Terms & Conditions

Effective from: 14.07.2025

Welcome to AquaBay.co.uk – the UK’s No. 1 community marketplace for aquariums, pets, plants, and all things animal-related. By using AquaBay, you agree to these Terms & Conditions, so please read them carefully. If anything doesn’t make sense, our support team is always happy to help.

1. What is AquaBay?

AquaBay is a marketplace — we connect buyers and sellers in one easy, safe platform. You can discover trusted private hobbyists, breeders, and small businesses offering fish, reptiles, birds, inverts, plants, frozen food, accessories, and more.

🧼 We’re passionate about animal welfare, safe trade, and transparency — and we’re building a friendly community for everyone who loves animals.

2. Who Can Use AquaBay?

To use AquaBay, you must:

  • Be at least 18 years old

  • Agree to follow all applicable UK laws

  • Use the platform respectfully and fairly

  • Create a genuine account using your real details

We may suspend accounts that break these rules or behave in ways that harm other users or animals.

3. Buying on AquaBay

When you shop on AquaBay:

  • You are buying directly from independent sellers, not from AquaBay

  • Every seller is identity-verified for your safety

  • Payments are processed securely through licensed third-party payment providers

  • Sellers must follow our 1-Hour DOA Policy to protect live animal and plant purchases

  • Listings include full details — read them carefully before purchasing

🛡️ Buying through AquaBay gives you a layer of protection and helps keep our community safe and fair.

See full details: Buying on AquaBay

4. Selling on AquaBay

Sellers (private or business) can list items and animals freely — you only pay a small commission when you sell. There are no listing or setup fees. Pricing you can find on our page Pricing & membership

Sellers must:

  • Accurately describe all listings

  • Handle and ship animals responsibly

  • Use only AquaBay-approved payment methods

  • Honour the DOA Policy

  • Keep all communication and transactions within the platform

🌿 List your stock totally free — only pay when you sell.

See full details: Selling on AquaBay

5. Safe & Secure Payments

AquaBay works with trusted, regulated payment providers (like Stripe or PayPal) to keep transactions safe.

  • We don’t hold your money — payouts go straight to the seller’s verified account

  • Sellers must complete identity verification with the payment provider

  • All sensitive info is encrypted and stored securely by the provider, not by AquaBay

✅ Verified sellers = safer buyers
✅ Regulated payments = peace of mind

6. Verified Sellers = Safer Buyers

All sellers must verify their identity before listing — this includes uploading photo ID and proof of address via our payment provider.

This process:

  • Ensures sellers are real, accountable individuals or businesses

  • Helps prevent fraud and scams

  • Builds a safer, more trusted marketplace for everyone

AquaBay never stores or accesses this personal information.

7. DOA Policy – Dead on Arrival

We care deeply about animal welfare. That’s why AquaBay requires all sellers of live animals or plants to follow our strict DOA Policy.

📦 If something arrives unwell or deceased:

  • Buyer must report it within 1 hour of recorded delivery

  • Must include clear photos or videos of the packaging and animal/plant

  • Valid claims are automatically accepted — sellers are required to refund or replace

🧾 Full details: DOA Policy

8. What’s Not Allowed

To keep AquaBay fair and legal, we do not allow:

  • Illegal or unethically sourced animals

  • Wild-caught endangered species (unless licensed)

  • Fraudulent, abusive, or misleading behaviour

  • Attempting to complete sales off the platform (to avoid fees)

  • Selling restricted goods or banned species under UK law

Accounts breaking these rules may be removed without notice.

9. Community First — Our Safety Promise

We actively monitor our platform for:

  • Seller performance and listing accuracy

  • Compliance with animal welfare laws

  • Buyer and seller feedback

  • Attempts to bypass the platform or avoid fees

🔐 We reserve the right to suspend or remove accounts to protect users and uphold standards — especially in cases of repeated complaints, unfulfilled orders, or breaches of trust.

10. Liability & Disputes

We work hard to ensure AquaBay is safe, fair, and enjoyable for everyone. But as a platform, AquaBay is not part of any individual transaction.

Accordingly, we are not liable for:

  • Failed deliveries

  • Lost items

  • Payment disputes or chargebacks

  • Delays or courier issues

  • Appearance, colour, or size variation in animals

  • Any indirect or financial loss related to a transaction or account suspension

If a dispute arises, we encourage buyers and sellers to communicate first. Buyers may also escalate valid claims through their payment provider.

11. Data, Privacy & Cookies

We respect your privacy. AquaBay collects only the data we need to provide the service. We never store sensitive payment information.

🔐 Our payment providers are PCI-compliant and follow strict UK data protection laws.

See our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy for full details.

12. Intellectual Property

All AquaBay branding, content, images, and platform features are protected under copyright law. Do not copy or reuse without permission.

13. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms & Conditions from time to time. If we do, we’ll post the updated version on this page. By continuing to use AquaBay, you accept the current version.

14. Contact Us

📬  please use our contact form

15. User-Generated Content & Reviews

Users may post reviews, ratings, and content related to their experience on AquaBay. By submitting any content, you grant AquaBay a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, and display that content on the platform.
Content that is offensive, defamatory, false, or violates any third-party rights may be removed at AquaBay’s discretion.

16. Feedback & Disputes

AquaBay may review and remove feedback that is clearly false, abusive, or intended to manipulate reputation. Users must not misuse feedback tools or retaliate against others for honest reviews. Disputes over feedback may be escalated through our support team.

17. Account Security & Access

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your AquaBay account credentials. AquaBay is not responsible for any loss or damage resulting from unauthorised account access due to your failure to safeguard login information.

18. Service Availability & Platform Changes

AquaBay aims to provide continuous access to the platform but does not guarantee uninterrupted service. We may temporarily suspend or permanently discontinue parts of the platform without notice for maintenance, upgrades, or legal reasons.

19. Service Availability & Third-Party Interference

While we work hard to keep AquaBay running smoothly and securely, we cannot guarantee uninterrupted access to the platform.

AquaBay is not responsible for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by:

  • Technical failures

  • Hosting issues

  • Cyberattacks, hacking, or unauthorised access

  • Third-party system outages

  • Maintenance, upgrades, or security patches

This includes, but is not limited to, temporary or permanent loss of access, delayed transactions, or financial losses resulting from such events.

By using AquaBay, you accept that occasional disruptions may occur and that we are not liable for any consequences arising from events outside our control.

20. Force Majeure

AquaBay shall not be held liable for failure to perform or delays due to events beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to acts of God, war, natural disasters, pandemics, or disruptions to third-party systems.

21. Governing Law

For all matters not explicitly covered in these Terms & Conditions, the applicable law shall be the law of England and Wales. By using AquaBay, you agree that any disputes, claims, or legal matters will be governed by English law, and subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

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