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Terms & Guarantees

Northern Gecko Terms & Guarantees

There are different Terms & Guarantees based on your order type.  Dry Goods orders and Live Animal orders have different Terms & Guarantees.  Please scroll down and review the appropriate section based on your purchase.


DRY GOODS TERMS & GUARANTEES


CANADIAN SHIPPING

We offer free shipping for all orders valued at $150 before sales tax.  If your order is under $150, we offer tiered competitive shipping rates that ensure you will get the best freight rate to your location.  We typically ship via UPS or Canada Post.  If we MUST ship to a PO Box then your package must ship with Canada Post. This may increase shipping costs. If you require another option, please add it in the notes section prior to check out.  An extra fee may be required for alternative shipping services.   

Standard Flat-Fee Shipping in Canada, for Orders Under $150

  • Shipping to ON and QC $14
  • Shipping to MB, SK, AB, or BC $19
  • Shipping to PE, NB, NS or NL $22
  • Shipping to NU, NT, or UT $45

 

Service within Ontario and Quebec is typically one business day. Service to other provinces will range between two business days and four business days. In some extremely remote locations, six business days can be expected. Saturday and Sunday or any Statutory or Provincial Holidays do not count as business days.

Accurate Shipping Address Required

It is the customers responsibility to provide accurate shipping address information.  Northern Gecko Inc. is not responsible for any loss of product or additional shipping costs incurred due to an incorrect shipping address.  Correcting your shipping address after placing your order will not change your address for an order already completed.  If you realize your shipping address is not accurate, please Contact Us right away to correct it.  If a redirection of the package is required and it is not due to an error on Northern Gecko's part, then the customer will be required to pay any additional fees to deliver the package. 


Overweight or Oversized Items

Some items we carry are oversized (over 48 inches) or overweight.  These items are clearly marked in the product description, and you will be notified when you add one of these items to your shopping cart.  Unfortunately, if an oversized or overweight item is added to your order, we are unable to offer free shipping over $150 CAD and an additional fee will be added for these items.  Again, we will still offer the best shipping rate available. You will have an opportunity to accept or refuse the extra charge before your items ship. 


Remote Locations

Some areas of Canada are considered Remote Locations (such Northwest Territories, Nunavut, or extreme Northern locations in many provinces).  We are not able to ship for free to Remote Locations.  If your region falls into a remote location, you will be notified of extra shipping charges and offered the option to cancel your order or pay the additional fee. 


Pickup At Warehouse Only

Some Items are too large to ship.  These items are available as pickup-at-warehouse only. If you add such an item to your cart, you will be notified it cannot be shipped.  We are unable to ship any glass terrariums that are larger than 12” x 12” x 18” as they will likely arrive broken.


Special Order Items

Northern Gecko can order in items for you that we do not normally carry.  Send us an email to ask if we can get an item in for you.  If we are able, we will require a deposit to order the item and then the balance will be due on delivery. 

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING PROCESS (INCLUDING THE USA)

 Flat rate shipping does not apply internationally and will be calculated at the time of checkout.  However, shipping charges may be subject to evaluation and may be requoted if required.  If we need to requote shipping to your country, you will be notified.  At that time, you will have the opportunity to pay the additional shipping charges or cancel your order for a full refund.

 Items we cannot ship Internationally (including the USA):

  • Wood items, including raw cork
  • Glass enclosures
  • Medications
  • Extremely Heavy or Oversized Items (48” plus) (may require additional shipping fees)

 In some instances, an import tax may be assessed by a country’s customs clearing agency.  We are not able to guarantee you will not be required to pay an import tax as this will be determined at time of entry b your country.   

 Please make sure the items you order are legal in your country.  Northern Gecko will not be held responsible for items that are confiscated by foreign government agencies.

 Northern Gecko Inc reserves the right to refuse sales to anyone for any reason.

LIVE ANIMAL TERMS & GUARANTEES


I. LIVE ANIMAL SHIPPING PROCESS


CANADIAN SHIPPING


The Process

After you purchase your gecko(s) you can be confident that we take care of every aspect required to make sure that your purchase arrives safely. We use Reptile Runner to get your live animal order to you safely.  We ship directly from our location (Toronto, Canada) to the nearest FedEx Depot (sometimes this is a Staples / Office Depot location) as a HOLD FOR PICKUP item for next AM.  We prefer this method as many carriers have become unreliable with delivery to your door.  If it is not feasible to pick up at the nearest FedEx Depot, please let us know and we can make other arrangements.

