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Terms & Conditions

These terms govern your use of the Gonzalez Brothers Coffee B2B platform and the purchase of our specialty coffee products.

Terms and Conditions

Last updated: May 6, 2026

Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully before using the Gonzalez Brothers Coffee B2B platform. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to be bound by these terms.

1. Introduction

Welcome to Gonzalez Brothers Coffee ("we," "our," or "us"). These Terms and Conditions govern your use of our business-to-business (B2B) ordering platform (the "Platform") and the purchase of specialty coffee products ("Products") supplied by us.

These terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you (the "Buyer" or "you") and Gonzalez Brothers Coffee Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales.

2. Eligibility and Account Registration

2.1 Business Accounts Only

Our Platform is exclusively available to registered businesses. By creating an account, you represent and warrant that:

  • You are acting on behalf of a legally registered business entity.
  • You have the authority to bind that business to these Terms and Conditions.
  • All information provided during registration is accurate and up to date.

2.2 Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You must notify us immediately at info@gonzalezbrothers.coffee if you suspect any unauthorised use of your account.

2.3 Account Approval

All account registrations are subject to our approval. We reserve the right to decline any application at our sole discretion.

3. Orders and Pricing

3.1 Placing Orders

All orders placed through the Platform constitute a binding offer to purchase the selected Products. An order is only confirmed when you receive a written confirmation from us via email.

3.2 Pricing

Prices displayed on the Platform are in British Pounds (GBP) and are exclusive of VAT unless stated otherwise. Prices are subject to change without notice, but any changes will not affect orders already confirmed.

3.3 Minimum Order Quantities

Certain Products may be subject to minimum order quantities (MOQ) as specified on the individual product listings. We reserve the right to decline orders that do not meet the stated MOQ.

3.4 Offertlist and Quotations

Product listings on the Offertlist section represent our current availability and indicative pricing. Final pricing may be confirmed upon order acceptance.

4. Payment Terms

4.1 Payment Methods

We accept payment by bank transfer (BACS/CHAPS), credit card, and other methods as agreed in writing. Payment details will be provided on your invoice.

4.2 Payment Due Date

Unless otherwise agreed in writing, payment is due within 30 days of the invoice date.

4.3 Late Payment

In the event of late payment, we reserve the right to:

  • Charge interest at a rate of 8% above the Bank of England base rate per annum.
  • Suspend your account and withhold future orders until all outstanding balances are settled.
  • Engage a debt recovery service at your expense.

5. Delivery and Shipping

5.1 Delivery Estimates

Delivery dates provided at the time of ordering are estimates only and are not guaranteed. We will make every reasonable effort to meet the stated delivery timeframes.

5.2 Risk and Title

Risk in the Products passes to you upon delivery. Title to the Products remains with Gonzalez Brothers Coffee until full payment has been received.

5.3 Shipping Costs

Free shipping applies to orders exceeding £100 (excluding VAT). For orders below this threshold, shipping costs will be calculated at checkout and displayed prior to confirmation.

5.4 International Orders

For deliveries outside of the United Kingdom, additional customs duties, taxes, and import fees may apply. These charges are the sole responsibility of the Buyer.

6. Samples

6.1 Purpose

Samples are provided so you can cup, roast, and evaluate a specific lot before committing to a commercial order. They are not for resale, retail use, brewing for paying customers, redistribution, or any purpose other than your own internal evaluation.

6.2 Who can request a sample

We send samples to legally registered businesses operating in the coffee trade — roasters, cafés, importers, distributors, hospitality groups, and similar. We may decline requests from businesses we cannot verify or that fall outside the trade.

By submitting a sample request you confirm that:

  • You represent a legally registered business and have authority to act on its behalf.
  • The information you provide is accurate and current.
  • You will use the sample only for internal evaluation.

6.3 Sample sizes

  • Green coffee: 300 g per lot, drawn from the same physical lot offered for sale.
  • Roasted coffee: 100 g per lot, roasted to our reference profile within seven days of dispatch.

Sizes may be updated from time to time. The sizes shown on the sample request page apply at the time of request.

6.4 Sample allowances and fees

6.4.1 First sample. One free sample, one lot, no account required. We need your full name, business email, and company name.

