what would you say

[Scots_art]

Sorry , if this is the wrong section to post.

I am after a bit of advice.


As i am upgrading tank this year i got in touch with a custom Aquarium builder, he has never given me a 100% set price , just a "" rough guess "" which was £175 --- $281.
I recently found a local company only 26 miles from me , i sent them the tank design with all dimensions and they quoted me £65 - $104 so a saving of $177 minimum.
I re designed the tank so it was taller and the company local came back with a new price of £100--$160 so was still cheaper than the original "" rough price "" given to me by the other company.

Obviously i will be going with the local company , as they are local and also cheaper for a bigger tank.

But i am not sure how to tell the other person , i never committed anything to them or paid any money. But i am just not wanting to come across as though i was mucking anyone around , and the other person is a forum sponsor and i still want to buy a skimmer from him as hes the cheapest in the UK for the skimmer , he sells it for £75--$120 where as every where else in the UK seems to be wanting $300+.

so how is the best way to inform the other guy that i will be using an other company ?

 

[Salty B]

Tell them the truth! Maybe they will come back at you with a better offer. If they treat you like crap, then you know how their customer service is poor and not someone you want to deal with anyways.

 

[dannyboy]

Ya, truth is usually best, maybe first guy will come down on price. It's also nice to do business with someone local. Help your neighbor, and if you have any problems there right there.

One other thing to consider is WHY? Why is the tank that much cheaper? Not as good quality, thinner glass, no warranty? Same with skimmer, why is it so much cheaper somewhere else? IMO, when something too good to be true, it usually is.

 

[Bifferwine]

Do you have to tell him anything? If he asks, tell him the truth. If he doesn't ask, then let it slide and don't bring it up yourself. :) Anyone that is in a business where they have to provide quotes for customers has been turned down for various reasons. It's nothing new, and I doubt he will think anything of it.

 

[Scots_art]

that is how things in the UK work , people want quotes so we know what price to pay especially when it comes to custom made tanks.
and that is one crazy business here in the UK...
the original guy i was going to use is nearly 300 miles away from me , and is a 1 man business where his dad some times helps out and delivers all his tanks him self rather than use any delivery company.

The local company is a bigger business with a warehouse and several staff members who make the aquariums by hand . as for the original guy i was going to use he does not price match or beat a price you have been given.
I spoke with a few of his customers and they all say the same , everything is done to suit him , one customer of his had to wait 8 weeks for a small 20 Litre aquarium , and he made a deal for a more powerful light and custom made stand . the guy showed up with a basic light and no stand and is now saying it will take several weeks to deliver.

these are the following quotes i had for the tank...
the company who have quoted me the cheapest price gives a warranty of 6 years as standard with all there aquariums.

$3000
$8000
$858
$281
and then the cheapest $160.

regarding the skimmer it is the Bubble Magus NAC QQ if i remember rightly and again the price is huge from shop to shop the bubble magus is regarded as the muts nuts here in the UK and prices reflect that depending which area of the UK your in , and from store to store.

some of the prices for the skimmer :-

$600
$594
$555
$496.52
and the price the guy sells it for at $120.

 

[Scots_art]

ah well it looks like i will be looking to buy a tank from a store.

the company that i was originally going to get the tank from has still not got back to me with a price ( theres a surprise ) , and the local company i was going to use .. i will no longer be using them , i wont say why in a public forum just incase it is against the rules etc.
and i cant find any more companies in Scotland that make custom tanks , i did get in touch with a glass maker who advertises they can make glass for aquariums but you have to stick it together your self. i sent of the sizes needed and i was told it will only cost me $800 and $80 delivery.

So i have started to look for large enough tanks online that i can just order up and have delivered.

 

[FishyReef]

Unless you are getting a very large tank, then I think buying a premade aquarium is just fine. What size tank are you looking to get?

 

[Scots_art]

24" x 17" x 21" with false wall so i can hide all equipment in back of tank , and the main display area of the tank was going to be 24 x 17 x 17".

i do not want a sump so all equipment was as i say going to be housed in the back chambers . hence why i was wanting to stay away from premade , i am not needing a cabinet with the tank as i made my own. and all premade marine tanks in the UK are over priced and come with cabinet. so i was looking at buying a normal tropical tank on its own . the onlyone i have seen that is about the size i need is the Fluval Roma 125 L . just the down side to that is all the equipment is then going to be on show lol. but not a lot i can do if companies dont want my money and other companies are not exactly safe.

this is the tank i wanted made , made this way so when i am sitting at my computer and turn around to look , it would look like the front of the tank to me , rather than looking down the side of a normal tank.

 

[ErinCahir]

Why don't you want a sump?

And what you're talking about is basically a do-it-yourself all-in-one (like a biocube).

 

[Scots_art]

i do not want a sump because the last one i had made for me was nothing but hassle , a pain in the ass , annoying , and did not work i was for ever having a main display tank overflowing or the sump overflowing. and i want to do without all the messing around with pipe work and the price of a sump.

making it my self is out the question due to price of glass being cut , polished etc ... as i say most companies were wanting to charge me $800 just for the glass and then $80 delivery , and those kind of prices for the size of tank i want i personally think is crazy.

 

[ErinCahir]

Many of us have made sumps out of regular tanks, there's nothing custom about them.

That being said, there's nothing wrong with with your plan.

 

[Redfoot]

just to point out, the USA has a totally different economy than the UK, converting a UK price to a USA dollar price is not as simple as using a currency converter.

 

[Scots_art]

never one said it was as easy as using a currency converter , but what it does do is show what the prices are like depending on where you are in the UK.

i am well aware of how things work in America as i have spoken to many who have built there own tanks ( not from marines but freshwater ).
Many years ago i spoke to one American who managed to build his own aquarium 7ft x 3ft x 3ft for $600. and he asked me to price it all for where i live ( Scotland ) and because we do not have a great deal of Aquarium shops it was going to cost me $4000 for the equiv here in Scotland, he asked me to get a friend in England to price the same size tank and she could have built it for $984.

 

[Redfoot]

$600 in USA $984 in UK but $4000 in Scotland :shock: mate I really think you have got your figures crossed here and £64 for a custom tank that shape and size 24" 17" by 21" was never going to happen, there are loads of custom builders in the UK no need to limit yourself to Scotland but if you can pick up a custom tank that size for £64 that's where I'm going for my tank.