If you are buying fish or corals online don't think that most places will not do the same. It's just that you don't see it. Then how many times UPS or USPS throws your coral/fish ten feet in the air and lands upside down. I've seen whole seller scrape nems off with a knife and throw fish around only to get to people doorsteps all nicely packaged. Sorry but it happens
Trying to support LFS, but it's hard sometimes...
- Thread starter DH-Reef
- Start date
- Tagged users None
If you are buying fish or corals online don't think that most places will not do the same. It's just that you don't see it. Then how many times UPS or USPS throws your coral/fish ten feet in the air and lands upside down. I've seen whole seller scrape nems off with a knife and throw fish around only to get to people doorsteps all nicely packaged. Sorry but it happens
OP
OP
DH-Reef
Community Member
- Joined
- May 10, 2017
- Messages
- 62
- Reaction score
- 92
- Location
- Grand Ledge, MI
- What state or country do you live in
- Michigan
This just isn't reflected in my experience...It just isn't. In fact, my UPS guy has fish, as well. His first delivery to me was a 15 minute conversation about our tanks.
Anyway, that really isn't the main point of what I was saying. In my experience, I get more value/quality from good online retailers...And it's kind of sad, because I want to support the LFS.
Here in the U.K. It seems to be a polar opposite to you guys, our online choice is pretty terrible and there's nothing like live aquaria or BRS, however we have some excellent LFS especially near me. Check on facebook: advanced aquarium consultancy and salty revolution, they have some great set ups.
40B Knasty
Valuable Member
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2017
- Messages
- 1,928
- Reaction score
- 1,615
- Location
- Massachusetts
- What state or country do you live in
- Massachusetts
I worked at UPS for 16 years in the warehouse. It is that bad. There was about 20 people out of the 210 that had pride in their work. The rest just were box slingers. Your driver won't deliver a smashed up box, but trust me. When boxes go down rollers, shoots, and belts jammed up 100 deep unnoticed. It's pretty bad. Plus they sit in the yard overnight to the elements. Just cause you ordered overnight. It doesn't mean it doesn't sit 2hrs here and 2hrs there. Then wait to be loaded into a brownie truck after it has been handled in the building 5 times. That's 5x someone could have handled your package badly. This goes with any shipping company. UPS just happens to be the best at it.
My ups has killed more fish and corals than I have a stomach for. Last week they cut open a cooler with a large angelfish and tang and sliced open one of their bags with a razor as I couldn't see a fish slicing through 2 bags cleanly and they tried retaping the cooler since one of their stickers was under the tape. I got another blueface angelfish from divers den this week and the guy tossed my fish on my porch hard enough to wake up my wife and left without knocking in 100 degree weather. Ups and fed ex have gone down hill. My buddy who worked for them said the loaders would kick packages onto trucks or open packages if it was coming from somewhere interesting enough. I've complained many times especially when $400 worth of coral is broken into a bunch of pieces. The coral I was at least able to frag plus dd gave me credit but when 2 large beautiful fish get murdered by lazy idiots I'm a little hot. I'm lucky that I have many good LFS around me that do strictly saltwater and I have a good relationship with them all since I've been in the hobby for close to 20 years straight and if I see a possible freebie I ask them first and I usually get it but they know how much money I blow and I'm friends with most
Oberst Oswald
Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2016
- Messages
- 417
- Reaction score
- 523
- Location
- New Jersey
- What state or country do you live in
- New Jersey
Where I live in New Jersey there are 4 fish stores, each one an hours drive in the worst traffic imaginable, and I can safely say not one would of done that. I bought my 65 gallon tank and sump in one of the stores, buy most of the big money stuff online, and spread my cash among them all. Kind of funny that the place I bought the tank from the owner has the least interest of "going out of his way" to appreciate my continued support while the other stores treat me like I've bought a custom ELOS tank from them. What I'm trying to say here is don't be afraid to drive an hour, two or even three to find the store who will treat you right. If you were buying a rock/coral with a unmovable hitchhiker on it they should let you have it especially since you bought the tank there. Take you hard earned money elsewhere because they don't deserve it...
Oberst Oswald
Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2016
- Messages
- 417
- Reaction score
- 523
- Location
- New Jersey
- What state or country do you live in
- New Jersey
On the UPS / Fed Ex issue if you have the same driver for an extended period of time you would be amazed how a card with $10.00 in it, around Christmas time, will be handled by the driver each and every time. The journey to the driver of course there is not much you can do. I find Fed Ex is better that UPS for fish & corals. The "card" works good for the garbage men too.
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2009
- Messages
- 1,803
- Reaction score
- 947
- Location
- New Orleans
- What state or country do you live in
- Louisiana
Not so sure about that.. I've sold plenty of zoa frags cheap for 20 bucks and when I was taking it out of my tank to pack up I found a nice bounce mushroom or Jawbreaker attached to the bottom or side. needless to say, I dont include that as part of the 20$ zoa frag.
