Sydney Tools

To describe them as clowns is generous. I ordered a product. They said they could not get it in for a few weeks, and asked if I wished to proceed. I emailed to say I would cancel the order. They ignored my email, and eventually mailed me the product. Before it had reached me, I instructed Aus Post to return it to the Dulwich Hill store. That was… Read more

what Sydney Tools instructed me to do. For some reason, Aus Post could not find the store and sent it to the Dulwich Hill post office. And that is where it now sits. I gave Sydney Tools formal authority to collect it. Sydney Tools has made no effort to retrieve it. I have ordered a charge-back on my credit card. Avoid these guys.

Best not to order online from these doofus's. They send orders to whatever store they think might have stock. If the store doesn't have stock , even though the website says they did, they will just sit on the order indefinitely and not contact you at all. Making you waste time and money chasing things that have had payment accepted. But no attempt at delivery. They are stuck in the stone age.

Just to inform other customers that the refund and exchange policy is terrible. Please think many times before buying anything valuable as they refuse to refund or upgrade to something better after two weeks time. It’s not like other retailers. Luckily, I bought a cheap tool bag and its retractable handle just jammed after few months and way… Read more

before warranty expiry date. Initially, store manager sent an email to someone in the eastern state to get an approval to do anything further, and asked to revisit next week. Revisited and obviously, it was approved for exchange and asked them if we can get something better by paying the difference as the product wasn’t great and there are chances that it will break soon or later but store manager refused to do anything except to exchange the product. We went there twice and spent more on fuel by considering to buy something better,,ended up buying from another retailer. We decided not to buy anything from Sydney tools again.

Spend over $5000 and parts were missing, emailed multiple times requesting this be sorted and no responce. Also noticed I was forced to pay for a Unloading Tray because a compressor was involved, got stung for $88 extra and the deliver it on a… Read more

standard truck and still had to manually lift it off after paying for the Tray Truck. Put a complaint in requesting a Refund of the $88 and how I would NEVER purchase off them again and end result, No Refund was given and No Replacement Parts that were missing were sent.

Very disappointed to find that this organisation generally has a policy of not refunding "unused still in the package tools with receipts", that were purchased as a present but unfortunately couldn't be used. If you really need to shop at any of… Read more

these stores be aware of this return policy (which is clearly stated by the way) but I only became aware of too late. They may have a sign stating this policy but if so, it might not be obvious If at all uncertain about your purchase, consider other retailers that do have a more customer focused refund policy

they are extremely helpful and i would say they are even better than bunnings, they got pretty much every tool in the book for a DIY. Appreciate the team for getting everything ready, didn't waste a second in the store. gave me a deal as well. Show details ·  1

Customer service, support and follow ups made easy and after I made a call to ensure items were being sent all went as planned. Jo in sales was very helpful and a pleasure to deal with. Show details ·  1

Great communication from Roselands branch who delegated the order to Campbelltown branch that had the tile cutter available in stock. Next day delivery from Campbelltown branch and finally, excellent product leaving a professional finish while being easy to use. Worth every dollar (Milano Tile cutter 63cm). Well done Sydney Tools. Show reply

If there was _ i would give minuse 10..we bought a item and we wanted light weight due to arm injury and it ended up being the same as what I already had ..heavy so it was still in original packing and I had not used so I took back for a rear exchange to light weight..they said we DON'T give refunds and we DON'T exchange so choose carefully as your stuck with it..will never ever use this store agian Show details

I recently ordered some consumables that needed to be back ordered. Before taking possession, I attempted to cancel the order. I was told that as this was a special order (not true, it is a normal stocked item) they would give me a store credit (not a cash refund) less a restocking fee. I was told that the restocking fee would be about 15%. I… Read more

wasn't very happy. However, I was even less impressed when the restocking fee was calculated at a whopping 32%. Then returned to the store to spend my store credit to see that the product that I had ordered was indeed in stock. To be fair the returns policy is clearly displayed in the store. However, it is an appallingly one-sided policy that basically states that no returns are accepted. The chaps in the store, including the store manager, are powerless to show any discretion. I won't be shopping at Sydney Tools ever again.

Sydney Tools, Archerfield QLD I had a frustrating experience with Sydney Tools regarding a nail gun service. I brought my gun in for inspection on 02 March 2026 and paid AU$35. I declined the full service costing around AU$311 and instead paid AU$132 for reassembly on 09 March 2026. When I picked it up, the tool was reassembled incorrectly,… Read more

with metal parts protruding, making it unsafe to use. I left it with them again, hoping it would be properly fixed.

In total, 23 days have passed, and I have already spent AU$167, yet the tool is still unusable. This has caused lost time, stress, and unnecessary expense, as I rely on my tools for work every day.

I hope Sydney Tools improves communication, quality control, and turnaround times for future customers. Based on my experience, I cannot recommend this service at this time.

