Just ranting here

[vetteguy53081]

is that a pic list/wholesale list? what are we looking at? and can i have a $35 mimic?

That looks like a very old list as I was an LFS retailer and bought fish wholesale and even at drop-ship, has low quality rate. No one is buying these fish- we are all stating how ridiculous these so-called deals are that are being posted.

 

[PhishMonger84]

Then don't ship at those online stores. Find another online store that sells rastas for $20. Plenty of sponsors sell zoas for $20-$30 a frag. Instead of complaining about the overpriced vendors, maybe give a shout-out to the good guys??

who are the good guys?

 

[fishguy242]

That looks like a very old list as I was an LFS retailer and bought fish wholesale and even at drop-ship, has low quality rate. No one is buying these fish- we are all stating how ridiculous these so-called deals are that are being posted.

Sorry , Current , not "very old"... You should know better than that i would assume...

 

[ninjamyst]

who are the good guys?

Rasta Zoanthid

Zoanthids are a type of coral that are popular among aquarists for their colorful and vibrant appearance. They are found in a variety of colors, including shades of pink, purple, yellow, and green, and have a unique and attractive patterning. Zoanthids are easy to care for and can thrive in a...

www.riptideaquaculture.com

4 heads for $24 and that's before the 25% coupon. @RiptideAquaculture is a sponsor and run live sales. There are other sponsors that don't charge crazy prices for everything. Just have to learn how to find deals like any other online shopping....

 

[vetteguy53081]

Then don't ship at those online stores. Find another online store that sells rastas for $20. Plenty of sponsors sell zoas for $20-$30 a frag. Instead of complaining about the overpriced vendors, maybe give a shout-out to the good guys??

You too are missing the point - The deals being put out there are not deals and - I need fish or coral?? (you have not seen my tanks)
Its funny about 90 others get it- These are fake sales and is unfair to those looking for cheap coral or beginners paying prices that are Elevated - then discounted.
Ive been doing this 40 years- I know what prices are and have been. Many others too and have recognized this. This thread started as a rant and many others chimed in, who too have seen the very same pattern

 

[vetteguy53081]

Sorry , Current , not "very old"... You should know better than that i would assume...

Thats likely a drop ship list

 

[fishguy242]

Thats likely a drop ship list

But landed and current...

 

[ninjamyst]

You too are missing the point - The deals being put out there are not deals and - I need fish or coral?? (you have not seen my tanks)
Its funny about 90 others get it- These are fake sales and is unfair to those looking for cheap coral or beginners paying prices that are Elevated - then discounted.
Ive been doing this 40 years- I know what prices are and have been. Many others too and have recognized this. This thread started as a rant and many others chimed in, who too have seen the very same pattern

So what are you trying to accomplish besides ranting? If you want to make changes, then list the vendors that are over charging and list the vendors that offer fair pricing.

My counter argument to your rant is that not EVERY vendor is price gouging. This is retail business and every industry plays the same game. It is so easy to find cheap corals. It is also easy to find expensive corals. Your rant is moot unless you are saying every vendor only carries overpriced corals.

And comparing price today to 40 years ago is the worst argument to anything.

 

[Wildreefs]

A sucka born every minute. I dont known how that particular vendor makes cash for anything with the stratospheric prices.

That vendor is a major bingo, stay away at all costs . Lost 90 percent of the fish from there, meanwhile elsewhere I lose
About 15 percent. One came in, hit it with prazi, and after a minute , the flukes were falling out of the gills, thing stroked out and was dead within 5 minutes of prazi pro. Absolutely trash

 

[vetteguy53081]

So what are you trying to accomplish besides ranting? If you want to make changes, then list the vendors that are over charging and list the vendors that offer fair pricing.

My counter argument to your rant is that not EVERY vendor is price gouging. This is retail business and every industry plays the same game. It is so easy to find cheap corals. It is also easy to find expensive corals. Your rant is moot unless you are saying every vendor only carries overpriced corals.

And comparing price today to 40 years ago is the worst argument to anything.

cant list vendors per R2R rules and DID state up front I will Not list names.
The rant does not say Every vendor but certain one(s) and Ive been in hobby 40 yrs- not prices from 40 yrs ago- Do you know what a rant is?
Rant is grumbling. . . . and this was a personal rant - read original page again.

I even stated: I have been buying local and from private parties and am glad I made that switch.

 

[ninjamyst]

cant list vendors per R2R rules and DID state up front I will Not list names.
The rant does not say Every vendor but certain one(s) and Ive been in hobby 40 yrs- not prices from 40 yrs ago- Do you know what a rant is?
Rant is grumbling. . . . and this was a personal rant - read original page again.

I even stated: I have been buying local and from private parties and am glad I made that switch.

You original post implies all online vendors are overpriced....I guess that's my trigger. There are definitely a lot of overpriced online vendors but there are also lots of good ones too. I rather the community focus on the good guys than make blanket statements that online prices are too high.

