Our delivery, livestock & returns policies
D.O.A DELIVERY POLICY UPDATED 01/04/2026
Should You Have Any Questions Regarding Our Policies Or Procedures Please Don’t Hesitate to Contact Us. All Emails Will Be Responded To Within 24 Hours.
We Do Not Have UK Retail Stores That Are Open to The Public. Sims Tropical Fish Operates And Manages The Logistics of All Aquatic Species in The UK For Trade And Retail Customers.
We Are Not Able To Provide Images Of The Exact Fish On Any Occasion Due To The Number of Fish Leaving Us Everyday To Our Trade And Retail Customers. Our Team’s Across Our UK Distribution Centre’s Will Always Select A Fish As Close To The Advertised Images As Possible.
All Sizes Described On The Website Are An Approximation As We Are Dealing With Livestock. We Will Always Send Fish Out That Are As Close As Possible To The Sizes Listed.
Our Website Is Not A Reflection Of Current UK Wide Distribution Centre Stock. All Our Livestock Listed On The Website Is Available To Order For Delivery Within 14 Days Of Purchase. For Our Rarer Species, We Are Effectively Importing The Livestock On Your Behalf As A Pre Order. We Currently Deliver 99% Of Trade Orders On The Selected Delivery Date and 95% Of Retail Orders On The Selected Delivery Date.
PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD THE DOA DELIVERY POLICY BEFORE YOU PURCHASE. AS MAKING A PAYMENT WILL BE AN AGREEMENT TO ACCEPTING THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS.
- With All Delivery Options You Will Receive A Delivery Date Confirmation Via Email Within 24 Hours Of Purchase.
- Please Ensure That You Have Read Your Delivery Information Email Which Will Answer Any Questions You May Have About The Transportation Of Your Livestock.
- If You Would Like To Change Your Delivery Date You Can Contact Us And We Can Send Your Order At A More Convenient Day To You.
- Please Advise Your Preferred Delivery Date At The Checkout And We Will Always Do Our Best To Deliver On The Date Requested.
We Do Not Refund Dead On Arrival Fish. We Always Replace Them In The Box With Your Next Order Free Of Charge. Should You Have Any Unlikely Issues With Your Delivery We Will Always Do Our Very Best To Resolve The Problem Immediately.
Please Take The Time To Photograph Or Video Your Delivery And The Bags As They Come Out Of The Box As Your Insurance Policy.
Fish That Are Delivered Dead On Arrival On The Allocated Delivery Date Will Be Replaced By Us And Then Sent Out In The Box With Your Next Order Free Of Charge, Upon Receipt Of Supporting Photographs. For Successful DOA Claims, Images Of The Livestock In The Delivery Packaging Are To Be Received By Us Via Email Only, On The Day Of Delivery At retail@simstropicalfish.co.uk.
Should You Be Unfortunate Enough To Experience Any Very Unlikely Issues, Please Contact Us Immediately On:
Retail Customer Orders 07801 323641 retail@simstropicalfish.co.uk
We Will Always Resolve Any Problems.
Through 2019 To 2025 Our Couriers Have Delivered Over 1 Millions Boxes Of Live Fish To Our Retail and Trade Customers At A Right First Time Rate Of Over 99.9%.
STANDARD DELIVERY WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY
Standard Delivery Is £20 For All Livestock Orders & There Is No Minimum Order Value. Selecting Your Fish For Standard Delivery Is A Choice Against Selecting The Insured Delivery Service And Is A Formal Agreement To Accepting The The Terms And Conditions Stated By This Policy.
We deliver our standard service to retail customers through our livestock licensed courier DX on a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday every week.
Our Service Level Agreement With The Courier Is That The Fish Will Be Collected From Us In The Evening Prior To Your Delivery Date And Delivered The Next Day Before 1pm In The Condition And Temperature That They Were Collected In.
All Your Tracking Information Will Be Sent To You Directly By The Courier Dx The Evening Before Your Delivery Date When Your Box Is Collected From The Supplier. You Will Also Receive A Text Message From The Courier Around 9am On Your Delivery Day With Your Time Slot. You Must Ensure Someone Is At The Delivery Address On Your Delivery Date To Receive The Livestock.
INSURED STANDARD DELIVERY WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY AND FRIDAY
Insured Delivery Is £30 For All Livestock Orders & There Is No Minimum Order Value. We Are Also Able To Offer A Fully Insured Standard Delivery Service Where Should You Experience Any Problems, Including Issues Relating To Temperature, Damage, Loss Or Delay By The Courier, Sims Tropical Fish Will Step In And Resend An Instant Replacement Fish For Delivery The Following Day, Rather Than With Your Next Order, Upon Receipt Of Supporting Photographs.
