Online store

Terms and Conditions

This page contains the Terms and Conditions for both consumers and retailers. Please select the appropriate section below to view the terms that apply to you before placing an order.

Retailers Consumers

Retailers

Terms of order and delivery

General

Vainikan Group Oy
Registration number: FI33211955
Address: Konepajankatu 14, 11710 Riihimäki, Finland;

sells products to companies worldwide. These terms are applied to your orders from our web store and to the delivery of those orders.

These terms are valid as of 1.7.2024 until further notice. The company reserves the right to change these terms without separately notifying retailers of the changes. Last updated: 15 January 2025.

1. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT BEING A FLEX BOOTS STOCKIST

As a retailer/stockist of Flex Boots, you are a representative of the brand and the boots. You get access to retail prices, with the expectation that you promote, share useful information and sell Flex Boots in your own area and/or to your online customers according to your best abilities and according to all our brand guidelines, and also keep a sufficient stock of boots so you always have a product to send to your customer.

The stockist is expected to assist and advise the customer regarding selecting the best product for them and their horse, and also educate the customer about the use and maintenance of Flex Boots, including the importance of regular (ideally weekly) maintenance hoof trims. This is why we require our stockists to have knowledge of anatomically accurate hoof trimming principles, and a genuine desire to help their customers by advising them regarding this.

If you as our retailer take on any entities promoting or selling Flex Boots on your behalf (such as barefoot trimmers), you must ensure that they also abide by our terms and conditions, and have a good understanding of Flex Boot products and functionality before they go to promote the products. We have a PDF version of this course that you can share with your team, please contact us for a copy.

2. SUPPORT TO OUR RETAILERS

We provide support and all relevant product information to all our retailers. Our website and YouTube channel have a wealth of information regarding the boots, and their functionality and use. More information is added to both regularly, so please take advantage of these resources, they will help you serve your customers better! Once you become an authorised retailer, you will have access to a resource bank that lists the relevant content in an easily accessible way.

Under the copyright laws, you are not allowed to copy or use any of the text or photos from our website or from our social media channels (however, sharing or re-posting our posts is fine). Bear in mind that some photos in social media can be of old products that are no longer available; using them risks you giving your customer inaccurate information. We provide all authorised retailers with product photos and product descriptions to be used on their online store, they are saved in the Retail Hub. Using photos and product descriptions from the Hub makes creating product listings easy for our retailers, and keeps the brand consistent across all retailers. If you need any other marketing materials or information, please contact us at marketing@flexhoofboots.com and we’ll be happy to assist you.

We recommend that retailers share our educational content in their own digital channels, to educate customers and make the retailer’s life easier. Easy ways to do this is by sharing our social media posts that you feel would be relevant to your customers, and adding links in your online store to resources regarding Flex Boot fitting and adjustments. Instead of taking screenshots of our social media photos or posts, we ask that you share our posts, so that the original source stays visible to your followers. This way you do not break any copyright laws, and your customers also find our website and social media channels, and full resources, easily if they need more information about Flex Boot products. If in doubt about how you can use our materials, please feel free to contact us on marketing@flexhoofboots.com first.

3. PRODUCTS AND PRICES

The characteristics and the prices of the products in our web store are presented in each product listing. We reserve the right to change the prices of the products and delivery costs, however, we will notify you of any changes as soon as possible.

The product pages show the VAT-exclusive RRP (consumer) prices.

The program calculates a product discount on the checkout page automatically, based on the order total before any applicable discounts or shipping costs are added.

We have in place staggered retail pricing discounts for our wholesale customers. The more you order at a time, the higher the discount percentage will be.

Orders between 1000-1499€ = 10% discount
Orders between 1500-1999€ = 20% discount
Orders between 2000-2499€ = 30% discount
Orders above 2500€ = 40% discount

All our retailers in the European Union are required to have a VAT registration number. If you are located in the EU and don’t have a VAT number but plan to obtain it, please complete our registration form after you have obtained the VAT number.

