Newbies be Carefull!!

[lt1fj40]

So I just learned something the hard way and I wanted to share my experience with other fellow newbie's so they don't make the same mistake as me!!

I found out the hard way, that a local store doesn't have a warranty on live stock UNLESS you have purchased a membership card. I heard a lot of good things about this store so I went in to check it out, I was excited to see the quality and service difference. It was a nice people were helpful.

When I purchased the fish they asked if I had shopped there before, I said no and they said are you going to be coming back?, I said absolutely, so they created a record of me in the computer. I paid and then left.

I did the typical process I have been doing for 2 years, drip accumulating and the fish were doing great, it seemed great the next 2 days and was feeding, on the 3rd day I found it dead. I called the store to see if they would like me to bring the body in when I come in to get a refund. They said yes and a sample of water. No problem, my water is always pristine. So I was like OK cool, how long is your return policy BTW? He was like are you a member? I said I am unsure if I am but you guys put my info into your computer. Laughs and attitude starts....we don't warranty unless you are a MEMBER, I was like OK well I am in the computer and...NO..you need to PURCHASE a membership to get any warranty at all. I was surprised and I told him I was never told about this even at purchase...the guy then says well duh you cant miss it, there is a big freakin sign behind the till. No warranty. I am very busy and have lots of customers waiting, BYE! And the dude hung up!! I was floored, not only didn't I know but I wasn't even arguing I just stated this was a surprise!!

SO I am out 40 bucks on a nice fish I was excited to have and I am disappointed in the store for not being upfront about policy (not even written on the receipt) and what sucks is because of the attitude I received I won't be going back.

So I guess lesson learned, always make sure you know what the policy is...this really sucks as I have had great service from the local stores and they have all been helpful and really nice to deal with until now.

If anyone wants to know the store PM me as it is a site sponsor and I will not post the name.

[Skimmerking]

go ahead and Pm me

[FishyFishy!]

I really hate to say it brew, but if you expect "warranty" of marine livestock, you need a new hobby..

[Aquattro]

Must be nice to have some option for warranty, even if you have to purchase it. I've never shopped at a store that offered a warranty on livestock, I wouldn't even expect a warranty. The store orders it, and the store pays for it. If they refund money, they're out. It's not like they can return it as defective to the manufacturer...
Fish sometimes die, that's why you try to get good at picking healthy ones. And even then, sometimes they die. Not the store's fault, it just happens.

[Aquattro]

I really hate to say it brew, but if you expect "warranty" of marine livestock, you need a new hobby..

Agreed.

[kien]

Can you PM me the name of that store as well?? I would really love to know where I can start buying livestock with guaranteed warranty!

No one in the city that I know of offers warranty on livestock of any sort. Sure, there are some stores that if you develop a great relationship with will cut you some slack if something dies, but typically marine livestock does not come with warranty in this hobby. Local fish stores would likely go out of business if they did. Kinda like what happened to Petcetera which did provide guaranteed warranty on all fish including their marine fish. That's something newbies should be aware of.

[Aquarium_Medics]

I know of 2 stores in Calgary that offer a "limited warranty" If the fish dies within 15 days they will credit you 1/2 the value, which to me is better then nothing.

[Flash]

We at Blueworld have 72hour live guarantee. I know many others don't.

Sorry about your experience you the other store.

[lee9]

Not sure if one of those is the same store that I thought had a similar guarantee... but only for 5 days.... until I read the fine print.:rolleyes: "This guarantee does not apply to marine livestock"


Please PM me the store names if you don't mind :biggrin: Thanks.

I know of 2 stores in Calgary that offer a "limited warranty" If the fish dies within 15 days they will credit you 1/2 the value, which to me is better then nothing.

[Aquarium_Medics]

Upon further investigation, the "warranties" are only on Freshwater fish, not marine. Sorry, figured if they warrantyed one type of fish, why not others?

[lorenz0]

price. fresh water fish cost 0.05-1.00 at wholesale. I remember reading a list where i worked and couldn't believe it. Thats why they can afford replace so many fish.

[mark]

wondering how much is the membership and then how long would the warranty period be?

