Lesson Learned About Trading

[Tmm87]

Just want to preface this by saying @ScottW was nothing short of awesome during the transaction and nothing that happened is a result of anything he did specifically.

I currently have an AI Prime HD that was on loan to me from a friend who bought 4 for his upcoming build. I had listed my MP40 for sale on the forums and got a message from Scott asking if I'd be interested in trading for a light as I had mentioned in my listing. We came to the agreement that he would purchase me an AI Prime and mount with his store credit from Aquarium Specialty. The light and mount were to be drop shipped to me. After receiving order confirmation and tracking information from Scott I had the MP40 shipped out to him.

The AI Prime was set for delivery while I was at work. I get home expecting the light to be sitting on my porch with the rest of the packages that were delivered that day and no light. I live in a small town in the middle of nowhere. I have a 350ft driveway and my porch doesn't face the road, my package was not stolen. It was dark when I got home so I waited to do anything until the next day (Saturday) when it was light out. I looked all around my house, no light. I check with my neighbors who live further down the street, no package for me. At this point I contact FedEx and file a missing package claim. After getting my confirmation email I call them up and speak to somebody just to give them all of the information. They tell me it's no problem, they'll do a trace on the package and if it can't be located they'll escalate the claim and get in the situation rectified.

Scott was in communication with me this entire time and he reached out to Aquarium Specialty to let them know what was going on. FedEx reaches out to me and tells me that the package isn't able to be found so they would escalate the issue but only after they heard from the retailer who sent the package. I asked Scott to reach out to Aquarium Specialty again and have them contact FedEx.

A few days go by, no updated information, so I reach out to FedEx. They tell me that they've approved the claim as the package could not be located and they'd be reaching out to Aquarium Specialty. I sent Scott a message letting him know what was going on because Aquarium Specialty refused to communicate with me on the matter since I'm "not their customer".

I get a message back from Scott a couple days later and he's copied the response from Aquarium Specialty.


"Hi Scott,
I'm sorry to see that FedEx denied this claim. I'm not overly surprised, since they show it as delivered. FedEx generally doesn't cover theft of packages.
I don't know how to handle this. We all lose in this situation. I've copied Scott G. on this email, I need his input.

I'm sorry Timothy's package was stolen.


Ship Date Tracking Number Case Number Claim File Date Service TypeClaim Status Comments
2018-11-28 784053771453 1201837366 2018-12-01 Ground Denied"

And then this from the owner:

"Unfortunately there is not much we can do on stollen drop ship orders. If it had gone to you and then you shipped it to your customer then the result would have been the same."

At this point I reach back out to FedEx to figure out what was going on as I had been told over the phone that the claim had been approved. They tell me they can't discuss details with me, only the shipper, and that I need to contact them directly. I call Aquarium Specialty to find out what was going on and I'm told that they can't give me any information other than it's denied and there's nothing they can do for me because I'm not their customer. I reach out to Scott again, he emails them to see if there's some resolution we can get and to date there's been no reply.

I explained to both companies (FedEx and Aquarium Specialty) that my package was not stolen. I had numerous packages delivered that day and nothing else was missing. Some of the packages were even in very descriptive boxes displaying that they were fairly expensive items.

So now I'm out an MP40 AND a Prime. I have to either return the Prime I'm currently using to my friend within the next week or two or buy him a new one.

Really disappointed in the whole situation since the reason I wanted to sell/trade the MP40 was so I didn't have to spend money out of pocket for a light so close to the holidays...now I'm stuck having to do that anyway. Awesome, right? I can say that's one company I will never purchase another item from regardless of how much cheaper they are than the competition.

 

[Tmm87]

Guess it might help if I tag the other involved party... @AquariumSpecialty

 

[Tmm87]

Well...it's been almost 3 weeks now. I've been in contact with Aquarium Specialty, I've been in touch with FedEx. Nobody wants to do anything to help with the situation. I keep getting the same song and dance from Aquarium Specialty "FedEx doesn't cover stolen packages". I spoke with FedEx and was told they most certainly do and have been dealing with claims on numerous packages that were taken this holiday season.

The other interesting piece of information I received from FedEx is that the light was shipped with standard insurance and no signature required. Standard insurance only covers $100. It costs a few more dollars to insure for $500 which would have covered everything and required a signature.

I tried speaking with Scott at @AquariumSpecialty the other day and again was told that he couldn't do anything for me because I wasn't the customer. I mentioned the issue with the shipping insurance and got an excuse that he doesn't handle the shipping so he doesn't know why it was sent that way.

I understand that I wasn't the one to directly purchase the item from them, but the product was shipped directly to me. No different than if somebody were to buy a gift for me. Any other company I could show proof of purchase and have the item replaced or at least receive store credit. Aquarium Specialty is refusing to do anything stating that it's a losing situation for everyone. That's false, the only one losing here is me. @ScottW got his MP40, @AquariumSpecialty got their payment in the form of store credit and here I am with nothing but a headache trying to get this situation resolved and nobody will work with me.

I'm not sure why communication is so difficult. What happened to good customer service?

 

[ScottW]

Wait, let me get this right. I should "do the right thing"?? So you are saying, that I should spend another call it $300 on an item I already paid for, and if I don't, then I am NOT doing the right thing? That is exactly what you are saying, regardless how you want to say "oh, no that isn't what I was saying". To even post such a stupid comment, that has confirmed to me, I would never do business with you. You are a Sponsor on the forum that has absolutely nothing to do with myself, the OP, or AS.

