US Vendor Review: Fear Not Tarantulas – Non-viable P. hati-hati with DKS/spasms & rigid 2-hour policy refusal

[PRTTYP]

Vendor: Fear Not Tarantulas
Order Delivery Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at 11:38 AM
Total Animals Received: 4 spiderlings (Phormingochilus hati-hati, 2x Psalmopoeus irminia, and 1 Tliltocatl albopilosus )
I am posting this review to share my recent experience with an order from Fear Not Tarantulas regarding a non-viable spiderling and how customer support handled a latent health issue.
While three of the four spiderlings arrived alive, settled in well, and are currently healthy, active, and feeding normally, one sling, a Phormingochilus hati-hati arrived with severe neurological distress (Dyskinetic Syndrome / DKS symptoms) that rendered it non-viable.

Chronology of Events:
Delivery & Unboxing (Aug 12, 11:38 AM): The package was received and unboxed immediately. As expected after shipping stress, the slings were still and lethargic. They were placed into clean, well-ventilated enclosures with standard organic substrate and sphagnum moss.

Observation of Neurological Symptoms (Aug 13–14): Once the P. hati-hati attempted to move around, severe motor dysfunction became obvious. The sling displayed uncontrollable leg twitching/micro-spasms (especially in the rear legs), total loss of coordination, and an inability to right itself when flipping over. It remained tucked in a stress curl and refused pre-killed food.

Emergency Measures & Reporting: I transferred the sling to a sterile paper-towel ICU set up with a water dish to rule out substrate contamination or dehydration. I recorded clear video footage of the involuntary muscle spasms and erratic movements and contacted Fear Not Tarantulas to report the condition.

Vendor Support Response: Upon receiving the video evidence of DKS/spasms, customer support responded with the following:

Environmental Blame: The vendor suggested daily misting or substrate issues were to blame. However, 3 out of 4 spiderlings from the exact same package are thriving in my care, proving that the husbandry and ambient conditions are safe. Severe DKS/neurological breakdown cannot be induced within 24–36 hours from clean substrate or ambient room humidity.

Strict 2-Hour LAG Limit: The vendor stated that concerns must be reported within 2 hours of delivery (by 1:30 PM on Aug 12) for their Live Arrival Guarantee (LAG) to apply.

Biological Impracticality: A 2-hour window works for Dead on Arrival (DOA) checks. However, latent neurological damage, transit overheating, or DKS cannot be diagnosed within 120 minutes while a sling is completely immobilized in a shipping vial due to transit shock. The symptoms only manifested when the sling attempted coordinated movement.

Resolution Offered: The vendor refused a full refund or free replacement for the non-viable specimen, offering only a 50% discount on a replacement (requiring me to pay shipping and half the price of a defective animal again). When I respectfully declined to pay extra for an animal that arrived with pre-existing neurological damage, the vendor closed the inquiry.

While I appreciate that 3 of my slings arrived healthy and well-packed, refusing to cover a specimen with video-documented neurological spasms because the symptoms became visible after the initial 2-hour unboxing window is extremely disappointing. Expecting a keeper to pay 50% for a replacement when an animal arrives non-viable with DKS is an unfair application of a Live Guarantee.
Please see the attached video footage showing the P. hati-hati’s leg spasms and loss of coordination upon its first movements: https://streamable.com/0eoyy7

 

[m0lsx]

How did you pay? Could you go to your bank for a refund?

Also, this should surely have nothing to do with their LAG terms. As you are not saying it arrived dead. So my guess is, any attempt by them, at a legal defence using LAG terms will fail.

 

[m0lsx]

A second thought.
I am neither from the US, nor do I have any legal experience. BUT. I do consider myself a successful complainer. Even if all I do is cost someone more than they cost me.

If you are going to pursue this, then you need to show that you have been fair, to Fear Not. So contact them again & give them a further opportunity to resolve this amicably. This will count in your favour if you do need to pursue it. It will also create a paper trail to present to your bank, courts etc. Showing that you have tried to resolve it yourself.

Personally I would be contacting Fear Not again. Pointing out their LAG is of no relevance & saying you have no intention of walking away from this, unless they are able to prove their case. That misting & substrate were to blame. Ask for academic evidence, in the shape of published & peer reviewed papers, that in the wild Tarantulas suffer similar conditions due to rain & soil variations. Don't forget courts & banks are not experts on T's & will find this a reasonable question to prove their case. Also ask for detailed academic evidence of care conditions in captivity that causes such conditions, including time frames for onset of symptoms etc. If Fear Not want to use something in their defence, it should be factual & provable to an average person of average intelligence.

 

[PRTTYP]

Thank you so much for this perspective, @m0lsx. You are absolutely right about the LAG terms this was indeed a case of a defective/sick animal rather than a DOA, so hiding behind the 2-hour window is legally baseless.
I will follow your advice and send Fear Not one final email to build a solid paper trail for my bank dispute, explicitly asking them for evidence that substrate or misting can induce neurological DKS within 24–36 hours. If they still refuse to resolve this amicably, I will proceed with the chargeback. Appreciate your guidance!

A second thought.
I am neither from the US, nor do I have any legal experience. BUT. I do consider myself a successful complainer. Even if all I do is cost someone more than they cost me.

If you are going to pursue this, then you need to show that you have been fair, to Fear Not. So contact them again & give them a further opportunity to resolve this amicably. This will count in your favour if you do need to pursue it. It will also create a paper trail to present to your bank, courts etc. Showing that you have tried to resolve it yourself.

Personally I would be contacting Fear Not again. Pointing out their LAG is of no relevance & saying you have no intention of walking away from this, unless they are able to prove their case. That misting & substrate were to blame. Ask for academic evidence, in the shape of published & peer reviewed papers, that in the wild Tarantulas suffer similar conditions due to rain & soil variations. Don't forget courts & banks are not experts on T's & will find this a reasonable question to prove their case. Also ask for detailed academic evidence of care conditions in captivity that causes such conditions, including time frames for onset of symptoms etc. If Fear Not want to use something in their defence, it should be factual & provable to an average person of average intelligence.

 

[PRTTYP]

I sent the final email to Fear Not as suggested, clearly distinguishing between DOA/LAG and a pre-existing neurological defect (DKS), and asking for evidence that husbandry can cause DKS in 24 hours.
Fear Not responded by literally copy-pasting their previous template message, refusing to address any of the biological/legal points or provide evidence, and repeated their 2-hour policy line.
Since they have zero intention of resolving this, I now have a complete paper trail showing I attempted an amicable resolution. Thank you again for the advice.

A second thought.
I am neither from the US, nor do I have any legal experience. BUT. I do consider myself a successful complainer. Even if all I do is cost someone more than they cost me.

If you are going to pursue this, then you need to show that you have been fair, to Fear Not. So contact them again & give them a further opportunity to resolve this amicably. This will count in your favour if you do need to pursue it. It will also create a paper trail to present to your bank, courts etc. Showing that you have tried to resolve it yourself.

Personally I would be contacting Fear Not again. Pointing out their LAG is of no relevance & saying you have no intention of walking away from this, unless they are able to prove their case. That misting & substrate were to blame. Ask for academic evidence, in the shape of published & peer reviewed papers, that in the wild Tarantulas suffer similar conditions due to rain & soil variations. Don't forget courts & banks are not experts on T's & will find this a reasonable question to prove their case. Also ask for detailed academic evidence of care conditions in captivity that causes such conditions, including time frames for onset of symptoms etc. If Fear Not want to use something in their defence, it should be factual & provable to an average person of average intelligence.