Claims Process:

By placing the order, you acknowledge that you have read and agreed to our terms and conditions below.

Copyright Notice

All content appearing on this Website is the property of: Monarch Butterflies™
Copyright © 2023 Monarch Butterflies™. All rights reserved. As a user, you are authorized only to view, copy, print, and distribute documents on this Website so long as (1) the document is used for informational purposes only, and (2) any copy of the document (or portion thereof) includes the following copyright notice: Copyright © 2023 Monarch Butterflies™. All rights reserved.

Trademarks
All brand, product, service, and process names appearing on this Website are trademarks of their respective holders. Reference to or use of a product, service, or process does not imply recommendation, approval, affiliation, or sponsorship of that product, service, or process by Monarch Butterflies™. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as conferring by implication, estoppel, or otherwise any license or right under any patent, copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property rights of Monarch Butterflies™ or any third party, except as expressly granted herein.

Terms of Use
This site may contain other proprietary notices and copyright information, the terms of which must be observed and followed. Information on this site may contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Information, including product pricing and availability, may be changed or updated without notice. Monarch Butterflies™ and its subsidiaries reserve the right to refuse service, terminate accounts, and/or cancel orders at its discretion, including, without limitation, if Monarch Butterflies™ believes that customer conduct violates applicable law or is harmful to the interests of Monarch Butterflies™ and its subsidiaries.

Privacy Policy
This site may contain other proprietary notices and copyright information, the terms of which must be observed and followed. Information on this site may contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Information, including product pricing and availability, may be changed or updated without notice. Monarch Butterflies™ and its subsidiaries reserve the right to refuse service, terminate accounts, and/or cancel orders at its discretion, including, without limitation, if Monarch Butterflies™ believes that customer conduct violates applicable law or is harmful to the interests of Monarch Butterflies™ and its subsidiaries.

Shipping and Delivery
At this time, Monarch Butterflies™ ships livestock to locations within Canada. The risk of loss and title for all merchandise ordered on this website is passed to the consumer when the merchandise is delivered to the shipping carrier. All our orders are sent with postal insurance, which means in case of loss of the package by the courier company or physical damage to the package, you will be refunded, or we will send out a replacement order if the courier company processes the claim. Courier companies do not take on the liability of perishable items unless the package is physically damaged. We do not cover any shipping costs for orders.
Our livestock has a 24-hour guarantee and is for adult butterflies. Our shipping success rates are extremely high, however, in rare circumstances where the shipping company experiences delays, there have been issues. Weather, distance travelled, and many other factors can prove to be fatal to these fragile insects when there is a delay on the part of the shipping companies. In our decade of experience, when a package arrives on time as expected, there are no issues, however, we simply cannot control or guarantee that all insects will continue through the metamorphosis process to reach the butterfly stage. In the wild, for every 100 butterfly eggs laid, only 1 reaches the butterfly stage. It is through our experience and following the kit instructions that we have a near-perfect success rate. Despite the near-perfect success rate, we acknowledge that not all butterflies will emerge in perfect form, and may have developmental issues. This happens commonly in the wild, however, it is rare to see when raised in an enclosure. This critical part of the very often fragile butterfly life cycle should be included in all educational materials being used in conjunction with our kits, including the possibility of expiration.
In the event that there is a shipping delay by the courier company and your order does not arrive on the event date, we will not refund or replace the order as we are unable to control shipping delays. Once an order is sent out we cannot refund it or accept returns due to the insects being perishable. By ordering from us you accept our terms as found on our website and all purchases are subject to these terms and conditions. If you do not accept these terms, please do not place an order with us.
Before ordering you must agree to these terms and conditions. If your insects did not survive, you must email us all photos of the insects that did not survive within the same business day of package arrival. If the package is left at the front door and is not attended to, this warranty is void. If the package is left in a community mailbox your guarantee is void. If the package has a shipping delay due to the courier company, the guarantee is void. If photos are not provided as required, your guarantee is void. Before making any livestock order, ensure that you click and agree to our terms and conditions.
All shipments are made through Canada Post and shipped to the address provided, however, they may choose, at their discretion, to leave your package at your front door, a side door, with a concierge, at a safe drop location, in a community mailbox, or tag it for pickup at your local post office. Although we wish they can hand deliver every package, it is out of our control. Please ensure you provide the most accurate postal address and any special instructions if needed. For full details on Canada Posts delivery terms and conditions, please visit www.canadapost-postescanada.ca
Depending on the shipment method selected and the region the insects are being shipped to, the shipping duration will vary. The caterpillars in your order will continue to grow and will arrive larger, depending on how long the shipping duration takes. The shipping duration will always result in the insects arriving larger and in the case of lengthy shipping duration, they may reach the next growth stage. This will vary based on each order depending on how long the shipping takes to arrive to you by Canada Post. We always recommend selecting the quickest shipping method possible, however, to ensure the insects arrive as soon as possible and you will have a longer raising experience.
For an estimate of how long Canada Post will require the order to be shipped to you, please visit https://www.canadapostpostescanada.ca/information/app/far/business/findARate?execution=e1s1
In the event that there are shipping delays by Canada Post, we do not file a late shipment claim for a refund. As our shipping labels are outsourced and made by another company. In our agreement, we are unable to request shipping charges to be refunded. Therefore, we do not file or process any shipping delay claims. However, we are able to file for a lost or damaged item with the standard $100 insurance with Canada Post on your behalf.
When placing orders for two separate timelines such as different months, for our painted lady kits, the order would ship on the first possible shipping timeline. In the event that you would like multiple different shipments, please place separate orders as there will be two shipping costs. An order that is placed under one cart will only include the entire order being shipped at the same time as you will only be charged for shipping the order that is placed.

