do NOT shop at THE FISH TANK, sunnyvale, ca

[Vincerama2]

Bottom line ... do your research before you buy anything (not just fish stuff) and you can see where your best deal lies and what you might have to give up to get it. Then never look back.

Any rip-off I've ever experienced does not compare to the experience I had of buying a house where some "lawyer" or "notary" or whatever she was charged me $20 PER SIGNATURE to notarize every signature I made on the sales contract, which consisted of her signing on the line next to all my signatures... Boy what a bargain!

And, really, compared to the gouge in my wallet made by the price of gas...we're really complaining about the wrong people! LFSes are angels in comparison!

V

 

[dswong01]

Doesnt hurt to ask your lfs for a discount. The worst he can say is no and you can shop else where. You can tell you saw it on line for this amount he may match just to earn your business.

 

[Ti]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7370269#post7370269 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dantodd
Never saw that before. I had to look it up.

lol

ORLY ?

 

[Vincerama2]

{o.o}
|)_(|
-"-"-

YA RLY

 

[Reefugee]

You're right. Not a problem to asked them to price match BEFORE you purchase. It's a different store to expect or demand a price match after the fact.

 

[fat walrus]

everyone has the right to try to sell anything at a price that they think it will benifit them. it is a purchaser's choice to decide whether he wants to pay the proposed price. if it is not the price you want to pay, don't buy it. do not buy it and than complain about the price afterwards. very often a purchaser had no idea that the product existed until pointed out by the seller. it is simply nothing but buyer's remorse when you do research afterwards and discover lower prices. one thing to remember is that online retailers mainly benifit from people who already know exactly what they wanted or were recommended the product by a lfs. it is sad to see that some brick and mortar businesses drive so much business to the e-retailers and are never truly compensated for their part in keeping our hobby alive.

 

[Ti]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7374732#post7374732 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fat walrus
everyone has the right to try to sell anything at a price that they think it will benifit them. it is a purchaser's choice to decide whether he wants to pay the proposed price. if it is not the price you want to pay, don't buy it. do not buy it and than complain about the price afterwards. very often a purchaser had no idea that the product existed until pointed out by the seller. it is simply nothing but buyer's remorse when you do research afterwards and discover lower prices. one thing to remember is that online retailers mainly benifit from people who already know exactly what they wanted or were recommended the product by a lfs. it is sad to see that some brick and mortar businesses drive so much business to the e-retailers and are never truly compensated for their part in keeping our hobby alive.

That;s a good point.

 

[landragon]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7374732#post7374732 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fat walrus
everyone has the right to try to sell anything at a price that they think it will benifit them. it is a purchaser's choice to decide whether he wants to pay the proposed price. if it is not the price you want to pay, don't buy it. do not buy it and than complain about the price afterwards. very often a purchaser had no idea that the product existed until pointed out by the seller. it is simply nothing but buyer's remorse when you do research afterwards and discover lower prices. one thing to remember is that online retailers mainly benifit from people who already know exactly what they wanted or were recommended the product by a lfs. it is sad to see that some brick and mortar businesses drive so much business to the e-retailers and are never truly compensated for their part in keeping our hobby alive.

AS a LFS worker, I am glad you bring up this point.
I have had so many people tell me two weeks after I reccomend something " thanks, I got that doohickey" "I found it online for half the price."

 

[Vincerama2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7393784#post7393784 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by landragon
AS a LFS worker, I am glad you bring up this point.
I have had so many people tell me two weeks after I reccomend something " thanks, I got that doohickey" "I found it online for half the price."

That means you suggested a dohickey to someone, and they did some research on it online, then found a good price and bought it.

I regret NOT doing that more. Myself and others I know have, many times, bought the "doohickey" because the LFS guy told us we needed it, and without doing any research, we bought it. Partly because they guy said so, partly because we figured we "owed" it to them for explaining it to us. Sometime, the item is way overpriced, sometime the item is useless, sometime, the item is the worst choice of it's class of doohickey, sometime it's exactly what was needed.

Like they say "Caveat Emptor" and nowadays, that means doing research on the item AND finding the best price.

When I find a store (any store, not just LFS) that I TRUST that has employees that I believe to be knowledgeable, I generally just shop there without fretting about it. This goes for everything.

V

 

[PiNaPLeX]

Caveat Emptor? who says that? haha, you SF guys are so cosmopolitan....

 

[africangrey]

Is it a joke, what exactly is doohickey, do I really need it, would that make my milli prostratas go crazy and pull out all their hairy polyps.

