Who needs wholesalers/LFS/etailers, let's do a group buy

[Anonymous]

In a way it is sort of funny seeing the wholesalers get cut out too. I know many of them already allow the clubs to come in their facilities and sell direct to them at wholesale prices. Now the clubs want to buy at what the wholesalers buy for. :lol:

That seems like an awful bad thing, so I am going to ramble for a minute.

My local club in the Bay Area, BAR, holds its meetings at a local wholesaler because they have a rockin' space and are nice enough to let us, however it is very clear, and the club makes it clear to members, that there is NO buying from the wholesaler.
The club also doesn't do group buys because they are not worth the time it takes to pull off well. We have seen too many group buys become tar pits. This doesn't stop individuals from doing group buys though. I don't like group buys because they never seem to come to fruition in any kind of timely manner. I have seen some group buys for clean up crews, but I think the savings just isn't that great - though I understand wanting to get stuff the LFS aren't carrying. I would never want to be part of a group buy for other livestock for all the reasons mentioned.
Our club does have two items for sale at meetings. IC gel because local stores werent carrying it with any regularity and when they did it was at 3-4 times markup, and Mrs Wages because almost no one carries it in our area. I would like to see more clubs working to help everyone in the hobby, not be primarily buying groups (which by the way, violates their 501 c3 status because it benefits the individuals not the organization, but the IRS seems to stop looking at small non profits after they have been given 501c3 status). I get a bad taste in my mouth when clubs start talking about how to save money for members because I think the clubs can and should be more useful on the whole.

 

[Anonymous]

What if USFWS hangs up the shipment?

Ooops Since when is the USF&WS involved in domestic flights from HI?

 

[pyrrhus]

Given that a retailer sells to everyone - club members and non, and typically a retailer will order more volume, more frequently, it's a bad move for a collector or wholesaler to bite the hands that feed them by bypassing... like I said, I wouldn't support a supplier that I knew had done this.
Jenn

Once in awhile a customer will tell me that they "found" a great new source for fish that they have used. I usually politely inform them that I am not willing to support an operation that sells direct to hobbyist's.

 

[WayneSallee]

Going to FedEx to ship stuff results in questions every single time. I also always get the "Wow, you can ship fish like that?"

To which I reply...how do you think they got to the store? So far no one has answered.

I don't like getting livestock via FedEx. They have a higher cook rate. The cielings in their trucks are clear to let in the sun, becase they are too cheap to put a light in there.

I find DHL to have the lowest cook rate, as they are transported in vans with airconditioning.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets
[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

Well to each his own I guess. I used DHL and stopped once their overnight service stopped being overnight. Two weeks to SC is just unacceptable.

I used UPS and stopped when I shipped 7 packages overnight one day. All 7 were going to different places. 4 were lost, 2 were destroyed. All marked on the outside clearly as to what they contained. Two girls at the counter thought it was way cool what was inside. Try to get some satisfaction for my losses....turns out it was my fault cause not allowed to ship those things. Funny no one said anything when they took my money, only when I wanted it back.

I use FedEx for many reasons. One, I have a very low failure rate with them. Two, the people at the counter are very friendly and even go as far as getting my kids gifts. Three, they are open an hour later than anyone else around so that means less time in the bags for the stuff I ship. Four, I can insure my livestock should something on the rare occassion something go wrong...knock on wood. Also, I notice all my deliveries are done in the mercedes van except for anything I get ground.

 

[Anonymous]

Going to FedEx to ship stuff results in questions every single time. I also always get the "Wow, you can ship fish like that?"

To which I reply...how do you think they got to the store? So far no one has answered.

I don't like getting livestock via FedEx. They have a higher cook rate. The cielings in their trucks are clear to let in the sun, becase they are too cheap to put a light in there.

I find DHL to have the lowest cook rate, as they are transported in vans with airconditioning.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets
[email protected]

Blanket statement our Fedex trucks don't have clear tops, at least the ones the come to my facility 4x a week.

I prefer DHL though, I get far better rates from them, and the stuff typically gets there in 24 hours. I've only had 3 problems with them, and I ship roughly a hundred boxes a week thru them. I wish our DHL trucks out here had AC in the back

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah the rates I got from DHL were cheaper than anyone else as well. However, you gotta take in everything and see how it evens out. $10 cheaper (which really means nothing to me since it's passed on to the people who are buying) vs losing stuff altogether. I also recall the pickup time for my area was very early, like 4:30 or something in the afternoon.

I have better peace of mind with FedEx even though I have had billing issues with them in the past. Because of this I no longer use an account to ship but it doesn't bother me much.

 

[Anonymous]

No lost shipments here with DHL. P/U is later then Fedex for us. Fedex has done far more damage to us then DHL. Everyone has their own experiences though

Every $$$ saved helps when your shipping to an LFS. Our aquaculture customers don't mind shipping prices much though.

 

[WayneSallee]

I used UPS and stopped when I shipped 7 packages overnight one day. All 7 were going to different places. 4 were lost, 2 were destroyed. All marked on the outside clearly as to what they contained. Two girls at the counter thought it was way cool what was inside. Try to get some satisfaction for my losses....turns out it was my fault cause not allowed to ship those things. Funny no one said anything when they took my money, only when I wanted it back..

