I try and support my LFS. They provide a good service and I normally will pay the high prices for the their fish because I know how tough it is for them to survive. I recently purchased two 4" chinese hi-fin loaches for $75 only to have them die three days later in a well established suitable tank. I had an understanding with the owner of the LFS that I could sell them back to him at cost if they outgrew my tank. In such a situation I would expect $75 credit from the store.....(I certainly don't expect my cash back). The store has no guarantees and has said it would 'work with me', am I being unreasonable to expect this full credit ?
what should I expect from my LFS?
- Thread starter UES96
- Start date
That seems reasonable to me that they are offering something. The one privately owned LFS near me offers no refund if a fish dies, its printed on their receipts. I guess they cant swallow the lose like a big box store can.
I guess it depends on a few factors including how well you know the stores owner / the store size (i.e. Mom N Pop or Mid size) /store policy...
Over here it just depends on the store, even on fish street, some stores if you know them well will hook you up if your type of situation, while others wouldnt even consider giving you a discount even if you purchased from them again...
Over here it just depends on the store, even on fish street, some stores if you know them well will hook you up if your type of situation, while others wouldnt even consider giving you a discount even if you purchased from them again...
^^I agree^^
A full credit or refund doesn't fix the issue of two fish dead....from the same store, at the same time, in your tank. Now, your tank is, I'm sure, just as you say, well established and healthy, but it doesn't mean that you keep your tank the same way the LFS keep theirs. Loaches are sensitive fish as it is and shocking them from an environment the are used to, to an environment totally foreign, would kill a lot of different fish...just from the stress alone.
Put yourself in the shop owners shoes for a minute. Just because you are a responsible fish keeper doesn't mean the majority of their customers are...if they refunded for every fish that dies, they would be out of business in no time...and sadly, many LFSs in my area have done just that because they aren't large corporate sponsored super pet stores.
My advice, for whatever it's worth, is take a sample of your water to the LFS in question and ask them to test it with their test equipment. Test your water first so you have a base line to go by. Then ask them to test their water and do a comparison. Note the temperature and possibly the salinity. ..many LFSs use salt...some keep their tanks on the warm side with ich meds constantly present.
Give a little and expect a little back...I am sure they have no intentions of selling sick fish...this is their livelihood....don't go in there all demanding and irritated, who want to help that guy?
My opinion may sound preachy, but I have been on both sides and I know this situation well.
I will definitely get my water tested at the LFS but i not sure it solves the problem. The trouble is that if I do not get full credit back it is another reason to buy online with full guarantees. I don't want to go down that route but the benefits are getting larger and larger.
How long have these fish been in that store before you you bought them.Most places around here wouldn't give you any relief though one shop used to offer a twenty four hour conditional guarantee.
I don't know. It's a popular store so I doubt more than a week or two. I knew when I bought them i was over paying , I think they should normally go for about 1/2 the price. Just irks me when you try and do the right thing that it comes back to bite you.
Hello; Short answer is yes, your expectations are unreasonable in that they do not have a stated policy. Untill the last few years, the concept of a shop giving any sort of refund was not know to me. I always try to inspect the fish, all the tanks and the general shop conditions before buying. I have walked out of many shops after a look around.
One of the big box shops has a money back in 7 days for dead fish written on the reciept. I have used it a few times. The other small shops do not. I have never operated a shop nor sold fish and understand how shops cannot refund lost fish.
Once a fish leaves a shop, they sometimes die right away. If you feel strongly about this a choice is to not buy from them any more.
I too understand why they don't offer refunds. We all love our lfs but if their business model is so non-competitive I can't see them surviving which would be a shame.
That's why I asked how long the store has had the fish.It seems that the fish has been there a while and was doing fine until you brought it home....not like it just came in and hadn't had a chance to settle in.I suspect the fish suffered from some kind of shock as was mentioned previously which unfortunately does not seem be the fault of the store's.