[Mike-fish]

There is only the one store in Edmonton with a paid membership to the best of my knowledge. And this warning shud be to all know what to look for in a fish before you buy. I look at each fish for a good 15-20min then at the rest of the tanks not as long (but keep an eye out for any issues with other fish )before I say I'll take it. I also visit the store I buy from often and keep an eye out for anything I don't like (staff included)

[reefermadness]

I don't know of any store in Ontario offering a warranty on Marine fish........

[Oilers]

Please PM me. Thanks.

[The Grizz]

As an out of towner I have gotten to know some of the owners & staff at a few store in both Calgary & Edmonton. I like to deal with these particular store's because they ALWAYS treat me right. I am pretty sure I know what shop you are talking about & I don't agree with the whole membership thing that you have to pay for. I have what they call a CLUB car for Big Al's, Petland & Petsmart, get discount & points you can redeem for items & it was free.

[ALang]

Yeah, pretty bad.
I also only stick with the ones that I trust.
That said store took advantage of me when I was a Newbie, as well.
Spend thousands of dollars there to start my hobby, stock it and then they wouldn't honor their warranties in the most badly build aquarium stand, ever!

Long story short, I won't spend my money there again.
No offense to the staff there, I loved the staff, they were at least honest with me all the time. But I refuse to keep throwing money at the people who ripped me off so badly.

You know, Newbies should join our Reefer's club (Free membership:wink:), and feel free to ask questions, and find support there. I wished that I knew then what I know now. And I wished that I knew about Canreef then. Learned so much amongst members here and at the Reefer's Meetings.

Thanks for sharing. Thanks for reading.

[Jeff000]

The store is Aquarium Illusions.
It is the only one in Edmonton that offers a membership. I don't even need to PM to figure that out. Just figured I would make it easier for people from out of town instead of sending a PM.
I've never had a problem with their fish, but watch for pests on their corals.

No where really offers a warranty on Marine fish, the good stores would help you out on the next purchase I am sure. And blue world does have 72 hours, although I did not know that till this thread.
Marine Aquaria, Blue World, and Red Coral (no particular order) all have great staff, and great fish/corals.

This thread is kind of silly on a 40 dollar fish. Water could be perfect and it could still die for a number of other reasons.

[lt1fj40]

The purpose of the post was more of a heads up to newbies, coming from years of freshwater it didn't even dawn on me the warranty would be any different. I don't care about the money, it was the fact I was an idiot I didn't know about the membership and warranty for marine fish.

Thanks all for your advice!

Rob

[Aquattro]

I guess for a lot of people here that have never had freshwater, the thought of any type of warranty on livestock just seems kinda foreign :) Although if I had a store, I wouldn't warranty FW either. Seems silly to warranty something that nobody has any control over.

[BlueWorldAquatic]

Rob,

Always ask questions, there is never a stupid one.

Most of the respectible LFS will give you the best advice to their knowledge. The better ones will admit when they don't know.

We were all there as hobbiest, I have only been in the hobby for about 5 years, but did frshwater for over 30.

There is always something to learn, but remember, something that works for me may not for you.

Just my own personal opinion,

Ken - BWA

[lt1fj40]

Thanks Ken, btw I always have been treated well at your store and always have had great luck...except for my blue legged hermits eating some snails, everything is still alive and going strong!

Rob

[IronRising]

Just wanted to put this out there. I have been going to BWA since the first day i started my tank two years ago. Great livestock, Great people who work there, and EXCELLENT customer service. My personal opinion is that every store in Edmonton ( and 've been to almost all of them) Cant compare to what Ken has created there. The only downside is they seem to sell their stock so fast, so show up on their restock day :lol:

[Oilers]

When is restock day at BWA? Thanks.

[globaldesigns]

As others have stated, don't expect a warranty. I would also say, that to purchase a membership to obtain warranty is also very rare. Personally I would never purchase a membership for just a warranty, but it could be a nice perk.

I have lost $150 fish overnite, it happens... You just chalk it up to experience or lack of.

Sorry to hear about your loss, but death can happen and is expected. Warranties are not.

[globaldesigns]

Also remember this, any store that will offer a warranty (FREE or Membership) in FW or SW, has accounted for it. In most cases you are paying 2-3x more for a fish than normal.

I would suggest finding LFS's that offer great service, product and reasonable pricing. Find these places and support them.

I have had fish die on transport to home, and I don't live far from most LFS's in Calgary, in this case, I have had warranty offered to me. KUDO's to Dennis @ Golds, he treated me well.

