Returns and refunds

You have 14 days from the day an order is delivered or collected to return unopened, undamaged goods for a refund or exchange. Bring the item back to the shop, or send it with a courier of your choice, in its original packaging where possible, along with the order reference from your confirmation, for example FP-8K42-7301.

No order reference is not a dead end. We can usually find the order against the phone number or card used to pay, it just takes a little longer than reading it off the confirmation.

If a fish does not make it in the first 48 hours after collection or delivery, message us on WhatsApp straight away. We ask for two things before we can act: a photo of the fish, and a water test result for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate from the tank it went into.

The same 48 hour window and the same photo and water test apply to dogs, cats and hamsters, though for a mammal we will also ask what happened rather than lead with a water reading. Call us on WhatsApp and we will talk you through it.

A small list of things cannot be returned once they leave the shop, for hygiene reasons rather than to be difficult:

• Opened food and treats, because we cannot verify how they were stored once they leave our fridge or shelf, and resealing is not the same as never opened.
• Opened litter and bedding, for the same reason.
• Used grooming tools such as brushes, clippers and nail trimmers, once they have touched an animal.
• Anything that has been in tank water, including filters, heaters, ornaments and test kits, because it can carry parasites or disease between systems that we cannot see or test for on the spot.

None of this affects your 14 day right to return the item unopened, and none of it affects a genuine warranty claim on a faulty product below.

A faulty item is a different conversation to a change of mind, and the 14 day window does not apply to it. Tanks, pumps and lights carry a 24 month warranty against a manufacturing fault, as stated on the individual product page. Other categories carry whatever warranty the manufacturer states on their own product page, which we will always point you to before you buy.

To make a claim, message us on WhatsApp with the order reference, a description of the fault and a photo or short video. Small items can usually be swapped at the shop. Tanks and anything too large to carry in are inspected at your address, then repaired, replaced or refunded depending on what we find, at no cost to you if the fault is ours.

A refund always goes back the way you paid. We do not offer store credit unless you ask for it instead.

• Card or wallet through Stripe: refunded to the original card, usually visible within 5 to 10 business days depending on your bank.
• Tabby: the refund is processed back through Tabby, which adjusts or cancels your remaining installments automatically. It typically shows in your Tabby account within 3 to 5 business days.
• Cash on delivery: since we never hold your card details, this is refunded by bank transfer. We will ask for an IBAN and process it within 2 to 3 business days of receiving it.

1. Message us on WhatsApp with your order reference and the reason for the return. A photo helps if the item is faulty or if this is a livestock claim.
2. We confirm whether it needs to come back to us, or whether we can settle it from the photo alone, which is common for larger tanks.
3. Bring it to the shop at Shop 4, Al Muntasir Road, Al Nakheel, Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, or arrange collection on your next delivery run, whichever suits you.
4. The refund or replacement is issued as soon as the item is checked, or immediately for an agreed livestock claim.

You can also start this in person at the shop during opening hours, or by emailing salaam@finsandpaws.ae if WhatsApp is not convenient. WhatsApp is fastest because we can usually see a photo and answer in the same message.