PRODUCTS / HOW TO ORDER

GENERAL INFORMATION

Central Stores provides the University of Connecticut at Storrs and off-campus locations with nearly 8,000 frequently demanded office, maintenance, and laboratory supplies. Items provided by Central Stores are detailed in our printed catalog. An Online Catalog is also available to all customers who want to check on the products that Central Stores has available. (See below for more information about the Online Catalog.) Prices in the printed catalog reflect costs at press time and are subject to change without notice. The printed catalog may be requested via the online Catalog Request Form.

All orders are delivered to the requesting department unless customer pickup is requested. Items temporarily out of stock are automatically backordered, and are so noted on the packing slip/invoice.

Please Note: We can sell only to University of Connecticut Departments and to other Connecticut State Agencies.

INTERNET ORDERING

The most efficient way to order products is via the Central Stores Internet Ordering System. There are several advantages to Internet Ordering. It shortens the normal delivery time of a mailed order by a day. Paperwork is reduced. There is no need to type a transfer voucher or a requisition, but customers may still print out a hard copy of their order. Placing orders this way also gives customers access to a high-speed, up-to-the-minute online catalog to find the items they need. In addition, Internet Ordering is an easy way for departments to keep track of their ordering history. Also, Internet Ordering is secure as each user has a password.

University personnel who wish to have access to the Central Stores Internet Ordering System should send an e-mail to annemarie.ryan@uconn.edu. In your e-mail, Central Stores requires a statement from you that you have signature authority. If you do not have signature authority, Central Stores requires an e-mail from the appropriate person confirming that you have permission to place internet orders with Central Stores. Please also be sure to provide your department name, unit number, and phone number. Central Stores will then provide you with your personal logon identification for placing orders via the Central Stores Internet Ordering System.

Please note: If you want access to the Central Stores Internet Ordering System, you must request your own logon identification. Orders should not be placed under another person's name/logon identification as this can cause problems if Central Stores needs to contact you about your order; it can also lead to delivery errors. Please let Central Stores know when a staff member has departed or when a staff member no longer has ordering responsibility so we may delete that person from our system. Just send an e-mail to annemarie.ryan@uconn.edu.

When placing your order via the Central Stores Internet Ordering System, please comply with the following:

• The system accepts only one "ship to" location and one FRS code per order. Place separate orders for each "ship to" location and/or for each FRS code (account number). To avoid confusion and a delay in the processing of your order, please do not insert a note indicating that a portion of your order should be delivered to a location other than the "ship to" location you selected.
• For Internet Pickup Orders, please state the date and time that you wish to pick up your order (in the notes section). You need to place your order at least 2 hours before coming in to pick it up at the Central Stores Warehouse. Please bring a copy of your order with you.
  

ONLINE CATALOG

An Online Catalog is accessible to all customers who want to check on the products Central Stores has available. No logon identification is required.

The Online Catalog shows current pricing for those items currently in stock. Pricing on stock items may change when new stock is brought in. Special Order items will show the pricing as of the last purchase. The prices may be valid, but could be out of date if the last purchase was some time ago. If current pricing is needed on a Special Order item, please call 486-3627.

NOTE: If you wish to place orders via the Central Stores Internet Ordering System, logon identification is required. Please see above section, "INTERNET ORDERING."

TRANSFER VOUCHERS AND REQUISITIONS

WALK-IN SERVICE

SPECIAL ORDERS

Special Order items are items not stocked by the Central Stores Warehouse, but are available through regular Central Stores ordering procedures. Such items are available at significant savings to the University. Special Order items are marked SPECIAL ORDER after the description in the hard copy catalog. Special Order items will show the pricing in the Online Catalog as of the last purchase. The prices may be valid, but could be out of date if the last purchase was some time ago. If current pricing is needed on a Special Order item, please call 486-3627.

Please note that a credit for return of a Special Order item is subject to the vendor's terms for that item. As such, credits for returns of Special Order items are subject to vendors' restocking fees and/or shipping fees which will be passed on to the returning department.

RECEIVING ORDERS FROM CENTRAL STORES

Below are important guidelines to follow when you receive orders from Central Stores.

• You or someone in your department is required to sign for all Central Stores orders. Signature is required; the Central Stores driver is not permitted to "drop off" your order without a signature. The driver will present a manifest for your signature. Please note that by signing the manifest, you are not only verifying that you received the order, but also that you received the specific number of cartons stated on the manifest. Be sure to count the cartons before signing. It is easiest and most efficient to rectify the occasional under or over shipment when it occurs, as opposed to days or weeks after you signed for the delivery.
• Check the contents of the cartons immediately. We sometimes receive calls from customers who indicate certain items are missing from their order only to later discover that members of their department removed them from the carton(s) before the order was checked in.
• Before calling Central Stores to check on the status of an order you think has not been delivered, please be sure to check with staff members in your department who may have received the order for you. We sometimes receive calls from customers asking us to track an order, only to discover that the order was already delivered days or weeks ago.
• Also, when you call us to check on the status of your delivery, be sure to have your order number handy. Or, if you did not place the order via the Central Stores Internet Ordering System, and do not know the order number, please have your transfer voucher or requisition number handy. Central Stores needs this information to track the status of your order in our system.

REQUESTS/COMPLAINTS

If you have a suggestion for an item to be stocked at Central Stores that is frequently used by your department, please complete and forward a Stock New Item Request Form, CS-10.

If you have a complaint regarding items obtained through Central Stores, please complete and forward a Stock Item Complaint Form, CS-150.

Central Stores is always happy to answer any questions you may have. Just call our main number, 486-3626.