What's your opinion?

[mopiko]

Hello Guys

Went to this local LFS. Was really interested to get a fish and enquired about the price before i head down. Firstly, was told all the fishes were the same price and was even mentioned it was offered to me at discounted price.

all fishes were placed in different tanks and been looking and was keen on a particular one. Ii enquired about the price again for the piece I interested in and to my amazement, the piece of fish i been looking and interested in cost more than the others which i wasn't too keen on - reason being it's different from rest of the fish. Sensing that I was kinda piss the LFS changed track and said if I really interested, it'll be "special for me" and now same price as the others.

Should we support such LFS who is out to earn that extra bucks than earning respect and loyalty from return customers? Was seriously considering getting the fish but ended up getting piss and walk away.

[samsies]

I think I know which LFS you're referring to - 2 immediate 'suspects' come to mind immediately hahaha.

Just to OT and share an experience of a friend at one of these 2 LFSes:

He walked in and had his eye on a nice small-sized Flamehawk and enquired about the price.

LFS: "Ah this one good piece. I give you good price - $XX,"

Customer: "Huh? So expensive ah? My friend bought his much cheaper somewhere else,"

LFS: "Is it? How much did your friend get it for?"

Customer: "$YY"

LFS: "Like that ah ok lah I give you same price also lah, special only for you,"

Mind you the price difference is like 30% lor. And they do it for most of the other items in the shop as well.

I guess at the end of the day, willing buyer concept rules lah. Just step out of the shop if you don't want to pay over the odds for what you want. That's my principle anyway. We're not obliged to buy if we're not comfortable with the pricing.

[dnsfpl]

serious? care to pm me the LFS?

[Solo77]

Understand yr feeling. Gotten such treatment and sentiment also. For me, didn't support the shop anymore and learned the smart way, buy thr their regulars if I got no choice. Lol, my advice from friends, scold the person who quote as this seems effective for some lfes but not for all. . . Lol. Just don't like the feeling of being carrot headed and their pricing strategy. For some lfes that have standard pricing, I am ok for their premium price. However, most shops do try to mark up for special and unique stocks. . Even though their cost price maybe the same.

[mopiko]

Like wise, I'm okay if the LFS have standard and standard premium prices. Just be honest and upfront about it. It's okay to mark up for unique, special and stable stocks but not when before mentioned all prices were the same and upon sensing that I like a particular piece made me carrot headed.

To bros who PM and ask for the LFS name. Sorry, I'm ethical enough not to stoop so low as the LFS ower to carrot head, name and shame the LFS. All I can say is its a very long time and experience LFS

The truth is out there

[desideria]

I think I know which one also... but then again I could be wrong la.. It all boils down to the Willing Buyer Willing seller concept.

Sometimes one simply has to learn from past mistakes and then after that avoid the "unholy ground"

[comycus]

Bro, hope no hard feelings with my 2 cents worth...

Just thought the objective of us posting our 'feedback' in the forum is to share our experiences. We are not out to discredit a particular LFS if we post their names on the forum, just a friendly warning to other reefers to expect this if they decide to patronise the particular LFS. Those of us who have been LFSing for some time might know who you are referring to, but consider a newbie who comes to SRC, reads your inputs but doesn't add value to him.

Just food for thought: do we consider it name and shame for a particular brand when we say for example tt "because my Hydor K1 broke down only after 1 week of normal usage, imo the QC for hydor K1s might not be v. good"? If everyone follows a "don't name and shame policy" all posts in SRC will go along the lines of "this xxx brand wavemaker broke down only after 1 wk of normal usage, I think the QC for this brand and model of wavemaker isn't tt good", then all of us would be worse off don't you think?

Majority of us post our opinions on brands in the forum to assist reefers in their purchase, but why can't we post our opinions on LFS as long as it's done professionally? (i'm not encouraging flaming or childish comments here)

[TayHongSiang]

Bro, hope no hard feelings with my 2 cents worth...

Just thought the objective of us posting our 'feedback' in the forum is to share our experiences. We are not out to discredit a particular LFS if we post their names on the forum, just a friendly warning to other reefers to expect this if they decide to patronise the particular LFS. Those of us who have been LFSing for some time might know who you are referring to, but consider a newbie who comes to SRC, reads your inputs but doesn't add value to him.

