Terms of Service (TOS)

1) You must be an adult/ 18 yrs. or older (No sales to minors. Proof of age may be required at our discretion.) 

2) Be a compassionate and caring exotic animal hobbyist. Have good intentions and/or experience about keeping exotic animals with a compassionate animal welfare attitude (research the animal's needs and best care and provide the best captive enclosure, food, water, heat, cooling conditions and other needs as possible and have these materials/supplies on-hand before acquiring your new animal/animals.

3. Minimum order is $50  for "live" stock not including shipping costs. 

4.  NO INTERNATIONAL SALES. ONLY U.S.A. SALES: Sales are made and shipped ONLY for U.S. residents to U.S. states. We do not ship to U.S. territories and we do not ship internationally.

• We offer 10% discounts for new customers, currently employed K12 teachers, and first responders (current employment for law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and 911 dispatchers), and LIFETIME 10% discount for all U.S. military members (active duty, reserves, retired, and veterans).

*** ONLY 1 discount can be applied to your order. Which ever discount is greater, that is the one you may use. (Example if you qualify for a 10% k12 teacher discount, you can't use a 20% off sales coupon too. You would just use the 20% coupon only).

*** IMPORTANT: Use our contact page to inquire how to qualify for these discounts BEFORE placing an order.

1) We ONLY ship via Fedex. It is the most reliable shipping carrier and utilized by animals shippers. Do NOT ask for use to use any other carrier.

2) Ship days are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For some situations, we ship on Mondays.  We never ship on Thursdays, or Fridays,  and there is no shipping on weekends. There has been too many carrier delays on those days.

3) We ONLY ship to FedEx "Ship Centers" via FedEx Priority Overnight service.  NO live arrival guarantee for shipping to a NON-FedEx Ship Center address (NOTE: a "FedEx Office Print & Ship Center is NOT the same and will not be covered or live arrival).  Shipping to a FedEx Ship Center for live arrival is the best address to ensure your animals arrive alive and in  good health. You can select Fedex 2nd day service during early fall and late spring, but there is no live arrival guarantee with that service. During the summer and winter months, shipments will have to go to your nearby FedEx Ship Center due to extreme temps (there is no exception to this rule).  We will determine your nearest FedEx Ship Center closest to you and email you that address.

• Shipments are guaranteed upon arrival ONLY if your temperatures are between 40F-89F.  We reserve the right to delay your shipment to wait for better temperatures.
• Live arrival is guaranteed ONLY for shipments shipped FedEx Priority Overnight. Using Fedex 2nd day service voids your live arrival guarantee.
• We do not guarantee live arrival for any amphibian, mantid ,solifugid species due to their delicate needs, they are easily stressed and/or they are not long-lived. Live arrival is NOT guaranteed to any NON-FedEx Ship Center addresses.
• Wild-caught animals are ONLY guaranteed 24 hours upon arrival. Captive-born/captive-raised animals are guaranteed for 7 days.
• We are not responsible for any carrier's mishandling or damage to your box, acts of God, terrorists attacks, extreme weather or anything of the like. We keep and sell quality stock and pack very well, but once the box leaves our possession, it is up to the carrier selected to do their part. We are not responsible for their delays or mishandling.
• You or your agent must be present to sign for door to door shipments.
• Orders sent the FedEx Ship Center must be picked up within 4 hours of their arrival time OR your live arrival guarantee is voided.
• We are not responsible for missed deliveries or carrier delays.
• No other guarantees or warranties are implied or offered.

• Animals offered for sale have not been quarantined or treated for parasites unless we state that explicitly in an ad, in our price list or on our web site. They are otherwise all in apparent good health. we strongly recommend that all animals (captive born and wild caught) be quarantined, checked by a vet, and treated accordingly. This applies especially to wild-caught imports. 
• Buyer acknowledges complete satisfaction 24 hours after receipt of shipment. (It is the responsibility of the buyer to make a thorough inspection of their received wildlife within 24 hours of receipt of their shipment. Major problems (injuries during shipping that affect mobility/eating/drinking, missing appendages, etc.) will be legitimate concerns for replacement/credit, etc.  Very petty problems about small cosmetic markings, small scarring, premolt coloration, a missing toenail, "slightly" kinked tail, and on wild-caught animals things like missing leg segment, whip tail and antenna, etc. will be listened to and possible discounts/credits made, but 99% of the time, will not be considered. We are reasonable, but the buyer needs to be reasonable as well. Sorry for having to say this, but after dealing with many customers over three decades, we do find the occasional customer that is not reasonable with their expectations of wild-caught/imported wildlife and/or captive-born wildlife in the packing/shipping process and how a customer may unpack, set up and keep wildlife that can incur cosmetic  problems as well. We have been shipping top-notch stock for over three decades with thousands of satisfied customers. We have to write the above disclaimer for the occasional customer that has unreasonable expectations and can never be satisfied. Anybody in retails sales long-term knows what we are referring to here.)

