Default Seller Policy

This policy automatically applies to any transaction where the seller has not stated their own exchange, shipping, or live-arrival terms on the listing or in a message. It exists so every buyer has a clear baseline, even when a seller has not written anything down.

A seller may publish more specific terms for their own listings or farm. When they do, those seller-stated terms displace this default for that sale — always check the listing and ask the seller to confirm before you pay.

For claims under this default policy, contact the seller within 2 hours of delivery. Photograph the animal while it is still sealed in its original shipping bag, unacclimated — this is the evidence a claim depends on.

Claims made after the 2-hour window, or without clear photos of the unopened, unacclimated bag, are not eligible for a remedy under this default policy.

If a claim qualifies, the seller arranges a replacement (exchange) at their discretion. This is the only remedy available under this default policy — there is no refund, and Garage Farmers does not issue one on the seller’s behalf.

An exchange resolves the issue with a comparable replacement animal or item when the seller has one available; sellers are not obligated to hold identical stock indefinitely.

Original outbound shipping is non-refundable once an animal has shipped, whether or not a claim is later approved.

Shipping for a replacement item, if an exchange is granted, follows whatever the seller states at the time — buyers should confirm this before agreeing to an exchange.

Once livestock has been removed from its shipping bag and acclimated to a buyer’s tank, it is no longer eligible for a claim under this default policy, regardless of the delivery timestamp.

Photographing the animal in the sealed, unacclimated bag before any acclimation begins is what makes a timely claim possible — acclimating first, then reporting a problem, forfeits the remedy.

This default policy fills the gap when a seller has not stated their own terms. It never overrides the platform-wide shipping floor described in Shipping Standards, which every seller must follow regardless of their own exchange terms.

See the Live Arrival Guarantee page for a buyer-facing walkthrough of how seller-specific guarantees and this default interact.

We may update this Default Seller Policy as the marketplace or legal requirements change. The “Last updated” date on this page identifies the current version.

Continuing to use Garage Farmers after a change takes effect means the updated policy applies to your use of the marketplace.