MD is rude and over priced!

[Bladez]

Usually, when I start looking for tank stuff I click on the MD link in my favorites list first. However, due to a recent phone call and some pricing differences I will think twice before clicking that link in the future.

Previous experiences:
My last orders from MD were for a 72" four lamp IceCap system and a complete Aqua Controller II system. At the time MD had the best advertised priced on both.

Recent experiences:
1- In January I placed a $2,000 order (not from Marine Depot) for some high-end power heads and some other items manufactured by the same company; I am sure you know who I am talking about. Anyways, my first call was to MD to see if they would offer a discount on such an order. The rude salesman on the other end of the line acted like I was an idiot for asking and said that "the price listed was correct."

From my purchasing experience, there are very few products that are sold a full MSRP, so I sent out four e-mails to four different vendors. Two of the vendors responded with a 5% discount and two offered a 10% discount. Of the two vendors that offered the 10% discount one had all the items in stock; I ordered from them.

2- I am now looking to replace my power chomping 1hp Hayward pool pump with some more energy efficient pumps and I ran across this:

Marine Depot: Rainbow Lifegard Quiet One Aquarium Pump 6000 $143.99
http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=RB3123

Drs Foster & Smith: Rainbow Lifegard Quiet One Aquarium Pump 6000 Sale price $87.99 (normal 109.99)
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=9849&N=2004+22788

Thatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s a 39% ($56) difference; buyers beware!

 

[ret25yo]

Thats funny.. i just ordered a mag drive 9.5 from them and it was the cheapest i have found and it arrived fast and brand new. Marine depot is still#1 in my books. i might even get a new thermometer off of them..got to look in the free catologue they sent with my order.

 

[Bladez]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6777470#post6777470 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ret25yo
Thats funny.. i just ordered a mag drive 9.5 from them and it was the cheapest i have found and it arrived fast and brand new. Marine depot is still#1 in my books. i might even get a new thermometer off of them..got to look in the free catologue they sent with my order.

I have looked at the Mag Drives also, and this is what I found:
MD - MAG 9.5 $69.95
MD - MAG 36 $174.49
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_powerheads_pumps_danner_mag_drive_supreme.asp?CartId=

Custom Aquatic - MAG 9.5 $68.99 (Less $3.45 = %5 RC discount) difference $4.46
Custom Aquatic - MAG 36 $149.99 (Less $7.50 = %5 RC discount) difference $32.00
http://www.customaquatic.com/customaquatic/brandsubcategory.asp?brandID=DM&subcatID=wp-sub

Freight is the same from both places for me.

 

[Trini]

Isn't that why you do your research before buying a product?

You don't go to a car dealership and say, "gimme your lowest price".
No?

 

[Bladez]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6781018#post6781018 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Trini
Isn't that why you do your research before buying a product?

Correct...

You don't go to a car dealership and say, "gimme your lowest price".

True; but when everyone is required to mark their price the same you have to go an extra step. I knew what I was willing to pay and what a reasonable discount would be so I called them up and asked for it; MD refused and someone else accepted.

 

[MarineDepot]

Hello Bladez,

Thank you for your post, I apologize that your phone call to us was an unpleasant expirience. We are only able to offer a discount on orders over $2500. In many cases our prices are the lowest in the industry but occasionaly a couple items do slip by, that is why we are also able to offer a price match to our customers that have located an item at a lower price from our competitors. We do ask that when you do place your order online to copy and paste the link of the item in question in the order notes field so when we recive the order we can verify it and make all the neccesary changes for you, or you can just place your order over the phone with us and we can do it for you over the phone.
I do hope that this clears up any misunderstandings. If you have any further questions or concerns please feel free to cintact me directly at 714.385.0080 ext 63


Walter
Marine Depot Customer Service
www.Marinedepot.com
714.385.0080
customercare@marinedepot.com

 

[Johnsteph10]

I have never had any problems buying from them and have always found them to be courteous and willing to pricematch.

If you are talking about Tunze, then the prices are set by the factory and are the same everywhere.

 

[Bladez]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6789985#post6789985 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Johnsteph10
If you are talking about Tunze, then the prices are set by the factory and are the same everywhere.

Only the advertised price is the same for all sellers.

I don't see it as much now, but in the past there were lots of online retailers that would make you call for there discount price (due to manufacturers selling policies.) It is the same case for the Tunze products today.

If you are polite and sincere most retailers (excluding MD in my case) will work with you on pricing for large orders. I sent out four e-mails and received four offers of 5-10% off.

I accepted a 10% offer and the discount covered the price of an Osmolator and then some.

There are lots of less known sellers out there, with Tunze products in stock, that will work with you on price. Make some phone calls & send some e-mails; with a little bit of work could save you a lot of money.

 

[grigsy]

Sorry you had a bad experience. I have always had good experiences when dealing with Marine Depot. Their staff answers my questions and are helpful.

