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LFS Problems(LONG) Please read....
- Thread starter ereefic1
- Start date
And we have been selling their tanks and stands for 5 years and we have seen AGA not replace tanks on occasion because it was a homemade stand.
As the person from AGA said: "homemade stands tend to be a case by case situation." We would prefer our customers be sure that their warranty will be honored, so we advise them to purchase a commercially made stand (not necassarily AGA) so that they have no surprises or hassles should there ever be a problem.
If they want to build their own, that's fine -- we don't need to push stands on people. We just tell them that they should assume the warranty will be void on a homemade stand, since there is no guarantee it will be honored.
As the person from AGA said: "homemade stands tend to be a case by case situation." We would prefer our customers be sure that their warranty will be honored, so we advise them to purchase a commercially made stand (not necassarily AGA) so that they have no surprises or hassles should there ever be a problem.
If they want to build their own, that's fine -- we don't need to push stands on people. We just tell them that they should assume the warranty will be void on a homemade stand, since there is no guarantee it will be honored.
IMO, offering the LFS store to 'price-match' isn't really fair deal to the lfs. You may certainly think so, and this might satisfy your ethical dilemma, but it shouldn't. Your utilizing the fact that you can see what you're purchasing, can research whatever your buying, can determine if it fits your needs better, etc. They have much higher costs than running a mail order supply shop.
If you want to go that route, you should just call around and get the lowest price you can and go with it. Going in talking to a store, and taking up their time/resources, then getting the best price and offering a price match to them not what I would consider a fair/equitable situation. Hey, I'd rather be the mail order vendor at that point. .. Give them a fair shot at it, if they've helped you with what you're trying to get (product or knowledge) if they are anywhere near 20-25% of mail order, it should go to them.
I don't think LFS stores really need to revamp their system. I think they need to be smarter about livestock acquisition and retention to reduce unnecessary losses, but a revamp of pricing just ins't going to happen. The margins aren't there to begin with, so the current 50% retail markup will continue to be. There will always be people who would rather see the rock they get, see the livestock they get, and prefer to get the personal treatment. It will always be there. It's the people who abuse and take advantage of that, going in and extracting knowledge and not buying from them that I think are ethically wrong and selfish. Yes, it is a problem not just in the lfs industry, but one that is prevalent everywhere as our ethics/morality continue to decline in this country.
If you think the lfs being expensive is making a killing, you're sorely mistaken. Look at the people most lfs hire - it's not because they don't want to hire marine biologists and specialists, its because they have to hire at or near minimum wage. Most lfs stores barely make it by each month, and if they do it's not a huge profit. There is a reason for all this - its called higher costs, and lower bottom line.
If you want to go that route, you should just call around and get the lowest price you can and go with it. Going in talking to a store, and taking up their time/resources, then getting the best price and offering a price match to them not what I would consider a fair/equitable situation. Hey, I'd rather be the mail order vendor at that point. .. Give them a fair shot at it, if they've helped you with what you're trying to get (product or knowledge) if they are anywhere near 20-25% of mail order, it should go to them.
I don't think LFS stores really need to revamp their system. I think they need to be smarter about livestock acquisition and retention to reduce unnecessary losses, but a revamp of pricing just ins't going to happen. The margins aren't there to begin with, so the current 50% retail markup will continue to be. There will always be people who would rather see the rock they get, see the livestock they get, and prefer to get the personal treatment. It will always be there. It's the people who abuse and take advantage of that, going in and extracting knowledge and not buying from them that I think are ethically wrong and selfish. Yes, it is a problem not just in the lfs industry, but one that is prevalent everywhere as our ethics/morality continue to decline in this country.
If you think the lfs being expensive is making a killing, you're sorely mistaken. Look at the people most lfs hire - it's not because they don't want to hire marine biologists and specialists, its because they have to hire at or near minimum wage. Most lfs stores barely make it by each month, and if they do it's not a huge profit. There is a reason for all this - its called higher costs, and lower bottom line.
We would prefer our customers be sure that their warranty will be honored, so we advise them to purchase a commercially made stand (not necassarily AGA) so that they have no surprises or hassles should there ever be a problem.
Well that would be the right thing to do. ADVISE, NOT tell people they don't.
MattM":1j8j1neb said:ereefic":1j8j1neb said:As of today, this is what AGA is telling me, and I quote.............
As Rover mentioned above, this is a recent change.
LOL really? AFAIK this has been AGA's policy for as long as I can remember. It's Oceanic that is the stickler with the stand issue. In fact they don't even warranty their canopy's unless you have a glass top on the tank. Now Oceanic has much longer warranties 5 years versus AGA's 1 Year, thus they have greater risk.
For the rest of you I've worked with Dawn before on a warranty issue and AGA has absolutely stellar performance on this. Immediate decisions and happy customers.
anthem":b2q8cw1i said:They have much higher costs than running a mail order supply shop.
While costs are a large component - pricing is really based on volume. The average LFS simply doesn't do the volume to get the price breaks necessary. Most products in order to compete with MO means you have to buy factory direct and NOT go through distributors which means you must buy in large quantity, you think your local LFS is spending $50,000 on Mag Drive pumps a year in order to buy direct from Danner? they are going through a local distributor and getting them for $3-4 bucks less than what they are sold for MO then putting an honest markup on them.
But yes the costs are there - but it's tough to price match when you pay more for an item than the MO place does.
Rover":2b1f7w00 said:Tom's right. I was thinking of the Oceanics. I have had very good experiences dealing with All Glass as well.
I think Matt was as well - however due to the sticky wording we have in the past pointed that out but lately warranty issues have only come up with those wanting a premium aquarium but want to do something different like build the tank into the wall or some other installation. Yes Oceanic does make a stripped support stand for such purposes.
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