Refund & Returns Policy

1. Standard products and change of mind

For most standard non-perishable products purchased online, you have the right to cancel your purchase within 14 days of receiving the goods without giving a reason.

Standard products may include reptile equipment, enclosures, heating, lighting, thermostats, accessories, decor, bedding, supplements and other non-perishable reptile supplies.

After informing West Cork Reptiles that you wish to cancel an eligible purchase, you must return the goods without undue delay and normally within a further 14 days.

Certain products are excluded from the statutory change-of-mind cancellation right. Relevant exceptions are explained later in this policy.

2. Cancelling an order

If your order has not yet been dispatched, prepared for collection or scheduled for delivery, please contact West Cork Reptiles as soon as possible if you wish to cancel it.

For an eligible online purchase, you may exercise your statutory cancellation right by clearly informing us of your decision to cancel before the applicable cancellation period expires.

You do not need to give a reason for cancelling an eligible standard product within the statutory cancellation period.

A clear email stating that you wish to cancel the purchase is sufficient for notifying West Cork Reptiles of your decision.

Orders containing live animals, frozen food or live food require different handling and are covered by the relevant sections of this policy.

3. Returning standard products

Please contact West Cork Reptiles before returning any product so that we can confirm the correct return arrangements.

Once the return has been agreed, we will provide you with the appropriate return address and any instructions required for the return.

Please do not send or bring products to any location without prior arrangement.

Products returned following a change-of-mind cancellation should be handled with reasonable care and, where reasonably possible, returned:

• complete with all supplied parts and accessories;
• clean and in suitable condition;
• securely packaged for transport;
• with manuals and other supplied materials where applicable;
• in the original packaging where reasonably possible.

You may inspect a product to establish its nature, characteristics and functioning.

You may be responsible for any reduction in value caused by handling beyond what is reasonably necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the product.

Opening ordinary packaging does not automatically remove your statutory cancellation rights unless a specific legal exception applies.

4. Return costs

For a standard change-of-mind return, the customer is responsible for the direct cost of returning the goods unless West Cork Reptiles agrees otherwise or applicable consumer law requires us to bear the cost.

We recommend using an appropriate tracked delivery service and securely packaging the product for transport.

Where goods are faulty, damaged, incorrect or otherwise not in conformity with the sales contract, return costs will be handled in accordance with your statutory consumer rights.

Please contact us before returning a faulty, damaged or incorrect product so that we can confirm the appropriate return process.

5. Refunds

Where a valid statutory cancellation applies, West Cork Reptiles will refund the amount due in accordance with applicable Irish consumer law.

Where applicable, this includes the original delivery charge up to the cost of the least expensive standard delivery method offered for the order.

If you selected a more expensive or non-standard delivery option, any additional delivery cost above the least expensive standard delivery option does not have to be refunded where permitted by law.

Refunds will normally be made using the same payment method used for the original transaction unless another method is expressly agreed.

Refunds will be processed without undue delay and within the time limits required by applicable consumer law.

For returned goods, unless West Cork Reptiles has agreed to collect them, we may withhold reimbursement until:

• we have received the goods back; or
• you provide evidence that the goods have been sent back,

whichever occurs first.

6. Faulty, damaged or incorrect products

Your statutory rights relating to faulty, damaged, incorrect or misdescribed goods are separate from the change-of-mind cancellation right.

If you receive a product that is faulty, damaged, incorrect or not as described, please contact West Cork Reptiles as soon as reasonably possible.

Please provide:

• your order number;
• a description of the problem;
• photographs or video where helpful;
• photographs of the packaging where delivery damage is involved.

Depending on the circumstances and your statutory rights, an appropriate remedy may include repair, replacement, price reduction or refund.

Please keep the affected product and any damaged packaging until we confirm whether they are required for a courier claim, inspection or further assessment.

Please do not dispose of a damaged or faulty item before contacting us unless keeping the item would be unsafe or unreasonable.

7. Frozen food and live food

Frozen feeders and other goods that are liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly are perishable products.

Where the legal exception for goods liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly applies, these products are not covered by the standard 14-day change-of-mind cancellation right.

This may include:

• frozen mice;
• frozen rats;
• other frozen feeders;
• live feeder insects or other live food that is liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly.

