Reef Discussion

[Sam Parker]

Was browsing facebook last night when I saw a lovely picture of 4 bright coloured ricordeas for sale from an aussie online seller. They look nice I thought to myself, wonder how much they are?. Click on the picture to find that old chestnut, PM for price.

Now- I am pretty old school like this, I wont attend house auctions, will leave a store that doesnt have prices on things and can't stand this PM for price or PM your offer crap.

So I post a question, "Why not just list the price?" to which I get the response: "just to see who the serious people are from the time wasters Sam Parker"

I reply with "This makes no sense, surely having people PM you just to find out the price wastes more time?"

Then I get this chat session happening (name and profile picture edited to save them from embarrassment):

End result - my comments deleted and I'm banned from their facebook page hahahahahaha.
Following that, I had a few people private message me to say that they are sick of the games some stores are playing and that they have been 'played' recently by stores pitting buyers against each other in what is effectively a silent auction. My comments were gaining a number of 'likes' before being deleted too :) (probably why they were deleted!)

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is - if you don't want the hobby to head in this direction, let a seller know when you see them doing it. The more that let them know, the more chance we have of it stopping :)

P.S. The florida ricordeas that were for sale are illegal in Australia too. If caught with them you will have your entire tank confiscated and can do up to 25 years behind bars....

 

[chimaera]

I agree that the lack of transparency can be annoying. I am not against auctions per se, as long as they are open and clearly defined. But 'pm for prices' is definitely annoying and I avoid them too.

As for LFS with no prices, annoys the shit out of my also! So many do it and I never understand why, I often see a nice piece unpriced but don't bother to ask how much, just walk away. Was very glad when Reeflections moved to clearer pricing for their stuff.

 

[Sam Parker]

yeah true - I don't mind an auction on a small set of pieces, because otherwise you can not even get the opportunity to buy. Or it is especially good for fundraising for charities.

Buyer beware though, don't get caught with florida ricordeas, they are illegal....

 

[Schnecke]

I came across the same seller/photo and rolled my eyes at the way they were offered for sale.

Thanks for listing this information - I will not bother to remain a member of the page.

Cheers :-)

 

[Sam Parker]

As hobbyists, we can make a difference if we band together against this sort of practice. If not, well look forward to silent auctions and inflated pricing for ever!

Sam

 

[Ben S]

More to the point ... why pay a sh*t load of money for something that is worth approx £15 in the UK, so roughly $27 AUD with today's exchange rate.

I love my Ric's just as much as the next person and I gave away a number of variety of colours before I left, but to inflate the price of something that's just not worth it is crazy in my eyes.

 

[Sam Parker]

illegal = rare = expensive :P

 

[Ben S]

illegal = rare = expensive :p

haha ... good point

 

[Darkspartan]

haha ... good point

Haha I saw this chat today Sam Parker! I'm over the auctions and PM for price as well.

I saw one that was running an auction that didn't even have a time it ended. Basically it was when ever the seller felt fit to say over. It was clearly to rip off whoever...

BTW, ricordea florida are now rampant in those facebook groups.... whether you are pro or no to them selling, just stating an observation.

I havent really had much chance to sell frags etc (did some this and last week for the first time). Prices clearly marked.

 

[Darkspartan]

Also over the LFS no prices.... I've even tested it. I've gone in and asked how much with one guy then got my partner to go in to another guy. funnily enough it was nearly double the price within 10min!!! haha

Though some aquariums like Aquaristic at Beconsfield may not always have the prices on the tanks however its usually because they've just recieved a shipment and come back in an hour or so and surely they are all marked.

Plus don't they get sick of someone there going 'how much is this? how much is that? oh what about that one?..... 3 min later 'how how much is that again?' :P

 

[ezza]

it sounds like the people running these businesses need to have the department of fair trading investigate their practises. it would be interesting to know how many are lodging correct taxation records.

i would love to know which store it was so i can avoid them. i don't buy a lot from online auctions... but i dislike shady characters. (figured out the store... )

 

[Darkspartan]

Random online stores/facebook stories are popping up all over the place! Half the time they're not even linked to a real store per say.

 

[Sam Parker]

lol @ the auction with no end date.... That is just terrible...

I see someone else must have said something unfavourable to business because there was an edited response having a stab back at someone whose comment no long existed....

If you were following this "business" on Facebook, you would have seen the 4 bright rics - they were amazing :)

 

[Aspidites]

Due to continuing complaints we have had a LFS start pricing their corals in the tanks. They had many people doing the partner asked then I ask test, then getting different prices and then walking in and asking which price is it thing many times!
Also they had some Agrade acans sold at $60 when the price was worth three or four times that!!
If the shops are swithed on, eventually they listen to the customers

 

[Aspidites]

A bit more info, be careful who you tell if you have them..... this was taken from WA govt dept.

It is illegal to have R. florida in one's possession within Australia.

Part 13A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act), administered by the Commonwealth Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, has an EPBC Act Live Import List. Species not included on the EPBC Act Live Import List may not be imported into Australia, and R. florida is not listed. As such, live specimens of R.florida are considered to be a prohibited import under Australian law. The Department has advised the Marine Aquarium Society of Western Australia (MASWA), who contacted the Department for clarification of this issue, that it is an offense under section 303GN of the EPBC Act for a person to be in possession of a regulated specimen (whether it is live, or non-live) that has been unlawfully imported into Australia. Penalties of up to 5 years imprisonment or fines of up to $110,000, or both can apply. For more information on the regulation of international trade in wildlife, please see Wildlife trade and conservation.

 

[Sam Parker]

All we can do is let them know. They can either listen, ignore it, act or not act. Or, I guess they can abuse you and ban you. lol

 

[SpikeHoover&Rocky]

stores dont do prices to rip off the lay person. Had this one guy yesturday try sell me a fluffy morph as a ric for $350. they try gauge who they are talking to and if they get away with it they will.

 

[Sam Parker]

stores dont do prices to rip off the lay person. Had this one guy yesturday try sell me a fluffy morph as a ric for $350. they try gauge who they are talking to and if they get away with it they will.

short sightedness... Burning noobies will only kill the hobby and therefore their livelihood!

 

[SpikeHoover&Rocky]

short sightedness... Burning noobies will only kill the hobby and therefore their livelihood!

Correct

 

[Darkspartan]

stores dont do prices to rip off the lay person. Had this one guy yesturday try sell me a fluffy morph as a ric for $350. they try gauge who they are talking to and if they get away with it they will.

hmmm this is just ridiculous!

Personally I'm all for naming and shaming these businesses (however probably not within the forum rules and what not)... Look i understand you chuck $20 extra on something you may be able to get away with.... but a $30 fluffy morph for $350 or so.... what a joke. And when that new reefer goes to pick up some $15 frags and sees that same fluffy for $15... it really upsets you...

It's doubtful that R. florida and whatnot is particularly high on the prosecutions list... They're being offered as 'rics' (no actual inclusion of florida) for incredible prices... these people fall for the trap and some i'm sure know the true nature of the coral (who hasnt seen some beautiful yumas and gone looking only to stumble upon floridas). Over the past year I've noticed such dodgy and unsavory individuals taking advantage of reefing. I saw a basic green ric the other day for $120!!!! All because it had a tiny bit of medium bright green on edges... hahaha rant over...