RYZA Policies

PART 1 — Terms & Conditions of Sale

1. Who we are and what these terms cover

These terms are a contract between you and [RYZA Exotics LLC], an Illinois business based in Chicago ("RYZA," "we," "us"). They apply to every purchase made through ryzaexotics.com, including live invertebrates (isopods and springtails), and non-living supplies.

By placing an order, you accept these terms. If you do not accept them, do not place an order.

2. You are buying living animals

Most of what we sell is alive. That shapes everything below.

Counts are sold as stated on the product page. Cultures may include mixed life stages unless the listing says otherwise.
Coloration, size, and morph expression vary between individuals. Photos show representative animals, not the exact animals you will receive.
Live animals require correct care on arrival. Read the care guide for your species before your order ships.

3. Order acceptance and the Protective Process

Your order is an offer to purchase. We accept it when we confirm a ship date — not when payment is taken.

RYZA operates under a Protective Process: we protect the animal first, the buyer second, and the business third. That means we may delay, modify, or cancel any order — including one already paid — when shipping it would put the animal or the buyer at risk. Reasons include, but are not limited to:

Weather along the transit route outside the safe temperature range (Part 2)
A destination we do not ship to, or reason to believe the buyer's eligibility representation is inaccurate (Section 4)
Animal health or colony conditions that fail our pre-ship check
Payment, address, or identity issues we cannot resolve

If we cancel an order before shipment, you receive a full refund to your original payment method within [10] business days.

4. Shipping destinations and buyer eligibility

Laws governing the receipt and keeping of live invertebrates vary by state and locality. It is your responsibility, as the buyer, to confirm before ordering that you may lawfully receive and keep the species you are purchasing at your shipping address.

By placing an order for live animals, you represent that receiving that shipment is lawful at your destination and that you hold any permit, registration, or authorization your state or locality requires of you as the receiver.
We rely on that representation. We are not responsible for orders shipped to a destination where the buyer was not eligible to receive them, and such orders are not eligible for the Live Arrival Guarantee or refund.
We may decline, hold, or cancel any order at our discretion, including where we have reason to believe the representation above is inaccurate. If we cancel before shipment, you receive a full refund.
We ship live animals within the continental United States only. We do not ship live animals to [list any excluded states/territories — decision needed].

5. Shipping windows and weather holds

Full shipping terms are in Part 2 (Live Arrival Guarantee & Shipping Policy), which is part of these terms. In short:

Live animals ship Monday through Wednesday only, via 2-Day or Overnight service. We never ship live animals Thursday or Friday, and we do not use ground shipping for live animals.
We hold shipments when forecast temperatures at your address fall outside 45–85°F for the duration of transit. When that happens, you choose: wait for better weather, or have the package held at your local carrier hub for pickup.
Insulated packaging with a heat pack or cold pack, chosen by forecast, is included at no extra charge.
A weather hold is not a delay we apologize for. It is the order working as designed. We will tell you when the hold starts and when the next safe ship day is.
Supplies (non-living products) ship separately from live animals and are not subject to weather holds.

6. Your responsibilities at delivery

The Live Arrival Guarantee (Part 2) depends on you holding up your end:

Provide a complete, correct shipping address. We are not responsible for losses caused by an address error you made.
Someone must receive the package on delivery day. Live animals must not sit in a mailbox, on a porch, or at a carrier facility. If you cannot be there, choose hold-for-pickup at your carrier hub.
If you request signature waiver or delivery instructions that leave the package unattended, the Live Arrival Guarantee is void.
Unbox promptly — the same day as delivery.

7. Live Arrival Guarantee

The full guarantee, including claim procedure and exclusions, is in Part 2 and is part of these terms. Claims must be filed within 24 hours of the carrier's recorded delivery time, with photos.

