The Aquatic Arts Live Arrival Guarantee

Here at Aquatic Arts every shipment we send out comes with our 100% Live Arrival Guarantee. This means that if your order arrives with any dead on arrival livestock or plants we will offer a refund for the exact cost of the item, or offer store credit that does not expire in the amount of the loss. All forms of guarantees are up to our discretion.   

Aquaticarts.com does a practical quarantine that allows us to ensure the animals we ship are healthy and ready to deal with shipping stress.  We ship thousands of packages a week and can proudly say we have an extremely high success rate. That does not mean we are perfect and you won’t experience a shipping related issue, which is why we offer our Live Arrival Guarantee. 

We do not guarantee livestock beyond the day of arrival. It is the customer’s responsibility to research any items they are interested in prior to purchase in order to ensure a suitable environment for the animal to thrive. Incompatibility with tank mates should not be overlooked and is not our responsibility. Water quality and the correct diet will help with the long term health of the animal you are purchasing. Poor maintenance routines, poor water quality, and unhealthy diet is the responsibility of the hobbyist to correct.

 

Conditions to Qualify for our Guarantee:

  • Report any issues within 24 hours of delivery. 
  • PHOTOS ARE REQUIRED. Please provide one photograph of the unopened bag that contains dead livestock with the bag tie facing down as well as a second photograph of the dead livestock on top of the styro box top for easy counting purposes. 
  • Claims are void if the customer misses the first delivery attempt. We are not responsible for losses if a package is delayed due to missed delivery.
  • If you miss the delivery and the package is delayed because of it, we cannot accept responsibility for any losses. Please check your tracking number for delivery updates.
  • Ensure your shipping information is correct; we are not responsible for issues due to incorrect addresses. Tracking numbers are provided in order shipment notification emails. We process most orders the evening before shipping so our customers have ample time to make any corrections. 
  • The shipment must be sent to the correct delivery address, and not forwarded to another address unless still delivered the same day. Forwarding of packages results in an extra day or more in transit. 
  • Packages that are being held at the post office or a UPS location has to be picked up by the customer same day of arrival for the Live Arrival Guarantee to be valid. This applies to cases where the customer decides to hold the package and/or cases where USPS or UPS decides to hold the package at their discretion.
  • Any extras included in your shipment are not covered by our guarantee.
Submitting Your Claim: Please follow the instructions below to submit your claim!

 

  1. DOA Claim Form: Please fill out the following: https://aquaticarts.com/pages/doa-claim
  2. Issue Description: Clearly note the issue, such as DOA (Dead on Arrival) livestock or plants, damaged items, or sick livestock.
  3. DOA Livestock: For DOA claims, include the number of live fish or inverts from the affected pack. Note that extras in schooling fish, shrimp, and snail packs are not covered by our guarantee.
  4. Photographs Required:
  • One photo of the unopened bag with dead livestock, with the bag tie facing down.
  • One photo of the dead livestock on top of the styro box for counting.
  • A photo of the packing label on the bag, showing the species name, count and order number.
  • For shrimp and small fish, include a photo of all items in the container for a live count.
  • For unhealthy or damaged items, a photo in a specimen container or tank will suffice.

Missing Items: If an item is missing, provide a clear picture of the packing slip and any received items showing the labels.


*Note for Snails*: Snails may take up to a few days to bounce back after shipment. We recommend placing them in the corner of the tank or an area where you can easily observe them. Also, be sure to flip them right side up. If they do not move from this spot after a few days or if you notice the water starting to smell they need to be inspected. Please email us right away after receiving them if you suspect they may not be doing well so we can still cover them under our guarantee, but please give them a few days to see if they bounce back before submitting an official claim.

 

Offers for Claims:

  • Claim Assessment: Please allow our customer service team time to review your claim. We’ll email you as soon as possible (note: limited hours on weekends).

  • Refunds: We offer refunds for the item cost only, not including shipping. Refunds will be issued to the original payment method used for the order.

  • Store Credit: Store credits are issued to your account and can be used for future purchases. They do not cover shipping costs.

  • Replacements: We can replace items at no cost if they arrive dead on arrival (DOA), but shipping costs for replacements must be paid by the customer.

  • Payment Method: Refunds cannot be issued to a different payment method.

  • Shipping charges are non refundable. 

 

Return Policy:

  • We do not accept returns for any livestock, plant, or perishable items.

Please reach out to info@aquaticarts.com if there is an issue with your purchase.