Terms & Conditions

We aim to be on time every time and to provide a completely professional service. We use satellite navigation and traffic re-routing equipment to keep the journey times as short as possible for the welfare of the animals, although on occasion there will be unavoidable delays due to traffic, weather etc. However, customers will always be kept up-to-date with our progress and anticipated arrival times.

Collection and Welfare Checks

Collections must be arranged and confirmed in detail before the run, and signed for by both parties on collection and delivery respectively. This is to ensure both parties and animals are correctly attended to, as well as for the benefit of the animal. We run through welfare checks and log all activity on all runs, and electrically monitor all heating. This is designed and put in place to assist the safe delivery of the animal, and to deliver a quality service and peace of mind.

These terms and conditions can be subject to change withour prior notice. We recommend that you return regularly and make sure you are aware of any updates.

• In the event of a breakdown customers need to appreciate and accept that days of deliveries may change to a different day altogether, and could potentially change a few times due to re-planning routes and unforeseen issues that occur from a breakdown. This is already a massively challenging time and we categorically will not be giving people refunds, adding insult to injury. We won't take into account people's work times etc. - you have to be available for delivery when we state. These are non-negotiable. This is where the problem lies in trying to reorganise 200 postcodes and ensure everybody is in when we state. If a couple of people try to refuse delivery and make it difficult, everybody else on the run suffers with time delays. DO NOT BOOK ON IF YOU CAN'T AGREE TO THIS. We service vans regularly, however we put them through a lot of miles in a very short space of time and after four years we have now understood that no matter how new, how looked-after and what brand we use, it's inevitable - these occurrences within a year will happen. The party booking this must make the other customer aware of this procedure, and this responsibility falls back to them to explain. We don't want to have to explain ourselves in the middle of a breakdown process. Please understand we are an animal transportation service - nothing like DPD or Parcelforce. Our animals' welfare comes first; not jobs or daily arrangements. Reverse the situation, and it's your animal that's sitting in a van for unnecessary extended amounts of time because someone's down the pub for lunch or out shopping. We are trusted by our customers to get your animals safely and in the quickest time possible. We feel we have explained this as clearly as possible, and this is probably one of the most important of our terms and conditions.
• EU shows: Pick up and delivery points will be updated on our Facebook page prior to the show. We will no longer collect from individual tables due to the amount of animals we have in our care. Please ensure all paperwork and CITES documentation is given for border control - we do not have time to chase up for this in transit. If we are stopped at the border and don't have it we have no choice but to surrender the animals in question so as not to have all animals in transit confiscated.
• Expo runs, Hamm, Houten, etc: These runs are split in two, so details for post-Hamm and UK south-to-north run are sent out on evening of the show not before.
• We a use variety of transport vehicles including vans, Caddie vans, and cars for short journeys. We use heated compartments as well as Polly boxes with heat pads for small journeys as well.
• Change of booking details (addresses, phone numbers etc) must be sent through on a NEW booking form. We endeavour to answer emails, texts, phone calls and Facebook messages quickly, however please understand whilst a run is ongoing you may not get a reply until it has completed. Please do not use the booking form as a means to ask questions.
• We have the right to refuse any animal on board if we feel the welfare of the animal would be in jeopardy in transit or could put other animals' welfare in jeopardy.
• Please provide any food for animals that may require it during transit.
• Our business is to transport an animal from A to B, and we use all our expertise and experience with reptiles to deliver them as safe and sound as possible. However no specialist reptile courier can or should provide a 100% guarantee of an animal remaining alive for the duration of the transport. Many animals having underlying health issues, especially wild caught fauna, of which only a vet assessment and tests would or could shed light, and all animals are deemed sensitive for transport. You place the animals with a courier at your own determination and risk. Some species that don't fair well are Rainforest species and species that require a lot of hydration. Water is offered but some animals will not take, which we have no power over. Again we must reiterate we are not a vet, we simply move the animal from A to B over a period of 1-10 days (average 2). If you are not happy with this then do not book on. Some of the more sensitive species:
  • Uroplatus geckos
  • Green tree pythons
  • Tree snakes
  • Tree Boas
  • Fat tailed geckos
  • Chameleons
  • Knob tailed geckos
  • All Frog species
  • Baby tortoises
  • All young Hatchlings
  We strongly recommend that you obtain insurance to cover against the death of your animal/s in transit.
• Time slots and days for delivery/collection are non-negotiable, due to our priority of animal welfare. We have a duty to get all customers their animals as quickly as possible (if you do require a set time and date of your choosing this can be arranged as a bespoke booking - P.O.A).
• All details on the booking form must be correct on application. We will not be held responsible for lack of communication concerning ETAs if numbers are incorrect.
• Boxes must be labelled with details of delivery and customer contact details. This is to double-check everything in transit.
• In rare instances routes may need to be changed due to variables, e.g. welfare of an animal. We are not just a delivery company - we deal with livestock and are trusted by DEFRA and our customers to put animal welfare as our top priority rather than time slots.
• UK delivery/collection days are sent out 3 days prior to the start date of the run. Delivery from European shows will be sent out when the show has ended and all animals are secured onboard.
• ETAs are updated on the day of delivery/collection. Time slots are from 07:00 to 20:00. If we are running past 20:00 we will contact you to ensure it is convenient to deliver past this time.
• Any animals, enclosures or equipment not delivered and left on board due to customer missing a time slot to which we have waited up to 15mins will entail a bespoke redelivery cost. Cost of diesel from our holding depo to the delivery address and back to our starting point, plus our day working rate cost of £200 for every 8 hours of driving, if it takes a second day of driving another day rate will be added and so on. If the customer cannot take delivery of the animal, We will place the animal at our holding depo. Holiday stay rates are between £5-£10 (depending on size of animal and needs) a day will be charged per animal. Only once the balance and a redelivery charge (full price not an offer price) has been paid we will re-deliver. If there are goods or equipment we charge according to size of the item a storage holding fee day rate. (maximum of £100 per week).
• If a customer does not pay balance and come and collect after three months we will assume the animal is no longer wanted and will move the animal on. We may use legal proceedings to collect missed payments. This is not something we want to do however we are hopeful the above will not happen.
• Cancellations after the route has been sent off to our logistical planner will not be refunded.
• Any concerns or queries in regards to our service or animals on board need to be communicated within 24 hours of estimated time of delivery or collection.
• Payment is accepted through bank transfer and Paypal. Paypal transfers incur a 3.5% extra charge.
• Offers are subject to their own terms and conditions.
• Please ensure you clearly state on your booking form the correct temperatures for your animals in transit. We endeavour to replicate these on board.
• Please ensure a good rapport and trust has been bridged between yourselves and the seller/buyer before purchasing and booking on. Reptile courier EU works with many trade accounts and top breeders. If you would like recommendations for reliable sources to source a quality animal please only ask and we shall find.
• Our insurance covers us for up to £4000 of livestock per annum. This is the maximum amount of insurance offered for animals in transit in the UK.
• Any deaths on board must have a full post mortem before any insurance claims can be made.
• Please be sure to check Facebook for any run updates and ETA updates prior to the run starting (usually 2-3 days before the run begins). This statement will read "Please contact us prior to start date if you have not received your information for collection/drop off". This is the responsibility of the persons on the booking form. This is to cross-reference and check to ensure a smooth run, as occasionally mistakes (e.g. incorrect phone numbers) can be made on the booking form.
• It is the responsibility of the customer to ensure the animals are in secure and travel-appropriate containers. Reptile courier EU does not accept responsibility for any animals that escape from their boxes during transit. If in doubt, secure boxes can be purchased from Reptile courier EU. Boxes must be requested on the booking form. In future it will become compulsory to purchase a new box from ourselves.
• You will be contacted 3 days before the run START date with a date of delivery, and updated on the day with ETA. If for some reason you have not heard anything by then, please calls us. Animals will be on Board at busiest points of the year, are on no longer then 6-7 days, averaging 2 days or less. Please use new boxes, preferably, to send your animals, clearly addressed to new owner. Please remember times are non-negotiable and buyers/sellers/trade/shops need to understand we will try to help where we can but we will not change our business model for people's schedules or work times. As a live animal courier, the animals' welfare is paramount. Food must be provided by sender.
• Wild caught animals are transported at your own risk. Many of these are brought to the big shows for new blood lines etc, and are not transported correctly prior to us taking them. We understand as reptile keepers ourselves some times we need new blood lines etc. However, this comes with complications and we cant give our insurances for this reason.