8. Refunds, cancellations, and returns

Live animals cannot be returned. Remedies for arrival problems are handled under the Live Arrival Guarantee (Part 2).
You may cancel an unshipped live-animal order for a full refund at any time before we confirm a ship date, and up to [X hours] before the confirmed ship date after that.
Supplies may be returned within [X days] of delivery, unused and in original packaging, for a refund less [return shipping / restocking terms — decision needed].
Refunds are issued to the original payment method within [10] business days of approval.

9. Pricing and payment

Prices are in U.S. dollars and may change at any time. The price at checkout is the price you pay.
Illinois sales tax is collected where required. [Confirm current registration and nexus scope before publishing.]
If a listing contains an obvious pricing error, we may cancel the order and refund you rather than fulfill at the erroneous price.

10. Care information is not professional advice

Our care guides and product pages reflect our husbandry experience with the species we keep. They are educational, not veterinary advice. For an animal health emergency or diagnosis, consult a qualified veterinarian. Nothing on this site is legal, tax, or veterinary advice.

11. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

Our total liability for any order is limited to the amount you paid for that order.
We are not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, including losses to other animals or enclosures in your care.
Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.

12. Disputes and governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to conflict-of-law rules..

13. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. The version posted at checkout when you place an order is the version that applies to that order. Material changes will be dated at the top of this page.

14. Contact

[RYZA Exotics LLC ] Chicago, Illinois [operations@ryzaexotics.com]

PART 2 — Live Arrival Guarantee & Shipping Policy

The guarantee

We guarantee your invertebrates arrive alive. If they don't, and the conditions below are met, we'll replace them or refund the animals.

We'd rather hold your order for a week than kill your animals to hit a ship date.

When the guarantee applies

Temperature at your address must be between 45°F and 85°F for the duration of transit. Outside that range, we'll contact you — and you'll have two choices: wait for better weather, or have the package held at your local carrier hub for pickup. Shipping outside the guaranteed range without a hub hold is at your own risk.

Someone must receive the package. Most dead-on-arrival cases aren't caused by packing — they're caused by a box sitting on a porch in the sun, or riding around in an unheated delivery truck. If you can't be there, choose hold-for-pickup.

How we ship

Monday through Wednesday only. Never Thursday or Friday. A package that sits in a distribution facility over a weekend is a package of dead animals.
2-Day or Overnight service only. We don't use ground shipping for live animals.
Insulated box, with a heat pack or cold pack chosen based on the forecast at your address — at no extra charge.
Continental US only.

Filing a claim

Contact us at operations@ryzaexotics.com within 1 hours of the carrier's recorded delivery time.
Include clear photos of the animals in the unopened or just-opened shipping container, the packaging, and the shipping label.
Do not discard the packaging until the claim is resolved.

If the claim is approved, we will replacement on the next safe ship day / store credit or refund of the animal cost tee does not cover

Losses reported after the 24-hour claim window closes
Packages delivered to an incorrect address supplied by the buyer
Packages left unattended at the buyer's instruction, or shipped outside the temperature range at the buyer's election without a hub hold
Losses caused by the buyer's care after arrival
Orders shipped to a destination the buyer was not eligible to receive (Part 1, Section 4)

Partial losses are handled proportionally: tell us what arrived and what didn't, and we make it right for the affected portion.

PART 3 — Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

This site is operated by [RYZA Exotics LLC — confirm exact legal entity name], based in Chicago, Illinois. This policy explains what personal information we collect, why, and what we do with it. Questions go to [operations@ryzaexotics.com].

2. What we collect

You give us:

Order information: name, shipping address, email, phone number
Account information, if you create a member account
Messages you send us through contact forms or email

Collected automatically:

Basic usage data: pages visited, device and browser type, approximate location, referral source
Cookies and similar technologies used by our website platform for site function, checkout, and analytics

We do not collect payment card numbers. Payments are processed by [payment processor(s) — confirm], which handle your card details under their own privacy policies. We see order and transaction status, not your card number.

