Misleading shipments to achieve sales goals:

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
28 Sep 2015
Posts
135
Reaction score
67
Location
Uvongo
Misleading shipments to achieve sales goals:

Every week shipments are arriving: Best Shipment
High End Shipment .


Confirmation and payments received but every week no shipment to just repeat again following week with bold advertising of shipments arriving???????

So the question is why should orders be paid and bookings be taken on falce pretences that shipment will be arriving soon when they don't and will not until every fancy angel or fish has been ordered to the max. So why should loyal and committed customers be treated with so little respect.

Not once was clients considered and this is a marketing strategy. You get excited, do all the preparations, cleaning, water changes as to have a peacefull low stress maintenance plan when long awaiting fish arrive.
With a lot off disappointment after going on MASA site you realise there will be no fish, and you were never considered loyal or important enough to be contacted and informed that your long awaiting fish is not arriving anymore........ again.

Nobody said their should not be competetave prices or exotic fish been exploited on this site but should that be done to customers awaiting shipment with total dissapointment every week.

To me If an agreement has been reached between two parties should an agreement agreed to not be kept, and the opportunity be given to withdraw and buy somewhere else if agreement was not met.

Should this NEW SHIPMENT ARRIVING every week be allowed to be advertised if there is no new shipments. Should sponsers not be able to say delayed shipment arriving, instead of giving the impression of a new shipment arriving every week.

This is misleading advertising of something not available as advertised. Agreed shipments does not always arrive as advertised but every week.

So my question is how long are something like this allowed to continue before paid customers will get what they paid for or given the opportunity to cancel their sale and order at a supplier that will supply ..............
 
Boy I've been there once or twice... Very disappointing, waiting for the promised call... Finally phoning the lfs and... nothing, most annoying. I hate that black hole book they write your contact details in. Have come to learn who can and cannot deliver what they promise. Don't bother with the rest anymore. Once bitten...
 
Please name and shame.

Although some are sponsors we cant be fooled.

I have seen many adds stating that fish will arive shortly and I have been scared to pay/order accordingly due to the fact that, as mentioned things dont happen as agreed.

I think we, and I am still new, love this industry and spend R1000's for our own pleasure and that of friend viewing our tank however, being a member of a forum where such happens many time is not acceptable.

I would ask management, although not as easy, to evaluate sponsors on montly basis or through client comments.

Please guys, new reefers will shrink like leather corals if they see things like this. Lets not create a bad environment due to incomp. sponsors
 
Hi Guys,

I can provide many references of clients who order exotics from me. I also spend a lot of time ensuring their items are found if not now then within a few weeks. I also don't take deposits before I have confirmation of their item being on the shipment.

I can gladly offer references based on what I say and I am sure my clients will be happy to confirm everything I say.

Please if your frustration is directed at all at us, let us know and we will fix it.

Thank you
Marine Aquatics
 
I am also happy to be vetted each month by MASA based on setup and quality of fish. I agree using people's money to fund shipments with no landing date is not a good deal. Once the item is confirmed at this point a deposit should be paid. Also refunded should it be delayed and u are not happy to wait.
 
Yes, it really unethical to take people's money without any concrete shipment confirmed, not really a majestic way of doing things.
 
I will safely say that there is 2 LFS I have pre booked, paid, orederd from and have never been screwed. If my fish doesn't arrive they inform me asap. And leave the ball in my court, either try order agian, refund me in full or use towards exciting stock. With that Wild on Pets and Marine Aquatics I'm happy with.
Yes there are others I worry about. To fork out so much money fare some rare items or claim it's arriving is scary.
Almost like they want to use your money to secure the incoming shipment.
I think a monthly review is a good idea. Helps keep all in-line
 
I havent had any problems at your shop sheldon. I like the shop, your personel, the live stock quality and service. I think they way u do things works out well for both you and the reefers. Keep up the good work bud. And all the great veriaty of lifestock. Well done
 
Yes, it really unethical to take people's money without any concrete shipment confirmed, not really a majestic way of doing things.
Yes that's definitely not how you do business,I also hate shops that have a policy of fetch your fish within 24 hours of them arriving,it's like they don't trust their own fish to live and want to shove it onto you ASAP.Also a fish that just flew so many hours from America needs a day or two of stability to recover properly, it's foolish to put the thing under more stress immediately after it lands.

I have ordered from Sheldon several times in the past on special requests he hasn't let me down once and sometimes I was only able to fetch my fish several days later and he had no problem holding onto them for me.Great service.
 
Last edited:
Also haven't had issues with marine aquatics. Must say you ask Sheldon to order the fish and if the fish is coming in he will contact u the night before so payment can be done or payment when u fetch the fish. Also this way you not screwed as alot of lfs don't always get what they order. If any lfs get 100% of what they ordered I will be very amazed. At the end of the day is that if you trust the lfs with your money it's your choice. no one is holding a gun at your head to buy from them. Choice is yours.
 
