My Experience with ReefWise... not good

[ali1]

I've gone to Reef-Wise for all my coral needs because they have a great coral selection. I've been there plenty of times spending $$$$ on corals. Recently, I seen a 8" blonde naso tang with streamers that I was interested in. Asked Brian how much for the naso, he replied '$69'. I thought he said $169. but he really said $69 dollars. I asked him what's wrong with it, he told me 'nothing, but we just have good prices on fish'. I knew this price was too good to be true, so I asked Brian to feed it. Naso was very skittish and stayed in one corner. Didn't even touch the food. His buddy Mike tells me the reason for not eating was that he fed it 3 times this morning. Mike insisted on telling me how ' he would never try to rip me off or pull a fast one, and that the naso eats without any problems'. If anyone knows Mike, he is very pushy on selling anything. He won't let you browse around by yourself. I can't walk into the store without Mike hovering over my shoulder pointing at how beautiful this is and how magnificent this one is.

One week later, my buddy called about the Naso, Brian tells him $59, but he doesn't eat.

Since then, I have not gone back. Just sharing my last experience with ReefWise.

 

[rich130981]

LOL...Mike is a horrible hoverer. Everytime i go he says man can you believe this price, you know what for that price its going in my tank at home, well unless you want it. Nice guy though just a sneaky coral salesmen

 

[jeemann99]

I was there for first time today and bought a montipora. The prices were kinda high if you ask me. Ill stick to wholesale and forums.

 

[GumbyIl]

So you spent a bunch of money there and were happy, but didn't buy a fish that was $100 cheaper than anywhere else and now you won't go back? You have no idea how it would have gone down if you bought the cheap fish and it wouldn't eat. You have no idea what would have happened if you asked them to hold it until you could see it eat.

That seems a little extreme. It seems a lot to choose not to go there any more. It's way too much to start a thread bashing the store over it.

I wonder how that transaction would have gone down at Aquarium Adventures or Upscale Aquatics. Try having a discussion about salt brands and suppliments with one of those guys like I had with Brian this afternoon. You'll get a blank stare at best. And I know Tropiquatics would have sold you the fish for full boat and refused to take any responsibility for misrepresenting it. Ask me how I know.

I agree Mike hovers and is a bit pushy. I am glad that Brian isn't trying to do everything himself when there's 10 people in there any more, but Mike kinda makes me cringe a little when he helps me.

You can go online and frag swaps, just don't cry when your LFS closes and you can't get food or just browse to fill an afternoon, or have someone to ask questions of.

 

[BigKev23]

I don't consider this bashing.... he is just sharing his experience. If he doesn't want to go in there, then that is on him. He's not alone in choosing to shop elsewhere as I know others as well as myself that don't go there. As much as everyone hypes ReefWise, it's not everyone's favorite place.

 

[Pigpen80]

+1 on mike hovering

 

[skunkmere]

 

[N3gative Cr33p]

I don't consider this bashing.... he is just sharing his experience.

And I completely agree.

 

[rich130981]

Lol at skunkmere. That's great

 

[Tank2379]

Let me see.... Everyone was raving about this store on how good it is and how everyone had a great experience... now the past 3 or 4 threads I've come across has been how bad they have been... I am sure they are still getting off the ground and get things corrected as they go along. Not every store is going to be perfect in fact no LFS is perfect... JMO

 

[hoju74]

+1 on mike hovering

+2

He shadowed me while I was looking at the ricordea.

 

[BigBarnacles]

Let me see.... Everyone was raving about this store on how good it is and how everyone had a great experience... now the past 3 or 4 threads I've come across has been how bad they have been... I am sure they are still getting off the ground and get things corrected as they go along. Not every store is going to be perfect in fact no LFS is perfect... JMO

I was one of Reefwise biggest supporters. I hate saying anything bad about anyone, even when I feel it is deserved. You can go back and look at my posts, to me Reefwise was the best thing ever. Prices were always a bit high, but the corals were always high quality. Anytime I had a question or problem Brian was there to help. Customer service was great despite him being so busy. Mind you, this is before Reefwise ventured into large volume fish retail.
Now a days, as sad as it makes me, Reefwise just isn't the same. The individual attention is gone, prices are even higher, and the quality of both fish and coral are questionable.
To be completely fair it is expected to lose the occasional coral or fish regardless of the store from which it was purchased. I'll never blame Reefwise for every purchase I've made from there that didn't make it. However, from my own personal experiences and the influx of bad experiences that have come to light lately, I won't ignore that there are issues. That would be ignorant of me.
And not everyone will have a bad experience per say. But the number of people complaining about business practices and bad product are most definitely on the rise. Whatever the reason, I as well as many I'm sure would like to see things turn around.
(Note: I have, and will refrain from sharing specific bad experiences I've had there. I don't want to bash or trash talk, just state my dissatisfaction).

