Conditions of order
1. A mixed batch of butterflies consists of butterflies that we are breeding at the time of your wedding/function. These could be any different color, size or specie of butterfly.
2. We recommend that butterflies are delivered either one day prior to the wedding/function, or on the day itself. If you wish to have the butterflies more than one day prior to the wedding/function, you do so at your own risk. We do not deliver to wedding/function coordinators or to wedding/function Venues. We cannot take liability for losses and mishandling.
3. “Butterfly Releases” is not responsible for any consignment of butterflies that has left the immediate care of its staff. Once the consignment is placed in the care of any other transport agent, Airways, Courier Service, or third party, liability for the consignment ceases for “Butterfly Releases” and then become the liability of the person ordering the butterflies.
4. There will be no refunds of any means possible due to negligence or non delivery by any of the transport agencies employed once the butterflies have left our care and safely handed to any transport agency on your behalf.
5. Cold butterflies. It has happened in the past with releases, that due to the change in altitudes, butterflies sometimes need up to 12 hours to recuperate from their journey. Be advised that the butterflies are not dead, but in a dormant state and will recover as they warm up.
6. Once butterflies are checked and verified to be in good condition prior delivery, our liability ceases on handing them over to any other entity (third party) who collects or delivers them on your behalf. We cannot be held liable for any unforeseen delays, damaged packaging or what your guests may or may not do to incur harm to these butterflies.
7. Upon receipt of your butterflies, follow the set of instructions supplied to you as per the certificate of release.
8. Please note that we do not package our butterflies in square boxes, as these boxes allow the butterflies space in which to fly and therefore they damage their wings. We package our butterflies in flat triangular packets which ensure that the butterflies remain in a sleeping position until the release.
9. Any deposits that have been paid will be forfeited, should the order be cancelled, as the breeding process would have already started.
10. All complaints must be lodged within 24 hours of receiving the butterflies. If this requirement is not met, all negotiation for compensation will be forfeited.
11. Due to unforeseen fraudulent activity, any unauthorized payments into the bank account number provided will not be refunded.
12. By making payment is a confirmation from you that you are aware of our conditions of order and have accepted that “Butterfly Releases” carries no liability for standard conditions of any transport agencies used in the delivery or collection of your package.
13. Due to non collection of your order, by you carrier, the order being live stock, you wavier the right to any form of a refund or negotiations for a refund. All liability will be that of the client and not that of the suppliers being “Butterfly Releases” due to any causes foreseen or unforeseen on any arrangements the client has made with their carrier.
14. All uncollected livestock will be forfeited within three days of any non collection from arranged date of collection and disposed of for health reasons.
15. By confirming your order through payment, you are accepting the conditions of whichever carrier, either by land or air travel, who takes responsibility to deliver your package.
Standard Conditions of Any Transport Agencies:
1. All articles are carried at owner’s /customer’s /sender’s /receiver’s risk and the Carrier accepts no liability for loss or damage to such property or any consequential loss or damage arising there from.
2. All charges are levied according to mass or volume per consignment (whichever is the greater) and not by value of the article’s carried unless agreed to the contract, in writing by the Carrier.
3. Without derogating from the provisions of clause 1, should it nevertheless be held that the Carrier has been negligent in any manner and is liable for any loss and/or damage:
a) Liability shall be limited to R100 (vat incl.) per kilogram to a maximum of R3000 (vat incl.) per consignment carried, but in all cases shall not exceed the actual manufactured cost of the article/s or the mutually agreed cost of repairs.
b) Clause 3a above shall not apply to consignment/s comprising cash, money bank notes, stamps, deeds, travellers cheques, precious stones, previous metals, bullion, livestock, cellular phones, watches, jewellery, declared or undeclared.
4. The Carrier shall have the right to refuse to accept a consignment or consignments if such consignment/s is/are in the opinion of the Carrier of a fragile nature, unpacked, insufficiently packed, high risk in nature or do not comply with the quantities as regulated by the Dangerous Good Digest of SA, or any other regulated goods, declared or undeclared, but should it decide to:
a) Accept such consignment/s, the provisions of clause 1 will apply.
b) Accept a consignment as described in clause 3b above, the provisions of clause 1 will apply
c) Accept the consignments and agree to package or re-package the consignments, whether for reward or not, the provisions of clause 1 will apply.
d) Accept the consignment/s at a time when the customer is not available to agree to package or re-package the consignment/s, whether for reward or not, the provisions of clause 1 will apply.
