Complete Store Policy

Order Submission, Receipt, and Tracking Info

What to expect when you order from us

After placing an order, a complete copy of it's contents will be emailed instantly to the address provided during checkout. That email will also include basic order ship scheduling for your reference. If an incorrect email address was used while placing an order, or you have not received tracking with the below order processing schedule in mind, please contact us for tracking info.

Order Processing Schedule

Orders process and ship Monday through Thursday. We pack & ship orders as quickly as we can. Most supply & feeder orders ship within 1-2 business days of an order being placed, and orders containing plants usually ship within 3 business days. We do not ship orders containing perishables over weekends, to protect the contents from the typical weekend delay. For that reason, perishables going to more distant states may not ship until the following Monday/Tuesday, to ensure the contents avoid the weekend delay & arrive safely. Shipping type (Standard or Express) does not affect order processing times, except in our ability to avoid weekend delays.

Regarding Special/Critical Situations:
As always, if you are in a serious rush to receive any order, please email us after the order is submitted to keep us in the loop!

Regarding Delayed Shipments:
We may elect to temporarily hold/delay a perishable order if a shipping company has issued a transit delay, or during cases of extreme weather which wouldn't be covered by our live arrival guarantee. If an order is going to be proactively delayed, our staff will reach out within 1 business day to discuss potential schedule solutions.

Typical Transit Times

Expected number of days in transit, after an order is processed & shipped

Standard Shipping

The default shipping option

Our "Standard Shipping" option typically includes services like FedEx Home Delivery, FedEx Ground, UPS Ground, or one of USPS's equivalents like Priority Mail. Service selection is determined by NEHERP staff based on cost and transit times. Specific services can be requested, but additional fees may be incurred.

Express Shipping

Optional at last page of checkout

Our "Express Shipping" option is almost always FedEx Express Air. Express service isn't beneficial for those who live in a 1-day transit zone. (Yellow on the standard shipping map) The vast majority of express shipments are a 1-day transit, and only distant locations may carry an up to 2-day transit.

Important Note:

Please note the above graphics roughly illustrate how many business days an order usually takes to arrive once it's picked up by FedEx or USPS, after it's been processed at NEHERP. Processing times depend on the order's contents, and transit times may vary slightly. Please do not plan "life or death" shipments around the above schedule without emailing us to confirm specifics. We're real people and would be glad to chat 1-on-1 to ensure important stuff arrives when you need it to. ♥

Hard Supply Shipping Guarantee

We pack our shipments carefully, but in the unlikely event that a shipper damages your products during transit we will take care of it at no expense to you. If something arrives to you damaged, please email photos of the damaged product and it's packaging to support@neherpetoculture.com within 12 hours of the package arriving. With that in-hand, we'll help arrange for either a refund or a replacement ASAP. Shipping companies require photographic proof of damage for us to get reimbursed, so photos are an important step which can't be skipped and must be sent within 12 hours of a package arriving. We're eager to help, and we won't leave you in a bad spot!

Important:

Do not file a claim with the shipping company under any circumstances! By filing a claim with the shipper, you block NEHERP's ability to be reimbursed by their error, and limit our ability to help you 1-on-1. If a claim is made with the shipping company instead of NEHERP, you'll be stuck waiting 2-3 weeks for them to issue you a refund directly, and our small business will not be able to help past that point. By following the instructions above and contacting us directly, we'll be glad to help you 1-on-1 as quickly as possible.

Reptile & Amphibian Shipping Guarantee

Our Record: 100% Live Arrival Since 2010! ♥

We guarantee the healthy arrival of every animal we sell when the following guidelines are followed:
1) All live shipments require signature on arrival, and are shipped using FedEx Priority Overnight Express service.   
2) Live shipments must be signed for by the recipient upon the first delivery attempt to qualify for our guarantee.
3) All claims must be made within 6 hours of receiving the shipment, and pictures will be requested & necessary.
4) We strongly recommend shipping to a FedEx location if possible, to maximize the chances of healthy arrival.  

