LFS policy thought...

[zenfish]

Do you think a LFS should charge different prices for different fish depending on arrival/stay?

Example #1 you buy a fish out of the box day one it comes in you pay less. 2 day garauntee I'll say with store credit as refund. Or not, but I'd vote store credit.

Example #2 You put a hold onto fish as it is being quarantined for 1 week/2 weeks. Customer leaves 1/2 the money, no return money. If fish dies, store credit. + you pay more for fish.

Exampe #3 fish goes thru its 2-4 weeks quarantine. Fish, depending on fish species, goes for more. Probably full retail at discretion of owner, might go even more again, depending on fish species. 2-4 day guarantees sound good to me, I'd personally give a flat 5 because I am so kind. :wink1: Then work it out from there.

:meow::dog:

 

[Reef Trends]

The question would be better posed as - would you, the customer, pay more.

Personally I would pay more if fish is QT'd problem is I wouldn't trust most stores to do it right. Often they just aren't setup for it. Or I think it should come with longer guarantee. Then again from a stores perspective is hard to know the customers tank conditions unless its a service customer.

 

[DEL]

it's just like divers den at Live aquaria. you pay more with a guarantee that it's QTd, and also a live 14day guarantee

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[zenfish]

14 days sounds like a long time but if th fish is QT'ed it should live.

 

[piranhapat]

I like to buy the fish right out of box if I can. I like to Qt my own fish. I don't think the buyer should pay more for a healthy fish. The seller responible to sell a fish that's eating and have no signs of an outbreak. I think both parties have a responsible part. If a store offers a 14 day guarantee that just great business and paying a little extra is like an issuance. That's fine with me. That means that store knows that the fish is eating. And the fish been there for at least a week. Today most LFS turn over the fish before the fish is settle in.

 

[zenfish]

I like to buy the fish right out of box if I can. I like to Qt my own fish. I don't think the buyer should pay more for a healthy fish. The seller responible to sell a fish that's eating and have no signs of an outbreak. I think both parties have a responsible part. If a store offers a 14 day guarantee that just great business and paying a little extra is like an issuance. That's fine with me. That means that store knows that the fish is eating. And the fish been there for at least a week. Today most LFS turn over the fish before the fish is settle in.

well, if you but out the the box, we can't see if it is eating. otherwise, 10 days guarantee? 14 days if the store is some sorta giant conglomerate with ties to Big Oil.

 

[Odysi]

Is it not the job of lfs to sell us the customer heathly live stock? There is nothing worse then paying $80 for a fish putting in a qt @ home and its dead in few days and all the LFS says is your SOL I fully understand that it takes time and money to 1 maintain a healthy QT system and 2 keep the fish in that system alive, but why transfer that cost to the customer? i would think they would want to QT all there fish before going into there display systems so they dont infect healthy fish and systems. just my 2 cents....

 

[marrone]

I think it's the job of LFS to sell healthy fish, and also get them from good quality sources too, but some fish do come in looking great, eating and showing no signs of diseases, and then soon after some buys them they break out with something, which is why people should QT all of there fish. I think a big problem is people are now buying fish as soon as they come in, in some case not even letting them hit the LFS system. The days of looking at a fish in the LFS and maybe passing on it for a week now seem gone, especially the rare fish that don't come around that often.

The economics of things do weigh on LFS, as most don't have the space or resources to QT every single fish that they get it, not to mention they cost that they have invested into the fish, as most want to move them out quickly if possible. Then again you do have some places that wouldn't sell you a fish right out of the box or if they don't think it's doing good or LA DD where people pay more for a fish that is QT, treated, and eating too.

 

[albano]

I fully understand that it takes time and money to 1 maintain a healthy QT system and 2 keep the fish in that system alive, but why transfer that cost to the customer? ...

The LFS is a business, as with any busines the customer pays ALL costs including rent and salaries, the rest is the profit (if any)

Good LFSs go out of business all the time, because most people do not want to pay the high cost of QTd livestock.

 

[Odysi]

The LFS is a business, as with any busines the customer pays ALL costs

Yes this is true but selling healthy live stock should be a given... Instead of blindly selling people unhealthy fish or corals just to turn a profit. As customers its good practice to make sure your fish looks healthy are eating and have been in the store for a few days at least.

 

[reefiness]

The issue I think people are having trouble seeing is that many hobbyists, especially in this area, want livestock at the lowest possible price. And the local stores know that so they have given the customer what they want. In order to get the prices of the fish down, they are turning them over a bit quicker to decrease their costs, and with that passing the savings on to the customer.

