I have been going to my local fish store for about the last month trying to get some information and make a decision about which size tank I want to get (150 or 180). I have been in there about four-five times asking them for suggestions on what all they think I should get to start my tank and have pretty much told them I'm willing to go with what they recommend and will buy everything from them instead of trying to price shop for every piece of equipment.
I went in this past Sunday and pretty much had narrowed everything down and knew what stand and canopy I wanted along with most of the other options. Come to find out, they didn't have a 150 tank in stock and so they told me they were going to call their warehouse Monday to see if they could get a 150 gallon reef ready tank for me. So I went back in last night (Tuesday) to see what they found out. They said the warehouse doesn't have any 150's so they don't know when the would be able to get one in. So I said ok, then I guess that makes the decision easier, 180 it is.
I walk over to the 180 they have on the floor and notice the price went up $60 from Sunday to yesterday (two days). I asked the guy I have been talking to all this time about the price and at first he said the one I saw Sunday was one they had on lay-away and that was an old price from when it was put on lay-away. So I checked it again and that was not the case. I could tell as I had a taken some pics of it on Sunday and the tag on the tank had a slight tear in it so I know it was the exact same one. So I told him, no this is the same exact tank I saw on Sunday. Then he tells me "well yeah, there's been a price increase since you were here and that's what it would cost us to replace this one". I said, well that's not what you paid for this one since it was here two days ago for $60 less. He just said "well yeah, that's the price now" and then turned and walked away.
Is this typical? I mean granted it's "only" $60 and in the grand scheme of things for a 180 gallon new set up that's not a lot, but it just struck me as a shady way of doing things. To change the story about the price increase and try to act like I didn't know any better really made me mad and was insulting. I'm planning to spend a few thousand dollars in there and then they do this. There are a few other fish stores in town so I guess I will continue to shop around, but just wanted to know if this type of thing should be expected everywhere I go right now due to demand for tanks.
I went in this past Sunday and pretty much had narrowed everything down and knew what stand and canopy I wanted along with most of the other options. Come to find out, they didn't have a 150 tank in stock and so they told me they were going to call their warehouse Monday to see if they could get a 150 gallon reef ready tank for me. So I went back in last night (Tuesday) to see what they found out. They said the warehouse doesn't have any 150's so they don't know when the would be able to get one in. So I said ok, then I guess that makes the decision easier, 180 it is.
I walk over to the 180 they have on the floor and notice the price went up $60 from Sunday to yesterday (two days). I asked the guy I have been talking to all this time about the price and at first he said the one I saw Sunday was one they had on lay-away and that was an old price from when it was put on lay-away. So I checked it again and that was not the case. I could tell as I had a taken some pics of it on Sunday and the tag on the tank had a slight tear in it so I know it was the exact same one. So I told him, no this is the same exact tank I saw on Sunday. Then he tells me "well yeah, there's been a price increase since you were here and that's what it would cost us to replace this one". I said, well that's not what you paid for this one since it was here two days ago for $60 less. He just said "well yeah, that's the price now" and then turned and walked away.
Is this typical? I mean granted it's "only" $60 and in the grand scheme of things for a 180 gallon new set up that's not a lot, but it just struck me as a shady way of doing things. To change the story about the price increase and try to act like I didn't know any better really made me mad and was insulting. I'm planning to spend a few thousand dollars in there and then they do this. There are a few other fish stores in town so I guess I will continue to shop around, but just wanted to know if this type of thing should be expected everywhere I go right now due to demand for tanks.