Shipping Rates & Policy

Shipping and Delivery Rates

Free Shipping

Free shipping applies to dry goods orders only. Animal and plant shipments are subject to shipping rates based on location and in the case of plant shipments, how many plants are to be shipped. Free shipping is also subject to surcharges for locations not served by regular courier routes and for oversized and heavy items. Surcharges will also occur if the order is over 4 kg in total weight.  Heavy items can include substrates, oversized items can include screens and long fluorescent light tubes as examples.

Dry goods/Product Shipping

Tails and Scales ships products across Canada. We now offer multiple carrier shipping and use a number of the most familiar shipping companies in Canada including Fed Ex, UPS, Purolator, Canpar, Dicom/GLS,  Sendle/ICS and Canada Post. Shipping charges have increased steadily since Covid and we have had to increase some of our shipping charges and minimums to reflect these much higher costs.

Flat Rates

ON, PQ $20.00

MB, SK, AB, BC, NB, NS PE, NF $25.00
YT, NT, NU $40.00

 

All dry goods shipments to PO Boxes will be sent by Canada Post Only no exceptions

Shipping to most of Ontario and Quebec is now a flat rate of $20 with free shipping starting at $150. Surcharges for heavy objects and oversized items will, for most products, be automatic and will be reflected in the listed shipping charge. Some surcharges are courier dependent and may be invoiced after order has been made. Surcharges for distant and rural areas will also be automatic for most postal codes. Some locations that are served by air service only will have surcharges added as well. You may be contacted if the items are too large or too heavy to ship or if the surcharge is substabtial

Shipping to the rest of Canada except for the Territories is a flat rate of $25 with free shipping starting at $150. Heavy, oversized and rural locations will also see surcharges that can be as mush as double the original shipping rate.

Shipping to the territories is a flat rate of $40 for most item. Canada Post Flat Rate boxes are the most common option for items that can fit in one of the Flat Rate Boxes with a large box being 40cmx30cmx19xcm and costing $29.99

Enclosure Shipping

With a few exceptions all aquariums and reptile enclosures are in store pick up only. Sizes smaller than 18" x 18" x 24" can be shipped by special request but will have a customized shipping rate due to size and weight. We cannot have a flat rate for these as destination is a big factor in determining shipping rate.  Large terrariums can be shipped by LTL trucking but will incur a number of different surcharges including a fee to pickup and drop off pallet with a lift gate.

Other Shipping Notes

Shipping dry good products outside Canada is possible. Please send a list of what you need and your full address by email so we can determine cost and send you a quote.

Feeder Shipping

We cannot ship frozen fish foods, frozen rodents. They are for local delivery or pick up or in store shopping only. There are some exceptions for areas in southern Ontario that could qualify for overnight courier economy shipping. Live rodents cannot be shipped or delivered they are in store pick up only

Animal Shipping

Animal shipping does not qualify for free shipping at $150. Animal shipments go out on Monday or Tuesday. Shipments can go out on Wednesday on rare occasions for shipments going to some Ontario addresses. We cannot ship out on Thursday or Friday

The address must be a physical address as we cannot ship animals to P.O. Boxes. We also require that a signature be collected by the courier. You will be contacted before shipping to make sure you or someone else is home to receive. We will not ship until this is verified. Animal shipping is dependent on whether or not the two carriers we use have direct service to your location Most shipments will be sent by Fed Ex priority overnight. Some shipments of lizards, turtles or frogs can go out by UPS Express as well

Live animal shipping includes, insulated shipping box, heat or cryopak and all necessary labels for the box. We use Fed Ex and UPS exclusively. UPS cannot be requested for shipments containing snakes.

Animal shipping rates are as follows.

ON, PQ $65. Postal codes that start with P and a number that start with G or J will see a $10 to $30 surcharge. Locations must be served directly by Fed Ex to qualify for animal shipping.

PE, NS, NB, MA, SK, AB, BC $85 with some rural locations seeing $10 to $40 surcharge. Location must be served by Fed Ex to qualify for animal shipping.

NF $100 with some rural locations seeing $10 to $40 surcharge. Location must be served by Fed Ex to qualify for animal shipping.

NU, NT, YT $200 with some rural locations seeing largesurcharge or more. Location must be served by Fed Ex to qualify for animal shipping and must not be out of Fed Ex's normally delivery zones.  The rate for the territories is only a guideline. Some destinations may not be served and we reserve the right to refuse shipping if the time in transit is too long. Shipping may have to be by air freight

USA $100 CAD ($75 USD +-) shipping to the US is now possible for most non-CITES animals. We will be making regular runs to the US to ship out orders to our American customers hopefully every 4 to 6 weeks. Contact the shop for details. If you have an animal in your cart and says that it cannot be shipped it is because we can't ship that species at this time. 

Fish Shipping Notes

Fish shipping rates fall under the same rates as Animal Shipping rates with one addition. Larger orders of many fish will incur a surcharge due to the much larger box size that may be required to ship larger orders of fish. Orders going to most addresses in Ontario and Quebec will see a surcharge of $15 for orders of fish greater than or totalling 25 animals. Orders outside of Ontario and Quebec will see a surcharge of $20 for orders greater than or totalling 20 animals. Totals will include both fish and invertebrates (shrimps, snails etc), Totals above 40 animals will see surcharge of $45

      At the present time we can only send fish orders to locations that are directly served by Fed Ex Express Priority. The location must be within Fed Ex Express Priority service area and not passed off to a secondary delivery service. Locations that may take up to three days cannot be sent as the time in transit for the fish will be too long.

Holds and Solds

    Customers can put animals or plants on hold for future pick up, delivery or shipping under the following terms. Animals and plants: 24 hours with no deposit. up to 14 days with 25% deposit, up to 1 month if fully paid. If the customer fails to arrange for pick up, delivery or shipping after the one month time period then the animal or plant will go back up for sale. Extenuating circumstances can be taken into account if an extension is require but this may incur boarding charges in regards to animals. Deposits are non-refundable

Fish Holds and Solds

Because of space limitations and the more delicate nature of fish we can hold fish, even fully paid for specimens, for a maximum of 2 weeks. Extenuating circumstances, including but not limited to bad weather affecting shipping, can lead to an extension but only until it is safe to ship. We are not equipped to house small quantities of fish for extended periods and can offer no boarding for fish.

Plant Shipping 

Please click on the link to see plant shipping policies

Winter Shipping

Delivery

Tails & Scales offers local delivery within the GTA. Rates are $15.00 for Toronto and $20.00 outside the City  If the local delivery option shows up in the checkout of your order then the service is available to your address. Not all zones are delivered daily. Many zones outside Toronto are Tuesday to Friday only. Delivery is to physical addresses only. We cannot deliver to post office boxes etc.

Local delivery is handled by a third party delivery company. Please specify a day you will be home. If we don't have a specified day we will send out the same day or next day whichever is available to us. If a delivery goes out and you are not home to accept then you may be billed for the return of the delivery. Deliveries can also be left at a spot you chose and a photo will be taken on delivery. Please let us know if you do not need a signature on arrival. To get same day delivery, weather permitting, orders need to be in by 11:00 pm for Toronto, Mississagua, Brampton, Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Markham.  Order have to be in by 9:00 on Saturday and Sunday for same day delivery to these zones.

PLEASE NOTE

Some delivery zone's delivery dates are dependant on how many orders are going to that zone. The delivery company requires a minimum amount of orders for them to pick up from our shop.

There are no refunds on delivery or shipping charges unless the order has been cancelled.

Animal and Plant Shipping Details

please read the above to see details on animal and plant shipping