SaltwaterAquarium.com sells aquarium supplies, live fish, corals, and related equipment for saltwater tank enthusiasts. This page compiles verified shopper ratings and reviews to help you understand customer experiences with the store's products, shipping, and support.
SaltwaterAquarium.com Reviews
1.8
21 reviews
What Shoppers Say About SaltwaterAquarium.com
Created with AI, based on recent reviews
SaltwaterAquarium.com receives overwhelmingly negative feedback from shoppers, with 21 reviews averaging 1.8 out of 5. The most consistent complaints center on severe customer service failures, including unresponsive support staff, false product descriptions, and inadequate resolutions to problems. Shoppers report receiving incorrect items (wrong species of fish or coral), products that do not match descriptions or photos, and unreasonably long shipping delays with no compensation. Additional frustrations include high return fees (15% of purchase price) and refunds that fail to cover the actual value of defective merchandise.
The rare positive reviews (19 percent of ratings) suggest that some customers have had acceptable experiences, though these represent a small minority. The predominant pattern across negative reviews is customer abandonment, with shoppers explicitly stating they will not return and recommending others shop elsewhere. Issues with live animal arrivals (dead or damaged stock), misleading product categorization, and poor responsiveness to multiple customer inquiries have severely damaged trust in the retailer.
Customer Reviews (21)
Sorted by: Most recentChristopher D.Jul 18, 2023
Terrible attitude all around. I ordered something at 10am and paid extra for next-day shipping. The following day, there was no tracking number, so I called them. That's when they told me their inventory information was wrong and they didn't actually have it in stock. When I pointed out they should've contacted me the moment I placed the order, they responded in a really rude way: This order was assigned to me last night - I would have seen it today and given you this same message. How does a business take an order at 10am for overnight shipping but it doesn't get to the shipping department for 12 hours? And they think that response is okay when they never bothered communicating with me?
Brandon M.Jun 1, 2023
Completely useless. They claimed my order was shipped when it wasn't. I ordered copepods on Saturday and by Thursday they hadn't even started processing it. Worst customer service I've ever encountered. I called Wednesday to ask where my stuff was and they said oh it's shipping today. Well, I have accounts with UPS, USPS, and FedEx and not a single one of those companies had touched my order. Whoever I talked to Wednesday straight up lied to me. I'm going to tell all my reef aquarium groups on social media to stay far away from this company.
Patricia L.Dec 14, 2022
Every snail in my order came dead on arrival, and the seller refused to give me my money back.
Monica H.Nov 29, 2022
They waited two full business days to let me know something I bought was out of stock. That timing made me miss out on sales happening elsewhere. They didn't offer anything to make up for it. This is the kind of stuff that makes people just use Amazon instead. Terrible business. Take the negative reviews seriously and shop somewhere else.
Vincent H.Oct 21, 2022
Placed an online order for frozen food after chatting to confirm shipment would happen. Nothing shipped. They blamed a system problem. The customer care experience was even worse, like they didn't care and didn't mind me canceling the order as if I shouldn't be questioning them. Really bad experience from start to finish.
Kevin T.Oct 21, 2022
I ordered frozen food online and chatted with someone before buying to verify it would actually get shipped. Nothing ever showed up. They claimed it was a system error. When I followed up with customer service, they didn't seem bothered at all and had zero problem letting me cancel like it was no big deal. Really disappointing experience overall.
Gregory T.Jun 7, 2022
For my second order of three seahorses, Brian showed excellent customer service and guaranteed my captive-bred ORA seahorses would arrive in perfect health. Working with this company has been a pleasure, and I've already passed their information along to my aquarium maintenance person for clients interested in seahorses and ORA-raised fish. Much appreciated!
Robert H.Jun 7, 2022
My second order was for three seahorses, and Brian went above and beyond with his service. He made sure my captive-bred ORA seahorses arrived healthy and alive. They're a fantastic company to work with, and I've already told my aquarium maintenance provider about them since some of their clients want seahorses and other ORA-bred fish. Really appreciate it!
Jason P.Mar 6, 2020
Placed two orders using coupons and they called me the next morning wanting to know where I got those coupons from. Seriously? Will never shop here again.
Steve C.Jan 27, 2019
I've ordered dry goods multiple times and had no issues with delivery timing or packaging. One situation came up with some light brackets that were scratched, requiring me to ship them back. They processed a complete refund even after I'd already thrown away the plastic from one bracket. Great customer service. So far I'm really satisfied with this company.
SaltwaterAquarium.com Review FAQ
What is the overall rating for SaltwaterAquarium.com?
SaltwaterAquarium.com is rated 1.8 out of 5 based on 21 customer reviews. Approximately 81 percent of reviews are one-star ratings, while 19 percent are five-star ratings, with no middle-range ratings reported.
What are the most common complaints about SaltwaterAquarium.com?
Shoppers most frequently complain about unresponsive customer service, false or misleading product descriptions and photos, long shipping delays without tracking updates, receipt of incorrect items (wrong species), and inadequate resolutions such as minimal refunds that do not match the product value. Return fees of 15 percent also frustrate customers.
Are there issues with live animal orders?
Yes, multiple shoppers report receiving dead or incorrect live merchandise, including chaeto algae that arrived in poor condition and fish orders with wrong species substituted. Customers indicate the company has not adequately addressed these issues or offered appropriate replacements.
Do shoppers recommend SaltwaterAquarium.com?
Based on review content, the vast majority of shoppers explicitly recommend avoiding this retailer and suggest purchasing from competitors instead. Those who left one-star reviews emphasize they will not return.
How can I write or submit a review for SaltwaterAquarium.com?
RetailCoupons.com welcomes verified customer reviews. Shoppers can share their experiences to help others make informed purchasing decisions. Reviews should describe actual transactions and be factual about product quality, shipping, and customer service.