Refund Policy

At Honey Bee Genetics, customer satisfaction is important to us. We want you to feel confident and cared for with every order. We understand that shipping live queen bees comes with unique challenges, and we are committed to working with our customers when an order arrives with an issue.

Because live queen shipments are affected by weather, carrier operations, transportation conditions, and other circumstances outside of our control, we ask that customers review the following policy before placing an order.
 

1. Reporting an Issue With Your Order

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If your queen arrives deceased, damaged, or with another issue, please contact Honey Bee Genetics through our website contact form or by emailing orders@honeybeegenetics.com within 24 hours of delivery.

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To help us properly review your situation, customers must provide:

• Their order number and contact information.

• A clear description of the issue.

• Clear photographs showing the condition of the queen in her cage.

• A photograph of the shipping label if the issue may be related to a shipping delay or carrier handling.

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Photographs are required for us to evaluate the issue and determine whether a refund, replacement, or another resolution is appropriate.

Please contact us before discarding any affected bees or packaging, as additional information may be needed to review your claim.

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2. Queen Arrival Guarantee

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We stand behind the condition of our queen bees upon arrival. If a queen arrives deceased, customers must notify us within 24 hours of delivery and provide the required photographs for review.

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Once the issue has been reviewed and confirmed, Honey Bee Genetics will provide a replacement queen at no additional cost.

Our arrival guarantee applies only to the queen's condition upon delivery. We cannot guarantee successful introduction, acceptance, or continued survival after the queen has been introduced into a colony.

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Queen acceptance depends on several factors, including colony conditions, hive health, handling, and introduction methods. Because these factors are outside of our control, we cannot offer refunds or replacements for queens that are rejected, injured, or die after introduction into a colony.

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3. Live Queen Shipments

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We take great care in preparing and shipping our queen bees. However, because live queen shipments are transported by an independent shipping carrier, we cannot guarantee that every queen will arrive alive or that shipments will arrive by their estimated delivery dates.

Weather conditions, carrier delays, transportation disruptions, and other unforeseen circumstances may affect the condition and delivery time of queen shipments.

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If your queen arrives deceased, please contact us within 24 hours of delivery and provide clear photographs of the queen in her cage and the packaging.

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After communicating with the customer and reviewing the submitted photographs, Honey Bee Genetics will evaluate the situation and determine an appropriate resolution. For confirmed queen arrival issues reported within the required timeframe, we will provide a replacement queen at no additional cost.

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Please understand that our arrival guarantee applies to the condition of the queen upon delivery and does not guarantee successful introduction, acceptance, or survival after introduction into a colony.

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4. Shipping Delays and Carrier Issues

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Delivery dates provided at checkout or in order confirmations are estimates unless expressly confirmed otherwise.

Honey Bee Genetics works with independent shipping carriers to transport orders. Once an order has been handed over to the carrier, delays or delivery disruptions may occur due to weather, carrier operations, transportation conditions, or other unforeseen circumstances.

While we will do our best to assist customers and communicate with the carrier when issues arise, we cannot guarantee on-time delivery or prevent delays caused by circumstances outside of our control.

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If a shipping delay affects the condition of your queen, please contact us within 24 hours of delivery. We may request photographs of the shipping label and the queen to help evaluate the situation and, when applicable, assist with a carrier insurance claim.

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5. Refund and Replacement Eligibility

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Refunds and replacements are considered when an order arrives damaged, deceased, or otherwise does not arrive in the expected condition.

All requests are subject to:

• Notification within 24 hours of delivery.

• Communication with Honey Bee Genetics regarding the issue.

• Submission of clear photographs documenting the problem.

• Review and approval by our team.

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After reviewing the circumstances, Honey Bee Genetics will determine whether a refund, replacement queen, or another appropriate resolution will be provided.

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We reserve the right to decline refund or replacement requests that do not meet the requirements of this policy or are submitted outside the designated reporting period.

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6. How to Request a Refund or Replacement

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If you experience an issue with your order, please follow these steps:

1. Visit our website and complete the contact form within 24 hours of delivery.

2. Include your order number and a description of the issue.

3. Attach clear photographs of the affected queen, her cage, packaging, and shipping label when applicable.

4. Allow our team time to communicate with you and review the situation.

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We will work with you to understand what happened and determine the most appropriate next steps.

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7. Our Commitment to You

At Honey Bee Genetics, we value your trust and want every customer to have a positive experience. Although shipping live queen bees involves circumstances that are sometimes beyond our control, we are committed to treating every concern with care and reviewing reported issues fairly.

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Thank you for choosing Honey Bee Genetics. We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you!

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California Consumer Protection Compliance

Honey Bee Genetics strives to maintain refund, replacement, shipping, and customer service policies in accordance with applicable California and federal consumer protection laws, including California Civil Code § 1723, California Business & Professions Code § 17538, and the Federal Trade Commission's Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule (16 CFR Part 435).

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Nothing in this policy is intended to waive or limit any rights or protections customers may have under applicable federal or California law.