SaltWaterFish.com lies about its guarantee!

:frustrat: I just wanted to warn everyone about the experience I recently had with SaltWaterFish.com. They lie about their guarantee policy!

I recently ordered about $200 worth of stuff from Saltwaterfish.com. 1 of the ordered items, a fire shrimp, arrived dead and the second fire shrimp died within about 12 hours of arrival. No problem - these things can happen. I informed Saltwaterfish.com, followed their guarantee procedures, and was credited the cost of the 2 shrimp (about $50) so I could purchase some more.

So far, so good. I then tried to use my credit to purchase more shrimp and was told there was an $80 minimum order amount. I wasn't too happy, but added one or 2 things I was going to buy later on anyway and got the order amount up to just over $100 dollars. Then, when I tried to apply the credit for the shrimp, I was told the $50 credit did not apply toward the minimum order amount of $80. So - in order to exercise my credit of $50, I first had to purchase over $130 in merchandise.

I contacted customer service on several occasions, and will save you the long version of the email threads. The short version was that they basically agreed that, yes, their policy was that I would have to spend $130 to get my 2 shrimp replaced and, if I didn't like it, that was just plain tough! Needless to say, I told them where they could put their shrimp and will never shop there again.

I'm hoping folks will see this before they buy from SaltWaterFish.com and be properly warned - their guarantee is a complete and total lie. They don't honor it unless you spend a lot more money with them each and every time you want to exercise a credit they issue.

 

Wow !!!! Thanks For The Tip...... I Have Actually Been Looking At Saltwaterfish.com For A Couple Different Things... I Think I Might Pass Now. Anyone Have Any Experience With Marinedepot.com ???? Let Me Know
Ray

 

Wow, I currently have credit with them for some anthias that arrived dead. Like you, I saved the bodies and mailed them back. It sucks to hear that I will have to spend a crapload in order to use that credit! Sounds really shady and dishonest to me.

I've ordered livestock from Marine Depot before and would highly recommend them.

 

Whew!!!
Luckily for me.....All 10 fish I ordered from them all survived.I use Liveaquaria.com only now,usually their Diver's Den.If something dies there's no mailing dead bodies back,no pictures and everything is credited asap.

 

Thanks For The Heads Up.

 

thanks for the warning. I try not to buy live critters online just because of reasons like this.

 

Wow, that stinks I was actually looking at getting some stuff too. I think I am just going to stick with Liveaquaria. They always back their stuff and you don't have to send the dead bodies back.

 

Luckily, I have never had to order livestock on line, living just 45 min. from Thatfishplace.This is good to know however.

 

Actually that policy has been used very often over the years by a lot of different retailers. Most retailers have minimum order amounts unless you are willing to pay additional for boxing and handling. Lots of retailers do not even give you that option of ordering less and paying for packaging materials. Few retailers will just send replacements at their expense, actually I do not remember the last retailer that did do that for me. Usually they expect to just add a credit to another order then minimums for that order of course do not include the cost/value of the replacement merchandise as they already lost the profit on that merchandise already. Retailers do not get refunds from their suppliers if the losses happened after they sold the live products. Non living merchandise however is replaced by the wholesalers or manufacturers to the retailers so they can afford to readily replace such items. As far as I can tell they are still honoring their replacement policy. I doubt there advertisements said their live replacements guarantees were stipulation free. I imagine that the majority of retailers in the aquatic industry use like policies in this regard.

 

SaltWaterFish.com also screwed me. 1st order was fine. 2nd order arrived dead. Took days to get a response, will not answer phones. Then only vague emails that had no concern. Salinity in the bags was off the chart and nothing had a chance. Guarantee is lies and you have to spend lots more to receive your credit. They emailed me sorry about your loss and case closed. I got no more responses. Worst customer service ever. They suck ooh: !!! Buy local if you can.

 

I ordered my zebra eel and a porc puffer from them the eel is awesome the puffer came in with visible ich and I treated it got better but was so tiny it got picked on by others prolly try someone else next time

 

Thanks. had the same experience, and have placed my last order with them.

 

Haha! I bet if we all added up our unusable saltwaterfish.com credits, it'd be in the thousands!

 

They sound like the absolute worst online aquarium dealer.

 

Thanks for the heads up! I have deleted them from my bookmarks so no chance of ordering from them lol Sorry to hear about all of your troubles with them.

 

ok i'm convinced, i wont be ordering from them.
even tho my buddy said he loves them.. (he's a lil odd tho)

 

project5k- I have ordered from them before and been happy with what I got. I have also ordered from them and been unhappy. I like others have a credit waiting for me when and if I order again. It's just best to go into something with your eyes wide open!

 

yea, well, i just know that with my luck, (and lack of cash) that if something did happen and i ended up with a credit, they would probably come up with some reason to say that my credit expired before i ever got a chance to use it... that or something would happen and i would have to get out of the fish tank hobby all together, and then i'd never use the credit.

I think i'll just stear clear of them to be safe on that count.