MDL: No more phone orders?

[Carlos]

I called a few days ago to place an order for replacement fish and they told me that they do not take orders over the phone and that I would have to go online and place the order online.

I dont think that is right. I want to use a credit that I had from an order where the fish died. I also think I should get the same price I paid for the original fish as it was not my fault that the fish died. I think that when it comes to replacement, if I am ordering the same item again, I should get credit for the fish itself. If I order different items, then I can see the price difference.

Anyway, if I go online, I see you are using yahoo store. How do I use a credit? ... a comment?? I have to add the fish to the cart (at the new price) and then check out. I have to key in my credit card and agree to the full charge. Yahoo store will authorize my credit card for the full amount. Does that mean that I have to get charged the full amount and then hope that you will give me the correct credit???? That is not right!!!!!

Also, I have placed only one order with you. I ordered three fish and all fish arrived dead. I am happy that you gave me credit for the fish and I totally understand that you dont credit shipping. How do I know the fish wont die on the second order? If the fish die, I get dinged for the shipping again and all of a sudden, I have paid for shipping twice and have nothing to show for.

My beef is mainly with the "no phone orders" thing. I dont want to be charged the full amount online and then hope that you give me credit. Also, if the fish die again, it is not fair to get dinged for shipping twice. And finally, why can't I use the credit from the fish to order dry goods? There are a few things that I need and would like to order but cannot and I really dont want to get stuck with a credit that I am hesitant to use. I have ordered many times from MD and been happy, I have ordered only once from MDL and they all arrived dead. 0 for 1, not a good record and certainly makes me hesitate to order live stock.

Carlos

 

[Marinedepotlive]

Hello

Hello

Hello,

MarineDepotLive does take phone orders from 7:30 - 4pm PST. The only time that a Customer Service Representative may not be able to take your call is if they are updating Yahoo Store or Yahoo Store is down. If Yahoo Store does go down we will suggest ordering online. If you have a credit with MarineDepotLive and are ordering online all you need to do is just mention it on the special comment line and upon receiving your order we will deduct that from your total. Your order is not charged when you place it online but they do put a hold for the amount of the order. MarineDepotLive charges your order once it ships. Are credits are not transferable with Marine Depot as we use two seperate accounting software.
If any specimens arrive dead per our terms and conditions we require the specimen back or a digital picture. Upon receiving the picture or specimen we give you a livestock credit for the fish as stated. Are terms are very similar to competitors if not the same.

When shipping fish it is very unfortunate at times because some fish do not make it, but we try our best to get the specimens out to you active and healthy. I hope I was able to answer all your questions. If you have any questions, please contact us at 714-935-9607 and we will be happy to help you!

Thank You,
Henry C.
MarineDepotLive

 

[Carlos]

You really did not answer all of my questions though.

If you take orders over the phone, why was I told that you did not take order over the phone. I called from work (regular business hours).

Also, what about the getting dinged for shipping the second time around? You completely ignored that question.

And the price of the fish? Another question that was ignored.

I am thankful that you are taking the time to read the forum and answer some questions. It shows that the company does care about the customer service.

Carlos

 

[Marinedepotlive]

Hello Carlos,

We do take phone orders as stated on my previous post and I apologize if there was any misunderstanding. As for the getting charged a second time on a reship, yes you would have to pay shipping but we are able to cover cost of the dead specimen. Here is a link to our arrive alive policy http://www.marinedepotlive.com/guarantee.html

Thank You,

Henry C.
MarineDepotLive

 

[Carlos]

I completely agree with the policy for first time shipment. But if we ship out the order again and the fish arrive dead again, why should we pay for the shipping. It is not the fault of the customer that the company does not ship out healthy fish. Not that your company does and doubt it would happen but it would be a conforting thought. If the fish would arrive dead three times in a row, I would end up owing you money and have no fish to show for.

Just a suggestion.

Carlos

 

[Marinedepotlive]

Hi Carlos,



Thank you for your suggestion. We always do our best to ship the healthiest specimens possible. If the specimen is not healthy, we will not ship it. It is in our best interest that the specimens arrive to our customers healthy so that they will thrive in our customersââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ aquariums. This way, we end up with happy customers that will re-order with us in the future.



Unfortunately, there are numerous factors beyond our control that determines the health of a specimen when it arrives to you. These factors include how the shipping courier handles the package, the temperature of the warehouse/airplane/truck that the package is stored while in transit, the acclimation procedure, the handling of the fish upon arrival, the aquarium water parameters, the other fish in the aquarium, etcââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¦ We package the specimens to minimize the stress they experience in transit; however, there are just too many external factors to guarantee that the fish will be happy and healthy in your tank each and every time. Instead of saying ââ"šÂ¬Ã…"œtough luckââ"šÂ¬Ã‚ to our customers (like many local fish stores), we try and work with our customer and meet them somewhere in the middle by offering to cover the value of the fish.



The DOA rate for livestock shipments is somewhere between 3% and 8% (I do not have the exact figure on hand). This figure is calculated from data accumulated through numerous vendors and thousands of shipments. If a package arrives at a certain location DOA three times in a row (which is extremely unusual), there are almost always external factors (be it shipping or other factors) that is the cause.

Please let us know if there is anything else we can help you with.

Sincerely,
MarineDepotLive Customer Service
Henry C.