3. Why we use it

To fulfill orders: process payment, ship your package, send order and delivery updates
To support you: answer questions, handle Live Arrival Guarantee claims, resolve problems
To run the business: accounting, tax, and fraud prevention
To improve the site: understanding what pages and products people use
To send marketing email, only if you opt in — every marketing email includes an unsubscribe link, and unsubscribing never affects order emails

4. Who we share it with

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only with service providers that make the business run:

Our website and store platform ([WIX])
Payment processors
Shipping carriers, who receive your name, address, and phone number to deliver your package
Email and accounting tools we use to operate

Each provider receives only what it needs for its job. We may also disclose information if the law requires it or to protect our rights, our customers, or our animals.

5. How long we keep it

Order and transaction records are kept as long as tax and business-record laws require. Account information is kept while your account is active. Contact messages are kept as long as needed to resolve the matter.

6. Your choices

Access, correction, deletion: Email [operations@ryzaexotics.com] and we will handle your request. We may need to keep records the law requires us to keep (for example, completed transactions).
Marketing: Unsubscribe anytime via the link in any marketing email.
Cookies: You can limit cookies through your browser settings; some site features, like checkout, may not work without them.

7. Children

Our products and site are intended for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.

8. Security

We use reasonable safeguards through our platform and providers to protect your information. No online system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Changes

We may update this policy. The date at the top reflects the current version, and material changes will be noted on this page.

10. Contact

[RYZA Exotics LLC] Chicago, Illinois [operations@ryzaexotics.com]

RYZA Policies

PART 1 — Terms & Conditions of Sale

1. Who we are and what these terms cover

These terms are a contract between you and [RYZA Exotics LLC], an Illinois business based in Chicago ("RYZA," "we," "us"). They apply to every purchase made through ryzaexotics.com, including live invertebrates (isopods and springtails), and non-living supplies.

By placing an order, you accept these terms. If you do not accept them, do not place an order.

2. You are buying living animals

Most of what we sell is alive. That shapes everything below.

Counts are sold as stated on the product page. Cultures may include mixed life stages unless the listing says otherwise.

Coloration, size, and morph expression vary between individuals. Photos show representative animals, not the exact animals you will receive.

Live animals require correct care on arrival. Read the care guide for your species before your order ships.

3. Order acceptance and the Protective Process

Your order is an offer to purchase. We accept it when we confirm a ship date — not when payment is taken.

Weather along the transit route outside the safe temperature range (Part 2)

A destination we do not ship to, or reason to believe the buyer's eligibility representation is inaccurate (Section 4)

Animal health or colony conditions that fail our pre-ship check

Payment, address, or identity issues we cannot resolve

If we cancel an order before shipment, you receive a full refund to your original payment method within [10] business days.

4. Shipping destinations and buyer eligibility

Laws governing the receipt and keeping of live invertebrates vary by state and locality. It is your responsibility, as the buyer, to confirm before ordering that you may lawfully receive and keep the species you are purchasing at your shipping address.

By placing an order for live animals, you represent that receiving that shipment is lawful at your destination and that you hold any permit, registration, or authorization your state or locality requires of you as the receiver.

We rely on that representation. We are not responsible for orders shipped to a destination where the buyer was not eligible to receive them, and such orders are not eligible for the Live Arrival Guarantee or refund.

We may decline, hold, or cancel any order at our discretion, including where we have reason to believe the representation above is inaccurate. If we cancel before shipment, you receive a full refund.

We ship live animals within the continental United States only. We do not ship live animals to [list any excluded states/territories — decision needed].

5. Shipping windows and weather holds

Full shipping terms are in Part 2 (Live Arrival Guarantee & Shipping Policy), which is part of these terms. In short:

Live animals ship Monday through Wednesday only, via 2-Day or Overnight service. We never ship live animals Thursday or Friday, and we do not use ground shipping for live animals.

We hold shipments when forecast temperatures at your address fall outside 45–85°F for the duration of transit. When that happens, you choose: wait for better weather, or have the package held at your local carrier hub for pickup.

