Refund policy

Live Animal Sales - Final Sale

All livestock sales are final. Due to the sensitive and perishable nature of live aquatic animals, live fish cannot be physically returned or exchanged once shipped, delivered, or picked up.

Do not ship live livestock back to RJ AQUA as a return.

We provide a Live Arrival Guarantee subject to the conditions below.

Live Arrival Guarantee / DOA Claims

Our Live Arrival Guarantee covers livestock that is Dead on Arrival (DOA) at the time of carrier delivery.

To qualify for RJ AQUA's standard DOA claim process:

  • You must contact us within 2 hours of the carrier-confirmed delivery time.
  • A continuous, unedited unboxing video beginning before the shipping package is opened is required, unless RJ AQUA expressly waives this requirement.
  • The video should clearly show the unopened package, shipping label, exterior condition of the box, opening of the package, internal packaging, livestock bags, and the condition of the affected livestock while it remains in the original shipping bag.
  • Clear photos of the deceased fish must also be provided.
  • The affected fish must remain in the original shipping bag until DOA documentation has been completed.
  • Photos of the shipping label, outer shipping box, internal packaging, and any visible damage may also be required.
  • If the shipping box arrives visibly damaged, crushed, wet, opened, punctured, or otherwise abnormal, please photograph the package before opening it.

Please do not discard the fish, shipping bag, shipping box, insulation, heat or cold packs, shipping label, or other packaging materials until RJ AQUA confirms that they are no longer required.

These materials may be necessary to verify the DOA and to support a shipping carrier, insurance, or other third-party claim.

Approved DOA claims may be resolved by replacement, store credit, partial refund, refund of the affected livestock, or another appropriate resolution at RJ AQUA's discretion, subject to applicable law.

Original shipping charges are non-refundable unless otherwise required by law or otherwise approved by RJ AQUA.

Replacement livestock may require payment of a new shipping charge.

Customer Resolution and Responsibility

RJ AQUA's priority is to resolve legitimate customer issues promptly and fairly.

A refund, replacement, store credit, shipping adjustment, or other accommodation provided to a customer does not constitute an admission that RJ AQUA caused the loss, damage, delay, or mortality.

Customer resolution and responsibility for the underlying loss are separate matters.

Where a shipping carrier, insurer, shipping account holder, fulfillment provider, supplier, or other third party may have caused or contributed to the loss, RJ AQUA reserves the right to independently investigate and pursue any available claim, reimbursement, insurance recovery, indemnification, or other remedy from the responsible party.

Customers agree to provide reasonable documentation and cooperation when necessary to support such a claim.

Customers may not seek or accept duplicate compensation for the same loss from RJ AQUA and another carrier, insurer, payment provider, or other responsible party.

What the Live Arrival Guarantee Does Not Cover

The Live Arrival Guarantee applies only to the condition of the livestock upon delivery.

We cannot guarantee survival after successful live delivery because acclimation procedures, water chemistry, temperature, tank conditions, aggression, compatibility, disease exposure, feeding, filtration, medications, and other husbandry factors are outside our direct control.

The guarantee may be void if:

  • An incorrect or incomplete shipping address was provided.
  • Delivery was refused.
  • The customer was unavailable to receive or retrieve the package promptly.
  • The package was left unattended after delivery.
  • The shipment was rerouted or otherwise modified at the customer's request without RJ AQUA's approval.
  • The livestock was improperly acclimated or handled.
  • The affected fish was removed from the original shipping bag before DOA documentation was completed.
  • The claim was submitted more than 2 hours after carrier-confirmed delivery.
  • Required evidence or packaging was discarded before the claim could reasonably be reviewed.

Carrier delays caused solely by the shipping carrier will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and do not automatically disqualify an otherwise valid DOA claim.

Natural Variation

Unless specifically listed as WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), product photos may represent the species or available stock rather than the exact individual fish received.

Individual fish may naturally vary in size, coloration, pattern, markings, body shape, and fin appearance.

These natural variations are not considered defects and do not qualify for returns or refunds.

Order Cancellations

Please review your order carefully before submitting payment.

Orders canceled before livestock preparation begins may be eligible for a full refund.

Once livestock preparation, conditioning, holding, packing preparation, or other order-specific processing has begun, cancellations may be subject to a cancellation fee of up to 20% of the affected order amount to reflect processing, holding, preparation, and other nonrecoverable costs already incurred, to the extent permitted by applicable law.

Orders that have already been tendered to the shipping carrier cannot be canceled.

Shipping and Weather Holds

The health and safety of our livestock comes first.

We may delay shipment because of extreme temperatures, severe weather, carrier disruptions, holidays, or other conditions that could create an unreasonable risk to the livestock.

A weather-related shipping hold is not considered an order cancellation or fulfillment failure.

We will contact you when a shipment needs to be rescheduled.

Contact Us

If there is an issue with your order, please contact us as soon as possible through the contact information provided on our website.

Please include your order number and all relevant photos, video, carrier information, and other documentation so that we can review the issue promptly.

Nothing in this policy limits any consumer rights that cannot legally be waived.