Our animals arrive DOA less than 1.4% of the time which is an incredible statistic and attributable not only to the health and strength of our animals, but also to our exceptional box packing abilities. Most companies will not guarantee the live arrival of amphibians, but we do!

Tortoisesworld.com takes great pride in guaranteeing live arrival for each and every live reptile, amphibian, and invertebrate order that we ship, in addition to a seven day extended guarantee, giving you a full week of coverage. Below we will review our guarantee in detail, including Nullification factors.

DOA animals are extremely rare (fewer than 1.4% of our animals arrive DOA), but if it does occur you need to be familiar with our policy (this is why, at checkout, you must acknowledge having read this page in its entirety). This provides us with your digital signature. Ignoring the terms of the guarantee is not an excuse, and will not render these rules void. If you do receive a DOA reptile, amphibian, or invertebrate, please e-mail us a clear picture of the animal placed on top of the shipping label, upside down, all in one snapshot. Additional photographs may be requested for further verification. E-mail both pictures to the address in the site header within eight hours of arrival.

Upon approval of your claim, you have a couple options.

The first option is having us ship you a replacement animal, although discounted shipping costs ($24.99) will be the responsibility of the customer. If the replacement animal is DOA, we would then refund your purchase price (excluding the shipping costs) via paypal or credit card, depending on your method of payment. Fortunately, this has never happened. Keep in mind, we are extremely reasonable people, so we’ll work with you. Every situation is different.

The second option in the case of a DOA animal is an immediate refund, less the shipping cost ($45.99).

We have not become a highly reputable reptile, amphibian, and invertebrate sales company by treating our customers like faceless numbers in a spreadsheet. We deeply value your satisfaction. Our customer service response times are simply unmatched in the reptile industry. We provide prestigious universities and colleges, zoos, and museums across the nation with our animals. In other words, we are a trusted source for reptiles.

Species Photos
The pictures we utilize on our website are representative of the species, which means you are not ordering the exact animal in the photograph. Claiming that the reptile, amphibian, or invertebrate you received does not look identical to the picture on the website is not a valid reason for reimbursement or return.

COVID-19 Effects
Due to appropriate Coronavirus containment efforts, both FedEx and UPS have announced they may be temporarily suspending signature requirements for packages. Because of this, please be on the lookout for your delivery (most arrive by 10:30am local time). If you experience a DOA, we must be made aware via e-mail or phone within three hours of the delivery, or it will not be honored under our guarantee terms.

Nullifying Factors
1.) If temperatures at the delivery zip code dip below 40F or above 90F, the live arrival guarantee and extended guarantee are both completely voided for all reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, and feeders. However, even including Winter shipments, our DOA rate is still an incredibly low 1.8%. Shipping live animals is a shared risk between the shipper and the customer–please research your local temperatures prior to ordering.

2.) If you, or an authorized representative are not present for a delivery attempt (usually in the morning), the live arrival guarantee is null and void. If it was agreed upon that the animal(s) would be held at the carrier’s facility, the package(s) must be picked-up within eight hours of arrival at the said facility.

3.) If you inadvertently enter a delivery address during checkout that is not valid, the live arrival guarantee is voided.

4.) If you do not contact us within eight hours of delivery or pick-up with DOA and shipping label photographs, the live arrival guarantee is voided.

5.) We are not responsible for carrier delays, which have become common during the COVID epidemic due to staffing issues at FedEx and UPS. Shipping costs are non-refundable. This policy is a reptile industry standard.

When you order through our website, you specifically click on “Yes” to accept our live arrival guarantee. It is legally binding. This gives us your digital signature agreeing to the guarantee terms, which we then keep on file. We utilize a collection agency for any and all customers who attempt unethical chargebacks or disputes in violation of these agreed upon terms.

Please Note
FedEx and UPS systems show when the package(s) arrive, and who signed for it. Our carriers should never leave a package without a signature.

If your order is missing any item, it will be immediately refunded upon approval of the claim.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions at all.