All live shipment expenses are quoted per order, typically ranging from $45-65, depending a client's distance from Connecticut. Shipping expenses include the cost of Phase 22 Pack(s), Insulated Case(s), Cup(s), compliant labeling, and soft fill. In the unlikely event that an an animal arrives DOA with the above guidelines followed, a replacement animal will be sent at no additional expense to the client. If replacement(s) aren't available, the customer will be refunded fully. (Including the cost of shipping) We use well insulated boxes, phase 22 packs, and 40 hour heat packs whenever necessary to maximize the likelihood of a successful live shipment.

FedEx/USPS Service Disturbances

Carrier delays directly affect our shipping schedules

Occasionally carriers send a notice when an issue is creating a delay in the delivery chain. Delays are usually attributed to natural occurrences (bad weather), and we try to keep these notices in mind when shipping perishables to clients, in an effort to ensure everything arrives safely. If we've been made aware of a delay issue in an area affecting an order, we'll get in touch via email with our recommendations. Major carrier delays are a fairly uncommon occurrence, but these can lead to delays in our order processing time table.

Shipping Service Info

Information about our shipping services

Selecting Shipping Method:
Shipping quotes for Standard and Express services are available during checkout, after entering in your shipping information. The S&H fees will depend on the products included and your location.

Service Options:
Our "Standard Shipping" option can result in us shipping FedEx Home Delivery, FedEx Ground, UPS Ground, or one of USPS's equivalent services like Priority Mail. The "Express" option is almost always FedEx's Express Air service. The final decision of which shipping method we use is at our discretion. If there's a strong preference for a particular shipper, clients may request using a specific service via email after an order is placed, but additional funds may be requested if the fee we incur will be higher.

Freight Options:
LTL shipments are available to any client ordering over 250lbs worth of product. This is custom-quoted, and won't show up during checkout. There's no handling or palleting fee for this service, and we're happy to forklift anything onto the delivery truck to keep the expense as low as possible. (Hydraulic lift service is necessary only if you request it) If you'd like to place a large bulk order over 250lbs, please email us with a complete order list & your shipping address.

Incorrect Shipping Address Policy

If an incorrect shipping address is entered during checkout, please use our Change Of Address Form ASAP. If the box hasn't shipped, that form will help ensure it gets to the right place. If the box is already on it's way, FedEx/UPS/USPS may require a fee to redirect the package. Sorry, but our business is not responsible for any costs associated with shipping packages to incorrect addresses which were provided during the checkout process. Please be sure the address included in the order is correct!

Shipper Error / Lost Shipment

What happens in the extremely unlikely event that the shipper loses the box?

Lost In Transit:
If you suspect the shipper may have lost your box in transit, please email us at support@neherpetoculture.com as soon as possible. We'll be glad to help you through the claims process on our end so we can accelerate the process. With the claim successfully filed, we usually get replacements out on the next scheduled shipping day. We know working with plants & animals can be time sensitive, so we'll do our best to make the re-ship process as quick & easy as possible. Please note that a delayed package is not considered "lost" until it says so in the Tracking Information provided by the shipper. Please don't file a claim with the shipping company! If you file a claim with the shipping company, our ability to file a claim for product will be blocked, and you'll be stuck waiting 2-3 weeks for the shipper to issue you a refund directly. If you contact us first instead, we'll quickly file the claim on our end and can usually refund or reship much more quickly. We consider this service part of the benefit of dealing with our company, and we're happy to help you as quickly as possible!

Delivered, Not Received:
If a package's tracking info says "Delivered" but you haven't received the package, please email us at support@neherpetoculture.com ASAP. This situation is perhaps the most time-sensitive we encounter for shipping related issues. So long as the missing package is reported within 12 hours, we're almost always able to come to a resolution with FedEx. (They can either recover it & redeliver, or reimburse us so we can reship) Package deliveries are now tracked by GPS, so shipping companies are usually able to recover incorrectly delivered packages which are reported within 12 hours of delivery. If too much time goes by past the 12-hour mark, it may be extremely difficult to recover the package, and FedEx may refuse to reimburse us for their mistake. It is critical to keep an eye on tracking info, and we always recommend signing up for FedEx/USPS delivery notifications to ensure you are kept in the loop.

