Subscription Terms and Policies 

These Subscription Policies apply to all tests on this CTS website, regardless of whether the tests were ordered from this website or by requesting a quote from CTS.

  • Select any combination of tests in which you wish to participate, noting the testing frequency and any other conditions specified for each test. CTS may limit participation in a test to a specified geographic region or impose special requirements. When selecting a test, the purchaser agrees to abide by any stated restrictions and requirements. If the purchaser is unable to comply, CTS will cancel the order for the test.

  • The prices listed beside each test are in U.S. dollars and include all samples indicated in the test description (e.g., if the test frequency is four times per year, the price covers all four shipments). The price charged is determined by the address to which CTS ships the test samples.

  • Enrollment deadlines are strictly adhered to. Please pay special attention to the deadlines indicated for each test and contact CTS if you have questions.

  • Participation is on a prepaid subscription basis. Subscriptions do not commence until funds are received and processed by CTS.

    The order process starts with an order placed on a CTS website or a quote from CTS. A purchase order or payment must accompany the order or accepted quote. CTS will not continue the subscription order process without a payment or a purchase order.

  • CTS acknowledges that many organizations use purchase orders to obtain goods and services. If you choose to send a purchase order, please note that purchase orders are billed upon receipt; payment terms are Net Due. Test samples will not be shipped until invoices are paid in full. Customers receive a shipment hold notification via email if CTS has not received payment for the test samples.

  • CTS accepts checks and all major credit cards. Checks must be in U.S. dollars drawn on a U.S. bank, made out to Collaborative Testing Services, Inc. Companies that prefer to send payments via ACH should submit ACH authorization forms to CTS' accounting department.

    We also accept electronic funds transfers from our international customers. International organizations that wish to send electronic funds transfers should contact CTS for bank information. To ensure the payment is received in its entirety, it is the responsibility of the customer to pay any bank or wire fees.

    If CTS receives a payment for an order and the payment is less than the total amount billed due to wire fees, tax withholding, or for any other reason, please note that the order will not be considered complete and samples will not ship on their predetermined schedule until CTS receives the full payment amount due.

  • CTS reserves the right to make changes to published test designs or schedules when necessary. CTS will notify all enrolled participants of any significant changes in a timely manner.

  • Requests for replacement of missing or damaged samples must be received no later than two weeks before the data due date. This is the minimum time frame in which we can guarantee you will receive the samples and still be able to complete the test by the deadline.

    We suggest all package contents be checked immediately upon receipt. All test samples are packaged independently of the outer wrapping. Therefore, opening the outer package to determine that all the contents are present and in good shape will not compromise the integrity of the test.

  • CTS requires that results be returned by the date indicated on a data submission form. Late data will not be included for analysis. Adhering to a fixed deadline allows for results to be compared from within a defined period and helps keep reports timely, and therefore of better use to your lab. As group statistics are a major component of this type of proficiency testing, your interests are best served by ensuring your data are included for analysis.

Cancellation Policies

These policies apply to all CTS tests. Samples for CTS interlaboratory tests are made to order, and generally require considerable lead time. Therefore, in order to honor our commitment to our manufacturers, we cannot make last minute changes.

Please review all test descriptions carefully. We encourage you to contact CTS with any questions to ensure that your laboratory subscribes to the tests that best fit your measurement capabilities.

    1. All cancellation requests by customers must be submitted in writing. A cancellation request is made when a customer no longer wishes to receive test samples or reports.

    2. Full credit will be issued only if a test is canceled before the published initial enrollment deadline that pertains to the test. Credit may only be applied to future CTS tests.

    3. No refunds of prepaid test fees will be issued for tests canceled by a subscriber.

    4. Samples are never re-used by CTS and therefore are not returnable. If a customer returns a sample package to our office, CTS will not provide a refund or credit of any portion of the subscription fee.

    5. Failure to remit a test fee, applicable shipping charges, or any required documents in a timely manner is considered by CTS to be a cancellation request.

    6. A test may be withdrawn if there are not enough subscribers to ensure the validity of the results; generally, a minimum of 25 participants is required. Test fees for withdrawn tests are refunded in full by CTS. 

    1. All cancellation requests must be submitted in writing. A cancellation request is made when a customer no longer wishes to receive test samples or reports.

    2. Full credit will be issued only if a test is canceled before the published initial enrollment deadline (e.g., 1 November, 15 March, or 15 June) that pertains to the test. Credit may only be applied to future CTS tests.

    3. No credit will be issued if a Late Order Purchase (LOP) test is canceled.

    4. No refunds of prepaid test fees will be issued for tests canceled by a subscriber.

    5. Samples are never re-used by CTS and therefore are not returnable. If a customer returns a sample package to our office, CTS will not provide a refund or credit of any portion of the subscription fee.

    6. Failure to remit a test fee, applicable shipping charges, or any required documents in a timely manner is considered by CTS to be a cancellation request.

    7. A test may be withdrawn if there are not enough subscribers to ensure the validity of the results. Test fees for withdrawn tests are refunded in full by CTS.

  • Crime Scene Processing incurs nonrefundable costs by CTS. As such, no refunds will be offered for Crime Scene Processing. 

  • While all samples are labeled No Commercial Value, some countries may assess duties or taxes or both. Customs, brokerage, and import fees are not included in the shipping charges or test fees. It is the responsibility of the recipient to pay those charges. Similarly, the recipient is responsible for providing any additional import documents that may be required by customs agencies.

    CTS will make every effort to ensure proper delivery of your samples. All samples are sent via selected couriers to assure traceability; we automatically use a tracking service to locate lost shipments. If necessary, the decision to send replacement samples or issue a credit will be made on a case-by-case basis; however, CTS will not issue credits or refunds for samples that are delayed or refused entry into your country or are unclaimed by the recipient.

