Photoshopped corals

melhe · Feb 25, 2023

hi guys . Good weekend . I am new to the hobby like 5-6 months in . Since I am new . I did a lot of coral purchased recently online to fill my 320 gallon tank . Basically I had great experience with here marketplace private sellers. But for some large online complanies . Sometimes hit or miss . I don’t want to point or blaming any complains , I just want to speak about my personal experiences and like to know how ur guys experience too

I am wondering if anyone had same experience as me that u were very excited waiting for the items u orders online with exotic colors . When you received them, Quite a disappointment because the corals don’t look like anything u saw in the photos online . Then u called them . They are apologetic like usually it doesn’t happen , doesn’t know why it changed colors , they use different lighting ect . And company policy is always give u store credits or send u correct one on next order . Sometimes they throw in gift card extra for “ pain and suffering “ . Mainwhile u got stuck with ugly corals and start to look at their site again try to use the credit or next order so that they can ship the correct corals .

Then u get paranoid like what is your new order photos was doced too . It was frustrating to see this happening . Why would venders photos accurately reflect the actual corals . The customer service people were always so nice . Those store credit ect just wants u to keep shopping there . But they shouldn’t misleading customers to start with .

Please share your experience and comment.

Harpo · Feb 25, 2023

Many online photos blast the actinic (blues) because it makes the colors pop. One thing that I love about some sellers when they post phots from three different color spectrums. When possible, I like to shop in person then there are no supprises

melhe · Feb 25, 2023

I am sure it’s much better shop in person .
One company I ordered anemones recieved completely different ones . Different pattern and colors for wysiwyg pieces . Their excuses are because anemones walked around to different places “ we make sure send u the right one next order “ . But that’s not the points . I don’t need extra stuffs I don’t need.

Lost in the Sauce · Feb 25, 2023

Unfortunately, this has become the Norm now, rather than the exception.

Photos of corals on vender websites are often running the perfect spectrum, for their camera to pick up the right colors, Then they Photoshop the picture or retouch it.

I don't like it and call it out often.

I'm sorry you got hoodwinked by the sellers.

STLCorals · Mar 1, 2023

I think it is two issues. One of being sent the wrong thing(as in the anenomes example you gave). I understand your frustration but also think mistakes happen as long as they do their best to make it right then they get good marks from me.

The Photoshop one is obviously another issue. In some cases I think sellers go out of their way to give completely inaccurate representations on their coral. These are some I stay away from. In other case I think it really can be lighting(spectrum/intensity/etc). It can even be an issue of a camera picking out more detail than you or going to see just looking in through your tank with the naked eye. A little zoa polyp can look pretty amazing in 3x7 photo on your phone, but can look a lot different in reality when it is the size of a pencil eraser and you are 2 foot away. I don't blame the sellers for these scenarios. People want macro shots and they want their coral to look as good as possible(hopefully while still being honest).

dadnjesse · Mar 1, 2023

If you look at the photo's you can see the exaggerated light they are putting it under. Look at the frag plug and the rack its on. An example the frag plugs are blue, green, or red and the rack is showing the colorful they are putting it under.

sfin52 · Mar 1, 2023

melhe said:
hi guys . Good weekend . I am new to the hobby like 5-6 months in . Since I am new . I did a lot of coral purchased recently online to fill my 320 gallon tank . Basically I had great experience with here marketplace private sellers. But for some large online complanies . Sometimes hit or miss . I don’t want to point or blaming any complains , I just want to speak about my personal experiences and like to know how ur guys experience too

I am wondering if anyone had same experience as me that u were very excited waiting for the items u orders online with exotic colors . When you received them, Quite a disappointment because the corals don’t look like anything u saw in the photos online . Then u called them . They are apologetic like usually it doesn’t happen , doesn’t know why it changed colors , they use different lighting ect . And company policy is always give u store credits or send u correct one on next order . Sometimes they throw in gift card extra for “ pain and suffering “ . Mainwhile u got stuck with ugly corals and start to look at their site again try to use the credit or next order so that they can ship the correct corals .

