AFA 100% Live Arrival Guarantee Policy for Livestock

LIVE ANIMALS GUARANTEE POLICY.

At AFA, we ensure that all livestock shipments we send out come with our 100% Live Arrival Guarantee.

We quarantine our shrimp for 30 days and fish for 14 days before we sell them. On top of that, we also prep our fish and shrimp 2 to 3 days before shipping to ensure they are in good condition and ready for transport. For that reason, we fully guarantee that the Live Shrimp, Snail order will arrive healthy and alive if shipped via FedEx 2Day or USPS Priority Express (*Next-Day to 2-Day Guarantee) shipping method. For transporting Live Fish, they are also guaranteed and Must be shipped via UPS Next-Day Air (*Next-Day Guarantee) shipping method to qualify for our 100% Live Arrival Guaranteed Policy. You could be entitled to a refund or credit if your Livestock order arrives containing DOA (dead on arrival).

We do not guarantee livestock beyond the day of arrival. It is the customer’s responsibility to research any items they are interested in before purchasing 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 diets are the responsibility of the hobbyist to correct.

Shipping Method Guarantee Condition: (*FOR SHIPPING LIVE SHRIMP AND SNAIL)

UPS next day air .....Guaranteed with full refund or Credit
UPS next day air saver....Guaranteed with full refund or Credit
UPS 2nd day air.......Guaranteed with partial refund or Credit (80%)
UPS 3 day select........Guaranteed with partial refund or Credit (50%)
UPS Ground............NO guarantee of live delivery
USPS FIRST CLASS...........NO guarantee of live delivery
USPS PRIORITY ....Guaranteed with partial refund or Credit (50%), provided that the shipment arrives on time within 3 days. Delayed shipment is beyond our control and guarantee will be voided.
USPS PRIORITY EXPRESS.......Guaranteed with full refund or Credit
FedEX ......Guaranteed with full refund or Credit
FedEX Ground...................NO guarantee of live delivery

Shipping Method Guarantee Condition: (*FOR SHIPPING LIVE FISH)

UPS next day air .....Guaranteed with full refund or Credit
UPS next day air saver....Guaranteed with full refund or Credit
UPS 2nd day air....... Guaranteed with partial refund or Credit (50%)
UPS 3 day select........ NO guarantee of live delivery
UPS Ground............NO guarantee of live delivery
USPS FIRST CLASS...........NO guarantee of live delivery
USPS PRIORITY ...........NO guarantee of live delivery
USPS PRIORITY EXPRESS....... Guaranteed with partial refund or Credit (50%)
FedEX ......Guaranteed with partial refund or Credit (60%)
FedEX Ground...................NO guarantee of live delivery

Eligibility for claims:

Please make sure your shipping address is correct prior to place an order as we will not be held responsible for DOA due to undeliverable, incomplete, or incorrect addresses.

During colder months (under 50°F at your location), we will add a heat pack to your order for FREE to prevent DOA from temperature shock.

Your shipment must be received IMMEDIATELY upon delivery by our courier. If you are not home to receive your shipment on its delivery attempt this guarantee is voided.

Packages that are being held at the post office or a UPS location must be picked up by the customer or redelivery has been rescheduled within 1 day from delivery to the post office or UPS location 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.)

How to Submit Your claim:

Please follow the instructions below to submit your claim

In the unlikely event that any item in your livestock order arrives dead, please notify Aqua Forest Aquarium immediately by phone at (415) 929-8883 or by email at aquaforestaquarium@yahoo.com (with your order number in the subject line). No claims will be honored if you have not contacted us within 24 hours of receiving your shipments, NO EXCEPTIONS!
For DOA (Dead on Arrival) livestock please also note how many live fish or inverts you have from the pack that contains the DOA in the email.
DO NOT dispose of any lost livestock without prior authorization from Aqua Forest Aquarium. We require picture proof of loss to honor a claim. Packing costs are not refundable.
Two CLEAR pictures are required. First picture showing dead livestock in their ORIGINAL, UNOPENED, and SEALED PACKAGES. The second picture with the package OPENED clearly shows the dead livestock.
If an item is missing from the shipment, please let us know what was missing along with a clear picture of the included packing slip and any items you did receive that shows the labels.

Offers for Claims:

Please allow our customer service team time to assess your email claim and they will get back with you as soon as possible. (Please note that our customer service hours on weekends, or holidays is limited)
We will offer you a refund, replacement for the exact cost of the item or store credit per your choice.
Refunds for the cost of the item are submitted and are then issued back on the method of payment used for the order. We are not able to issue refunds to a different payment method.
Store credits are sent out via email in the form of an aquaforestaquarium.com (coupon code) that will never expire.
Shipping charges are nonrefundable.

Returns

Due to the complex packaging procedures for the livestock (Shrimp, Fish & snails), we cannot accept any returns. Please make your selections carefully.

UPS Next Day Air does not mean the package will be delivered the next day from when the order was placed. 2–3-day shipping does not mean the package will be delivered 2-3 days after the order is placed. The number of days stated for each service is the transit time for that service and does not include handling time. Please allow an additional 1-7 days for the packing and handling time (refer to the "shipping schedule" below).

