We offer On-Time and Live Arrival Insurance

Packaging must meet our shipping standards, which include temperature guidelines and shipping materials. The best way to ensure compliance is to use a Ship Your Invertebrates shipping kit.

You can easily purchase insurance when you book a shipment. On the insurance page you can choose if you would like to purchase insurance. You will select the insurance coverage amount at that time.

The insurance charge will be added to your shipment cost.

NOTE: SYI On-Time and Live Arrival Insurance is specific insurance that your package will arrive on time (according to FedEx Guaranteed Times) and alive. Please review the limitations and details below. 

Summary

Ship Your Invertebrates (SYI) provides the only way to insure on-time and live delivery of invertebrates. SYI Insurance protects you against late delivery and animal death due to late delivery or other FedEx related issues.

Claims for late arrival must be reported within two days of the recorded delivery time.

Claims for dead arrival must be reported within four hours of the recorded delivery time.

On-Time and Live Arrival Insurance applies only to Priority Overnight, Standard Overnight, and 2-Day to a residence or a HUB.

On-Time Live Arrival Insurance costs $2.50 per $100 worth of coverage. This is for On-Time Arrival and $100 of Live Arrival coverage.

Insurance for 2Day, Express Saver, Ground and Home Delivery costs $1.00 for each $100 in insured value. No live shipments will be covered with these services.

By default, On-Time Live Arrival Insurance will be selevetd.

You can decline insurance coverage by selecting "None,"

You can increase by choosing your insured value.

For a DOA claim to be covered, the package must also be delivered late according to FedEx guaranteed delivery time. It is the shipper's responsiblity to ensure an on-time live arrival based on the ability to pack a healthy animal according to our shipping standards. 

Recipient must be available to accept the package, either directly from driver or retrieve it as soon as possible from spot where the FedEx driver left the package. If you have not paid for the Delivery Confirmation (adult signature required), the FedEx driver may leave the package in a safe location without a signature. Per FedEx Terms of Service this counts as a completed delivery.

For a delivery to be considered late, it must arrive 60 seconds or more after the FedEx guaranteed delivery time.

If you decline insurance for any ShipYourInverts.com shipment, you are not eligible to receive a refund for the shipping charge or a payment for the value of your shipment.

Insurance cost and coverage

On-Time Live Arrival Insurance costs $2.50 oper $100 worth of coverage. This is for On-Time Arrival and $100 of Live Arrical coverage when shipped Priority Overnight ONLY.

Insurance for 2Day, Express Saver, Ground and Home Delivery cost $1.00 for each $100 of insured value. No live shipments will be covered with these services.

By default, ON-Time Live Arrival Insurance will be selected.

You can decline insurance coverage by selecting "None,"

You can increase by choosing your insured value.

NOTES:

To get full coverage, round up to the nearest hundred. For example: if your animal is worth $350 you should purchase $400 worth of insurance. If the package is late and the animal is dead, you are eligible to receive the $400 insured value plus the cost of the shipping label.

If you void your unused shipping label, ShipYourInverts.com will refund 100% of your shipping and insurance charges.

Shipping Errors of Non-Compliance that INVALIDATE Live-Arrival Insurance:

Use of hand-warmers, foot-warmers, or any heat pack with a less than 40-hour duration.

Use of more than 1 heat pack in any box smaller than our #5 size (30x16x10 inches). The #5 box may include up to 2 heat packs.

Placing the heat pack at the bottom of the shipping box and/or in direct contact with the animal or the container the animal is in.

Attaching the heat pack facing the wrong way or covering the red stripe with tape.

Failure to provide specific ventilation (four quarter-inch holes, two at each end of the box).

Punching too many holes in a box.

Use of 1/2 inch insulation.

No insulation use at all.

Use of boxes made of thin cardboard.

Use of Amazon, US Postal, FedEx/UPS branded, torn-up, or wacky non-standard boxes. See our box standards.

Shipping outside our specific temperature parameters and high/low limitations.

Non-compliance with our shipping standards.

Overview - Late Delivery Claims

If the package is delivered 60 seconds or more after the FedEx guaranteed delivery time, it is considered late.

Zip codes that are categorized by FedEx as urban receive deliveries by 10:30 a.m.

Zip codes that are categorized by FedEx as rural receive deliveries by 12 p.m. noon.

Zip codes that are categorized by FedEx as remote receive deliveries by 4:40 p.m.

Check the expected delivery time for your destination at FedEx Get Rates and Transit Times. 

Addresses are distinguished as business or residential. 

An urban business address will be scheduled to receive deliveries by 10:30 a.m., but an urban residential address will be scheduled to receive deliveries by 12 p.m. noon.

To report a claim:

Shipper must contact Ship Your Invertebrates within two days of delivery.

Report a claim via info@shipyourinverts.com or 303-730-2125. As soon as the claim is reported, we will provide further instructions.

A claim can be reported with a voicemail or email. We will record the claim at the message’s time stamp.

Approved claim payments will be made to the shipper.

Overview Live Arrival (DOA) Claims

Protection against animal death due to late delivery up to the purchased insurance amount.

