Seller policies
These are the ground rules for selling on invertebratesellers. By applying to sell, you agree to them.
About our approval & selection process
We review applications to keep the marketplace trustworthy for buyers — not to keep sellers out. We want a thriving community of sellers here. When we review, we're mainly looking at the reviews on your website and/or Facebook: are they mostly positive? A few bad reviews are normal and expected — but a pattern of serious problems, like repeated dead-on-arrival (DOA) shipments, is a concern. We also like to see that you have some experience keeping invertebrates before you started selling them, and a few sales under your belt. If we can't approve you, we'll always tell you why, and you're welcome to reapply after a month. Because sellers are responsible for their own interactions with buyers, our goal is simply to set everyone up for success — with quality sellers the community can trust.
Accurate listings
Describe your inverts honestly — species, morph, count, and condition. Any wild-caught inverts must be clearly labeled as wild-caught. Captive-bred inverts do not require a label.
Live arrival & shipping
Live invertebrates must ship via 2-day or overnight service to protect them in transit. You set your own shipping rate on each listing, and you can offer overnight as a paid add-on when your base option is 2-day. Set any live-arrival guarantee clearly in your listings. You are responsible for packing and shipping your invertebrates safely and on time.
Animal welfare & conduct
Sellers are responsible for handling, packing, and shipping their invertebrates with appropriate care for their survival and wellbeing. A demonstrated pattern of dead-on-arrival (DOA) shipments, or evident disregard for the safe handling and shipping of the animals you sell, may result in removal of your listings, suspension, and a permanent ban from the platform.
Payments & fees
Once you're approved, you'll find a link in your dashboard that takes you to Stripe to set up your account. After your Stripe account is set up, you can start listing — and when buyers win, payment is collected for you automatically: every bidder has a card on file, and it's charged about an hour after the auction ends unless they check out sooner themselves. Payments are processed through Stripe on your connected account: you receive payouts directly, handle your own taxes, and everything payment-related is managed in your Stripe portal. invertebratesellers takes a 1% platform fee; Stripe charges their standard processing fee.
Stay active — the monthly minimum
An active marketplace works for everyone, so approved sellers agree to a monthly activity minimum: post at least 8 auction listings each calendar month (shop items don't count toward the 8), and keep at least one item in inventory in your shop. If the month closes below the minimum, selling is automatically suspended — your shop and new auction listings are paused, while any live auctions finish normally and you must still fulfill your open orders. Your seller profile stays listed in the directory. To request reinstatement, email support@invertebratesellers.com.
Transactions are between buyer and seller
invertebratesellers is a platform that connects buyers and sellers. We are not a party to your sales. Each transaction, and the resolution of any dispute, is solely between the buyer and the seller. invertebratesellers is not responsible for the outcome of any transaction.
General conduct
Treat buyers fairly and communicate promptly. A pattern of bad reviews, misrepresented animals, or failure to deliver may also result in removal from the platform.