Comments on Fish as Pets; Aquarium, Pond News, Reviews: Pet Mountain Review; Parasite Reseller

I too had problems with TruAqua . While there prod...

2012-02-06T14:29:17.103-08:00

I too had problems with TruAqua . While there products look nice their customer service does not exist . I questioned the sales person ( whom could not answer anything about the product ) and then got my order cancelled ? May be he did me a favor ?

One point Steven and Carl missed is the point made...

2012-01-16T16:41:40.855-08:00

One point Steven and Carl missed is the point made about some manufacturers selling direct now.

The important point here is that IS that business practices carried out by Pet Mountain and others is a major cause of this.

I too am in the professional aquarium business (since 1987) and know first hand the issues this has caused (Hagen is an example here).

Free Shipping is also popular gimmick that must be made up elsewhere. Frankly you would be better off with a company that caps their shipping at say $15 for $100 and no further shipping charges are then added. THEN receive better information, customer service, innovation, and most importantly; MORALITY (as Carl noted)

What it comes down to IMHO is if you are buying from such a business you become part of the problem, not the solution. This is no different than whining about Bank of America while keeping all your accounts open with them (I understand some are “trapped in loans, etc.).

Sorry for the harsh words, but this is a serious issue that is far from the best interests of this hobby and industry

I am the person referred to by Steven that has bee...

2012-01-15T12:38:15.350-08:00

I am the person referred to by Steven that has been in this industry for over 30 years (over 40 in the hobby).
I knew a man who came in to help “salvage” one of the better aquarium supply distributors in the So. California region (in the 90s) that not only sold common products, but also promoted innovation that was becoming increasingly absent in the industry.
His comments as to retailers similar to Pet Mountain displayed his frustration in that he personally saw the harm these retailers and manufacturers who kissed their feet caused the hobby and industry.
Sadly after he left, this distributer went under (around 2005).

I have seen good manufacturers harmed too by the business practices noted here, one such recent example is Ancient Mariner (whom also was cutting edge with their products, but alas are currently no more).

And finally I have answered so many emails and talked to so many persons directly as to the misinformation that this type of disingenuous retailing causes to the buying public.

As Steven noted, it is your money, but to me morals are more important to me.

Yourgoodsons; I certainly understand and respect ...

2012-01-15T10:45:38.342-08:00

Yourgoodsons;

I certainly understand and respect your point, however my point is one of morality.
This company is well known in the industry to make deals to manufacturers that lock out the companies that made their business in the first place. Weco and API are good examples.

On the other hand SeaChem realizes that their products still need the professional aquarium keeping community to provide accurate information and have made what is called MAP pricing and any retailer that sell lower (or wholeseller) is cut off.

As well I that this company will swoop in after others have done the hard work and essentially take their business via back room deals and then later provide inaccurate product information.

If this is the kind of place you want to do business with, go right ahead, but in knowing others who have been in this business over 30 years, they have seen many times over how this mentality actually destroys the hobby and only promotes the lowest common denominator of product, information, and worse.

As an independent pet retailer and service company...

2012-01-15T09:31:05.792-08:00

As an independent pet retailer and service company, I find it interesting that I have to spend $75 with Pet Mountain to get free shipping but $100 from a wholesale distributor or manufacturer to get free shipping. This is not a problem when it comes on food deliveries, I'm spending over $500 on my smallest of three weekly deliveries.
There are times I use PetMountain because two aquatic manufacturers no longer use wholesalers and only sell direct, and it makes it easier to get free shipping combining two brands into one. As far as I am concerned, Pet Mountain is not my direct competitor, rather they are one of my wholesalers.

I am sorry my last comment was so blunt and you fe...

2011-12-04T14:22:07.980-08:00

I am sorry my last comment was so blunt and you felt it should be removed (I was only telling the truth)
Anyway as someone also in this aquarium business (I have been maintaining aquariums since 1987); I find it frustrating when one runs their business with honesty and integrity, then resellers such as Pet Mountain or worse TruAqua come along and treat others I know in the industry without any regards to ethics.

For me as a maintenance professional, I see the fruits of misinformation that many sell (not necessarily just those this blog post refers to).
I will leave it at that, hopefully this will be regarded as constructive, but factual critique.

Thanks for a great blog Caring for cats

Hey, what happened to most of your content about T...

2011-08-05T17:21:10.361-07:00

Hey, what happened to most of your content about TruAqua?

I went to send this to a friend that told me of his frustration in dealing with this company, and most of what you wrote is gone?

2011-07-26T18:27:13.008-07:00

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.