• No credits/replacements/refunds for stock shipped that was discounted, special sale stock, a replacement, customer selected b-grade stock and freebies.

• Any DOA (dead-upon-arrival) claims must be made within 4 hours of arrival by email and/or using our contact page on this site.
• DOAs must be proven by taking a good photo with the animal cut in half or with a pin put through its abdomen or you can ship it to us by preserving (putting the animal in a zip lock bag wrapped in slightly-moist, alcohol tissue and shipped immediately to use. 

• Wild-caught stock is ONLY guaranteed for 24 hours after arrival of our shipment.

• Captive-born stock is guaranteed for one week.

• All valid DOAs are replaced if the species is in stock on your next order, or a credit will be issued for your next order. No refunds.
• Customer pays for shipping on any DOA replacement shipments.

 • Replacement stock shipped  are not “replaceable” if they are DOA.

• Sexing is ONLY guaranteed IF it was advertised sexed on this site and/or if it is printed on the invoice next to the species name purchased. If your male turns about to be female later on or vice versa, contact us and we will replace the animal and/or issue you a credit and take care of shipping costs to return the animal back to us if you desire. 
• If the animal listing states that it is  "UNSEXED", do not ask us to sex it. It is being sold "unsexed" due the fact that we can't yet sex it accurately, or we have too many in-stock to take the time to sex that species. If we can sex the species and take the time to do it individually, most probably the "sexed" invertebrate will be listed at a higher price especially if it is female.
• In general, we  do NOT guarantee sexing of tarantulas under 3" leg spans, and we do not guarantee sexing on true spiders, centipedes, scorpions, vinegaroons, tailless whip scorpions, solifugids, mantids, amphibians and reptiles. IF we are able to sex it, it will be listed male or female.
• Identification is guaranteed if we list the genus and species on your order's invoice ONLY. IF the animal is sold with a "?" beside the identification of its family, genus or species, that means we are not sure and there is no guarantee that it is what's listed. IF you are sold an animal with no question mark as to its identification and listed that way on the invoice and it turns out later not to be that in that family, genus or species, we will take care of shipping costs to return the animal and issue a credit if you desire. We cannot be liable for taxonomic changes in the future though.
• We sell life stage sizes as "baby, spiderling, juvenile, sub-adult, adult, mature male" for what's appropriate for that particular species. We guarantee that life stage size, but we will not play around with exact measurements as people have different ideas about how invertebrates are measured.

• The photos our ads, on our web site and in our email attachments to you may or may not be the actual animal available (unless stated). Unfortunately, due to the number of animals we offer, the rapid turnover of inventory, and the large number of requests for photos that we receive it is nearly impossible for us to provide photos of individual animals. Occasional exceptions may apply if the animal is priced $500 or higher. In that case, we will provide pics upon request.

• The photos our ads, on our web site and in our email attachments to you may or may not be the actual animal available (unless stated). Unfortunately, due to the number of animals we offer, the rapid turnover of inventory, and the large number of requests for photos that we receive it is nearly impossible for us to provide photos of individual animals. Occasional exceptions may apply if the animal is priced $500 or higher. In that case, we will provide pics upon request.

• Price matching: Let us know if you saw a lower price somewhere else. We will match it on a case-by-case basis. Sometimes we can. Sometimes we can. It depends on a lot of different factors. It doesn't hurt to ask though. Just use our contact page to communicate this.

