Live aquaria new DOA process

rishma · May 29, 2020

It’s been a while since I ordered from Live Aquaria, always had good luck with them. One of my fish was DOA, I took a pic and sent them an email, and my kids flushed to the fish.

They responded back asking more photos and to fill out a form. I am kicking myself but in the past I just sent an email.

I am bummed but not flaming LiveAquaria, what they asked for is not unreasonable. I just did not know the process had changed. Maybe others already knew about the new requirements but I figured I would share so nobody else gets surprised.

Big G · May 29, 2020

rishma said:
It’s been a while since I ordered from Live Aquaria, always had good luck with them. One of my fish was DOA, I took a pic and sent them an email, and my kids flushed to the fish.

They responded back asking more photos and to fill out a form. I am kicking myself but in the past I just sent an email.

I am bummed but not flaming LiveAquaria, what they asked for is not unreasonable. I just did not know the process had changed. Maybe others already knew about the new requirements but I figured I would share so nobody else gets surprised.

Yes, they changed that awhile ago and also they don't refund now; they give you store credit for future use.

rkpetersen · May 29, 2020

Significant changes recently due to their being purchased by Petco, none of them pro-customer.

h2so4hurts · May 29, 2020

Really? Never had them ask me to fill out a form for a death and I just reported one last week. How long have you been a customer? These things seem to depend a lot on that, and how much you spend there

rishma · May 29, 2020

h2so4hurts said:
Really? Never had them ask me to fill out a form for a death and I just reported one last week. How long have you been a customer? These things seem to depend a lot on that, and how much you spend there

I have been a customer for a very long time. 10 years? A long long time, I don’t remember exactly. I wouldn’t dare to add up how much $ I have spent over the years.

JasonK84 · May 29, 2020

rkpetersen said:
Significant changes recently due to their being purchased by Petco, none of them pro-customer.

This occurred long after Petco bought them. It’s getting pretty old hearing how rotten live aquaria is and blaming it on being bought by Petco. What are your personal experiences with them? I’m not talking about things you’ve heard.
I think @LiveAquaria does amazing and I think most of us use their web content for fish compatability and specimen requirements.

People need to quit bashing them just because they were bought by Petco.

My local Petco is horrible for saltwater fish but I love LA. Why do we bash one because of another?

Those of you that love LA go to this thread and tell them how great they are. No, I’m not affiliated.

Showing some love for LiveAquaria!

I got a clean up crew delivered today and everything arrived alive and doing well. Order included: 30 astrea snails 5 emerald crabs 1 snapping shrimp It was separated into 5 bags 25 snails, 5 snails, 4 emerald crabs, 1 red crab, 1 snapping shrimp. Assuming the red crab was a substitute and I’m...

www.reef2reef.com

h2so4hurts · May 29, 2020

Yeah, it's going to be more like the airlines, how much have you spent in the last year. Sorry that happened to you, but I'll remember this in the future, just in case. Pretty easy to ziplock them and put them in the freezer just in case.

ca1ore · May 29, 2020

The refund-credit policy changed a while ago ..... maybe a year, maybe less. Petco bought LA in 2015 ... a useful data point for those susceptible to conspiracy theories. I liked the old policy better, though it was an outlier. All of the online places had required photos and gave store credit. Frankly, I find the box charge more annoying ....

JasonK84 · May 29, 2020

h2so4hurts said:
Yeah, it's going to be more like the airlines, how much have you spent in the last year. Sorry that happened to you, but I'll remember this in the future, just in case. Pretty easy to ziplock them and put them in the freezer just in case.

What they require is not outrageous. It’s just new and some people don’t know the policy changed.

h2so4hurts · May 29, 2020

A couple vendors require pictures with the tails cut off..

JasonK84 · May 29, 2020

h2so4hurts said:
A couple vendors require pictures with the tails cut off..

Who? Never heard that. Guess they suspect people are lying and that’s a good way to tell the fish is dead or will be soon?

Cell · May 29, 2020

Credit refund only + non refundable bagging fee + increase in minimum for free ship from $99 to 149 all at once was too much for me. I'd still be a customer otherwise. Now I just have my local Petco special order it for me instead.

ca1ore · May 29, 2020

h2so4hurts said:
Pretty easy to ziplock them and put them in the freezer just in case.

I have a bad habit of forgetting they’re in the freezer .....

h2so4hurts · May 29, 2020

JasonK84 said:
Who? Never heard that. Guess they suspect people are lying and that’s a good way to tell the fish is dead or will be soon?

I can't remember, some place I ordered from years ago. It was pretty morbid.

