OMG! Liveaquaria switched their 14 day guarantee to a store credit!!!

Thaxxx

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For the last time....
$50 credit is $50 credit.
You have $50 credit. You buy a $10 dollar fish. The fish, shipping and box fee and tax equal $50. Is their policy. It's simple math. If you were told something different, you were told wrong, or misunderstood them. Credits can be used on ANYTHING.
 

Bossman

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I agree that it does happen, and it's unfortunate. But not being able to use the credit toward shipping? I'm willing to accept less product than they guaranteed in the first placed. But no. I'm not asking them to "eat it". At least let me "eat it" with the guarantee they guaranteed me before placing an order. At that point it's no different than the LFS you speak of that doesn't offer any guarantee. I'd rather pay 2x-3x to someone like Marine Collectors.

You all have a choice. Buy from Aqua Locker, Marine Collectors, Saltwaterfish or the other many online marine stores if you choose. Some of you post as if LA's forcing their policies down your throat. No one is making you buy from LA. You have the power to decide if you want to pay a higher price. Higher on the specimen, shipping, handling or all of the above.

I've never seen so many negative and even outrageous posts. Really makes me wonder if this is the majority of reef keepers or the minority. I hope the minority. LA should be treated as a partner to R2R not an enemy. I could give two rips if Petco bought them out or not. At least they're still operating.

Where do you think your local LFS gets their fish from? You think the LFS employees are heading out on the weekend with scuba gear collecting the best marine life available to the marine reefer? There are just a couple of online stores the LFS get their stock from. I'd rather try my hand at getting my stock cheaper and with the selection I want at that time I want them.
 

Ross B Reef'n

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You all have a choice. Buy from Aqua Locker, Marine Collectors, Saltwaterfish or the other many online marine stores if you choose. Some of you post as if LA's forcing their policies down your throat. No one is making you buy from LA. You have the power to decide if you want to pay a higher price. Higher on the specimen, shipping, handling or all of the above.

I've never seen so many negative and even outrageous posts. Really makes me wonder if this is the majority of reef keepers or the minority. I hope the minority. LA should be treated as a partner to R2R not an enemy. I could give two rips if Petco bought them out or not. At least they're still operating.

Where do you think your local LFS gets their fish from? You think the LFS employees are heading out on the weekend with scuba gear collecting the best marine life available to the marine reefer? There are just a couple of online stores the LFS get their stock from. I'd rather try my hand at getting my stock cheaper and with the selection I want at that time I want them.
The vendor I was referring to in regards to the negative experience is not included in your list. Perhaps not even in this thread. It's about the business practice.
 

Tamberav

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So just got done reading all these complaints and praises. First time order from live aquaria got delivered today. Past noon but expected with some extra deliveries this time of year. Very disappointed. 5 (4salt & 1 fresh) out of 8 were DOA. 1 wasnt even shipped so i got shorted a fish. Out of the remaining 2 (both freshwater) the electric blue jack dempsey had a blue dye in the water and fish wasnt colorful one bit and seemed lethargic. The other one was just semi responsive/lethargic. All shipped in one box(no issue), very little water in the bags and absolutely zero heat packs!! It was in the 40's here in FL. The bags were ice cold in the box. Cant explain how disappointed and frustrated i am over the lack of packing care given. I say this due to a package from DD showed up day before with heat pack inside. (Those salt fish are doing alright even though they seemed to have bite marks on them, which wasnt pictured and they were shipped separate bags. So overall a very disappointing experience. Not satisfied one bit and i hope, even though the freshwater fish werent for me, that i can keep the remaining 2 alive for their sake. Lost some really nice salt fish in that order and definitely wasnt cheap at all. Hope they resolve this in a manner suitable to make things right. Im not gonna let a living fish die because it "bled out its color". Still confused if this is possible or if it was dyed. The water was light blue in color like a nitrite api test "zero" reading color. I posted a pic of it for reference and the colorless fish. Maybe its some medicated additive? Not sure. Definitely leary on getting anymore livestock after this
20191204_125410.jpg
1st order debacle. We will see. Hard to come by some of the more exotic/exquisite fish locally.
20191204_125410.jpg

I have bought betta fish that had blue in their cup. I believe it is just a stress guard or ammonia reducer. I have only seen it used with freshwater fish.

The pale color is how they can look when very stressed. He should regain color once in a natural environment.
 

Tamberav

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Dead/Sick fish is something the hobby has been dealing with since its inception.

Makes me wonder what the demand would be for a company to do a real 30-60 day quarantine and conditioning of fish before sale. Of course the price would be higher but how much value would that peace of mind hold? $250 sailfin tang? $30 green chromis. Just like anything else , you pay for quality .

With the prices we are used to I suspect that we are just going to have to deal with a certain amount of these things. I mean, we are dealing with wild animals here. We could shift the risk to someone higher up the supply chain but that would incur costs that I fear most reefers would lose their minds over.

These are live animals that have their own individual story and history. Who knows what the heck happened to them in the ocean before they were scooped up and shipped halfway around the world to arrive on your doorstep.

From my time in the hobby and seeing dumpsters, literal dumpsters full of dead fish from the wholesalers. Its no surprise that these health issues crop up. By the time the fish hit our tanks they have already been through hell.

I think We need to work together as a group to drive quality upstream and push for better collection and husbandry practices across the board.

Real QT is already being done on a small scale and offered for sale. They are just not sponsors on this site.
 

