Shipping policy
Shipping, Returns & Guarantee Policy
Everything you need to know about livestock shipping, local pickup, equipment delivery, live arrival protection, and returns at Lush Corals.
Livestock Overnight
FedEx Priority Overnight. Florida $45 / Nationwide $55. Lower rates at $100+.
Free Shipping
Free overnight shipping on $399+ qualifying livestock or eligible dry goods.
Local Pickup
Free pickup at our Boynton Beach store. Same-day options available.
Live Arrival Guarantee
Eligible DOA claims must be reported within 2 hours of recorded delivery.
Find What You Need
💳 Payment & Orders
- Payment is required in full when an order is placed.
- Applicable sales tax is collected during checkout.
- Livestock purchases are subject to our shipping, pickup, and holding policies.
🐠 Livestock Shipping
All livestock ships by FedEx Priority Overnight to destinations within the contiguous United States.
Shipments are professionally prepared using insulated containers, oxygen-filled bags, and appropriate temperature-control materials when needed. Packaging is selected according to the animals, destination, weather, and expected shipping conditions.
Regular Livestock Shipping Rates
| Livestock Order | Florida | Nationwide |
|---|---|---|
| Under $100 | $45 | $55 |
| $100–$398.99 | $35 | $45 |
| $399+ eligible regularly priced livestock | FREE | FREE |
FREE Priority Overnight Shipping at $399+ applies when your eligible regularly priced livestock subtotal reaches $399. Sale and auction livestock do not count toward this threshold.
Dry goods cannot be combined with livestock to reach livestock shipping thresholds. Final charges are calculated during checkout.
Auction Livestock Shipping
| Shipping Destination | Overnight Shipping & Packaging |
|---|---|
| Florida | $40 |
| Nationwide | $50 |
Multiple auction purchases from the same customer may be combined into one shipment when scheduled for the same shipping date. Customers must purchase or select the applicable auction shipping option as instructed on the auction page.
Generally, only one shipping and packaging charge is required for auction items combined into the same shipment. Auction purchases do not qualify for regular livestock shipping discounts.
Shipping Schedule & Date Selection
Livestock normally ships Monday through Wednesday to reduce the risk of weekend carrier delays.
- Orders placed Wednesday–Sunday: Generally ship the following Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.
- Orders placed Monday: Generally schedule for Tuesday, Wednesday, or the following Monday.
- Orders placed Tuesday: Generally schedule for Wednesday, the following Monday, or Tuesday.
Your selected shipping date is the date your order leaves Lush Corals, not its delivery date. Delivery is generally expected the following day.
Select your preferred shipping date using the calendar. Thursday shipping may occasionally be approved at our discretion. A carrier delay on a Thursday shipment could postpone delivery until Monday.
Dates outside the available schedule require prior approval. Extended holds depend on livestock-care capacity and may incur holding fees.
Shipping remains subject to livestock condition, holidays, weather, carrier availability, and other safety concerns. Lush Corals may postpone shipments when conditions create unnecessary risk.
Shipping Destinations
Livestock shipping is available only within the contiguous United States. We do not ship livestock to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or international destinations.
🏬 Livestock Local Pickup
FREE same-day local pickup is available at Lush Corals in Boynton Beach during normal business hours, subject to order readiness.
Fish, coral, and other livestock ordered for pickup must be collected within 7 days of purchase unless prior arrangements have been approved.
Holding Fees: Beginning on day 8, a fee of $5 per livestock item, per day applies to each item remaining in our care.
Customers needing additional time must contact Lush Corals and obtain approval before the initial seven-day period expires. Extended holds are subject to available space and livestock-care capacity.
Orders left unclaimed for an extended period without prior arrangements may be considered abandoned, and livestock may be returned to available inventory.
Refunds or store credits under these circumstances are at Lush Corals' discretion and may be reduced by applicable holding fees.
Please wait for confirmation that your order is ready before visiting the store.
🛡️ Livestock Live Arrival Guarantee
We take reasonable precautions to help ensure livestock arrives safely. If an animal arrives deceased, the following requirements apply.
DOA claims must be reported within 2 hours of the carrier's recorded delivery time.
How to Report a DOA
- Contact Lush Corals within 2 hours of recorded delivery.
- Provide at least two clear photographs of the deceased animal.
- Retain the animal, shipping container, bags, and packaging.
- Do not dispose of livestock without our authorization.
Failure to meet these requirements may void the Live Arrival Guarantee.
Once an eligible claim is approved, Lush Corals will issue store credit for the purchase price of the affected livestock. Shipping and packaging charges are nonrefundable.
Guarantee Requirements
- The first delivery attempt must be successful.
- Someone must be available to receive the shipment promptly.
- The shipment must be delivered to the original order address.
- No unauthorized shipment redirects, refusals, or carrier holds.
- Shipping-date or address changes require prior approval.
Guarantee Exclusions
The guarantee does not cover losses caused by unsuccessful delivery attempts, incorrect addresses, shipments left unattended, unauthorized rerouting, improper acclimation, unsuitable water conditions, aggression, or equipment failures after delivery.
The guarantee covers qualifying live-arrival claims, not losses occurring after livestock has arrived alive.
Lush Corals is not responsible for carrier delays due to weather, mechanical issues, routing problems, service interruptions, or other events outside our control. We will work with affected customers and carriers whenever possible.
