Terms and Conditions

Seller and contact

MIHA METELKO – NOSILEC DOPOLNILNE DEJAVNOSTI NA KMETIJI
Trading as MS Carnica Queens / Ekološko čebelarstvo Metelko
Studenec 23A, 8293 Studenec, Slovenia
Slovenian Business Register (AJPES) registration / identification number: 2461188000
Registration authority: Upravna enota Sevnica; registered on 5 November 2013
VAT ID: SI63477505
Email: info@ms-carnica-queens.eu
Telephone: +386 40 570 933

Ordering and Queen Bee Reservations

A consumer purchase is a purchase by an individual for purposes outside their trade, business or profession. The actual purpose of the purchase is decisive, rather than solely whether the customer has a VAT number.

We supply Production Queens, Purebred Queens, Overwintered Production Queens and Overwintered Purebred Queens. Production queens are open-mated Carniolan queens. Purebred queens come from selected breeding lines and have limited availability.

Queen bee availability depends on seasonal breeding conditions and the quantities available for each dispatch period.

Non-binding inquiries and unpaid preliminary arrangements do not, by themselves, guarantee a reservation. Individually agreed and explicitly confirmed reservations are governed by the payment terms and reservations provisions below.

When allocating remaining availability, paid and confirmed orders take priority over non-binding inquiries. This does not affect existing binding contracts or individually agreed and explicitly confirmed reservations with later payment.

Before placing an order, check the queen type, quantity, invoice details, delivery address and total. Contact us promptly if anything needs correcting.

Seasonal Production Queens and Purebred Queens can be ordered through checkout and paid by card or bank transfer against a pro forma invoice. Overwintered queens are available only by prior agreement and are paid by bank transfer against a pro forma invoice; they cannot be purchased through the normal shopping cart.

Payment terms and reservations

Card payment is made when ordering. Bank transfers are due within seven calendar days after placing the order, unless individually agreed otherwise. Individual deadlines and explicitly confirmed reservations with later payment remain valid.

For standard online orders, we confirm the reservation after successful receipt of payment, provided that the selected dispatch period is available. For card payments, we use successful payment processing; no additional manual reservation approval is required if the order and payment are correctly recorded and the period is available. A later WooPayments payout to our bank account is not a new payment by the customer.

We verify bank credits in our bank account. However, timely consumer payment is assessed under Article 31 of ZVPot-1: the obligation is treated as paid on the date the consumer gives the payment order to their bank or other payment service provider. A delayed credit does not automatically invalidate an already binding reservation. You may send proof of an executed transfer to info@ms-carnica-queens.eu.

If a payment obligation remains unfulfilled, we request payment and allow a reasonable additional period where required by law. Cancellation and release of quantities are possible only under the statutory conditions and subject to contractual obligations and individual agreements. A contract may arise before payment; the offer and its acceptance are decisive, rather than the technical order status.

Prices are in euros. Bank details and the payment reference are supplied with the order or pro forma invoice. Card payments are handled by WooPayments. Do not send card details by email.

You receive an order acknowledgement by email. We notify you before dispatch and provide tracking details after dispatch as described in the delivery section. If we cannot supply a paid order, we agree an alternative or refund the unavailable goods, subject to the customer’s statutory rights.

Consumer prepayments

Where Article 34 of ZVPot-1 applies, on delivery we reduce the regular price of the particular purchase by at least the interest due from each advance payment until delivery. The reference bank is Deželna banka Slovenije d. d. (DBS), using its published annual rate for three-month EUR savings deposits; where comparable rates differ or the rate changes between payment and delivery, we use the rate more favourable to the consumer. The manual adjustment is shown in the final settlement and any overpayment is refunded at no cost to the consumer. This statutory rule applies to consumer purchases, not business purchases.

VAT and business invoices

Consumer prices include VAT applicable to the particular supply, unless lawfully exempt. Qualifying queen bees for breeding and further rearing that are taxable in Slovenia are subject to 9.5% VAT. Incidental delivery follows the VAT treatment of that supply; independent transport services require separate assessment.

For sales to consumers in other EU Member States, Slovenian VAT applies only where Article 30.f of ZDDV-1 is satisfied, including the EUR 10,000 threshold excluding VAT in the current and preceding calendar years and no election for destination taxation. Otherwise, the appropriate destination taxation applies, using OSS where applicable.

For a business invoice, provide the correct business name, address and VAT number with country prefix. We check numbers through VIES; a valid number alone does not establish an exemption. Supplies to another EU Member State must meet all Article 46 conditions, including transport, evidence and reporting. Ordinary domestic supplies remain taxable even where the customer has a Slovenian VAT number. Contact us before payment if validation fails or for cross-border business purchases collected in person.

