explorer364
Premium Member
On 09 July 2007 I made the purchase of a 48 inch Giesemann Infiniti 2x250W HQI + 4x54W T5 Light Fixture with the price tag of $1498.99 plus the bulbs and the suspension kit to the grand total of $1823.24. The package arrived about a week later and I was very excited to see the lighting system up close, attach the bulbs and see how it looked above my new 144 half circle tank. To my surprise, one of the ballast wasn't working. I contacted MD customer service and was told that Giesemann liked to handle their customer service issues personally. Honestly, with my past experiences with MD, I figured this would be the path they would take. And now you ask, why did I purchase this very expensive lighting system from MD and not from one of the other vendors I usually use?? Because they had it in stock and I was moving and needed the lighting system ASAP.
Well - I spoke with Phil at Xenia and he told me that he would have a replacement ballast at my door within a week. A week came and left and I contacted Phil again. He explained that there were issues at the boarder with customs and that there would be about a week delay in my receiving the ballast. So, two more weeks passed and no ballast. I again contacted Phil and again another story about delays and that he was working to get my ballast replaced. I guess you can see the pattern that started and finally I got upset and contacted Phil and told him that I needed a replacement ballast now as I only had a week to get things moved over. You see, I had my other tank in the house we were moving out and at this point had delayed the entire move over this lighting system. I finally got a box in the mail - and I mean that a box with two ballast not even packaged with newspaper, packing material - anything. I took the two somewhat bent ballast out of the box and immediately took note that they were electronic ballast and not magnetic as the ones were that arrived with my lighting system.
I attached one of them up and no go - and for the sake of arguments attached the other and as I expected, no go. By this point I was a bit upset. I immediately contacted MD and spoke with one of their customer service representatives. I will leave his name out of this thread as he has been very helpful to date. I explained what was going on and my frustrations that I had been more than patient waiting for this ballast to show up and that at this point, I felt it was MD's time to step up as a responsible vendor and do something about the situation. The CSR spoke with Phil and we went back and forth trying to figure out what ballast I had. I mean, can you believe this - neither the manufacture nor the vendor had any idea what model number ballast I had. So, they asked me to have my wife take a picture of the ballast and forward it to them so they could see which one I had. I finally was getting very hot under the collar and said to the CSR - why don't you just match my ballast up with one of the ones you have in stock and send me that one or just send me a new lighting system with matching ballast and when I get the new one, I will send the one I have back and you guys can deal it out with one another on who is going to handle this because I should not be left holding the bag.
Finally after 10 or so phone calls, Steve Carol contacted me - he is the supervisor of the CSR I was dealing with and explained that even his own employee had become upset with the issue and felt it best that he contact me. I explained my experience thus far with MD and Phil and explained that I wanted MD to cross ship a new lighting system overnight so that I could get my tank moved over into my new tank during the Holiday weekend. Steve explained that he contacted Phil and promised me that on the Tuesday after Labor Day, I would receive the replacement ballast. I then said - "What if I get another ballast that doesn't work and/or no ballast at all? I will have used the lighting system which until this point, had not been used outside of testing, and then MD would then claim that the electronic device had been used and I would have to deal with Phil directly as it would then be deemed "used property". Steve promised me that this would not happen and that if I didn't receive a working ballast on Tuesday, "Marine Depot would send me a new lighting system with the "new electronic ballast" and a return label for mine."
Well guess what - no ballast - no lighting system and when I tried to contact Steve Carol - no return phone calls or emails. So, I sent an email to customer service and the original CSR contacted me a day later. He explained that the Director of Operations had become involved and that Phil would have the correct ballast at my doorstep by Thursday - that is two day's from now. I told him that I found that to be completely unacceptable - that I had spent almost 2K on this system and at this point, it was Marine Depot's responsibility to step up to the plate, send me the replacement system and I would send this one back to them. I asked to speak to the Director of Operations who's name is Ben. I left 2 messages with Ben and I have not received a phone call or a lighting system or a ballast. NOTHING.
I can't believe that this size of a Vendor can't do something about this situation and to all ends, they would rather I send it back for a refund rather than fix the situation. I mean, all the business that they do in a week would more than take care of any losses they extend to me to rectify the situation.
Well, to date - I have not received a phone call, email or or anything else from Marine Depot to explain the situation, what is going on or to be an HONEST vendor (Steve Carol) and send me the new lighting system with the new ballast.
