Refund policy
Last updated: November 4, 2026
How to request help or a return
Contact support@carolinabeeco.com or call 864-610-2337 with your order number, the item and the reason for your request. Please obtain staff authorization and return instructions before sending anything back. Return requests are reviewed individually based on the item, its condition and the reason for the return. Contacting us does not by itself authorize a return.
For a change-of-mind return of ordinary merchandise, keep the item unused, complete and in its original packaging while we review your request. We will explain eligibility, the return address and any applicable shipping costs before you return it. Do not assume that a prepaid return label or exchange is included.
Damaged, defective, missing or incorrect items
Inspect deliveries promptly and contact us as soon as a problem is discovered. Send your order number and clear photos of the item, shipping label, box and protective packaging where applicable. Keep all packaging and remaining contents for inspection. We will review the issue and explain the appropriate refund, replacement, return or other resolution. Do not discard a damaged shipment before contacting us unless retaining it is unsafe.
Honey, food and personal-care products
For safety and hygiene, do not return opened food, honey or personal-care products without our instructions. If an item is damaged, incorrect or has a quality concern, contact us for review rather than mailing it back. A safety-related return restriction does not prevent you from reporting a product problem or exercising applicable legal rights.
Live bees: queens, package bees and NUCs
Live bees are not ordinary returnable merchandise. Do not ship queens, package bees or NUCs back to us. Inspect shipped queens immediately on arrival and raise any concern promptly with Support, including the order number and photos of the cage, bees and packaging where possible. Product-specific live-bee terms apply; this policy does not create a new acceptance, survival or performance guarantee.
- Queen orders: prepaid orders are subject to the $10 change/cancellation fee stated on the queen product pages. Contact us promptly; changes cannot be assumed once an order has shipped.
- Spring 2027 package bees: changes are subject to the stated $10 fee; customer cancellations are not accepted after March 1, 2027, and missed pickup/no-shows are nonrefundable under the product's terms. The listing identifies the pickup as an AS IS live-bee sale without a survival or performance guarantee after pickup, subject to applicable law.
- NUCs: pickup is by appointment, changes after ordering are subject to the stated $10 fee, and live bees become the buyer's responsibility at pickup. Any additional NUC-specific cancellation limits must be disclosed before ordering; this policy does not add a new cancellation cutoff.
Weather and colony readiness may change live-bee dates. We will communicate changes. Customer cancellation restrictions and fees do not override a refund required when we cannot supply an order or your other applicable legal rights.
Custom orders, classes and paper gift certificates
Contact us promptly about changes to personalized gifts or class bookings. We will review the stage of production, the booking details and any cancellation terms disclosed when you ordered. Paper gift certificates are issued by our staff and are nonrefundable as stated on the product page, except where required by law. They are not automatically emailed Shopify gift cards.
Refunds and shipping charges
When a refund is approved, we will confirm the amount and issue it to the original payment method where available. Your bank or payment provider may take additional time to post it. Original and return shipping charges are reviewed according to the reason for the refund and any applicable legal requirements; contact us before incurring return-shipping costs. We will explain any proposed deduction before an authorized discretionary return. We do not automatically deduct a hypothetical outbound shipping charge from a free-shipping purchase.
Wholesale purchases
Separate wholesale terms apply to approved wholesale orders and are not replaced by the retail return-request process above. Those terms include a 14-day merchandise-claim period, returns for damage or order-processing errors only, prior return authorization, no wholesale exchanges, and the stated 25% restocking fee for unauthorized wholesale returns. Retain damaged packaging for inspection and contact our staff for the merchandise claims process. These wholesale terms are subject to applicable law.
Nothing in this policy limits rights or remedies that cannot lawfully be excluded. See our Shipping Policy for delivery and pickup details.