• We require full payment before we field collect and/or ship out your stock. No exceptions.
• ALL SALES ARE FINAL. Once your order is submitted via online ordering and/or email or phone call, and we have confirmed availability and asked for payment and you have paid the full balance or made any amount of deposits, all sales are final. We have reserved the order for you and you are obligated to receive it. If for any reason, we cannot ship you the order you paid for and no substitution can be made and/or a credit issued for the future, we will then issue a refund if you desire. IF you checked "YES in the shopping cart that you read these terms, but failed to actually read them, that is on you. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. We don't do refunds because you failed to read these terms.

• CREDITS: Customers that trade their stock for store credit, receive a credit, OR return shipping boxes may only receive stock from our current inventory (in-stock items). If we run out of something, the credit is kept on-file until replacement or new stock can be substituted. Credits MUST be used within one year of the issue date of the credit or they will be forfeited. 

• Care sheets available upon request. Check on this site first to see if we have some already published on the site. 

• Highly venomous invertebrate species regarded as dangerous possess venom that is sufficiently toxic to humans that a single bite can deliver a medically significant dose.

• Venomous species that are medically significant are ONLY for researchers, zoos and professional individuals that are adults and have experience with venomous species.
• Buyers will be required to be an adult and fill out a venomous liability form (inquire using our contact page) and cooperate with any and all of our questions concerning your purchase.

• Florida residents will need the "FL Arthropod Permit" to possess, breed, import, sale and transport select invertebrates.

• FL residents may buy and keep tarantulas (Theraphosidae family) and scorpions of the Hadogenes Pandinus, Heterometrus and Hadrurus genera and any native FL invertebrates, but anything outside of that scope, you will need to apply for a permit to buy, keep, breed, sale, exhibit and transport.

• Strictly Prohibited Arthropods that can NOT be imported and/or transported into the state and sold and/or traded to any FL resident and/or business are the following genera:

Latrodectus spp. (non-Florida species)
Loxosceles spp. (non-Florida species)
Sicarius spp.
Buthid family of scorpions (non-Florida species)

FAQ for the Florida Arthropod Permit:

https://www.fdacs.gov/Divisions-Offices/Plant-Industry/Business-Services/Plant-Pest-Permits/Arthropod-Plant-and-Plant-Pest-Permits

• List of arthropods that you need the permit for:

https://www.fdacs.gov/content/download/10229/file/Guideline-for-Importing-Exotic-and-Non.pdf

*** DOWNLOAD AND READ THE FOLLOWING PAGES FROM THE ABOVE LINK:
• You will need this form: FDACS-08208 - Application and Permit to Move Organisms Regulated by the State of Florida [PDF]

https://forms.freshfromflorida.com/08208.pdf

If you have any questions, use their contact page: 

https://contact.fdacs.gov

 Phone: (352) 395-4700

• "By ordering from us, you have checked with your local, state and federal wildlife authorities and have complied with all necessary laws and requirements to order and keep these types of animals and have acquired any necessary permits. You also acknowledge that you are aware these animals have the ability to either bite or sting and inject venom, flick urticating hair, constrict or scratch, and that we do NOT advocate handling of these animals. You also agree NOT to hold Tarantulaspiders.com, Todd Gearheart Enterprises, Todd Gearheart, his staff, members or representatives responsible for any injury you or others may receive as a result of your having these animals. This applies to either direct or indirect injury or damage. You further agree that you take full responsibility for the consequences resulting from keeping these animals, both to yourself and to others, to yours and their property, and will keep Todd Gearheart, as well as all people connected with his business free of all liability for injury or damage of any and all kind. We are not trying to scare you, only to impress upon you that these animals require responsible keeping. Novice keepers should read a good book like Sam Marshall's "Tarantulas and Other Arachnids" and read all beginner-type of articles before purchasing and keeping a tarantula, other invertebrate, reptile or exotic animal. 
• Note that your failure to read my terms whether accidental or intentional will not under any circumstances be a reason to consider them void or altered. 
• Your order is a legally binding contract. By placing your order, you acknowledge that you have read, fully understand and agree to our terms of sale. You also acknowledge and agree to pay all expenses including legal fees, court costs and attorney fees paid by the seller when attempting to collect on a breach of these terms. We are not responsible for customers who ignore our Terms of Sale. All sales are final. 

COMMUNICATION: Use our contact page  for communication. We generally reply within 24 to 48 hours, not instantly or within minutes generation z people. :)