"Poorly packed fish in box of incorrect size. "We've been doing this a long time," is your expected answer. ***Seller did admit they can have trouble shipping larger fish. Would feel safe ordering smaller, juvenile fish again, but would not recommend ordering adults.*** Important to note that other fish arrived in one piece and happy with those.
Very lackadaisical assistance from the seller. Was able to get quick e-mail responses, but very little action when there was an issue. Retailer is very set in ways, and would not deal with issue when it occurred. Keep in mind they hide behind 2 hour policy. Even if you are busy resuscitating a smashed fish- paramount to contact seller with picture immediately! Contact seller first then deal with the injured fish.
In my case, one bag leaked leading to traumatic fish injury and alive in a few ounces of water. Opened a box with water scattered all over newspaper packing material. Packing was not crumpled nor fluffed between bags (bags packed densely bag to bag), but single wrap of newspaper around bags and a layer of crumple at the very top only.
Bags housing fish are the same thin plastic bags you get from regular storefronts. Other online sellers ship with thick membranes; this seller sends fish double bagged secured with rubber bands at the opening just like you'd get from buying fish right at a regular storefront. Insulation included is 0.25-0.5 inch foam board cut to fit inside cardboard walls of box.
Plant life is hit or miss. Received a plant barely alive and it also died within a few days time. Should not have sent plants in that poor of condition. However, plants that were in good condition at arrival did fine. One plant was canceled by seller that they claimed was shredded by a fish, and was refunded immediately. No time was given to adjust order otherwise nor to receive a different plant in the order."
"Cichlid Station,
Is by far the best place online that I have ever dealt with and have ordered cichlids/plecos from! The selection of different fish may not be as big as some others, however, they are very much healthy and before you know it, they are a nice size, without taking away any of the appealing features of the fish! Some online people sell bigger fish, however, this does not mean they are always healthy, etc. Cichlid Station is very personal and down to earth and treats every customer as if the customer was family for life, and that is what I like most about these people! The are very fast, friendly, knowledgeable if you have any questions and also very accomadating to any requests you have, so give them a try! I am definately a customer for life!"
""If more people ran a business like you and your wife the world would be a better place to do business!"
This is a quote from an email I sent to them. They are extremely friendly and unbelievably accommodating. It was a great experience and great quality fish."
"I just received my third order from Cichlid Station last Friday. Margie has been very helpful with each of my orders and has alwasy been willing to accomidate my special requests for delivery dates. I have purchased a total of 14 fish and with the exception of one minor issue (that was addressed properly and professionally) the fish have been spectacular. I am very pleased to write a recommendation for the company and hope that they continue to grow and continue to deliver high quality products and outstanding service. Well done guys!"
"Cichlid Station is a great store - I have purchased from several online fish suppliers and my experience with the folks at Cichlid Station is my preferred one. I really appreciate the selection that they have and the care that they took in shipping. All my future purchases will be with them."
"Finally a real store, run by real people, with reasonable prices and outstanding service. Cichlid Station has a great site, I really appreciate the changing inventory and the fact that they ONLY show fish they have in stock. I was so tired of second class sites - pawing through outdated lists and then calling to try and get people on the phone. Finally found Cichlid Station. They are online only... I don't have to compete with in store customers... they have a real store - I can choose and checkout... and they answer questions in a timely manner. Home Sweet Home."
"I have ordered many times from the good people at Cichlid Station. My first order was almost a year ago and I have been more than satisfied with every interaction. The quality of the fish, the outstanding personalized service, and the unusual selection are just a few of the things that set these folks apart. I have had the pleasure through the last year of watching this company grow and it is clear that are always looking for ways to improve what is already an outstanding and exceptional experience. I heartily recommend them."
"All of the fish I purchased are alive and well. Incredible customer service and specially ordered fish for me. I really appreciated the phone call. I highly recommend this business to anyone looking to purchase fish."
"To whom this concerns, today is 'Groundhog Day'...
even way up here in Bethel, Alaska where there's not much chance of anyone here seeing shadows any-
time soon before high noon! If I had not had the great fortune of discovering 'Cichlid Station' on-
line, I might've succumbed to 'cabin fever' or perhaps even 'S.A.D.' by now...no joke! The good
folks Terry & Margie (proprietors of 'Cichlid Station') came through for me when I needed them most by safely & speedily facilitating the transfer of some beautiful, healthy, exotic aquatic specimens from them to us recently...TYVM U2!
I mustn't fail to mention that the cordiality with which I was treated was the most gratifying
& reassuring aspect of the transaction. That said I
will cut to the chase. What it was that closed the deal for me with them was the fact that in the
weeks prior to deciding whether or not to make an
initial purchase I was able to moniter the stock inventory on a real-time basis...this is unheard of with the larger vendors. I would honestly like to propose a toast now; Long live Cichlid Station!
P.S., From a consumer stance I would change nothing about how business transpired...with full
confidence I'd recommend them to anyone where my reputation was on the line as a proffessional critic>"
"I have placed 4 orders now with CichlidStation, and have nothing but great things to say about this company. My first order was for just one Pleco, the last three orders have totaled 14 more. I am a huge Plecostomus fan, and after doing quite a bit of online research, I found CichlidStation to have a varied selection and the best pricing/shipping combination I could find.
Admittedly, I was leery about how well fish would do in the mail but tired of the limited local fish store offerings. Also, upon arrival of all my orders, I can't express enough how impressed I have been with the quality products used in their packaging process.
Recently I received my first winter package, and even with the unforeseen FedEx weather delays resulting in almost 40 hours of packaged time, all 5 fish arrived alive and vigorous.
During this delay, I received several unsolicited calls and emails from Terry & Margie at CichlidStation letting me know they were working with FedEx to keep me posted and comforted.
In this day and age, I could hardly believe how cordial, courteous, professional and caring they were towards their customers.
A breath of fresh air...
-Vaughn
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