# onlineaquariumstore?



## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

Has anyone used this place?

I paid for a Fluval FX5 last week and since Thursday the status has been "awaiting shipment". They're not responding to emails via their support ticket system and it seems impossible to get through on the phone.

I'm a tad worried that I might have been had.


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## andy007 (May 13, 2008)

Hi mate

We used them at the beginning of the year......utter rubbish i'm afraid.

We ordered about £150 worth of equipment. They were quick to take the money and crap at returning emails. When the stuff never arrived i rang them. Spoke to the owner/manager, he told me he was waiting for the light units. I informed him that on the terms and conditions it stated that they would send part orders if there was something out of stock. He didn't even know that and i had to tell him where on his site it was! Its no longer there though.
Waited again for the delivery, didn't arrive. Spoke to him again and it turns out that out of about 15 items they only had 3 in stock, not just the lights like he told me the week before. 
I cancelled the order! He admitted that their customer service was rubbish! And he was the owner. He even admitted that he had lied to me!
They dont keep hardly anything in stock, but source it after the order comes in


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## LDP (Jan 16, 2008)

From what I've heard this is common practice for them.

Luckily I was warned off using them by someone at another forum.

They have 2 sites The Online Aquarium Store and The Online Vivarium Store.


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

I may have a fair wait then even though I've only ordered one item  I assumed, wrongly it seems that they were like most companies and actually had the stock they were selling.

I've noticed that towards the bottom of their terms and conditions page that it says "We will normally send your order to you in 5 business days ." so I guess I'll wait and see.


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

I got a reply a few minutes ago to my query on delivery. Apparently it should be shipped "any day now". A bit vague but at least it's positive contact.


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## Sweetcorn (Aug 2, 2008)

Hiya

I'm Andy007's other half. I really hope you do get your order unfortunately we had the same sort of email on a Friday to say we would definately get our order on the Monday and a week later had to chase them up again. This was when he finally admitted that he didn't have half the stuff we ordered.

Fingers crossed that they've improved their service since then!!!


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## Marinam2 (Sep 4, 2007)

I also ordered an FX5 from them and was indeed kept waiting and waiting and when i phoned for the third time to cancel my order and get back my money the owner shouted at me and called me names!!!!!!!!!!!

You best cancel your order and use someone else!!

LDP It was probably me i kicked off big time about it, on the livefoods forum and a fishy forum.

Marina


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## Berber King (Dec 29, 2007)

Try maidenhead aquatics on-line,their usually price matched,and have stuff in stock!


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## xyra (Apr 26, 2007)

I've met the chap that runs it. About a year or so ago I discovered it was based down the road from me so drove down and had a chat with him.

He was a nice chap, but a bit overwhelmed by the level of orders as he had just moved. Was very honest and helpful, if a touch unorganised, though. He was trying to set up a full fish shop at the time, don't know how far he's got.

I know the stock level on the site wasn't a realtime thing at the time. If you speak to him he may well be able to substitute something.


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## Marinam2 (Sep 4, 2007)

Honest this shop is nothing but useless if i could find the thread that i complained and warned everyone else about i'd show you the number of negative responces and funnily enough i think there was just one satisfied customer!

Marina


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## brown1688 (Jul 6, 2009)

*mr fed up*

bought filter from this lot it, arrived in pieces, have tried to contact them by Telephone , they have an 0870 number and you are kept holding and cannot speak to any one, have tried e mailing them and get no reply . there is noway to conntact this lot and they should be avoided like the plague, paid by barclaycard and they offer no help I am resigned to losing nearly £200.00 .I have now contacted office of fair trading my last hope

LET THIS BE A WARNING TO ANYONE CONSIDERING DEALING WITH THIS COMPANY


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## xyra (Apr 26, 2007)

Is a shame the problems people are having. I met the bloke running it a while back (its only a few miles from my house) and he seemed really nice and laid back if a bit overworked and disorganised at the time. I honestly expected it to be a great store in time :/

(i bought from them successfully a while back - over a year ago - as i said in a previous post and was very happy with the purchase)


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## andy007 (May 13, 2008)

The store has had a poor reputation for well over a year. Its easy for someone to be nice face to face. Shame he doesn't show the same respect for his online customers. I spoke to him on the phone on a number of occassions about my order at the beginning of last year. He point blank lied to me, but was even good enough to admit he lied!
Sorry, but places like this should be shut down, as a couple of good reports are insignificant when there are so many horror stories about him. There are bad stories about him on virtually every fish forum i know, going back well over 12 months!


