Terms & Conditions

Last Updated: 2026

By accessing this website, placing an order, or purchasing any product or live animal from Alternative Pet Universe ("APU," "we," "our," or "us"), you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions.

Failure to read these Terms & Conditions, whether intentional or unintentional, shall not invalidate or alter any provision contained herein.

Eligibility to Purchase

Customers must be at least eighteen (18) years of age to purchase live animals.

Alternative Pet Universe reserves the right to request identification or age verification at any time.

Alternative Pet Universe reserves the right to refuse service, refuse sale, cancel orders, or limit transactions at its sole discretion and for any lawful reason.

Customer Responsibility

By completing a purchase, you acknowledge and agree that:

  • Live animals are a long-term responsibility.
  • You have independently researched the species being purchased.
  • You understand the animal's care, housing, feeding, heating, lighting, humidity, and environmental requirements.
  • You have an appropriate enclosure and habitat prepared before delivery.
  • You assume all responsibility for the care and well-being of the animal upon delivery.

Alternative Pet Universe shall not be responsible for losses resulting from inadequate husbandry, improper housing, neglect, mishandling, environmental conditions, or customer error.

Failure to notify Alternative Pet Universe of any alleged issues within one (1) hour of the carrier's documented delivery time shall constitute the customer's acknowledgment and acceptance that the animal arrived alive and in acceptable condition.

Animal Availability & Inventory

All animals are offered subject to availability.

Alternative Pet Universe reserves the right to cancel any order due to inventory discrepancies, health concerns, shipping restrictions, legal restrictions, or any circumstance that may compromise the welfare of the animal.

If an order cannot be fulfilled, the customer will be notified and issued a full refund.

Processing & Health Review

All live animal orders enter a processing phase after purchase.

During this period we may:

  • Verify inventory
  • Evaluate animal health and condition
  • Assess weather conditions
  • Confirm shipping viability
  • Prepare shipment materials

Processing generally requires 24–72 business hours.

Alternative Pet Universe reserves the right to delay or cancel shipment whenever necessary to protect the health and safety of the animal.

Shipping & Handling

All live animal orders are subject to a $65 Live Animal Shipping & Handling Fee.

Shipping charges represent more than carrier transportation costs and include costs associated with:

  • Animal preparation
  • Health evaluations
  • Specialized packaging
  • Insulation materials
  • Heat or cold packs when required
  • Handling and labor
  • Shipment coordination

Shipping fees become non-refundable once an order enters processing or shipment preparation.

For unusually large orders, multi-animal shipments, oversized shipments, or orders requiring specialized packaging, Alternative Pet Universe reserves the right to assess additional shipping and handling charges.

Customers will be notified prior to shipment if additional charges are necessary.

Delivery Requirements

Most live animal shipments require an adult signature upon delivery.

The customer is responsible for:

  • Providing a valid shipping address
  • Ensuring someone is available to receive the package
  • Promptly retrieving delivered packages
  • Immediately inspecting the animal upon arrival

The carrier's delivery scan shall be considered the official delivery time for all guarantee and claim purposes.

Customer Acceptance Upon Delivery

The customer is responsible for immediately opening, inspecting, and evaluating the shipment upon delivery.

Any alleged issue(s) regarding the condition of an animal must be reported to Alternative Pet Universe within one (1) hour of the carrier's documented delivery time.

Failure to notify Alternative Pet Universe of any alleged issue within one (1) hour of documented delivery shall constitute the customer's acknowledgment and acceptance that the animal arrived alive and in acceptable condition.

Claims submitted after the one-hour inspection period shall not be eligible for consideration.

The customer bears the responsibility of providing sufficient evidence to support any claim submitted under the Live Arrival Guarantee.

Alternative Pet Universe reserves the sole right to evaluate and determine claim eligibility.

Carrier Liability

Alternative Pet Universe is not responsible for:

  • Carrier delays
  • Routing errors
  • Misdelivery
  • Driver mistakes
  • Failure of the carrier to obtain a signature
  • Packages left unattended by the carrier
  • Theft occurring after delivery
  • Weather exposure after delivery

Once a package is marked delivered by the carrier, responsibility transfers to the customer.

Live Arrival Guarantee

Animals eligible for Live Arrival Guarantee are guaranteed to arrive alive and visibly healthy.

Live Arrival Guarantee coverage is valid only when:

  • The customer receives the package on the first delivery attempt.
  • The customer complies with all shipping requirements.
  • The customer submits any claim according to these Terms & Conditions.

Any missed delivery, rerouting request, incorrect address, delivery refusal, shipment delay caused by the customer, or failure to follow claim procedures immediately voids the Live Arrival Guarantee.

 

Species Excluded From Live Arrival Guarantee

Certain species may be excluded from Live Arrival Guarantee coverage due to their sensitivity to shipping stress, environmental changes, handling, or transportation risks.

