Interamerican Starphire Complaints
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First post on a new thread and it has to be negative.
My Interamerican Story.
Now I know I can't talk you out of ordering an aquarium from Mitch, his prices are to low to ignore. I can possibly protect you from mishaps that I encountered. Like you, I researched the Interamerican company before I bought. I can tell you now that I wished there were an alternative to his prices, because after researching the company I didn't want to buy from Interamerican. There wasn't, well there is Lee Mar, higher prices, but you get a great product and no problems. I wanted to start this thread because I was frustrated with my business dealings with Mitch at Interamerican. My story isn't as bad as others I have read about. I am hoping this thread will educate the unwary.
I ordered the popular size of 72x30x24 Starphire 3 sides. Promised as 230 gallon, its not its more like 214 gallons. It took months over the promised time. When I was at the end of my rope I stepped up the pressure. I was promised phone calls back 5 times. I never received one. The fatal mistake I made was to tell InterAmerican I was not in a major hurry. Never say that, not ever. They Credited my credit care immediately for more than I was told. When I stepped up the pressure I was told that my Aquarium had been done for months. This after Mitch and Doug both told me they were behind constantly and couldn't keep up with demand. I was then told by Mitch that the aquarium front had a scratch and he had to rebuild it. I felt funny about that. I think he sold my aquarium to someone else. Again I am promised calls that never arrived. Finally my aquarium is due to be shipped. It gets shipped. I was told it would be 200$ American. It showed up with a 583$ shipping bill. I refused it, the bill was quickly adjusted to 235$. I accepted it. My Aquarium showed up with 1/2" glass on 3 sides and 3/8" on the front panel. Some of you may have gasped at that last figure if you know anything about aquariums. Rule of thumb: over 24" gets 1/2" glass. Well, I freaked. Now mind you, no calls were returned. In the 4 or 5 times I talked to Mitch no mention of the 3/8 glass was ever mentioned. I called about it and was informed it was tempered. I told Mitch I didn't want tempered, it wasn't what I ordered. Mitch told me I was a $%#@%^$^$ and told me to send it back. Now mind you, I borrowed a truck and drove 60 miles both ways. Rented a forklift to get it in the garage. 600lbs. is a lot for two people. Total cost was over 300$ shipping and forklift combined. Now some of you are saying hey, tempered thats cool, you made out allright. Well, thats true and that was Mitch's point. It is a matter of opinion, tempered shatters all at once and emptys the entire tank in one instant. Surface hits have to hard to break it as it is 4 times stronger than annealed glass. However, my tank is going to be in a traffic zone and its the corners you are worried about. You can't chip the corners or the entire sheet will shatter instantly. I now have to cover the corners with wood trim. I wanted them exposed. The bottom line is I didn't get what I ordered and I was never informed. When I raised the issue I was cussed out. Mitch is very cool when things are going his way. So my choices are to call the moving company and ship it back collect and hope I get my money back. Or, keep it and just count it as a lesson. I know that we will keep buying from this company based on the low prices. If Mitch had any real competition he would be out of business. Still the low prices will keep us coming. Realize that the potential for a royal screwing is present. Realize that Mitch has a bad side and customer service is not in his repe
toire. Now to his credit, he offered me a full refund while cussing me out. He wouldn't build me another tank though. Now some of you may count me as lucky, I got tempered after all. Bottom line is this:
NO COMMUNICATION
LIED TO
FIT AND FINISH NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT
CUSSED OUT WITH 4 LETTER WORDS AND CALLED UNGRATEFUL
SHIPPING COST GOUGED AND CORRECTED AFTER COMPLAINING
STILL HAVEN'T SEEN THE TEMPERED STAMPS REQUIRED BY LAW IN THE US
TANK CAPACITY FUDGED
CREDIT CARD OVERCHARGED ABOVE PREVIOUS AGREEMENT
More on fit and finish, really not that good. You can hide it all though. So, not a big deal really. My experience was bad. I don't know whether to believe Mitch about the glass being tempered or not. I have to try and find the stamps still. (Aquarium is crated still) The prices are low enough at Interamerican to take a risk. If there were any other way though, I would take it. This is hit and miss.
