Returns, Refunds & Live Arrival Policy
Lobo Mantis ships live, fragile invertebrates that are sensitive to handling, temperature, and timing. This policy is built to be fair to both sides — clear about what's covered, what isn't, and exactly what we need from you when something goes wrong.
By placing an order, you confirm you have read and agree to this policy.
No returns. All sales of live mantises and related products are final.
Cancel before a label prints — only after we email back to acknowledge your request.
Live Arrival Guarantee applies to overnight orders only, reported within 1 hour of unboxing with your unboxing video (photos help).
Oothecae are final sale — no LOA, no refunds, no replacements, no hatch guarantee.
We watch the weather before every shipment and hold orders until conditions are safe.
Final Sale — No Returns
All sales of live mantises, oothecae, and related products are final. We do not accept returns for any reason, including but not limited to:
- Buyer's remorse or a change of mind after delivery.
- Care difficulties once the mantis is in your possession.
- Sex of the mantis — we do our best to identify sex when visible, but cannot guarantee it for younger nymphs.
- Color variation — coloration varies with humidity, lighting, and genetics, and may change between molts.
- Size within the listed instar — L3 nymphs vary; we ship within a reasonable range of the listed stage.
Unsure whether mantis-keeping is right for you? Review our care guides at lobomantis.com/care first — most concerns are answered there.
Cancellations
You may cancel an order only if both of the following are true:
- No tracking number has been assigned yet. Once a shipping label is generated and tracking is issued, your order is considered in transit and cannot be canceled.
- You've emailed us at hello@lobomantis.com requesting cancellation, and we've replied to acknowledge it.
A cancellation isn't effective until you receive our written acknowledgment by email — we aim to reply within 24 hours. Approved cancellations are refunded in full (including shipping) to your original payment method within 5–10 business days. We will not cancel orders that have already been packed, labeled, or shipped.
Live Arrival Guarantee (LOA)
We guarantee your mantis arrives alive under the following strict conditions. This guarantee is the only post-shipment protection we offer.
- Overnight service only — FedEx Priority Overnight or UPS Next Day Air. No slower speed qualifies. Held-for-pickup overnight orders are covered.
- Received on the first delivery attempt. If the package is held, redirected, refused, or sits at a hold location 24+ hours after arrival, LOA is voided.
- Opened the same day it's delivered. Mantises left in the package overnight or longer are not covered.
- Claim reported within 1 hour of unboxing, with the required evidence (see 3.3).
- Order is not for an oothecae — egg cases are final sale (see Section 4).
LOA covers
- A mantis that is deceased on arrival, documented per 3.3.
- Overnight orders opened the day of delivery.
- Claims filed within 1 hour, with your unboxing video (photos help).
LOA does NOT cover
- Mantises that arrive alive but die later (post-arrival mortality).
- Stress or molt-related deaths; refusal to eat for 36–48 hrs is normal.
- Mishandling after delivery — left in sun, dropped, opened by another.
- Late, lost, or misdelivered packages — carrier's responsibility (Sec. 5).
- Any mantis handled, fed, sprayed, or removed from its cup before evidence.
- Packages refused at delivery, or undeliverable addresses.
Submit the following within 1 hour of unboxing (and within 30 days of your order) — the unboxing video is required; the photos strengthen your claim and help me resolve it faster:
- Photos of the sealed shipping box — the carrier label, all visible sides, and any damage or temperature exposure.
- A continuous, unedited unboxing video — start on the sealed exterior, show every layer opened, end on a clear view of the deceased mantis still inside its original cup.
- Photos of the deceased mantis inside the unopened cup, showing the entire body.
- Your order number, name, and a brief note of when the package was delivered and opened.
Photos alone will not be accepted. The unboxing video is the single most important piece of evidence — it confirms the mantis was deceased on arrival, and not as a result of post-arrival handling.
Submit everything above through the claim form at lobomantis.com/claim — it verifies your order, handles the video upload, and routes the claim straight to me. Claims are filed through the form, not by email.