If you are located outside the European Union, please take into consideration any customs fees and taxes payable in your country. These are all payable by you, and Vainikan Group Oy cannot be held liable for any customs fees or taxes in the destination country.

4. MODIFICATION OF FLEX BOOTS PRODUCTS

We expect all retailers to understand our products’ functionality, and market and promote Flex Boots products accurately and truthfully. The design of our boots is the result of several years of product development and testing, and no retailer is authorised to modify or change the product in any way whatsoever. This includes things like removing any part of the product or adding anything to the boot design before selling it to consumers. If any retailer is found to be modifying the product in any way, we reserve the right to remove such person and company from our retailers. Modifying the product or using any products or parts with Flex Boots, that are not manufactured by Flex Boots (such as pads by other boot brands) voids any warranty normally offered by us.

5. DELIVERY COSTS

The delivery costs depend on the weight of the total order and the packaging size. All orders are shipped via DHL.

The delivery costs will be added automatically to the total amount of your order and you can see the delivery costs in your shopping basket before you confirm your order.

6. ORDERING AND CONTACT

You can order the products in our web store by adding them to your shopping basket and by confirming your order. When ordering from our web store we require you to read and accept our terms and conditions valid at the time of ordering.

Minimum order value for first time orders is 2,500€ (which is approximately 30 individual boots, depending on what sizes you select) and the minimum order value for any subsequent orders is 1,000€ (sub-total, before applying any discounts or shipping costs). Any orders that are below these amounts will be cancelled.

All wholesale orders are final, and there are no refunds or right of return for any items that you have confirmed at the time of placing your order. Before confirming an order please review it carefully, as once an order is placed, it cannot be amended. If after placing an order you want to add items to it, you will need to make a completely new order, that will be processed and shipped separately.

Please contact us at sales@flexhoofboots.com if you have any questions about your order before placing it.

7. PAYMENT

You can choose to pay for your order either by card at the time of placing the order, or by bank transfer.

If you choose to pay by bank transfer, you will be able to make the payment to our bank account. The order is processed as normal, and it will be shipped after the invoice is paid and the payment is visible on our bank account. You will find the invoice in your account after you’ve placed the order. Please note that when bank transfer is selected as the payment method, there may be a delay in sending your order. The quickest way to receive your order is by paying for it with a card at the time of placing an order.

If you choose to pay by card, you can select a direct card payment on checkout. The program will lead you through the payment process. Choosing a card payment is the fastest way for the order to be shipped.

PayPal

We offer PayPal as a payment option. By choosing PayPal as a payment option, you acknowledge that your data will be processed by PayPal subject to the PayPal Privacy Statement available at https://www.paypal.com/uk/legalhub/privacy-full

Stripe

We accept debit and credit card payments that are processed through Stripe. By choosing this payment method, you agree for Stripe to process and hold information about you that is necessary for the processing of your order from flexhoofboots.com. You can access Stripe’s terms and conditions at https://stripe.com/en-fi/privacy

8. CONFIRMATION OF ORDER AND PAYMENT

After you’ve placed an order, you’ll receive an order confirmation e-mail, so please make sure that you provide a correct e-mail address when making your order. In case, due to an unexpected circumstance, we cannot accept your order, we’ll inform you promptly. We will also let you know if any items in your order are not in stock.

9. DELIVERY TIME

Order processing and packing time is between 1 to 4 business days. Note that if you order custom boots, the processing time is slightly longer. We will inform you if there are special circumstances that cause unusual delays in order processing.

Our typical delivery times are between 3 to 14 days, depending on the order and the delivery location.

10. INSPECTION OF THE DELIVERY, ERRORS AND PROBLEMS

Please inspect the goods promptly upon receipt. If a product is missing or damaged during transport, if the goods are otherwise not what you ordered, or if you notice any defects in the products, please notify us in writing at sales@flexhoofboots.com within 7 calendar days, so we can agree on how to correct the situation.