Best wishes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
First post on a new thread and it has to be negative.
My Interamerican Story.
Now I know I can't talk you out of ordering an aquarium from Mitch, his prices are to low to ignore. I can possibly protect you from mishaps that I encountered. Like you, I researched the Interamerican company before I bought. I can tell you now that I wished there were an alternative to his prices, because after researching the company I didn't want to buy from Interamerican. There wasn't, well there is Lee Mar, higher prices, but you get a great product and no problems. I wanted to start this thread because I was frustrated with my business dealings with Mitch at Interamerican. My story isn't as bad as others I have read about. I am hoping this thread will educate the unwary.
I ordered the popular size of 72x30x24 Starphire 3 sides. Promised as 230 gallon, its not its more like 214 gallons. It took months over the promised time. When I was at the end of my rope I stepped up the pressure. I was promised phone calls back 5 times. I never received one. The fatal mistake I made was to tell InterAmerican I was not in a major hurry. Never say that, not ever. They Credited my credit care immediately for more than I was told. When I stepped up the pressure I was told that my Aquarium had been done for months. This after Mitch and Doug both told me they were behind constantly and couldn't keep up with demand. I was then told by Mitch that the aquarium front had a scratch and he had to rebuild it. I felt funny about that. I think he sold my aquarium to someone else. Again I am promised calls that never arrived. Finally my aquarium is due to be shipped. It gets shipped. I was told it would be 200$ American. It showed up with a 583$ shipping bill. I refused it, the bill was quickly adjusted to 235$. I accepted it. My Aquarium showed up with 1/2" glass on 3 sides and 3/8" on the front panel. Some of you may have gasped at that last figure if you know anything about aquariums. Rule of thumb: over 24" gets 1/2" glass. Well, I freaked. Now mind you, no calls were returned. In the 4 or 5 times I talked to Mitch no mention of the 3/8 glass was ever mentioned. I called about it and was informed it was tempered. I told Mitch I didn't want tempered, it wasn't what I ordered. Mitch told me I was a $%#@%^$^$ and told me to send it back. Now mind you, I borrowed a truck and drove 60 miles both ways. Rented a forklift to get it in the garage. 600lbs. is a lot for two people. Total cost was over 300$ shipping and forklift combined. Now some of you are saying hey, tempered thats cool, you made out allright. Well, thats true and that was Mitch's point. It is a matter of opinion, tempered shatters all at once and emptys the entire tank in one instant. Surface hits have to hard to break it as it is 4 times stronger than annealed glass. However, my tank is going to be in a traffic zone and its the corners you are worried about. You can't chip the corners or the entire sheet will shatter instantly. I now have to cover the corners with wood trim. I wanted them exposed. The bottom line is I didn't get what I ordered and I was never informed. When I raised the issue I was cussed out. Mitch is very cool when things are going his way. So my choices are to call the moving company and ship it back collect and hope I get my money back. Or, keep it and just count it as a lesson. I know that we will keep buying from this company based on the low prices. If Mitch had any real competition he would be out of business. Still the low prices will keep us coming. Realize that the potential for a royal screwing is present. Realize that Mitch has a bad side and customer service is not in his repe
toire. Now to his credit, he offered me a full refund while cussing me out. He wouldn't build me another tank though. Now some of you may count me as lucky, I got tempered after all. Bottom line is this:NO COMMUNICATION
LIED TO
FIT AND FINISH NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT
CUSSED OUT WITH 4 LETTER WORDS AND CALLED UNGRATEFUL
SHIPPING COST GOUGED AND CORRECTED AFTER COMPLAINING
STILL HAVEN'T SEEN THE TEMPERED STAMPS REQUIRED BY LAW IN THE US
TANK CAPACITY FUDGED
CREDIT CARD OVERCHARGED ABOVE PREVIOUS AGREEMENT
More on fit and finish, really not that good. You can hide it all though. So, not a big deal really. My experience was bad. I don't know whether to believe Mitch about the glass being tempered or not. I have to try and find the stamps still. (Aquarium is crated still) The prices are low enough at Interamerican to take a risk. If there were any other way though, I would take it. This is hit and miss.
Best wishes.
