Refund policy
At AquaticsHub, we want customers to receive their orders in good condition and to be satisfied with the products and service they receive.
This policy explains your rights and our procedures for cancellations, returns, damaged or faulty goods, complaints and refunds.
Separate conditions apply to live aquatic animals, as explained below.
Change of Mind and Online Order Cancellations
For eligible products purchased online, you have the right to cancel your order within 14 days after the day you receive the goods, without giving a reason.
If an order contains multiple goods delivered on different days, the cancellation period will normally run from the day after you receive the last item.
To exercise your right to cancel, please contact us at info@aquaticshub.co.uk within the applicable cancellation period and clearly tell us that you wish to cancel your order.
Once you have notified us of your decision to cancel, you must return the goods within a further 14 days unless otherwise agreed.
Please do not return any products without first contacting AquaticsHub. As we work with multiple specialist suppliers, the appropriate return address may vary depending on the product.
Once your return has been authorised, we will provide the appropriate return address and instructions.
Unless the product is faulty, damaged, incorrect, or we have agreed otherwise, you may be responsible for the direct cost of returning the goods.
You should take reasonable care of products while they are in your possession. You may inspect a product as you reasonably would in a shop, but we may be entitled to make a deduction from a refund if its value has been reduced by handling beyond what is reasonably necessary to establish its nature, characteristics and functioning.
Certain products are excluded from the change-of-mind cancellation right, as explained under Exceptions / Non-returnable Items below.
Nothing in this policy affects your statutory rights.
Faulty, Damaged or Incorrect Products
Please inspect your order as soon as reasonably possible after delivery.
If a parcel arrives with significant visible damage, we recommend that you refuse delivery where reasonably possible and ask the courier to record the parcel as damaged.
If you accept the delivery and discover that the parcel or product has been damaged, is faulty, is not as described, or you have received the wrong item, please contact us at info@aquaticshub.co.uk as soon as reasonably possible.
To help us investigate damage that may have occurred during transit, please retain the product and all original packaging and, where possible, provide clear photographs showing:
- the external packaging and shipping label;
- any visible damage to the parcel;
- the internal packaging; and
- the damaged product.
Please do not dispose of the product or packaging until we have had a reasonable opportunity to review the issue, as this information may be required when we investigate the matter with the supplier or courier.
Failure to notice or report visible damage at the point of delivery does not automatically affect your statutory rights.
Your rights in relation to faulty, damaged, incorrectly supplied or misdescribed goods are separate from the 14-day change-of-mind cancellation right.
Complaints and Order Issues
If you are unhappy with an order, product, delivery or any aspect of the service provided by AquaticsHub, please contact us at info@aquaticshub.co.uk.
To help us investigate your complaint efficiently, please provide, where applicable:
- your name;
- your order number;
- a clear description of the issue;
- the date the issue occurred or was discovered;
- photographs or video evidence where relevant; and
- any other information that may reasonably assist our investigation.
AquaticsHub will record and review your complaint and may request additional information where necessary.
Where a complaint relates to an order fulfilled by one of our suppliers or delivered by a courier, AquaticsHub may liaise with the relevant supplier, courier or other service provider as part of our investigation.
Customers should contact AquaticsHub in the first instance regarding orders placed through our website rather than contacting the supplier directly.
How We Handle and Investigate Complaints
AquaticsHub aims to handle complaints fairly, consistently and within a reasonable timeframe.
When we receive a complaint, we will:
- record the details of the complaint;
- review the order and information provided;
- request further information or evidence where reasonably necessary;
- contact the relevant supplier, courier or other service provider where their input is required;
- assess the available information and determine an appropriate outcome;
- communicate the outcome to the customer.
Where appropriate, a resolution may include a replacement, repair, refund, partial refund or another suitable remedy, depending on the circumstances and the customer's statutory rights.
We will maintain appropriate internal records of complaints and their outcomes to help us monitor service standards and identify recurring issues.
