Returns/Refunds Policy
Last updated: 08/09/2026
This Refund & Returns Policy applies to purchases made from Eleanor (Ellie) Newton trading as My Silky Spoodies through www.mysilkyspoodies.co.uk
Please read this policy alongside our Terms & Conditions.
Nothing in this policy limits or removes any statutory consumer rights that cannot legally be excluded.
1. Live Animals – Cancellations and Returns
Live spiders are considered living, welfare-sensitive goods that can deteriorate rapidly.
Regulation 28 of the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 excludes goods that are liable to deteriorate or expire rapidly from the usual 14-day change-of-mind cancellation right.
Because of the nature and welfare requirements of live spiders, we treat live spiders as falling within this exception.
The usual 14-day change-of-mind cancellation period therefore does not apply to live spider orders.
Cancelling before dispatch
Although the statutory change-of-mind period does not apply as described above, we will normally allow you to cancel a live spider order before dispatch.
Please contact us as soon as possible at:
If the animal has not yet been dispatched and cancellation is still possible, we will cancel the affected order and refund the amount paid for it.
After dispatch:
Once a live spider has been dispatched, it cannot normally be cancelled or returned simply because you have changed your mind.
Please never return a live spider without contacting us first.
Live-animal transport requires appropriate welfare, temperature-control and biosecurity arrangements, and an unarranged return could place the animal at serious risk.
These restrictions apply to change-of-mind returns only.
They do not affect your statutory rights if a spider is dead, unhealthy or injured on arrival, materially not as described, or otherwise does not conform to your contract.
2. Live Arrival Guarantee
We provide a voluntary Live Arrival Guarantee for live spiders sent using our approved live-animal delivery service.
This guarantee is in addition to your statutory rights and does not replace them.
Dead on Arrival (DOA)
If a spider is dead when delivered, please contact us within one hour of delivery wherever reasonably possible.
Please provide:
* your order number;
* clear photographs of the animal;
* photographs showing the animal with its original transport container and packaging; and
* any other reasonable information that may help us establish what happened.
Please retain the original transport container and packaging until we confirm that they are no longer required.
Where a valid claim under our Live Arrival Guarantee is accepted, we will normally offer either:
* a suitable replacement, subject to availability and safe shipping conditions; or
* a refund for the affected animal.
Where applicable law requires us to refund delivery charges or any additional amount, we will do so.
The one-hour reporting period helps us investigate DOA claims and administer our voluntary Live Arrival Guarantee. It does not remove any statutory rights you may have.
Spider arrives alive but appears unwell or injured:
If your spider arrives alive but appears unwell, injured or otherwise causes concern, please contact us as soon as possible.
We recommend contacting us within 24 hours of delivery so that we can investigate promptly and provide appropriate advice where possible.
This recommended reporting period does not restrict your statutory rights.
3. When Our Voluntary Live Arrival Guarantee May Not Apply:
Our voluntary Live Arrival Guarantee may not apply where we can reasonably establish that the animal's death, injury or deterioration occurred after successful delivery because of circumstances outside our responsibility, including:
* unsuitable housing;
* inappropriate temperature or humidity after delivery;
* incorrect husbandry;
* injury occurring after delivery;
* exposure to unsuitable chemicals or substances;
* escape;
* predation; or
* other inappropriate post-delivery care.
If an incorrect or incomplete delivery address was supplied, or reasonable steps were not taken to receive an expected live-animal delivery, we may take this into account where it directly caused or materially contributed to the problem.
A missed or delayed delivery does not automatically remove your statutory consumer rights.
Each claim will be considered according to the circumstances and the likely cause of the problem.
4. UK Change-of-Mind Returns – Non-Live Goods
If you are a UK consumer purchasing eligible non-live goods online, you normally have the right to cancel your purchase without giving a reason.
You must tell us that you wish to cancel within 14 days after receiving the goods.
Please contact:
You then normally have a further 14 days after telling us that you wish to cancel to return the goods.
You do not need to give us a reason for cancelling.
Unless the goods are faulty, incorrect or otherwise our responsibility, you are normally responsible for the direct cost of returning change-of-mind goods.
Please contact us before returning an item so that we can confirm the appropriate return details.
5. Condition of Change-of-Mind Returns
You may inspect and handle goods to the extent reasonably necessary to establish their nature, characteristics and functioning, broadly as you could examine them in a physical shop.
Opening a package does not automatically remove your cancellation right.
However, you may be responsible for any reduction in value caused by handling the goods beyond what was reasonably necessary to inspect them.
Where reasonably possible, please return products with their components and original packaging.
Certain products may be excluded from the statutory change-of-mind right where a legal exception applies, for example goods that are genuinely made to your specifications or clearly personalised.
We will only rely on an exception where the legal requirements for that exception are satisfied.
6. Refunds for UK Change-of-Mind Returns
Where you validly cancel an eligible non-live order under your statutory cancellation rights, we will refund:
* the price paid for the returned goods; and
* the cost of our least-expensive standard outbound delivery option, where required by law.
If you selected a more expensive delivery option, we are not required to refund the additional amount above the cost of our standard delivery service.
We will issue the refund without undue delay and within the applicable statutory time limit.
For returned goods, we may withhold the refund until:
* we have received the goods back; or
* you provide evidence that you have returned them,
whichever occurs first, where the law allows us to do so.