Remember to bring at least one piece of government issued photo ID, as you will be required to prove who you are before the geckos will be released to you from FedEx.

Northern Gecko Inc reserves the right to refuse sales to anyone for any reason.


Shipping Scheduling

We DO NOT ship out automatically after we receive payment for live animals as we need to know that you will be available to pick them up/receive them. After you have paid for your animals, we will mutually arrange a shipping day and destination address to receive your animal(s). 

We are more than happy to hold your animals for you (free of charge) until we can find the right day to ship (for you, us, and the geckos). Your geckos will be treated and cared for just like any other gecko in our facility until it is safe to ship. We would rather keep the geckos safe at our facility for a longer duration then risk their welfare by shipping during less-than-optimal weather conditions.

Shipping must be scheduled a minimum of 24 hours in advance and will only be scheduled after payment has been made in full. For example, we cannot schedule a shipment contingent upon payment being made that day.


A Note about Extreme Weather Conditions

As you know, we live in a country that has some extreme weather conditions. Northern Gecko will not ship geckos in conditions that would prove to be lethal for your animals. We will not ship New Caledonian geckos if outdoor temperatures are lower than 1°C (34°F) or greater than 25°C (77°F) in either Toronto, Canada, or your city. NO EXCEPTIONS.

A current Toronto five-day weather forecast can be found here: https://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/on-143_metric_e.html

It remains the customer’s responsibility to check local weather forecasts on shipping day to make sure that temperatures will remain inside these parameters at the destination city.

In the winter, there are usually some days that are above 1°C (34°F). These days, while few and far between, provide the perfect window to get geckos to their destination. Please be patient.

Heat packs and cold packs are provided at no additional charge and will be used as required. They cannot be used to avoid otherwise lethal temperatures though.  If a shipment gets delayed by a carrier the heat/cold pack may stop working before the animal arrives at its destination.  Please be patient and wait for the right day to ship. This is better than receiving a gecko that is extra crispy or requires thawing. Rest assured that until your gecko(s) ship, we will look after them the same way we look after all our geckos.

While Northern Gecko wants to do everything to make our customers happy, remember that the health and well-being of our animals will always come first. We will not knowingly jeopardize the welfare of an animal by shipping them when it is not safe to do so. We do not offer refunds because a customer is not willing to wait for an animal to be shipped safely.


Shipping Cost

Your order can be shipped coast to coast within Canada for a fee of $65 CAD. This shipping charge is the customer’s responsibility, and you will be required to pay this amount before we ship to you, unless otherwise agreed upon beforehand. When required, boxes and shipping materials, heat and cold packs will be provided free of charge.


Local Pick-Up (Toronto, Canada)

If you are close to us in Toronto, Canada and you want to arrange local pickup, this can be arranged by appointment only.  Local pickup hours are Monday to Friday 11 am and 7 pm.  There are not local pickup options available on weekends. Please Contact Us to arrange a suitable time for you and we will have your animals packed up and ready to receive upon your arrival.

Additionally, we usually attend all Reptile Expos in the Greater Toronto Area (www.reptileexpo.ca). If you wish to have your geckos brought to the next Reptile Expo for pick-up, please notify us at least one week in advance and we can bring your purchases to the show.

 

USA SHIPPING


The Process

After you purchase your gecko(s) you can be confident that we take care of every aspect required to make sure that your purchase arrives safely in your state. We personally drive to the Buffalo, NY FedEx Hub and ship out all packages from there. Because of this we SCHEDULE USA SHIPMENTS. All USA orders do not go out right away. We wait until there are multiple orders to keep shipping costs low for our customers (i.e., Inspection fees, US Fish and Wildlife, Broker Fees).  We ship to the USA every 1 – 2 months, weather permitting.


Shipping Cost

All USA shipments are a flat rate of $75 USD. This shipping charge is the customer’s responsibility, and you will be required to pay this amount before we ship to you. When required, boxes and shipping materials, heat and cold packs will be provided free of charge.


II. LIVE ARRIVAL & HEALTH GUARANTEE

Northern Gecko guarantees that from the moment you receive your gecko it is alive (obviously), healthy and alert. Whether you are picking up the gecko locally in Toronto or if you ask us to ship it across the globe, your new gecko will be in top shape. This is our commitment to you. Please review the policies below so that you can know how to get the most from our guarantee.