 

[Bluecorals]

I will keep it short. Mike is a shadow I dont care to have when I'm there but I'm sure he is instructed to sell. We cant blame him 100% he is told what to do, so I hope he doesnt get fired, he deserves a job like all of us. Prices are higher and quality seems to be slacking and corals have been browning out lately, not appealing at all.

 

[cyruson]

I visited a couple of times while back when he just started the business there I remember him as hard worker,helpful, experienced and friendly,told me that how nervous he was to run it by himself and would like to offer great quality service for the hobbyist etc. I was very impressed. However as I hear more the store
It seems like... it's NOT like anymore??

 

[Joe5688]

Mike is obnoxious and annoying. I can't stand when he comes to help me i just say i don't need anything and get someone else.

I'll be looking at colorful sps and he'll say o look over here this one will color up nice one day. Stop trying to sell me brown shat! Lol or I'll be looking at sps and hell tell me about something lps. He's always trying to sell me stuff im not showing interest in

 

[Caragol]

Mike does that, but I don't mind it, and he'll leave you alone if you want to be left alone. He's done me some favors before too. I wanted to get some different color mushrooms but didn't want to buy whole rocks so he went digging under all the rocks and picked up a ton of loose ones which were sold to me for practically nothing, much less than the gas it would have cost to drive around picking them up for (even for free) from locals. Brian always gets me great deals too, but I don't buy the ultra or rare stuff. I really like the guys. No fish casualties yet from there yet either.

 

[Reefamasta]

well i recently went to check them out. drove over an hour and a half. i walked in to mike basically begging a guy to buy a 4 bulb 36" fixture for a 90 gal bow front. yes all my numbers are correct. would not let the guy walk away without asking what he thinks and what he is looking up. the guy wanted to check his tank dimensions and mike said it will fit WITHOUT KNOWING THE DIMENSIONS no 90 gal bow is 36" wide. NONE, that was my first 5 seconds in the store. i thought here we go

I wasnt impressed at all. softies were not colorful. at all. the frags of sps were brown or very dark. there was some that were very nice but 3 times what they should be. the mother colonies were very nice. about 15 of them. i ask brian to frag some. he would only frag about 3 of the handful i wanted. ok i get it u just fragged them 2 weeks ago whatever. but when he went to cut a 30$ frag i had to stop him. i said what am i gonna do with that. its so small. he just looked at me and cut it a little bigger. come on this thing was 1/2 and inch im not taking a 30$ sps frag home that i have to glue to something and hope it will make it. now a 1/2 frag that was not fresh and is growing yes. also it took me an hour and a half to get all the coral i wanted. brian literally walked away from me after every two frags or coral i had him bag up. its like ***. just left me standing there. didnt say anything just walked away and started messing with his fish. i had to walk over to him and say can you get this for me. DUDE you knew i was waitng for u to get me more out. finally i realized have him frag then get the weird guy to get the already fragged stuff for me.

also i asked about a tang. we talked for a minute about it. i had just added two tangs. i was a little worried about adding another. after spending 5 minutes with me he say " so do you want to buy it?" i said i think i want to wait. he looked at me like i was an idiot and walked away. im not wasting his time. trust me. I took my 485.36$ in coral to the register, paid and left.

i will go back if im within a few miles other then that no way. check out reef imports and hachery nice guys and very good prices.

 

[skunkmere]

wow $485.36 bucks should have got you a ton more attention and respect.

 

[Cubbies]

Brian alway looks zoned out and yes he lacks attention. You talk to him and it's like it takes him a few seconds to react to your question or he seems like he's always busy doing something else. And yes they seem like they just want to sell. You ask about something and 30 seconds later you hear "Do you want to buy it?" or "bag it up?".

 

[Cubbies]

wow $485.36 bucks should have got you a ton more attention and respect.

My experience

That's kind of aggravating of my behalf and just for that I will speak up. I was about to drop it and walk away till I saw this post. Here is my story and my review. I go there one night and drop almost $500 on three fish. Needless to say they are all gone and I have no survivors. I acclimate that night and next day one is gone. I call him immediately the next morning and tell him what happened. I know he didn't have to give me anything in return and honestly wasn't expecting anything. It was a $150 wrasse. He said I'm sorry and said I will do MY BEST for you next time you are in. I go in for the following three weekend in a row, I'm about an hour drive from him, and had my eye on a couple fish. I caught interest in a $100 fish. I said alright lets talk. he said Ill give it to you for $89. When he said best I didn't expect $10 as a return for $150 fish that went on me. Then I see a fish and I ask how much. It was a nice wrasse and wasn't expecting cheap when he told me $130. I said let me give it a thought and I'll get back at you. I go home and do some research and LA sells that fish at it's largest size for $69! Sorry for all the talking but had to let it out. I'm not bashing just sharing my experience. Thank you all for your time. :debi: