Shop Bashing

[JarcaveParticipant]

I post on lots of aquatic forums as I know a lot of you do. Have you all noticed an increase in the amount of LFS bashing going on in recent years (Last 12 months or so) or is it just me?

There seems to be a lot of unfair criticism of LFS (It’s not all warranted for sure) on a lot of forums IMHO. Criticism usually involves bad advice and and stocking etc…

Just wondered what you chaps and chapesses thought?

P.S The first person to bash an LFS in this thread will be shot.

#340730

[MaltiParticipant]

can’t comment on any bashing, as I lessened much of my fora usage but could it be that the people have more knowledge now and thus complain more – for example the dreaded betta cups, or sick fish/overstocked aquariums?

[MatsPParticipant]

As I’ve explained in some of the other threads on this subject, the shop’s position isn’t easy, and there are several cases of “it’s bad advice because _I_ think it’s bad”, not “it’s bad advice in general terms”, as well as a most difficult posion for theshop in general.

So, yes, I agree that shops are often given bad rep. simply because it’s so easy to stand on the sidelines and say “that’s not right”.

—
Mats

[Mark DuffillParticipant]

The one thing I find is that a lot of the people who do this wont take advice anyway, there is one guy that I know of just recently, he complained that a shop had sold him a totally unsuitable fish for his tank but he had been told the same thing by several people on the forum an wouldnt listen.

I guess some people just dont want to listen to anyone but then blame anyone but themselves when things go wrong.

[MatsPParticipant]

I think most of the complaints are based around posts like “All my fish are dying…” followed after further questions by “I put them in three days ago, 48 hours after setting the tank up, just like the shop said”. This usually generates a barrage of “Shops shouldn’t be allowed to do that.”, “poor fish”, etc.

There are certainly customers who do not listen or do not tell the shop the (whole) truth.

—
Mats

[SojapatMember]

I see a lot of things posted here and there.
There are a for example people on forums attacking shops for how they keep fishes when they themselves are much worse but not in the public eye .
I will give you an example ,would you allow a 12 year old boy sat behind a computer ( people on forums are on user names and you dont know their status)to give you advice on how to fit new brakes to your car ?
Shops are in the public eye ,I for one have come under fire for how I maintain my fishes.
By people not fit to comment who have for one reason or another .
I had a guy bring me whitebait to feed to a newly imported FRESHWATER stingray .
He tried to tell me that a ray that had never ate saltwater fishes would after being stressed out starved and caught by a hook would eat this …
When I told him I would not eat this … for about 2-6 months he thought I was being funny.
Since then he slags me and my shop off at every oppertunity on forums about rays.
I have bred getting on for 100 fish he has bred his once ..
He also took it upon himself to tell the authorities that we were not keeping our fishes in the right conditions …which have to be investigated BY LAW.,..
But on the other hand there are a lot of nice people out there /wacko.gif” style=”vertical-align:middle” emoid=”:wacko:” border=”0″ alt=”wacko.gif” />

[EyrieParticipant]

I think it’s important that newcomers to the hobby are aware that not every shop gives good advice and consequently what they are told by the LFS needs to be double checked rather than relied on. As regards the validity of any criticism, the poster should be able to provide a coherant explanation of where the LFS has gone wrong which is robust enough to withstand scrutiny.

Those LFS which do give good advice deserve to be name-checked, in much the same way that a good garage will be recommended by satisfied customers.

[robertParticipant]

Hi all
well theres good shops and bad shops,as a channa keeper it breaks my heart when i visit
some of my local shops and they are keeping channa bleheri in tropical set ups when the bleheri is a sub trop species.also i see channa pulchra and ornatipinnis often been sold in tanks with big cichlids.channas fins are normally ripped up beyond repair.
So if the shops are keeping them in these conditions,id hate to think what advice they are giving their customers.
but i do visit some good trop shops ran by people who do offer good advice and do go out of their way to keep the fish in the correct conditions.
Only pain is i have to drive about 3hrs down a motorway,lol.
And i have some good friends that sort me out with some really good
fish.
But it works both ways the person buying the fish should do their own research
before they purchase.
Rob.

[andy rushworthParticipant]

Hi Rob, thats a good point about people researching the fish before buying

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