Changes and Modifications in order
We may be facing shortages of monarchs. If for any reason we are unable to satisfy your monarch order, we will ship painted ladies for the same value as your order. We will notify you via email if this change is necessary, before shipping your order.
Please see the product description of what the alternative will be in the event we are unable to satisfy your order with Monarchs. Rest assured your order will be matched to meet the same value as the monarch. For each monarch pupa, you will receive 5 Painted Lady Caterpillars
We are unable to refund orders where a substitution is available as we have raised milkweed for our seasonal order volume and cannot suffer the burden of loss. It is, for this reason, we send out painted ladies as a substitution.
It is our goal to satisfy all monarch orders. If you desire your order to be modified from monarchs to painted ladies, please notify us before the shipment date and we will be happy to make that change for you. Painted lady season runs between the end of April until September, weather permitting, whereas the monarch season runs from the end of July through September, seasonal weather permitting. Therefore, as a result of the painted lady season running longer and being more readily available, we can make these adjustments and satisfy your requested change from monarch to the painted lady.
If you place a rush order, we can switch your order from Monarch to painted lady at any time and ship as soon as possible.
No modification of orders from painted lady to monarch will be accepted due to the reasons listed above.
We hope to return to normal expectations of order satisfaction as in previous years however, due to regulations we must abide by orders filled in the priority they are placed in with either monarchs or painted ladies.

