Refund and Returns Policy
Updated 25-8-2026
Refund, Returns and Live Arrival Policy
1. General Information
At Antglobe, we sell living ant colonies as well as formicariums, nests, equipment and other accessories.
Because living animals and non-living products have different legal and practical characteristics, this policy distinguishes between:
Living ants and ant colonies;
Non-living products, including formicariums, nests and accessories;
Defective, damaged or non-conforming products.
Nothing in this policy limits or excludes any mandatory consumer rights that apply under the laws applicable to your purchase.
2. Living Ants and Ant Colonies
Withdrawal / Change-of-Mind Returns
Due to the nature of living animals and their susceptibility to deterioration, transport-related stress and changes in environmental conditions, the statutory right of withdrawal does not apply where the applicable statutory exception for goods liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly applies.
Accordingly, we do not accept returns of living ants or ant colonies simply because the customer has changed their mind.
We strongly recommend that customers carefully review the species, colony size, shipping conditions and care requirements before placing an order.
This provision does not affect any mandatory statutory rights that may apply if the living animals do not conform to the sales contract or applicable law.
3. Live Arrival Guarantee
In addition to any mandatory statutory rights, Antglobe may provide a commercial Live Arrival Guarantee for eligible ant colonies.
Unless otherwise stated on the relevant product page, the Live Arrival Guarantee applies specifically to the queen.
If the queen is dead upon arrival, we may, at our discretion and subject to the conditions below, provide a replacement queen, replacement colony or refund.
Claim requirements
To help us assess a live-arrival claim, please contact us as soon as possible after delivery and preferably within 8 hours of the delivery time recorded by the carrier.
Please provide:
Your order number;
Clear photographs or video showing the condition of the queen as received;
Photographs of the shipping packaging where reasonably available;
Any other information reasonably requested by Antglobe to assess the claim.
Where possible, do not dispose of the shipment, packaging or test tube until we have had an opportunity to assess the claim.
The 8-hour notification period is an operational requirement for this commercial Live Arrival Guarantee and does not, by itself, exclude any mandatory statutory rights available to the consumer under applicable law.
Workers and brood
The Live Arrival Guarantee specifically concerns the queen unless the applicable product page states otherwise.
The death or loss of a limited number of workers or brood during transport may occur naturally and does not automatically entitle the customer to a refund or replacement.
However, this provision does not exclude any mandatory statutory rights where the quantity, composition or condition of the colony materially differs from what was agreed in the sales contract.
4. Non-Living Products
For eligible non-living products purchased online by consumers, the statutory right of withdrawal generally allows the consumer to withdraw from the purchase within 14 days without giving a reason, subject to the applicable legal exceptions.
The withdrawal period normally begins when the consumer, or a third party designated by the consumer other than the carrier, takes physical possession of the goods.
To exercise the right of withdrawal, the consumer must communicate their decision to withdraw within the applicable withdrawal period.
After notifying us of the withdrawal, the consumer must return the goods without undue delay and normally no later than 14 days after communicating the withdrawal.
5. Condition of Returned Products
A consumer may handle returned goods only to the extent necessary to establish their nature, characteristics and functioning.
The right of withdrawal is not automatically lost merely because a product has been opened or handled.
However, where a product has been handled beyond what is reasonably necessary to inspect it, the consumer may be responsible for any resulting diminished value where permitted by applicable law.
For hygiene, contamination and resale reasons, we strongly recommend that formicariums, nests and other equipment are not placed into contact with ants, substrate, food, water, soil or other biological material before being returned under the statutory withdrawal procedure.
Where a product has been materially contaminated, altered or damaged through use beyond what is reasonably necessary to inspect the product, any resulting diminished value may be taken into account in accordance with applicable law.
Original packaging is recommended where reasonably possible, but the absence of original packaging does not by itself remove mandatory statutory consumer rights.
6. Return Shipping Costs
For a normal withdrawal from a non-living product, the consumer is generally responsible for the direct cost of returning the goods, provided that Antglobe has informed the consumer of this obligation before the contract was concluded.
Where a product is defective, damaged or does not conform to the sales contract, the consumer’s mandatory statutory rights apply. Where applicable law requires Antglobe to bear return, repair, replacement or other remedial costs, Antglobe will do so.
7. Damaged or Defective Products
If a product arrives visibly damaged, please contact us as soon as reasonably possible and, where possible, preferably within 24 hours of delivery, with photographs of:
The damaged product;
The external packaging;
Any visible shipping damage.
Early notification allows us to investigate and, where appropriate, pursue a claim with the carrier efficiently.
The 24-hour period is intended to facilitate prompt investigation of transport damage and is not intended to limit or exclude any mandatory statutory rights relating to defective or non-conforming goods.
8. Statutory Legal Guarantee / Conformity
The consumer’s statutory rights in respect of goods that are defective or do not conform to the sales contract apply independently of any commercial return policy or Live Arrival Guarantee.
Depending on the applicable law and circumstances, statutory remedies may include repair, replacement, an appropriate price reduction or termination of the contract.
A commercial guarantee provided by Antglobe is additional to, and does not replace or reduce, mandatory statutory consumer rights.
9. Refunds
Where a statutory withdrawal applies, Antglobe will reimburse the payments received from the consumer in accordance with applicable law.
Unless otherwise required by law, reimbursement will be made using the same payment method used for the original transaction.
Where applicable, Antglobe may withhold reimbursement until the returned goods have been received or the consumer has provided evidence that the goods have been sent back, whichever occurs first.
Where a consumer expressly selected a more expensive delivery method than the least expensive standard delivery option offered by Antglobe, any additional delivery costs may be excluded from the reimbursement where permitted by law.
We normally process approved refunds within 5–10 business days. This does not extend any statutory reimbursement deadline applicable to the transaction.
10. Order Cancellation
If you wish to cancel an order before dispatch, please contact us as soon as possible at info@antglobe.com.
Where the order has not yet been dispatched, Antglobe will normally be able to cancel the order and issue a refund.
Once an order has been dispatched, cancellation may no longer be operationally possible. However, this does not affect any statutory right of withdrawal or statutory rights relating to defective or non-conforming goods that may apply to the purchase.
For orders containing living ants, any applicable statutory exception to the right of withdrawal remains unaffected.
11. Contact
For returns, refunds, damaged products or Live Arrival Guarantee claims, please contact:
Email: info@antglobe.com
Please include your order number and, where relevant, clear photographs or video showing the issue.
12. Important Legal Notice
This policy is intended to explain Antglobe’s return, refund and Live Arrival procedures clearly. Nothing in this policy is intended to exclude, restrict or waive any mandatory consumer rights that cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted under the applicable law.
Where the laws of the consumer’s country provide mandatory rights that differ from this policy, those mandatory rights will prevail.