Insulated packaging with a heat pack or cold pack, chosen by forecast, is included at no extra charge.

A weather hold is not a delay we apologize for. It is the order working as designed. We will tell you when the hold starts and when the next safe ship day is.

Supplies (non-living products) ship separately from live animals and are not subject to weather holds.

6. Your responsibilities at delivery

The Live Arrival Guarantee (Part 2) depends on you holding up your end:

Provide a complete, correct shipping address. We are not responsible for losses caused by an address error you made.

Someone must receive the package on delivery day. Live animals must not sit in a mailbox, on a porch, or at a carrier facility. If you cannot be there, choose hold-for-pickup at your carrier hub.

If you request signature waiver or delivery instructions that leave the package unattended, the Live Arrival Guarantee is void.

Unbox promptly — the same day as delivery.

7. Live Arrival Guarantee

The full guarantee, including claim procedure and exclusions, is in Part 2 and is part of these terms. Claims must be filed within 24 hours of the carrier's recorded delivery time, with photos.

8. Refunds, cancellations, and returns

Live animals cannot be returned. Remedies for arrival problems are handled under the Live Arrival Guarantee (Part 2).

You may cancel an unshipped live-animal order for a full refund at any time before we confirm a ship date, and up to [X hours] before the confirmed ship date after that.

Supplies may be returned within [X days] of delivery, unused and in original packaging, for a refund less [return shipping / restocking terms — decision needed].

Refunds are issued to the original payment method within [10] business days of approval.

9. Pricing and payment

Prices are in U.S. dollars and may change at any time. The price at checkout is the price you pay.

Illinois sales tax is collected where required. [Confirm current registration and nexus scope before publishing.]

If a listing contains an obvious pricing error, we may cancel the order and refund you rather than fulfill at the erroneous price.

10. Care information is not professional advice

Our care guides and product pages reflect our husbandry experience with the species we keep. They are educational, not veterinary advice. For an animal health emergency or diagnosis, consult a qualified veterinarian. Nothing on this site is legal, tax, or veterinary advice.

11. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

Our total liability for any order is limited to the amount you paid for that order.

We are not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, including losses to other animals or enclosures in your care.

Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.

12. Disputes and governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to conflict-of-law rules..

13. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. The version posted at checkout when you place an order is the version that applies to that order. Material changes will be dated at the top of this page.

14. Contact

[RYZA Exotics LLC ] Chicago, Illinois [operations@ryzaexotics.com]

PART 2 — Live Arrival Guarantee & Shipping Policy

The guarantee

We guarantee your invertebrates arrive alive. If they don't, and the conditions below are met, we'll replace them or refund the animals.

We'd rather hold your order for a week than kill your animals to hit a ship date.

When the guarantee applies

Someone must receive the package. Most dead-on-arrival cases aren't caused by packing — they're caused by a box sitting on a porch in the sun, or riding around in an unheated delivery truck. If you can't be there, choose hold-for-pickup.

How we ship

Monday through Wednesday only. Never Thursday or Friday. A package that sits in a distribution facility over a weekend is a package of dead animals.

2-Day or Overnight service only. We don't use ground shipping for live animals.

Insulated box, with a heat pack or cold pack chosen based on the forecast at your address — at no extra charge.

Continental US only.

Filing a claim

Contact us at operations@ryzaexotics.com within 1 hours of the carrier's recorded delivery time.

Include clear photos of the animals in the unopened or just-opened shipping container, the packaging, and the shipping label.

Do not discard the packaging until the claim is resolved.

If the claim is approved, we will replacement on the next safe ship day / store credit or refund of the animal cost tee does not cover

Losses reported after the 24-hour claim window closes

Packages delivered to an incorrect address supplied by the buyer

Packages left unattended at the buyer's instruction, or shipped outside the temperature range at the buyer's election without a hub hold

Losses caused by the buyer's care after arrival