Returning Product

Ordered the wrong thing? We've been there. Here's how we can help.

We gladly accept returns & exchanges on unopened hard supplies in resalable condition for up to 14 days after product was received. We don't charge return/restock fees, but NEHERP can't be held responsible for return shipping costs when the items being returned were ordered & correctly shipped. Shipping cost may vary for the reasons explained on our "Shipping Cost Information" panel. For the protection of our clients & their awesome animals, we are unable to accept returns on any loose decor items or perishables. Please visit our returns page for complete details of what is & isn't returnable, and to start the returns process.

Cancelling Items or Orders

Non-refundable 5% Processing Fee

The corporations which process payments on our website bill our small business non-refundable fees based on a percentage of each transaction. For this reason, items and/or orders which were placed, then voluntarily cancelled by a customer will be subject to an (up to) 5% non-refundable processing fee. Please understand that our small business does not own our payment platform, doesn't keep any of that fee, and we are at the mercy of these payment processing corporations regarding their non-refundable fees. Reasonable exceptions will be made for items and orders canceled due to unexpected stock issues and extreme order delays (outside of the Order Processing time). These fees never apply to items damaged in transit, including perishable items which don't arrive in good shape. Only orders which are voluntarily placed, then voluntarily (partially or fully) canceled will have this fee applied, since this practice would otherwise hurt our small business.

Price Match Policy

We do our best to keep our prices as low as possible. If you've found a lower price on a name brand item from a competing herp-shop, please email us with a link to the competing product page for a price-match. We'll do our best to match any vivarium or herp supply business's price on any brand name item we sell! Please Note: Third party & corporate supply marketplaces are ineligible for price-matching, as they are not competing herp-shops, and are very often predatory against small businesses and sometimes sell products at a loss. Sorry: No price matching on perishables, non-branded items, items of unequal quality, or wood decor.

Customer Support Policy

The best customer support service in the vivarium hobby

If you have a question regarding an order, just shoot us an email, and our team will be glad to help during service hours. We do not use an automated calling service, auto-response emails, or any non-human related methods of communication. Emails related to orders are typically responded to the same or next business day, and non-order related inquiries can take a little longer for us to get to. Every member of our team is either a herpetoculture enthusiast or professional, so you can rest assured you'll be getting top-notch advice for the topic at hand. We're proud of our stellar customer service record, professional husbandry advice, and we guarantee that our level of one-on-one customer service will meet or exceed your expectations.

Basic Vivarium Support:
We offer free product support for any item purchased directly from our company, and we encourage customers to reach out with any related questions they may have. Even more detailed free basic live vivarium consultations (via email) are available to customers who have purchased related Vivarium Kits.

Husbandry Support:
Our team has worked with hundreds of animals over the years, and our team is comprised of experienced hobbyists and (current & "retired") professional breeders. When it comes to supporting customers who are using NEHERP-sourced supplies, we're glad to offer advice whenever we can.

Consultation Services:
For situations more complex than basic vivarium support, we can help as design consultants. More advanced topics include lighting, plant selection, background work, species-specific design, ecological sustainability, 3D modeling, and more. Rates vary by project. (Request a quote)

Our customer support policies extend only to those who have purchased products and/or kits directly from us, and to those who are intending to place an order in the near future. Sorry, but we are unable to offer customer service or support for vivarium environments built using non-NEHERP products, since doing so would ultimately hurt our small business.

Special note to non-customers with struggling vivariums:

We truly wish we could help even non-customers, which is part of the reason why our articles remain free to everyone! We're also happy to help new customers get started with basic setup advice & pre-sale help. Unfortunately we just can't keep up with the volume of emails concerning troubled vivariums built using unproven techniques & questionable supplies. We've found that ~9-in-10 of the vivarium problems we're emailed about would be avoided by using our live vivarium kits and following our build advice. If you are someone struggling with your (non-NEHERP) bioactive terrarium, we urge you to read our vivarium construction articles to help get a more complete idea of where things could have gone wrong. (Insufficient Lighting & poor quality Substrate are the two most frequent causes) We hope those articles can act as a helpful tool to help diagnose issues, and if you decide to build, rebuild, or repair your enclosure using NEHERP supplies we'll absolutely be here for you!