UPS used to be difficult about shipping livestock, but they have realized that they loose a lot of bussiness by doing so.

Here's a funny true story with UPS:

This was posted back in 1999

"I work for a company where we accept a large number of UPS packages. We kept
missing/losing deliveries and when we traced them, the log showed they were
signed for by "ITR."


After numerous complaints and claims, UPS finally called the driver in. She
explained that she was given WAY too many packages to deliver and, at the end
of the day, she would pull her truck up to the good ol' Missouri and toss
whatever remained in the truck.


ITR = In The River.


True story. She lost her job, we got a new delivery person on the route and
things are much better now. "

I use FedEx for many reasons. One, I have a very low failure rate with them. Two, the people at the counter are very friendly and even go as far as getting my kids gifts. Three, they are open an hour later than anyone else around so that means less time in the bags for the stuff I ship. Four, I can insure my livestock should something on the rare occassion something go wrong...knock on wood. Also, I notice all my deliveries are done in the mercedes van except for anything I get ground.

I can drop off a package at UPS as late as 9:00pm since I have an account, and all the paperwork is already done. Though if it were livestock, I would want to be a little earlyer, as the trucks leave at 9:00pm.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets
[email protected]

 

[WayneSallee]

I wish our DHL trucks out here had AC in the back

Here in sunny florida they use vans with air conditioning.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets
[email protected]

 

[Anonymous]

I wish our DHL trucks out here had AC in the back

Here in sunny florida they use vans with air conditioning.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets
[email protected]

Sunny California here, well, foggy right now :lol:

 

[Bebo77]

Hello i am Gabriel i am the one organizing the buy on Reef central... I think the ability for a fish to go from the catcher to the reefkeers tank in less than 24 hours is great.. Are there risks... yes but at the price saving you can buy 4 fish have 3 die and still come out with money on your pocket...

Now thats a good deal.

 

[Anonymous]

you can buy 4 fish have 3 die and still come out with money on your pocket...

Now thats a good deal.

LOL, I wonder if the three fish feel the same way.

 

[Anonymous]

Are there risks... yes but at the price saving you can buy 4 fish have 3 die and still come out with money on your pocket...

Now thats a good deal.

This is the same kind of "hobbyist" that opens up a thread and starts complaining about how money hungry the LFS are. I guess they all become that which they hate.

 

[Anonymous]

This is the same kind of "hobbyist" that opens up a thread and starts complaining about how money hungry the LFS are. I guess they all become that which they hate.

I've learned long ago that when you're in retail the majority out there are of the belief only they may do something for profit. All others should be set up to provide items to them for cost and damn those who don't.

 

[Bebo77]

Are there risks... yes but at the price saving you can buy 4 fish have 3 die and still come out with money on your pocket...

Now thats a good deal.

This is the same kind of "hobbyist" that opens up a thread and starts complaining about how money hungry the LFS are. I guess they all become that which they hate.

LFS mark up is over 300% are you telling me that they are not?

i go to the wholesellere her in LA whenever i can get someone to take me... i only with the public could go...

 

[Anonymous]

Are there risks... yes but at the price saving you can buy 4 fish have 3 die and still come out with money on your pocket...

Now thats a good deal.

This is the same kind of "hobbyist" that opens up a thread and starts complaining about how money hungry the LFS are. I guess they all become that which they hate.

LFS mark up is over 300% are you telling me that they are not?

That really depends. Some do. Some don't. Some do on some things, not on others.

i go to the wholesellere her in LA whenever i can get someone to take me... i only with the public could go...

Why do you think the public should go to wholesalers?
If they did sell to the public, the prices would rise to match those of LFS because there are costs that must be dealt with when dealing with public sales.

 

[Anonymous]

Are there risks... yes but at the price saving you can buy 4 fish have 3 die and still come out with money on your pocket...

Now thats a good deal.

This is the same kind of "hobbyist" that opens up a thread and starts complaining about how money hungry the LFS are. I guess they all become that which they hate.

LFS mark up is over 300% are you telling me that they are not?

i go to the wholesellere her in LA whenever i can get someone to take me... i only with the public could go...

So what's the difference on a 300% markup on a fish and paying for 4 and getting 1?

 

[dizzy]

i go to the wholesellere her in LA whenever i can get someone to take me... i only with the public could go...

Bebo if you want to go to the wholesalers and buy you need to join the local marine aquarium society. Why do I even bother posting if no one reads this stuff? If you want to go and buy as just a hobbyist you have got to be a highroller.

 

[Bebo77]

i go to the wholesellere her in LA whenever i can get someone to take me... i only with the public could go...

Bebo if you want to go to the wholesalers and buy you need to join the local marine aquarium society. Why do I even bother posting if no one reads this stuff? If you want to go and buy as just a hobbyist you have got to be a highroller.

We have several large wholesellers... our clubs only get us into a few of them and even then its only a couple times a year....

but true... if you pay retail for everything in this hobby you will go broke SOO fast...lol