*Guarantee of Livestock
We guarantee that at the time of packaging and pickup by the shipping company, your insects are living, healthy specimens and are carefully packaged for safe arrival. However, as they are living organisms, some circumstances are simply unpredictable and beyond our control, including shipping delays, lost shipments, or damaged parcels.
When you receive your shipment, please open it carefully and inspect the contents. If you notice any problems, please take a photo and contact us immediately so we can properly address your concern.
We do not replace insects unless they DO NOT arrive as living specimens on the scheduled arrival date. In the unlikely event that there is a problem, we must be contacted within the same business day of receipt and inspection of your order.  If contacted after the arrival date, or no pictures are provided, the guarantee of livestock is void. You must also choose the guarantee of livestock option which is subject to terms.
Replacements will not be provided unless we are contacted immediately and provided with time-stamped photos. Our guarantee of livestock is voided if there are any shipping delays by the courier company. You accept full liability in case of any shipping delays. Many factors influence the complete metamorphosis of a butterfly and for those reasons, we cannot guarantee the successful emergence of each chrysalis. If after following the provided instructions and information in our FAQ and blog, should you experience problems after the arrival of your shipment, please contact us so we can troubleshoot and try to determine the cause of the problem.
The successful development of butterflies can be hindered by the climate and environmental conditions where they are raised. Everything from humidity levels, air conditioning, cleaning chemicals or fragrances, and so much more can have an effect on the healthy development of your butterflies. Ideal temperatures are between 70-80 degrees with 40-50% humidity. Before handling your shipment and each time you work with your livestock, make sure to wash your hands thoroughly. If you have pets, it is recommended that you wear gloves. Please visit our blog for further insights on best practices for raising butterflies.
Photos are necessary for this process, to ensure we fully understand the issue you are facing. If there are no photos sent on the intended arrival date regarding your claim, it will be dismissed. Regardless of the type of issue, you may be facing, whether it is a damaged parcel or an issue with the metamorphosis process, pictures are required to verify and correctly address the issue.
Any claim of issues made one day after the arrival date of your package or later will not be eligible for a refund or replacement, however, we will assist in troubleshooting your issue.
We do not recommend using plants or other vegetation in your enclosure, and you do so at your own risk. However, if you are using plants to feed your insects, make sure you are using a pesticide-free source. If you plan on using your milkweed, you do so at your own risk. We cannot guarantee that your milkweed is free from pesticides or chemicals. Inspect the plants thoroughly for spiders, ants and other predators. The rearing container should be clean; if previously used, soak it in a 10% bleach solution for ten minutes, then rinse thoroughly.  If possible, place it outside in the sun to dry for six hours; otherwise, allow it to thoroughly dry.
Caterpillars should never be handheld, if you do, you do it at your own risk. You risk the transfer of deadly bacteria and toxic oils. Please be advised that while some science curricula require experimental activities to take place with caterpillars, you do so at YOUR OWN RISK to the health and well-being of the larvae. Caterpillars and pupae should be left in closed rearing containers; by exposing them to outside elements, you risk introducing predators to the rearing environment. Temperature and humidity are important to the successful rearing of your caterpillars.  Ideal temperatures are between 70-80 degrees with 40-50% humidity.  If caterpillars are left in the classroom over the weekend with thermostats lowered, you risk the health and well-being of your larvae.
Cleaning sprays and solutions should NEVER be used near your rearing containers.  Some sprays can get into the ventilation system and cause stress; it is important to keep the rearing container clean of frass.  Clean the enclosure as recommended in the instructions. Should you see a problem with your caterpillars or pupae, take a photo then remove the suspect and place it in a separate rearing container to isolate it from the other healthy specimens.  Always remove any sick or dead larvae. Once your caterpillars have pupated, remove food and frass from the rearing container.  Spritz your pupae as recommended in the instructions with a water bottle to keep hydrated. All rearing containers should be kept out of direct sunlight and away from vents.
All orders come with a standard $100.00 postal insurance. For full postal insurance terms, subject to change at any time by Canada Post, please review their terms and conditions on the Canada Post website, www.canadapost-postescanada.ca. This insurance can be claimed if the package arrives physically damaged or is lost. Please note you must send us photos of what you are describing to us as it is a requirement for any claim made against Canada Post. You must contact us within the same business day of receiving your package if your insects did not survive. If the order is delayed by the courier company, you accept full liability and our guarantee of livestock is voided. Email us a time-stamped photo to info@monarchbutterflies.ca
Our goal is to educate you and your community on the life cycle of butterflies. They must be carefully raised under the proper condition for a high success rate. If you follow our instructions you will have a positive experience. Please visit our FAQ and blog for more detailed information.

Warranties
The Content included in this Website has been compiled from a variety of sources and is subject to change without notice as are any products, programs, offerings, or technical information described in this Website. Monarch Butterflies™ makes no representation or warranty whatsoever regarding the completeness, quality, or adequacy of the Website or Content or the suitability, functionality, or operation of this Website or its Content. By using this Website, you assume the risk that the Contents of this Website may be inaccurate, incomplete, offensive, or may not meet your needs and requirements.