11. RETURNS AND WARRANTY CLAIMS

All wholesale purchases made in the Flex Boots online shop are business-to-business transactions and therefore every sale is final, with no return and refund rights except in case of warranty where the item is deemed faulty.

The stockist will handle any returns and warranty claims regarding boots purchased from them. All warranty claims must first be agreed in writing. You can make a warranty claim by following the instructions specified in the Retail Hub.

Because we want to help the customer and their horse to enjoy Flex Boots for as long as possible, we handle each warranty case thoroughly and as part of it may ask to see photos of the hooves with and without the boots on. This enables us to determine why the customer had issues with the boots, and how they might be able to use Flex Boots successfully in the future.

It’s worth noting that if the boots have been used in hooves that are unsuitable for Flex Boots (such as excessively long toes or flared hooves), the warranty does not cover any damaged products. In order to avoid disappointment from all parties, it’s important that our retailers and the end customers understand the ethos behind Flex Boots, and that retailers do their best to ensure Flex Boots are suitable for the horse or pony they are intended for.

Once a warranty claim is approved by us, only then can you claim the warranty items.

Warranty products are always shipped together with a new order. We will not ship warranty items separately or directly to your customer. Please note that we will not send any products directly to the retailer’s customer.

Approved warranty products must be redeemed within six months of the claim being approved. Any warranty claims that are not redeemed within this timeframe will be deleted.

12. IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE AND LIABILITY INFORMATION

Using horses and engaging in related activities involve inherent risks that may result in injury or harm to the horse, handler, or property. By choosing to use Flex Boots, you acknowledge and accept these risks and their potential consequences, and you agree to follow all applicable safety standards.

Please be aware that the boots may, at times, detach partially or completely, which could startle the horse or cause it to stumble. It is the handler’s responsibility to ensure the horse is adequately desensitised to such situations before using Flex Boots.

In compliance with the EU General Product Safety Regulation and applicable consumer protection laws, we strongly recommend that all users thoroughly review the product instructions, safety guidelines, and care recommendations provided with Flex Boots. Resellers are expected to ensure that end customers are informed about these instructions. If you have any questions or uncertainties, please contact us for additional information before using the product.

While Flex Boots are designed and manufactured to meet the highest safety standards, users must exercise sound judgment and caution during use. Our liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.

13. OTHER

The retailer orders and sells the products to their own customers in the original configuration of the products. The retailer is not allowed to modify the products in any way, or advise them to be used in contrary to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Products modified in violation of the manufacturer’s instructions, or used with any additional part that is not part of the Flex Boots product range, are not covered by the warranty.

The retailer must be able to instruct their customers on proper use of the Flex Boots products, so that the customer gets the best possible user experience from them.

Because all wholesale orders are business-to-business sales, all the products are non-refundable and all sales are final.

We review retail activity every six months, and any retailers who have not placed orders in that time may have their wholesale status revoked.

14. CUSTOMER SERVICE

We are happy to help you with any questions regarding your order so please do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail.

Satu helps you at sales@flexhoofboots.com with all wholesale account inquiries, including questions about orders and invoicing. Please keep in mind that you can see your previous invoices in your retail account as soon as an order is being processed.

Riikka replies to all emails sent to marketing@flexhoofboots.com. If you have customers who are interested in collaborating with Flex Boots, please direct them to contact us at this email address.

Consumers

Vainikan Group Oy Terms & Conditions

1. GENERAL

flexhoofboots.com is an online store maintained by Vainikan Group Oy, Konepajankatu 14, 11710 Riihimäki, Finland, business ID FI33211955 (“Vainikan Group Oy” or “us”).

These Terms & Conditions apply to the customer’s (“Customer” or “you”) use of the flexhoofboots.com website (the “Service”) and to all orders placed through the Service. Please note that these terms and condition apply to end user customers only. Retailers/wholesale customers have separate terms and conditions that they have contractually agreed to.

