Terms Of Service - Pet Snail Shop

The Pet Snail Shop — Terms of Service (UK)

By purchasing any live invertebrate stock or related products from our website, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to the following Terms of Service. These terms do not affect your statutory rights under UK law.

1. Live Arrival Guarantee

1.1 Conditions & Eligibility

Our Live Arrival Guarantee provides a refund or replacement equal to the value of any harmed or deceased animals in your order, including postage if all live animals in the shipment were affected.
This guarantee covers injury, illness, or death occurring during transport, up to the time the parcel is delivered or the first delivery attempt is made by Royal Mail, whichever occurs first.
The guarantee is void if:
1. The customer fails to ensure someone is present to receive the delivery and;
2. The parcel delivery is missed more than once, refused upon delivery, or collected more than one (1) day after the first attempted delivery.
3. The customer delays collection of live snails or other invertebrates, exposing them to unnecessary risk.
4. The parcel is left by the postal service in an unsuitable location such as outside in the cold.
We reserve the right to refuse refunds or replacements at our discretion where the above conditions are not met.
In line with UK consumer law, this guarantee does not limit your statutory right to receive goods that are as described, of satisfactory quality, and fit for purpose.

1.2 Live Arrival Guarantee Claims

To initiate a claim under our Live Arrival Guarantee, you must:

Remove the affected animal from its transport container.
Provide a clear, minimum 5‑second video showing the animal’s condition outside its transport enclosure.
Submit the video and any additional relevant information via our “Live Arrival Refunds” page within 24 hours of receiving your order.

Additional notes:

We may request additional photos or videos before processing your claim.
Failure to provide sufficient evidence, or disposing of the animal before review, will void the guarantee.
Refunds or replacements will not be issued for animals that have been disposed of or removed from your care before we have completed our review.

2. Returns Policy (Livestock)

If you are unhappy with your animal for any reason, you must contact us before returning it to obtain a returns authorisation. This is for the safety and welfare of the animal. We do not refuse any reasonable request for return. We may refuse or postpone a return for the following reasons:
- Unsuitable weather/temperatures for safe shipping.
- Postal disruption.
- You request a return that would fall on a weekend, bank holiday, or other period when we are closed for business.
- Other unforeseen circumstances which may affect the welfare of the animal.
Returns must be:
- Sent via Royal Mail Special Delivery, in the original packaging; and
- Paid for by the customer.
Refunds are void if the animal arrives deceased or dies within 5 days of being returned to us.
Refunds are void if you refuse delivery of the animal and it is returned to us because delivery was refused. In such circumstances, we also reserve the right to ban you from further purchases from our store. (Please ensure you are familiar with our livestock returns policy to protect the welfare of the animal and ensure you receive a refund.)
Under UK law, live animals are exempt from the standard 14‑day right to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

3. Livestock Deaths After Receipt by Customer

Customers are fully responsible for ensuring appropriate care, environment, and husbandry for any animal once received. The Pet Snail Shop is not liable for any deaths occurring after you receive your pet.

4. Injury, Illness, or Disease Caused by Livestock

Customers must research and understand the potential health risks associated with ownership of live invertebrates, including snails. The Pet Snail Shop accepts no liability for any injury, illness, or health issues caused directly or indirectly by animals purchased from us.

5. Natural Variation & Species Accuracy

While we strive to provide accurate descriptions and images, natural variations in colour, size, and pattern occur among live animals. There are various subspecies within a species and it is not always possible to be definitive. Images are for illustrative purposes only.

6. Returns Policy (Equipment & Sundries)

If returning non‑living items:

Items must be unused, in the original packaging, and in resalable condition.
Contact us for a returns authorisation before sending.
Use a tracked, insured courier and provide tracking details.
Damaged items received without adequate insurance or packaging will not be refunded. Photographic proof of damage will be provided for courier claims.
In accordance with UK consumer law, you have 14 days from receipt of goods to cancel and return eligible non‑living items for a full refund (delivery costs handled per your statutory rights and our policy).

7. Cancellations Policy

Live animals (not covered by the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013)

If your cancellation request is received before your animal is shipped, the order will be cancelled and refunded in full.
If your cancellation request is received after shipment, the order cannot be cancelled. You must then request a return (see livestock returns policy).

We reserve the right to cancel any order where:

The animal shows signs of being unfit for transport.
There are concerns about improper husbandry by the potential customer/owner.
The customer engages in abusive or disrespectful communication.

If we cancel an order prior to shipping, you will receive a full refund.
Consumers have a right to cancel orders for non‑living goods within 14 days of receipt under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013.

8. Shipping & Delivery

8.1 Shipping Delays

If an animal dies due to a verified postal delay, the Live Arrival Guarantee still applies.
However, delays in collecting your item from Royal Mail void this guarantee (see the Live Arrival Guarantee section).

8.2 Extreme Weather

We reserve the right to postpone or cancel live shipments during unsuitable weather conditions.

8.3 Importing & Exporting

It is the customer’s responsibility to understand local import/export laws.
All customs fees and duties are the buyer’s responsibility.

9. Website & Maintenance

We may change prices or terms without prior notice.
We reserve the right to suspend or restrict website access for maintenance or other reasons.

10. Accounts & Registration

You are responsible for safeguarding your account and password.
The Pet Snail Shop accepts no liability for unauthorised account use.
We reserve the right to terminate or suspend accounts at our discretion.

11.Legal Compliance

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales.
If any clause is found invalid, the remaining clauses remain enforceable.
Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits your statutory rights as a consumer, including your right to receive goods that are as described, of satisfactory quality, and fit for purpose under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
If you have a complaint, please contact us first so we can resolve it informally. If unresolved, you may refer disputes to the UK’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) scheme or the Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform.

12. Additional Notes

Force majeure — “We are not liable for any delay or failure to perform our obligations due to events beyond our reasonable control, including but not limited to extreme weather, natural disasters, epidemics, strikes, industrial disputes, acts of government, carrier failures, or power/telecom outages. We will take reasonable steps to minimise the effects and resume performance as soon as reasonably possible.”

Humane care in transit — “We pack live animals in secure, ventilated containers with appropriate moisture and substrate. We minimise time in transit by using a guaranteed overnight service. Where conditions require, we use heat or cool packs. Welfare takes precedence over speed of dispatch; we may postpone shipping if conditions are unsuitable.”

Privacy & data — “We process your personal data to fulfil your order, provide customer support, and meet legal obligations. For details on data collected, retention, and your rights (access, rectification, erasure, objection), please see our Privacy Policy [link].”

Complaints & ADR — “If you have a complaint, contact us at [email]. We aim to resolve complaints within 14 days. If unresolved, you may use an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) provider. We are not obliged to use ADR and may decline a referral, but will consider reasonable requests. EU/EEA consumers may also use the Online Dispute Resolution platform.”

Age restrictions — “You must be at least 18 years old to purchase live animals. By ordering, you confirm you meet this requirement. We may cancel and refund any order we believe has been placed in breach of this requirement.”

Obvious pricing errors — “While we try to ensure prices and descriptions are accurate, obvious errors may occur. If we discover a pricing or description error before dispatch, we may cancel the order and issue a full refund, or contact you to confirm whether you wish to proceed at the corrected price.”

Delivery windows & cut‑offs — “Live animal orders are usually dispatched Monday–Wednesday to avoid weekend holds. Orders placed after our daily cut‑off (e.g., 12:00 noon) will be processed the next dispatch day. We do not dispatch on UK public holidays.”