Livestock DOA Policy

Read this before your delivery arrives. Two things decide whether a claim is accepted: your photos, and how fast you contact us.

Do these three things, in this order

1. Open the box and photograph the bags — before you open any of them.
Photos and a short video of the sealed bags are the only evidence of what condition your livestock arrived in. Once a bag is opened we can no longer tell whether a loss happened in transit or afterwards, so this has to come first.

2. Tell us within 1 hour if anything has arrived deceased.
The clock starts when the parcel is delivered or signed for — not when you get home or open the box. Send the photos to info@realaquatics.co.uk. Leave any deceased livestock sealed in its original bag; that bag is your evidence.

3. Acclimatise your live livestock straight away.
Don't wait to hear back from us — once your photos are taken and sent, get everything living into your tank as normal. Waiting in the bag does far more harm than a delayed claim.

Please make sure someone is at the address to receive your livestock. If the parcel is left in a safe place or with a neighbour, the 1-hour clock still runs from the recorded delivery time.

How to claim

Email info@realaquatics.co.uk, subject line DOA CLAIM – [your order number], with:

  • Photos of the livestock — clear, in focus, still sealed in the unopened original bag
  • A short video — showing the livestock inside the box and sealed bags
  • A photo of the shipping label on the outer box, with the delivery timestamp visible if shown
  • Your order number, delivery date and delivery time

If you can't get through by phone, send the email anyway — the timestamp on your email is what protects your claim.

A claim cannot be accepted if the bag has been opened, the packaging has been tampered with, the images are unclear, or the report arrives outside the 1-hour window.

What is and isn't covered

Covered: livestock found deceased on arrival, sealed in its original unopened bag, reported with the evidence above within 1 hour.

Not covered:

  • Livestock alive on arrival but stressed, weak, hiding, breathing heavily or not feeding. This is normal after transit and usually settles.
  • Losses that happen after your livestock is in your tank. DOA cover is for transit only — it can't extend to what happens in your system, which is why the photos at step 1 matter.
  • Losses from unsuitable water parameters, incorrect or rushed acclimatisation, coral dips used incorrectly, aggressive tankmates, equipment failure, mishandling, or delay in unpacking.
  • Delivery charges. Shipping is non-refundable on all claims.

What you receive

Approved claims are settled as store credit to the value of the livestock at the price you paid. If a like-for-like replacement is available and you'd prefer it, ask and we'll send one with your next order. We don't issue cash refunds for DOA livestock.

Live animals cannot be returned once delivered or collected, for welfare and biosecurity reasons. To cancel or amend an order before dispatch, contact us as soon as possible.

01844 216555 | info@realaquatics.co.uk

Nothing in this policy affects your statutory rights under UK consumer law.