Refunds Policy

Updated For - May 1st - December 31st 2025

Refund Policy

Last Updated: 16 July 2026

At Castle Dawn Aquatics, we stand behind the quality of our products and want every customer to shop with confidence. If there is an issue with your order, we'll work with you to resolve it as quickly and fairly as possible.

Eligibility for a Refund

You may be eligible for a refund if:

  • Your order arrives damaged or faulty.

  • You received an incorrect item.

  • Your order is confirmed as lost during transit.

  • Your approved return meets the conditions outlined in our Returns & Exchanges Policy.

Each refund request is reviewed individually to ensure a fair outcome for both our customers and our business.

Damaged, Faulty or Incorrect Orders

If your order arrives damaged, faulty or incorrect, you must contact us within 48 hours of delivery.

To help us investigate your claim, please provide:

  • Your order number.

  • A continuous video clearly showing the product and the issue.

  • A video of the outer packaging.

  • A video showing the shipping label where applicable.

Due to the increasing use of AI-generated and digitally manipulated images, Castle Dawn Aquatics now requires video evidence rather than photographs when submitting claims for damaged, faulty or incorrect orders. This policy helps us verify claims accurately while allowing us to process genuine claims more quickly.

Claims submitted without suitable video evidence may be delayed or declined where the cause of the issue cannot be verified.

Once your claim has been verified, we will, at our discretion, provide one of the following:

  • A replacement item.

  • Replacement parts.

  • Store credit.

  • A full refund.

  • A partial refund where appropriate.

Lost Shipments

If your tracking has not updated for:

  • 15 days for UK and EU deliveries.

  • 20 days for all other international deliveries.

please contact our customer support team.

We will investigate the shipment with the carrier. If the parcel is confirmed as lost, we will either resend your order or issue a full refund.

Delays caused by customs inspections, severe weather, public holidays, airline disruptions, port congestion or other circumstances outside the carrier's control are not considered lost shipments.

Approved Returns

Once your returned item has been received and inspected, we will notify you of the outcome.

If your refund is approved, it will be processed to your original payment method.

Most refunds are issued within 10 business days, although your bank or payment provider may take additional time to credit the funds to your account.

Partial Refunds

Partial refunds may be issued in situations including, but not limited to:

  • Items returned with missing parts, accessories or packaging.

  • Products showing signs of use beyond what is necessary to inspect them.

  • Returns received outside the agreed return conditions, where a partial refund has been mutually agreed.

Non-Refundable Products

Unless they arrive damaged, faulty or supplied incorrectly, the following products cannot be refunded:

  • Fish food.

  • Medications and aquarium treatments.

  • Water conditioners and water additives.

  • Botanicals.

  • Live animals.

  • Gift cards (where applicable).

Original shipping charges are non-refundable unless the refund is the result of our error or a confirmed faulty product.

Customs, Duties & Refused Shipments

Customers are responsible for ensuring that products may legally be imported into their country and for paying any customs duties, import taxes, tariffs or brokerage fees where applicable.

Refunds will not be issued for orders that are:

  • Refused by customs.

  • Abandoned during customs clearance.

  • Destroyed by customs authorities.

  • Returned because import duties, taxes or customs fees were not paid.

If a refused shipment is successfully returned to Castle Dawn Aquatics, any refund will be limited to the value of the products received back, less the original shipping costs, return shipping charges, customs fees and any other costs incurred.

Order Cancellations

Orders may be cancelled at no cost before they have been dispatched.

Once an order has entered the shipping network or is already in transit, it cannot be cancelled. Eligible products may still be returned after delivery in accordance with our Returns & Exchanges Policy.

Chargebacks

If you experience an issue with your order, we ask that you contact us before initiating a payment dispute or chargeback.

We are committed to resolving genuine issues quickly and fairly. Unnecessary chargebacks may delay the resolution process while the payment provider investigates the claim.

Consumer Rights

Nothing in this Refund Policy affects your statutory consumer rights under applicable consumer protection legislation.

Our Promise

Since 2011, Castle Dawn Aquatics has proudly served the fishkeeping community around the world.

If something goes wrong, we'll make every reasonable effort to put it right. Whether that means replacing a product, issuing a refund or helping resolve a shipping issue, our commitment is simple:

We believe great customer service doesn't end when your order leaves our warehouse.