Refund policy

Last updated: October 8, 2026

This policy explains our all-sales-final rule for live goods, our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee, and how we handle non-live items, cancellations and refunds. It is part of our Terms of Service.

1. All sales of live goods are final

Live aquatic plants and animals are perishable. A returned plant could also bring pests, algae or disease back into our facility and on to other customers. For these reasons, all sales of live goods are final and we do not accept returns or exchanges of live goods. Instead, we stand behind every live order with the guarantee below.

2. 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee

We guarantee that your live plants (and live animals, when offered) will arrive alive. If an item arrives dead, we will make it right.

• The 24-hour window. Your claim must reach us within 24 hours of the delivery time shown on the carrier's tracking. After that, condition can no longer be linked to shipping and the item is not covered.
• What counts as dead on arrival (DOA). Plants that arrive fully rotted, mushy, dried out or decomposed, or animals that arrive dead.
• What is normal and not covered. Melting, yellowing, transparent or shedding leaves as a plant adjusts from greenhouse (above-water) growth to underwater growth. This is common in Cryptocoryne, Bucephalandra and stem plants, which regrow from healthy roots and rhizomes. Small cosmetic marks, minor leaf damage, and condensation inside tissue culture cups are also normal and not covered.

3. How to file a claim

Email hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com within 24 hours of delivery with:

• your order number;
• at least two clear, well-lit photos of the affected items in their original, unopened packaging; and
• a photo of the shipping label on the box.

We cannot accept photos of items that have already been unpacked, planted, placed in an aquarium or thrown away, because their arrival condition can no longer be verified.

4. How approved claims are resolved

• We will offer a replacement, store credit or a refund for the affected item, at our discretion. Refunds go back to your original payment method.
• Refunds and credits cover the price you actually paid for the affected item, after discounts.
• Each item can be replaced once. If a replacement also arrives dead, we will refund or credit that item instead of sending another replacement.
• Free items from promotions such as Buy 2 Get 1 Free have no cash value and are not eligible for refunds or replacements.
• Shipping charges are not refundable, including on approved claims.

5. What voids the guarantee

The Live Arrival Guarantee does not apply when the loss is caused by circumstances outside our control, including:

• an incorrect or incomplete shipping address, such as a missing apartment number;
• packages refused, returned to sender, marked undeliverable, held at a carrier facility at your request, or not picked up;
• packages left outside or not brought indoors and unpacked the day they are delivered;
• carrier delays, weather events or delivery exceptions after the package leaves our facility; or
• shipments to freight forwarders or package-forwarding services.

6. What we can't guarantee

• Long-term growth. The guarantee covers arrival only. Your plants' long-term success depends on your aquarium or pond, including water, light, CO2, nutrients, temperature and filtration.
• Pests and hitchhikers. We grow and handle our plants carefully, but potted and bare-root plants may carry snails, algae or other hitchhikers. Please rinse and quarantine them first. Our Vitro Culture® tissue culture plants are grown in sterile conditions and are free of pests, algae and disease.
• Pesticides. We use organic pest control in our greenhouse and never use copper-based pesticides, but we cannot guarantee any plant is completely pesticide-free. Rinse and quarantine plants before adding them to tanks with shrimp, snails or other invertebrates.
• Your aquarium. We are not responsible for fish, shrimp, snails, turtles or other animals in your aquarium or pond.
• Growth form. Unless a listing says otherwise, we do not guarantee a plant will grow emersed (above water) or submersed (underwater) in your setup.

7. Accessories and other non-live items

If a non-live item arrives damaged or defective, or we sent the wrong item, email us within 7 days of delivery with your order number and photos. We will replace it or refund it. If we ask you to send the item back, we will cover return shipping. Please contact us before sending anything back. Other returns of non-live items, and returns of gift cards, are not accepted.

8. Lost packages

Lost packages are handled under our Shipping Policy.

9. Changes and cancellations

Many of our plants are cut fresh for each order, so we can change or cancel an order only before we begin processing it. Contact us as soon as possible. Once an order has been harvested, packed or shipped, it cannot be changed or cancelled.

10. Contact us first

If anything about your order isn't right, please contact us before filing a payment dispute. We resolve nearly every issue quickly. Filing a chargeback without contacting us first may make the order ineligible under this policy.

Aquarium Plants Factory Inc. · hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com