It is now 11 September 2007 - more than 2 months later and I have a lighting system that has one working ballast. I have not received a return phone call from Steve Carol, Ben or Phil.
I can't even explain the anger I have and the extreme disappointment with this situation. I would never ever leave a customer hanging in the wind like this nor would the other vendors I use. I guess I have learned a very large lesson with this - never ever use Marine Depot again.
To those who read this thread I hope you think twice before using this company again.
Well - I spoke with Phil at Xenia and he told me that he would have a replacement ballast at my door within a week. A week came and left and I contacted Phil again. He explained that there were issues at the boarder with customs and that there would be about a week delay in my receiving the ballast. So, two more weeks passed and no ballast. I again contacted Phil and again another story about delays and that he was working to get my ballast replaced. I guess you can see the pattern that started and finally I got upset and contacted Phil and told him that I needed a replacement ballast now as I only had a week to get things moved over. You see, I had my other tank in the house we were moving out and at this point had delayed the entire move over this lighting system. I finally got a box in the mail - and I mean that a box with two ballast not even packaged with newspaper, packing material - anything. I took the two somewhat bent ballast out of the box and immediately took note that they were electronic ballast and not magnetic as the ones were that arrived with my lighting system.
I attached one of them up and no go - and for the sake of arguments attached the other and as I expected, no go. By this point I was a bit upset. I immediately contacted MD and spoke with one of their customer service representatives. I will leave his name out of this thread as he has been very helpful to date. I explained what was going on and my frustrations that I had been more than patient waiting for this ballast to show up and that at this point, I felt it was MD's time to step up as a responsible vendor and do something about the situation. The CSR spoke with Phil and we went back and forth trying to figure out what ballast I had. I mean, can you believe this - neither the manufacture nor the vendor had any idea what model number ballast I had. So, they asked me to have my wife take a picture of the ballast and forward it to them so they could see which one I had. I finally was getting very hot under the collar and said to the CSR - why don't you just match my ballast up with one of the ones you have in stock and send me that one or just send me a new lighting system with matching ballast and when I get the new one, I will send the one I have back and you guys can deal it out with one another on who is going to handle this because I should not be left holding the bag.
Finally after 10 or so phone calls, Steve Carol contacted me - he is the supervisor of the CSR I was dealing with and explained that even his own employee had become upset with the issue and felt it best that he contact me. I explained my experience thus far with MD and Phil and explained that I wanted MD to cross ship a new lighting system overnight so that I could get my tank moved over into my new tank during the Holiday weekend. Steve explained that he contacted Phil and promised me that on the Tuesday after Labor Day, I would receive the replacement ballast. I then said - "What if I get another ballast that doesn't work and/or no ballast at all? I will have used the lighting system which until this point, had not been used outside of testing, and then MD would then claim that the electronic device had been used and I would have to deal with Phil directly as it would then be deemed "used property". Steve promised me that this would not happen and that if I didn't receive a working ballast on Tuesday, "Marine Depot would send me a new lighting system with the "new electronic ballast" and a return label for mine."
Well guess what - no ballast - no lighting system and when I tried to contact Steve Carol - no return phone calls or emails. So, I sent an email to customer service and the original CSR contacted me a day later. He explained that the Director of Operations had become involved and that Phil would have the correct ballast at my doorstep by Thursday - that is two day's from now. I told him that I found that to be completely unacceptable - that I had spent almost 2K on this system and at this point, it was Marine Depot's responsibility to step up to the plate, send me the replacement system and I would send this one back to them. I asked to speak to the Director of Operations who's name is Ben. I left 2 messages with Ben and I have not received a phone call or a lighting system or a ballast. NOTHING.
I can't believe that this size of a Vendor can't do something about this situation and to all ends, they would rather I send it back for a refund rather than fix the situation. I mean, all the business that they do in a week would more than take care of any losses they extend to me to rectify the situation.
Well, to date - I have not received a phone call, email or or anything else from Marine Depot to explain the situation, what is going on or to be an HONEST vendor (Steve Carol) and send me the new lighting system with the new ballast.
It is now 11 September 2007 - more than 2 months later and I have a lighting system that has one working ballast. I have not received a return phone call from Steve Carol, Ben or Phil.
I can't even explain the anger I have and the extreme disappointment with this situation. I would never ever leave a customer hanging in the wind like this nor would the other vendors I use. I guess I have learned a very large lesson with this - never ever use Marine Depot again.
To those who read this thread I hope you think twice before using this company again.