Monarch Butterflies™
SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NONINFRINGEMENT WITH RESPECT TO THESE WEB PAGES AND CONTENT. IN NO EVENT WILL Monarch Butterflies™ BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES EVEN IF COMPANY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Any warranty that is provided in connection with any of the products and services described on this Website is provided by the advertiser or manufacturer only, and not by Monarch Butterflies™.
The references and descriptions of products or services within the Website materials are provided “as is” without any warranty of any kind, either express or implied. Monarch Butterflies™ is not liable for any damages, including any consequential damages, of any kind that may result to the user from the use of the materials on this Website or of any of the products or services, described hereon.
The descriptions of, and references to, products, services and companies on this Website are the sole responsibility of the companies providing the information (“advertisers”) and not Monarch Butterflies™.
The inclusion of material on this server does not imply any endorsement by Monarch Butterflies™, which makes no warranty of any kind concerning the subject matter of the server materials advertised.
A possibility exists that the server materials could include inaccuracies or errors. Additionally, a possibility exists that unauthorized additions, deletions, and alterations could be made by third parties to the server materials. Although Monarch Butterflies™ tries to ensure the integrity and the accuracy of the server materials, it makes no guarantees about their correctness or accuracy. Before relying on any representation made in any of the server materials, check with the advertiser of the product or service to ensure that the information you are relying upon is correct.

Return/Refund Policy
You may purchase merchandise from this Website by using any one of the payment options listed in the Payment section. Monarch Butterflies™ reserves the right to change its payment procedures at any time without prior notice. Livestock items cannot be returned due to the nature of their fragility; they are bred to order, ie., we breed butterflies just for your order. The order cannot be cancelled, returned, or refunded.
All cancellations must be within 72 hours of ordering for a refund. Please note orders cannot be cancelled and refunded after 72 hours. In some circumstances, we provide in-store credit (excluding shipping and handling). Please note the Monarch Butterflies™ will not cover shipping and handling costss™ for any replacement orders although our courier companies come with a standard $100.00 postal insurance.
When possible all orders that are cancelled/need to be cancelled have a 5% processing fee by the online service providers (such as VISA/Debit/PayPal) despite refunding orders, the service fee is not refunded. There is also an additional 5% fee which is an administration fee, totalling up to 10%. In some cases, refunds are not available and orders are non-refundable, in certain cases we are able to refund 50% of orders.

Claims Process:
To file a claim for missing, damaged or perished insects please visit www.monarchbutterflies.ca/claims
All claims for perished insects must be filed within 24 hours of the intended arrival date. Claims for damaged contents must be filed within 48 hours and all claims for missing content must be filed within 7 days.
On the date your package arrives, if for any reason your insects have perished during transport, you will need to file your claim on the same day of arrival. To file a claim, you will be required to take pictures of each affected in an unlikely situation, your entire package is in question, please provide individual pictures and a picture of all the affected insects together.
Please write a description of the condition of the insects outlining their state upon arrival with as much detail as possible. Email both the pictures and the description along with your order number to info@monarchbutterflies.ca the same day your package arrives for your claim to be reviewed.
The email must be sent on the same day as the package arrives. Because we cannot confirm the raising conditions after the arrival date, we can only review claims made on the same day of arrival. In the wild, butterflies survive at a rate of 1 in 100 eggs laid, while in captivity the survival rate is substantially higher.
Due to the sensitivity of the product, you must follow the above guidelines in submitting your claim. Canada Post does not guarantee perishable items under their postal insurance; this is our guarantee of providing you with the livestock as intended.
Upon receiving your claim email on the same day of arrival, one of our specialists will review the claim to understand why the insect or insects may have perished and will use this information to prevent it in the future. If for whatever reason the insect has perished on the day of arrival, we will provide you with the following options:
1. Refund you for the perished insect or insects;
2. Give you a credit of your claim amount on your next order (this credit will never expire);
3. Have the insects replaced and reshipped (excluding the cost of shipping). This tion is a season, weather, and availability dependent.

