Equipment returns

If you’re renting equipment from us and your situation has changed or the equipment no longer meets your requirements, or you simply want to discontinue renting the equipment, you may be able to return it to us.

If you have a contract on Rent–Try–Buy or Loyalty, you are able to return the equipment after the 12-month agreement expires ^. If you are on an Easy Own or Lease-to-Keep contract, you cannot return the equipment.

^ If you don’t make use of any of your end-of-term options, you can continue renting
month-to-month for as long as you wish. You’ll retain the ability to return the equipment whenever you want to.

Customers renting equipment under a 12-month Rent–Try–Buy or Loyalty agreement can upgrade or swap their equipment anytime.

You can upgrade it to the same or swap it for a different type of equipment — as long as it’s standard hospitality equipment with a value equal to or higher than the original equipment.

If you choose this option, we can help arrange for the original equipment to be transported back to us at your expense.

You’ll also be responsible for the cost for us to clean and service the equipment so it can be remarketed.

We’ll then ask you to sign a fresh 12-month rental agreement covering the upgraded equipment, which will then be delivered to you.

If the Certified Used equipment we deliver to a customer does not match the publicized specifications or is damaged in transit, the customer must tell us in writing within seven business days of the delivery date.

We’ll then organize and pay for the wrong or damaged equipment to be returned to us.

If the customer fails to notify SilverChef within seven days, we’ll conclude the correct equipment has been accepted by the customer in sound condition.

Read more about equipment delivery.

If a customer wants to return equipment because they’ve changed their mind, they can ask us to cancel the equipment order and potentially be released from their contract.

The approval of such returns is at the sole discretion of SilverChef and could be subject to a 15% re-stocking fee.

If your Certified Used equipment develops a covered fault (as established by SilverChef) within the 90-day warranty period, we’ll organize a free repair.

If the equipment cannot be repaired, or repaired within a reasonable timeframe, you can choose another item to replace it.

If we end up replacing the equipment or refunding you (in the event a suitable replacement is not available), we’ll arrange for the faulty equipment to be returned to us at our expense.

Read more about equipment warranties

Whether a customer needs to let us know in advance that they want to return the equipment depends on why they’re returning the equipment to us.

If there is a change in the customer's circumstances or they are at the end of their term†, they'll need to give 4 weeks notice. We'll send the customer a 'return letter'; the notice period will begin on the day we get their response to our letter.

For an equipment upgrade†, there is no notice period.

Notice period is not applicable for wrong or damaged-in-transit equipment.

† Rent–Try–Buy and Loyalty customers only.

If you’re returning equipment to us, please email us.

Afterwards, we’ll send you a ‘return letter’ that lays out the steps you need to take to return the equipment.

These steps can include packaging the equipment and moving it to the curbside for
transportation.

You’ll need to arrange for the equipment to be transported to a SilverChef partner warehouse; the address will be on the proof-of-return email we send you. (This is assuming you don’t decide to use your own transport to return the equipment.)

We suggest you get multiple quotes and select a reputable transportation company or courier to reduce the likelihood of damage during transit (otherwise, you may be held responsible for the cost of repairing or replacing the equipment if it’s damaged).

If you would like our help arranging the freight or you have any questions, please email us.

When equipment is returned to us, even if its exterior has been thoroughly cleaned, it still needs to be sanitized and tested, if not fully serviced.

Returned equipment usually has hard-to-reach dust, dirt, and grime on the inside and worn-out or damaged components that need to be fixed or replaced.

Because we remarket this equipment, we must pay to get it professionally cleaned inside and out, tested, and serviced.

After you’ve returned the equipment, we’ll send you a ‘return statement’ showing an account summary of the assets returned — your security deposit minus any freight and equipment-processing (e.g. cleaning and servicing) costs that apply.

If your deposit doesn’t cover these costs, the return statement will show you the balance owed to us.

If your deposit more than covers these costs, we’ll reimburse the balance owed to you within 2–4 weeks.

If you’re a Rent–Try–Buy or Loyalty customer and you return the equipment before the 12-month agreement expires because of a change of circumstances, you’ll be responsible for the return costs plus all the unpaid rental payments remaining on your contract.

Please note that you must notify us four weeks’ in advance of your desire to return the equipment early.

If you return the equipment early because you want to upgrade/swap it, you can do so at any time. You’ll only have to pay the return costs and  there will be no more rental payments owing on the returned equipment.

Here are some ways you can reduce the cost of returning equipment to us:

• transportation — if organizing the transport yourself, get multiple quotes and choose a company that can deliver equipment safely
• cleaning — clean the equipment as thoroughly as possible (we don’t expect you to disassemble the equipment in order to clean it internally)
• servicing — follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance and servicing schedule and
  rely on trained technicians
• accessories — return all of the loose parts, attachments and accessories that were supplied with the equipment.