Aquadigital Products Discussion

Reef Pilot · #1 01-12-2015, 07:38 PM

OK, here is my attempt at starting a meaningful discussion with AD...

Restoring the original thread was a great step in the right direction. But unfortunately it got deleted. So I will try to keep the discussion going with this thread. Hopefully, it won't get deleted.

OK, let's talk products as you, AD, have asked. I am in the camp that actually thinks that you do have a lot of good products and strong sellers. And Ecotech is definitely one of them. As has been discussed, they have their detractors, but for sure, part of the value proposition appeals strongly to a lot of customers. Things like direct service, no wires and small footprint in the water, and availability of parts is good for customer loyalty. And some are willing to pay more for that.

But then there is Jebao. You said that you once considered carrying them, but decided against that. Do you consider that perhaps a mistake, considering the overwhelming customer response and price points? Could you not have worked with them to help with the electrical certifications? Your size in Canada and the US should have carried some weight with them. Or did they just not meet your paradigm of retail?

The marketplace has all kinds of customers, incl some that are just plain "cheap". Do you really want to ignore these? And Chinese suppliers and competition are not going away. Maybe as some say, if you can't beat them, maybe you should join them...

Bblinks · #2 01-12-2015, 08:11 PM

I am with you Walter.

I believe AD as a company does make smart choices on the product they carry, Mind you not all of them were good like Pacific sun....I know first hand and consequently Aqua Digital was just in the mist of working out a deal with him and didn't want to start the new venture with me posting my horrible review on them, so he did convince pac sun for a full refund. BTW, that was another almost $4500 mistake. Obviously he has stopped carrying them shortly after. I did however try to warn him about the whole situation and what happened with pac sun and the previous distributor but he didn't want to listen to me.

Anyways, the problem I see here is when you brand yourself as the dedicated supplier you should have all the info and news bulletins for your products and even if you don't, you will still need to find out so you can properly acknowledge your customers. I know for the most of us, it takes a lot to be active in this hobby and we do need as much support as we can even after sales.

Aqua-Digital · #3 01-12-2015, 08:15 PM

Hiya

Good points and I am more than willing to be fully open on this.

First the history - We Only bring in products we do not have to worry about having lost sleep over, a family business that does not bring in any old product just to make a fast buck! I respect that life has given me this option to pick and choose.

About 5 years ago I contacted Jabao in regards to all their product line, was sent samples etc etc, none came close to what we had hoped, one was an micro tank.

I was contacted again when the WP came out but I simply could not put my company name to a company that blatantly copied another design switched names etc, as i said above we are not a company that is out just to make a fast buck, support, client care, and ethics run very high. Jabao was getting so much bad press I really did not want to be associated with it, I also did not feel I could assure its quality.

It also was not a company we could have any exclusive over they would sell to anyone including end users. This makes distribution on all fronts a nightmare, for example investing $25k in a shipment only to find a basement op buying 10 and selling at 10% margin. Distribution is not free

So the risks were just too great with the product putting aside the ethical points.

Did we lose out? Maybe, but I can sleep happy with my choice and happy to have my reputation associated with some of the largest and most respected names in the industry.

After sales and client care are 100% important to us before anything else (ask people who have dealt with us), I personally work 7 days a week supporting end users by email and phone no one goes waiting more than a few hours, we are always on hand, I dont know a single other distributor with that level of care. So we have to be careful what products we carry so we are not bogged down.. We are responsible for what we import so if something feels off we will not go down that road, we do not want you the end user hit. Sometimes we miss out yes, but I can live with that.

Aqua-Digital · #4 01-12-2015, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bblinks

Anyways, the problem I see here is when you brand yourself as the dedicated supplier you should have all the info and news bulletins for your products and even if you don't, you will still need to find out so you can properly acknowledge your customers. I know for the most of us, it takes a lot to be active in this hobby and we do need as much support as we can even after sales.

This is great in theory but a manufacturer will only give you the information they wish to give, we cant beat info a client may want out of them, it simply does not work that way.