Instant Replacement Livestock Can Be Delivered On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Every Week.
STANDARD DELIVERY SATURDAY
Standard Delivery On a Saturday Is £30 For All Livestock Orders & There Is No Minimum Order Value. Please Ensure That When You Are Selecting Your Delivery Date As A Saturday, That You Are Selecting A Saturday Delivery Cost At The Checkout. Selecting Your Fish For Standard Delivery Is A Choice Against Selecting The Insured Delivery Service And Is A Formal Agreement To Accepting The The Terms And Conditions Stated By This Policy.
We Deliver Our Standard Service To Retail Customers Through Our Livestock Licensed Courier DX On A Wednesday, Thursday, Friday And Saturday Every Week.
Our Service Level Agreement With The Courier Is That The Fish Will Be Collected From Us In The Evening Prior To Your Delivery Date And Delivered The Next Day Before 1pm In The Condition And Temperature That They Were Collected In.
All Your Tracking Information Will Be Sent To You Directly By The Courier Dx The Evening Before Your Delivery Date When Your Box Is Collected From The Supplier. You Will Also Receive A Text Message From The Courier Around 9am On Your Delivery Day With Your Time Slot. You Must Ensure Someone Is At The Delivery Address On Your Delivery Date To Receive The Livestock.
INSURED STANDARD DELIVERY SATURDAY
Insured Delivery On A Saturday Is £40 For All Livestock Orders & There Is No Minimum Order Value. We Are Also Able To Offer A Fully Insured Standard Delivery Service Where Should You Experience Any Problems, Including Issues Relating To Temperature, Damage, Loss Or Delay By The Courier, Sims Tropical Fish Will Step In And Resend An Instant Replacement Fish For Delivery The Following Delivery Day, Rather Than With Your Next Order, Upon Receipt Of Supporting Photographs.
Instant Replacement Livestock Can Be Delivered On Wednesday, Thursday, Friday And Saturday Every Week.
Live Auctions
To participate in our Live Auction, all customers are required to create an account and provide accurate delivery information along with valid payment card details before placing any bids. Our auctions operate on an automated bidding and payment system, and by placing a bid you confirm that you have read and accept these Terms and Conditions. If you are successful in winning an auction, the cost of the fish will be automatically charged to your registered payment card. Once ready, you should log into your account, navigate to the auctions section, and complete each winning order. Where multiple auctions are won, you must pay the applicable shipping cost, select your preferred delivery date using the checkout calendar, and for any additional orders select the shipping method “Add to Order.”
As an account is required to take part, any customer who signs up, places bids, and then deletes their account will forfeit their order and any funds already charged.
We also reserve the right to restrict or block access to future auctions where necessary.
Frequently asked questions about our policies
How quickly do I need to report a DOA?
Within 4 hours of delivery. Photograph the deceased livestock in good light, email customerservice@simstropicalfish.co.uk with your order number and the photos. Replacements are processed on the next available delivery slot at no charge.
Why don't you offer cash refunds on dead livestock?
Replacement protects future welfare standards and prevents abuse of the system. It’s the industry-standard policy across OATA-registered livestock retailers — cash refunds on live animals create perverse incentives. The Arrive Alive Promise guarantees you get fish in conditioned state, not just money back.
What's the difference between Standard and Insured delivery?
Standard Delivery (£20, Wed–Fri service) covers DOAs reported within 4 hours under the Arrive Alive Promise. Insured Delivery (£30) extends cover to in-transit losses regardless of cause — delayed couriers, extreme weather, anything outside the standard 4-hour reporting window.
Can I cancel an order after placing it?
Yes, before the morning of dispatch. Email or WhatsApp us with your order number. After dispatch (typically Wed–Fri morning) the order is in DX Express’s hands and cannot be cancelled — you can refuse delivery but a restocking + courier charge applies.
Do you ship to Northern Ireland, Ireland, or the EU?
UK mainland only on this site. Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, Republic of Ireland, and European Union shipments are handled separately — contact us for a quote and customs documentation.
What happens if I'm not home for delivery?
The DX driver phones on approach. If you can’t take the delivery, they’ll attempt next-day re-delivery once. If that fails, livestock returns to us and a re-shipping charge applies. Insured Delivery includes re-shipping cover at no charge.