STEAMING mad at my LFS....

[Young Frankenstein]

Remember here you also are talking to people that have to bring home the bacon J We also view store or vendor bashing as an immoral thing to do, if there is no serious cause, but you never mentioned a store name here, so its all good J

 

[Ace25]

One of the problems with society is that people aren't expected to take responsibility of their own actions...

Thank you! I agree 110% and I am glad someone said it.

 

[erikjphillips]

When do you feel that the consumer/hobbyist should take some responsibility with items he or she chooses to buy?

When the hobbyist is educated enough about a given topic to make an educated decision. I guess its just a crazy notion that i have that maybe a LFS who SPECIALIZES in a product would want to EDUCATE a consumer to ensure repeat business and not just try to make a quick buck. As far as the analogies to car dealerships, car manufacturers spend millions on marketing, whens the last time you saw a commercial for something related to this hobby?

 

[returnofsid]

The amount a business spends on marketing has absolutely no bearing on how informed a person should make themselves, prior to any purchase. No one forces anyone to purchase anything. A consumer always has choices...one of those choices is to be a informed consumer. That responsibility falls on the consumer.

I've made stupid purchases in the past, in this hobby and in other areas. I have no doubt that I'll make stupid purchases in the future. All of those purchases are my own responsibility.

 

[WesF]

One of the problems with society is that people aren't expected to take responsibility of their own actions...

Good point. Nobody takes responsibility. The LFS takes no responsibility for knowingly sentencing animal to death because the customer "should have researched" before they step foot into the store and get swindled.

There is responsibility from both parties here.

The big difference is that the customer was naive, and the LFS was greedy.

Both are in the wrong for this transaction but which is worse?

 

[fsu1dolfan]

I have been apart of this forum for quite a while and it's been awhile since i have seen such sad ways of thinking.

This is a 2 way street folks. You don't do research - YOU are part to blame. Vendor GIVES you bad advice - Vendor is part to blame. I worked at a Pet store in high school. I had enough common sense and respect for people and the animals to find an employee that knew the answer in case i wasnt sure. At the end of the day, if the buyer doesnt care...then shame on him.

What people are forgetting is that "WE" are more advanced in research for this hobby than most people. Most people don't take the time to go to forums and get other people's opinions, learn from others, or ask a million questions....that goes for any hobby. But any vendor in any industry is there to answer questions. If i ask a roofer if 90 pound hop mopping would be optimal for my roof. I would except a decent answer. Or a CPA to be honest when working on your taxes. There is only so much research one can do. It's pretty sad that you can't expect a professional to be just that...professional. I am not saying you shouldnt have any knowledge of what you are walking into...but if you ask a question, is it too much to ask for an honest or helpful answer.

 

[mallorieGgator]

Don't know if anyone has pointed this out but many need to research the ora mandarin. People weren't having luck getting it to eat just flake and pellet foods. Many had them only eating live foods so they are the same as a wild caught except they are better for the environment as far as collection goes but that is really it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk 2

 

[debben69]

The girls working the evening shift at my lfs tried to sell a guy with a 40g that had a pair of clowns lion fish. lucky I was there to straighten that up. I did tell him to do research before he buys anything else.

 

[emerald525]

I agree with FSU. I get tired of hearing that the LFS is off the hook because the buyer should have done research. I agree it is a 2 way street but shouldn't we in the hobby support businesses that have ethical business practices and stop defending the ones that will tell you a stingray is fine for a 55 gallon tank? (True story)

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[ritter6788]

Don't know if anyone has pointed this out but many need to research the ora mandarin. People weren't having luck getting it to eat just flake and pellet foods. Many had them only eating live foods so they are the same as a wild caught except they are better for the environment as far as collection goes but that is really it.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I997 using Tapatalk 2

Agreed. It drives me nuts when I see a mandarin for sale or in a nano and the reply is always, "It's ok because it eats mysis" or "It's ok because it's an ORA". Even if you're lucky enough (or talented enough) to get a Mandarin to eat prepared foods it still needs a constant supply of it and it must be suitable for it's diet. People have been training Mandarins to eat blood worms for years but they still starve from either under feeding or blood worms not being nutritious enough.

 

[marillion]

Regardless of who does what research, you always ask to see a fish eat in the store before you take it home. Rule of thumb #1, period.

Peace,

Chip

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

I work in a pet store and find myself trying to assist the customers with their needs. It sometimes is really hard to get the experienced customer to understand that their intended purchase is not right for their setup. I do everything I can to help educate them. Unfortunately, it sometimes fails. They will tell me what I want to hear or they are adamant that they get what they want.

 

[chort55]

I work in a pet store and find myself trying to assist the customers with their needs. It sometimes is really hard to get the experienced customer to understand that their intended purchase is not right for their setup. I do everything I can to help educate them. Unfortunately, it sometimes fails. They will tell me what I want to hear or they are adamant that they get what they want.