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## xyra (Apr 26, 2007)

andy007 said:


> The store has had a poor reputation for well over a year. Its easy for someone to be nice face to face. Shame he doesn't show the same respect for his online customers. I spoke to him on the phone on a number of occassions about my order at the beginning of last year. He point blank lied to me, but was even good enough to admit he lied!
> Sorry, but places like this should be shut down, as a couple of good reports are insignificant when there are so many horror stories about him. There are bad stories about him on virtually every fish forum i know, going back well over 12 months!


oh, i'm not trying to say my one good experience out weighs the many bad i've heard of. I was just saying it was a shame because it appeared to be getting off to a good start when i dealt with them (they really had only been going a short while then), and the chap did seem pretty technically knowledgable (mainly about large reef systems). I have to say I would be rather wary about using them again now!


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## andy007 (May 13, 2008)

No prbs Xyra: victory:

Just for peoples info, the same people also have Onlinevivariumstore and onlinepondstore.

The problem is, as it is with a few big suppliers, they dont actually have all the stock they advertise on their sites, but source it as orders come in. Its the classic way of reducing overheads by not holding much stock. Less stock = less storage space = less ground rates. It also means that they get your money to actually pay for the item, thus reducing their capital requirements.


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## Shiraz (Oct 26, 2008)

I've never used this company and thanks for the warning. For my online purchases I use Aquatics Online and Triple Eight Reptiles and have found the service from both of these places excellant.


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## Frenzy (May 24, 2010)

*Avoid!*

I've found this thread on google search, as I've been having trouble with this place, too.

Basically, don't buy from them. onlinevivariumstore.com, onlineaquariumstore.com and onlinepondstore.com are all the same. I ordered with them weeks and weeks ago, money was taken, and they haven't sent anything. Emailed them several times with no response, and then phoned, but got no answer.

I doubt I'll see any item or my money back. Absolutely pathetic for any sort of business. Quote from their website:



> We have put in this new system to combat millions of junk mail we receive each week and to offer the best customer support we can. The system will ask you to verify your email address so that all communication is tracked and no important query will go un-answered.


All lies!

I only wish I'd found this thread before I bought from them! So, yes, don't buy from 'em unless you like seeing your hard-earned disappear and get nothing in return. Seriously.


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## Frenzy (May 24, 2010)

Just got a refund!:2thumb:

They were having problems with their email system - a bug or something.

I'd still be wary of using them, though.:?


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## andy007 (May 13, 2008)

Frenzy said:


> Just got a refund!:2thumb:
> 
> They were having problems with their email system - a bug or something.
> 
> I'd still be wary of using them, though.:?



They must have the crappiest computers in the world, cus they've been having these so called "problems" for years:whistling2:
The manager is a complete prat. Spoke to him on the phone when we had problems with them when we ordered over £100 worth of stuff from them, and he didn't even know what "his" own website said.
Its all excuses with them, if you can get a reply. They dont actually have half the stock they claim to have, in fact at least 75% of my order was out of stock despite us being told in was in stock at time of order.
The manager basically lied to me on the phone, and he even admitted he'd lied during another phone call.
£115 order......nothing ever received.......refunded eventually after threatening him with legal action.
Two years down the line and they are still the same. I believe they are actually part of a bigger company than just the aquarium, vivariums and ponds, and that the ownership has changed names due to being bankrupt a year or so ago.

I wouldn't be wary of them............I'd avoid them like the plague:devil:


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## Frenzy (May 24, 2010)

I wouldn't use them again, definately not. Not even if in 5 years time they'd sorted themselves out and all I ever heard were good things about them.

No company should be treating their customers in this way - it doesn't matter if they're a small start-up business. How can they ever hope to get off the ground and gain a loyal customer base with the sort of service they provide?:?:


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## _simon_ (Nov 27, 2007)

I forgot to update this thread it seems. My filter did eventually arrive a week or so later after a few complaints. Interestingly, when it did arrive the stickers on the box indicated that it had come from another aquatics shop.


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