Lee, for the reasons I stated earlier - once an organism leaves our care custody and control, we can assume no liability. I don't sell "out of the bag" or I'd have a lot more DAA claims by customers. I do hold my fish for a week or more. I usually try to label my fish with their arrival date too (though I get behind in doing that more often than I'd like to).
If I sell a fish and it dies 13 days after purchase, what did my store have to do with that fish's demise? If it was sick, it would become apparent long before that. If it was shipping stress from going from my store to the client's house, it would occur before that too.
If it's going to die 13 days later, it's usually because of hobbyist error or ignorance. I'm not willing to take that on.
My guarantee is in line with the industry standard in these parts, and as I said nothing is written in stone - I can use my discretion beyond the 24 hours as I see fit. Given my own husbandry practices and my selling methods, I always test the client's water before a fish is bagged - exceptions being my regulars whom I know have become experienced hobbyists. This safeguards the organisms first, the customer second, and myself third - it's win/win all around.
Another factor... customer buys fish X at my place, and fish Y at another place on the same weekend. Perhaps the fish X that originated in my shop is healthy and fine, but that may not be the case with the fish purchased at the other dealer. I only have control of what my store does and practices. If fish Y purchased elsewhere is sick and shares the joy with the fish purchased from me, why should I eat that loss too? The same could be said in reverse... why should someone else's store eat the loss for something I may have sold?
Not all stores or etailers are created equal - we've established that - so I'd prefer not to assume the risk of eating a loss for a disease that may be present in a hobbyist's tank, or introduced by organisms purchased someplace else.
Jenn
If I sell a fish and it dies 13 days after purchase, what did my store have to do with that fish's demise? If it was sick, it would become apparent long before that. If it was shipping stress from going from my store to the client's house, it would occur before that too.
If it's going to die 13 days later, it's usually because of hobbyist error or ignorance. I'm not willing to take that on.
My guarantee is in line with the industry standard in these parts, and as I said nothing is written in stone - I can use my discretion beyond the 24 hours as I see fit. Given my own husbandry practices and my selling methods, I always test the client's water before a fish is bagged - exceptions being my regulars whom I know have become experienced hobbyists. This safeguards the organisms first, the customer second, and myself third - it's win/win all around.
Another factor... customer buys fish X at my place, and fish Y at another place on the same weekend. Perhaps the fish X that originated in my shop is healthy and fine, but that may not be the case with the fish purchased at the other dealer. I only have control of what my store does and practices. If fish Y purchased elsewhere is sick and shares the joy with the fish purchased from me, why should I eat that loss too? The same could be said in reverse... why should someone else's store eat the loss for something I may have sold?
Not all stores or etailers are created equal - we've established that - so I'd prefer not to assume the risk of eating a loss for a disease that may be present in a hobbyist's tank, or introduced by organisms purchased someplace else.
Jenn
Is it age catching up to you? 