Smarkow · May 29, 2020

rishma said:
It’s been a while since I ordered from Live Aquaria, always had good luck with them. One of my fish was DOA, I took a pic and sent them an email, and my kids flushed to the fish.

They responded back asking more photos and to fill out a form. I am kicking myself but in the past I just sent an email.

I am bummed but not flaming LiveAquaria, what they asked for is not unreasonable. I just did not know the process had changed. Maybe others already knew about the new requirements but I figured I would share so nobody else gets surprised.

While I definitely applaud you for your measured response, this reminds me of a story from working in an outpatient pharmacy...

So often-times insurance companies will balk at covering a prescription, something like “Oh your doctor wrote for you to take this medication three times per day? We only cover this medication twice per day... so you and/or your doctor need to fill out these forms.” One of the pharmacists explained to me something called “the rule of seven.” Basically that every time the insurance companies give a patient/doc another form to fill out, 1 in 7 people will just go away, saving them money.

So when I hear that your fish arrived DOA, and that you took one photo and promptly contacted them, but then reasonably disposed of the dead creature... only to be asked for “more photos,” I don’t think “Oh they must have changed their policy...”. I think, “Oh big Petco, screwing over another customer.”

Anyways. Kudos for your measured/reasonable response, but IMO you would be totally justified to fight them on this, including disputing charges with your credit card company if they do not remedy the situation.

Good luck

JasonK84 · May 29, 2020

h2so4hurts said:
I can't remember, some place I ordered from years ago. It was pretty morbid.

Agreed. I’d bet some here wouldn’t have the stomach for it. Me, I’ll dissect it for them if that’s what gets my refund processed.

JasonK84 · May 29, 2020

Smarkow said:
Anyways. Kudos for your measured/reasonable response, but IMO you would be totally justified to fight them on this, including disputing charges with your credit card company if they do not remedy the situation.

Maybe that quote was meant for me?

LA didn’t hide anything. It’s all there on their site to review. They were not deceptive in any way. The OP hadn’t ordered in a while and didn’t check to see the conditions had changed. Mistakes happen and I too hope they are credited for the DOA.

jsvand5 · May 29, 2020

Can you post the pic you sent them? I’m curious what they found to be unacceptable

rishma · May 30, 2020

Well, good news! LA emailed again saying they would make an exception and provide the credit based on my DOA picture but going forward to use their new process and claim form. Honestly, I think this is more than fair.

Re: some of comments above. I wish this hadn’t turned to an LA bashing thread. As I said before, their new process is not unreasonable. I just wanted people to know about it.

That said, I agree that since Petco took over some of the previously unbelievable customer centered policies have eroded. It might have happened anyway under DFS ownership but we naturally blame Petco. LA policies used to be very generous, it was amazing; however, I want LA & Divers Den in particular to be a viable business. The live stock quality and variety is good. If they are not reasonably profitable, petco will simply shut it down and we have one less option.

Oh ya, the box charge is very 2002. Most places have long done away with fees like that. Just raise the price of everything a few bucks instead!

Cheers.

JasonK84 · May 30, 2020

rishma said:
Well, good news! LA emailed again saying they would make an exception and provide the credit based on my DOA picture but going forward to use their new process and claim form. Honestly, I think this is more than fair.

Re: some of comments above. I wish this hadn’t turned to an LA bashing thread. As I said before, their new process is not unreasonable. I just wanted people to know about it.

So glad it worked out for you. Live Aquaria is awesome!

rkpetersen · May 30, 2020

JasonK84 said:
This occurred long after Petco bought them. It’s getting pretty old hearing how rotten live aquaria is and blaming it on being bought by Petco. What are your personal experiences with them? I’m not talking about things you’ve heard.
I think @LiveAquaria does amazing and I think most of us use their web content for fish compatability and specimen requirements.

People need to quit bashing them just because they were bought by Petco.

My local Petco is horrible for saltwater fish but I love LA. Why do we bash one because of another?

Those of you that love LA go to this thread and tell them how great they are. No, I’m not affiliated.

Showing some love for LiveAquaria!

I got a clean up crew delivered today and everything arrived alive and doing well. Order included: 30 astrea snails 5 emerald crabs 1 snapping shrimp It was separated into 5 bags 25 snails, 5 snails, 4 emerald crabs, 1 red crab, 1 snapping shrimp. Assuming the red crab was a substitute and I’m...

www.reef2reef.com

I've had years worth of personal experience with them, thanks. And of course it didn't happen immediately after Petco took over. Do you not understand how corporate takeovers work? And no one is bashing them 'just because' they were bought by Petco. We're criticizing their very obvious changes that don't benefit customers, no matter what the cause. If you want to think it's not because they were bought by a large corporate pet store, go ahead, but you're wrong.