 

[callmedrlove]

I just placed an order yesterday. I found three items that were lower elsewhere, and I mentioned them in the comments box, but the prices were not changed when I recieved notice of my order shipment. It's only about a $10 difference, but if you're gonna say you price match, you may as well do it.

 

[Bladez]

Another pricing example:

Salifert Calcium Test Kit

MD - $22.95
http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_test_kits_salifert.asp?CartId=

CustomAquatic Reg 15.99 (Sale price $13.99)
http://www.customaquatic.com/customaquatic/brandcategory.asp?brandID=SL&catID=tk

It appears that all the Salifert kits are priced substantially lower at CustomAquatic; see for yourself.

MD's motto on the kits:
"Note: Due to the recent rise of the Euro against the Dollar, our costs for obtaining Salifert products has been greatly increased. Price Matching is not available for these test kits at this time. "

I placed my order in August of 05 from CustomAquatic and pricing hasn't changed much (if any) since then at either location. Is CustomAquatic selling at loss here?

 

[COCO]

It is absurd to attach a company. If you are unhappy with it then go elsewhere. As far as I know, all online vendors sell items at different prices. Some are cheaper while others are more expensive. It is you who decide where you buy items from.
It is always the case that some items at MD are cheaper than others.

 

[callmedrlove]

When you say "It is absurd to attach a company," I assume you mean, "It is absurd to attack a company." Usually I like to mind my own business, but I feel I must respond. It is in no way absurd to attack a company. If this company claims to be a price leader and claims to price match, and then doesn't follow up on that, then as a consumer we have the right, nay, the duty to attack the company to ensure that others aren't duped. A single consumer never has any power. Fact of life. But, a group of consumers have considerable power. What better place to express his dislike of a particular company than here, where many likeminded individuals seek information.

You are right that we each decide where to spend our money, but I for one appreciate knowing when a business has wronged others so that I may avoid the same fate. But to imply that if a business does me wrong, I should just accept it and go my merry way is what is absurd.

 

[FishhyRen]

I haven't ordered there in a long time, but when I tried to price match an item when I did a large order they were not able to do so... I was a bit surprised since they have the price match guarantee!!

They did take a dollar or two off the item- I think the comment they made was something to the effect that it would now be more expensive to purchase that one item from the other company because I'd have to pay shipping again...

Not exactly what I expected to hear...

In the defense of online retailers... it's very competitively priced and many are very close to the minimum allowed price set by the manufacturers... In some cases they simply aren't ALLOWED to go lower.
JM2C...

 

[Bladez]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6810405#post6810405 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FishhyRen
In some cases they simply aren't ALLOWED to go lower.

They are not allowed to advertise a price lower than what the manufacturer sets, but they can sell the product at what ever price they want; you just may have to call to get that lower price.

As stated above if you have a $2,500 purchase you can get a discount, but I am sure you would have to call to get that discount; it is not an automatic thing.

 

[callmedrlove]

Well I am happy to report that after I emailed customercare, they promptly gave me their price match. It only amounted to $9.04 but really it's the thought that counts.

As for companies to not be allowed to advertise a lower price than the msrp, that also seems odd. If I want to buy expensive stuff from tunze or euroreef and sell it at a huge loss on my website, I imagine that would be up to me. The only thing I see is if the company sells direct and also sells though other vendors, then they wouldn't want the other vendors undercutting their price. That's one reason I rarely ever buy a product from the manufacturer if it's sold for the same price through third parties. For some reason it just bugs me that they could sell it lower easily but they choose not to, so I choose not to give them all the profits but to force them to split profits with a third party. Just my cynical way of looking at things.

 

[FishhyRen]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6811875#post6811875 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by callmedrlove
Well I am happy to report that after I emailed customercare, they promptly gave me their price match. It only amounted to $9.04 but really it's the thought that counts.

As for companies to not be allowed to advertise a lower price than the msrp, that also seems odd. If I want to buy expensive stuff from tunze or euroreef and sell it at a huge loss on my website, I imagine that would be up to me. The only thing I see is if the company sells direct and also sells though other vendors, then they wouldn't want the other vendors undercutting their price. That's one reason I rarely ever buy a product from the manufacturer if it's sold for the same price through third parties. For some reason it just bugs me that they could sell it lower easily but they choose not to, so I choose not to give them all the profits but to force them to split profits with a third party. Just my cynical way of looking at things.

You aren't quite understanding this I think (Please, no offense)
If Tunze sells to you directly a multicontroller for $249 and MD sells the same controller for $241 this doesn't mean MD is coming in at a loss- It is VERY common for the manufacturer to sell an item for more than the retailers will sell it for (this is the manufacturer's way to make sure the retailer stays one of their customers. In that case MD is still probably making 10% or more on the controller example... (this might not be accurate, just for example's sake).

Manufacturers often set a minimum price on items to "fix" the value of an item so that everyone is making a certain amount of money- In any niche market; such as aquariums the manufacturer doesn't want any one company dropping them just because they can't afford to buy 10,000 units to get the same profit margin as the big guy.

My earlier argument was simply that I was disappointed that they advertised a guaranteed lowest price but would not attempt to match it.

