What guarantee should LFS provide on live stock?

What guarantee should LFS provide for Live Stock?

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Well said Joe. It truly comes down to:
Lesser price = no guarantee => Less risk for Business & more risk for consumer (Most LFS)
More Price = Better Guarantee => Moderate Risk for Business & Moderate Risk for consumer (Few LFS)
Very High Price = 14 Day Guarantee => High risk for Business & Low risk for consumer (I can only think of DFS here)

It's all about How much you can afford & how much risk you can take. Similar to electronic items, no warranty = no price, 1 Year Warranty = $x, 3 Year = $y. When mechanical & electronic items have this & we take it without complaining, then why crib about Live stock & blame LFS for losses.
It's like blaming Walmart/Best Buy/Tiger Direct for your Sony TV breaking when you have not purchased extended warranty for extra price.
 
I don't expect a guarantee from "ANY LFS" regardless if they are QT or not. We as reefers should be responsible and pratice good husbandry. So folks are complaining about fish dying why should the LFS bend over backwards for us if the fish dies? These fish are wild and some are tank breed. Fish are like a box of Chocolates you never know what you are going to get. I know alot of reefers that have QT'ed fish even LFS that have QT'ed fish have always 90% to 80% of the time die. SO what's the benefit if they give you another one that goes threw extensive QTing and it still dies? Is it the LFS fault again?

This is the reason stores are closing, you lose money and money and money expecting to bend over backwards for every customer. Now I see why MCF probably closed to many Free Fish being replaced. I am sure if they do it for one they will have to do it for another customer... Money adds up and the lost can be extensive. If any LFS is practicing the Great Customer Servce Method on Fish gaurantee then LFS like Reefwise, Aqaupros, and other will be out of business in the near future. The way the economy is these small businesses can afford to loose a penny. Just my .02 on the guarantee part...

I choose NONE....
 
ReeFantasy said:
This doesn't make sense. So if a store sits on an un-QT'd fish and sells it fast there shouldn't be a guarantee? Yet if the LFS goes thru the trouble of QT'ing a fish they should offer guarantee on top?

That's how you lose money if you're a LFS!!

Quite the opposite kevin. No QT= guarantee QT= no guarantee.
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I was thinking along the same lines. If the lfs has Qt'd and proven the fish is healthy and eating then there shouldn't be a guarantee becasue if the fish still dies then it was likely the buyer killing a healthy specimen.

Creating a poll that asks if there should be guarantees does not apply to all situations appropriately. I think that price should play a role. If you buy a properly QT'd fish then I would be willing to pay more and not expect a guarantee. If you're talking about a fish that is 72 hours out of the ocean then I would expect to pay considerably less for taking a higher risk OR pay a fair price and be provided a guarantee.
 
BigKev23 said:
Actually, what you are saying makes zero sense.

How can a fish store that sells a fish quickly guarantee that fish? They haven't probably even had a chance to feed the fish multiple times let alone make sure it's healthy. Now you buy that fish and it dies within two days and you expect them to refund or replace a fish that they know nothing about healthwise? All that risk should be on the buyer.

Now if they have QT'd that same fish, know that it's eating and healthy, I think that the store is going to feel a lot better about promising the quality of that fish.
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Intersting way to look at it. However, I see it the opposite of you, lol. My thought is that if a store takes the time to QT, holds the inventory, ( & possibly looses some due to illness), that they are selling a quality product that they have invested in. If they sell a healthy QT'd fish and the fish dies after the buyer gets it home then why should the lfs be responsible? They did all the right right things and the buyer killed a healthy fish. On the other hand, if the lfs does nothing to weed out sick/diseased fish and doesn't invest time into selling only healthy specimens then I think they should offer the guarantee in lieu of a proper QT. Like you said, they know nothing about the fish's health, therefore they could potentially be selling a bad fish, hence the reason for a guarantee.

As I mentioned before, I think that the price of the fish should be relevant if a fish is Qt'd.
 
ReefJunkie1015 said:
I don't expect a guarantee from "ANY LFS" regardless if they are QT or not. We as reefers should be responsible and pratice good husbandry. So folks are complaining about fish dying why should the LFS bend over backwards for us if the fish dies? These fish are wild and some are tank breed. Fish are like a box of Chocolates you never know what you are going to get. I know alot of reefers that have QT'ed fish even LFS that have QT'ed fish have always 90% to 80% of the time die. SO what's the benefit if they give you another one that goes threw extensive QTing and it still dies? Is it the LFS fault again?

This is the reason stores are closing, you lose money and money and money expecting to bend over backwards for every customer. Now I see why MCF probably closed to many Free Fish being replaced. I am sure if they do it for one they will have to do it for another customer... Money adds up and the lost can be extensive. If any LFS is practicing the Great Customer Servce Method on Fish gaurantee then LFS like Reefwise, Aqaupros, and other will be out of business in the near future. The way the economy is these small businesses can afford to loose a penny. Just my .02 on the guarantee part...

