Shipping Policies

When you place an order with Fishtanksdirect.com, we take pride in processing your order with speed and accuracy. All orders shipped via UPS, FedEx, or US Mail service are re-packaged in heavy duty packaging to ensure your products arrive in top condition.

In stock orders processed by 12 noon PST generally ship the same business day. In some cases, orders may ship the following business day, especially order placed during the weekend. In the event of a back order, we will contact you to via email and/or phone to inform you of the back order and the expected ship date for your order. We charge actual freight rates and do no charge an additional handling fee. We ship orders via the most economical carrier of choice. Typically, we use UPS for ground shipments and either BAX Global, Yellow Exact Express or UPS for expedited air shipments. We use UPS, US Mail or BAX Global for international orders unless specified by the customer. Items that are OVERSIZED dimensions please contact us if you are unsure on whether a particular item is oversized will generally incur additional shipping charges. If an order incurs additional shipping charges, we will notify you via phone and/or email prior to shipping. Oversized items include, but are not limited to: 60 inch and 72 inch florescent bulbs, 65 watt and larger ultraviolet filters, bulk chemical media and bulk fish food 25 lbs and over, sand, substrate, salt, 36 inch, 48 inch, 60 inch and 72 inch light units and reflectors, 24 inch and taller protein skimmers except the Berlin XL and Berlin Turbo XL, � Horsepower and larger chillers, all standard and custom filtration sumps, all aquariums and aquarium stands and aquarium canopies for 40 gallon and larger aquariums, and larger aquariums, 500 gpd and larger reverse osmosis filters and any item with any one known dimension larger than 36 inches.

Shipping Methods

Our main distribution facility is located in Vista, CA. All order ship FOB Vista, CA unless the item is noted as a special order or drop ship only item. Orders ship Monday through Friday unless UPS has a designated Holiday.

UPS Ground Shipping: UPS ground shipping is the standard shipping method. Orders placed by 1 PM Pacific Standard Time generally ship the same day. If the order is not shipped the same day, it will ship the next business day. “Special order items” and “drop ship only items” are shipped within 2 to 14 days from the manufacturer.

UPS Three Day Shipping: UPS Three Day shipping is an expedited shipping method. Orders placed by 1 PM Pacific Standard Time ship the same day. UPS guarantees delivery within three business days not counting the pickup day and weekends or holidays. “Special order items” and “drop ship only items” are shipped within 2 to 14 days from the manufacturer. UPS Three Day shipping is NOT recommended for “special order items” or “drop ship only items” because the manufacturer�s order processing time can vary.

UPS Second Day Shipping: UPS Second Day shipping is an expedited shipping method. Orders placed by 1 PM Pacific Standard Time ship the same day. UPS guarantees delivery within two business days not counting the pickup day and weekends or holidays. “Special order items” and “drop ship only items” are shipped within 2 to 14 days from the manufacturer. UPS Second Day shipping is NOT recommended for “special order items” or “drop ship only items” because the manufacturer�s order processing time can vary.

UPS Overnight Saver: UPS Overnight Saver shipping is an expedited shipping method. Orders placed by 1 PM Pacific Standard Time ship the same day. UPS guarantees delivery the next business day not counting the pickup day and weekends or holidays. “Special order items” and “drop ship only items” are shipped within 2 to 14 days from the manufacturer. UPS Overnight Saver shipping is NOT recommended for “special order items” or “drop ship only items” because the manufacturer�s order processing time can vary.

Returns Policy:

