Shipping policy
Our preferred method of shipping is Canada Post which we have found to be the most economical and quickest way to get your package. If you are purchasing live plants, please select either Xpresspost or Priority.
Processing Time Dry Goods 1-2 Business Days:
We attempt to ship all dry good orders within 1 business day Monday-Friday. In store pickup orders, are processed next day except Stat holidays.
Processing Time Live Plants Every Monday & Tuesday:
Regardless of when the order was placed, out of town live plant orders are processed every Monday & Tuesday. This is to avoid your plants spending the weekend in a cold or hot Canada Post warehouse. We take great care in the packaging of our plants so that they will stay warm and fresh as long as possible.
Processing Time Red Sea Aquariums:
All Red Sea Aquariums are specially ordered. Depending on availability in Canada, your aquarium may take 1-4 weeks to arrive at the destination. If the Canadian distributor is out of stock, the order must come directly from Red Sea's head office in Texas and therefore will take some extra time. The longest wait has been 1 month but most will arrive within 2 weeks. Before placing your order contact us for a personalized shipping quote.
Trucking companies will drop off the aquarium but will not carry them into your home so special arrangements must be made to have the aquarium brought in and extra charges will apply.
Shipping Live Plants & Weather:
Sometimes due to extreme weather conditions in either our location or yours, we may hold off a week shipping live plants until weather improves.
Local? Choose free in-store pickup:
Need something fast? Order online and pick up at 796 Beatty Street, Vancouver. Select "In Store Pickup" at checkout and you will not be charged any shipping. It couldn’t be easier. Hundreds of products are available for next day pickup.
Address Correction Charge:
If an address needs to be changed or corrected once the order has shipped and left our store or the shipment needs to be diverted to another address, an address correction charge will apply and is the responsibility of the customer (amount varies depending on address).
Some Exceptions Apply:
All aquarium & terrarium purchases must be picked up in the store due to the sensitive nature of glass. If you would like to arrange your own shipping method and have your aquarium picked up by a courier company, choose the "Pickup in store" option and give us the details so we can have it ready. For a complete list of items that are only available for pick up, click here.
If your product arrives damaged, any claims must be made with the Shipping Company that delivered your goods. Let us know as soon as you unpackage your goods. This has happened a couple of times with Canada Post and they have been swift in resolving the situation and have covered all costs. We recommend inspecting your items as soon as you receive them and taking pictures to verify any damage.
Our goal is for you to be happy and come back for more. If something isn’t quite right, let us know and we will do our best to make it better.
Thanks for shopping with Aquariums West