Frequently Asked Questions

Why are your chemicals so much less expensive than the same chemicals sold by your competitors?

Our size, operations, mission and mentality all contribute to the low prices. Gold Biotechnology® is a small company dedicated to providing researchers the high quality chemicals they demand at low prices they desire. Small companies don't require the margins of larger ones, allowing the researcher to pay for a chemical and not a company. We conduct our business online. We feature a streamlined operation with little overhead to lower costs as well. We were founded on providing a low cost alternative in the chemical market; that's what we continue to do. Finally, we provide these chemicals at lower prices to allow researchers to do more, research more and discover more, hopefully making the world a better place.

What types of experiments are your products qualified for?

Our products are molecular biology grade, unless stated otherwise, and are intended to be used in research laboratories of universities, government institutions and biotechnology companies across the globe. Our Commitment to Quality is our pledge that our products are of the highest quality and packaged with the utmost care.

Where can I get protocols for using your products?

Protocols can be found on our website, linked to individual products as PDF files. Not all of our products have linked protocols for all of the product's uses. In such cases, we recommend performing an internet search in order to find the protocol that best fits your experiments.

I need the SDS and Certificate of Analysis for the product that I purchased. Where can I get those documents?

Product SDS are usually found on our website, linked in the Technical Document section of each product page. Lot specific COAs may be downloaded from the product page by clicking the link to "Request Lot Specific COA". However, some products may not have a Certificate of Analysis. If you do not find these documents, please email us at [email protected].

Why does the product I ordered say "This product does not have a COA"?

Most chemicals are manufactured to fall within an industrial specification like ACS Grade, USP Grade, etc., which include tests controlling for product details, such as Color, Form, Purity, Optical Rotation, and many others. Those specifications and results are checked by QC departments and documented in the Certificates of Analysis that are provided with each lot of a product. However, some products do not have industry-accepted specifications that can be measured. Since there are no generally accepted specifications for these products, there are no available Certificates of Analysis. Types of products that do not have available Certificates of Analysis include: DNA/Protein Ladders, Competent Cells, Buffer Mixes, Antibody Kits, Stains/Dyes, Immobilized Resins, Assay Kits, etc.

How are your chemicals shipped?

We ship most of our products at ambient temperature by Second Day or Ground Service. Some products require next-day shipping with blue or dry ice; any vital shipping information is listed with the product on our website. Please note, in the summer months we may ship some products by Next-Day Air in order to minimize exposure to heat conditions. In addition, during the summer months, we prefer not to ship products over the weekend. We will give the customer the option to request Next-Day Air delivery if you place an order on Thursday. Temperature-sensitive orders placed on Friday, in general, will not ship until the following Monday.

My product was shipped ambient, but the storage temperature says 4°C or -20°C. Is it still ok to use?

Most dry powder products are stable at ambient temperatures, even during the summer months.The key variable is that these products are shipped desiccated as a dry powder which makes them significantly more stable than a solution. The label on the products is for long term storage. Goldbio has tested the temperature sensitivity of many products. Without exception, it was found that for dry powders, desiccation of the product is more important than the temperature storage conditions (except for DTT, which melts at 38°C). Most scientists prefer to store their products desiccated at -20°C, and since this is not deleterious to the product (and for years-long storage this is probably good practice), GoldBio labels typically recommend storage at -20°C. Products should be stored desiccated with minimal exposure to light. It is not certain whether the storage at -20°C is beneficial but it matches customer's expectations which makes everyone happier- not very scientific, but practical.

The production of these products should also be considered. Chemicals are not produced (with some exceptions) in a temperature controlled facility. If the chemicals were unstable at ambient temperature they could not be produced on a mass scale. If you have any concerns or questions prior to ordering about how your product will be shipped, please email us at [email protected].

What are the shipping charges?

For our standard shipments in the continental US, Ground charges are $12.99. Second Day Air costs roughly $36 to $40, depending upon your location. Next Day Air costs about $46 to $60, depending upon your location. For large volume orders; i.e. >5 kg in weight, GoldBio may add an additional $15 "heavy shipping fee" for every 5 kg of total shipment.

Do you ship to countries outside of the United States? What does it cost, and which carrier do you use?

We ship to all countries. The shipping charges depend on the weight and destination of the shipment. International shipments are usually shipped via FedEx. Customers who submit orders via fax also have the option of having products shipped by USPS (Global Express Mail) for orders less than $200, at a cost of around $55. Nonhazardous Ground shipping to Canada is $30. Hazardous products that are shipping to Canada must go by air at a cost of around $70.

What form of payment do you accept?

We accept purchase orders from most companies and universities, and most major credit cards, and wired funds. GoldBio.com is a secure site and all data transmitted is encrypted to protect your credit card information. If you are a new U.S. account and wish to use a purchase order, we ask that you send us 3 credit references, a bank reference and a hard copy of your first purchase order so that we may set up your account. In general, we ask that first-time buyers outside of the U.S. use a credit card or wire transfer to prepay for their products.

For payments via wire transfer, there will be an additional $30 added to the invoice if your order is more than $300 (intermediary bank fee). If your order is less than $300, we add an additional $45 to the invoice ($30 intermediary + $15 local bank fee). The Intermediary Bank Fee is incurred upon transfer of your money into the United States, while the Local Bank fees are the fees that both the customer and Gold Biotechnology®, Inc. are charged, respectively, by our local banks. The intermediary bank in New York charges a $30 fee to transfer your money to our bank in St. Louis. Unfortunately, the $30 fee is taken from the money you wire us, which leaves you with an open balance on your invoice. Payments via credit card or check from a checking institution are not subject to these additional charges.

How are your products stored?

Our products are stored at -20°C with indicating desiccant.

How should I store my products upon receipt?

In general, you should store most products desiccated at -20°C in order to to minimize degradation of the product.

What is your return policy?

You may return most new, unopened products received from Gold Biotechnology within 30 days for a full refund. We cannot accept the return of any competent cells due to their sensitive nature. If the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective product, etc.), we will pay the cost of the shipping the product back to Gold Biotechnology. If the return is a result of an error made by the purchasing agent, the shipping charges are the responsibility of the customer.

Products must be in the condition you received them, in the original box and/or packaging and must be returned using the same shipping method as the original shipment. Some orders are considered “special orders” and not covered by this return policy. Gold Biotechnology® will notify you if your product is a special order and obtain confirmation from you prior to processing the order. For further questions please call our office at (800) 248-7609.

What are your Terms and Conditions of sale?

Click to view GoldBio's Terms and Conditions of sale.

I am not part of a university or research laboratory. Can I still place an order?

GoldBio products are intended for research use only. We will only ship to laboratories in universities or business. We are unable to ship to residential addresses, any attempt to ship to a residential address could result in an order cancellation.

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