Dispatch and delivery

Queens are dispatched in the selected or individually agreed dispatch week. Queen rearing and mating depend on weather, particularly at our high-altitude mating station in the Slovenian Alps. We communicate the final dispatch date before shipping. Any change to an agreed period is proposed to the customer; weather conditions do not give us an unlimited right to postpone delivery unilaterally. Statutory rights for delay or non-delivery under Articles 26–29 of ZVPot-1 remain unaffected.

Shipping Methods

Queen bees are generally dispatched through Pošta Slovenije (Slovenian Post). International shipments are normally delivered by the postal operators in the destination countries.

Customers with specific shipping preferences may contact the seller in advance to discuss alternative delivery arrangements.

Alternative shipping methods may be arranged where feasible and compliant with applicable regulations and requirements for transporting live bees. Any additional shipping costs will be communicated to the customer before the arrangement is confirmed.

To safeguard the welfare of queen bees, shipments are scheduled according to weather conditions and the expected transit time. If conditions are unsuitable for dispatch, the seller will inform the customer of a proposed alternative shipping date.

Available destinations and delivery charges are shown at checkout for your address. Personal collection is by prior arrangement at our address. Please provide a working email address and telephone number for delivery notifications.

The shipment is accompanied by the documents required for the particular movement of bees and destination. Where an animal health certificate or veterinary movement certificate is required, its cost is included in the shipping charges shown before the order is placed. This does not introduce an additional surcharge.

Shipment tracking and receipt

After dispatch, we email the tracking number and, where available, a tracking link to your stated address. Notify us promptly if you do not receive these details.

For the welfare of live queens, regularly monitor the shipment and delivery notices. If an unusual delay occurs in the destination country, promptly contact the local postal operator and notify us; we will cooperate in resolving the issue. Contacting the operator is not a condition for statutory remedies against the seller.

Accept or collect the shipment without unnecessary delay once it is properly delivered or available for collection and you are appropriately notified, and provide suitable care. Justified reasons preventing receipt must be taken into account.

A customer is liable for damage caused by an unjustified delay only under the statutory conditions and proven circumstances, including proper delivery offered, notification, the customer’s responsibility, causation and loss. Carrier delays or the seller’s actions are not automatically attributed to the customer. These instructions do not transfer statutory risk to the consumer or limit their rights; a missed collection or tracking status does not automatically forfeit payment or establish physical receipt.

Complaints, damage and queen bee mortality

Inspect live queens promptly after delivery. Report death or injury as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours, with your order number, a description and, where possible, photographs of the queen, cage and packaging. The recommended 24 hours and photographs are not conditions for statutory rights.

For consumer purchases, we are liable for non-conformity present at delivery that becomes apparent within two years. This does not guarantee a two-year lifespan. Non-conformity appearing in the first year is presumed to have existed at delivery unless we prove otherwise or the presumption is incompatible with the nature of the goods or non-conformity.

Consumers are entitled to restoration of conformity free of charge through repair or replacement, subject to statutory limitations on choice and disproportionate costs. A dead queen cannot be repaired. The period must be reasonable for a live queen and without significant inconvenience, and no longer than 30 days; an extension of up to 15 days requires the statutory conditions and timely notice. We bear necessary costs, including transport and replacement delivery.

Under the conditions in Article 83 of ZVPot-1, consumers may request a proportionate price reduction or terminate the contract and obtain reimbursement. If non-conformity appears less than 30 days after delivery, they may request termination. Termination is unavailable for merely minor non-conformity, which the seller must prove. A replacement queen or refund may also be agreed as a favourable resolution without limiting statutory remedies.

Consumers must notify us within two months of discovering non-conformity, describe it precisely and allow inspection. If its existence is disputed, we respond in writing within eight days of receiving the claim. Following termination for non-conformity, reimbursement is due without delay and within eight days of receiving the goods or evidence of return; for a price reduction, within eight days of the request. Other rights under Articles 81–87 of ZVPot-1 also apply, including withholding the outstanding purchase price and claiming damages under the statutory conditions.

Queen acceptance also depends on colony condition, introduction methods and other circumstances. Failed acceptance does not, by itself, prove non-conformity at delivery, but neither excludes our liability nor changes the burden of proof. Each case is assessed on its circumstances.

Where we arrange the carrier, delivery risk normally remains with us until physical receipt by the customer or their nominated recipient. Mandatory consumer rules on risk and remedies take precedence; the customer need not first obtain compensation from the carrier.

Returning live queens

Live queen bees require appropriate care, ventilation and protection from unsuitable temperatures. A transport cage is not intended for prolonged confinement; extended transport or inappropriate handling may cause injury or death. A queen already introduced into a colony cannot always be safely recaptured and shipped. These biological circumstances do not, by themselves, exclude statutory withdrawal rights or remedies for lack of conformity.