If further investigation is required, we will keep the customer informed where appropriate.
Nothing in this complaints procedure limits your statutory consumer rights.
Exceptions / Non-returnable Items
Certain products may be excluded from the change-of-mind cancellation right where permitted by law.
These may include:
- goods that are liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly;
- personalised or custom-made products;
- sealed goods that are not suitable for return for health protection or hygiene reasons once the relevant seal has been broken after delivery; and
- other products for which a statutory cancellation exception applies.
Where aquatic food or another consumable product is supplied sealed for health protection or hygiene reasons, it may not be eligible for a change-of-mind return once the relevant seal has been broken, where the applicable legal exception applies.
This does not affect your statutory rights if a product is faulty, damaged, not as described or otherwise does not conform to the contract.
Please contact us at info@aquaticshub.co.uk if you are unsure whether a particular product is eligible for return.
Sale Items and Gift Cards
Products purchased in a sale or at a discounted price are subject to the same statutory consumer rights as products purchased at full price.
Gift cards are generally non-returnable except where cancellation or refund rights apply under applicable law.
Live Aquatic Animals
Due to animal welfare and biosecurity considerations, live aquatic animals are not suitable for ordinary change-of-mind returns once delivered.
If you believe that live aquatic animals have arrived dead, injured, in poor condition or otherwise in an unsatisfactory condition, please contact AquaticsHub as soon as reasonably possible after delivery at info@aquaticshub.co.uk.
Because the condition of live animals can change quickly after delivery, prompt notification and evidence are particularly important in allowing us to investigate what occurred.
To enable us to investigate your claim, you may be asked to provide clear photographs or video evidence showing:
- the animals and their condition;
- the original transport bags or containers;
- the external packaging and shipping label; and
- any visible damage to the packaging.
Where reasonably possible, this evidence should be obtained before the animals are removed from their original transport bags or containers or before acclimatisation begins.
Each claim will be assessed individually based on the circumstances and information available and, where appropriate, in consultation with the specialist supplier responsible for fulfilling the order and/or the courier.
Where a claim is accepted following our assessment, AquaticsHub will provide an appropriate remedy in accordance with the circumstances and applicable consumer rights. This may include a replacement, refund or another suitable resolution.
A claim may be accepted where available evidence shows that the problem arose after delivery as a result of circumstances outside the control of AquaticsHub or the supplier, including incorrect delivery information, failure to accept an arranged delivery, or inappropriate handling or acclimatisation after delivery.
Nothing in this section excludes or restricts any statutory rights that apply to the customer.
Exchanges
If you wish to exchange an eligible standard product, please contact us before returning it.
Depending on the circumstances, the simplest procedure may be to return the original product in accordance with this policy and place a separate order for the replacement product.
Refunds
Where you exercise an applicable statutory cancellation right, refunds will be processed in accordance with UK consumer law.
For eligible change-of-mind cancellations, we will refund payments due to you, including the cost of our standard delivery option where required by law. If you selected a more expensive delivery method, any additional delivery cost above our standard delivery charge may not be refundable.
Where goods are being returned following cancellation, we may withhold the refund until we have received the goods back or you provide evidence that they have been returned, whichever occurs first, where permitted by law.
Approved refunds will be made using the same payment method used for the original transaction unless otherwise agreed.
Where a refund relates to faulty, damaged, incorrect or otherwise non-conforming goods, the applicable remedy and return costs will be handled in accordance with your statutory rights.
Once AquaticsHub has processed a refund, your bank or payment provider may require additional time before the funds appear in your account.
If you believe an approved refund has not been received, please contact us at info@aquaticshub.co.uk.
Contact Us
For questions about cancellations, returns, refunds or complaints, please contact:
AquaticsHub
Email: info@aquaticshub.co.uk
Please include your order number whenever your enquiry relates to an existing order.
Nothing in this policy is intended to exclude, restrict or replace any rights you have under applicable UK consumer law.