[Parker]

We've all had a bad experience at one time or another, I guarantee you'll find someone that has something bad to say about every LFS in town, my self-included. I try to take it all in stride and monitor the noise level around a particular shop.

There is one shop in town I won't buy from simply because the place is kind of dirty. IMO if you don't have enough pride to keep your store and equipment a little cleaner then what kind of attitude do you have to towards the much more important things?

[howdy20012002]

IMO, stores are taking a huge risk saying they will warranty saltwater fish.
Kudos to those that do.
I just feel that there are too many what-ifs in this hobby to expect the store to give money back.
I am truly surprised that the store bashing has been allowed to this point.
everyone has there favourite stores or not so favourite.
In this case, the cost of the membership is minimal and plus they quarantine their fish.
so really, if a fish has made it thru a week or two of quarantine, then gets sold and dies, IMO, the fish probably died due to something the purchaser has done or the quality of the tank, and I don't feel the store should be held accountable.
marine fish are finicky and often die for no apparent reason. I would not expect a store to replace the fish or give me my money back, but just accept as a part of the cost of this amazing hobby.
just my two cents
Neal

[MarkoD]

This store that offers warranty also sells fish for (sometimes) double what any other store sells it for.

So even if they did honor a warranty, you already paid for that second fish

[IronRising]

When is restock day at BWA? Thanks.

Thursday normally is when they put the fish in the tanks. I will go then and get them to hold the fish for me to make sure it has the best chance of surviving in my tank. It's better for the fish if it does not have to go though two acclamations in three days :biggrin:

[doch]

As mentioned before, the store in question does have a full bank of tanks that they put the fish in for 2 weeks prior to being put up for sale. I could be wrong, but I believe that they will sell you the fish in quarantine, but at your own risk (no warranty). Yes, sometimes the prices are high, BUT, you are paying for the quarantine process, the lost fish in quarantine, and a stronger chance of that fish surviving when you get it home. In my opinion, all 4 of the stores in Edmonton have high quality fish... but this quarantine does give peace of mind. Is it worth it? Your call. I shop at all 4 of the stores. They all have their advantages and disadvantages.

As for the membership fee at AI, I'm pretty sure that they give you a discount on stuff if you are a memeber, so if you're like me and spend lots of money on this hobby, it can easily for itself... AND you get the waranty.

[Mechaninano]

Yeah they do give a discount, I've paid for my membership with the savings from my led's that I bought. I think it's worth it, but I still shop at the other stores too. I've gotten great service at all the stores in Edmonton, but I still do my own research before making a purchase just to be safe.

[Felix]

Too be brutally honest I have been to the "Membership" LFS a few times but they have one guy there who is so obnoxious that its not worth the trip from the Park. too be honest i think thinks its great customer service but he just annoying and if your just looking its like your breathing my air and I'd like you to leave!!

IMHO Red coral and blue world are friendlier I have been to both a number of times and not bought but everything in my aquarium comes from these two stores. They have good fish and more importantly will not sell a newbie fish that will not do well in your set up. I know this from personal experiance, I wanted a yellow tang in a RSM130 and both said NO it won't do well long term its too small an aquarium.

As to the warranty of fish, i would have thought that every LFS had an elaborate quarrantine process to ensure the quality of their stock, but they are delicate fish and anything can kill them, its why certain species should not be in the home aquarium.

Sorry to read about your loss but on the bright side there is a Reefer meeting on 25th Sept please come I cordially invite you.

Felix

[Aquattro]

I am truly surprised that the store bashing has been allowed to this point.

Neal

Neal, I hope this thread doesn't come across as store bashing, I haven't interpreted it as such. I think the OP had an unreal expectation being new to the hobby, and that's been conveyed by many responses.

We've all heard good and bad about every LFS in existence, it goes with the territory.
In this case, I don't think that the store discussed has done anything questionable or under handed, and if they want to offer a membership with additional benefits, I see that as a value-added feature. Good on them.

Sometimes stores charge more than other stores for the same fish, but keep in mind, each fish is individual, as is the treatment they get once received.
I've bought 4 PB Tangs in my time of reef keeping. The last one was 50% more than I've ever paid. It's also the only one that's survived and is thriving in my tank. Partially a coincidence, I'm sure, but the store held it in QT for me close to 2 months. That costs money, and I can't expect them to eat that cost.
Overall, I think this thread is of a civil tone, and the store in question should be happy with the exposure.