Yes that's definitely not how you do business,I also hate shops that have a policy of fetch your fish within 24 hours of them arriving,it's like they don't trust their own fish to live and want to shove it onto you ASAP.Also a fish that just flew so many hours from America needs a day or two of stability to recover properly, it's foolish to put the thing under more stress immediately after it lands.

I have ordered from Sheldon several times in the past on special requests he hasn't let me down once and sometimes I was only able to fetch my fish several days later and he had no problem holding onto them for me.Great service.

We are still very new at this, but from what I have read and learnt on this site, it's a simple trick. If the fish received ammonia poisoning in the bag it would take 3 days to die... and they only give you a 24 hour guarantee so they need you to fetch within 24 hours so that when it dies on the third day it's out of their hands. Maybe I'm completely wrong and my suspicious mind is working overtime, but I would far rather trust someone who doesn't have an issue holding your fish for a few days like you mentioned Sheldon does. Afterall, what's the rush, 2 more days won't hurt right? Forgive if I'm incorrect.
 
Last edited:
Please name and shame.
Please read the rules of this site first. Be careful not to open yourself up to reaction from whoever you shame. And if a moderator do delete a post they considered as against the rules, do not be mad at the moderator. Do not say or type something in anger that you might need to retract later. We do not want to be a bandwagon site as that spiral out of control so quickly. And does not contribute to growing this hobby.

Extract of the rules.
You agree not to post or transmit any unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, profane, hateful, racially, ethnically, degrading, sexual or otherwise objectionable material of any kind, including, but not limited to, any material which encourages conduct that would constitute a criminal offence, violate the rights of others, or otherwise violate any applicable local, state, national or international law.

I do agree with the point made here. To promote a sale that does not happen is not OK. I do understand as well that from the LFS side anything can happen, dead on arrival, just not put into the box, whatever. If a deposit has been made, then the shop should allow you to decide what to do, refund, store credit, something else. Between the parties they should come up with a way forward.

Maybe remember this old proverb:
Once bitten, twice shy.
 
Guys I have imported fish and various other goods aswell! And you are a lot of times at the mercy of the agency on the other side of the world! People do not intentionally mislead by asking for payment before shipment comes! But you only receive your actual packing/shipping list the day before the shipment is freighted. Then it's to late to do anything about fish that's not on the order or not packed as they do not have stock! They fill the boxes with any and everything they have just to fill your order!! AND YOU HAVE PAID THEM ALREADY! The ethical thing then is just to refund a person if his order is not on the list!! So there is nobody actually to be blamed! If you do want to blame someone, get in a plane and fly to the supplier and have a tiff with him! I think it's unfair to blame local people for orders that don't arrive, and if you've imported before you will know what I'm talking about! But like I said, if your order doesn't arrive you just should be refunded.
I don't import anymore due to the ignorance of people and I have no time for people hassle in my life....dealing in livestock is such a pain!
 
We all just have to remember. A business stays a business. These days you cant order anything without a deposit. Im also into business and you will always get one client who orders and never collects then when you call him then he just says "sorry man i got it somewhere else" then you've already ordered his stuff. So ja, giving a deposit on what you order ill say is the right way in doing business.
Theres loads of LFS out there and i really hope they can all make money in there business.
But one thing is for sure, if you cant give the service you promise or if you cant keep your promises then your not gona get far in business.
Its all about service these days ppl. And the LFS that could keep up the service will get rewarded.

Good luck to all LFS
 
Last edited:
I don't think it is the issue of a deposit once the shipment is confirmed, it is more an issue of taking a deposit without a concrete shipment confirmed (from the lfs side), maybe waiting for more deposits to fund the shipment. Then taking weeks before actually ordering shipment (waiting for more deposits it seems), while saying every week there is a shipment and without giving an option of refunding deposit if shipment does not happen as promised.
 
Ja no i agree 100% on the refunding. The LFS must remember one thing aswell. You cant take the deposit and not provide the order.
Yes we all understand the order not arriving or a delay. But then give the customer a call and ask them what they want to do.
Give them options.
Do you want to wait another week?
Do you want something else that did arrive?
Do you want a full refund?

Dont keep them in the dark and just not say anything. Thats bad business man.
Negotiate a solution and the customer will return im sure.
 
Feel your pain on this one. I know the LFS in question and how does that saying go "once bitten twice shy" :):)
The whatzapp groups are already on about this - and believe me these groups reach far - so in time this particular LFS will be waiting very very long for deposits to come in...people don't take kind to being fooled.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom