Shipping Policy

SHIPPING POLICY

Cold Weather Shipping Policy

To ensure the highest chance of live arrival during cold weather, we have implemented the following seasonal shipping policy. Your order may be subject to a temporary delay or require specific shipping methods to comply with these guidelines.

I. Temperature-Based Shipping Guidelines

We monitor temperatures at our location, the shipping hubs, and your delivery address.

Policy Shipping Requirements

Below 2°C (Origin/Destination) DO NOT SHIP Your order will be placed on Hold For Weather (HFW) until temperatures rise to a safe level.
2°C - 20°CSeasonal Precautions Required Your order will include a Heat Pack and additional insulation (e.g., foil lining). We highly recommend choosing Hold For Pickup at your local post office.
21°C and Above Standard Shipping No heat pack is required.

II. Cold Weather Shipping Protocols and Risk

Due to the extreme risks associated with cold-weather transport, all cold weather shipments are sent at your own risk and are not eligible for refund or replacement if insects arrive expired.

Hold For Pickup (Recommended): We strongly recommend choosing this option at checkout to minimize the time your package spends outside.
Residential Delivery: Deliveries to a residential address greatly increase the risk of expired insects, and we encourage all customers to use the Hold For Pickup option.
Hold for Weather (HFW): If you choose the HFW option, we will hold your order for up to 7 days. If conditions do not improve, we will contact you to discuss options, which may include cancelling and refunding the order.

III. Packaging and Handling

Heat Packs: When temperatures require it, we include a specialized heat pack, wrapped for protection and secured to the top of the box. Heat packs are activated one hour before packing to ensure proper function.
Insulation: Boxes are lined with insulating material (such as foil or foam) to retain heat.
Airflow: Proper ventilation is ensured, as heat packs require oxygen to generate warmth. Boxes are clearly labeled with "LIVE HARMLESS INSECTS" to alert carriers to the contents.

IV. Upon Arrival

Dormancy: Do not mistake cold, inactive insects for being expired. Many insects enter a dormant state called diapause in cold temperatures. Please allow the insects to sit in their container at room temperature (around 21°C) for several hours. They should warm up and become active.
Reporting an Issue: If your insects do not become active after the warm-up period, please contact us immediately with a picture and your order number.

This Shipping Policy applies to all purchases made through www.thebugfarms.com. We are committed to getting your live feeder insects and supplies to you as quickly and safely as possible.

1. Order Processing Time

All orders are processed within 1 to 5 business days (excluding weekends and holidays) after receiving your order confirmation email. You will receive another notification when your order has shipped.

Note: Delays may occur during peak seasons, holidays, or due to severe weather conditions, especially for live animal shipments.

2. Shipping Rates and Delivery Estimates

Shipping charges for your order will be calculated and displayed at checkout. We offer a variety of shipping options to ensure the safe and timely arrival of your live goods.

3. Shipment Confirmation and Order Tracking

You will receive a shipment confirmation email with your tracking number once your order has shipped. The tracking number will be active within 24 hours.4. Local Delivery

4. Shipping Restrictions

We do not ship to P.O. Boxes due to the nature of our products.
We reserve the right to withhold or delay shipments during extreme weather events (heat or cold) to ensure the well-being of live animals. In such cases, we will contact you to reschedule the shipment.
We currently ship to [List all serviced regions/countries, e.g., Continental US only, Canada only, etc.].

5. Damages, Dead on Arrival (DOA), and Lost Packages

The Bug Farms is not liable for any products damaged or lost during shipping. However, we guarantee the live arrival of our insects under certain conditions.

Dead on Arrival (DOA) Policy: Here is a comprehensive draft of a Dead on Arrival (DOA) Policy for live insects, designed to be fair to you as the seller while providing clear guidelines for the customer.-----Dead on Arrival (DOA) Policy for Live Insects

We guarantee the live arrival of all feeder insects when the following conditions are met. Our DOA policy ensures a smooth process for addressing any unfortunate transit losses.

1. Guarantee Conditions

The Bug Farms' Live Arrival Guarantee is valid only if the following conditions are met:

Shipping Address: The customer must provide an accurate and complete shipping address. We are not responsible for DOA resulting from an incorrect address.
Temperature Restrictions: We reserve the right to delay shipments if temperatures in the origin, transit, or destination locations are deemed too extreme for the safe transport of live insects. If a shipment is sent, the customer is expected to monitor the tracking number for delivery and bring the package indoors immediately.
Immediate Retrieval: The customer must be present to receive the package immediately upon the first delivery attempt. If the package is left outside for any length of time (including, but not limited to, sitting in a mailbox, on a porch, or at a drop-off point) after the first attempted delivery, the live arrival guarantee is void.
Weather-Related Delays: If extreme weather (hot or cold) necessitates a hold for pickup at a local post office or shipping hub, the customer must pick up the package within 2 hours of its arrival at that location. Failure to do so voids the guarantee.