5. Whilst the Carrier undertakes to use all reasonable endeavours to effect delivery of any goods at its receiving terminus, depot or any address at the time advertised or promised by the Carrier, the Carrier does not guarantee that such goods ill in fact be delivered at such advertised times and without prejudice to the afore-going limitations on the Carrier’s liability the Carrier disclaims any and all liability for any consequences arising from the late delivery of such goods.
6.. Where payment for carriage, or any other services rendered by the Carrier, is made by cheque or any other means and such payment is not honoured on presentation, or the cheque returned ‘refer to drawer’ through no fault of the Carrier, the drawer/payer agrees to compensate the Carrier, on demand, for all and any additional charges incurred by the Carrier in recovering such payment.
7. Where goods dispatched for the account of the receiver, are not accepted on such a basis, the charges will revert to the account of the sender. Similarly, should the receiver decline to accept the Carrier’s Standard Trading Conditions and Terms of Carriage, the acceptance thereof will revert to the sender.
8. C.O.D (for value of consignment) means cash or cheque or both unless written notification to the contrary is received prior to dispatch. C.O.D’s must be collected within 7 days of documentation. The Carrier accepts no liability for monies not collected within this time. A Storage Fee may be levied on goods not collected within 48 hours of arrival.
On Receiving your butterflies
– Collection –
Collecting your butterflies personally from our breeding facilities can save you money and time. Also allowing you to see your live butterflies with a demonstration of how to release them at your wedding venue.
– Caring –
Keep in a cool area at all times. In hot weather conditions, wrap in a wet towel and in a cool area to prevent dehydration.
– Preparation –
Delegate one person to deal with your package from its arrival at its destination. Make sure they understand the conditions of release and the handling of your precious cargo.
– Releasing –
Inside the package is a detailed format set out for your release. Please follow the instructions provided closely – it is to the benefit of your special occasion
Code of Conduct
FIRST PRINCIPLES
“Butterfly Releases” prime purpose is the conservation of wild populations of butterflies and moths and their habitats in South Africa. This entails encouraging people to observe, appreciate and understand the needs of living insects. The issue of collecting butterflies and moths is controversial and it is unlikely that any code will be completely acceptable to everybody. This code is based on the principle that no Lepidoptera should be killed or collected casually, unthinkingly or without good reason, and that collecting, should never be carried out in a way that would endanger, or have any adverse effect on any population of non-pest Lepidoptera.
COMMERCIAL COLLECTING and TRADING
Collecting for commercial purposes is not in the best interests of Lepidoptera conservation in South Africa and SABBA supports all measures to regulate trading of butterflies and moths. Members should be aware of the legislation covering the sale of particular species; such is found in the red data books and be prepared to assist the authorities in monitoring and upholding the law. Members are strongly urged not to support the trade in protected species through the purchase of stock from commercial breeders. A code of conduct on livestock rearing for members and educational purposes is in preparation, and will be implemented by the South African Butterfly Breeding Association, SABBA.
COLLECTING for REARING and RELEASE
Collecting for captive rearing purposes can have a legitimate educational objective and can be a useful way of understanding some of the details of the life history of butterflies and moths. However, scarce species should not be collected at all, unless as an integral part of a conservation program approved by the Conservation authorities and other leading conservation bodies. For such purposes it is preferable to collect the earlier life cycle stages of a species rather than the adult form and to collect from non-conservation sites. Should a collector want to breed butterflies, he/she undertakes to be members of the South African Butterfly Breeding Association, SABBA, for the correct procedures and according to a code of conduct presented by the organization. Restraint should be exercised in the numbers of eggs and larvae taken for rearing and any release should be onto the sites from which they were originally collected. Releases should be reported to the appropriate SABBA offices. A recommended 15 percent of butterflies should be released from a single breeding.
BREEDING BUTTERFLIES and BUTTERFLY NURSERIES
Due to the great demand to discover the secrets of successful and proper breeding methods, it is essential that we do not disclose these to the general public, as this has in the past, led individuals abusing this knowledge, for the purposes of creating numerations for personal gains, without a thought to the conservation of our South African butterfly species. The practices of breeding butterflies in small confined spaces leads to an unnatural and devastating effect on up to 98% of the larvae. For proper breeding practices a company or individual should apply for the proper courses and instruction from Conservation of Butterflies in South Africa (CBISA).
Note:
The contents of this code should not be construed as reasons for failing to comply with the law concerning protected Lepidoptera. If any person is uncertain as to the legal requirements for PERMITS regarding the legitimate possession of specimens of protected species or captive breeding stock for commercial purposes, advice should be sought from the relevant bodies such as SABBA, CBISA, Department of Environment &Tourism, Conservation Services, and WESSA.