Our Live Arrival Guarantee

Every fish we send is covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee: if it doesn't survive the journey, or dies within seven days of arrival under the conditions below, we refund it — no quibble.

Losses are rare. Fish are packed by aquatic specialists and travel overnight with a dedicated livestock courier. When something does go wrong, here's exactly what happens.

If a fish arrives dead (DOA)

  1. Within 4 hours of delivery, photograph the deceased fish clearly, in good light, in the unopened bag where possible.
  2. Email the photo(s) to info@birchwoodaquaticcentre.co.uk with your order number.
  3. That's it. Once verified, we refund the affected fish to your original payment method within 5 business days. Nothing to return, no forms to complete.

Cover for the first seven days

If a fish dies within seven days of arrival, email a photograph and your order number to info@birchwoodaquaticcentre.co.uk within that seven-day window and we'll refund the affected fish once verified.

This cover applies where the fish has been introduced to a suitable, already-established aquarium using the acclimatisation steps in our When Your Fish Arrive guide. We may ask about your water parameters or tank setup as part of verifying a claim.

What's covered, and what isn't

  • Claims need a clear photograph sent within the timescales above — without one, we can't verify a loss, and we're unable to offer a refund.
  • The guarantee covers the value of the livestock itself. Delivery charges are refunded only if the whole order is lost.
  • If the courier delivers to the wrong address, on the wrong day, or otherwise fails to deliver as booked, and livestock is lost as a result, this is covered — report it the same way as a DOA claim.
  • This is separate from a missed delivery, where no one is available to receive the box on your chosen day. As set out in How Live Fish Delivery Works, losses caused by a missed delivery are not covered by this guarantee, since the fish were successfully offered for delivery.
  • This guarantee does not cover losses caused by unsuitable water conditions, an uncycled or unprepared tank, incompatible tankmates, or a failure to follow the acclimatisation steps in our When Your Fish Arrive guide.
  • Available for delivery addresses on the UK mainland only.


This guarantee is offered in addition to, and does not affect, your statutory rights.