You must accept these Terms & Conditions in order to create an account or to place an order through the Service. By accepting these Terms & Conditions, you agree to be bound by them in their entirety.

Orders are subject to the Terms & Conditions in force at the time of the order available at flexhoofboots.com. Vainikan Group Oy reserves the right to update the Terms & Conditions without prior notice. The Customer is advised to check these Terms & Conditions every time they use the Service, as updates are not communicated to the customer personally.

For clarity, these Terms & Conditions do not in any way limit a consumer’ rights under the mandatory provisions of the Finnish Consumer Protection Act.

For information on how we process the personal data that our website visitors and online store users, such as you, share with us or which we collect automatically when you use our website or online store, please read our Privacy & Cookie Policy.

If you have any questions or complaints, please contact us by email on sales(at)flexhoofboots.com

2. ORDERING FROM FLEXHOOFBOOTS.COM

The agreement between Vainikan Group Oy and the Customer is deemed concluded when Vainikan Group Oy has confirmed the Customer’s order placed through the Service, and the Customer has received an order confirmation from Vainikan Group Oy by email. The Customer has the right to cancel the order until they have received the order confirmation, in which case Vainikan Group Oy shall return all payments made by the Customer or its credit card company in connection with the order.

Orders or products (such as sizes, colours, etc) within the order cannot be changed after the customer has confirmed and paid for the order.

Placing an order through the Service does not require registration.

Children under 18 years old are not permitted to place orders in our web store https://flexhoofboots.com.

Vainikan Group Oy may reject the Customer’s order, cancel the agreement or change the terms thereof, if the Customer has provided an incorrect identity number or other erroneous information.

The product’s price is the price indicated in the Service at the time of order. Delivery costs determined by the chosen delivery method will be added to the product’s price at the checkout. For international orders outside the European Union, please note that the price does not include any duty or tax fees that you may incur in your country. You may be required to pay duty, VAT, or customs charges on your purchase. Orders placed within the European Union include sales tax, however it is the Customer’s responsibility to find out if their country poses any additional fees on goods shipped from outside their country. Within the EU, sales tax is calculated according to customer’s country of delivery that they enter at checkout. Vainikan Group Oy is not liable for any taxes, fees or duties charged by the destination country.

The estimated delivery time is indicated in the order confirmation, at the checkout and/or on the respective site of the product in the Service. The typical delivery time in domestic deliveries is 3-4 business days it being understood that delays may occur depending on postal services, inventory and other reasons. Where the products are delivered abroad, the delivery time may be longer.

In the event a product is temporarily out of stock, and it cannot be replaced by another product or delivered as subsequent delivery, Vainikan Group Oy will refund the product’s price to the Customer automatically. If a replacement by another product is possible, we will first contact the Customer to ask if they want the replacement.

Vainikan Group Oy is not liable to compensate the Customer or to fulfil its delivery obligation if the products are no longer available or in case of errors in the Service (e.g. errors in product descriptions), erroneous prices or information regarding the stock situation. Vainikan Group Oy is entitled to correct any such errors and to change or update any information in the Service at any time. Vainikan Group Oy has the right to cancel an order in case the price indicated at the online store clearly differs from the market price due to a pricing error.

3. DELIVERY OPTIONS

We offer both domestic and international delivery. Delivery costs are displayed at checkout before the Customer confirms their order. Please note that we cannot deliver orders to a P.O. Box address. Please note that we cannot combine orders; every order is processed and shipped separately. If you place two orders, they will be shipped as two separate items.

Orders typically process and ship within 2-3 business days from our warehouse in Finland, Europe.

Vainikan Group Oy reserves the right to change the method of delivery after the confirmation of the order. The customer will not be charged for any additional costs due to changes in the method of delivery.