📦 Dry Goods Shipping & Pickup
Free Overnight Shipping — Eligible Dry Goods
FREE Overnight Shipping on $399+ in eligible dry goods.
Qualifying products display FREE Overnight Shipping eligibility on their product pages. Only eligible dry goods count toward the $399 minimum; livestock cannot be combined with dry goods to reach it.
The qualifying subtotal is calculated after discounts and before taxes and shipping charges. Sale items, oversized products, freight items, drop-ship items, and excluded merchandise do not count unless expressly stated otherwise.
Standard Ground Shipping
FREE Ground Shipping is available on most eligible dry-goods orders of $100 or more.
- Only qualifying dry goods count toward the minimum.
- Livestock cannot be combined with dry goods to reach it.
- Orders generally ship via UPS Ground.
- Carrier delivery estimates are not guaranteed.
- Oversized, heavy, freight, drop-ship, and excluded items may not qualify.
Free Local Pickup
FREE local pickup is available during normal business hours. Same-day pickup is generally available for eligible in-stock dry goods.
Products requiring transfers, special ordering, or manufacturer fulfillment may take longer. Please wait for confirmation before visiting the store.
🚚 Oversized, Freight & Drop-Ship Products
Oversized & Heavy Items
Certain oversized and heavy products are excluded from free shipping and may be marked Oversized Item – Free Shipping Excluded.
Shipping charges will be calculated during checkout whenever possible. Some orders require follow-up to determine shipping methods and costs.
Freight Delivery
Large aquariums, complete aquarium systems, and certain oversized items may require freight delivery. Product listings may be labeled Freight Delivery – Shipping Calculated After Purchase.
Unless otherwise indicated, freight charges may not be collected at checkout. Lush Corals will contact the customer about available options, costs, and delivery expectations.
Additional charges may apply for residential delivery, lift-gate service, inside delivery, limited-access locations, appointments, redelivery, or storage.
Freight delivery does not include installation, assembly, indoor placement, or packaging disposal unless specifically agreed in writing.
Manufacturer-Direct & Drop-Ship Orders
Certain aquariums and equipment ship directly from manufacturers or distributors. Charges, availability, processing times, and delivery schedules vary.
Website availability estimates do not guarantee manufacturer inventory. Tracking may be provided separately, and drop-ship merchandise may arrive separately from other items in the order.
📋 Damaged, Missing & Incorrect Shipments
Please inspect all shipments immediately upon delivery.
Shipping damage, missing merchandise, or incorrect merchandise must be reported within 3 days of delivery.
- Retain the product and original packaging.
- Provide photographs of the product, carton, label, and visible damage.
- Make products and packaging available for inspection when requested.
Failure to report a problem within the required period or preserve packaging may limit our ability to submit a carrier claim. We assist with eligible claims whenever possible.
↩ Returns & Refunds
Livestock
All livestock sales are final except as expressly covered by the Live Arrival Guarantee.
Standard Dry Goods
Eligible standard merchandise may be returned within 30 days of purchase when new, unused, unopened, complete with original packaging, and in resalable condition.
Approved standard returns are subject to a 10% restocking fee. Customers are responsible for return shipping.
Original shipping charges are nonrefundable. Opened, installed, used, special-order, clearance, final-sale, and custom merchandise is not returnable unless defective or otherwise required by law.
In-Store Aquarium Purchases
Aquariums purchased in-store may be returned within 5 business days provided they are unused, have never contained water, remain in new and resalable condition, and are returned by the customer.
Approved in-store aquarium returns are subject to a 25% restocking fee.
No refund will be issued once an aquarium has been delivered, its stand or cabinet assembled, or the aquarium installed or filled with water.
Drop-Ship Aquariums & Special Orders
Drop-ship aquariums, custom products, and special-order merchandise become final sale once the manufacturer or distributor accepts the order.
Cancellation requests before shipment may be considered individually but are not guaranteed. Manufacturer fees, freight expenses, payment-processing costs, and other nonrecoverable expenses may be deducted from approved refunds.
📝 Return Authorization
All returns require a Return Authorization issued by Lush Corals within the applicable return period.
- The authorization number must be clearly displayed on the package.
- Customers may not use Lush Corals' shipping accounts for return shipments.
- Unauthorized returns may be refused.
- Missing packaging, parts, manuals, or accessories may reduce or prevent a refund.
Approved refunds are generally processed within one week of receipt and inspection. Financial institutions may require additional time to post the refund.
⚙️ Equipment Warranties & Liability
Manufacturer warranty claims must generally be handled directly through the manufacturer unless Lush Corals states otherwise.
Lush Corals is not responsible for aquarium damage, livestock loss, property damage, or other losses resulting from equipment malfunction, improper installation, misuse, insufficient maintenance, power failure, or failure to follow manufacturer instructions.
ℹ️ Pricing, Inventory & Order Accuracy
We strive to keep pricing, availability, product descriptions, photographs, and other website information accurate. Occasional errors may occur.
Lush Corals reserves the right to:
- Correct inaccuracies, errors, or omissions.
- Update prices or availability without notice.
- Limit purchase quantities.
- Verify payment and order information.
- Refuse or cancel an order.
- Issue refunds when merchandise is unavailable or incorrectly priced.
An automated order confirmation acknowledges receipt of an order but does not represent final acceptance.
Questions? We're Here to Help.
For questions about shipping, livestock pickup, returns, or live arrival claims, contact our team.
Boynton Beach, Florida
