Buying from invertebrate sellers safely
How to vet an isopod or invertebrate seller before you pay: reviews, red flags, and the payment methods that actually protect you.
Before buying from anyone listed here, do your homework. Check reviews on their socials and website, and search Google, Facebook, and Reddit for what other people's experiences have been. A listing on this site means the seller signed up — it doesn't mean we've vetted them. We take the open-door approach: anyone can join, and if buyer complaints pile up about a particular seller, we remove them.
Pay in a way that protects you
Only pay using a method that protects you. Use a real shopping cart on the seller's site, or when paying an individual choose "Goods and Services" on PayPal — never "Friends and Family," Zelle, Venmo personal, cash apps without buyer protection, or wire transfers. If a seller pushes back on protected payment, that's a red flag. Walk away.
Auctions and shop orders placed on this site run through Stripe with the card you saved, so the charge is disputable and the seller never sees your card number. Off-site deals are between you and the seller.
What a good listing looks like
- Species name written out, plus the morph or line in quotes — not just a photo.
- A count (6ct, 10ct) and whether animals are mixed-age or juveniles.
- A shipping policy and live arrival guarantee you can read before you pay.
- Recent reviews or a track record you can find somewhere other than their own page.
Every profile on the directory shows the seller's shipping policy, reviews from completed orders, and the genera they keep, so you can compare before reaching out.