The longer a fish sits in a store, the more and more the cost of that fish to the store rises. So if we expect these local stores to hold all their fish for extended periods of time to be sure everyone gets quarantined fish and not raise their prices to offset the associated expenses, then we better be ready for all the stores to shut down pretty soon when they lose all their money.

I think the thought that "we shouldn't have to pay more for a healthy fish" is the wrong way of looking at it. If you want a healthy fish, you need to no longer be willing to pay less for a less healthy fish.

I'm sure if some of the local stores raised their prices to even those of the regular Live Aquaria site, people here would go nuts saying the fish are priced too high. Just a quick comparison right now between some of the LFS prices I can see posted and Live Aquaria, the LFS are charging anywhere from 1/3-2/3 the price listed at LA.

 

[Reef Trends]

That is absolutely what is happening couldn't have said it better. That and all the stores are buying from the same places so it really turns into who is selling it for cheapest because when stuff comes around its easy to shop around. Best to try to support the stores that you feel do the best job and treat you the way you want to be treated. That way they will continue on their path.

 

[Dre]

Stores get reimburse if fish die in the box or in the store tank?

 

[theMeat]

Not always

 

[BioMan]

Stores get reimburse if fish die in the box or in the store tank?

I just read a post on FB and one store got 5 out of 20 boxes of coral come in dead!

 

[marrone]

In some case, where there are shipping issues, they may lose all the fish and remember a big part of their cost is shipping, which I doubt they get back if fish die.

 

[zenfish]

You report everything that comes in dead. You take pictures. Some companies are cool about it, some are not, IMO u eat the dead, until one day, a shipment comes in REALLY BAD.

Transship, it really depends. It also depends when you get your fish. If a box is delayed or you simply get your fish last, your fish will stay longer in the bags, so its also a crap-shoot. so I can't fault transpire for that, its also airlines.

I heard from a store, Recently a box of FW had to be returned to a big time transshipper because F&W did a random pull, and their ONE box got returned, fish had to be re-bagged, etc. The fish got Back ti the store 1 day later, all the small fish, 500 , were dead, got re-imbursed nothing. HAD to send them back for fear of fine.

If a shippr, wholesale or trans shipper, their fish don't live or I get hassled, or they play dumb, I stop ordering from them for a long long time, usually 6-8 months. If not forever, as I have multiple times.

you also don't always get what you ordered, interns of size, or sometimes the same fish come in like crap. Its a gamble, I don't think customers get that, nor do they care.

 

[piranhapat]

well, if you but out the the box, we can't see if it is eating. otherwise, 10 days guarantee? 14 days if the store is some sorta giant conglomerate with ties to Big Oil.

That is true but that's my problem and the chance I took to pay like you said. A little cheaper. Remember both parties. And I voided the deal buy buying straight out of boxes. I Can't have it both ways...

 

[piranhapat]

I think it's the job of LFS to sell healthy fish, and also get them from good quality sources too, but some fish do come in looking great, eating and showing no signs of diseases, and then soon after some buys them they break out with something, which is why people should QT all of there fish. I think a big problem is people are now buying fish as soon as they come in, in some case not even letting them hit the LFS system. The days of looking at a fish in the LFS and maybe passing on it for a week now seem gone, especially the rare fish that don't come around that often.

The economics of things do weigh on LFS, as most don't have the space or resources to QT every single fish that they get it, not to mention they cost that they have invested into the fish, as most want to move them out quickly if possible. Then again you do have some places that wouldn't sell you a fish right out of the box or if they don't think it's doing good or LA DD where people pay more for a fish that is QT, treated, and eating too.

Totally agree +1

 

[piranhapat]

Years ago if I went to LFS and I saw a fish I liked but didn't get him. Chances were good that a week later he was still there. Today is so different. If I got luckily and the shipment just arrived back than. And If I bought it right out of the box I got a better deal. They are advantages and disadvantages. Depends on person and LFS. Sometimes it's better because some LFS water was bad. Another reason fish only had to acclimate twice. Instead of three times if it enter LFS water. But again don't know if fish is eating and since the salinity so low it might take time for disease to show. Again it's up to the person but it's not LFS fault if fish dies. But if a fish is in there tank some kind of responsibly LFS does have. Higher money or not a healthy fish should be sold not a sick fish. I really like a LFS when they say I will not sell you that fish because he's not eating.