Where the package is to be collected from a certain point of delivery, the Customer must collect it within the time period specified in the notice of arrival. If the package is not collected, Vainikan Group Oy has the right to charge the Customer for direct costs incurred from the handling of the uncollected package.

Upon collection of the delivery, the Customer must check the condition of the package for possible damages. In case the package has been damaged during the transportation by the transport company, Customer needs report the damage immediately at the point of collection. After making the damage report, the Customer needs to contact us to agree on a new delivery.

4. PAYMENT OPTIONS

You may choose from the available payment options specified below:

Paytrail

Payment Service Provider Paytrail Plc acts as a collecting payment service provider and is an authorized Payment Institution. Paytrail Plc will be shown as the recipient on your bank or credit card statement. Paytrail Plc will forward the payment to the merchant. For reclamations, please contact the website the payment was made to. Paytrail PlcInnova 2Lutakonaukio 740100 JyväskyläFinlandBusiness ID 2122839-7paytrail.com

PayPal

Stripe

5. WITHDRAWAL, RETURNS AND EXCHANGES

Retail customers (end user customers) have the right to withdraw from the contract within 14 days from receiving the product(s) by informing us of this by email on hello(at)flexhoofboots.com.

The limitations for the right of withdrawal under Chapter 6 Section 16 of the Finnish Consumer Protection Act apply. The right of cancellation does not apply to a used product.

The product(s) must be returned within 14 days from the date when you informed us of your intention to withdraw from the contract. The customer must send us details of the return shipment, including a tracking code. The products must be returned properly packaged and with all original tags still attached with the transport company of customers choice. Products must be unused and in same condition that the customer received them in and in the original box and/or packaging. If you have purchased a complete boot product (shell, TPU gaiter, fastening rivets, back strap and neoprene gaiter), you can return the entire boots or some products of it, as necessary. We will refund the cost of the items that you have returned, according to our terms and conditions. The customer is liable for all return costs. If customer refuses to accept the order delivery and the order is returned to us, the customer is liable for any costs related to the return of the order. These monies will be deducted from the original purchase price before any monies are refunded to the customer.

The customer is responsible for the product’s condition after accepting delivery and during the return transport. If the returned product has been used in violation of the duty of care belonging to the customer, Vainikan Group Oy may charge the customer for the product’s depreciation in value up to the full price of the product. If in doubt, the customer is advised to first send us photos of the products before returning them, so that their condition can be assessed. If goods require any cleaning when they arrive to our warehouse, a minimum fee of 10% of purchase price will be deducted from any monies paid by the customer.

In case the product received by you is broken or defective, please refer to section 7 Defects and Support below.

In case you want to exchange a product, you need to return the originally purchased product, for which we issue a refund as per the terms and conditions specified on this page. You can then place a new order for the replacement product(s) that you wish to purchase.

6. RETURN OF PAYMENTS

We will return all payments received from you (except delivery costs and additional costs resulting from you choosing a delivery method different from the most affordable standard method offered by us) without undue delay and at the latest after 14 days from receiving the good back to our warehouse. We may, however, refrain from returning the payments until we have received the products back from you.

Please store all the documents related to the return carefully until you have received confirmation on the receipt of the returned products from us.

The payments will be returned by using the same payment method you have used in the original transaction. You will not incur any costs due to the return of the payments.

7. DEFECTS AND SUPPORT

Vainikan Group Oy is responsible for the statutory liability for product defects under the Finnish Consumer Protection Act. Unless otherwise provided by mandatory law, Vainikan Group Oy maximum liability is limited to the price of the product ordered and deemed defective.

In case the product received by you is broken or defective, please contact us without delay. In all matters relating to orders from flexhoofboots.com (including complaints), you can reach us by emailing us on hello(at)flexhoofboots.com We will get back to you in 1 to 3 days of time.

7.1 WARRANTY

We offer a standard warranty as per Finnish and EU law against defects in materials and workmanship for the products we manufacture. Normal or excessive wear of the product is not covered by the warranty.