[mexxedm]

So I just learned something the hard way and I wanted to share my experience with other fellow newbie's so they don't make the same mistake as me!!

I found out the hard way, that a local store doesn't have a warranty on live stock UNLESS you have purchased a membership card. I heard a lot of good things about this store so I went in to check it out, I was excited to see the quality and service difference. It was a nice people were helpful.

When I purchased the fish they asked if I had shopped there before, I said no and they said are you going to be coming back?, I said absolutely, so they created a record of me in the computer. I paid and then left.

I did the typical process I have been doing for 2 years, drip accumulating and the fish were doing great, it seemed great the next 2 days and was feeding, on the 3rd day I found it dead. I called the store to see if they would like me to bring the body in when I come in to get a refund. They said yes and a sample of water. No problem, my water is always pristine. So I was like OK cool, how long is your return policy BTW? He was like are you a member? I said I am unsure if I am but you guys put my info into your computer. Laughs and attitude starts....we don't warranty unless you are a MEMBER, I was like OK well I am in the computer and...NO..you need to PURCHASE a membership to get any warranty at all. I was surprised and I told him I was never told about this even at purchase...the guy then says well duh you cant miss it, there is a big freakin sign behind the till. No warranty. I am very busy and have lots of customers waiting, BYE! And the dude hung up!! I was floored, not only didn't I know but I wasn't even arguing I just stated this was a surprise!!

SO I am out 40 bucks on a nice fish I was excited to have and I am disappointed in the store for not being upfront about policy (not even written on the receipt) and what sucks is because of the attitude I received I won't be going back.

So I guess lesson learned, always make sure you know what the policy is...this really sucks as I have had great service from the local stores and they have all been helpful and really nice to deal with until now.

If anyone wants to know the store PM me as it is a site sponsor and I will not post the name.
I know exactly what store lt1fj40 (http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/member.php?u=6106) talk about. OK, I'll be quick:
1. Sign display "Members get 7 days SW guarantee" which does not say how you can become a member. I was luck enough to ask how I can become a member. $10/year. I was then given a membership info stated "7 days guarantee on SW fish and coral". On the membership info does not say anything that I have to store the dead product in a what size of container, make sure I put the product in the water and bring sample water back.
2. My corals dead three days after. I brought back. With ******* attitude, the manager yelled at me that the corals were still alive how come I ddin't put any water in there. He immediately threw water in my container and said they were still alive. "Bring them home!" I did not think so because my corals had thicken glue stuff around it. It must be dead. Another employee named Chris said there was no guarantee on coral. I then took out the membership info and show them then they shut up. The manager made two conflict statements. First, your corals are still alive. After arguments, he made the second statement "Polyp might be dieing but the flower pot is not". The manager also added a statement "We can't exchange it because what if your friend puts bleach in your tank and it destroys the corals." I had four corals in my take and only two of them die. They did not honor their guarantee after I spend money to become the membership. I demanded to talk to the owner. They owner indicated that there was no guarantee on coral. I had to pull out the membership info once again. Come on, an owner does not even know the store rules? They also owner said the same thing "They are still alive." I said "OK, I will take your words and I will never come back to this store ever again. I will post to Canreef along with my dead corals photos so members in the forum can judge if they are still alive or not." The manager totally had different attitude, a nicer one. I then said "I am here just to exchange not to get my money back!" He then agreed to let me exchange if I brought my sample water and if the water was fine. Of course, 25 mins to drive home and 25 to drive back in traffic. My water was fine. They agreed to exchange it.
Conclusion, I would not be ****ed off if they did not say they had guarantee. I would not be ****ed off if the employee and owner were nicer. I am on the Westend and very closed by this store. However, I am no longer return to this store because of their attitudes. I think lt1fj40 (http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/member.php?u=6106) got the manager of the store on the phone whom has funny attitude: talking for one sentence, walking away and ignore customer. I would not say what the store name but... to be warned: this store has green chalkboard behind the checkout counter.

[Skimmerking]

wow see I would have punched him right in the face and dragged him out side and lord know what. I know of only one person who got away from yelling at me and that was my MOM. :lol: