Disappointed this morning.....

[jnc914]

I placed an order on Wednesday after receiving an e-mail notification that a fish I had inquired about was finally in stock. I had missed out on purchasing a Lieutenant Tang the last time it was posted in a Diver's Den, and i have spent most of the past 3-4 months waiting to find one. Granted i know that this fish is low in availability, I was told it was in stock still when I placed the order. In addition, because I was paying for shipping anyway, i added two medium scarlett shrimp, only because i was also getting the TAng. I requested that they be shipped out for a delivery on 4/13/07 due specifically to a break in my work schedule that would allow me to be home to receive the shipment. So, I receive confirmation that the shipment was in route via Fed-ex, however part of the order was not in stock and would be shipped at a later date. I started to get that nervous feeling because I was not notifed by either e-mail or by phone that something was out of stock, and my gut told me that the tang was not coming. I get the shipment, and low and behold, 2 shrimp and no tang. Needless to say I was a little upset. I would not have placed the order if the tang was no longer available, i can get shrimp at my LFS. So...

1- why was there no notification specifically stating that the tang was not available, even though i was told it was available when i called to place the order? A simple phone call or e-mail would do.

2- did the fact that i pushed the ship date back a day cause the fish to be sent to another customer? What type of communication do you have with your warehouse in CA?

3- What is the likelihood of this fish being available in the 2 week window that the order is left open?

Jason

 

[racerw]

I had the same problem, I was told the orders are filled in the order they come in. I called on a Friday than placed my order thru the internet. I sent an E-mail on Saturday just to make sure the fish was in stock, which they replied my order was flagged to ship Monday in full.
When I received the E-mail notification Monday it said my order would not ship in full. I than tried to cancel my order which still shipped out anyways.
They do have a great selection of fish, and the customer service is great, so I figure that makes up for the mistakes
Plus they always try to please the customer if they are uphappy.

 

[dfs/la2]

jnc914,

We sincerely apologize you did not receive the Lieutenant Tang with your order. The availability of each specimen depends on what our holding facility has in stock. This species of Tangs are rare to receive, when we do receive them in stock they are sold quickly. When dealing with live specimens our stock can change from minute to minute. Due to this fact when placing an order on the internet or over the phone with an agent we have no guarantee which specimens will be available for shipment. If an item does go on back order we hold the order open for two weeks, once we receive this item in we will ship it to you at no additional shipping and handling charge.

We have a first come first served guideline, due to the fact that you did pick a future delivery date this did indeed affect your order. Unfortunately our shipping facility is not able to hold fish for future ship dates, if there are pending orders ready to ship that day those orders will receive those fish.

The email notification you receive informing you that the order was not able to ship 100% complete is the only email we send in regards to back orders. As we do not know what exactly will ship until it actually ships. Due to this fact and the nature of working with live items we are unable to call or email each customer that will have back orders prior to shipping.

We would be more than happy to place a credit on file of $34.99 for shipping and handling for the inconvenience you have encountered. Please PM us your order information so that we may process your credit as well as contact you with any current information regarding the status of the Lieutenant Tang on your order. Your satisfaction is very important to us. You may contact us at 1-800-334-3699 or via email at customerservice@liveaquaria.com or via PM.

We look forward to addressing and resolving any concerns you may have.


Jessica H.
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster & Smith

 

[jnc914]

I'll Pm my info. Still interested in the lieutenant tang, but I think it is highly unlikely i will see one in the next 2 weeks, as I have waited to see one for sale for several months.

Jason

 

[somethingphishy]

it's nice to see that they gave you a quick responce.....if i do not purchase a tank soon my tang might be up for your grabs....oh so hard to let go of him....

 

[jnc914]

your orange shoulder is very nice, but I had my heart set on the lieutenant.....

 

[jnc914]

Just wanted to post a follow up and report that Liveaquaria has gone above and beyond to satisfy a customer. I received a call from Jaime and a PM to offer me a lieutenant tang that they were going to post in Diver's Den. From the description it seems to be a very nice specimen. So i get the Diver's Den Lieutenant Tang at the regular price plus free shipping. Thanks again Jaime and Liveaquaria. i will definately do buisness with again.

Jason

 

[DFS/LA1]

jnc914,

We truly appreciate your posting back and sharing your happy resolution with us. We are always willing to find the best possible solution for our great customers.

Donna Z.
Supervisors
LiveAquaria
Drs. Foster and Smith

 

[aquaticvet1]

jnc914,
Thank you for understanding. Our system is not perfect and we are always looking to improve our supply. The quality specimens sell faster than we can obtain them.

We are very discriminant in our livestock selection and will not fill an order with ordinary representatives of a specie or one that is obviously not perfect in every way. A vast supply of substandard specimens are readily available but we will not sell them and this contributes to our supply limitations.

If we can ever be of more help, please do not hesitate to ask. For anyone on Reef Central, we will do whatever it takes to find you the desired specimen,----- that is why we are here and we will make it happen.

Thank you for posting your experience on our forum,

Race Foster
LiveAquaria.com
DrsFosterSmith.com