Any animal excluded from Live Arrival Guarantee coverage will be clearly disclosed in the product listing.

By purchasing such an animal, the customer acknowledges and accepts all shipping-related risks.

No replacement, refund, credit, or compensation shall be provided for animals designated as excluded from Live Arrival Guarantee coverage.

Alternative Pet Universe reserves the sole right to determine which animals qualify for Live Arrival Guarantee coverage.

Dead On Arrival (DOA) Claims

Customers must notify Alternative Pet Universe within one (1) hour of the carrier's documented delivery time.

Claims must be submitted to:

alternativepetuniverse@gmail.com

Required documentation includes:

  • Photograph of the animal
  • Photograph of the shipping label
  • Photograph of the packaging contents
  • Photograph clearly showing the animal positioned on its back (belly-up)

Failure to submit complete documentation within one hour voids all guarantee eligibility.

Alternative Pet Universe reserves the right to deny claims that fail to comply with these procedures.

No Health, Survival, or Veterinary Guarantee

The Live Arrival Guarantee is not a health guarantee, survival guarantee, feeding guarantee, breeding guarantee, or veterinary warranty.

Alternative Pet Universe's responsibility ends when the animal arrives alive and visibly healthy.

Because animal care conditions are entirely outside our control after delivery, Alternative Pet Universe makes no guarantees regarding:

  • Long-term health
  • Survival
  • Longevity
  • Feeding response
  • Growth rate
  • Temperament
  • Behavior
  • Coloration changes
  • Breeding success
  • Veterinary findings

No refunds, credits, replacements, or compensation shall be provided for issues arising after delivery.

Veterinary Expenses

Alternative Pet Universe shall not be responsible for veterinary expenses, diagnostic costs, treatments, medications, examinations, laboratory testing, necropsies, or any other animal-related expenses incurred by the customer.

All veterinary care is solely the customer's responsibility.

Returns, Refunds & Cancellations

All live animal sales are final.

No returns are accepted for live animals.

Cancellation requests may be considered prior to shipment.

Approved cancellations are subject to a 20% cancellation/restocking fee.

This fee helps offset costs associated with:

  • Animal reservation
  • Housing and care
  • Feeding
  • Labor
  • Administrative processing
  • Payment processing fees
  • Inventory allocation
  • Lost sales opportunities

Shipping fees become non-refundable once processing has begun.

Photos & Representations

Unless specifically stated otherwise, photographs displayed on the website are representative examples and may not depict the exact animal available for purchase.

Natural variations in appearance, coloration, pattern, size, temperament, and development should be expected.

Intellectual Property

All website content, including but not limited to:

  • Photographs.
  • Videos.
  • Logos.
  • Graphics.
  • Product descriptions.
  • Care information.
  • Written content.
  • Branding materials.

are the exclusive property of Alternative Pet Universe unless otherwise stated.

No content may be copied, reproduced, modified, distributed, published, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission.

Assumption of Risk

Customers acknowledge that live animals may bite, scratch, sting, constrict, envenomate, escape, damage property, transmit disease, or otherwise cause injury.

Customers voluntarily assume all risks associated with ownership, handling, transportation, housing, breeding, and care of any animal purchased.

Alternative Pet Universe shall not be liable for any injuries, damages, losses, or claims arising from animal ownership or handling.

Legal Compliance

Customers are solely responsible for determining the legality of ownership within their city, county, state, and jurisdiction.

Alternative Pet Universe shall not be liable for purchases made in violation of local laws.

Orders believed to violate applicable laws may be cancelled.

Fraud Prevention

Alternative Pet Universe reserves the right to verify customer identity, payment information, billing information, and shipping information.

Orders suspected of fraud may be delayed, cancelled, reported, or referred to law enforcement authorities.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Alternative Pet Universe's maximum liability arising from any transaction shall not exceed the purchase price actually paid for the animal or product at issue.

Under no circumstances shall Alternative Pet Universe be liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, punitive, or special damages.

Modifications

Alternative Pet Universe reserves the right to modify these Terms & Conditions at any time without prior notice.

Continued use of the website constitutes acceptance of any modifications.

Final Acceptance

By visiting this website, creating an account, placing an order, submitting payment, or purchasing any animal or product from Alternative Pet Universe, you acknowledge that:

  • You have read and understood these Terms & Conditions.
  • You accept all responsibilities associated with exotic animal ownership.
  • You understand that live animal purchases are final.
  • You agree to follow all claim procedures and requirements.
  • You accept the risks and responsibilities associated with owning exotic animals.

Alternative Pet Universe reserves the right to prioritize animal welfare, responsible ownership, and business integrity in all transactions.

Alternative Pet Universe reserves the sole and absolute right to approve, deny, investigate, or request additional documentation for any claim submitted under these Terms & Conditions.