WHO WE ARE

Our website address is: https://drreefsquarantinedfish.com.

Thank you for visiting Dr. Reef's Quarantined Fish. We are a company, creating products to enhance your website building experience. Please read this Privacy Policy, providing consent to document in order to have permission to use our services.

USER AGREEMENT & TERMS OF SALE

1. General Biosecurity Protocol & Scope of Responsibility

Our livestock undergoes an exhaustive, multi-week preventative quarantine and conditioning protocol designed to eliminate major marine pathogens. While this protocol establishes an industry benchmark, marine organisms possess inherent biological variables, and no biological protocol is 100% failsafe. Pathogens, parasitic cycles, bacterial strains, water chemistry mismatches, and transport stress variables exist entirely outside our control once animals leave our facility. Consequently, customers assume full responsibility for the biosecurity and maintenance of their aquariums upon delivery.

To maintain guarantee validity, customers must observe newly arrived livestock in a separate, dedicated, sterile observation tank (containing no livestock, live rock, or substrate from any other supplier) for a minimum of 14 to 21 days prior to display tank introduction. Introducing livestock directly into an established display system, mixing specimens with unquarantined animals, or administering unapproved secondary medications voids all guarantees and agreements.

In no event shall Seller’s total aggregate liability arising out of or related to these terms or any livestock purchase exceed the purchase price actually paid by the customer for the specific specimen giving rise to the claim.

2. Quarantine Pipeline, Holding Discretion & "Item Not Received" Defense

Service Nature of Conditioning: Customers acknowledge that purchasing from Seller constitutes an order for live animal quarantine, conditioning, and health verification services in addition to livestock acquisition.

Quarantine Pipeline Timelines (30–45+ Days): The quarantine process typically requires 30 to 45 days, but timelines fluctuate dynamically based on batch observation, feeding response, and biological clearance. Delivery dates provided prior to final clearance are rough estimates and never guaranteed deadlines.

Discretionary Health Holds: We reserve the absolute right to pause shipping and hold any livestock that fails final pre-shipping health or behavioral evaluations. Holding an animal for continued treatment or observation is performed strictly in the customer's interest to safeguard biosecurity.

Prohibition of "Item Not Received" Claims During Active Conditioning: Filing a chargeback or merchant dispute for "Item Not Received" while livestock is undergoing mandatory quarantine, conditioning, or veterinary holding constitutes a material breach of contract. By completing checkout, the customer agrees that active conditioning time is an agreed-upon service period and does not constitute non-delivery or shipping delay. If an "Item Not Received" dispute is initiated while an order is active or held, the order will be finalized and dispatched once biologically cleared, or cancelled at Seller's discretion subject to the mandatory 25% restocking and conditioning fee.

Order Reservation & Billing: Submitting an order secures your position in the active quarantine pipeline.

Order Holding and Storage Policy: Once an order is prepared for shipment, if the customer is unavailable or unable to accept delivery, the order can be held at our facility for a storage and upkeep fee of $75 per week. This fee must be paid in full and upfront at the time the delivery hold is requested or established.

Cancellation & Restocking Fee: Cancellations requested after livestock has been acquired, quarantined, or after payment has processed are subject to a strict 25% administrative and restocking fee. Postponing delivery or accepting store credit carries no penalty.

Address Accuracy Liability: Seller assumes zero liability for carrier misdeliveries, reroutes, transit delays, or DOA outcomes resulting from inaccurate or improperly formatted addresses entered by the customer.

Dispatch Schedule: Shipments depart Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday via UPS Priority Overnight for scheduled delivery Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Shipping fees are non-refundable under all conditions.

3. Stay Alive Guarantee Structure

Standard Coverage: All standard livestock includes a 3-Day Stay Alive Guarantee.

Exemptions: Expert-Only livestock, Live-Arrival-Only livestock, and complimentary/DOA replacement specimens are covered strictly for live arrival and carry zero post-arrival guarantee.

Extended Guarantees: Extended 7-day or 14-day coverage applies exclusively to individual items where the customer explicitly purchased the extended coverage option at checkout.

4. Mandatory DOA & Mortality Claim Reporting Protocols

Adherence to the following evidentiary steps is mandatory. Failure to follow these steps strictly voids all claims:

Step 1: Dead On Arrival (DOA) Initial Reporting (2-Hour Window):

All losses occurring during transit must be reported via email to support@drreefs.com strictly within two (2) hours of the carrier's official delivery timestamp.

The initial report must include a clear, focused photograph showing the deceased specimen inside the original, sealed, unopened shipping bag.

Opening, puncturing, or disposing of the shipping bag prior to completing Step 1 immediately voids live arrival coverage.

Step 2: Secondary Verification & Evidence Submission:

Once the unopened bag photo is submitted, the customer must wait for customer support to instruct them to cut the bag open.

Upon instruction, the customer must submit a clear, focused photograph of the specimen placed out of the water on a solid white background (e.g., white paper towel, white plate, or solid white board).

For claims involving specimens displaying illness or distress prior to mortality, a clear, well-lit 10-to-15-second in-tank video demonstrating breathing rate and physical symptoms is required.

3-Day Guarantee Claims: Losses occurring after delivery within the 3-day window must be reported to support@drreefs.com before the 72-hour mark from delivery, accompanied by an out-of-water photo on a solid white background and the required 10–15 second symptom video if illness was previously observed.

Extended Guarantees (7 & 14 Days): Requires: (1) an initial in-tank video/photo documenting distress submitted while active, and (2) a final out-of-water photo on a solid white background upon mortality.