Shipping Schedule:

Monday: All Order Types.
Tuesday: No Shipping (closed)
Wednesday: All Order Types
Thursday: Dry Goods Orders only (Livestock, plants will ship on following week)
Friday: Dry Goods Orders (Livestock, plants will ship on following week)
Saturday: No Shipping (closed)
Sunday: No Shipping (closed)

Handling cutoff Time:

Any orders placed after Wednesday 12pm PST will be shipped on the following Monday through Wednesday. The purpose for doing this is to prevent the livestock, plants from being held in the post office on Sunday in the case of courier delays, this minimizes transit time. Shipping information will be sent out after the order has been shipped and you will be able to track your package using the tracking number provided.

If temperatures at the destination are out of our range to ship, the order will be held until we find a safe temperature window that is within our acceptable range, depending on the shipping service chosen. (All resume orders will be fulfilled in the order they were received)

Destination Temperature Cutoff for Each Shipping Service:

Winter Shipping for Live Animal Orders

Low of Day Temperature Range	Shipping Service Required *(Live Arrival Guarantee will be Voided if you did not select the required shipping method)**
32°F and above (0°C and above)	USPS Priority Mail (Shipping live invertebrates) UPS Next Day Air (Shipping live Fish)
31°F to 20°F (-0.56°C to -6.67°C)	UPS Next Day Air (Shipping live invertebrates & Fish) *Heat pack & Thermal bag will be included.
19F and below (-7.22°C)	(We will hold the order until temperatures fall within the acceptable temperature range based on your shipping service selected.)

Summer Shipping for Live Animal Orders

High of Day Temperature Range	Shipping Service Required *(Live Arrival Guarantee will be Voided if you did not select the required shipping method)**
Below 89°F (Below 31.67°C)	USPS Priority Mail (Shipping live invertebrates) UPS Next Day Air (Shipping live Fish)
90°F to 105°F (32.22 °C to 40.56°C)	UPS Next Day Air (Shipping live invertebrates & Fish) *Ice pack & Thermal bag will be included.
Above 106°F (above 41.11°C)	(We will hold the order until temperatures fall within the acceptable temperature range based on your shipping service selected.)

Recommendations:

We highly recommend that you acclimate your livestock before putting them into your aquarium by following the steps below.

We recommend drip acclimation for at least 30 minutes to reduce shock and stress from the drastic changes in temperature and water parameters.
Make sure the dripping water hits the surface of your water containing livestock to agitate and oxygenate the water.
Net the animals from the container and transfer them into your tank.
Do not transfer any of the bag contents into your tank. This will prevent cross-contamination.

LIVE PLANTS GUARANTEE POLICY.

Live aquatic plants are covered under our limited Arrive Alive Guarantee. Our plants are only guaranteed to arrive alive with certain shipping methods. Please see the limited Arrive Alive Guarantee for guarantee condition of different shipping methods.

Shipping Method Guarantee Condition:

UPS next day air .....Guaranteed with full refund
UPS next day air saver....Guaranteed with full refund
UPS 2nd day air.......Guaranteed with partial refund (80%)
UPS 3 day select........Guaranteed with partial refund (50%)
UPS Ground............NO guarantee of live delivery
USPS FIRST CLASS...........NO guarantee of live delivery
USPS PRIORITY ....Guaranteed with partial refund (50%), provided that the shipment arrives on time within 3 days. Delayed shipment is beyond our control and guarantee will be voided.
USPS PRIORITY EXPRESS.......Guaranteed with partial refund (80%)
FedEX Ground...................NO guarantee of live delivery

*Plants may survive with UPS ground or USPS first class mail shipping service to California residents, however, there is no guarantee for these shipping methods.

Guarantee does not cover any shipping or handling charges.
Customer must be available to receive shipments on first delivery attempt, shipments that are left exposed to adverse weather conditions will not be covered by guarantee.

If replacement of a lost plant is preferred to a refund, the customer is responsible to pay shipping for the replacement plant.

Responsibility of the customer:
Your shipment must be received IMMEDIATELY upon delivery by our courier. If you are not home to receive your shipment on its first delivery attempt this guarantee is voided.

CLAIMS:

In the unlikely event that any item in your live plant order arrives dead please notify Aqua Forest Aquarium immediately by phone at (415) 929-8883 or by email at aquaforestaquarium@yahoo.com. No claims will be honored if you have not contacted us within one day of receiving your shipments, NO EXCEPTIONS!

DO NOT dispose of any lost plants without prior authorization from Aqua Forest Aquarium. We require picture proof of loss to honor a claim. Packing costs are not refundable.

Two clear pictures are required. First picture showing dead plants in their ORIGINAL, UNOPENED, and SEALED PACKAGES. Second picture with package OPENED showing clearly the damaged/dead plants.

*Due to uncontrollable handling of shipping couriers, flipped over tissue culture plants inside the cup is not considered damaged or dead, often times they are still alive and healthy. Refund will be considered depending on the severity of the plants.

Returns

Due to the complex packaging procedures for live aquatic plant, we cannot accept any returns. Please make your selections carefully.