However we will do all we can to post immediately any info we do have and that is proven by our level of posts you see here on Canreef.

The bottom line is if the info is not in the post we simply dont have it or legally can not share it. We try to be as open as possible but our hands are often tied either by no info to give or restriction on info.

Aqua-Digital · #5 01-12-2015, 08:27 PM

if anyone wants to know how we are set uo run where we came from what we do what we dont do, ask, we have nothing to hide, we are here to support always have these last 7 years. Do we always get it right hell no, but we do our best.

I think this thread has legs looking forward to being a part of it. But please lets not get personal

If we can Keep it to the company and the products etc im all for it. But if this turns into another gripe about personal axes to grind then it will just end up getting removed.

Lets see where it leads

reefwars · #6 01-12-2015, 08:33 PM

Any word on ecotech releasing anything new in 2015 ?

Aqua-Digital · #7 01-12-2015, 08:36 PM

Nothing yet. You will be the first know here on Canreef should I hear anything though

Reef Pilot · #8 01-12-2015, 09:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aqua-Digital

About 5 years ago I contacted Jebao in regards to all their product line, was sent samples etc etc, none came close to what we had hoped, one was an micro tank.

I was contacted again when the WP came out but I simply could not put my company name to a company that blatantly copied another design switched names etc, as i said above we are not a company that is out just to make a fast buck, support, client care, and ethics run very high. Jabao was getting so much bad press I really did not want to be associated with it, I also did not feel I could assure its quality.

It also was not a company we could have any exclusive over they would sell to anyone including end users. This makes distribution on all fronts a nightmare, for example investing $25k in a shipment only to find a basement op buying 10 and selling at 10% margin. Distribution is not free

So the risks were just too great with the product putting aside the ethical points.

Did we lose out? Maybe, but I can sleep happy with my choice and happy to have my reputation associated with some of the largest and most respected names in the industry.

OK, thanks, for responding. I understand your points about not having exclusivity. But don't you need a foot in the door, before you can ask for that? And isn't some business better than none? With your overall volume and contacts with the retailers, I would think that you are in the best position to build up those sales. And with that comes vol discounts and rebates,... I am sure you know the game.

As for ethics and legalities, I will leave that to the govt and the companies involved. There are laws, patent provisions and remedies that are available to anyone that wants to protect their rightfully proprietary assets. If Jebao or any other company flaunts that, they could be liable. On the other hand, just talk or threats do not make a case.

But you can't deny that Jebao has become popular (and has evolved) to become a major player in our business. And from a reefer's perspective they are very welcome. As you well know, keeping saltwater aquariums is very costly. The more we can reduce and keep those costs down, the better it will be for everyone, incl the vendors.

Aqua-Digital · #9 01-12-2015, 09:32 PM

Hi
In regards to foot in the door etc, as I said above we did not want to carry the product. It was not for us.

I agree also it has become popular that there is no doubt and many dealers are buying them direct which was another large reason for not investing in a company that sells to anyone. We then have multiple warranty issues, being asked to support products we had not originally sold, pricing issues, potential devalued stock. It simply was not worth it.

But I think for those that want this option they are well covered for supply.

Our main company focus is on companies like GHL and Ecotech where we can support the hobbyist fully. We even help ecotech clients out that have not purchased through one of our dealers, yes we will see if they can get assistance first through that point of sale but if not we will always step in to help out.

Reef Pilot · #10 01-12-2015, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aqua-Digital

Our main company focus is on companies like GHL and Ecotech where we can support the hobbyist fully. We even help ecotech clients out that have not purchased through one of our dealers, yes we will see if they can get assistance first through that point of sale but if not we will always step in to help out.

OK, fair enough, that is your choice and I understand your reasons.

So, if you provide full support for Ecotech, does that mean now that I can get my Radion Gen 1 upgraded to a Gen 3 without having to send it to the US and deal directly with Ecotech? I purchased all my Radions in Canada. And because I got the Gen 1's early, I paid through the nose, too... I was OK with that, though, as I was led to believe that any upgrades would be more than feasible and easy. So did I pay for just an empty promise?