• Spare reptile bags must be provided in case animals defecate and need fresh bags. Reptile courier EU does not take responsibility for paying for these in our costs.
• All labels must be removed from within bags - snakes can get caught in these. We do not vet the bags, this is the buyer's and seller's responsibility to ensure boxes and bags are safe.
• The Booker needs to ensure both parties have received details of delivery or pick-up two days before run start date. We won't know if a number is incorrect and that they haven't received it unless this backup system is implemented. If we get to a house and nobody is there and they subsequently say they didn't have any details, this falls back to the Booker who will have to re-book (please ensure it's a mobile number on the booking form, not landline, and up-to-date if a business). If animal stays with us we will holiday-stay it at our base and charges will apply (deliveries from Hamm to UK come through on day of Hamm show, not before).
• When en-route, the driver is rarely able take messages - only calls. Feel free to call or send a Facebook message or email.
• Please bear in mind that we are a Specialist Reptile Courier Company, not a standard courier service. Occasionally we may have to move run start dates in order to make them more efficient or if circumstances are beyond our control. If this is not acceptable to you, for whatever reason, it is advisable that you do not use our service. We will not entertain conversations regarding this matter, before or after a booking is made. We will not return monies once a run has been planned.
• In the event of a vehicle breakdown we do our utmost to ensure the safety of animals. From an animal welfare standpoint we have different options available to us including our holding facility, which we may take animals back to for safekeeping, where they can be fed, watered, etc. This will mean times and dates may change while we wait for our vehicle be fixed (this may be anything from one hour to three days), at which point we will continue our journey. If this contingency plan does not work for your commitments, then it is advisable that you do not use our service. We will not entertain conversations on our business model. If this happens it's already a highly stressful and time-sensitive situation for us - please don't call us demanding information we won't have. Once we have information from our garage, we will send out details to everyone affected. We will naturally endeavour to get back on the road as soon as possible.
• We may occasionally work with other registered couriers, who may pick up or deliver your animal(s). We are working to eventually couple-up with other couriers so that services can be shorter and swifter, but this is not consolidated. You have been notified here - please don't bring this up at the time.
• Animals can get stressed in transit, although for the most it's a swift transition. However, if a tail drops in transit or a snake injures itself through aggressive striking or swinging movements actions etc. we will NOT compensate for this. This is the nature of the moving an animal and it has its risks.
• Animals that come in bags must be supplied with two spare bags for transit.
• All Animals must be boxed with information showing clearly what they are and who they are going to with address and working mobile phone number.
• All vivariums/racks must have corner protection and bubblewrap, and be in cardboard boxes to protect in transit. If they are not protected and sent in this way we cannot guarantee they won't have scratches and rub marks as a result of movement in transit even though they are tied down. They need to be checked on the door and then quickly wrapped if they are already inside boxes and wrapped. We will not ask the parties to unpack and we won't have time to start unpacking and re-packing, therefore responsibility falls to the buyer and seller/both parties to have discussed and acknowledged this term and condition and accept responsibility. There is no cover for glass - we do not insure or guarantee this.
• Paperwork must be on A4 sheets and attached to boxes securely and in watertight protection (e.g. plastic or polythene sleeve). If it's not done in this way we WILL NOT be held responsible for any errors. The paperwork will not get lost in transit if it is attached securely to the boxes.
• When we collaborate with other couriers, at the point of hand over, their terms and conditions will take over and be active in place of ours. Animals will be signed over, checked and healthy and signed for. In the unlikely event of a problem it would be their company policies that would have to be abided by, process and business models followed. When you tick our terms and conditions you are accepting this.
• All these terms and conditions fall back to the booker/seller and buyer to accept, discuss and mutually agree. If any party to the transaction does not accept them, then please do not book our service. We do not take responsibility for ignorance and ignoring our business Model conditions.
• These terms and conditions are binding, and making a booking with us is in itself an acceptance of them. Therefore it is in your interest to read them, and if you do not agree with them in full, it is advisable that you do not use our service. Once the booking has been made, we will not enter into any conversations regarding these terms or how we run our business.

Call us on 07512 777038 for availability and prices