Sydney Discus World Aquariums

I am writing this to warn others about this business. Despite completing a purchase, my order was never fulfilled. The company is completely non-responsive to both calls and emails, and their store policies are extremely unfair to the consumer. I was only able to recover my funds because my bank intervened and cancelled the credit card payment. Highly recommend avoiding this merchant.

Waited 5 weeks and status of order was still "processing". Started to message through website and email. No answer to 4 messages and emails. Now no answer to phonecalls either. Zero stars.

SCAM - I ordered a light for $132 two weeks ago, and still nothing. They closed down two years ago and are now operating the website, but not delivering anything. If you order from this website you will never see your money or the product again.

It's a scam. Ordered some fish medication, said the order was processing for 3 weeks, so I sent an email asking when it would be shipped. They didn't respond. Ended up contacting my bank and getting a refund.

If I could give negative stars I would. More than 2 months since I ordered, no item, no communication, no response. I have had to get my bank to force a back charge.

Absolutely fantastic experience for me and my family! The variety of fish and aquatic setups was incredible, and the staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to answer all our questions. We especially loved seeing the vibrant discus fish up close it was both educational and relaxing. The store is well-organized and clean, making it easy to explore and enjoy without feeling rushed.

Unfortunately, same boat as everybody else with this business . Placed an order and it just sits on the website as processing for weeks.No reply to calls or emails or messages, a complete scam. Contacting the bank for a charge back and will be making a complaint with the New South Wales Fair trading.

Another non-delivery experience – Purchased a tunze skimmer around 27 September got the standard email link to online store which showed how the order was progressing. By around 10 November it still hadn’t moved to shipped. Checked the bad reviews then tried contacting Sydney Discus and no one answered or returned my call. Contacted my bank for a charge back within 60 days of… Read more

purchase, which was successful so got my money back. This is a scam, my experience is that they clearly do not intend to send the goods and wait to see if the customer pushes hard for a refund. Do not use.

Order Elsewhere and I feel sorry for you if you are here because they have scammed you – I ordered products from the online merchant store and it has been 6-7 weeks without any update on expected delivery while the store holds on to the funds. I tried contacting the store via phone, emails, leaving an online enquiry. None triggered a response from the shop. I was then told by others that this store is known for not sending paid items… Read more

or communicating with customers whom they have taken paid orders from. A quick online search "Sydney Discus World Aquarium reviews" revealed that 97% of their online customers have reported the exact same issues with orders that are way more than what I've spent. It is in my strong belief that such a business should not be allowed to operate online as many more consumers will be exposed to a "prolonged fee hold" and not received their orders. This harms other more worthy businesses as I would have ordered from the other stores if I knew this was going to be the case. I had to request a credit card charge back from my bank to get my money back.

AVOID THIS COMPANY – Worst company ever.... Scammers .... How are you still in business?????? They don't send products, don't answer emails, don't answer phones. Disputed money with bank to hopefully get my money back.

SCAM SCAM SCAM - Run Do Not Order with the site – Ordered $340 worth of fish no delivery. Contacted three times now. order placed over 65 days ago. Site states no refund under 60 days in terms and conditions. phone constantly engaged. someone has to remove this site its an absolute scam.

Stay away!! – Wish I read the reviews. Ordered bioscaping stuff but no responses to my email about when this item might be dispatched or even if in stock. Will wait to see if any response. If nothing in 2 weeks will go to my credit card company for a charge back and will report to NSW business board. Update: 3 weeks later no reply and order still not… Read more

progressed. Got my money back from the bank. Hope they rot in hell for ripping people off. I can’t believe they are allowed trade.

Wish i had seen these reviews before ordering – Placed an order and made payment, have had absolutely zero communication since then. Their email address is inactive (emailing them bounces back), both of their phone lines are constantly "busy", and I have never received a reply from submitting their contact form on the website. They are scammers. Their "60 day" shipping policy that they force… Read more

you to agree to, is so that by the time you have waited 60 days you're unable to file a chargeback with your bank. Thankfully I came across these reviews before the 60 days was up and have filed the chargeback. Will wait and see if I actually receive my money back. I saw that the business is owned by [Name Removed]. Found his mobile number and gave him a call, he said that oh no he doesn't own Sydney Discus World, he only used to do custom build aquariums for them, that he is currently in Western Australia and has not worked with them for 3 years. That's interesting [Name Removed], as your full name is listed as the owner of the ABN. I asked him for the phone number or contact information for literally anyone who works at the store, and he was less than helpful. I have submitted an official complaint about this business on the NSW Fair Trading website and I encourage everyone else who has a bad experience with this company to do the same. If enough people submit complaints, NSW fair trading MUST do something about this business who have been scamming people for YEARS. If you haven't waited the full 60 days yet for your order, please file a chargeback request ASAP.

This would appear to be a scam – Ordered Oase products from this merchant on 23 May 2023. Received order confirmation same day, but no shipping confirmation or other indicator of progress for a week. Tried to follow up through site contact form and phone numbers, and eventually also found email addresses. None of these contact methods worked. No reply to contact form submissions,… Read more

the phone numbers ring out or are not connected, the emails result in 'delivery failed' messages. The site, through its carefully calibrated T&Cs, appears to know well that credit card transactions need to be disputed within 60 days, so, their delivery time frame and first time they claim to accept a follow up by the customer is after 60 days. Department of Fair Trading apparently is hopeless in shutting this down since, in their own words, they cannot contact the merchant (d'uh!). Raised disputed transaction with bank, and await outcome. It speaks to the weakness of consumer protection and trade regulation in Australia that a business like this can continue to operate and fleece unsuspecting customers despite the well documented list of misdemeanours on Product Review. Wish I'd seen it earlier. The site professes a drop-shipping approach to delivery. I contacted the Australian Oase distributor, and they have never heard of this merchant or fulfilled drop-shipping orders from them.