Shipping & Handling Expenses

Shipping & Handling Fees
The shipping fees you see during checkout include the cost of shipping from the shipper (UPS, USPS, FedEx), the cost of packaging, and a negligible amount of handling to help cover our logistics department's overhead. For 99% of customers, our S&H fees are significantly lower than they'd pay at any shipper for the same size package, due to our volume discounts. The amount of shipping we bill customers is consistently less than the amount we are actually charged every month, and it's been that way since we opened for business. We aim to do our absolute best to keep shipping as affordable as possible.

About "Free" Shipping
We do not inflate the costs of our products in an effort to promote so-called "free" shipping. Please consider our product costs are usually far cheaper than most competitors specifically because we intend to charge honest, real-world shipping fees. We sleep better at night charging $10 for something and $5 to ship it, than we would shipping a $15 product with "free" shipping. We're try to be upfront and honest about our S&H costs. We can't always offer the least expensive shipping fees due to our size & location, but we always do our best to keep expenses as low as we possibly can.

A Note To Distant Clients: A customer's distance from our shop plays a huge role in determining shipping cost & transit times. We're located in Connecticut (about 20 miles from the shore), which means shipping to most of the Northeast is the least expensive & fastest to arrive from us. We couldn't be much further away from the West Coast, Midwest, or Deep South. Shipping companies charge us significantly more to ship to those locations. We hope to one day open another warehouse somewhere West of Connecticut to decrease shipping distances (and expenses) for all distant clients, but we're not there yet! With your support, maybe it'll happen sooner than later! ♥

Shipping Fee Error Handling: In the uncommon event that an order is significantly under-billed for shipping during checkout, we reserve the right to contact the client & discuss options before shipping. We never charge for extra shipping costs without prior permission. In the unlikely event an order is under-billed for shipping during checkout and the client decides the fee is too high, the order will be fully refunded including all associated credit card fees.

International Shipping

Not available at this time

We regretfully do not offer shipping outside of the Continental USA at this time. The natural and/or living products we sell are nightmarishly difficult to export due to an ever-increasing list of rules and regulations surrounding their export. Sorry we can't do more to help at this time!

Order Payments & Order Processing

How payment type affects your shipment

Standard Payments

Standard payment methods include Debit Cards, Credit Cards, PayPal Payments, and PayPal Credit. These methods make up the majority of orders we receive, and all process on the above schedule. Our website features a secure & fully automated checkout for all of these methods of payment.

NEHERP Gift Certificates

Clients with store credit or an NEHERP Gift Certificate can submit an order via email, or by using the manual order submission form. If any payment is owed, we'll call to accept credit/debit card information over the phone or via a secure email invoice.

E-Checks & Bank Transfers

Clients who pay with an e-check or bank transfer are subject to a 5-8 day payment processing delay, while the bank wires the money to NEHERP's account. Our website's order management system does not allow us to print packing slips or ship these orders prior to the payment clearing.

Payment Terms:
All orders require payment in full before shipping or pick up. Sorry, but we do not offer credit terms to any account for any reason, and are a strictly COD supplier. Nature Centers, Zoos, Universities, and Government Entities are welcome to submit Purchase Orders if that's the preferred ordering method, but we only release products after payments have cleared.

Payments Held For Security Reviews
Occasionally our payment handlers will hold a payment for security review. This process is out of our hands, and is typically a 1-3 day process. During that time, we will hold the order while we wait for the review to complete. Once completed, we'll ship ASAP!

Holidays & Scheduled Closings

We rarely close, except for national holidays!

Our business closes on most nationally observed holidays, and these closures will affect our shipping schedule for that week. Generally speaking, if the shipping companies are closed, we'll be closed too. Please plan accordingly.

Privacy Policy & Terms Of Service

Rest Assured: We won't do anything fancy with your personal info!

Our full terms of service & privacy policies are pretty long, so we've listed them on a separate page. Please click here to visit our Privacy/Terms Page!