AVOID This Store at all costs!!! I have been a customer of Sydney tools for some time now having shopped at a few different stores I have never run into a Store manager that is so incompetent, unprofessional, has no understanding of what customer service is, no communication skills with the customer or with his own team doesn't matter if you… Read more

spent $5 or $7000 like I did this guy shouldn't be in a position of management let alone a tool store.... when raised with other staff in the store i was told (don't even get me started he needs to go)....... i genuinely feel sorry for the team working under him the store has the potential but in the end has nothing without good leadership & management

Then you go to the butler store 20m away and its a completely different world the boys there go above and beyond to help you out with whatever your after and prompt and professional, with good old fashion customer service... and most important a laugh

safe to say i will never be visiting the Joondalup store again

UPDATE – 05 MAR 26 Regretfully my confidence in Sydney Tools’ after-sales processes has diminished further and this review has been revised from two stars to one. Reductions in ratings following mediation are presumably uncommon, but the correspondence to date has unfortunately justified it. Correspondence during the ProductReview mediation… Read more

process has unfortunately reinforced, rather than resolved, the concerns raised in the original review. A series of dismissive explanations were offered for the delay — initially that the unit was “NLA” and parts were not readily available, and later that this information had come from another department — despite the service documentation recording that the repair undertaken was simply the replacement of a standard NGK BPR6ES spark plug, a commonly available component. This follows extensive, similar correspondence prior to me considering mediation before submitting my review. Apologies have been continually offered, largely been accompanied by assurances that the issue “will not happen again”, without reconciling the discrepancy between the explanation provided and the documented repair; and then regretfully repeated, with no sense of irony. In those circumstances, the mediation exchange has done nothing to restore confidence in the communication or accountability underpinning Sydney Tools’ after-sales support, nor to meaningfully address the circumstances that arose.

UPDATE – 04 MAR 26

For clarity, this experience relates specifically to after-sales service through Sydney Tools Fyshwick for a Gensafe GF2000 inverter generator repair. The generator itself performed adequately when operational. The issue raised in this review concerns the communication, accountability, and handling of the repair process by Sydney Tools, not the product itself.

Following the publication of the review and subsequent contact through ProductReview “mediation”, Sydney Tools advised that the delay occurred because the unit was “NLA” and parts were not readily available. However, the service invoice (No. 16157817) identifies that the repair ultimately undertaken was the replacement of an NGK BPR6ES spark plug. This is a very common spark plug used across many small engines and generators, widely available through mainstream retailers. For example: https://www.supercheapauto.com.au/p/ngk-ngk-resistor-standard-spark-plug---bpr6es/SPO234157.html Given the repair recorded on the invoice, the explanation that the delay occurred because parts were “not readily available” is difficult to reconcile with the documented repair itself. My original review did not question the generator or the modest cost of the repair. The concern raised was the lack of ownership of the repair process, the absence of proactive communication, and the repeated uncertainty regarding the generator’s status while it was in Sydney Tools’ custody. Unfortunately, the explanation now provided through mediation appears inconsistent with the repair recorded on the service documentation, and therefore does not resolve the concerns raised in the original review regarding communication and accountability in the after-sales process.

ORIGINAL REVIEW

This review relates to after-sales service, not product performance. I purchased a Gensafe Inverter Generator GF2000 from Sydney Tools Fyshwick during the 2020 Black Summer bushfires as a preparedness measure for a property in the NSW high country. When operational, the generator performed as required. Product capability is not in question. The generator had been used only very infrequently over a few years and had accumulated less than a couple of hours of total run time. In mid-2024, when testing the generator ahead of the fire season, it failed to operate. At that point, I did not know the cause of the failure and returned to Sydney Tools Fyshwick seeking advice on whether repair or replacement would be the most appropriate course of action. In October 2024, I handed the unit to Sydney Tools Fyshwick after being advised that there was an in-house service pathway under which the generator would be assessed, I would be advised of the findings, and—subject to my approval—the unit could be repaired. I was advised that the entire process would take approximately six weeks from the time the generator was handed over. On that basis, and given this was still ahead of peak fire season, I agreed to proceed and paid the inspection fee. From that point onward, the after-sales process became protracted. Communication was not proactive; I was required to repeatedly follow up by phone and in person to obtain updates. I was advised of at least one expected return date (21 December), which later proved inaccurate. Staff interactions were polite; however, communication was largely reactive, and responsibility for progressing the repair was repeatedly deferred to external repairers and freight arrangements, notwithstanding that the assessment and repair process had been accepted and managed through Sydney Tools as the service provider. I was also advised that an earlier return would require payment of additional freight costs in the order of several hundred dollars; even though Sydney Tools could not confirm the location or status of the generator at the time. As the delay extended into a period of elevated fire risk, and with the generator still unavailable, I purchased a smaller backup generator from another supplier to maintain a basic level of preparedness. While delays can occur, the absence of proactive communication, inaccurate return advice, and lack of ownership of the repair process once payment had been taken resulted in an outcome that did not meet my reasonable expectations for after-sales service—particularly given the purpose of the equipment involved. This experience has significantly undermined my confidence in Sydney Tools’ after-sales support