Tyler Caviness
Active Member
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2016
- Messages
- 110
- Reaction score
- 124
- What state or country do you live in
- Tennessee
A few months ago I bought something from one of our LFS and there was some kind of (unknown to me) SPS on the same rock that the coral I wanted was on. The owner didn't notice the random SPS until he picked the coral up to bag it for me. His response? "Oh, I guess you're getting an SPS coral on there too." Its things like that that get you repeat business, and you earn more money in the long run because people keep coming back.
I certainly don't expect free stuff when I go shopping, but I think the point is that you hope to establish a relationship with your LFS, where you spend a lot of money, and it is obnoxious when they go out of their way to pinch pennies when you've been a loyal customer.
I certainly don't expect free stuff when I go shopping, but I think the point is that you hope to establish a relationship with your LFS, where you spend a lot of money, and it is obnoxious when they go out of their way to pinch pennies when you've been a loyal customer.
glweek
Active Member
Possibly the most pointless thread on r2r and
this just makes me mad. Are you kidding me what kind of entitlement umbrella do you live under?
Oberst Oswald
Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2016
- Messages
- 417
- Reaction score
- 523
- Location
- New Jersey
- What state or country do you live in
- New Jersey
glweek... Difference is removable or unremovable (sp?)...
OP
OP
DH-Reef
Community Member
- Joined
- May 10, 2017
- Messages
- 62
- Reaction score
- 92
- Location
- Grand Ledge, MI
- What state or country do you live in
- Michigan
I questioned even responding, but I don't like being mischaracterized, so here you go. Show me entitled. Just show me. The item was listed as "Mushroom Rock", not "Mushroom Rock...all other items will be scraped off". And like I said, this wasn't an item that anyone would have purchased individually. I wish people would listen and stop imagining a 3 inch Rose or Green BTA...That wasn't the case. All of that being said, I wasn't irritated until I saw what "removing" actually meant.
Feel free to find another thread, I didn't ask you to read this one. Enjoy your weekend.
OP
OP
DH-Reef
Community Member
- Joined
- May 10, 2017
- Messages
- 62
- Reaction score
- 92
- Location
- Grand Ledge, MI
- What state or country do you live in
- Michigan
THIS ^^^ is all I was trying to say. Thank you, Tyler!
Glweek wasn't writing that about you. It was directed towards ciscomania who wrote the comment about the snails.I questioned even responding, but I don't like being mischaracterized, so here you go. Show me entitled. Just show me. The item was listed as "Mushroom Rock", not "Mushroom Rock...all other items will be scraped off". And like I said, this wasn't an item that anyone would have purchased individually. I wish people would listen and stop imagining a 3 inch Rose or Green BTA...That wasn't the case. All of that being said, I wasn't irritated until I saw what "removing" actually meant.
Feel free to find another thread, I didn't ask you to read this one. Enjoy your weekend.
IMO lfs did nothing wrong. You asked for a green mushroom and are upset they didn't throw in a separate live animal for free.
There's no brown bta out there it's just stressed. It is most likely a rbta. I also notice your posts making the lfs look worse and worse each time. How do any of us know you aren't exaggerating about how brutal they were. There's always 2 sides to a story.
OP
OP
DH-Reef
Community Member
- Joined
- May 10, 2017
- Messages
- 62
- Reaction score
- 92
- Location
- Grand Ledge, MI
- What state or country do you live in
- Michigan
Glweek said this was a pointless thread, the snails were only a comment, so it seemed pretty clear that it was directed at me. You seem to have jumped right on his bandwagon, as well..."and are upset they didn't throw in a separate live animal for free", which is the same mischaracterization that caused me to respond to him.
You want to know what's awesome? I have the power of my dollar and it really doesn't matter to me, the side of the story that you create. You find the places that provide you the most quality/value for your dollar and I'll do the same. A win-win, enjoy your weekend.
Tyler Caviness
Active Member
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2016
- Messages
- 110
- Reaction score
- 124
- What state or country do you live in
- Tennessee
I was thinking how nice it would have been if the story was instead "oh there's aiptaisia on that live rock, let me scrape that off for you" haha
JaimeAdams
2500 Club Member
LOL
If I went into the store to buy a mushroom rock and there was a BTA stuck on the back I would expect the employee to take the BTA off. I certainly wouldn't expect the employee to give me snails on a colony either. Bottom line is that the LFS has to keep the lights on and giving away livestock wether a BTA or a couple snails costs them money. BTAs and snails both move on their own, it wasn't like the guy said oh there are too many mushrooms let me kill some off for you. The six reference to the anemone doesn't much matter to me because I have seen plenty of people buy a tiny little BTA for their little pico tanks and pay big money for the smallest BTA they can find. Last year I was out of town in a LFS and tried to buy a BTA that was the size of a quarter nestled on a big rock in the middle of some brown palys. The owner refused to sell it. I was willing to pay a few hundred bucks for it, because I liked it.
That being said we all know that there are some LFS that are bad. If any of your stores really are super bad I hope that you find a better one.
Velcro
2500 Club Member
Oh crap... I just realized where you live and I'm sure I know the place. I drive out there from kalamazoo often. Almost bought a colony of SPS a couple weeks ago until I noticed that the tank was CRAWLING with red bugs.
