Warning about Aqua Traders

[johnrunions]

I wanted to warn others of the product misrepresentation that aquatraders.com has. I ordered an Odyssea 72" 320W (4x80W) t5 HO Quad light fixture w/ built in digital timer. The picture on the website, where I ordered the light, the bulbs go from one end to the other. When I opened the box the lights were offset - making half my tank white, the middle mixed, and the other end blue. I called Aquatraders about it, they told me I would have to pay for shipping for the return fee and 20% restocking fee if I was dissatisfied. I explained to them that they misrepresented their product. They told me that the light that I ordered was the light that I received. I'm posting a picture of the light and a picture of the webpage - you tell me, who's misrepresenting here? The only upside is they have 8 blue moon LED's when the web site says 5.

If anyone is looking at buying a light from them, be forewarned, they misrepresent then hold you responsible. I have taken this to the Better Business Bureau.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. Everything that I have read about aquatraders has been bad. Unfortunately, pictures on websites tend to be manufacturer stock photos. Also, product design does change without notice.

80w t5s are also only 60" leaving 12" of space to make up to get your 72". You can swap one of the whites with one of the blues to get the color balanced, but then the timers will control one white and one blue each. Not the white and blue.

Shame that the seller wants to charge a restocking fee, but return shipping is usually on the back of the buyer. One of the drawbacks of ordering online.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Just noticed, that there is a note that the picture is a 48" fixture and that the 72" fixture may look different. It is even in your third photo.

Note: the picture above is a 48" fixture shown as a reference only; the 80W bulb is about 57" long; the actual product may look slightly different.

 

[wontonflip]

Sorry to hear your first post is a bad one, john, but Bj makes a good point on the warning.

 

[johnrunions]

Thanks to both of you... I will still be returning the light, I think it is a rip off.

 

[wontonflip]

I hate ordering online. Whenever I can, I'll order via my LFS so at least I know I can return it w/o issue if I don't like it :) But when I have no choice but to order online, I hem and haw for a long time before making the purchase LOL It took many phone calls and emails before I decided to make a leap and buy the Octopus :D

 

[Dana42078]

Sorry to hear. :( I try and read, read read...but hey i took a gamble this past week and it paid off....then again i never read any bad feeback on a google search......ask questions here before makin any major changes....always a plus to hear others feeback first.

 

[Bifferwine]

As others have pointed out, there is no such thing as a 72" T5 bulb, so if you know that, you expect the bulbs to be staggered like what you got. The problem is you didn't know that, and a small one line disclaimer under the picture saying this is not a picture of the actual light can be hard to tease out. I don't think Aqua Traders was dishonest or misleading, but I don't think they were as clear as they should be, either. About their return policy, that is BS. Unless a product is defective, most places will make you pay for return shipping, so I don't have a problem with that - you got what you ordered and it wasn't defective or broken. I do have an issue with a "restocking fee", though. It's important to read a company's return policy before you buy from them.

 

[wontonflip]

Best Buy has a restocking fee...which is why I try to avoid buying expensive things from them. Try as a consumer might, it's easy to overlook reading return policies. I usually only pay attention to policies when i'm spending a lot of money, so I know what could possibly go wrong....in fact, I like to read bad reviews more than good reviews because again, I want to see what issues people ran into, and I can be a little more prepared. I'm a pessimist like that :mrgreen: