This old thread just keeps coming back
To lifeainteasy - I'll disclose here that I owned a local shop for 11 1/2 years, packed it in coming up on 2 years ago. For me, it was time to move on to something else. I still do some off-site work for another shop. So that's where I 'come from' as it pertains to this thread.
iifeainteasy;1045849 wrote: this hobby is too complicated for beginners IMO. too many variables with fish and coral to scare away or even waste money of new aquarium hobbyist.
It is a complicated hobby. However there are unlimited resources available, most of them are free. The Internet has more information (both good and bad) nowadays, than the small collection of books and magazines that us old farts had access to, back in the day. There's no excuse for not being informed. Impulsiveness is not a reason to excuse a poor choice.
Also, every fish store i went to i explained to them my setup was only 1 week, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, old... but everyone still sold me fish and coral as if they didnt care.Not saying its their fault or they were trying to sabotage my tank. i think they cared for the sale more than the longevity of a customer in the hobby.
I love this one. So many folks blame the store. My comments below aren't necessarily directed at you, personally, but at people and human nature in general. Many here will attest that I unsold them out of a lot of things over the years, but that was just how I worked, and in MY shop, I got to decide. Still, I can't tell you how many times somebody would ignore the advice, and go buy it elsewhere (and then call me to fix the problem that resulted.)
Stores exist to sell things. That's how they pay their bills, their staff. And if one doesn't buy it from there, and they are heck-bent on buying it, they will go buy it someplace else, so why not close the sale?
I've never EVER seen a consumer forced to buy a luxury item. If one bought it, they wanted it, period. If they felt pressured, they had the option of leaving the business.
When it turns out to be a bad choice, it's much easier to blame the salesman, than to take ownership of a bad choice.
Same with equipment. LFS wanted me to buy a LED light from them at $$$. when a sales rep WHISPERED that i can go on ebay and get chinese LEDs for cheap.
That would be grounds for dismissal just about anywhere. They whispered so they wouldn't get caught and disciplined or fired. That employee is undermining his employer, and he's literally taking money out of his own pocket. If he continues to drive business away from the store, how will his wages be covered? Do YOU work for free? Or how would you feel if you were told that your work was not of as much value?
There's an old saying, "The bitterness of poor quality lasts long after the sweet price is forgotten." Not all equipment is created equal. Lots of people have ended up putting good money after bad, by having to replace substandard equipment that they thought was a 'good deal'.
And when one spends $$$ as you put it, at a brick and mortar store, where you got to see and touch and test the product, get information and advise on the product, after-sales support if there is a problem with the product, the difference in cost between an identical item bought at a brick and mortar, versus some anonymous e-vendor, is the VALUE ADDED in all of that personal service.
thats the type of info i need. to keep me in this hobby. this hobby just takes alot of research and money to be successful. and for newcomers on a budget. most cant afford LFS so we use the internet and save 20-40%.
So you think it's OK to use the LFS for information and then go buy stuff elsewhere. There is a new term called 'showrooming'. Let's make the salespeople work, then leave emptyhanded and go buy it online.
And people wonder why stores are in trouble. Not just aquarium shops, it's happening all across the retail spectrum.
If you want to buy online, go for it. Please just do your research online and don't waste the valuable time of people employed to serve paying customers. That will free up more time for the clerk to serve the customer who actually intends to make a purchase in the store. Then everybody wins.
i never bought livestock due to shipping cost. But my lighting and skimmer were from ebay. LFS should fear chain stores like petco more. their prices on fish are quite cheap. $20/$40 on clowns while LFS sells them for $30/$100.
Good luck getting warranty service if those eBay purchases fail
As for LFS versus Petco... you're comparing guns and butter. But hey, knock yourself out. Hope you spent a few bucks on a quarantine system because if you didn't, Petco will bite you in the rear. Any fish from any source should be quarantined, but in most instances you're more likely to get a sick fish from a big box store whose mission is to turn and burn, than a local shop that takes pride in its offerings.
LFS keep a larger variety of fish and coral. but most arent for beginners. so i recommend petco for livestock and coral because its just cheaper basically.
Really? That's odd. My experience as a retailer was that the easy beginner stuff and inexpensive stuff sold like hotcakes all day long, and the expensive collector stuff got lots of oohs and ahhs but didn't sell nearly as well. Then again, that was my niche for the most part.
Again ... cheaper does not necessarily equal 'better'.
i love my LFS and go to 3 different ones often. another issue i had was with "ich" no one informed of a QT tank when i first got into the hobby. no one informed me of the long cycle period with no fish or coral. so first week i bought fish and coral. and had to start over my whole setup and do things correctly. now after 2342343 hours of youtube videos and reading forums. i feel i know the BASICS of SW keeping.
So whose fault is this again? Let me get this straight... you are expecting the LFS to hold your hand and educate you on every aspect of the hobby, and sell to you at Internet prices. Internet prices don't usually come with hours of service and education.
Would it not have been better for you, your wallet and your livestock, to watch the 2342343 hours of videos and research BEFORE you began?
I know... it's just easier to blame the people who sell the stuff, than to take responsibility for one's own ill-informed choices.