Please remember, the retailers aren't here to give us our equipment for cost, this is their business and livelyhood- Manufacturers and the retailers know this very well and sometimes we forget.

 

[callmedrlove]

I think maybe you didn't quite understand me. I was not saying that selling below msrp would result in a loss. I was saying that the retailers were forced to sell at a specific price in order to prevent the retailers from undercutting the manufacturer/retailer combo. Lets say that the Tunze multicontroller costs Tunze $100 bucks to make, including overhead for advertising, and costs of labor. So Tunze decides that in addition to being a manufacturer, they think they can make money in retail. They want to get a sizeable return, and sell these controllers for $250. Well they already have a leg up on the competition, they can get these multicontrollers for 100 bucks. So then other retailers enter the picture. They want to sell these multicontrollers as well, so Tunze sells at wholesale prices to the retailers, say $175. This gives Tunze a $75 gross profit per unit, reduces inventory, and removes pressure that their product will become outdated and they'll lose money on inventory.

Then lets say the retailers decide, heck we're buying at $175, we can afford to sell at $200. Do you think Tunze would like this? Suddenly tunze's retail market has been ripped out from under it. So, to fix this, Tunze says to retailer "If you go below X price, we will not sell to you wholesale." That should fix up those pesky walmart-esque retailers. Since buying above wholesale would eliminate the ability of the retailers to offer low priced controllers, they sell at the same price as Tunze. Viola.

Trust me, if Tunze thought they could get more money by selling 10,000 units to the big guy at a higher price than selling 10 units to the 'little guy' then Tunze does not give two craps about the little guy. The almighty dollar is the bottom line.

All I was saying with my last point was this: lets say each time I buy a multicontroller from Marine Depot, they make $75, Tunze makes $75, and the other $100 goes to overhead, labor, capital etc. I understand that Marine Depot needs a profit, and so does Tunze, so there's no problem with this. Now, with the same multicontroller, if I purchase directly from Tunze: Tunze gets $150 profits, and $100 goes to overhead. My problem with this is that I think Tunze should be either a) a manufacturer, or b) a retailer. I don't like companies riding the fence, and thus I'd rather spend my money with a retailer. If Tunze would make up its mind to be solely a manufacturer, then retailers could lower prices, Tunze would sell many times more units, and the end user would benefit by virtue of lower prices. But maybe Tunze's market analysts don't agree. No real way to tell. But this is just my way of "sticking it to the man."

 

[COCO]

It is in no way absurd to attack a company. If this company claims to be a price leader and claims to price match, and then doesn't follow up on that, then as a consumer we have the right, nay, the duty to attack the company to ensure that others aren't duped. A single consumer never has any power. Fact of life. But, a group of consumers have considerable power. What better place to express his dislike of a particular company than here, where many likeminded individuals seek information.

callmedrlove

You are correct in that consumers have the right to point problems they have with companies. My point was that it was absurd to write bad experiences without first trying to resolve the problems. More specifically, the title of this thread is "MD is rude and over priced." To me, without reading the comments in detail, it sounds like all MD personnel is rude and all their products are overpriced, therefore, don't even think about buying things from this place.

In your post, MD did match the price difference after you contacted them. Although you are not required to contact them your contacted MD to resolve the problem you had. Thus, if you had contacted MD before you wrote your bad experience you might not have written your bad experience about the price match.

I admit that I was also not very rational when I was writing my comments a couple of days ago since I drank some beer with my friends that day. However, I have ordered many products from online retailers and my experience with MD is above average.

Some products at MD are more expensive than other competitors, but I liked their free shipping policy and their packing.

 

[phlipper84]

Have you ever heard of the term loss-leader? Sometimes companies are able to get a break from the manufacturer for items. Be it bulk order on 1 item or a special, etc. That is how price variances take place. The vendor selling cheaper on some items may not be cheaper on others, and makes back some on those items. To say "I placed a 2000 dollar order" does not mean much. In this day and age that is a larger skimmer, a larger Iwaki pump, a ballast, and pendants and some miscellaneous stuff. To feel that they should offer even better prices because someone else has offered it, and apparently they will do that, is not realistic. A LFS in my town has taken to selling things for a few dollars over the MD price since he will save you the shipping cost. People still run on-line for the "convenience".
What will happen when these large-scale on-line vendors succeed in putting the LFS out of the dry-good business. Do you think they will go to the same efforts to price-cut? Ask Walmart the same question. They have driven hardware stores, foodstores etc. out of business. What incentive will they have to sell things extra cheap when there is nobody else forcing them to. Many depts. in Walmart now sell things for virtually the same prices as other vendors in town. However the price is often not the lowest of the low at any of them. Just go to their tools and automotive sections. Be happy that the on-line vendors are there at all to sell you mag-drives and other pumps for 100's less then the LFS, and quit complaining about how they didn't kiss your butt enough or weren't the world's cheapest. They have always been fair with me and delivered items as promised. They WERE less expensive than local even with shipping.