For all successful claims, we will contact you with the above options.
All orders come with a standard $100.00 postal insurance. For full postal insurance terms, subject to change at any time by Canada Post, please review their terms and conditions on the Canada Post website, www.canadapost-postescanada.ca. This insurance can be claimed if the package arrives physically damaged or is lost.
If a claim needs to be filed, please contact us with photos (if damaged) along with a description and we will file a claim on your behalf. Photos (where applicable) and descriptions are a requirement for any claim made against Canada Post. Once the claim is filed, we will email you your claim number and you may contact Canada Post via email or phone for updates. As soon as we receive any updates from Canada Post, we will relay the update to you via email.
You must respond to all calls or emails from Canada Post for the successful process of your claim. Once the claim is successfully processed, we will either send you a replacement (excluding shipping) or refund you for the value of the package.  If the order is delayed by the courier company, you accept full liability and our guarantee of livestock is voided.

Non-Payment and Collections
In the extremely rare occasion that your order has been prepared or sent, however, there is an issue with payment being received, including payment transaction incomplete, payment reversal, NSF, etc., we will first contact you via email requesting payment. In the event, payment is not submitted in the requisite time period or we do not hear back from you, your invoice will be forwarded to collections. If contacted by collections, please follow all instructions to promptly remit payment.
Please note that all collection-based payments will include additional collection fees, administrative fees, NSF and bank charges, interest charges, and any other costs associated with collecting payment. If payment is not resolved, will report all delinquent accounts to Equifax, Transunion and other credit reporting agencies. Once an account is forwarded to collections, the matter cannot be resolved for the invoiced amount. Successful completion of payment will close any outstanding account.

Miscellaneous
VOID WHERE PROHIBITED: Although the information on this Website is accessible worldwide, not all products or services discussed on this Website are available to all persons or in all geographic locations or jurisdictions. Monarch Butterflies™ and the advertisers each reserve the right to limit the provision of their products or services to any person, geographic area, or jurisdiction they so desire and to limit the quantities of any products or services that they provide. Any offer for any product or service made in the materials on this Website is void where prohibited.

GOVERNING LAW
In the event of litigation, both parties agree that the Law of the Province of business registration of Monarch Butterflies shall apply and both parties shall consent to the jurisdiction of said Province’s courts, or in the event of diversity of citizenship, the Canada District Court for Ontario. Both parties expressly waive a trial by jury.

MISCELLANEOUS
The Terms and Conditions constitute the entire agreement between you and Monarch Butterflies™ concerning this Website. The Terms and Conditions supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications and proposals, whether electronic, oral or written between you and Monarch Butterflies concerning this Website. No modification of the Terms and Conditions shall be effective unless it is authorized by Monarch Butterflies™. If any provision of the Terms and Conditions is found to be contrary to law, then such provision(s) shall be constructed in a manner to closely reflect, as much as possible, the intentions of the parties, with the other provisions remaining in full force and effect.

Delays
All butterfly kits, caterpillars or pupas are sent weather and season permitting. We will provide an estimated shipping date on the ordering page. However, if the weather does not permit timely delivery, or restricts delivery entirely for a period of time, we will delay the order until such time as it is safe to send your package. To follow up on the status of your order, please email us. We cannot provide exact shipping dates due to many factors that can cause delays. Please be patient with us as we do our best to ship out the orders as soon as possible.
All orders for butterflies for release or butterfly kits that are required on a specific date must be selected to be shipped with XpressPost shipping without a guarantee of livestock when checking out on our website. If any other options are selected such as Expedited shipping without guarantee of livestock the shipping duration is longer and not recommended and on-time order delivery is not guaranteed.
Our shipping labels are contracted to a third-party company. This means that our shipping labels are created by them to offer you the best rate possible due to higher volume discounts. In the event that a package arrives late, we are not eligible to file a claim for a shipping refund.
If any of this information is unclear and you have any questions or concerns please email our team at info@monarchbutterflies.ca
All claims against Monarch Butterflies will be subject to the above-listed terms and conditions.

Toll-Free Number
During peak season, we are unable to accept calls and our toll-free number will direct you to email us for the most prompt responses. Although we wish to be able to accept all calls, our team is packaging orders and preparing insects. Please email our team at info@monarchbutterflies.ca for prompt responses guarantee.