This does not affect your statutory rights if an item is faulty, incorrect, damaged or otherwise not supplied in accordance with the order.

Please inspect frozen products as soon as possible after delivery.

If frozen food arrives in an unacceptable condition, is significantly thawed, damaged or incorrect, please contact West Cork Reptiles as soon as reasonably possible, preferably on the day of delivery.

Please provide your order number and photographs showing:

• the affected products;
• the condition of the outer packaging;
• the condition of any insulated packaging where applicable;
• any visible damage or other relevant issue.

Do not send frozen food or live food back unless West Cork Reptiles specifically asks you to do so.

8. Live animals

Live animals require specialist handling and animal welfare must be considered at every stage of collection, delivery and any proposed return.

Live animals must not be returned through standard parcel or courier services.

If you wish to cancel a live animal order before delivery or collection, please contact West Cork Reptiles as soon as possible so that the order, payment and any planned livestock transport can be reviewed.

Once an animal has been delivered or collected, please contact West Cork Reptiles before attempting to return, transfer or transport the animal.

Any return, transfer or other arrangement involving a live animal must be agreed in advance so that it can be handled safely and with proper regard for the animal's health and welfare.

If you believe that an animal was incorrectly supplied, materially different from its description, or that there was a health or welfare concern at the time of handover, please contact us as soon as possible.

We may ask for relevant information such as:

• photographs or video of the animal;
• details of the enclosure and setup;
• temperature and humidity information;
• feeding and husbandry information;
• veterinary information where relevant.

Where an animal appears seriously unwell, injured or in distress, you should seek appropriate veterinary advice without delaying urgent care while waiting for a response from West Cork Reptiles.

Nothing in this section excludes, restricts or limits any statutory consumer rights that apply to the transaction.

9. Collections and return arrangements

West Cork Reptiles operates as an online business and does not operate a public walk-in retail shop.

Customer collections, livestock handovers and product returns are available only where agreed with West Cork Reptiles in advance.

A collection or return arrangement does not mean that the location is available for unscheduled visits.

Please do not arrive at any location for a collection, livestock handover or return without an agreed date and time.

Once a return has been agreed, West Cork Reptiles will provide the appropriate return address and any relevant return or handover instructions.

10. Exceptions to change-of-mind returns

The statutory right to cancel an online purchase for change of mind does not apply in certain circumstances provided for by law.

Depending on the product, these may include:

• goods that are liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly;
• goods that are clearly personalised;
• non-prefabricated goods made to an individual customer's choice or specification;
• sealed goods that are not suitable for return for health protection or hygiene reasons once they have been unsealed after delivery;
• goods which, because of their nature, have become inseparably mixed with other items after delivery.

An exception to the change-of-mind cancellation right does not remove your statutory rights relating to goods that are faulty, damaged, incorrect or otherwise not in conformity with the sales contract.

11. How to cancel an eligible purchase

To exercise your cancellation right for an eligible purchase, you must clearly inform West Cork Reptiles of your decision to cancel before the cancellation period expires.

You can do this by emailing: [email protected]

Please include:

• your name;
• your order number;
• the product or products you wish to cancel;
• the date the order was placed;
• the date the goods were received, where applicable;
• a clear statement that you wish to cancel the purchase.

You do not need to provide a reason for cancelling an eligible purchase.

Once we receive your request, we will provide the appropriate return address and return instructions where goods need to be sent back.

12. Statutory rights

Nothing in this Refund & Returns Policy excludes, restricts or overrides any mandatory rights you have under Irish consumer law.

This includes rights relating to goods that are faulty, not as described, not fit for their normal or agreed purpose, or otherwise not in conformity with the sales contract.

The principal legislation governing consumer purchases covered by this policy includes the Consumer Rights Act 2022.

Where there is any conflict between this policy and a mandatory statutory consumer right, the statutory consumer right will apply.

13. Contact

If you wish to cancel an eligible order, arrange a return, report a faulty, damaged or incorrect product, or discuss a live animal, frozen food or live food order, please contact West Cork Reptiles.

Returns: [email protected]

General enquiries: [email protected]

Please do not send returns without contacting us first. Once a return has been agreed, we will provide the correct return address and any instructions needed to complete the return.