Returning or refusing a shipment can prolong confinement and endanger the queens’ survival. Contact us promptly to arrange safe handling and transport. This recommendation is not a condition for valid statutory withdrawal or a complaint and does not limit statutory deadlines or remedies.

Order Cancellation and Rescheduling

Customers may cancel their orders free of charge at least seven days before the agreed dispatch date.

If a customer wishes to cancel or modify an order less than seven days before the scheduled dispatch, an individual agreement may be reached with the seller regarding a refund or rescheduling the shipment to another available date.

Any changes are subject to mutual agreement and queen bee availability. This concerns the additional contractual cancellation or rescheduling option and does not restrict statutory withdrawal or other mandatory rights. Where a consumer has a statutory right of withdrawal, our consent is not required to exercise it, including less than seven days before dispatch. We impose no automatic cancellation charges or deductions for payment processing fees. For a timely free cancellation before dispatch, payments received are refunded without such deductions.

These provisions do not affect the customer’s statutory consumer rights.

Consumer’s 14-day right of withdrawal

For a consumer distance purchase, you may withdraw without giving a reason within 14 days from the day you, or a person you designate other than the carrier, acquire physical possession of the goods. If goods in a single order are delivered separately, the period runs from receipt of the last item, lot or piece. You may also withdraw before delivery. Under these terms, we do not invoke an exception to this right for live queens. This consumer right does not apply to business purchases.

Notify us by an unequivocal statement emailed to info@ms-carnica-queens.eu or posted to MIHA METELKO – NOSILEC DOPOLNILNE DEJAVNOSTI NA KMETIJI, Studenec 23A, 8293 Studenec, Slovenia. You may use the model form below or Withdraw from the contract online. The form is optional; no reason, telephone call or prior approval from us is required. The deadline is met if you send your notice before it expires.

Return or hand over the goods to the address above without undue delay and no later than 14 days after notifying us; dispatch before that deadline is sufficient. You bear the direct cost of an ordinary safe and lawful return. If ordinary postal return is unsafe or prohibited because the queens are live animals, we arrange and pay for the necessary special collection. Contact us promptly to coordinate safe transport for the queens’ welfare; this is not a condition for a valid withdrawal and does not extend statutory deadlines.

We reimburse payments received, including the cost of the least expensive standard delivery offered, without undue delay and no later than 14 days after your withdrawal notice. Extra costs for a more expensive delivery option are not reimbursed. We use the same payment method unless you expressly agree otherwise without incurring charges. Unless we collect the goods ourselves, we may withhold reimbursement until we receive the returned goods or evidence of dispatch, whichever is earlier. We do not apply this withholding where we have offered to collect the goods.

You are liable for diminished value only where it results from handling beyond what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods and the statutory conditions are met. Introducing a queen into a colony or inappropriate care may affect value, but does not automatically extinguish withdrawal rights or justify deducting the entire price. Any diminished value must be substantiated in the individual case. Remedies for lack of conformity remain unaffected.

Model withdrawal form

Complete and return this form only if you wish to withdraw from the contract. Delete as appropriate.

To: MIHA METELKO – NOSILEC DOPOLNILNE DEJAVNOSTI NA KMETIJI, Studenec 23A, 8293 Studenec, Slovenia; info@ms-carnica-queens.eu
I/We hereby give notice that I/We withdraw from my/our contract of sale of the following goods: ____________________
Ordered on / received on: ____________________
Name of consumer(s): ____________________
Address of consumer(s): ____________________
Signature of consumer(s) (only if this form is notified on paper): ____________________
Date: ____________________

Withdraw from the contract online

Enter your name, email address for the acknowledgement and details identifying the contract and goods. Check the details before confirming. By clicking “Confirm withdrawal”, you notify us: “I withdraw from the contract identified in the details entered.” A copy of your notice with the receipt date and time is sent to your email address. The online form does not automatically modify an order.

We process the notice details to handle the withdrawal and comply with legal obligations, not for marketing. Our Privacy Policy information and mandatory GDPR rights apply.

Complaints and disputes

Send complaints to info@ms-carnica-queens.eu with your order number and the problem you want resolved. We will respond by email and seek an agreed solution. Mandatory consumer rights remain unaffected.

We do not recognise any provider of out-of-court consumer dispute resolution as competent to resolve consumer disputes under the Slovenian Out-of-Court Consumer Dispute Resolution Act (ZIsRPS).

Personal data

We use contact, invoice and delivery details to answer enquiries, fulfil orders and meet record-keeping obligations. Payment processing, delivery and VAT verification involve the relevant service providers. See our Privacy Policy.

Updated: 20 October 2026.