LFS Troubles...

[bshockstubb]

My LFs has treated me fairly good in the past years, gave me discounts and even free fish. But ever since they were bought out by a fanchise "NEIGHBORHOD PET PROFESSIONALS"(heres a website: http/www.kenpet.com/circprog.htm ) They turned the other cheek to me today to help a customer buying 2 $100 ferrets(they converted now to a LPS) They are now stocking dyed fish. I have bought my undied parroys from them(they gave me a 50% discount) I think its sad when Wal-mart has better looking fish than your LFS(and they do around here) This is the only LFS I know for 50 miles. Their bettas are labled as marbled(they are sick looking with speckled purple and blue over a pink-white body ) They look like they have nice looking fish now but at a high cost. they had an "IMPERIAL TIGER PLECO" labled for 50.00 but i think its a canystripe and they have some chinese hi-band sharks for 40.00 marked down from 70.00. I wish to remain loyal to the LFS i have visted for years, but ever since the francise took over they have gotten "crappy" Could mail-order my fish from now on be a better and cheaper way to go? Any opinions>

 

[fishdudein]

Sad to say, but when a franchise buys out a LFS, the LFS you are used to dealing with is gone. Even though the same tanks are there and they are in the same building. They may as well have gone out of business.

If you are as unhappy with this new store as you sound (and I can't blame you if they are selling dyed fish and using deceptive "marketing" names for common fish, I would be too) then I would definitely take my business elsewhere. If mail-order is your only option, there are a lot of people on this forum who have had excellent success with mail order. One trick I have learned: If you have hobbyist friends, get together with them and place your orders together and split the shipping costs (one of the biggest drawbacks of mail order).

I am all for supporting local business, but when it doesn't effectively meet the needs of the local customers, then they are not upholding their end of the equation.
Unfortunately, happens all too frequently with franchise operations.

 

[bshockstubb]

Thankyou, I have been looking at alot of mail-order sites. I have found liveaquaria, aquabid, petsolutions, and aquariumfish.net to be good sites. But I wish to know more info. on it or any good LFS in So. USA (california, nevada, arizona)

 

[fishdudein]

The only one that I have any personal experience with is Pet Solutions. As they are located in Ohio and I am in Indiana, if I place an order early on one day through the week, it will usually be here the following day...gotta love that! I have not ordered any fish from them, but haven't had anything to complain about so far in ordering dry goods from them. If you compare catalog prices, I have found them to be slightly less expensive, overall. A+ grade if you need to buy drygoods mail-order.

 

[bshockstubb]

Sounds good Thanks....Im gonna check in to my LFS thuis weekend when the franchise manager is away and talk to them, and see if they can special order me some nice fish.

 

[bshockstubb]

Well i just got back from the LFS...they had my special(and healhy0 fish i ordered....I got 2 male red dwarf groumis(wanted a female, but it came as an male ) and I got two swordtails....I am planning to put my groumis in my big tank(55) and put the swordtails insteaad of the big tank in with the mollies in the 40 gallon....sound good?