We review every claim individually. We reserve the right to deny claims that don't meet all the requirements above, or that show evidence of post-arrival handling, tampering, or fraud. Repeated false or exaggerated claims will result in being banned from future purchases.
Oothecae (Egg Cases) — Final Sale
Oothecae are sold as-is and are final sale.
Oothecae take 6–12 weeks to hatch depending on species and conditions, and outcomes depend heavily on the temperature, humidity, and care provided by the buyer. Because we can't control or verify those conditions, we can't guarantee hatching success.
We sell oothecae from our own breeding colony and ship them when they're viable. Beyond that, the responsibility is yours. New to incubation? Review our care guides at lobomantis.com/care before ordering.
Shipping Issues — Carrier Responsibility
The following are the responsibility of the carrier, not Lobo Mantis, and are not covered by LOA:
- Late deliveries beyond the guaranteed 1-day window.
- Lost, stolen, or misdelivered packages.
- Packages damaged in transit — we pack each mantis with extreme care, but don't control how the carrier handles the box.
- Weather-related delays after the carrier accepts the package.
- Delivery to an incorrect address entered by the customer at checkout.
- Contact the carrier directly with your tracking number to file a claim.
- Email us at hello@lobomantis.com so we can document the issue and assist where possible.
- We provide proof of pickup, packaging photos, and weight documentation to support your carrier claim.
We'll help you navigate the carrier's claim process, but we do not refund or replace mantises for shipping issues caused by the carrier.
Weather-Based Shipping Holds
We monitor the forecast for both our origin (Nevada) and your delivery ZIP before every shipment.
- Severe weather (hurricanes, blizzards, ice storms) forecast to disrupt delivery.
- The carrier has issued a service alert affecting your region.
- We email you to explain the hold and the reason.
- Your order stays held at no extra cost until conditions are safe.
- We ship as soon as conditions improve and notify you when it's on its way.
- No expedited shipping into unsafe weather — live arrival can't be guaranteed, and we won't ship into unsafe conditions even on request.
- Don't want to wait? Request a cancellation under Section 2 (if no tracking number has been assigned).
We don't offer ship-at-customer's-risk during unsafe weather. The risk is too high to the animal, and our reputation depends on healthy arrivals. If conditions are unsafe, we hold. Period.
What You Are Responsible For
By ordering from Lobo Mantis, you accept responsibility for:
- Providing a correct, complete shipping address at checkout.
- Being available to receive the package on the delivery date, or arranging Hold-at-Location pickup.
- Picking up Hold-at-Location packages within 24 hours of arrival at the carrier facility.
- Opening your package promptly and following the unboxing protocol.
- Capturing the unboxing video before any other action if your mantis appears deceased.
- Reading and following our care guides, and providing appropriate housing, temperature, humidity, and food on arrival.
Chargebacks
Filing a chargeback with your bank or card company without first contacting us and following the LOA claim process above is a violation of our policy — and constitutes fraud where the order was delivered as described.
If you have an issue with your order, email us first at hello@lobomantis.com. We respond within 24 hours and will work with you to resolve it under this policy.
Customers who file fraudulent chargebacks will be banned from future purchases and may be reported to chargeback-fraud databases.
Restocking & Refused Shipments
If a package is refused at delivery, or returned to us because you were unavailable or didn't pick up a Hold-at-Location package within 24 hours:
- We cannot guarantee the mantis will survive the return trip.
- No LOA applies and no refund will be issued.
- The order is forfeit.
We cannot reship packages that have been returned to us.
Contact
Live Arrival claims are filed through our secure claim form — not by email:
The form verifies your order, then lets you attach your unboxing video and photos and tell me what happened. It won’t open a submission until your order number and email match a real order (and it’s rate-limited) — so genuine claims reach me fast and the queue stays free of spam and bots. I review every claim personally, usually within 24–48 hours.
For cancellations, weather holds, and general order questions:
Policy Changes
We may update this policy from time to time. The version in effect when you place your order is the version that applies to it.
The current policy is always posted at lobomantis.com/policies/refunds. Please review it before each order.