I wanted to give my review of both companies. This is my first time posting to this forum. I do not normally comment on any forums, but I felt the need to speak up.
I origionally ordered 45 lbs of LS from TBS. I payed for the REQUIRED overnight shipping. After waiting about a 3 weeks for the order to be shipped (they only ship on certain days), I was so excited to receive my shipment. The day of arival, I get an email stating UPS has my order held up in a facility, and that I would be getting my order the next day. Not to worry, a UPS claim would be put in on my behalf (sweet) - i understand things happen, no biggie. The next day, when expecting my order, I am like a kid on christmas morning. I get an email stating the product has arrived, go to the front door, and see this tiny box, soaking wet. UH OH. My first thought is, "this is it? This does not look like 45 lbs," and, "why is the box soaking wet?"
I take the tiny package to my floor scale and not to my suprise, the scale doesnt even register the weight of the package. Im not terribly upset at this point, because as a business owner myself, I trust the merchant will make it right. I reach out to the merchant, whom kindly responds to my email (after hours), and insists that they shipped the correct amount of product, and to weigh it myself if I do not believe them, and that all product is shipped at a flat rate under 50lbs. This is the first time I get upset, because ive never not given my customers the benefit of the doubt. After some back and forth, It is time to get on the phone and stop the email nonsense.
On the phone, the polite lady proceeded to explain that the sand is shipped in 15 lb increments and that the $58 shipping fee is actually per box, not per 50lbs. When I asked her to explain the discrepency between what she just said and her email, I was given an excuse I dont wish to mention. From that point on I was given probably 5 different excuses as to how this mistake happened. To be honest, I dont really care about the excuses, I just want a solution. While she did offer solutions, I was not happy with what was being offered, (air freight the rest 1.5 hrs away for free, split the difference in a UPS delivery, or refund what i did not receive) because had I known the shipping was going to be 3x what was represented on the website, I would not have ordered ANY of it.
After sleeeping on it, the next day I reached out to Gulf Live Rock. This guy is so professional on the phone. He tells me he is not sure how much he has left, and that he had a large order about to go out, but will make an exception and take out 25lbs of that order in order to help me out. This was a thursday. He said he could ship it by Monday, and that there is no need to overnight sand as it is very hardy, and too expensive. I just received it, and let me tell you the quality in the two products are night and day different. There is zero die off smell, the box and packaging is perfect. I cannot beleive that this stuff is being harvested from such a short distance away. The stuff from TBS has virtually zero corline algae on it. The stuff from GLR is LOADED with it, along with rock rubble covered in it. In addition, I am already see life that I dont see on the TBS stuff.
Look at the difference for yourself
@LiverockRocks
@Gulf Live Rock
To me the quality of the product plus the customer service makes
@Gulf Live Rock my new vendor of choice.