I choose NONE....
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I agree.

I think some of us seem to forget that these lfs' aren't making millions of dollars. With the exception of a couple shops that are ridiculously overpriced, most probably are barely paying themselves a meager salary. The owners of these shops were hobbyists who decided that they wanted to dedicate their lives to enriching others lives through the spreading of their hobby. If I buy a fish that dies within the guarantee period, it costs me more in my personal time to bag the dead fish, grab a water sample, find the receipt, drive to the shop, wait for them to test my water, catch a replacement, etc etc. I have very limited spare time as it is with my job. I travel every other week so my free time is extremely precious to me.
 
thinkfuture said:
I agree. IMO, it all depends on the price we are willing to pay for a fish. If the fish is offered very cheap compared to other LFS & Online orders, then the risk is on the buyer.

I feel LFS should have options: $x for a fish that was not QT'd with 1 day guarantee
And $x + 10% for 1 Week QT & 3 Days Guarantee
And $x + 15% for 10 Days QT & 4 days Guarantee....something along these lines.

This is all about managing risk to maintain customers & still able to stay in Business.

Dan, unfortunately I can't edit the post to add 2 Days. Mods, if you can please add a 2 Day option for pooling.
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I agree 100%
 
We offer 48hr with fish and separate water sample at suburban reptile. Most prices are what you would find on LA and if you sign up with us as a forum member we bump it to a 14day warranty.

We looked at it this way, if you are a forum member then u obviously have a greater interest in the hobby then your common pet store customer who just decides to buy a SW setup one day.

Therefor with the greater interest it shows you care and hopefully you QT or Acclimate so we bump the warranty for you.
 
I go to a certain fish store 90 percent of the time. He knows me fairly well and has a feeling for my experience level and what I am trying to do. I also go to a full blown pet shop but not nearly as often. If I buy a fish from my regular shop I can expect to pay 30 percent less than the designer shop. I understand that I am taking a risk and that he isn't making a lot of money on the deal. But by the same token by being a loyal customer he may be willing to do something or work with me . It's all situation specific to me.
 
i'm old school...if one is selling quality livestock then it shouldn't be a problem to back it up with at least a 5 day guarantee.
 
Sho Tank said:
i'm old school...if one is selling quality livestock then it shouldn't be a problem to back it up with at least a 5 day guarantee.
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Its nice to see a store owner step up instead of people making excuses for their buddies LFS. Maybe I do have a reason to go farther north now, Matt I have heard nothing but good things about your shop.

I think store owners should give whatever guarantee that fits their business model, but don't say that other shops don't do it as a defense, just man up and say you do not stand behind what your selling, because there are local shops that do stand behind their livestock no matter who their customers are.
 
Sho Tank said:
i'm old school...if one is selling quality livestock then it shouldn't be a problem to back it up with at least a 5 day guarantee.
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Matt.... You are an example of a GREAT store for fish and corals. The majority of fish that I have has come from you! The fact that you back your stuff is icing on the cake. BTW....for those who don't know the trip from Gilberts to Mundelien is a long one. But....worth it to get good quality fish!
 
It's certainly Good to have Sho Tank very close to where I live & I do have to say, Matt's prices are very reasonable (Even before all the additional discounts he offers before check out). I was not aware of his 5 Day policy, & this is just an icing on the cake for me.:peace:
 
Just wondering what the LFS would do if the fish dies once it's replace the first time or second time during the policy gaurantee? Do they continue to honor the policy?
 
ReefJunkie1015 said:
Just wondering what the LFS would do if the fish dies once it's replace the first time or second time during the policy guarantee? Do they continue to honor the policy?
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I actually just had that happen, I had gotten a wrasse and it died, and the LFS replaced it no question asked. The second one didnt make it either. I have gotten about 90% of my fish from this LFS and it was the first one I had lost ever from there, but I didnt bring it back up to them, I felt they did their best to service me and I will continue to purchase other fish from them.
 
It is the risk we take in the hobby and the reason my lovely wife says no more fish everytime one may die for reasons we do not know.

I do agree though that if a store is qt'ing and making it known to the customers, then charge more for the fish. This is just a piece of mind. I did like that when I saw that at reefwise the other day. That to me is better and worth to me as a buyer to spend more for a fish. Think of the time and money you save by not having to qt at your house. Although some places do not do the qt and it is just about volume and still charge an arm for them. I am sure we all have favorite stores that we shop at and are buddy buddy with the owner and ussually they take care of you in the long run.

This is just the nature of beast in the hobby.
 
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