Jeeperz

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Sounds like you're bragging about abusing a customer service rep that very likely had zero to do with the coral being damaged and not shipped. Which, if you ask me, isn't something to be proud of.
Actually, the customer service rep represents the company and the poster had every right to give them their opinion and the rep should have been apologetic and handled it like a professional. In my job, if a customer is ticked, I have to take the wrath with professionalism or I will be fired. And I'm just a mechanic that isn't really supposed to be dealing with the customers. Even if it's a job I never touched. If the person can't handle this and cries about it to get someone banned, then they really need to find another profession. Just my opinion but it's how a company maintains the respect of customers and what makes one company slightly better than the rest. Proper customer service goes a long way in my book.
 

Tamberav

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I wish LA was just a touch more reasonable, before it was TOO good. Now it feels just a little too bad.

I would love no box charge if shipping all from one facility (it seems reasonable to have a box charge if you are getting ORA/LA and DD stuff in one order). 14 day guarantee on all DD fish as these should be coming in exceptional health. They can keep the rest the same as the rest seems fairly reasonable to me.

dang my LFS. Paid $100 over LA price. Both died of ich/velvet. No recourse. LA at least gives store credit

That's crazy high price from a LFS as I consider LA to be really high!

My LFS fish is 1/2 to 1/3 the price of LA. No guarantee but don't really need one when you can buy 2-3 fish for the price of one and see the fish in person and see it eat.
 
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sde1500

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If the person can't handle this and cries about it to get someone banned, then they really need to find another profession. Just my opinion but it's how a company maintains the respect of customers and what makes one company slightly better than the rest.
100% wrong. No person has to sit there and be abused because it’s their job. Professionalism cuts both ways. A business has every right to ban a customer that thinks they can get away with screaming and swearing at someone. I work for an international company, we have literally teams of people that deal with “firing” toxic clients and closing their accounts. A good company works to maintain respect of their customers but also backs up their employees.
 

TheOne

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Well I know PayPal has great customer service. I explained to them that I didn't order what I recieved and they agreed to give me my money back. Now that is exceptional customer service and a winning attitude in my book. They didn't even ask about a 14 day guarantee, ha. ;)
 

Bossman

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Well I know PayPal has great customer service. I explained to them that I didn't order what I recieved and they agreed to give me my money back. Now that is exceptional customer service and a winning attitude in my book. They didn't even ask about a 14 day guarantee, ha. ;)

I had an issue with paypal. Good luck getting someone on the phone. Paypal SUCKS!
 

Bossman

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My LFS fish is 1/2 to 1/3 the price of LA. No guarantee but don't really need one when you can buy 2-3 fish for the price of one and see the fish in person and see it eat.

Really?!? I don't believe that for a minute. Your LFS prices are too good to be true. But then again people post what they want on the internet don't they.
 

Tamberav

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Really?!? I don't believe that for a minute. Your LFS prices are too good to be true. But then again people post what they want on the internet don't they.

Shrug. I tend to buy more rare fish so that may be the reason for the price difference. I will compare them now and look closer for curiosity's sake :)

Kuiteri's was $100 (base price but I got it on sale) and LA wants $170
Starki was $40, LA is $80
Yellow Stripe Clingfish was $15 - LA is $25
Female Bellus $80 - LA $250 (why are these so expensive?)
Large Potters Angel $70 - LA $100 for smalls, $140 for Large

Perhaps these fish are just subject to a higher markup on LA since they are rare?

When I look at common fish, prices do get closer:
Yellow Tang $45 vs $65
Sixline: $19 vs $28
Lubbocks $30 vs $35
Kole: $45 vs $80
Yellow Coris $20 vs $30


LA prices used to actually be pretty close on most except certain outliers but LA prices increased last few months. That is when I started using the LFS.
 
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divewsharks

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Really?!? I don't believe that for a minute. Your LFS prices are too good to be true. But then again people post what they want on the internet don't they.
We’ll realize that LFS fish prices vary greatly location to location/store to store/fish to fish.
For example I’m Northern CA. Within 30 minutes of each other, one LFS had a Pintail Fairy Wrasse for $60 and another was selling it for $120. LA/DD had it for $200. But then change that wrasse to a Brunneus and it was $120 at LA/DD $200 locally.
That’s just a single example, there are many, many more; each LFS makes their own decision on prices.
 

albano

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Where do you think your local LFS gets their fish from? You think the LFS employees are heading out on the weekend with scuba gear collecting the best marine life available to the marine reefer? There are just a couple of online stores the LFS get their stock from.
What makes you think that LFSs get their livestock from online vendors?
IMO, if a LFS is buying from an online vendor, they won’t be around for long!
 

Bossman

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What makes you think that LFSs get their livestock from online vendors?
IMO, if a LFS is buying from an online vendor, they won’t be around for long!

My LFS told me. Where do you think they're getting them from?

The same place we do.
 

albano

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My LFS told me. Where do you think they're getting them from?

The same place we do.
There are many different importers/wholesalers across the country. Even my local Petco shows me 6 or more different availability lists each week, none of which is an online retailer
 

Rain

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I agree evidently it must be bad? If you look at Aqualocker they want two 30 second video's of DOA fish to get money back.
keep yourself away from Aqua locker. All fishes are sick. They are the worse, Liveaquaria is still the best out there
 

FishyDave

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Thats odd. I have gotten only healthy fish from Aqua Locker and nothing but sick fish from Liveaquaria and DD in the last year.
 

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