Any refund will normally be made using the same payment method used for the original transaction unless otherwise agreed.
We may make an appropriate deduction for loss in value where goods have been handled beyond what was reasonably necessary to inspect them.
Once we have processed a refund, your payment provider or bank may take additional time to display the funds in your account.
7. Faulty, Damaged or Incorrect Non-Live Goods
Your rights where goods are faulty, damaged, unsafe, incorrect or not as described are separate from your change-of-mind rights.
Under applicable UK consumer law, goods must be:
* of satisfactory quality;
* fit for purpose; and
* as described.
If there is a problem with an item, please contact us as soon as reasonably possible at:
Please provide:
* your order number;
* a description of the problem; and
* photographs where reasonably possible and helpful.
Photographs can help us resolve problems more quickly, but an inability to provide a photograph does not by itself remove a statutory right.
There is no 48-hour deadline for exercising your statutory rights in relation to faulty goods.
Depending on the circumstances and when the problem arises, your rights may include:
* the short-term right to reject the goods and receive a refund;
* repair;
* replacement;
* a price reduction; or
* a final right to reject.
Where UK consumer law applies, the short-term right to reject faulty goods generally lasts 30 days, subject to the applicable rules and circumstances.
Where goods are faulty, incorrect or otherwise do not conform to the contract, we will pay reasonable return costs where required by law.
8. International Orders
International delivery is available only for eligible non-live products, as explained in our Terms & Conditions.
We do not ship internationally:
* live spiders;
* live food;
* sphagnum moss;
* substrate; or
* any other product marked as restricted or UK-only.
We do not currently offer international delivery to European Union (EU) member states.
Eligible international orders are supplied on a DAP (Delivered at Place) Incoterms® 2020 basis, as explained in our Terms & Conditions.
Our use of DAP does not remove any mandatory consumer rights relating to faulty, damaged, lost or misdescribed goods.
9. International Change-of-Mind Returns
Whether a statutory change-of-mind right applies to an international customer may depend on the law applicable to the purchase and any mandatory consumer protections applicable in the customer's country of residence.
Nothing in this policy is intended to remove any mandatory consumer right that legally applies.
Where an international change-of-mind return is accepted and we are not legally responsible for its return cost:
* you are responsible for return shipping costs;
* you are responsible for any necessary return or export customs formalities; and
* the parcel should be correctly identified as returned merchandise where applicable.
Please contact us before sending an international return so that we can provide appropriate return instructions.
10. International Customs Duties and Taxes
As explained in our Terms & Conditions, eligible international orders are supplied on a DAP basis.
This means that customers are normally responsible for applicable:
* import VAT or sales taxes;
* customs duties;
* tariffs;
* brokerage charges;
* customs-clearance fees; and
* other destination-country import charges,
unless we are legally required to collect a particular charge ourselves or it was expressly included at checkout.
Import duties, taxes or charges paid directly by you to a customs authority, carrier or other third party are not payments made to My Silky Spoodies and therefore cannot normally be refunded by us.
Depending on the rules in your destination country, you may be able to apply separately to the relevant authority for repayment following a return.
11. Parcels Returned Because of Failed Import Clearance
If an international parcel is returned to us because the customer:
* refused to pay import charges for which they were responsible;
* failed to complete required customs formalities;
* failed to provide information reasonably required for import clearance; or
* refused the parcel because of import charges that were properly due,
We will assess any refund once the goods have been returned to us.
Where permitted by applicable law, we may deduct actual and reasonable non-recoverable costs directly caused by the failed import, such as return carriage or charges imposed on us by the carrier.
We will not make such deductions where the failed import was caused by an error for which we are responsible, for example an incorrect customs declaration made by us.
Mandatory consumer rights remain unaffected.
12. Lost or Damaged Parcels
If you believe that an order has been lost or damaged during delivery, please contact us rather than dealing solely with the carrier.
Where applicable consumer law makes us responsible for the goods during delivery, we remain responsible until the goods come into the physical possession of you or a person identified by you to receive them, subject to any applicable legal exceptions.
We will investigate lost or damaged deliveries with the carrier and provide any remedy required by law.
13. How to Request a Return, Refund or Replacement
Please contact:
Where relevant, please include:
* your name;
* order number;
* the item concerned;
* a description of the problem or request; and
* photographs where reasonably appropriate.
Please contact us before returning an item so that we can provide the correct return instructions.
Live animals must never be returned without our prior written agreement and appropriate welfare arrangements.
14. Refund Method
Refunds will normally be made using the same payment method used for the original transaction unless otherwise agreed or another method is required by law.
We will process refunds within any applicable statutory time limit.
Any additional processing time after we issue a refund is controlled by your bank, card issuer or payment provider.
15. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Refund & Returns Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our products, delivery services, business or applicable law.
The policy applicable when an order was placed will continue to apply to that order where it formed part of the contract.
The latest version will be published on this page with its revision date.
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# Model Cancellation Form
You may use this form if you wish to cancel an eligible non-live purchase under your statutory cancellation rights.
You do not have to use this form. You may simply contact us clearly stating that you wish to cancel.
To: My Silky Spoodies
Email: mysilkyspoodies@outlook.com
I hereby give notice that I wish to cancel my contract for the following goods:
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Order number: ____________________________
Ordered on:
______________________________
Received on: _____________________________
Name: ___________________________________
Address: _________________________________
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Date: ___________________________________