    Due to the automated nature of CTS' sample packaging and shipping process, international customers may not specify a courier or delivery method. Customers must accept the courier selected by CTS. CTS ships sample packages using a standard commercial invoice and cannot honor requests for custom, individual or additional shipping documents.

  • All feedback, complaints, and appeals shall be submitted in writing through one of the methods provided in the Contact Us page. CTS will acknowledge all submissions.

  • Participation in an interlaboratory testing program compares a laboratory's ability to conduct a particular test against other participating laboratories. The consensus results, however, are not a guarantee of performance.

    Collusion and falsification of results are prohibited. If collusion or falsification of results is identified, CTS may exclude participant results and will notify the participant(s) of CTS' decision.  

    If a sample distributed by CTS for use in a test should prove to be defective, CTS liability is limited to replacements of the samples, if time and supplies permit, or a refund of the test fee if the sample cannot be replaced.

    While CTS will make every effort to adhere to the published program schedules, all dates provided are tentative and are subject to change.

  • Mobile information will not be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. All the above categories exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.

    By agreeing to receive messages from Collaborative Testing Services, Inc., you understand that message frequency may vary and that message and data rates may apply. Reply "STOP" to opt out or "HELP" for assistance.

Last updated: 25 June 2026.

Confidentiality Policy 

CTS is strongly committed to protecting the anonymity of participants in our interlaboratory testing programs and ensuring the confidentiality of both results and identifying information. The intent of this Confidentiality Policy is to describe our policies and practices regarding the disclosure of any and all information that may be used to identify participants and participant results. This policy includes, but is not limited to, this website.

Participating organizations designate a primary contact who is recognized by CTS as the sole person authorized to receive confidential information about that organization’s participation, such as identifying information and performance results. Communication between CTS and participating organizations is routinely routed through the primary contact. It is incumbent on the participating organization to designate a new primary contact if the existing contact is no longer authorized to act as the participant’s agent.

CTS assigns Lab Codes and Participant Codes to maintain the anonymity of participating organizations. These unique codes are used in combination with policies and procedures outlined below to communicate with a third party while maintaining the anonymity of participants.

CTS randomly generates temporary WebCodes to protect the confidentiality of results. WebCodes also are used in combination with policies and procedures to ensure the confidentiality of interlaboratory results. WebCodes are assigned to participants and are used to identify results in web-based summary reports. The WebCode is unique to each test and, therefore, is not permanently associated with a participant.

CTS will not confirm the participation of any individual or organization in our programs to a third party without prior authorization of the participant. This authorization may be written authorization given directly to CTS by the participant for the release of information to a specific party. The authorization may also be given to the third party by the participant. This indirect, third-party authorization must include identifying information given to the third party such as a Lab Code or Participant Code and identifying information that provides sufficient validation that the third party has been authorized by the participant.

CTS will not release, transmit, comment or discuss in any manner the results of a participant with a third party without prior authorization of the participant. This authorization may be written authorization given directly to CTS by the participant for the release of information to a specific party. The authorization may also be given to the third party by the participant. This indirect, third-party authorization must include identifying information such as a Lab Code or Participant Code, the specific results to be released and identifying information that provides sufficient validation that the third party has been authorized by the participant.

CTS may share anonymous test results or aggregated test information and reserves the right to use any or all data in articles or other literature so long as there is no identifying information disclosed.

Confidentiality and Transmissions Over the Internet

The transmission of data or information (including communications by e-mail) over the internet or other publicly accessible networks is not secure, and is subject to possible loss, interception or alteration while in transit. Accordingly, we do not assume any liability for any damage you may experience or costs you may incur as a result of any transmissions over the internet or other publicly accessible networks, such as the submission of any of your information to us (including your personal information). While we shall take commercially reasonable efforts to safeguard the privacy of any personal information you provide us and treat such information in accordance with this Confidentiality Policy, in no event will the information you provide to us result in any liability to you on our part in the event that such information is inadvertently released by us or accessed by third parties without our consent. Notwithstanding the foregoing, to the extent that you are able to access the information of third parties through our website, we do not grant you any right or license whatsoever to use such information.

Moreover, in order to limit unauthorized access, we observe strict security measures when it comes to archiving and divulging any information provided by our customers. Because of that, we may ask you to confirm your identity once again before submitting personal information. 

Report Usage Policy 

  • CTS strictly adheres to confidentiality policies regarding release of participant data, and published data is intended for internal use by participants. Further guidance for additional usage of reports is dictated by the relevant report type and their intended use, listed below.

    Manipulation or misrepresentation of any CTS report is strictly prohibited.

  • Summary Reports are a compilation of all results submitted by participants. Results in this report are presented as reported by the participants. The compiled results are not intended to be an overview of the quality of work performed in the profession and cannot be interpreted as such. Summary comments are included for the benefit of the participants, and are not intended to reflect the general state of the art within the profession. Summary Reports are made available to the general public on CTS' commercial website.

  • Individual Reports are results, analyses and additional information that provide a full assessment of the laboratory's measurement performance. The contents of these reports are primarily intended for internal use by the participants for quality assurance, technical competency, accreditation and recognition activities. CTS does not expressly prohibit participant release of Individual Report information to third parties.

  • Quality Manager Reports are results, analyses and additional information to provide assessment of a previously identified group of related laboratories.  These reports are intended for the use of individuals overseeing quality assurance for multiple sites participating in CTS tests. Members of the group expressly consent to the release of identifying information to the recipient of the Quality Manager Report. CTS does not expressly prohibit release of Quality Manager Report information to third parties.