For a DOA claim to be covered, the package must also be delivered late, according to FedEx guaranteed delivery time.

Zip codes that are categorized by FedEx as urban receive deliveries by 10:30 a.m.

Zip codes that are categorized by FedEx as rural receive deliveries by noon.

Zip codes that are categorized by FedEx as remote receive deliveries by 4:40 p.m.

Check the expected delivery time for your destination at FedEx Get Rates and Transit Times

Addresses are distinguished between business and residential. 

An urban business address will be scheduled to receive deliveries by 10:30 a.m., but an urban residential address will be scheduled to receive deliveries by 12 p.m. noon.

Recipient must be available to accept the  package, either directly from driver or retrieve it as soon as possible from spot where the FedEx driver left it. If you have not paid for Delivery Confirmation (adult signature required), the FedEx driver may leave the package in a safe location, without a signature, at his or her discretion. As per FedEx Terms of Service, this counts as a completed delivery. 

To Report a Claim:

Shipper or recipient must contact us within four hours of the official delivery time, as recorded by the FedEx driver. 

Email info@shipyourinverts.com or call 303-730-2125. As soon as the claim is reported, we will provide further instructions.

A claim can be reported with a voice mail or email. We will record the claim at the message’s time stamp. The claimant must provide an email address and phone number, as well as the package’s FedEx tracking number.

Shipper should instruct the recipient to contact us directly to record the claim as soon as possible. We will follow up with the shipper to handle the claim.

Shipper must provide a receipt for the purchase of the live animail.  If the shipment is not a commercial transaction, the shipper must provide a copy of the itemized packing list from the package, which is required by the Lacey Act. This provides proof of value.

Shipper must follow all SYI shipping standards.

Shipper must provide clear digital photos or video of all packaging, showing legible label on the box, condition of outer box, insulation inside box, packing material, heat/cold pack (if applicable), and snake bag/deli cup to prove adherence to shipping standards.

Shipper must provide clear digital photos or video of the animal, clearly showing its condition and markings, as well as rolled onto its back. This provides proof of dead arrival.

Animal must be kept frozen for 90 days or until the claim is released, whichever comes first. If the animal cannot be provided upon our request, the claim will not be paid.

Approved claim payments will be made to the shipper.

Limitations / Instances in which SYI Insurance will be nullified:

If package is delivered on time according to FedEx guaranteed delivery time, 

If package is sent during a "no-ship" period as noted on the Book A Shipment page under Package Information. 

No-ship periods are noted for holidays, bad weather and other conditions that can affect FedEx deliveries.

If package not received on first delivery attempt. Package may be dropped off at the destination, accepted by someone at the destination, or signed for at the destination. If delivery confirmation is required and no one is available to sign for the package this qualifies as a first delivery attempt. 

If package goes back onto truck for later delivery.

If packaging does not meet our shipping standards. The best way to ensure compliance is to use a ShipYourInverts shipping kit.

If the outgoing shipment is not scanned into the FedEx system in time for end-of-day pickup Monday through Thursday.

If shipment is dealyed by a FedEx National Service Disruption.  This is rate but catastropick disruption is usually caused by extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes or blizzards.

Live arrival specific limitations / insurance will be nullifited:

If package is on time according to FedEx guaranteed delivery time. If the package is held for pickup at a FedEx facility it is considered on time if it reaches the facility by the FedEx guaranteed delivery time. NOTE: The official delivery time is recorded by the driver when the driver delivers the package at the destination.

If shipment is not sent via Priority Overnight or Standard Overnight to a hub.

Claimant does not follow proper claim procedure (missing four-hour claim window, failure to provide required evidence within eight hours, etc.).

Notes:

Ship Your Invertebrates Insurance applies exclusively to pet or research invertebrates. This insurance does not cover common feeder insects nor animals that are disallowed by our shipping standards.

Live Arrival Insurance does not cover injuries incurred during shipping, whether the package is delivered late or on-time. This includes dropped tails, neurological clames, etc.  It is the responsibility of the shipper to ensure they ship a healthy animal that is propertly packed.  These steps ensure your animals arrives safe and unharmed.  

FedEx does not offer shipping refunds for late arrival for live shipments. In fact, refunds for live shipments are specifically exempted in the Live Shipper Certification agreement:

"Company agrees to waive any right to receive adjustments, refunds or credits under the Money Back Guarantee Policy as defined in the FedEx Service Guide in effect at the time of shipment."

If you are FedEx certified to ship live animals, you will find similar wording in your FedEx contract. It is against FedEx policy to issue a credit or refund for a shipment containing any live animal.

We launched Ship Your Invertebrates Insurance to fill this gap in coverage. You can add insurance when you Book a Shipment on this site. 

No, they do not. This is a common misconception among shippers of reptiles and other high-value animals.

When you ship with Delta Cargo (aka Delta DASH) you can enter a declared value, for which you pay extra. However, this declared value is only useful if you need to file a claim with your own insurance company. Delta Cargo does not provide live arrival insurance. Delta Cargo does not cover your loss for a DOA shipment.

We provide the only way to insure live and on-time delivery of live invertebrates, reptiles, amphibians and other approved animals.