In your mind, if I don't send another light and arm that I already paid for, I am not doing the right thing. lol. How about this, you send him a light and arm if you are so Moral and I am not.

I have been in constant communication with the OP, trying everything I can do on my end to help him get the light I paid for and had shipped.

Regardless of how much AS put as the value, FedEx has said to both myself, OP, and AS the package was delivered, so in their mind they have fulfilled their part of that business, and have denied the claim. There could have been $50,000 worth of insurance on the package, it wouldn't make 1 bit of difference, FedEx said it was delivered to the OP's house.

I am not happy at all that this happened, I feel terrible that this happened. I do however feel I have done what I was supposed to do, I made a trade with another user on here, I spent my hard earned money on a light and arm, it was shipped and then delivered (OP said it was not delivered, FedEx says it was), of course I believe the OP it wasn't delivered.

I do however find it odd, that the OP bought an item on Amazon, and in turn it was actually shipped by AS to him the week prior and it too was "lost/ delivered" by FedEx. Then a week later, another package (mine) was shipped from AS to OP and again, "Lost/Delivered" by FedEx, I believe he has 2 open claims against FedEx and AS. I believe the OP opened another case with FedEx for this package I had sent to him, so it may still be open.

I have bought and sold far to many things on here to even count (dating back to 2009) so longer than @cromag27 has even been registered on the site with ZERO issues, ZERO neg feedback), to have a sponsor on this forum say I am not a moral person is very disturbing to say the very least, and he should be ashamed and embarrassed.

I will quickly talk about a Kessil light I sold on here to @Ezeke1 a few weeks back, I bought a setup, came with Kessils, I didn't have a use for them, so I sold them here. Unplugged working perfectly, boxed up, shipped off to him. He opened the box, 1 of them worked, 1 didn't light up, we quickly sent into Kessil to see what happened, they said couldn't be fixed, so I immediately went to AS and bought another brand new Kessil 360 Tuna and had it shipped off to Ezeke1. Brand new in box, that is the kind of Unethical person I seem to be according to @cromag27.

Don't EVER question/accuse someone of being unethical or moral @cromag27, you look VERY uneducated in doing so! You are a sponsor on here to boot, keep your opinions to yourself on matters like this as you were not involved in anyway with this trade. I would never come and crap in your sponsors area, but rest assured, I won't ever do business with you. I even got a quote from you for a lid for my RSR250, you can go ahead and delete that, I won't be using you!

 

[Tmm87]

Wait, let me get this right. I should "do the right thing"?? So you are saying, that I should spend another call it $300 on an item I already paid for, and if I don't, then I am NOT doing the right thing? That is exactly what you are saying, regardless how you want to say "oh, no that isn't what I was saying". To even post such a stupid comment, that has confirmed to me, I would never do business with you. You are a Sponsor on the forum that has absolutely nothing to do with myself, the OP, or AS.

In your mind, if I don't send another light and arm that I already paid for, I am not doing the right thing. lol. How about this, you send him a light and arm if you are so Moral and I am not.

I have been in constant communication with the OP, trying everything I can do on my end to help him get the light I paid for and had shipped.

Regardless of how much AS put as the value, FedEx has said to both myself, OP, and AS the package was delivered, so in their mind they have fulfilled their part of that business, and have denied the claim. There could have been $50,000 worth of insurance on the package, it wouldn't make 1 bit of difference, FedEx said it was delivered to the OP's house.

I am not happy at all that this happened, I feel terrible that this happened. I do however feel I have done what I was supposed to do, I made a trade with another user on here, I spent my hard earned money on a light and arm, it was shipped and then delivered (OP said it was not delivered, FedEx says it was), of course I believe the OP it wasn't delivered.

I do however find it odd, that the OP bought an item on Amazon, and in turn it was actually shipped by AS to him the week prior and it too was "lost/ delivered" by FedEx. Then a week later, another package (mine) was shipped from AS to OP and again, "Lost/Delivered" by FedEx, I believe he has 2 open claims against FedEx and AS. I believe the OP opened another case with FedEx for this package I had sent to him, so it may still be open.

I have bought and sold far to many things on here to even count (dating back to 2009) so longer than @cromag27 has even been registered on the site with ZERO issues, ZERO neg feedback), to have a sponsor on this forum say I am not a moral person is very disturbing to say the very least, and he should be ashamed and embarrassed.

I will quickly talk about a Kessil light I sold on here to @Ezeke1 a few weeks back, I bought a setup, came with Kessils, I didn't have a use for them, so I sold them here. Unplugged working perfectly, boxed up, shipped off to him. He opened the box, 1 of them worked, 1 didn't light up, we quickly sent into Kessil to see what happened, they said couldn't be fixed, so I immediately went to AS and bought another brand new Kessil 360 Tuna and had it shipped off to Ezeke1. Brand new in box, that is the kind of Unethical person I seem to be according to @cromag27.

Don't EVER question/accuse someone of being unethical or moral @cromag27, you look VERY uneducated in doing so! You are a sponsor on here to boot, keep your opinions to yourself on matters like this as you were not involved in anyway with this trade. I would never come and crap in your sponsors area, but rest assured, I won't ever do business with you. I even got a quote from you for a lid for my RSR250, you can go ahead and delete that, I won't be using you!

@ScottW has no moral obligation to do anything. He fulfilled his part. The order that was through Amazon was for a bottle of aiptasia-x and it was damaged by the post office. The claim was never meant to be sent to AS, amazon customer service misunderstood and it's been closed out. I had requested amazon to deal with USPS for a broken bottle (the package looked like it was driven over, even had tire marks on the package).