6.4.2 Verified trade accounts. Once your trade account is verified (typically within one business day), you may request additional samples. Allocation is subject to lot availability and the fair-use principles in clause 6.9. We will tell you in writing if we cannot supply a request.

6.4.3 Beyond the standard allowance. Additional requests may be subject to a sample fee. We will confirm the fee in writing before we ship and will not proceed without your acceptance.

6.4.4 Sample fees as credit. Sample fees you pay are credited in full against your first commercial order placed within six months of sample dispatch. Sample fees are not refundable in cash and do not stack with other discounts.

6.5 Geographic scope

  • United Kingdom — Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
  • European Union and EFTA — 27 EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
  • Rest of world — by request and subject to a sample fee, feasibility check, and our right to decline destinations where reliable customs clearance or transit cannot be assured.

6.6 Shipping, customs and taxes

6.6.1 United Kingdom. Sample shipping is free of charge. No customs or import duties apply.

6.6.2 European Union and EFTA. We ship samples on a Delivered Duty Paid (DDP) basis where carrier and destination allow. Before dispatch we issue a pro-forma invoice covering shipping cost, all applicable customs duties, and import VAT. When the pro-forma invoice is settled, no further payment is due on delivery.

To ship to EU/EFTA addresses we'll need, in addition to your delivery details:

  • Your EU EORI number (or local equivalent).
  • Your VAT number, where applicable.
  • The name of the legal entity importing the goods.

If you don't supply these when you request, we'll ask before dispatch — clearance can be delayed without them.

6.6.3 Rest of world. A sample fee applies, calculated to cover product, shipping, and handling. We ship on a Delivered At Place (DAP) basis. This means:

  • You act as the importer of record in your country.
  • You are responsible for clearing customs and paying all import duties, taxes, broker fees, and other charges levied on arrival.
  • We provide a commercial invoice marked "Commercial sample — not for resale" with the correct HS code (0901.11 green / 0901.21 roasted) and a nominal declared value to support clearance.

We are not liable for any duties, taxes, fees, fines, or delays applied by your local customs authority.

6.7 Dispatch, delivery and risk

6.7.1 Dispatch time. We aim to dispatch confirmed sample requests within 5 business days of confirmation, subject to lot availability and the roast schedule for roasted samples. Dispatch times are estimates, not guarantees.

6.7.2 Lot availability. If a requested lot becomes unavailable between request and dispatch, we will contact you with the closest comparable lot. You may accept the substitute or cancel at no charge.

6.7.3 Carrier and tracking. We use tracked courier services appropriate to the destination (typically DHL, FedEx, UPS, or Royal Mail Tracked). Tracking details are sent to your registered email at dispatch.

6.7.4 Risk and title.

  • For free UK shipments and DDP EU/EFTA shipments, risk passes to you on delivery.
  • For DAP rest-of-world shipments, risk passes to you when the carrier collects the parcel from our premises.
  • Title in any paid sample remains with us until the sample fee is paid in full.

6.7.5 Your responsibilities on delivery. You are responsible for providing a complete and accurate delivery address, ensuring someone is available to receive the parcel, completing any local clearance steps, and notifying us of any failed delivery, damage, or non-arrival within five business days of the expected delivery date. We are not liable for delays or losses caused by carrier issues, customs holds, weather, strikes, recipient unavailability, or any other event outside our reasonable control.

6.8 Sample-to-lot match and quality

6.8.1 Reference samples. Every sample is drawn from the same physical lot listed on our Offertlist. We retain a sealed reference sample of every lot for cup comparison.

6.8.2 If a delivered lot does not match the sample. If you place a commercial order and the delivered coffee is materially different from the sample you evaluated, tell us within 5 business days of arrival. We will cup the delivery against our retained reference sample. If we confirm the deviation, we will offer one of: replacement, credit, or refund. For transit damage, see clause 7.1.

6.8.3 Limits on quality representations.

  • Tasting notes, cupping scores, processing details, and producer information are accurate at the time of listing and provided in good faith.
  • Minor cup variation between sample and bulk delivery is inherent in specialty coffee and does not constitute a defect.
  • Roasted samples are roasted to our reference profile and may differ from how the green coffee performs under your own roast curve and equipment.