[Content Removed]! – Take orders. Never fulfilled. Never intended to. No communication. How is this site still live? Should be a class action for this fraud. I wonder what kind of [Content Removed] [Name Removed] is driving around in?

Criminal shop – I bought $900 worth of aquarium products And have not been sent anything No answer when you ring Same owner owns the shop And online shop. Pieces of turd Hope the Owner rots in hell

Terrible experience but can't really call them scammers – Felt obliged to share my experience with this company here given the large number of negative reviews and the frequent use of the word "scammers". Having had the same experience as others here I thought it good to share my own experience with this company. Below is a copy of my response to a question in the Q&A section of this site: "... I was in… Read more

the same situation and like you felt like I had exhausted every avenue. On top of that I was feeling very stressed having read the stories on this site. The good news is that I did get my money refunded. In fact I received the bank transfer yesterday.

In the end I contacted the Sydney Discus World retail store. Straight off the bat they said that the online store was a different company and suggested I contact the online store directly. I explained that my order had exceed the 60 business days and that I have tried every avenue to contact the online store without success. I asked whether, as the sister company of the online store, there was some way they could help me contact the right person. He took my details and said he would pass them onto the person who runs the online store next time they were in. After several repeated repeated calls over two or three weeks with no luck I ask them if it was possible to contact him directly rather than having them be the middle man. They gave me his mobile and a name. After repeated failed attempts to call him directly I decided to just ring the retail store and speak to him directly. On the day I called he wasn't in but the store staff said he would be in store the next morning and to call then.

I called the next day and spoke with him. Truth be told he was pleasant to speak with and straight away asked for my order details and didn't at all try to fob me off with "that is a different company". He said he would arrange a refund which I should get later that week. After two weeks I contacted him again and mentioned that I hadn't yet received the refund. He apoligised and reconfirmed my details. He had definitely keep them from my previous call as he quoted my order number to me rather than me giving it to him again. He said that I would definitely get it by the end of the week and low and behold it arrived yesterday.

So long story short you need to call the Sydney Discus World retail store and ask for [Name Removed]. Explain to him that your order has not arrived after the 60 business days and that you are following up as per the instructions. Yes, in the instructions it says to contact them if you haven't received a shipping notice after 60 business days. Have your order number ready.

Basically you need to be patient and prepared to chase things up. Yes, it is very frustrating and one shouldn't have to do this, but based on my experience I can't really call them "scammers" as they did do what they said they would. Not sure how much not losing it with them helped in my case but I did kind of feel sorry for the store workers who must get some very unpleasant phone calls. I just wished I had read the fine print when ordering (i.e. the 60 business day clause) and that they improve their non-existant communication.

FYI I place my order with them in April 2022. ..."

Do not purchase – Made an order in January (it’s now august). Have called multiple times, left multiple emails and no response to any of them. Website is an absolute scam. I now see many others have been let down. Website and store owned by the same man.

Scammers – Website is a scam. Orders are not filled. Enquiries are never answered. Dont understand how they have not been shut down. If you have bought something from them that was never supplied then dispute the transaction. STAY AWAY FROM THIS RETAILER OR LOSE YOUR MONEY!

Scam! Do not buy from this online shop! – Spent $1000 but like so many, did not read the reviews on the seller first. After receiving no correspondence on shipping, I tried contacting them many times. Did not answer the phone and did not reply to my messages through their website. Thankfully I disputed the payment through my bank and got my money back. I don’t know how this dodgy business… Read more

is still operating. Obviously have no intention of supplying the products and wants people to just write off their losses and not chase up refunds. No respect for buyers. DO NOT GIVE THEM YOUR MONEY.

Company Owner - Dissolving his interest – Just a heads up - Nick who owns Sydney Discus World Aquariums, is selling up. The brick-and-mortar store at the market & his quarantine import facility with two import licenses are on the market. Hopefully, the person who buys them knows there is no Good Will with the purchases. Anyone who has issues with him - should take him to small claims… Read more

court before new owners take over.

This should also cause issues for him until he fixes all his wrongs...

Scammer website – I spent thousands with them and I am out $700 for a marine light. They asked me to send it back to be fixed now they don’t want to know me. No $700 no light.

take your money and don't supply goods – take your money and don't supply goods The terms and conditions state that the merchant will ship stock within 60 days and to wait until after 60 days before contacting to enquire regarding order.

Scammed for $700 – No comms, no answering of phones. Grubby operation with no intention of supplying. I will be taking legal action to have these people shut down and prosecuted for fraud.

Scam to keep people’s money – The terms and conditions state that the merchant will ship stock within 60 days and to wait until after 60 days before contacting to enquire regarding order. A person only has 60 days to dispute a card transaction. This mean if you wait, as per the terms and conditions and your order does not arrive you lose your ability to dispute the card… Read more

transaction and the business keeps your money. After reading all the reviews, we decided after two weeks of waiting, we won’t take the chance. We did ring the number on website, but it rings out. We then rang the number on the card transaction online details 02 8746 0225. This was answered, but we were told again to wait until after the 60 days. We have since disputed the card transaction to avoid losing our money.

scammers – Ordered $245 worth of fish. No contact after 14 days. Unable to reach them via published contact details. Had to reverse the charge on credit card. I regret not finding this page sooner. Do NOT deal with these scammers.