 

[PhishMonger84]

You original post implies all online vendors are overpriced....I guess that's my trigger. There are definitely a lot of overpriced online vendors but there are also lots of good ones too. I rather the community focus on the good guys than make blanket statements that online prices are too high.

thanks for sharing! I'm not sure it's a topic worth getting into if it upsets you, I hope you have a great long weekend!

 

[doubleshot00]

LOL....literally every other retail industry has sales....

Not like the coral industry where you have to sit in front of your computer and click refresh.

 

[fishguy242]

That looks like a very old list as I was an LFS retailer and bought fish wholesale and even at drop-ship, has low quality rate. No one is buying these fish- we are all stating how ridiculous these so-called deals are that are being posted.

Sorry missed your edit, "no one is buying these fish" ?
UMmm how else are they coming into the market ??

 

[vetteguy53081]

Sorry missed your edit, "no one is buying these fish" ?
UMmm how else are they coming into the market ??

direct to wholesaler. There are some that drop ship and take their losses and price fish accordingly. No one referring to private parties without risk

 

[fishguy242]

direct to wholesaler. There are some that drop ship and take their losses and price fish accordingly. No one referring to private parties without risk

You win , i'm out ,have a great day...

 

[RiptideAquaculture]

Rasta Zoanthid

Zoanthids are a type of coral that are popular among aquarists for their colorful and vibrant appearance. They are found in a variety of colors, including shades of pink, purple, yellow, and green, and have a unique and attractive patterning. Zoanthids are easy to care for and can thrive in a...

www.riptideaquaculture.com

4 heads for $24 and that's before the 25% coupon. @RiptideAquaculture is a sponsor and run live sales. There are other sponsors that don't charge crazy prices for everything. Just have to learn how to find deals like any other online shopping....

**I didn’t really read back to see what this rant was about**
But, being a small business in an ever changing industry during a time of historic inflation that ligitmatly EVERYONE is feeling; believe me when I tell you, we are really trying to make sure our prices are competitive and fair. I can promise anyone reading this, that when we throw a “sale” it’s legitimate. I’m not jacking the prices up to give a discount. What’s on our website is what’s left from our last live sale. If you don’t believe me, visit our flash sale on Monday. If people are intent on getting corals out of a buddies tank or from some rando on Facebook marketplace to save a couple bucks, I don’t blame you; been there done that. But we are in business to supply healthy corals at the best price possible and help our customers along the way. The long and the short of it, everything we use to operate this business went up in cost a considerable amount and we are bleeding ourselves dry to keep our prices low, and the only one benefitting is ups and google.

 

[vetteguy53081]

**I didn’t really read back to see what this rant was about**
But, being a small business in an ever changing industry during a time of historic inflation that ligitmatly EVERYONE is feeling; believe me when I tell you, we are really trying to make sure our prices are competitive and fair. I can promise anyone reading this, that when we throw a “sale” it’s legitimate. I’m not jacking the prices up to give a discount. What’s on our website is what’s left from our last live sale. If you don’t believe me, visit our flash sale on Monday. If people are intent on getting corals out of a buddies tank or from some rando on Facebook marketplace to save a couple bucks, I don’t blame you; been there done that. But we are in business to supply healthy corals at the best price possible and help our customers along the way. The long and the short of it, everything we use to operate this business went up in cost a considerable amount and we are bleeding ourselves dry to keep our prices low, and the only one benefitting is ups and google.

Thank you for posting this. I think a misunderstanding here is that it was indicated that ALL vendors are overcharging or misrepresenting a sale price. My rant was 2-3 vendors not mentioned that I have shopped with a LONG time and am shocked at the continued elevation either with price or same item at 4 different prices within 4 weeks with a different discount which comes out to the same dollar amount.
What they charge is their business but its better they charge a flat dollar amount than represent a HUGE sale which is not.
This was posted as Rant , and never did I dream it would get to several pages.

 

[yanetterer]

A few things I'm curious about:

Some of the vendors with prices that are higher than most have both online and brick and mortar storefronts. Are their online prices the same as their in-store prices? Are prices in that area generally higher than most other places in the country?

How much is it worth to you all to buy a frag from: vender 1 who sells frags that often have unwanted hitchhikers, eggs, aiptasia, etc.; vender 2 who sells generally clean frags that may occassionally have some eggs or pests; vender 3 who sells frags that are practically sterile and don't even have pods that fall off in a dip. Say the price points are $20, $40, $60, or maybe $20, $30, $40. Obviously, regardless of vendor you should be dipping and inspecting prior to putting in the tank, but would you be willing to pay twice as much to have the peace of mind that pests are less likely to make it past your inspection and into your tank?

Same with shipping, are you willing to pay a little more for clamped or heat sealed bags in an actual styrofoam box versus tied off bags in a box with some foam panels cut to fit?

Not that it necessarily justifies charging so much more than competitors, but I am curious how much value reefers put on that more "premium" service.

 

[Lbrdsoxfan]

You original post implies all online vendors are overpriced....I guess that's my trigger. There are definitely a lot of overpriced online vendors but there are also lots of good ones too. I rather the community focus on the good guys than make blanket statements that online prices are too high.

Not ALL are... But more than not are a mess price wise!