6.9 Fair use

Samples are intended to support real purchase decisions. We may decline further sample requests, or move a future request to paid-only, where we reasonably believe the sample relationship is not progressing toward commerce. Examples include:

  • Repeated requests for the same or substantially similar profiles without a follow-up order.
  • A pattern of sample requests significantly outpacing commercial orders over time.
  • Reasonable suspicion of resale, retail use, redistribution, or any other use inconsistent with a genuine trade relationship.

We will explain our reasoning in writing before declining a request and are happy to discuss alternative arrangements such as paid sample sets.

6.10 Damaged or lost samples

Notify us within five business days of expected delivery if a sample is damaged in transit or has not arrived. Photographic evidence is required for damage claims. Where the issue is confirmed, we will arrange a replacement or refund the sample fee, at our reasonable discretion. We will not generally replace a sample more than once per request.

6.11 Personal data

We use the contact and address details you provide solely for dispatching the sample, customs clearance, and ordinary follow-up about your evaluation. We share data only with the shipping carriers and customs brokers required to complete the shipment, and where required by law. Full details are in our Privacy Policy.

6.12 Sourcing and traceability information

On request, we make per-lot traceability information available to verified trade accounts, including producer name, farm name, farm-level geolocation where available, harvest period, and processing method. This information is provided to support your own due diligence and any deforestation-related compliance you may have under EU or UK law. We make no representation that this information satisfies any specific regulatory requirement applicable to you.

7. Returns and Refunds

7.1 Damaged or Defective Goods

If you receive Products that are damaged or defective, you must notify us within 48 hours of delivery with photographic evidence. We will arrange a replacement or issue a credit note at our discretion.

7.2 Incorrect Orders

If you receive Products that differ materially from what was ordered, please contact us within 5 business days of delivery. We will investigate and, if the error is on our part, arrange a return at no cost to you.

7.3 Change of Mind

As a B2B supplier, we do not accept returns due to change of mind unless agreed in writing prior to order placement.

7.4 Perishable Goods

Due to the perishable nature of specialty coffee, all sales are final once goods have been dispatched, except in cases covered under clauses 7.1 and 7.2.

8. Product Quality and Sourcing

8.1 Quality Standards

All Products supplied by Gonzalez Brothers Coffee are sourced from carefully selected partner fincas in the Ecuadorian Andes. We maintain rigorous quality controls throughout the supply chain.

8.2 Product Descriptions

Product descriptions, tasting notes, and specifications on the Platform are provided in good faith and to the best of our knowledge. Minor variations between lots are inherent in specialty coffee and do not constitute a defect.

8.3 Certifications

Where certifications (e.g., organic, fair trade) are stated, they are accurate at the time of listing. We will notify you of any material changes to a product's certification status.

9. Intellectual Property

All content on the Platform, including but not limited to text, logos, images, and software, is the exclusive property of Gonzalez Brothers Coffee Ltd and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from any content without our prior written consent.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law:

  • Our total liability to you in connection with these Terms shall not exceed the total amount paid by you for the Products in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.
  • We shall not be liable for any indirect, consequential, special, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of profits, revenue, or business opportunity.
  • We shall not be liable for any failure or delay in performance caused by events beyond our reasonable control (force majeure), including but not limited to natural disasters, strikes, supply chain disruptions, or government restrictions.

11. Confidentiality

Both parties agree to keep confidential any proprietary information, pricing structures, or business terms disclosed during the course of the commercial relationship. This obligation survives termination of these Terms.

12. Termination

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate your account at any time, with or without notice, if:

  • You breach any provision of these Terms.
  • We reasonably suspect fraudulent activity.
  • You fail to make payment by the due date.

You may terminate your account at any time by contacting us in writing. Termination does not relieve you of any outstanding payment obligations.

13. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes arising out of or in connection with these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

In the event of a dispute, both parties agree to first attempt resolution through good-faith negotiation. If no resolution is reached within 30 days, either party may pursue formal legal proceedings.

14. Amendments

We may update these Terms and Conditions from time to time. Material changes will be communicated to registered users via email or a prominent notice on the Platform. Continued use of the Platform after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms and Conditions, please contact us:

Gonzalez Brothers Coffee Ltd
London, United Kingdom
Email: info@gonzalezbrothers.coffee