LFS resale policy question

[bratfink]

Ok this one got me annoyed. I wanted to know if I’m alone here.

Bought some variety of Ocellaris 2 years ago from my LFS. It was $65, which seems steep but it’s a nice fish.

2 years later, it’s all grown up. Although not too big for the tank it’s become a bit of a bully so I decided it was time to move it out.

Turns out the LFS doesn’t give store credit for fish!
I expected that for inverts, but I expected to get something for a fish.

Am I alone here in believing this to be totally unreasonable?

They’ll go on to resell the fish for at least the same again. How can they justify profiting twice off the same fish!

All I got was the usual “it’s policy” and “you’re free to take it elsewhere”. Knowing full well the fish is out of the tank now and I’ve driven all the way out there!

There are not many good LFS stores left, and this type of practice has got me questioning if I even want to continue in the hobby. To take advantage of a captive customer base in that way should be criminal.

Thoughts?

 

[Aquadude1]

I worked at a store for a while and we always liked people to call before bringing a fish. That said we did sometimes give credit for customers we have known for a long time/maintained their tanks.

Clownfish are super cheap to get as a store so we usually didn't give credit for those

 

[bratfink]

Of course you guys are all correct.

Thanks for the realignment.

I don’t feel that my expectation is out of order. But perhaps out of date. Times have moved on, and that is sad.

I didn’t dream the expectation out of thin air, it’s based on prior experience in the hobby. But no-matter.

Thanks for the perspective.

 

[fish_collector]

If I owned a LFS I wouldn't even sell clownfish, but that's just me.

In Phoenix, we have a handful of great LFS to shop at. With few exceptions, none of them want their fish back once we're done with them. If it's something they can flip quickly they will sometimes give you 50% for it, otherwise they don't want them. Of course if it's a Gem tang or a big flawless French angel they'll take them and give you credit for it but the common stuff they just don't want. If you're a regular customer on a first name basis they'll sometimes take a desirable fish off your hands but it's not the norm.

Your local club, OfferUp or FB Marketplace is usually the best outlet to move a fish. I keep extra live rock in my sump and an empty 40 breeder with HOB, powerhead, heater and a cheap Nicrew LED light for keeping a fish outside of my display tank until I can find a home for it should I need to. That way if it takes a few weeks to rehome it it's no big deal.

 

[Sean Clark]

I just donated my trigger to the LFS today. I watched it take a bite out of another fish. Crabs and snails are fair game. Eating healthy fish wins you banishment from they tank. I called ahead to let them know that I was coming and they were willing to make some room for it. Darth Vader swam right into the net for me. No credit, just a rehoming for a fish in need.