Yeah no crap I too have worked in a LFS before, and you get countless people "I want that!" or "Give me that!".... Can't fault a place for making sales to people who don't ask questions either, IMO. That's like faulting a car salesman for selling you a car you didn't test drive (by choice).

 

[KJAG]

Working at a fishstore really carries no prerequisite of any knowledge or responsibility, as evidenced by this guy for sale recently at my LFS..As long as you can bag and throw a rubber band on said bag, you're in there.Its entirely up to the buyer to do their homework.

 

[k2parkstar]

I have been apart of this forum for quite a while and it's been awhile since i have seen such sad ways of thinking.

This is a 2 way street folks. You don't do research - YOU are part to blame. Vendor GIVES you bad advice - Vendor is part to blame. I worked at a Pet store in high school. I had enough common sense and respect for people and the animals to find an employee that knew the answer in case i wasnt sure. At the end of the day, if the buyer doesnt care...then shame on him.

What people are forgetting is that "WE" are more advanced in research for this hobby than most people. Most people don't take the time to go to forums and get other people's opinions, learn from others, or ask a million questions....that goes for any hobby. But any vendor in any industry is there to answer questions. If i ask a roofer if 90 pound hop mopping would be optimal for my roof. I would except a decent answer. Or a CPA to be honest when working on your taxes. There is only so much research one can do. It's pretty sad that you can't expect a professional to be just that...professional. I am not saying you shouldnt have any knowledge of what you are walking into...but if you ask a question, is it too much to ask for an honest or helpful answer.

I just read this whole thread, and this is the best answer yet. Yes you should research, but part of being a newbie, is not knowing where to start. There is a ton of information to take in as you break into this hobby. The internet is a good place to start, but most people prefer dealing with a LFS who they believe are "experts" in what they do. They take the information given to them, at face value. Thats just part of being human, most of us don't expect someone to take advantage of us or to lead us down the wrong path. The buyer of this mandarin probably thinks "if they are selling it to me surely I can take care of it." Thats not the case, and that's sad. It's only as people dive deeper into this hobby, or any hobby that they really begin to research and learn about what they are doing. So I don't think you can hold a new hobbiest at fault for not doing his reasearch, just as you can't hold the LFS at fault for making a sale. Both parties have something to learn.

 

[Ace25]

This is how I think. I don't go to a farm and say "I wonder if I can keep a horse or cow in my 1 bedroom apartment", but I know if I had the cash I could buy one. That same line of thinking should go into every purchase of another living creature. Before you buy anything living, first make sure you can provide it a proper home. Rule #1 in caring for other creatures.

 

[k2parkstar]

This is how I think. I don't go to a farm and say "I wonder if I can keep a horse or cow in my 1 bedroom apartment", but I know if I had the cash I could buy one. That same line of thinking should go into every purchase of another living creature. Before you buy anything living, first make sure you can provide it a proper home. Rule #1 in caring for other creatures.

That's a little different everyone knows what a cow is, everyone knows what a horse is, and the size they get. How many people outside this hobby would know what a mandarin is? I don't think there would be many. I googled "mandarin" and the first three answers were; Chinese, orange, and a comic book. In a newbies eyes "google research complete."

 

[k2parkstar]

All that said I agree, you should know what your getting into with an animal before you buy. Fish seem to be different, most people believe as long as you keep it in water and feed it you can own a fish. Also, it seems that people don't value the life of a fish they way they would dogs or cats or other fury creatures, because they aren't cute and cuddly and most can't tell when fish is suffering.

 

[Ace25]

Type 1 more word into your google search. Let me google that for you

I have made this same mistake myself many times in my earlier years in the hobby, buying incompatible fish without researching first (before google, yahoo, etc).. I always took responsibility for it and never once even thought of blaming anyone else. Just not how I was raised I guess. Some times I try to make it work, some times I realize right away how bad of a mistake I made and bring it back to the LFS. I never even asked for my $ back, I simply said "I made a mistake and didn't research this enough, can you please take it back".

I agree with you that humans in general don't seem to value the life of most aquatic creatures, and a lot of that is due to the lack of the "fuzzy & cuddly" qualities. Not really much I can do or say to change that though and I don't have the time or energy to take on the "fish are friends" cause.

 

[k2parkstar]

LOL, i've never seen the google thing. Thats pretty funny. I've made the same mistakes myself, while I don't blame the fish store, I do wish they would have asked me questions rather then just sell me the stuff blindly. Some places don't operate like that, and thats ok too, just part of business. I'm a bit spoiled now, my regular fish store that I go to now have a couple great guys working there, that really go above and beyond to help people. Sad that not everybody does.

Unfortunatly we don't know how the conversation at with the OP's brother and the fish store owner went. He very well may have said you can't support this fish's needs and the guy bought it anyway, or he could have said this is a great beginner fish, we'll never know. I'd like to read the fish are friends cause one day. Would be a great read.