Can you buy a humanoid robot?

For sale, preorder, pilot or concept?

Official buying paths include Unitree's R1 cart, NEO reservations and ROBOTIS America's OP3 listing. R1's page shows in-stock and backorder wording: confirm stock by edition. Read status, price kind, availability note and order host together; an entry does not guarantee stock or dispatch. [s1] [s3] [s7]

For procurement, distinguish current sales, future reservations and limited deployments. NEO's preorder is a waitlist, while GXO describes progressing from a Digit pilot to a commercial agreement. In the catalog, prototype and concept are development labels; verify an actual order offer before treating either as purchasable. Check transaction terms even when a vendor announces a launch. [s4] [s6]

The order table includes commercial and preorder records with recorded official ordering URLs; it does not certify stock or a dispatch date. It is also deliberately narrower than every possible business sale. Hugging Face's Reachy 2 announcement described ordering by email, and Pollen provides a contact route. A quotation-based sale can therefore require direct vendor contact even when it is absent from this particular table. [s9] [s10]

Verify the seller and the exact edition

Begin at the manufacturer's official product site and follow its store or sales route. Match the legal seller, model, configuration and destination on the written offer. Unitree's R1 shop distinguishes its editions and says only EDU supports secondary development. If you need to write control software, the fact that a base robot has a checkout button is not enough to establish suitability. [s1]

For a reseller, ask the manufacturer to confirm authorization and regional warranty coverage through contact details obtained independently from its official site. Request the configuration identifier, condition, support provider and warranty issuer on the quotation. Do not treat a reseller's advertisement as the manufacturer's own commitment. Pollen's official contact page provides a straightforward example of a vendor route for resolving sales and product questions. [s10]

Keep the hardware list, software rights, warranty, receipt and payment instructions. Verify beneficiary changes through the vendor's established contact channel before payment. Unitree's FAQ covers cancellation and repairs but refers warranty questions to the company; obtain the terms for your edition and seller. [s2]

Look for delivery evidence, not just an announcement

Separate a manufacturing milestone, planned shipping window, dispatched unit and installed customer deployment. 1X's April 2026 factory update says current production units are prioritized for its internal team while it works toward consumer deliveries starting in 2026. That update supports a production and testing claim. It should not be turned into evidence that your reservation has already reached a consumer delivery stage. [s5]

For customer evidence, look for the named recipient, installation date, supplied model and scope of work. GXO's June 2024 announcement describes Digit robots operating at its SPANX facility after a pilot and identifies tote movement and integration with existing automation. That is stronger application-specific evidence than an undated promotional clip, but it does not establish retail availability or a purchase offer for every other buyer. [s6]

Ask for a realistic dispatch window, the conditions that start that window, and what happens if it slips. Request recent delivery references for the same edition and region where possible. Recheck stock immediately before payment: the OP3 store is marked sold out when checked for this guide. An old delivery report and a current product page answer different questions, so keep both dates in your buying notes. [s7]

Understand deposits, refunds and order acceptance

Read reservation terms before treating a deposit as a purchase. NEO's terms place preorder customers on a waitlist. They allow a full deposit refund until fourteen days after an order invitation is sent, after which the deposit becomes non-refundable even if the customer does not complete the order. Keep the invitation date and cancellation deadline in your own records rather than relying on a short storefront refund label. [s4]

The same terms distinguish an automatic order acknowledgment from 1X's acceptance of the order and allow final pricing and add-ons to change before acceptance. Request the final terms of sale when invited, and review the payment, shipping, warranty and subscription commitments then. A preorder confirmation should remain a reservation entry in your plan until the later offer and acceptance steps are clear. [s4]

Apply this approach to each vendor's own policy, without assuming all deposits work alike. Unitree's FAQ describes cancellation before delivery through the order-status page and a refund to the original payment method. Ask which policy governs your product, edition and seller, whether there are exceptions, and how to exercise cancellation. Keep the relevant policy version with your receipt and correspondence. [s2]

Check regions, import costs and permitted use

Confirm that the seller will ship and provide support at your actual address. ROBOTIS America's store states that it ships only across North, Central and South America. Unitree's R1 shop places customs duties, taxes and import clearance on the customer. A country selector or visible price should therefore prompt a destination-specific inquiry rather than an assumption that all purchasing and support arrangements are identical. [s7] [s1]

Ask the vendor and your importer which customs classification, documentation and applicable permissions the transaction requires. For items subject to U.S. Export Administration Regulations, BIS guidance explains that destination, end user and end use can affect licensing. This does not establish the classification of any particular humanoid robot. Have the supplier identify the applicable rules for the exact equipment and components in your offer. [s8]

Clarify commercial, research and household rights as well as geography. NEO's preorder terms specify personal domestic use and prohibit resale or distribution of the robot or preorder. For any proposed fleet, university lab or business deployment, ask for terms covering that intended use before arranging payment. Also request a written route for repairs, replacement parts and return transport from your location. [s4] [s2]

Buying in the United States: the FCC Covered List

On July 28, 2026, the FCC added foreign-produced advanced robotic devices to its Covered List. Covered models cannot receive new FCC equipment authorization, generally preventing US import, marketing and sale. Coverage follows the FCC's device definition and US-production/component-content criteria, not the maker's nationality. [s11] [s12]

The domestic-production test requires US manufacture and domestic component costs exceeding 65% of total component cost for 2024–2028 deliveries, or 75% from 2029; commercially available off-the-shelf components count. Previously FCC-authorized models may continue to be imported, marketed and sold under this action. Consumers may keep using devices they lawfully purchased; buying an unauthorized device abroad does not establish permission to operate it in the US. [s12]

Conditional approvals exempt approved devices or classes, subject to supply-chain and US-manufacturing/onshoring conditions; an application does not guarantee approval. A separate waiver permits limited software/firmware changes mitigating consumer harm for devices authorized before July 28, 2026, through at least January 1, 2029. [s13] [s14]

Before paying, check the exact device's FCC authorization status: verify its FCC ID certification record or request Supplier's Declaration of Conformity compliance information from the importer or seller. This is general information, not legal advice. [s12]

Questions to put in the vendor's written offer

Start with product scope: What edition and hardware revision will arrive? Which hands, battery, charger, computer and accessories are included? Which SDK functions are enabled, and can your team install its own software? R1's EDU restriction makes this a concrete question rather than a formality. Ask the seller to connect the configuration identifier to both the invoice and the supporting documentation. [s1]

Then specify acceptance: What task will the delivered system perform, in your environment, with what human involvement? Request a demonstration matching the offer and agree how failures, setup and recovery will be counted. GXO's described deployment links a particular robot application to fleet software and existing automation. Use that level of specificity as a model for the scope you want the vendor to explain. [s6]

Finish with delivery and support: Is stock allocated, when is payment due, what triggers dispatch, and who handles faults? Request installation, training, response times and exit conditions. Resolve unanswered questions through the vendor's official channels, including Unitree's FAQ or Pollen's contact route, and obtain complete written terms. [s2] [s10]