2. Reporting a DOA Claim

If you receive a shipment where a significant number of insects are dead upon arrival, you must adhere to the following claim procedure:

Reporting Window: The Bug Farms must be notified of the DOA via email ([email protected]) within 2 hours of the package's delivery time as recorded by the carrier's tracking system.
Required Evidence: The claim email must include the following:
1. Your Order Number.
2. A clear, unedited photo of the dead insects inside the original, unopened shipping container or bag.
3. A clear, unedited photo of the original shipping box and label.
Definition of Significant Loss: We understand a few casualties can occur during shipping. We will honor the DOA policy for any loss exceeding 20% of the total count of the specific insect species ordered.

3. Resolution for Approved Claims

Upon verification and approval of a DOA claim, The Bug Farms will offer one of the following resolutions:

Replacement: We will ship a replacement order for the lost quantity. The customer will be responsible for the cost of shipping the replacement order.
Store Credit: We will issue a store credit for the value of the lost insects. This credit can be applied to a future purchase.
Important Note: Shipping costs are non-refundable. We do not issue cash or credit card refunds for the original cost of the insects or the cost of the shipping. The resolution will only cover the value of the lost merchandise.

4. Voiding the Policy

The Live Arrival Guarantee is immediately voided if:

The package is not received on the first delivery attempt.
A claim is reported outside of the 2-hour window.
The required photographic evidence is not provided.
The customer provides an incorrect or incomplete shipping address.
The package is held by the customer for more than 2 hours after arrival at a local hub (if mandated).
Lost/Stolen Packages: If your package is lost or stolen, please contact the shipping carrier to file a claim. We will assist you by providing all necessary order and tracking information.

7. Returns and Refunds (Non-Refundable Shipping Costs) All shipping and handling costs are non-refundable.

This includes the original shipping fee paid on your order and any costs incurred for returning an item to us.

Returns/Refunds: If a refund is approved for a product return (excluding shipping costs, which are non-refundable), the refund will be for the price of the product(s) only.
Refused Shipments: If you refuse a shipment, the cost of the original shipping, plus any return shipping charges charged to us by the carrier, will be deducted from your merchandise refund.

GENERAL SHIPPING

We are able to ship anywhere within Canada. However you should note that only certain carriers will transport live insects.
Orders ship Monday-Friday. This may not be every day, but is based on the best day to ship so that your live insects reach you directly, without sitting in a courier depot over a weekend etc.
Some items within your order may ship separately. You will never be charged more for shipping and handling than what appears at checkout.
We do provide shipping time estimations for all of our products. We will work to get your order to you as quickly as possible, but please note that our shipping lead times are all estimations and we cannot guarantee an order to arrive by a specific time. We encourage you to ship all items to a permanent address in order to ensure a successful delivery. This is particularly important for live insects.

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

We are not able to offer international shipping at this time.

WHEN WILL MY ORDER ARRIVE?

Wherever possible we try to use Expresspost to ensure a maximum 4 day journey time for live insects. This quite often is shipped on a Monday to avoid weekend delays. So your shipment should at most take 8-10 business days.
Economy Shipping can take 8-10 business days to be delivered after tracking has been updated.
Standard Shipping can take 7-10 business days to be delivered after tracking has been updated.
We do the best to ensure your delivery arrives on time, however delivery dates are not guaranteed and there may be a number of unforeseen reasons why your items will arrive after the estimated arrival date.
HOLIDAY SHIPPING INFORMATION: Please note that all delivery information is listed on each individual product page. Please keep in mind that the last day to order for delivery by Christmas varies per product and assumes fastest shipping method at checkout.

TRACKING
An email with tracking information will be sent to you once your order has shipped.

SHIPPING MULTIPLE ORDERS
Multiple orders placed on the same day cannot be combined and will ship separately.

SHIPPING TO MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
Unfortunately, we cannot split up an order and ship to multiple locations. If you wish to send items to different locations, please place a separate order for each shipping address.

ADDRESS CHANGES
We are unable to change or update a shipping address once an order has been placed. Please be sure to check your shipping details prior to submitting your order.

CUSTOMER SERVICE HOURS
The Bug Farms customer service team is available Monday through Friday 8:30am – 5pm PST. If you submit a contact form over the weekend, our customer service team will contact you the following Monday.