorrect. What happens now?
Please contact us via email at customerservice@lasec.com or call your nearest sales branch to report the problem. Include your order number and a description of the incorrect or missing items. We will resolve the problem for you as quickly as we can.
General
What happens if a product is out of stock?
If a product is out of stock, it will be indicated on the website or will no longer be visible.
We do our best to avoid selling out-of-stock products, but due to the digital nature of our business, it is possible for an item to become out-of-stock after an order is placed. If you have already ordered the product on the website, we will notify you when it is out of stock. You will then have the option of being refunded or credited for any money you have already paid, or you can wait until the product is back in stock.
What if I can't find the product I'm looking for online?
We sell up to 2 000 products, including a wide range of chemicals for science experiments. If you can’t find what you’re looking for online, please email educationsales@lasec.com or contact one of our sales solutions specialists directly for assistance.
How do I sign up for the newsletter?
You will find the newsletter sign-up button at the bottom right of the website. Submit your email address and press ENTER, and you will be the first to receive special offers, sale alerts, and teacher resources. If you no longer want to hear from us, you can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email. Our newsletters will land in your mailbox once a month.
What are your operating hours?
Our website operates 24/7, which means that you may purchase items off the website at any time. Orders placed on the weekend or on a public holiday will be processed the following business day.
Our customer service team is available Monday–Friday, 08:00–16:00. If you would like to get in contact with our customer service team, please contact us via email at customerservice@lasec.com and we will get back to you within 24 hours.