Live Arrival Guarantee

Every gecko we sell is backed by a live arrival guarantee; however, it is important that you are aware of the conditions in which Northern Gecko WILL NOT offer a live arrival guarantee.

If outdoor temperatures are lower than 1°C (34°F) or greater than 25°C (77°F) we cannot guarantee live arrival as Rhacodactylus geckos are very sensitive to extreme temperatures (especially extreme heat). We will not put your gecko(s) at risk by shipping outside of these temperatures, however if you insist that we ship your gecko(s) against our recommendations, then the buyer shall assume responsibility and Northern Gecko’s live arrival guarantee will be null and void. Please make sure that you are aware of local weather forecasts in your city on the day of shipping. You can check weather forecasts here.

The live arrival guarantee assumes that someone will be present to pick up the gecko(s) when they arrive. If they are being delivered to a HOLD FOR PICKUP FedEx Depot, then they must be picked up the same day as the delivery occurred.  If they are not picked up the same day, then our live arrival guarantee shall be null and void. In the event Northern Gecko chooses to ship to your door, if no one is present to accept shipment upon arrival then our live arrival guarantee shall be null and void.

If an animal arrives expired (this is extremely rare) you MUST notify us immediately upon receipt. If we hear nothing from the customer within 12 hours after receipt, we will assume the animals arrived alive and in good health and you are satisfied with your purchase. If an animal arrives expired, photographic evidence will be required. If you cannot provide photographic evidence, then you will be required to ship the expired animal back at your expense. An animal that has arrived expired will be replaced with a similar valued animal or a credit will be offered at our discretion.


7-Day Health Guarantee

We guarantee that all geckos we sell are 100% healthy animals when they leave our facility. For this reason, Northern Gecko will extend a 7-day health guarantee on all live animals. If you are having problems with a newly acquired gecko that you purchased from us it is essential that you to contact us as soon as possible so that we can offer suggestions to remedy the situation. If you contact us after a gecko’s demise, there are no suggestions we can offer you at that point. Adjusting to a new enclosure and new surroundings can sometimes be a stressful period for a gecko. For this reason, it is important to keep an eye on your new gecko(s) for the first week or so. Beyond the seven-day period we are unable to offer a health guarantee as we have no control over how the geckos are looked after or to what conditions they might be exposed.


Sexing Policy

If we specify that a gecko is male or female, then we make a 100% guarantee that it is sexed correctly. If we specify that a gecko is a possible female, there is a chance that the assumption is erroneous, and it may in fact become male. Most gecko sexes will not become clear until at least 10 grams or more, depending on the species.  If an animal is labeled as unsexed or Possible Female or Male, we make no guarantee as to sex of the animal at the time of sale.  There is always a chance, no matter how slim, that male organs can begin to develop. In the unlikely event that a gecko has been sexed incorrectly and our 100% sexing guarantee applies then the gecko will be replaced with one of the correct sex or a credit will be issued at our discretion.


Gecko Tails

Geckos can drop their tails as a self-defence mechanism or for no apparent reason at all. We have personally witnessed this on several occasions, and it can leave even the most avid hobbyist scratching their head as to why sometimes. Some species regrow their tails while others do not. In the wild, many geckos will drop their tail to escape a predator and will live a long and normal life without it. It is for this reason that a lost tail is not considered to be a defect. This being the case, we will not be responsible if a gecko loses its tail in our facility or during transit to you. We do, however, make every effort to not encourage tail dropping by limiting loud noises and startling situations.


Gecko Colour

Northern Gecko has spent thousands of dollars on high-end lighting, camera equipment and software to represent our geckos as accurately as possible. Regardless of the quality of camera and lighting equipment used, colours will always look just a little bit different on each individual monitor. We have several monitors in our office and we know that even from one computer to the next colours can appear slightly different. In fact, it is virtually impossible to make every picture look the same on every person’s monitor. However, you can rest assured that the only modifications ever made to our photographs are resizing (shrinking), cropping and white balance adjustments (if the gecko comes out too red, too blue, or too green). We will never modify a picture to make a gecko seem brighter or more high contrast then it is.