 

[landragon]

I NEVER tell anyone they need anything other than an open mind to multiple possibilities. I will however ,go through lengthy descriptions of products, and their pros and cons. I am not expecting them to purchase anything . I do not work on commision, and do not own the store. I do haowever, hear time and time again about people complaining over the lack of good lfs/lfs workers. All the while taking good advice and using it to save money elsewhere. This is their right, but it is the reality that the LFS affected by this loss will have to recoup elsewhere. Either saving on payroll, by hiring underquualified individuals, or raising the price on their goods and services. It is simple economics on both sides. The reality, is the store can not afford to price lower, often and suffers the financial brunt. The consumer, while seeing more change in pocket, will also see less local options for reef items and information. That you will trust a knowledgable LFS with your business is good for both of you.

MMM. a cosmopolitan sounds good now.

 

[Vincerama2]

Like all things, there are good and bad LFS and good and bad LFS employees. If you can find a good one, then stick with it. Like I said previous, I once went into a store and I COULD have left and bought my item (Prizm skimmer) online, BUT I felt that since I took up the clerk's time, I would buy the item from him without even checking prices, based on his word. And I paid the price for it by buying an overpriced, underperforming skimmer. I later went back, because the crappy skimmer to ask about algae and he told me I needed a $20 bottle of Marc Weiss Coral Vital which would definitely get rid of the algae. Again, I followed his advice, and bought it from him because he took the time to talk to me about algae, etc. As a result, I'm less likely to go to an LFS for advice without doing my own research first. And that includes researching prices.

Consider this though, if an LFS sold pumps and dry goods at prices fairly competitive to online stores (I'm not saying matching, but at least not DOUBLE of TRIPLE the cost) then more people will buy them there. For instance, I'll buy salt and filters from the LFS because they might only be a few bucks more than an online retailer. But I won't buy a $10 pump for $40. If the LFS sold that pump for $15, I might still buy it, but not at the massive markup.
So a REASONABLE markup is expected, and really, you'll sell more pumps if they aren't WAY overpriced.

I often gauge a store's "priciness" by comparing things I know the cost of, like a 50g salt bag, or a pump or test kit.

But anyway. We all know the score here. Stores have to make money to stay alive and find it hard to compete against online stores. If we, the consumers like going to the store, then we should buy some things there. But we should also do our own research BEFORE we buy anything. I mean, some LFS have tangs in 10g tanks and will happily sell you one for your 10g tank. We don't mind paying an extra buck for fish food, but don't expect to sell pumps at 200% the cost of online pumps.

Anyway, this is a moot point, since this debate will never end. Do your research before buying and you you can make your own decision on what to buy and what not to buy at the LFS or online.


V

 

[dantodd]

Like Vince I buy food, salt medicine and other supplies that are either very time constrained or where the price is competitive when shipping etc. is factored in.

Right now I am getting ready to buy a RedSea Marine Lab test kit. I will likely but it online for 2 reasons. First is that the price is $32 including shipping online. Second reason is that all the kits I've seen in the stores are dusty and look like they are old enough that I questions the reagents remaining shelf life.

I also but livestock at the LFS 90% of the time. If it is extremely hard to find (like chrysopterus) or a "special" piece that isn't available locally (Rod's Onyx) I will order online.

 

[Al G Blenny]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7398208#post7398208 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Vincerama2
For instance, I'll buy salt and filters from the LFS because they might only be a few bucks more than an online retailer. But I won't buy a $10 pump for $40. If the LFS sold that pump for $15, I might still buy it, but not at the massive markup.
So a REASONABLE markup is expected, and really, you'll sell more pumps if they aren't WAY overpriced.

I often gauge a store's "priciness" by comparing things I know the cost of, like a 50g salt bag, or a pump or test kit.


V

Funny. Some people just don't get it. Don't you know that you aren't doing your LFS any favors by buying that low markup salt or filter? Don't you know salt is a loss leader? That means it is one of those products that everyone price shops for so every store sells it at cost. I know a store that looses $1 on every bag of IO they sell just to get people to come in the store. I bet your LFS just loves you.

 

[fat walrus]

the salt is just one example. actually that salt might even cost u more after shipping, but a lot of us has got it figured it out...so i for one is quilty of it. i rationalise that i' buying it for more, but conveniently forget that about the freight or the fact that i can't wait 3-7 days for my salt. and livestock? you factor in the care and the energy bill and the losses incurred over time because each and every specimen in there for your scrutiny. how many speimens would you have turned down that you received from an online retailer? and that thing about the powerhead....its usually one of those things that u buy after settling in after the tank purchase, or you are buying it as a replacement...all the lfs already know that the vast majority of the clientel will price check at that point...they have already given up, no matter what they can sell it for, you'll find it cheaper. has anyone ever consider that their favorite lfs might sell something to you out of loyalty even if they lose money? has anyone at F&S or MD call you by name without an account number somewhere near by?