Refund/Cancellation Policy

📅 Order Cancellations

To cancel your order:

• Within 12 hours of purchase: Full refund issued with no fees.
• After 12 hours: All sales are final. If a cancellation is approved at our discretion, a 15% restocking fee will be deducted from your refund to offset non-refundable processing charges and holding costs.
• After shipment has been prepared or dispatched: Orders cannot be canceled.

🐒 Live Arrival Guarantee

We guarantee that all livestock will arrive alive when shipped via our recommended overnight or 2-day air shipping methods. Our live arrival guarantee is subject to the following conditions:

• Shipping method must be overnight or 2-day air (live arrival is not guaranteed on ground shipping).
• Someone must be available to receive the package at the time of delivery.
• The guarantee is void if the package is left unattended for more than 2 hours after delivery.
• Extreme weather events (heat above 95°F or cold below 25°F at origin or destination) may void the guarantee — we will notify you before shipping.

😱 DOA (Dead on Arrival) Claims

If livestock arrives deceased, we will issue a store credit or replacement for the affected animals. To file a DOA claim:

1. Photograph or video the deceased animal(s) in the unopened bag immediately upon receipt.
2. Email doa@coastgemusa.com with your order number and photos/video within 2 hours of delivery.
3. Do not discard the packaging or animals until your claim is resolved.
4. Our team will review and respond within 1-2 business day.

🔨 Items Not Shipped Due to Health Concerns

We perform a final health inspection before every shipment. If an animal cannot be shipped due to health or biosecurity concerns:

• We will not hold your entire order — remaining healthy animals will ship on schedule.
• The full purchase price of any unshipped animal will be refunded in full to your original payment method.
• You will be notified by email before your order ships.

🏭 Post-Arrival Health & Losses

We ship only healthy, well-conditioned animals. Once livestock has been introduced to your aquarium, their continued health is your responsibility. We are not liable for:

• Deaths or illness occurring after acclimation to your tank.
• Losses due to water quality, incompatible tank mates, disease introduced from other sources, or improper acclimation.
• Stress-related losses after the 2-hour DOA window has passed.

💳 Refund Processing

• Approved refunds are issued to the original payment method and may take up to 7 business days to appear.
• Store credit is issued immediately and never expires.
• Restocking fees (15%) apply to approved cancellations made after the 12-hour window.