There are many factors that affect a gecko’s colouration, such as the presence of food, level of stress and environmental factors like humidity. Northern Gecko makes every attempt to photograph our geckos in a state of being “fired up,” meaning that they are showing some of their finest colours. However, no matter how hard we try to get them in this state the geckos do not always cooperate. It is for this reason that we have often heard that the gecko ended up arriving looking “much nicer than it does in pictures.” To date, we have not had a single customer complain that the gecko they received had colouration that was misrepresented by its picture. In fact, we hear allot of the opposite as many people often tell me the picture did not do the gecko justice. With this in mind, be aware that Northern Gecko does not offer refunds based on a lack of or misrepresentation of colour.


III. PAYMENT TERMS & WAITING LISTS

Canadian methods of payment:

ALL CANADIAN ORDERS ARE PAID IN CANADIAN DOLLARS (CAD).

  • MasterCard or VISA over the telephone. Please call us at 416-630-0063 to process your payment. If you are in North America, you can call us Toll-free at 1-855-GECKOIN’ (432-5646).
  • Electronic Money Transfer (Interac EMT) to eft@northerngecko.net. This email is set up for auto-deposit but, if you are required to enter a security question, please make the answer to your security question: geckoin
  • Cash in person. Sales Tax will apply.
  • Personal Cheques (please note we will require two weeks for a personal cheque to clear before we will ship).
  • Bank Wire Transfer (please contact us for this information).
  • In person at trade shows we accept Cash, Interac, VISA & MasterCard as acceptable forms of payment.
  • We no long except PayPal as a form of payment. Why? PayPal does not support our industry so we will not support them.

International methods of payment:

ALL INTERNATIONAL ORDERS ARE TO BE PAID IN US DOLLARS (USD).

  • Bank Wire Transfer (please contact us for this information).
  • Payment via MasterCard or VISA over the telephone. Please call us at 416-630-0063 to process your payment. (European Union Countries and USA ONLY)
  • We no long except PayPal as a form of payment. Why? PayPal does not support our industry so we will not support them.

*All pricing on animals and dry goods quoted on our site DO NOT include applicable Provincial or Federal Sales Taxes. These will be calculated at checkout.

Export orders (outside of Canada) are exempt from these taxes however your country may require you to pay import taxes based on the value of the goods entering your country. There us NO sales on sales on items entering the USA.  Check with your local government.

 
Deposits

A gecko can not be put on HOLD without a deposit. Unfortunately, we have had a few too many customers tell us they want a certain gecko and then not follow through with the payment. We feel this is unfair to other customers who end up picking their 2nd or 3rd choice, only to find out their first choice has become available again. As a result, we will not mark any gecko on HOLD or SOLD without a non-refundable deposit or full payment. These two methods are the only way to ensure a gecko(s) is reserved for you. We will process reservations and payments for geckos in the order in which they are received, via e-mail or phone. Phone calls will take priority over e-mail communications. Until a deposit or payment is received all geckos are for sale to any customer.

A 50% non-refundable deposit is required to put an animal on HOLD. After this deposit is received the animal will be marked as ‘on HOLD’ with your initials until the final payment is received. If payment is not completed for any reason during the agreed upon time period, your deposit may be forfeited at our discretion. We reserve the right to deny a HOLD payment on certain items.


Payment Plans

We only offer ONE PAYMENT plan. And this is to split your payment into two payments due one month apart. You will be required to pay a 50% non-refundable deposit to HOLD your animal(s). The final payment will then be due one month from the deposit date. Sometimes for larger sized orders (10 or more animals) we can negotiate other plans. If we agree to the plan, then we have a deal. We will work out a payment schedule and agree upon the schedule. The catch is that you must follow through with all payments as agreed upon or you forfeit all payments that have already been made. The animal will be put on HOLD until the payment plan is complete. The animal can then be shipped after full payment has been received.


Waiting Lists

Some of the animals we breed are in short supply with very high demand, and we only produce several per year. If you wish to be added to a waiting list for any particular animal, please send your request to Northern Gecko and we will add you to the waiting list for that particular animal. Sometimes, with high demand animals, a deposit may be required to hold this animal for you.

If a HOLD payment has been made and we can no longer provide this animal for you, we may offer you a substitute animal (we usually make these deals VERY sweet as we HATE to disappoint our customers) or we will refund your deposit.


ALL SALES ARE FINAL

Unless the item(s) purchased are not available at the time of sale or final payment, all sales are final. After purchase you are still protected by our seven-day health guarantee once the animal is in your possession. In the event that the animal can no longer be provided, and a payment has already been made, a credit or refund will be offered at our discretion.