Then u get paranoid like what is your new order photos was doced too . It was frustrating to see this happening . Why would venders photos accurately reflect the actual corals . The customer service people were always so nice . Those store credit ect just wants u to keep shopping there . But they shouldn’t misleading customers to start with .

Please share your experience and comment.

I would ask for pics in white light if they are unwilling to do that. they don't need your business.

Tamberav · Mar 1, 2023

melhe said:
I am sure it’s much better shop in person .
One company I ordered anemones recieved completely different ones . Different pattern and colors for wysiwyg pieces . Their excuses are because anemones walked around to different places “ we make sure send u the right one next order “ . But that’s not the points . I don’t need extra stuffs I don’t need.

a WYSIWYG with the wrong item sent should be a refund. This is different from just a stock photo.

If I ordered a royal gramma and they sent me a royal dottyback, I would absolutely ask for a refund. Same with corals. It is WYSIWYG for a reason.. "IS WHAT YOU GET" is in the name.

Not talking about doctored photo, it can look different under different lights, but it needs to be actual same specimen.

NOT A CREDIT, a refund or sending of the correct one with no shipping charge. No way am I paying for shipping for them to send me a different specimen because of their mistake.

melhe · Mar 1, 2023

dadnjesse said:
If you look at the photo's you can see the exaggerated light they are putting it under. Look at the frag plug and the rack its on. An example the frag plugs are blue, green, or red and the rack is showing the colorful they are putting it under.

Good idea . Will pay attention to the plugs and rack in the future

QuickrdenU · Mar 1, 2023

Yeah. If the frag is glowing blue, you can be sure that the colors will be greatly muted in your tank.

melhe · Mar 1, 2023

Tamberav said:
a WYSIWYG with the wrong item sent should be a refund. This is different from just a stock photo.

If I ordered a royal gramma and they sent me a royal dottyback, I would absolutely ask for a refund. Same with corals. It is WYSIWYG for a reason.. "IS WHAT YOU GET" is in the name.

Not talking about doctored photo, it can look different under different lights, but it needs to be actual same specimen.

NOT A CREDIT, a refund or sending of the correct one with no shipping charge. No way am I paying for shipping for them to send me a different specimen because of their mistake.

They said I have to pay the actual shipping cost again if they found the right anemones or ship to me on my order . Their shipping policy doesn’t do replacement . So I took the store credit . It’s almost I got this one for free . But I really don’t like the ones they shipped by mistake . Don’t know what to do with them . The chalice eyes location is not even the same as the picture . The picture has red 50% , green 50 % and a little yellow on it . The actual item I got just red. I won’t shop there anymore after I use the credit . But think about it . Nobody will buy corals for just credit amount . You ended up buying more stuffs on the next order when u use their credit . I guess that’s how they keep business going . Keep fingers crossed they won’t sent wrong stuff or photoshopped items again on my next order .

Geebs19 · Mar 1, 2023

You can look around this site or ask for recommendations on good sites to buy from. You will learn the notorious ones that will never look like what they post coughcornbreadcough

Tamberav · Mar 1, 2023

melhe said:
They said I have to pay the actual shipping cost again if they found the right anemones or ship to me on my order . Their shipping policy doesn’t do replacement . So I took the store credit . It’s almost I got this one for free . But I really don’t like the ones they shipped by mistake . Don’t know what to do with them . The chalice eyes location is not even the same as the picture . The picture has red 50% , green 50 % and a little yellow on it . The actual item I got just red. I won’t shop there anymore after I use the credit . But think about it . Nobody will buy corals for just credit amount . You ended up buying more stuffs on the next order when u use their credit . I guess that’s how they keep business going . Keep fingers crossed they won’t sent wrong stuff or photoshopped items again on my next order .

I would not have accepted credit for item not being WYSIWYG when I PAID for WYSIWYG. I would have asked for a refund for those ones.

If they refuse, then I dispute with my CC.

WYSIWYG needs to be the exact item, I am paying for that item.