Arrive Alive Guarantee

At Golden State Corals, we take the health of our livestock seriously from the moment it enters our systems until it arrives at your door.

Every livestock order is carefully inspected, packed, and shipped with the goal of getting your animals to you safely and in excellent condition. While problems during live-animal shipping are uncommon, we understand that they can happen.

We stand behind every animal we ship. If something arrives deceased, contact us within 2 hours of delivery and we'll take care of you.

What Qualifies as DOA?

DOA means Dead on Arrival.

An animal must be clearly deceased at the time the shipment is received to qualify for a DOA claim.

Corals and clams can experience temporary stress during overnight shipping. A coral arriving retracted, deflated, producing mucus, or otherwise stressed does not necessarily mean the animal is dead.

Likewise, a clam arriving closed or with its mantle retracted does not by itself constitute a DOA. Livestock should be given appropriate time to acclimate unless the animal is clearly deceased.

If you're unsure about the condition of an animal, contact us immediately. We'd much rather help you evaluate it than have you assume something is wrong.

Reporting a DOA

If you receive livestock that appears to be deceased, please contact Golden State Corals within 2 hours of the carrier-recorded delivery time.

Please provide:

• Your name and order number
• Clear photos of the affected livestock in its original unopened shipping bag
• Additional photos or video if requested

Please do not discard the animal or original shipping bag until we have reviewed your claim. We may request additional photographs or information to help determine the condition of the livestock.

Claims submitted outside of the 2-hour window may not qualify for our Arrive Alive Guarantee.

Why Do We Have a 2-Hour Window?

Live-animal shipments are highly sensitive to temperature and environmental conditions.

Once a package has been delivered, a box left outdoors, in direct sunlight, in extreme heat or cold, or otherwise exposed to the elements can quickly reach unsafe temperatures.

For this reason, the 2-hour claim window begins at the carrier-recorded delivery time, not when the package is brought inside or opened.

We strongly recommend monitoring your tracking information on delivery day and bringing your livestock inside as soon as it arrives.

When extreme weather is expected, we may also recommend having your shipment held for pickup at an eligible FedEx or UPS location.

Approved DOA Claims

Once a DOA claim has been reviewed and approved, Golden State Corals will provide either:

Store credit or replacement livestock, at our discretion.

Our goal is always to reach a fair resolution and make sure you're taken care of.

WYSIWYG Livestock

WYSIWYG means “What You See Is What You Get.” Each WYSIWYG coral or clam is individually photographed, and the animal pictured is the exact specimen purchased.

Because these animals are unique, an identical replacement may not be available in the event of an approved DOA claim.

When an identical replacement is unavailable, we may provide store credit or work with you to select an appropriate replacement specimen.

Replacement Shipping

Original shipping charges are non-refundable.

If replacement livestock needs to be shipped, the customer is responsible for the cost of the new shipment.

Replacement livestock may also be combined with a future order when appropriate to help avoid an additional standalone shipment.

Carrier Delays

Although we carefully select shipping dates and use overnight services, carrier delays can occasionally occur due to weather, mechanical issues, airport disruptions, routing problems, or other circumstances outside of our control.

If your shipment is delayed, please contact us and continue monitoring the tracking information.

Carrier delays and other circumstances outside of our control are reviewed case by case. A carrier delay does not necessarily mean the livestock will arrive in poor condition, and we will work with you to determine the appropriate course of action if there is a problem.

Missed Deliveries & Unattended Packages

Customers are responsible for monitoring their shipment and retrieving the package promptly after delivery.

The Arrive Alive Guarantee may not apply when livestock is lost or damaged because of:

• An incorrect or incomplete shipping address
• A missed delivery attempt caused by the recipient
• Failure to retrieve a package promptly after delivery
• A package being left outdoors or exposed to extreme temperatures after delivery
• Failure to retrieve a shipment being held at a carrier location within a reasonable period of time

If you believe there may be an issue with delivery, please contact us as soon as possible.

After Livestock Is Introduced to Your Aquarium

Our Arrive Alive Guarantee covers the condition of livestock at the time of delivery.

Once livestock has been acclimated or introduced into another aquarium, Golden State Corals cannot guarantee its continued survival due to differences in water chemistry, temperature, salinity, lighting, flow, acclimation methods, tank inhabitants, pests, and overall husbandry.

However, that does not mean you're on your own after delivery.

If a coral or clam isn't behaving normally after acclimation, please contact us. We're always happy to help troubleshoot and provide recommendations based on what you're seeing.

Frag Plugs & Minor Shipping Damage

Occasionally, a coral may become detached from its frag plug during shipping.

A coral becoming detached from its plug does not automatically mean the coral is unhealthy and does not by itself constitute a DOA.

If an animal experiences physical damage during shipping, contact us within the same 2-hour delivery window and provide photographs. We will evaluate shipping-damage claims individually based on the condition of the animal.

Acclimation & Shipping Stress

Some temporary stress after overnight shipping is normal.

Corals may arrive retracted, deflated, sliming, or with reduced polyp extension. Clams may remain tightly closed or show limited mantle extension immediately after arrival.

Give livestock appropriate time to acclimate to your aquarium and avoid immediately exposing newly shipped animals to excessive lighting or flow.

If something doesn't look right, send us a photo and ask. We're happy to help determine whether you're seeing normal shipping stress or something that requires attention.

Questions or Concerns?

We want you to feel confident ordering livestock from Golden State Corals.

If you have questions about an upcoming shipment, weather conditions, delivery timing, hold-for-pickup options, acclimation, or the condition of an animal you received, please contact us.

The sooner we know about a potential problem, the more we can do to help.