When you purchase any product from Fishtanksdirect., Inc. you are entitled to its manufacturer's warranty against defective merchandise. Several of our major manufacturers' policies prohibit us from accepting returns and require that you contact them directly for assistance regarding their table1. These manufacturers will repair, return or replace them in accordance with their own policies:
Aqua Medic / Aqualine Buschke 1 866-419-0086 | Aqua Ultraviolet 1 800-454-2725
PurFlo (NuClear) 1 800-777-4458 | PFO Lighting 1 800-577-9690
TAAM (Rio) 1 805-383-3566 | Danner MFG. 1 888-795-5677
Hamilton Technology 1 800-458-7474 | IceCap 1 800-742-3227
Aquadyne (Octopus) 1 858-569-2082 | Aquarium Currents (Sea Swirl)1 570-422-6755
Dolphin Aquarium 1 850-434-9880 | Red Sea Fish pHarm 1 888-RED-SEA9
If your product is not made by one of the manufacturers mentioned above, the following policy applies:
Closed packages: Before opening each product please check its packaging and label carefully to be sure you received the correct product and version. If the supplier's original packaging and seal is still intact, you may return the product to us within 30 days from purchase for an exchange, merchandise credit or refund (excluding shipping and handling charges), subject to a 35% restocking fee. Return shipping to us is at your own expense. You must include a copy of the original invoice with the RMA# inside your return package.
Defective Returns: If your product is not functioning properly, please contact us as soon as possible (but not later than 30 days from purchase). In most instances, our highly skilled Tech Support representatives can assist you in diagnosing and resolving your product problems. However, in rare instances, a product is defective. In such case, we will replace the product with an even exchange of the same item, subject to in-stock availability and manufacturer warranty. Replacement items ship within two business days after the defective item is received in our warehouse and inspected by our Returns Department. Custom orders and table1 designated as "all sales final", "no returns" or similar language may not be returned. All table1 returned to us must be accompanied by a valid Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number issued by us within 30 days of your original invoice date. After 30 days from purchase we can no longer issue an RMA and will refer you to the manufacturer for warranty service. RMA's expire in 15 days after they are issued and cannot be extended or re-issued. All returned table1 must be 100% complete in original packaging and in resalable condition, with all packaging, product, manuals, blank warranty card and other accessories and documentation included. A valid RMA number must be written clearly and conspicuously on the outside of the packaging. Incomplete or unauthorized returns will be refused. Please send all packages with valid RMA's to: Fishtanksdirect ,. Include a copy of your receipt in the package. Please contact us to obtain your RMA# ____________________________. PRICES: All prices are F.O.B. our warehouse. All taxes extra where applicable. Prices are subject to change without notice. All shipments will be invoiced at prices in effect on date shipment is made. All orders accepted subject to credit approval. Past due invoices subject to service charge of 1-1/2% per month. INVOICE TERMS: 1% - 10 days following date of invoice, net 30. Minimum net charge per invoice is $50.00. All taxes extra. FREIGHT TERMS: F.O.B. our dock, freight collect. GUARANTEE: Merchandise of our manufacture is guaranteed to do the work for which it is intended where properly installed and operated.Fishtanksdirect. . warrants each new product manufactured and sold by them to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of one year from date of sale. This warranty does not obligate Fishtanksdirectcom. to bear the cost of labor or transportation in connection with the replacement or repair of defective parts, nor shall it apply to any product upon which repairs or alterations have been made, unless authorized by the manufacturer. Fishtanksdirect.com shall in no event be liable for consequential damages or contingent liabilities arising out of the failure of any product, its power unit or its accessories to operate properly. No express, implied or statutory warranty other than herein set forth is made or authorized to be made by the manufacturer. All table1 not manufactured by Fishtanksdirect.com are subject to the warranties or their respective manufacturers. CLAIMS: All goods shall be deemed delivered to purchaser at the time they are placed in the hands of carrier and consigned to purchaser. Loss, damage or destruction of any said merchandise is assumed by purchaser. No claims may be made for shortages unless made within 10 days from receipt of merchandise. FORCE MAJEURE: The company shall not be held responsible or in default under any contract or order or liable to anyone for any losses or damages arising from delay, inability or failure to fill orders or to perform its obligations caused by acts of God, force majeure, fire, flood, explosion, accident, strike or other labor trouble, the exercise of civil or military authority, scarcity of labor or materials, transportation difficulties, demand exceeding supply, voluntary or compulsory application of priority rationing, limitation of production or any regulations by governmental order, or any cause or circumstances beyond its reasonable control, or resulting from any scheme of allocation among its customers in the event of shortage or delay.

Products that are being returned : Product may have not been in use.Customer is responsible for return shipping costs.Customer is responsible for a 35% restocking fee if package is accepted.

PRIVACY POLICY

Your privacy as our customer is of extreme importance. We do not in any way sell, trade, or make public your information. All of your address and payment information is stored on our secure server backed by a THAWTE SSL certificate providing the highest level of internet security. The SSL certificate utilizes Secure Socket Layers to encrypt all data that is being transmitted to our servers. Our in-house servers are housed behind enterprise class firewall appliances to further protect your privacy. WE ARE THE ONLY ONLINE AQUATIC RESELLER THAT PROVIDES THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF SECURITY FOR YOUR SHOPPING EXPERIENCE BY MAINTAINING A SERVER FARM IN-HOUSE TO ENSURE THAT YOUR DATA IS COMPLETELY SAFE. Once your order has been processed and verified, all payment and credit card information is immediately removed from our secure web servers to ensure that your payment information is COMPLETELY UNAVAILABLE to anyone on the internet. This payment information is transfered to our in-house data servers running Windows Advanced Server with complete security from any potential attack. Our in-house data servers are not connected in any way to the internet, thus protecting your payment information from any possible threat. We value your business as much as we value your privacy. If you have any concerns with your privacy as a customer of Fishtanksdirect.com, please email us or call 1-866-999-TANKS.