Store Policy
Definitions
Full Refund and Return (FRR): compensation amounting to 100% including the cost of the animal plus shipping plus return shipping costs (unless Store does not desire for animal to be returned, such as if the animal died in shipping). This includes Store purchasing the return shipping label and paying for the $5 FedEx pick-up service, if necessary.
- Alternatively, the Store can send an acceptable, agreed-upon replacement at their own expense.
- Alternatively, if the Buyer refuses to return the animal, NRC applies.
- In the event of a dispute involving an FRR resolution, the Store will determine the order of return vs refund based on the unique circumstances of that particular dispute.
Claim Period: Time period which Buyer has from delivery to contact Store and make their claims. Evidence should be included with the claim or provided upon instruction from the Store.
Return Period: Time period that Buyer has to arrange suitable shipping dates with Store, making sure the shipment will not land on a weekend or holiday. This timeline does not begin until the FRR resolution has been accepted by all parties.
Non-Return Compensation (NRC): If Buyer refuses to return the animal, Store does not have to refund the full amount, but may be expected to provide a partial refund depending on the value of the animal received.
Proof: Should the Buyer and Store not be able to agree, The Store will make the final determination of whether sufficient proof and evidence have been provided to support a claim or its defense.
Statute of Limitations (SoL): The maximum period of time that can elapse between a cause of action and when a formal dispute is filed with The Store.
- You can file a dispute at any time, but if the SoL has passed, The Store will not mediate that dispute.
- A dispute filed even without mediation will go into the records and could weigh on future action for or against parties involved.
Guarantees
Payments, Deposits and Refunds
- Payments: Payments accepted are cash or check, Venmo, Zelle or credit cards.
- Payment plans are made upon discretion of the store owner.
- Deposits are non-refundable if Buyer backs out of a deal. Any amount paid by Buyer that is defined as a "deposit" in the ongoing transaction is considered a non-refundable deposit. If Store does not specify that additional payments are non-refundable or sales are final, or does not specify the percentage of a full payment that represents the non-refundable portion, that amount shall not exceed 10% of the asking price.
- If Store backs out of a deal that Buyer has paid money into, Store is responsible to pay back 100% of the money, including any portion labeled as non-refundable. Store must also refund any additional amounts paid by Buyer for the shipping label.
- If Store fails to ship the order for more than 7 days after final/full payment and does not communicate that delay (e.g., weather conditions) to the Buyer, then the Store may forfeit all rights to any non-refundable portions and owe the Buyer a 100% refund if/when they ask for it, subject to The Store’s discretion.
- If Store goes 10 days or more without a response to Buyer that has given them money and not yet received the animal, then the Store may forfeit all rights to any non-refundable portions and owe the Buyer a 100% refund if/when they ask for it, subject to The Store’s discretion.
- Buyers are expected to promptly respond to communications from Stores, particularly when a shipping date has been agreed upon for an animal. If the buyer remains unresponsive for a period of 10 days or more, the Store has the right to consider the buyer's lack of communication as an indication of the buyer's desire to back out of the transaction. Deposits are non-refundable.
- As international shipping can come with huge delays, The Store will not mediate disputes regarding international shipping timeframes.
- SoL for non-delivery of animal(s) is 60 days from the expected delivery date OR 90 days from final payment if no delivery date has been agreed upon.
Collection of Purchased Items
- The Store's Policy will only cover items collected within 12 hours of delivery. If items are not collected within this timeframe, The Store's DSP will not apply.
- Buyers are required to collect any purchased animals or plants within a maximum timeframe of 24 hours. Failure to do so may result in being banned from future purchases and sales on The Store.
- In certain extenuating circumstances, buyers may request an extension to the collection timeframe. Such requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis at The Store's discretion.
Animal Attributes
- Store guarantees that the animal being delivered is exactly the one represented in the ad, unless otherwise stipulated in the ad with the use of an official Example Photo.
- If Store ships the wrong animal as proven by Buyer, they are responsible for FRR if they cannot send out the original animal. If they can ship out the original animal, they are responsible for all additional shipping fees, both the new animal shipment and the return of the other.
- Claim Period is 4 hours and Return Period is 1 week.
- Store is required to provide accurate genetic information on all animals sold. However, many genetic traits cannot be proven or disproven in a dispute situation. Those that can be proven should have been recognized by the buyer from the outset.
- Buyer bears a responsibility to know and recognize traits they intend to purchase, including asking for more pictures and lineage information as needed.
- The Store is unlikely to moderate disputes over genetic traits that should have been investigated by Buyer.
- Store does its best to determine the sex of the animal but does not guarantee the sex of the animal being delivered.
- Store guarantees that the animal delivered will be at least 70% of the advertised weight and length. (For this reason it’s recommended to advertise the "dry" weight).
- If the animal received is less than 70%, as proven by the Buyer, Store is responsible for FRR.
- Claim Period is 4 hours and Return Period is 1 week.
- SoL for disputes involving Animal Attributes is 10 days from the date the animal was received.
Animal Health
- Store guarantees the animal was shipped out in a healthy state and shipped according to all FedEx rules and regulations.
- Store IS NOT responsible for shipping delays and mishaps (which should be rare with good shipping practices and offset with shipping insurance). If an animal dies or is lost due to an unforeseeable shipping mishap, Store IS NOT responsible.
- This does include issues caused by the buyer (e.g., wrong address given, door not answered when delivery is attempted, etc.).
- If an animal dies or is lost due to Store negligence in shipping then Store is responsible for FRR.
- If the animal is substantially sick or injured as proven by the Buyer (with photos and videos, as needed) then Store is responsible for FRR.
- Claim Period is 4 hours and Return Period is 1 week.
- This kind of claim can be difficult to prove. Disputes involving illness or injury will only be mediated by The Store if substantive evidence is provided immediately with the submission of an incident memo. This evidence includes:
- Photos and/or video that clearly demonstrates the health concern involved.
- Screenshots, with timeline included, that proves Store was notified within the 4 hour window of Buyer receiving the animal.
- Mites do NOT fall under the definition of "substantially sick or injured."
- The store does its best to maintain a mite free facility and DOES NOT guarantee the arrival of mite free animals.
- Any buyer who wishes to have guarantees based on animal virus testing should discuss this with the Store prior to purchase. Agreements should always be in writing. This is a complex topic which can put either party at risk.
- SoL for disputes involving Animal Health is 10 days from the date the animal was received.
- Store is not responsible for the following outcomes once the animal is in the hands of Buyer:
- Animal Temperament
- Refusing to Eat
- Failure to Thrive – Buyer cannot hold Store responsible if a baby animal dies or fails to thrive despite eating (either voluntarily or being force fed)
- Death or health issues
- Disclaimer: The Store is not responsible for any injuries or damages resulting from your animal. Even captive born snakes are powerful wild animals capable of inflicting serious injury and damages, and they must be treated as such. Upon purchase of a snake, the buyer assumes full responsibility for any injuries or damages caused by the animal.
