Terms and conditions of use

📜 Terms & Conditions, Returns, and Warranties

⚠️ IMPORTANT: SHIPPING POLICIES

Our shipping policies, rates, and exclusions are an integral part of these terms of sale.

View Shipping Policies

🚫 Order Cancellation Policy

Before Shipping: Customers may request order cancellation as long as the order has not yet been shipped.

5% Processing Fee

Due to the policies of payment processors (Stripe, PayPal, etc.), transaction fees are no longer refunded to merchants upon cancellation.

Consequence: Any cancellation requested by the customer will incur an administrative and banking processing fee of 5% of the total order amount (including taxes and shipping). This amount will be deducted from the final refund.

Exception: If cancellation is due to an error by Aquarium Direct (e.g., unexpected stock shortage), a 100% refund will be issued.

🛡️ Shipping Insurance: Damage, Loss & Investigations

All our shipments are insured. In case of breakage or loss, we follow a strict procedure with the carrier.

1. Damaged upon Arrival (48h Deadline)

Any claim for an item arrived broken must be reported within 48 hours of receipt.

Required Communication: Contact us quoting your ORDER REFERENCE # and attach the mandatory photos below (essential for the insurer):

  • The shipping box (exterior).
  • The inner packaging.
  • The broken product.

2. Lost Package: Collaboration & Options

If the package is lost, we will open an investigation with the carrier (5 to 15 business days). Please provide your Reference # when reporting.

⚠️ Customer Collaboration Required:
The carrier may contact you directly. If you do not reply to the carrier's inquiries, the investigation will be closed without refund.

Your options during the investigation:

  • Option A (Wait): A replacement will be shipped once the package is confirmed lost by the carrier.
  • Option B (Fast): You can place a new order immediately. Once the loss claim is officially accepted by the carrier, a full refund (100%) of the first order will be issued.
💡 Items under $20: Broken items valued under $20 will generally be refunded directly without requiring a return.

📦 Return Policy

⚠️ ACTUAL SHIPPING COSTS PRINCIPLE

Please note that the shipping fees you pay at checkout (e.g., Flat Rate or Free Shipping) are often subsidized by us. The actual cost charged by the carrier (Canada Post, UPS, etc.) is usually higher.

In the event of a return, refusal, or exchange, these ACTUAL COSTS (non-subsidized) will be charged.

ℹ️ Refund Terms

Authorized returns will be refunded to the original payment method.

Aquarium Direct reserves the right to charge a 15% restocking fee, which will be deducted from the refunded amount.

General Conditions

1. Authorization Required: Before returning an item, contact us quoting your REFERENCE # to obtain authorization. Any item returned without authorization from Aquarium Direct will be refused.

2. Timeframe: All return requests must be made within 7 days of receipt.

3. Item Condition (Strict): Returned items must be in their original condition, unopened, with all original packaging, seals, and accessories intact.

⛔ If the seal is broken or the packaging is opened, the item is no longer considered new and is not eligible for return. If an opened item is sent back to us, it will be refused or no refund will be issued.

4. Proof of Purchase: All returns must be accompanied by your receipt.

Return Shipping Costs

Aquarium Direct does not cover shipping costs for returned products.

  • The customer must pay for return shipping.
  • The ACTUAL initial shipping costs are non-refundable.
Special Orders or "On Order" Items:
No returns will be accepted for special orders or items specified as "on order".
Please inquire before ordering: Delivery times of 2 to 3 weeks or more are to be expected depending on the product.

💸 Special Fees (Refusals & Errors)

Refused Package or Incorrect Address

If we ship an order and it is refused, the address is incorrect, a non-defective item is returned, or an item is returned without proper authorization:

The customer will be charged the ACTUAL shipping costs incurred both ways (outbound and return).

Storage Fees

Storage fees may be charged after a period of 30 days. If we are unable to schedule delivery with you or you do not pick up your order:

  • Storage fees are $9 per day.
  • These fees are retroactive to the first day of order availability.

🛡️ Warranty

Please note that warranty claims must generally be addressed to the product manufacturer. Aquarium Direct is not responsible for defective products.

Exceptions: We handle the warranty directly in-house for the following brands: AAA Aquatic, Coral Box, Ziss, and SL-Aqua.

Period Shipping Cost Responsibility
0 to 30 days The customer is responsible only for shipping costs to return the item to us.
After 30 days The customer is responsible for actual shipping costs both ways.

Defective items will be replaced, repaired, or credited according to the supplier or manufacturer's requirements. Any defect coverage or warranty on bulbs must be handled by the manufacturer. We will assist you in the process if necessary.

⚠️ Disclaimer (Water Damage)

Aquarium Direct shall not be held liable for any equipment failure or water damage resulting from the maintenance, use, installation, or manufacturing of said equipment. Please note that information on this site is for reference only. Always refer to the instructions and specifications provided directly by the manufacturer.

⚖️ Legal Notice: Modifications & Errors

Subject to applicable laws, Aquarium Direct:

  • Reserves the right to modify products, services, prices, and specifications at any time without notice.
  • Cannot guarantee that products will be available when ordered.
  • Does not guarantee that the site is free of errors (typos, inaccuracies).
  • Reserves the right to cancel any order (even accepted ones) if the price or information is inaccurate, or if stock is insufficient. In such cases, you will be fully notified and refunded/not charged.

Severability: If any provision is found to be invalid, it shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions.

🔒 Data Protection (Law 25)

Aquarium Direct complies with the requirements of Quebec's Law 25 and PIPEDA (Canada).

  • Minimal Collection: We collect only necessary info (Name, Address, Email, Phone) for order processing.
  • No Data Sale: Your information is never sold or rented to third parties.
  • Security: Payment data is processed securely by certified processors (Stripe, PayPal) and never stored on our servers.
  • Your Rights: To request data correction or deletion, please contact us via our contact us page.