DOA Policy

This DOA Policy explains how ShrimpHut handles reports of livestock that arrives dead on arrival. It is designed to support fair review while also recognising the practical realities of live-animal transport. Because livestock is time-sensitive, prompt reporting and clear evidence are essential.

Report window

If livestock appears dead on arrival, contact [email protected] as soon as possible and within the reporting window stated on the website or in your order communications. Reports made long after delivery may not be reviewable fairly because transit, temperature, bag condition, acclimation timing, and customer-side handling become much harder to assess.

What we usually need

• Your order number.
• A clear photo of the sealed, unopened bag or container.
• A clear photo showing the affected livestock.
• Any useful delivery or tracking information where relevant.

Important handling rules

Please take the required photos before opening the bag if you intend to make a DOA claim. Opening, acclimating, mixing livestock into tank water, or disposing of packaging before evidence is captured can make it impossible to verify the claim fairly.

Possible outcomes

Where a DOA claim is accepted, the remedy may be a refund, partial refund, replacement credit, store credit, or another suitable resolution depending on stock availability and the circumstances of the order. We reserve the right to assess each claim individually rather than apply a blanket automatic result.

Situations that may affect or exclude a claim

• Late reporting outside the stated claim window.
• Evidence that was not provided clearly or was provided only after the bag was opened.
• Incorrect address details, missed delivery, refusal, safe-place delays, or parcels left unattended.
• Customer-side delay in bringing the parcel indoors, opening the parcel, or checking the livestock.
• Issues arising after acclimation or after livestock has entered the aquarium, which are not the same as a DOA report.

Not a guarantee of post-acclimation outcome

DOA cover applies to arrival condition, not to losses caused later by unsuitable tank conditions, parameter mismatch, contamination, predation, failed moults, or acclimation problems after the livestock has been introduced.

Fair review

Every DOA report is reviewed against the order details, packaging method, service used, tracking events, weather, customer report timing, and submitted evidence. We aim to handle claims fairly and reasonably, but we may refuse a claim where the evidence or circumstances do not support it.