Bad Dealings With MD

[dragon_slayer]

(Also posted in the vendor exp forum)

I placed an order with MD on Monday morning which totaled out to a few cent shy of a grand. I wanted to get it (complete Ca reactor setup) in and set up over the holiday weekend so I gladly paid $130 for overnight shipping (50lbs of ARM is hell on overnight)

when I got the boxes in they were all packaged very well and had "fragile handle with care" on all but the media...........well needless to say FedEx took it that the media could be banged around and it got busted open and lost about half its contents into the box which was wet and slimy with something that smelled like 'corn chips'...............that's not the problem though...

the CO2 regulator 'Deluxe' was missing the adjustment knob and the housing that this knob screws into. I called them up and they gladly told me "we'll get a new one out to you right away"

well about 2 hours later I get a call from MD saying they are currently sold out of regulators and if I want one I'll have to pay for a new one and then they can recredit me when I send the defective one back. ( I can buy another one even though they are sold out................but keep reading it gets better)

the attitude of the guy calling was insinuating to me that I was trying to steal a $100 regulator from them. their stories changed considerably about the products from the two different calls.

the first call I placed I was told "we unbox every regulator to install the solenoid and needle valve onto them, that's why its been opened and retaped shut.

on the second call, when they called me back, when I asked to speak with a manager after I was more or less accused of being a thief he said "we never open anything we have millions of products daily come through, we cant open all of them"

well they offered to reship the media but wouldn't ship me a new regulator unless I bought it and then they would recredit me when they got this one back.

I explained I paid an excessive amount for shipping so I'd have my setup here and able to get it installed and now because of this I was delayed, but they didn't seam to care about that. they said the only part they could ship me was the adjustment knob for the regulator, but sense it was useless on the regulator with the other missing parts they didn't see a need to ship it. and sense they didn't have one in stock now (said they did when I called and they checked) I could only get the one for a planted tank with the bubble counter only on it. when I refused that they didn't want to work with me at all.

so I told them to just send the media and the knob and I'd just order from someone else and try to get a regulator to me by tomorrow. the guy said "we aren't going to send you a knob, you don't need it" I told him "I paid for it, I at least want the knob, regardless if the regulator is useless" and they refused to ship it.

with their procrastination it was getting pretty late in the day and I had a hell of a time finding someone who would ship me a regulator out today so I'd have it tomorrow. had to pay an extra 30 bucks to get someone to personally box up the regulator, drive to ups and drop it off. as their pick-up guy had already made their usual trip and no other shipments were going out till the next day.

I though long and hard about this before I posted and let the initial anger of being called a thief wear off. but I still think MD did me wrong on this deal, and the fact that I was accused of trying to steal a $100 regulator when I just spent a grand with them really upset me. not like I have a need for two regulators on the same CO2 bottle.

I have always tried to buy from RC sponsors and MD being one of them I try to get as much from them as I can. I don't like the idea that I have to pay long distance charges to call them when they can well afford a toll free number but I still did business with them.

it would take a miracle for me to want to do business with them again in the future and I already had an order drawn up and waiting for LR and livestock but I'm sure there are other places that would be more then happy to take my $$$.

sorry for the long post, but I felt a need to give my experiences with MD because I have so many times in the past directed business their way, here on RC and in news groups as well as people I meet local in the hobby. no more will I recommend them.

kc

 

[MarineDepot]

Hi KC,

First of all, we would never called a customer a thief, or insinuated that. It is rude, unprofessional, and something we do not do. In the 3+ years that I have been working for Marine Depot, I have never once, or have heard anyone else in the office, called a customer a thief or insinuated that they are trying to rip us off. As a business, we do need to charge for products that are shipped out. Unfortunately, customers sometimes do not send back products that need to be returned. It is usually not done purposely, but rather just forgotten. However, it is money that is lost and cannot be recovered: therefore, we (as well as other on-line companies) have had to adapt to the policy that is now in place. We did offer to ship the replacement to you overnight at our cost and either have UPS pick up the defective regulator (or include a return label for you).

When you initially called, we were only told that only the knob was missing. That could be easily solved as the knob can be easily taken off any other regulator and shipped overnight to you. However, during the 2nd call, you mentioned that the front casing is also missing. As I tried to explain, that part is permanently attached and is not something that is replaceable (and a part that we do not have).

Unfortunately, we are sold out of the Deluxe regulators. The only ones we have in stock at this time are the ones with the built-in bubble counters: which we offered to ship overnight to you and either issue a call-tag for the defective regulator or send you an UPS return label. You would initially be charged for the replacement regulator then refunded once we receive your unit.

And yes, I did refuse to ship the adjustment knob towards the end of our conversation. However, it was only after you threatened to contact your credit card company and dispute the charges multiple times. As a company, it makes no sense to send more products out to a customer when they are threatening not to pay for the products that they have already received. Also, as you have mentioned, you are missing "the housing that the knob screws into". It was quite puzzling trying to figure out why you would need an adjustment knob when there is nothing to screw the knob into.

The replacement media was shipped overnight to you as we promised. If the regulator you ordered elsewhere does not show up tomorrow, let us know and we will overnight one (either one with the built in bubble counter, or a Tunze regulator with an additional in-line solenoid) to you so that it will arrive to you by the weekend so you can get the reactor up and running.

Please do not hesitate to contact me directly, at 714-385-0080 ext.53, if you have any further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Joseph
MarineDepot Customer Service

 

[dragon_slayer]

Hi KC,

First of all, we would never called a customer a thief, or insinuated that. It is rude, unprofessional, and something we do not do. In the 3+ years that I have been working for Marine Depot, I have never once, or have heard anyone else in the office, called a customer a thief or insinuated that they are trying to rip us off.

that is exactly what you did when you (whom ever) called back. if not for that i would not have asked to speak to a manager in the first place. when someone refers to myself as a thief, i will in no way pay them more for something i have allready paid for.


The only ones we have in stock at this time are the ones with the built-in bubble counters: which we offered to ship overnight to you and either issue a call-tag for the defective regulator or send you an UPS return label. You would initially be charged for the replacement regulator then refunded once we receive your unit.

agian like i told you on the phone, i wanted/bought a delux i did not nor do i now want a reg for a FW planted tank.

It was quite puzzling trying to figure out why you would need an adjustment knob when there is nothing to screw the knob into.

Because I PAID for the thing.

The replacement media was shipped overnight to you as we promised.

as i mentioned in the post, and was thankful of at least that.


If the regulator you ordered elsewhere does not show up tomorrow, let us know and we will overnight one (either one with the built in bubble counter, or a Tunze regulator with an additional in-line solenoid) to you so that it will arrive to you by the weekend so you can get the reactor up and running.


as i said i will not pay you AGIAN for something i have paid for allready, especialy after being accused of stealing in the first place.

Please do not hesitate to contact me directly, at 714-385-0080 ext.53, if you have any further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Joseph
MarineDepot Customer Service

after our conversation yesterday i really dont belive it would be worth my time or long distance charges to speak further with you on this, as an honest person i paid you for a product and a delivery in a set time. i received neither which puts me out close to $280 from MD, and now the $200 i had to pay elsewhere for a regulator to be personaly sent out priority overnight.

MD was given the oppertunity before this posting to make right this ordeal, but they choose not to do that but instead to make insenuations about my intent.

do you honestly belive someone who just paid you $1000 would call you up and try to steal from you a $150 regulator so he could have two on a bottle that only holds one?

i guess my mother raised me better then to belive the worst out of people, yours i guess did not.

kc

 

[Wheeljackslab]

Hi KC,

First of all, we would never called a customer a thief, or insinuated that.

Actually, I bought $1600+ in livestock from you, you guys insinuated I was a theif Not to mention I ordered a

yellow leather that was DOA practically, - you did nothing
I order a white bubble (pearl) and got a clearly grape one, and was told there was no such thing by your employee, well 1 year latter, I have seen oh about 50 white ones and have one in my tank, what I got from you was almost purple and I had to trade it off for next toi nothing, ---------- you did nothing
my purple long tenticle was brown more than purple ---------- you did nothing
open brian with about zero tissue on it on arrival, or enough tissue to last a month before shrimp started snacking on it
cincher was the clownfish I got was has portions of it's fins gone ------ absolutely inexcusable, and the only thing you guys ever did anything about other than a doa fireshrimp, and the fact you guiys forgot one item in the order which your packing people quickly verified, but if I got something not as ordered, I GOT SQUAT as I should have!


But I suppose all this is in my head, of course when placing my orders VIA PHONE I was crystal clear on the fact color was crucial, and it was ignored and problems not fixed.

 

[CCAniman]

From what it sounds like Wheeljackslab Marinedepot and Marinedepotlive are 2 different companies(least thats how I perceive it from there sticky) I have had nothing but good luck with Marinedeopt, but marinedepotlive on the other hand, I will never order from them again, there shipping methods are unacceptable imo, the 4 fish I ordered all came in very small bags( approx 1 pint bags) and in only 1 bag at that, no black covers no extra bags, none of the fish survived a day, but figured it was a learning experience as it wasn't anything very expensive and didn't wanna mess with all the calling and what not, so now I order almost exclusively through themarinecenter (for fish very nice and they actually seem to care about their fish) . I do want to say though that I have had nothing but good dealing with marinedepot, just wanted to try and clarify that marinedepotlive and marinedepot are 2 different entities

 

[Brian Koyama]

Wheeljackslab was talking about MarinecenterÃ"šÃ‚©com, not MarinedepotÃ"šÃ‚©comÃ"šÃ‚© He has another link bashing MarinecenterÃ"šÃ‚©com: http://reefcentralÃ"šÃ‚©com/forums/showthreadÃ"šÃ‚©php?s=&threadid=279945

 

[MILPIL]

CCAniman,
If you had received the fish in the condition that you are suggesting, you should have given us a call immediately. You need to remember there is a guarantee, and if something is not shipped correctly, we are more than willing to take care of the problem if it is brought to our attention immediately. Wheeljackslab, would like to know why you are claiming we did not handle you correctly, when in another post you state quite clearly that you have not dealt with Marinedepotlive ? Jim Newman