Remedies: Approved claims will receive either a store credit for the livestock purchase price (valid for 60 days) or a replacement specimen shipped on the customer's next order. Outbound shipping charges are carrier fees and are non-refundable.

5. Biological Variations, Appearance & Appetite Transition

Size & Coloration Variance: Marine specimens are wild living organisms exhibiting natural biological diversity. Measurements provided are approximations (total length from snout to caudal fin tip) at grading. Markings, banding, and coloration fluctuate naturally based on aquarium lighting (spectrum and intensity), diet, age, emotional state, and acclimation stress. Natural color and minor size variations do not constitute "item not as described," defective goods, or false advertising.

Feeding & Appetite Transition: While all conditioned fish are confirmed feeding in our holding facility prior to packaging, shipping stress and novel aquarium parameters frequently cause temporary appetite suppression. Failure to eat immediately upon introduction (or within the initial 7–14 days of transfer) is an acclimation and behavioral response, not an inherent disease or merchant defect. Customers are expected to provide varied offerings (live foods, frozen mysis, enriched brine, nori) suited to the species' nutritional needs during transition. Refusal to feed does not constitute a defect or grounds for return, refund, or claim.

6. Secondary Treatments, Maintenance Services & Guarantee Forfeiture

All guarantees, claims, and seller liabilities terminate immediately if:

The customer administers secondary chemical treatments, prophylactic dips, or medications (including but not limited to copper, formalin, praziquantel, chloroquine phosphate, antibiotics, or hypo-salinity) without written authorization from Seller.

Livestock is placed into any aquarium system serviced or maintained by a third-party commercial aquarium maintenance company, due to the high risk of cross-contamination from service equipment, vehicles, nets, and shared tools.

Livestock is co-mingled with fish, corals, invertebrates, live rock, or macroalgae from any outside source prior to the completion of the 14-to-21-day isolated observation period.

7. Strict Guarantee Expiration & Acknowledgment of Fulfillment

All seller warranties and health obligations permanently terminate at the end of the applicable guarantee window (Day 3 for standard orders). Any communication (email, support ticket, phone message, or social media message) stating that livestock arrived alive, in good health, swimming, or active constitutes final, irrevocable confirmation of successful contract performance. Any mortality, pathogen emergence, or systemic issues reported after the guarantee period has lapsed are entirely the customer's responsibility.

8. Shipping Insurance & Carrier Mishaps

If shipping insurance was purchased at checkout, Seller covers the livestock loss in accordance with our guarantee guidelines in the event of carrier delays or packaging failures.

If shipping insurance was declined or omitted at checkout, Seller bears no financial responsibility for carrier transit delays, lost packages, or mechanical failures; the customer must file a claim directly with UPS.

9. Prohibition of Fraudulent Chargebacks & Cost Recovery

Initiating a payment dispute or credit card chargeback alleging "item not as described," "defective merchandise," or "item not received" for livestock that arrived alive, died outside the guarantee timeframe, was held for mandatory biological conditioning, or where the customer failed to supply required unopened-bag and out-of-water white background evidence constitutes a material breach of contract.

Seller actively contests all improper disputes with carrier GPS records, signature records, checkout terms acceptance, and timestamped communications. The cardholder expressly agrees to reimburse Seller for all merchant chargeback fees ($25–$50 per dispute), collection agency fees, and all reasonable attorney’s fees incurred in defending or collecting on improper disputes.

10. Dispute Resolution, Governing Law & Venue

Except for actions seeking emergency equitable relief, all disputes, claims, or controversies arising out of or relating to these terms, purchases from Dr. Reef's Quarantined Fish, or livestock health shall be resolved exclusively as follows:

Governing Law & Exclusive Venue: These terms, transactions, and any legal disputes shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Oklahoma, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any dispute, claim, or legal proceeding shall be brought exclusively in the Small Claims Court of Tulsa County, Oklahoma, or, if jurisdictional limits are exceeded, the District Court of Tulsa County, Oklahoma. Customer explicitly submits to the personal jurisdiction and exclusive venue of these courts and waives any objection based on an inconvenient forum.

Waiver of Jury Trial & Class Action Waiver: Both Customer and Seller knowingly and voluntarily waive all rights to a trial by jury in any proceeding. All claims must be brought on an individual basis only. Neither party may bring, join, or participate as a plaintiff, representative, or class member in any class, collective, or representative proceeding.

Limitation of Liability Cap: Under no circumstances shall Seller's total financial liability exceed the specific purchase price actually paid by Customer for the individual livestock specimen at issue. Seller assumes zero liability for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, punitive, or systemic property damages, including loss of aquarium tanks, equipment, water, coral colonies, or co-mingled specimens.

One-Way Seller Cost & Attorney Fee Recovery: In any lawsuit, court action, motion to dismiss, collection proceeding, payment dispute, or chargeback defense arising out of or related to these terms, livestock health, or purchases from Seller, if Seller prevails, obtains a dismissal (including dismissals for improper venue or lack of jurisdiction), or defends against an unauthorized claim, Seller shall be entitled to recover from Customer all reasonable attorney's fees, court costs, filing fees, administrative expenses, and collection costs incurred.

11. Forward Selling & Resale Policy

Forward selling or unauthorized commercial resale of our livestock is strictly prohibited. Commercial accounts must be approved in writing with verified documentation. Unauthorized resale activity results in immediate order cancellation and account termination.

12. Customer Care Contact

For all order questions, health updates, and claim submissions, contact customer support exclusively at: support@drreefs.com.