Unbelievably poor service. Item purchased online as in stock, 10 days later with no shipping advice received, I start making inquiries. Three emails and four phone calls later, I’m informed that the product was not available in Victoria and had to be sent from WA. Staff just don’t care, and online support is non existent. Just reaching someone, anyone that is prepared to follow up on the matter, is a major exercise in itself.

No refunds! Only store credit. Tradies beware - these guys are rogues. Absolute terrible customer service. I was told by other trades not to buy there and now I know why.

Faulty product + refusal to provide a proper remedy under Australian Consumer Law. Staff relied on “NO REFUNDS” signage/policy. Only after I raised a bank dispute did Head Office claim they never refused a return—yet their own email/signage says refunds aren’t accepted. Not trustworthy. Would not recommend.

The supplier advertises free freight above $99. What they fail to advertise is that this is a discretionary application of an offer, subject to the whim of the sales staff. False advertising and when questioned was happy for me to go elsewhere. Intersting customer service...or lack therof.

Sydney Tools refund policies are predatory. They wanted to charge a 20% restocking fee for cancelling an online order within 24 hours of making the purchase, item hadn't even arrived at the store. However, they're more than willing to be flexible and waive the fees if you do an exchange, especially if the exchanged item is of higher value.… Read more

Fortunately I did need to purchase something else, although I would have gone elsewhere for it, had I not been coerced by their ridiculous policies. Sydney Tools, the money you save by charging restocking fees must surely pale in comparison to the amount of sales you lose by generating bad will with your customers. I will certainly never shop at Sydney tools again, even if it means I can't get the brands I want. This model of doing business, where you squeeze every bit of value possible out of your customers while providing the bare minimum of services possible, just isn't good enough anymore. I'll just take my money to a competitor that treats customers fairly and with respect. In the end, you lose.

Customer service on the bottom of the pit, there was a special I’ve found on website, in the shop I was told special is just finished but it wasn’t specified on website, wasted my time, now I’m dealing with mitre 10, total tools or Bunnings…..good buy

I purchased a Dewalt DCM5713N-XE Line trimmer on 19 October 2025 for $469 on the basis of the shop assistant's advice that I could buy a brushcutter adaptor if I chose to in future. On 5 January 2026, I attended the store and asked for the adaptor for that model. They checked my record to confirm the line trimmer model, located the the DT20657-QZ… Read more

and sold it to me for $49 as the correct adaptor.

As the adaptor did not fit the line trimmer, I took it back on 1 February 2026. They conceded that it was their error. They also said the advice they had given me on 19 October was incorrect and that there was no brushcutter adaptor for that model of trimmer. They offered a store credit for $49 but refused a refund. Instead they referred me to their returns policy which states, in part: "We do not accept returns, exchanges, or refunds on any products purchased from Sydney Tools". I pointed out that the sentence in question goes on to say "unless required by law" and that I believe the Consumer Law would require a refund in this case as the item in question was not fit for the purpose I disclosed prior to purchase. As they still refused a refund, I reluctantly took the store credit.

I called their customer service number on 2 February and spoke to [Name Removed], who seemed surprisingly hostile for a customer service officer. When I mentioned my rights under the consumer law, she hung up. I called back and spoke to [Name Removed] who was very courteous and apologetic but insisted that they simply don't give refunds. On 3 February, I received an email message, again denying a refund.

As the approach of Sydney Tools regarding refunds in cases like mine  appears to represent a systemic disregard for the Australian Consumer Law, I lodged a report with the ACCC. They have responded stating, among other things, that:

"If you tell a supplier that you want a product for a particular purpose—and you buy it based on the seller’s advice—the product should meet your needs. If it does not, the product does not meet the consumer guarantee of fitness for purpose and the seller must fix the problem." ; and

"If a product you own has a major problem, you have the right to ask for your choice of a replacement or refund." ; and

"A product has a major problem when it" ......... "does not do what the business said it would, or what you asked for, and cannot easily be fixed."

I accept that $49 is a small amount and that I will claim the store credit at some point in future. Nevertheless, although I have spent significant amounts of money at Sydney Tools over a number of years without any issues, I do not intend to shop there again. I simply do not trust them to comply with the law if issues do arise in future. There are other tool sellers in Canberra with return policies and practices that exceed the requirements imposed by law and that price match. I would advise anyone wishing to buy tools to put Sydney Tools at the bottom of their list.