Excessive wear on one part of the boot is normally caused by an imbalance in the horse’s body or hooves, so keep this in mind when you start using Flex Boots. For example, if a horse wears the toe of the boots faster than other parts of it, this is usually due to issues with the horse’s neck/shoulders or pelvic/hind knee area, or the lack of proper trim. Just one centimetre of excess hoof wall length on toe area can cause excessive wear of the soft barefoot boots. Therefore, a weekly maintenance trim is important for making your Flex Boots last as long as possible.

The warranty does not cover a product that has been damaged as a result of misuse or intentional damage, such as when a horse steps on the boots and the boots get damaged, rivets become loose, the gaiter’s rubber band breaks, marks that have been caused by ice studs, or the horse has otherwise damaged the boots, or the user instructions are not followed when using the boots. The warranty does not cover the breakage of the boots caused by hooves that have not been trimmed correctly, or that are not trimmed often enough.

If any additional product or part that is not part of the Flex Boots product range is used with the boots, this voids the warranty. This includes products such as, but not limited to, pads not made by Flex Boots and gaiters not made by Flex Boots.

If your horse has a tendency to over-reach, you may want to use bell boots over the boots to protect the boots from potential damage.

We do not guarantee any fitting service conducted by any third party.

If you are requesting for boots to be replaced under the warranty, please contact us by email on helpdesk@flexhoofboots.com and send us the following:

Detailed and clear photos of the damaged product(s). if more than one boot is damaged, also send a photo with all the damaged products together.
Information about how and when the damage occurred.
Photo or a copy of your purchase receipt.

We may need to request further details or photos of the damaged products or your horse’s hooves, depending on the issues you have with the boots.

8. PROMOTIONAL DISCOUNTS AND SPECIAL OFFERS

All promotional discounts and special offers are valid for a limited time. Vainikan Group Oy reserves the right, at any time in its discretion, to cancel any promotional discount or special offer before its expiry.

Promotional discounts and special offers may be limited to specific products featured at flexhoofboots.com. Eligible products are subject to change in Vainikan Group Oy sole discretion.

Promotional discounts may be redeemed only once, and only one promotional discount may be redeemed per order. Promotional discounts must be redeemed before the order is confirmed and cannot be applied to the purchase after Vainikan Group Oy has sent the order confirmation.

Promotional discounts are non-transferable, not for resale, and not redeemable for cash.

9. FORCE MAJEURE

Vainikan Group Oy is not responsible for delays or damages caused by an event of force majeure, meaning an unforeseeable event or change in circumstances that is beyond Vainikan Group Oy reasonable control, such as delays caused by the actions of a logistics operator. Vainikan Group Oy will inform the customer of the force majeure event without undue delay.

10. IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE AND LIABILITY INFORMATION

11. SERVICE AND MATERIALS AT FLEXHOOFBOOTS.COM

Vainikan Group Oy retains all rights to the information and materials displayed in the Service. Copying materials (text, pictures, prices etc.) from the Service without permission is not allowed. The materials are intended only for the purposes of reviewing Vainikan Group Oy products and making a purchase decision. In particular the information displayed or any images in the Service cannot be collected to be used in other (online) service or otherwise.

The Service may include links to websites maintained by third parties. Vainikan Group Oy is not responsible for the contents of such websites.

Linking to pages other than the main page of the Service is allowed only on Vainikan Group Oy’s prior consent.

12. DISPUTE RESOLUTION

All disagreements and disputes shall primarily be resolved through negotiations. In case a disagreement arising from the contract cannot be resolved through negotiations between the parties, the Customer may take the issue to the Finnish Consumer Disputes Board (http://www.kuluttajariita.fi) or a similar dispute resolution body, where applicable.

Check for your local dispute resolution body online. You may also use the Online Dispute Resolution platform available at http://ec.europa.eu/odr.