I'd like HELP from a knowing reefer please!

Gilraen Took · 07-06-2007, 05:52 PM

Okay, so when my 20 crashed, I was told by Ben(Good LFS worker #1, great guy) that I could take my stuff in and they'd give me credit for it. I'd have taken it in that morning, but I thought I had to be at work earlier than I had to be and couldn't. So I took it in on Monday. Monty(Good LFS worker #2, not so great guy, has mildly sexually harassed me once, when we were alone in the store together, kinda creeps me out, haven't had any other problems with him besides that one time) was the only one there since Ben was out of the country on a business trip.

Monty told me that he didn't know what Ben had told me about getting credit for the stuff I took in and so he couldn't give me any, that I'd have to wait for Ben to get back into the country. No sweat. I didn't have to have it right then. I told him that was fine.

I went in today to see what they had and what I got in return for my corals/rocks. Especially since I was going to see if they had any nicer pieces of rock that I could use to "fill out" my little tank. Ben was the only one there(which is good) and I asked him if I had any credit on my account. Nope. Not a cent. So I asked him if he'd had a chance to look at what I brought in(okay, should make this point NOW. I LOOKED through not only the LR tanks, but also ALL OF the display tanks and did not see ONE PIECE of my rock OR my corals there.) and he was confused. He DID NOT KNOW that Monty had told me that HE needed to give me credit and Monty had not even attempted to tell him that I had taken my stuff in. He told me that Monty hadn't said a word to him. At all.

So basically I think Monty ripped me off. I took in a $60/70(paid $60 after Ben gave me a discount) brain coral, a $35 fox coral(the only piece which wasn't in good shape) around 12 zoa frags, a candy cane frag that I paid $15 for, a $22 colony of zoas, couple smaller zoa colonies worth around $15 and around 15 lbs of LR. I have the really strong feeling that he just sold what I took in and when Ben asks that he's just going to say that the coral all died and that the rock was in horrid shape and wasn't even worth turning into dry base rock that still sells for $5/lb there. The only thing he can't really say is "anemone infested" since the CORAL DISPLAY TANK is now completely COVERED in majanos and a few aiptasias(I found around 10 aips and quit counting in one SIDE of the display at 450 majanos, in a tank that is 6x6' and around 18" high max on each side) but he can basically say anything else and get away with it. The coral died and though we usually keep skeletons to sell I tossed them. I sold it for really cheap since I didn't think it was worth anything, so now we CAN'T give her more than THAT, it was rotting and I was afraid it'd kill our system(even the LR curing bins! It was BAD) so I tossed it into the dumpster. Whatever. And I can't prove anything.

What do I do if he tries that?

And if anyone works at a LFS, how much do you normally mark stuff up, so I'd know how much it should have been worth?

Wiskey · 07-06-2007, 05:54 PM

When I bring stuff to my LFS I get 30% of retail value for whatever I bring in for them to sell.

Sorry to hear about your trouble

Unfortinatally I have a simaler situation going on right now.

Whiskey

Hop · 07-06-2007, 05:59 PM

Gilraen Took: Are you talking about the store that starts with a J or a R? I never keep track of the names of the workers. Hate to say that I'm not impressed with anyone there other than the guy who used to work for Deltec in Germany and I can hardly understand him (if this is the R store).

I would definately stand my ground. They do have a couple q-tanks in the back that the put stuff in, make sure it's not there (again if it's the R store).

And off topic as there are only a few reefers this side of the state... Did I give you some chaeto last year? Sorry I suck at names and can't recall

Hop · 07-06-2007, 06:04 PM

Sorry, maybe the R store is the M store I always call it the wrong name

Get the idea that I do most of my shopping online!

Gilraen Took · 07-06-2007, 06:09 PM

Yup that was me you gave the chaeto to

The M store. Forgot someone around here knew them(oops!) And here I was trying not to name-drop :$ It really is the only problem I've had with them before though. . .

Yea, I like Pat(the guy you can barely understand

) he's nice, and Ben hasn't ever steered me wrong. The other guy just seems to make me wary for some reason though. Meh, I get creeped out easily though, so it's likely just me! Just please don't mention this to them for me

that's the last thing I'd need >_>

Hop · 07-06-2007, 06:12 PM

Oh don't worry

I have issues there as well. But it's really the only SW place on the western slope. The J store is about useless, but occasionaly have some great FW finds.

Let me know if you need anything. More chaeto? I throw a basket ball sized chunk every week...

Gilraen Took · 07-06-2007, 06:35 PM

I've still got some actually! It's now gone through 2 tank crashes AND cycles and is green and happy. I think the little bit I put into the 5 when I set it up has doubled in size in the 3 weeks it has been there. If it starts to do poorly I'll take you up on that though.

Ditto on the J store. They're too pricey, especially since the only corals that look half alive seem to be $50 brown zoa colonies >_> I really like the W store for freshwater stuff. Opal doesn't get a lot in usually, but her stuff is nice and priced well. I got my school of von rio tetras from her. They're almost brighter orange than my clowns were!

Hop · 07-06-2007, 06:37 PM

Yup. I do like the W store. I only get down there every so often. In fact the W store is always so clean and seems to have healthy FW stuff. They could probably put the others out of business if they wanted to go bigger. Are they still carrying SW fish? They had about 10 common ones the last time I was in there.

thekid55 · 07-06-2007, 06:48 PM

i would confront monty infront of ben.

Gilraen Took · 07-06-2007, 07:15 PM

They've still got a bit of saltwater stuff. Last time I was in it was a couple of blennies, a tang, a couple of clowns and some firefish. Y'know, come to think of it, I don't even remember the last time I saw any unhealthy fish there :P

Brocnizer · 07-06-2007, 09:51 PM

I brought 2 chiclids into my LFS because I didn't want to flush them when converting to salt. They said they only take donations, fine! Atleast it doesn't die. Long story short, I went in a week later and saw one of my fish for $65 and the other for $35. Sometimes I think these LFS are straight dirt bags!

thekid55 · 07-06-2007, 10:08 PM

i droped a BTA off at a LFS cause only the owner can give store credit. came back 3 days later. the tank it was in crashed before he even saw it. he gave me $40. just thought i would share a good story.

pledosophy · 07-07-2007, 01:25 AM

I have a similiar story thought I would share.

A LFS opened a mile from my house, I was like SCORE! Was a cool store, not much stock, but really nice owner so I went there for everything they had. They special ordered stuff for me. When my tank for a different store cracked due to poor manufactoring, they helped me out, new tank at cost in 4 hours, they weren't even the ones who sold me the cracked tank.

I had to move out of state for work. Dropped off 25 or so corals and 8 fish all of which I had for over two years to the store, the owner wasn't there. They have an online business so I agreed to trade for credit, owner said he'd wave shipping. Cool.

Went in again with a thank you gift for the owner, asked hw the stock was doing. He asked why I would drop off such crappy speciments. Wanted to know if I sold the good stuff to someone else. I was like WTH?

Walked over to the tank with my corals in it. None of them were my corals. Only one of my fish was in the tank. I told him what I left, he was in disbelief.

We got in his van and drove to his son's house, who was the guy I dropped the corals off with. He didn't want to let us in at first, but since the LFS's owners wife was inside baby sitting he didn't have much of a chance of that.

We walked over to his tank, and well, i honestly thought my pacisfisct very calm nice friend was going to hit his son in the face. He lost it. The LFS employee, the owners son had take all of the nice speciments home with him, pimped out his 90g.

He fired his son on the spot, told hm he could never step into his store again. At this point you might be thinking I was like "ya, that's what you deserve," but really I felt bad I had said anything at all. It was just sad. Still feel sad about it, though really it was of no fault of mine.

I went down to visit a couple months ago. Him and his son still hadn't spoke. His son had no job, no education, was just out of recovery when his dad gave him a good job and tried to get him in the family business.

The LFS owner did give me full sale price credit for all the stock I dropped off, little over a grand. I feel so bad about the situation I've never used it. I have ordered from him online twice, since he has the best stuff and prices around, but I used my wife's name.

My point is, no matter what the situation, when dropping off stock at an LFS for credit, don't leave without a reciept, no matter how well you know the owner or family. If I would have insisted on a reciept maybe this would not have been so ugly. At least a signed list of what you dropped off and a description I.E orange zoo 50+ polyps if not a price.

JME

Hop · 07-07-2007, 01:29 AM

Wow! That's a crazy story... It's a tough business and I guess it takes a tough man to be successful in it...

Doug1 · 07-07-2007, 01:40 AM

Bummer that they jerked you around like that, the gender bias is even worse but at this point I ma not sure what if anything you cn do, without a reciept or something it's your word against the dipsheet that took in your stuff.
Whn i worked in shops 30% was typical, maybe 50% for really nice saleble specimens, FWIW