Just food for thought: do we consider it name and shame for a particular brand when we say for example tt "because my Hydor K1 broke down only after 1 week of normal usage, imo the QC for hydor K1s might not be v. good"? If everyone follows a "don't name and shame policy" all posts in SRC will go along the lines of "this xxx brand wavemaker broke down only after 1 wk of normal usage, I think the QC for this brand and model of wavemaker isn't tt good", then all of us would be worse off don't you think?

Majority of us post our opinions on brands in the forum to assist reefers in their purchase, but why can't we post our opinions on LFS as long as it's done professionally? (i'm not encouraging flaming or childish comments here)

i know which LFS...

Having differential pricing for newbies and regulars is a common practice in most LFS...

but if the LFS has quote a price on the phone and charges a different price when the reefer comes to collect is not ethical...shame shame (with my fingers on my cheeks)

[mopiko]

I guess it's only okay to share the basic feedback in this forum, but not directly at any particular LFS. What if the LFS mentioned is one of the sponsor here? And as this site need sponsors to be sustainable, won't this would make things "not so nice" for the moderators?

As much as I would like to share the infos and add value to nebwies but just like any businesses i'm sure there will always be supporters and detractors for each and every LFS. Perhaps some would even go to the extend to rally fellow reefers to be "key board heros" for them. As such, is there fairness? it will only end up as another never ending story episode.

My purpose here is not to reveal or pin point the LFS that did this kind of silly business tactics to me just to earn that extra few bucks. But to let reefers know there are such LFS around, gather opinions and hopefully the LFS in town will be more aware that reefers know such incidents are happening. Having been in LFS industry long doesn't means the LFS is trustworthy. Just need to see and buy with "eyes open"

[TayHongSiang]

I guess it's only okay to share the basic feedback in this forum, but not directly at any particular LFS. What if the LFS mentioned is one of the sponsor here? And as this site need sponsors to be sustainable, won't this would make things "not so nice" for the moderators?

As much as I would like to share the infos and add value to nebwies but just like any businesses i'm sure there will always be supporters and detractors for each and every LFS. Perhaps some would even go to the extend to rally fellow reefers to be "key board heros" for them. As such, is there fairness? it will only end up as another never ending story episode.

My purpose here is not to reveal or pin point the LFS that did this kind of silly business tactics to me just to earn that extra few bucks. But to let reefers know there are such LFS around, gather opinions and hopefully the LFS in town will be more aware that reefers know such incidents are happening. Having been in LFS industry long doesn't means the LFS is trustworthy. Just need to see and buy with "eyes open"

i can understand your frustration...sometimes i get different pricing from the father and the son

[desideria]

You have a point mopiko... the moderators in all fairness do walk a fine line here between wanting a fair exchange of information on all things reefing here in our tiny island of Singapore and at the same time need sponsership to keep this going. I fully acknowledge their behind the scenes efforts. /bow

However, sometimes I personally feel that if there is a need for feedback and factual/well deserved customer complaints, then the LFs in question should respond in kind. Especially if it pertains to shoddy workmanship or not listening to what customers want.

anyway, since our country is so small... word of mouth travels.. and it travels FAST!!

[mopiko]

Bro comycus

I truly understand where you coming from but sometimes sharing brands can be quite sensitive as well because what if 1 of sponsors here is the main or sole distributor for that particular brand?

[mopiko]

i can understand your frustration...sometimes i get different pricing from the father and the son

LOL. The frustration is not from just the "father and son" LFS.

[oldrookiesjeremy]

Caveat emptor

[comycus]

Well, hopefully we aren't threading on thin ice here, but IMO factual feedback and sponsorship are mutually exclusive. In fact, sponsors can take the opportunity to provide good customer service and after sales support by troubleshooting these feedback online.

That's what makes the RC forum so attractive and sustainable. Otherwise, with the huge number of sponsorships on almost every brandmajor brand and LFS, forum members there would be unable to talk about any brand/LFS at all if naming brands/LFS are sensitive?

That aside, local context, local practices. We may have other constraints here, but sometimes I do wish we could stop this practice of anonymous LFS/Brand. The forum is for our community of reefers to benefit by sharing both good and bad experiences, not just the good only. I always feel a tinge of sadness when I hear of yet another case of a newbie having a bad experience/huge carrot which could have been addressed in the forum. "Willing buyer, willing seller" they say, I suppose I can just shrug it off and say luckily I know better now...

[dnsfpl]

i can understand your frustration...sometimes i get different pricing from the father and the son

same here

1 for $5, 4 for $20

ask another person

1 for $5, 5 for $20

grab immediately haha