Dead Ebjd - Are Maiden Head Aquatics Taking The Micky

[Ryan_W]

Right guys and gals,

Here's a quick breakdown of whats happened.

2 Dec 10 - Buy EBJD from MA. Acclimatise for 45 mins, fish seems healthy and starts to explore its new home.

3 Dec 10 - Fish is spending lots of time hiding in one plant, but is eating well and seems ok.

4 Dec 10 - Turn tank lights on at 9am to find one dead EBJD.

The fish had no marks on it, nothing visually wrong with it, just dead!

Water stats were/are:

ph 7.6
26 degrees
NH3: 0
NO2: 0
NO3: 10

Filter is a Fluval FX5 with 6 month old mature media (both mechanical and biological).

All other fish are fine, growing well and super healthy. Fed 2 or 3 times a day. Tank is always spotless (I'm a perfectionist), no fish have any signs of disease. I do a 50% WC on a weekly basis.




So, I took the fish back on Sunday morning to MA of Cambridge where I purchased the £30 fish from. I take the fish and a water sample from my tank. I tested the water that very morning with my 3 month old API Freshwater Master Test Kit, which returned 0, 0, 10ppm....

A girl working in the shop tells me that it's quite common for EBJDs to drop dead all of a sudden and that they've had it happen to their stock before. I hand her my water sample and she pulls out some prehistoric looking Hagen test kit and starts to test my sample.

Ten minutes later she comes to tell me that my water sample is showing:

NH3: 0.5
NO2: 0.25
NO3: 20


She then says that they can't replace the fish or give me my money back since it's my fault that my tank wasn't ''matured'', the
I get the manager over who says that its my fault again and says that my test kit must be wrong?! I said it isn't wrong, the API uses a two-step ammonia test whereas their joke of a test kit only used a one-step ammonia test (not as accurate). He then says, and I quote "whatever mate", to which I nearly blow a gasket!

I ask for the HQ address of MA to which I am currently compiling a letter of complaint to.

Now am I or am I not completely in my rights to send a letter saying I'm disgusted in MAs customer service and claim for a refund for the poor quality of fish they're selling?!

Don't get me wrong, I think MA on a whole are a reputable company, but this of a manager was so rude, ignorant and didn't care for what I had to say, it's left me seething!



My water is still showing 0/0/10, I've checked it about 10 times since Sunday! All fish are still fine, I'm just £30 out of pocket and missing my EBJD!


Sorry for the rant, any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Ryan

 

[the biffster]

were there test tubes clean
did they clean them before
they did your test only
something i am pointing
out dirty test tube give
false readings

 

[Ryan_W]

No, didn't see her clean out the test tubes, or the pipet for that instance!....... You don't realise how shabby and ancient the kit looked, can't have been in date!

 

[elisew]

I personally wouldn`t say thats the normal, standard reaction from MA staff, certainly not the kind of attitude I`d get from my local MA anyway.
Sounds like you have a manager who needs a lesson in Customer service

Good on you for writing to their Head Office to complain, let us know how you get on

 

[star4]

Sorry to hear about your EBJD, I have read and been told they are not the hardiest of fish and many do just die. Do you have another shop where you could get your water tested and will they write it down to show MA their readings are incorrect?

 

[Ryan_W]

I'll pop into my local LFS Water Zoo and get them to test my water... It's not really the fact that I'm £30 out of pocket, just the rudeness and audacity of the manager!

I won't buy from that MA again due to principle, I won't advise it to anyone on here...

 

[bae1994]

I'll pop into my local LFS Water Zoo and get them to test my water... It's not really the fact that I'm £30 out of pocket, just the rudeness and audacity of the manager!

I won't buy from that MA again due to principle, I won't advise it to anyone on here...

waterzoo's a great shop also my lfs

is it the ma in crowland or the one in the new van hage shopping centre?

 

[Ryan_W]

Neither, both of those are great, bought fish from both of them.

I went to the MA in Cambridge, near Madingley. Great selection of fish, amazing Discus but their EBJDs aren't all that......

 

[mattlee]

sorry to hear this news mate

as star mentioned the EBJD can be a very sensitive fish and for some reason just die, even at 4-5 inches they can just drop dead with no apparent reasons. only a small percentage actually make it to adulthood, its something to do with the blue gene making them weak

i do think you are right to send a letter or email to head office though about the staff

 

[Twinklecaz]

I'd say they're slightly negligent not making it clear to customers how likely to die these fish are. Also, did they ask to test your water or at least ask how mature your tank is before they sold it? If not they have no right using that as a reason not to refund.

 

[Ryan_W]

No, they never said anything about how mature my tank was, nor did they ask what fish it would be housed with, how large the tank was etc...

I'll post the draft letter on here for all to see before I send it. Maybe you lot can help me with it?

Ryan

 

[fluffycabbage]

Thats disgusting. Its standard policy at my MA that if a fish (or several) fish die within 7 days of purchase, they will refund or replace them (provided you have a receipt, or know you i guess!) I dont like buying from there though purely because they use RO water, so when they go into my tank which is clean and mature its still not good enough for some of them to cope with.
#40## right you're in the right for complaining about the staff, and make sure you tell them about the crappy test kit too!

 

[star4]

It is worth a try, but I suspect you will find somewhere in tiny weeny writing in their policy some fish are not covered by a guarantee, EBJD most likely one of them due to their weak nature.

 

[Mogs26]

It is worth a try, but I suspect you will find somewhere in tiny weeny writing in their policy some fish are not covered by a guarantee, EBJD most likely one of them due to their weak nature.

Probably true, but still no excuse for rudeness and poor customer service-write to their head office and give them stick for that alone and you should get a decent response, especially if you tell them that you are a member and frequent poster on an international tropical fish keeping forum, which includes hundreds if not thousands of UK members and that you would be relating this tale as a warning to ALL the members on here not to use that shop!
Good luck!
Carole x

 

[spike123]

i agree with mogs26 about being a member of this site i think this would kick them into gear.personally coming from a retaiing background if our manager spoke to anyone like that he would be straight out sacked that is totally and unquestionably out of order.after reading everything on this post i will no longer be buying from MA.
regards
spike
p.s put this link on the letter to this post to show how dissapointed you are as i would have done my nut in any shop where the manager spoke to me like that and prob got myself arrested in the process.stick to your principals though mate definatly and hope other members boycot MA for fish anyways.