Question for B&M's...

[Anonymous]

all[/b] etailers are drop shippers? What *I* read is a reference to those who drop ship from 104th. That didn't say that all do, but IMO his point was valid toward those who do.


Jenn

I have a lot to catch up on, but I believe what he said and vitz called him on was that all DROP SHIPPERS don't see their stock, not all etailers are drop shippers.

I'm taking vitz's protest to mean that marine depot live sees all their livestock that they have drop shipped, but I wonder how that could be as well. Surely they don't have a person sitting there watching a wholesaler pick out and bag each skunk cleaner, or each brittle star, green chromis, whatever.

All are covered by our guarantee which means that the end fish sold is never substandard.....snipped.......Sorry Steve , I am answering his direct question.

I just don't understand how you can possibly say that just because you have a guarantee that makes it impossible for something to be substandard. A fish with torn fins, parasites, disease, anything, is a "substandard" animal regardless if it has a guarantee with it or not! LOL. Ridiculous claims are causing you to lose credibility with me. English scholar I am not, but the "sub" you put before "standard" to me means less than standard.

But, since you're goading Steve about answering my direct question, please answer the other direct questions I asked in the very same post. All your customers who complained about the product they got are simply liars or "hard to please" cause even though they got a bleached coral or a sick fish they weren't substandard?

I think this comment grates me the most

As far as substandard fish , I agree that I should have stated " never intentionally sell". I will grant you that , as a very small percentage may get damaged in shipping.

As if your company is so infallible that the only problems with your livestock just have to have occured during shipping. There's no way in the world it was something else huh? Yeah, I'm definitely thinking it's time for the hip waders.

 

[Anonymous]

Why is it that every time Race posts, I feel like he's treating us all like the "great unwashed?" :roll:

FYI: this is how people who post here for the first time seeking information about 'behind the scenes' in the industry sometimes feel they are treated by the regulars.

This is not to single Jenn out at all, she just posted something many seem to feel.

 

[Anonymous]

Cortez I hear what you are saying....


Now some would say that your name alone is commercial posting/advertising?

SavetheReefs

How so, the advertising of a non existant business? It's just a name now, just like Save The Reef

 

[SavetheReefs]

Well Dr Foster you think you are so smart by replying to my PM on the board and posting my name as well. You just opened a can of worms so get ready to start squirming.

Dr Foster you website cleary states

Because there are many factors affecting the availability of aquatic life, not all species are available at all times. New shipments arrive at our facilities daily, and every day specimens that have successfully passed our thorough health examination become available.

Please do explain to us all what facilities you are receiving shipments in to daily. These must be super secret facilities because all you have is Wisconsin.

And now since you have blatantly admitted to drop shipping, please explain your thorough health examinations and give us an insight into who is doing these exams and what their credentials are.

And by the way the website is now a go.

SavetheReefs

 

[Anonymous]

Well Dr Foster you think you are so smart by replying to my PM on the board and posting my name as well.
SavetheReefs

IMO poor netiquette. Why post some ones real name that doesn't want it posted. Shame on you Race :roll:

Very good questions STF

 

[SavetheReefs]

Gresham I can tell you why, because I touched a nerve.

Now lets see if the good Dr. will answer my question. After all it is the 2nd time I am asking it.

SavetheReefs

 

[Anonymous]

It's just a name now, just like Save The Reef

See also : "Reeform" and "MAC"

:lol:

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

:lol: You missed a few

 

[Anonymous]

Nothing against Race personally or marketing-wise, but if he had the best blastomussa, acanthastrea, micromussa and echinophyllia then I wouldn't need to nag fellow hobbiests for frags every hour of every day.

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

:lol: You missed a few

Naesco?



Peace,

Chip

 

[clarionreef]

As Mitch said;
"After all you must realize that some will punish QM by not buying from them because they see them as a big enabler in all this."

Well to be fair to the flies...they didn't open the door....QM did and the trade will never be the same again.
Its true that the importers in LA largely brought this thing into the house.
[ Kinda like planting Nile perch in Lake Victoria....]

Now that there are virtual retailers among us who pay miniscule overheads per 100 fish sold compared to all the other rent-paying retailers...the value of holding, feeding and servicing the fish and the customers go down.
The shortfall is shored up in a better guarantee which though proferred as proof of quality policies and procedures is merely a bit of overhead.
The chain of custody and price assumptions evolved over the years based on importers with significant [ not token] overhead selling to retailers with significant [ NOT TOKEN ] overhead.
Now, that levy has been breached ....enabled and abetted by QM...They should be given credit as the visionaries they are;

1. First to be certified by MAC....[ but w/ no fish supply]
2. Primary importers of Aquascapes...the certified exporter president of the exporters association of the Philippines.[ also no certified fish supply...still :!: ]
3. Sellers of Fosters and Smiths majority of Philippine fishes....although the word Philippine is expunged from the the website...whats a matter guys? ashamed to admit the level of Philippine fishes you sell?
4. First to allow dropshipping direct to the public working against all their customers interests.
5. First to provide cover and sanction for no/low overhead virtual retailer transhippers.

This is how a wild livestock trade will ruin itself;
It evolves to a lower common denominator thru creative marketing oblivious and ignorant of the vast differences in pushing manufactured dry goods and limited....politically charged...ever diminishing live ones.
The market has no conscience and relentlessly demands all it can sell. Now, it can sell more and sell faster unburdened by the natural impediments of infrastructure service, sales taxes, overhead, care, conditioning and feeding.
Now it can go directly from super crowded unnatural wholesale environments into home aquariums overnite in the mail.
Environmental people simply cannot believe that the care regimes are going backward in the chain of custody...and that this system is catching on!
Real environmental reforms just skipped another roadblock of responsibility and educational opportunity and make all things possible to all with a credit card immediately!
Well, it is America isn't it?
Thanks QM...for enabling another advancement in our evolution!
Steve

 

[Anonymous]

Philippines Steve? I thought it was the "Coral Sea" or Cebu

 

[clarionreef]

Just a little trick to divert from the real truth.
These are the proverbial "I didn't inhale..." indicator fibs.
The website is full of Philippine fish which a tad of zoogeogrphy acumen reveals.
Steve
PS...In original planning, they were going to be all MAC certified back when image conscience marketeers wanted them to be...then something.....er nothing.....happened.

Oh well. So the Philippine fish are the same as all the rest. But they are not from America, they're from Georgia....I mean not from the Philippines....but the South China Sea. :lol:

 

[aquaticvet1]

Did anyone work today?

SavetheReefs,
We answered your questions in the new "up close and personal" on the LiveAquaria.com website . Please check it out.
As far as your " EXPOSE" website--- "Git er done" --but please keep it accurate so as not to create legal issues for you or the industry. I look forward to viewing it.

Thanks again----Race

 

[mark@mac]

it's all gonna be in my book..... : )

any thing in particular you want to know?

it has been (and will continue to be) an incredible experience. i also spent several weeks in Indo, (java and bali, even Les village)

which reminds me of one important experience: a fisherman from Les who died almost a year ago, collecting aquarium fish. he died just 3 days after i met him. he reportedly died only 3 meters deep. his name was Bolot and he left a wife and 3 children behind.....

 

[mark@mac]

last post I made was exactly when the thread was being split and was actually a reply to the post that was moved......

 

[Anonymous]

Did anyone work today?

Wow! I won't even try to shame you on this one. Let's just say I doubt you'd be able to do my job for lack of proper equipment an all

SavetheReefs,
We answered your questions in the new "up close and personal" on the LiveAquaria.com website . Please check it out.
As far as your " EXPOSE" website--- "Git er done" --but please keep it accurate so as not to create legal issues for the industry. I look forward to viewing it.

Thanks again----Race

I went to the site and I really couldn't see much through the smoke. I did however enjoy a few things like "staying away from those items that don't do well in captivity" cause as I recall those very items were on your site in the very recent past.

Also the "we sort through fish as they land in the US"....really? I believe someone already asked you previously how you managed to post someone to inspect cargo as it arrived in country. You didn't answer them and you don't mention it in the up close interview.

And one other one that amuses me "The rest of the fish that enter the US are sold in other distribution channels. Keep in mind that not all of these other stock fish are less quality; they simply are not the "first pick" so to speak."..... Suddenly the only fish that get distributed to the rest of the business in this country are those rejected by F&S? They're not lesser wuality per se, but for some reason or another they just didn't make your cut?

Come on.

I won't bother waiting for a response. I think it's become very clear you have no intentions of clearing the air unless you can overtly place in an ad. I just wanted to make it known how silly I thought all that was.


OK I edited it. I was just curious how your husbandry was on fish you never take physical possession of. If you have strict husbandry protocols for your fish....which are housed in wholesalers tanks....then so do I and every other shop in the states. Everyone should start making the same claim now!

 

[dizzy]

it's all gonna be in my book..... : )

any thing in particular you want to know?

.

Is it going to be a Jose Canseco type tell all book? Man what a story you could tell. :wink:

 

[JennM]

Did anyone work today?
Thanks again----Race

Yep, sure did... came in, did invoices for my service tech, processed some payments from my tech, made a round-trip run to the dry goods wholesaler, stopped and made a bank deposit, grabbed a bite of lunch somewhere in there, went home, took a nap (store only opens at 4 on Tuesdays!), opened half an hour early, ran my butt off with customers despite a broken toe... ordered product for a special order client, updated some stuff, bagged some fish, served a bunch of customers, answered customers' questions in person and on the phone, added 4 newcomers to my customer database, and I close in 20 minutes so I'm winding down my day. I'm a business owner so I only work half-days -- 12 hours

How 'bout you?

Jenn

 

[Rascal]

Jenn - That was too funny. The sorry part is how much I relate to it. ..and I ran out of Advil!