Boycott the Boogers

[Bob Weigant]

I’m a bigger fan of getting corals from other people locally. Lots of good high end corals in Nor Cal. Bigger frags , good prices

 

[najer]

England calling, these type of posts always make me chuckle, we don't really do the funny names over here, a one inch frag over here is an accident!

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

In these conversations, I'm always just kind of indifferent. I figure people will vote with their wallets on these things

 

[melanotaenia]

There are three-four big name coral players now that are doing this, they know who they are, and they charge obscene amount for their corals. I will never support them for this reason. ORA is one of the good ones; they take the time to grow out most of their frags, and the last batch I got were encrusted on the plugs to the point that the top of the plugs were no longer visible.

 

[blstravler]

I think there is also a stigma around not buying frags - we’ve all see people get roasted for filling their tanks with small colonies. So this drives the demand. Though the pricing is getting out of hand. If there is a sale I will get some - but only if they have started to encrust. I think selling a frag sitting in fresh glues isn’t the greatest of ideas. However the pictures (as others have mentioned) just make it all so much worse. All pics should be taken in 10k and 20k lighting and with something next to it for scale - you really can’t tell sometimes how large the frag is.

 

[oldbob50]

If the price is too high or the frag is too small. Don't buy from that vender. If what you got from a vender is disappointing because they missrepresented or did not fully represent it. Don't buy from that vender. And then, make sure you let them know that you are not satisfied and will not buy from them. Just not doing buying from them does not send them a message. But knowledge of lost sales will over time. Also, make sure when you let them know, that you list the names of the venders that do not do this and that you will buy from.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

People get roasted here for buying colonies for their tanks? If so that’s horrible.

I rarely look at online vendors anymore because of everything already mentioned here. I used to LOVE shopping for coral and filling my cart to see what I can grab. Now I can’t even afford to buy two or three frags from anywhere that sells new stuff. It makes the hobby kinda boring.
I also used to love looking at peoples tanks online. Now I rarely search for them because lots of people have the same thing, tanks full of fragments and blue light distorting colors to a dramatic unnatural coloration.

 

[Waterislife]

Burn me once, that's on me, burn me twice, now that's just lack of common sense.

 

[EastCoastScaping]

I recently did a coral order from a smaller retailer online but the day after my order they updated the website. 2 days later I get a email saying they were sold the two wysiwyg corals i bout and had another 2 out of stock. And that they didnt get time to say this until the site update. They offer to cut new frags and I said sure. 10 days go by no answer. I email them and they say they will have their supervisor email me that night. No email for 3 days. now its been almost three weeks and I finally get my coral. 2 corals were missing ( the out of stock ones) so I email them and they say they will have their manager email me later that night. No email until the next day, saying that they gave me 2 other corals as a bonus for the delay and they issued a refund... i never got a refund. So i say ill wait a few days and I will email back if I still dont have it. 1 week goes by no refund. I email them again and they say the manager will contact me later that day. Again doesnt come for 3 days. And when it does they say they cant find any transaction history to give me my refund for the 2 missing corals... great service....And most of the corals they sent were basically booger sized which is a slap in the face after waiting almost 3 weeks

 

[EastCoastScaping]

And I sen them proof of my transaction 3 days ago and still no answer or refund

 

[Pete Witteried]

And I sen them proof of my transaction 3 days ago and still no answer or refund

Ask your credit card company to reverse the transaction because product never received.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Yea or call them, email good for proof of contact but st that point I would be blowing up their phone. Most small fish stores have trouble making good online orders fwiw.

 

[Knapp870]

This isn't necessarily a "new" trend though it has probably gotten worse and worse as of late. Don't you think the facebook auction fad just exacerbated the problem? Everyone in their dog were buying frags and micro-fragging to get in on whatever the latest craze was.

 

[EastCoastScaping]

Ask your credit card company to reverse the transaction because product never received.

Well I dont wanna a full refund. I just want the money back for the 2 frags they didn't give me. Like I ordered a gonzos golden dragon bounce frag $100 but the day after I ordered it they upped the price to $160 for it. they say "ill honor the order since we're out of stock on the other corals." But then I get the coral and its a booger, almost no color at all. Companies should have to let you know the size of the item you'll receive if it is a stock item they sell. Someplaces sell a 1/2 inch- a inch frag of the mushroom for $100-125.

 

[EastCoastScaping]

Yea or call them, email good for proof of contact but st that point I would be blowing up their phone. Most small fish stores have trouble making good online orders fwiw.

They arent a small store really, they sell alot of coral weekly but they dont do all the adds and sponsor like WWC or other retailers.

 

[Hemmdog]

I’m a bigger fan of getting corals from other people locally. Lots of good high end corals in Nor Cal. Bigger frags , good prices

I need a new circle of friends then lol. I wish I knew more reefers in the bay.

 

[Da8]

My opinion from Spain


What is more important for me is the lack of reality in most photos of the corals sold or in the tanks in US.

There is ni longer pursue of color. Just use of blue light. Orange filter and photoshop.

Not telling all. For me US is still on the top of reef aquarists but the new trend of named hyper blue filtered photoshoped corals ruins the fun of watching people's tanks.

 

[Arthroverts]

Sounds like a petition to the vendors needs to get started if this keeps getting worse...

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 

[Biokabe]

I see a lot of people complaining about how the price doesn't match up with the cost of producing the frag. And... yeah. It doesn't.

When it comes to the pricing of luxury goods - and that's what corals are - the cost of production has very little to do with the final price of the item. Production cost sets the floor, but it has nothing to do with the ceiling. Ultimately, we the reefers are the ones to blame. We keep buying the corals at the prices offered, in some cases within minutes of the items being listed. That doesn't tell vendors, "We're unhappy with your prices." That tells them, "Your prices are too low."

So, as with everything... if you don't like it, don't buy it. That's the only way to affect change reliably.

 

[Graffiti Spot]

Not buying the corals will get the point across but newer reefers need threads like this to read so they can understand things weren’t always like this. Sure the people who don’t like it can not buy them but the people who don’t know frags were bigger than this before won’t stop and say “hey I am not buying this because it’s too small”. The point is to get to the newer reefers and say he this is not how it used to be and it doesn’t have to be like this now, and give them an alternative. It’s not as simple as just not buying booger frags.
The people who want the change need to start by going out of their way to sell normal fragments and prop up vendors who do the same. The problem is there will always be the people that don’t care about the price and that just see an opportunity to make quick money. I mean in a way that’s how this tiny frag stuff started, wanting to make extra money.