POLL : To boycott or not?

[popcorn1]

Wow...........

i dont mean what i said. but boycotting is still lame.

 

[Lil_Stinker]

but even if they wanted the fish because it was valentines day i wouldnt boycott them. whats that gonna do. if i were a fish salesman i would do whatever it took to get me my money. id sell fish with the american flag on it if it was the 4th of july. as long as im not the one doing the tatooing.
youre not doing the right thing by not shopping there. its just pointless. aka lame

Making $$ means keeping customers that you earn $$ from all year round, not just holidays..

Boycotts are an effective way to make a point, not pointless, nor lame at all. its a legitimate way to affect positive change.

Imagine if all the non smokers boycotted a grocery store that sold cigs. the store would loose $$ even though there is lots to earn from tobacco. the store may stop selling the smokes to get back the other customers.

 

[krichardson]

I wouldnt bother. I think I know just the place you are talking about and the fact that they took the time to respond to you is encouraging but do you have a problem with those glass fish with the colors injected in their bodies because that is the same thing going on here.When I used to work in a pet store,there were people who were impressed with the painted glassfish untill I explained to them that it was just a man made gimic.Iwas told that the paint soon fades away and the same thing probably happens withthe parrots. Whats more cruel? stocking feeder tanks with soo many fish that they cant even move or this.I think that it is unnatural looking and corny,furthermore Ithink that the jackass that came up with the idea should be injected with the paint himself as well as the idiot who put two fish together and created parrots.

 

[popcorn1]

maybe i just dont think the same way as the poster. she has a point. its not a good thing to tatoo fish. but its not the customers job to tell a store what they can/can't/should/shouldn't sell. were just customers. we buy. if you really wanted to stop mutilation of fish then join an organization to fight animal cruelty.

i just think its stupid to go into a store and see something you dont support and decide not to shop there. were just customers. its not boycotting thats lame. its the reason to boycott thats lame. like boycotting toysrus if they sold cigarettes. let PETA do their job. customers just shop.

and 15 -_-

 

[Danyal]

wrong, customers do determine what the stores sell. if the mutiliated fish don't ever sell then the store won't try to sell them because there are more profitable fish that could occupy the tank.

 

[Lupin]

maybe i just dont think the same way as the poster. she has a point. its not a good thing to tatoo fish. but its not the customers job to tell a store what they can/can't/should/shouldn't sell. were just customers. we buy. if you really wanted to stop mutilation of fish then join an organization to fight animal cruelty.

You as a customer have the right to step forward to the store management your suggestions, comments and criticisms. Regardless, stores depend on customers to be able to have a thriving business. Their fate lies in your hand. How will they have a thriving business if their customers are boycotting their stores because of some merchandise that they refuse to buy? Of course, to prevent this, the store will obviously try to address it just to appease the customers. Until the stores improve, some customers are determined to continue boycotting them. The effect there is much stronger is word is passed what was wrong with the store.

Another thing, Law of Supply and Demand plays its role here. I mentioned earlier that as long as there is demand for the supply, the supply will last for a long-time. If the customer boycotts the store, obviously the demand falls. If there is no objection to the merchandise they sell, then they will continue running the business as it is. This is another reason why boycotting is soemtimes effective. If you are very well-connected with other hobbyists, the effect there is even stronger.

I must add that aquarium retail business is not that profitable and people who make profits yet do not care about the fish's welfare do not deserve a business in the hobby. A good store, on the other hand, who tries its best to retail high-quality equipments, healthy fish, and even good advice can easily satisfy several hobbyists therefore building a long-lasting and loyal relationship with them thus they are able to gain a profitable yet deserving business.

We all know dyeing, tattooing and mutiliating are strongly defied by several aquarium hobbyists who are determined to do what it takes to prevent such cruel acts. Be aware that the processes done to dye a fish makes the fish more susceptible to skin diseases such as the incurable viral disease, lymphocystis. In the end, the customer loses his well-earned cash for a fish that succumb quickly to the illness. You may find boycotting lame unfortunately your word will not be the same for others I'm afraid. I cannot blame you for your thoughts. I certainly did mention everyone is entitled to his own opinion. We can't always please everybody but I will admit I will never be pleased with the trends that constitute to animal cruelty.

 

[popcorn1]

really what im saying is why boycott the store. theyre only selling what people want to buy. it makes them money. if nobody bought tatooed fish in the first place then nobody would dye them.

dyein fish is wrong but if you want to do something about it try to make it illegal. dont boycott a store. whats that going to to? make you feel like a better person? youre just gonna lose a contact and the seller is only gonna lose a customer and make money off the customers who want the tatooed fish.

let the store sell what they want. its not your fight. youre just asking the store owner to throw away money that they can make.

 

[Lil_Stinker]

really what im saying is why boycott the store. theyre only selling what people want to buy. it makes them money. if nobody bought tatooed fish in the first place then nobody would dye them.

dyein fish is wrong but if you want to do something about it try to make it illegal. dont boycott a store. whats that going to to? make you feel like a better person? youre just gonna lose a contact and the seller is only gonna lose a customer and make money off the customers who want the tatooed fish.

let the store sell what they want. its not your fight. youre just asking the store owner to throw away money that they can make.

I think you may be missing a major point here..

Supply & demand. A boycott affects demand & therefore supply. You tell the retailer that you don’t want mutilated fish, they stop supplying them.

Retailers don’t want to upset customers, they want to make $$... if they stand to loose $$ by selling a certain item, they stop selling it.

Would they choose to make $10 selling a questionable item, if it looses them $100 in lost sales? never!!

It is certainly the option (even responsibility) of a customer to give feedback to retailers. That’s why there are comment cards.

While a boycott may not be the best option in every situation, it is certainly an option.

Single person boycotts are often ineffective, but many of the organizations you are thinking of urge their members & supporters to joinn boycotts.

 

[Dan F]

I always try to shop at stores where the owner cares about fish. A store that sells dyed fish is making a profit the wrong way. I probably wouldn't go back to that store.

 

[Lupin]

let the store sell what they want. its not your fight. youre just asking the store owner to throw away money that they can make.

I pointed it out before that some people do not deserve a business in the hobby if all they sell are those mutiliated, tattooed and dyed fish which calls for advocating the trends when some of us have work hard in the past to pass the word why those trends should never be advocated. I repeat all those trends do not deserve a place in the hobby nor are those irresponsible enough to sell them. They had their choice which fish to stock their tanks with, they could have avoided those easily.