Quality Seller = Quality Discus

[jeep]

It may be embarrassing for me to admit, but I had a very bad recent experience that was partially brought on by myself. I had heard about the declining reputation of the seller and chose to make a purchase anyway, mainly because I had a 50-50 experience with them in the past (50% stunning – 50% died of organ failure), and because they were the only sellers I could find that advertised exactly what I wanted. I took a gamble and I lost! I’m not here to bash the seller, but rather to point out to those new to the hobby what to look for and what to hopefully expect in a seller and their discus.

The story… After viewing their web site, I emailed the seller asking for details about a particular strain of discus, the Mystic Red Cover. I also asked for photo’s of the discus in stock. The response was very brief and uninteresting and no photos were given. Most (not all) reputable sellers will provide photos of the fish being purchased even if there is an extra charge for this service. This particular seller claims that immediately after making your purchase, your discus are removed from a main tank and then isolated in a holding tank pending packing and shipment. I’d think it would be pretty easy to snap a quick photo of isolated fish, especially when the purchase has been made nearly two weeks in advance. It was just a red flag and I’m not calling out all those sellers who do not.

Before actually placing the order, I called them and specifically stated that I was very picky about my discus and wanted good round shape with no bulging foreheads or beaks. The seller didn’t seem particularly interested in our conversation, and didn’t go out of his way to offer anything additional, but I was assured they were top quality discus and fit the description of my request. The photo shown is quite the opposite of what I asked for quality wise, and is not what I was promised, and it’s also not even the same strain I ordered. Most people would consider this discus a cull, and a reputable seller would not pass this discus on to a buyer in order to simply empty their holding tanks.

Following the seller’s Quality and DOA policy, I emailed them twice within 2 hours after arrival, including a video and a photo, and I called them twice and left a message (no one answered the phone), and I asked for a refund on this single discus. All my inquiries have been ignored.

My apologies to the reputable sponsors of this forum, but no one had the discus I was seeking. I should have been more patient…

To summarize - when thinking about making an order for discus, the following should be considered:

Ask the seller questions. An honest seller will answer all your questions and will most likely convey a passion for the hobby. They will offer acclimation, QT and feeding advise and tell you to call them if you have questions after the sale.

Ask for a photo of the discus you are to receive. In order to protect their reputation, most sellers are more than happy to provide this service. Even if there is a charge involved, it’s worth it.

Web site photos – Sellers will always display their best specimens on their web site. Never assume you will receive the same quality discus as you see on the web site photo unless you receive photos of the actual discus you are to receive.

Pay particular attention to reds… Most color enhancing foods are not all that bad, but hormones and other chemicals are, and can cause infertility and organ failure down the road. Discus don’t reach their full color potential until adulthood, and young discus displaying brilliant colors are more than likely enhanced in some way.

Guarantee – An honest seller will offer a quality and health guarantee and will communicate with you after the sale if they care about their reputation.

I hope some of this information will help people enjoy the discus hobby, and hopefully avoid the mistake I made...

Ordered-
124302

Received-
124303

[14Discus]

You bring up several great points......sorry abt what you received. I had a silmilar experience years ago, but not any more. I realize that the seller I am going to refer to already has stellar reviews, but the facts speak for themselves.
The seller I referring to does.....
answer questions before and after sale (and is very reachable via phone call or text),
provide the actual fish pics being sold (one can even choose the exact fish pictured in the monthly postings),
not really have a traditional website for selling, but uses monthly postings,
provide a guarantee (although the fish I’ve received have always been the picture of good health),
is very willing to even assist w questions long after the sale and seems to care abt the fish as though they were his own,
and is very sincere in his discussions with customer and really knows his stuff.

Since my initial purchase from him, all my following orders remained with him.....and shall w future orders. If he does not have a fish you desire, let him know and he’ll likely attempt to get it for you.

Puzzled who this seller might be?????
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Fret no longer.......it’s Kenny’s Discus out of Daly City, CA

Brian, I know you don’t want to bash a seller, but you have contacted him wo a response to resolve this to no avail. In other words, the seller has chosen to ignore your attempts and thus deserves being identified. IMHO, letting us know who this seller is might help someone not having to go through what you did. Your two pics really speak volumes about what one sees being not what one gets......I’d be pretty mad if it were I who got what you got.

[slicksta]

That bothers me :-(

Any recourse with your credit card company?
If you can show that you specified certain attributes, they typically will have your back.
In the past I had a bad experience trying to purchase some western red cedar to build a pergola. What I specified in comparison to what I received is similar to your experience.
After providing emails showing what I had specified and then photos of what I received, they refunded me the full $1500

[brady]

I believe he has shown who the seller is.
Check out the name under the jpg.
Jay

[slicksta]

Just Google the photo.

https://ustropicalfish.com/4-5-5-mystic-red-cover/

Asian fish.... Curious.

[jeep]

I believe he has shown who the seller is.
Check out the name under the jpg.
Jay

Not very discrete of me, huh? :D

[jeep]

Actually, I don't mind naming the seller, but I was hoping for this to be more of an education thread than a bash the seller thread.

Bill, Kenny is one of the great ones out there! Unfortunately, I was after a specific strain and no one else had it at the time. Like I said, I should have been more patient... I have a lot of experience in purchasing discus and I do take most of the blame because I knew better...

[danotaylor]

Good advice Brian. Experience is the best teacher. Thanks for helping us learn from yours!
I had a number of prompt and informative emails and 2 phone calls with Kenny. He was very professional, warm and helpful. I ended up buying from Dennis because he was close enough to visit in person and drive my discus home myself.
I had a brilliant buyers experience with Dennis (Dennis's Discuss Fish, SD sponsor) as well. Lots of pictures, numerous videos of the fish separated into their own holding tank. Several phone conversations, and when I got to his foshroom he let me swap fish for ones I liked better face to face. Now almost a full yr later Dennis still msgs me to see how the discus are doing. That's exceptional service!

[LizStreithorst]

Brian this is very sad. What did you end up doing with the fish?

What I suggest to people is if they are looking for a particular strain, contact the sellers here and descripe what you are looking for since strain names are all made up. Also, send them a pic. I would describe the fish you ordered as a top quality white face red cover. I would be prepared to pay a bundle for a fish the quality of the one pictured. Sorry this happened to you.

[14Discus]

Actually, I don't mind naming the seller, but I was hoping for this to be more of an education thread than a bash the seller thread.

Bill, Kenny is one of the great ones out there! Unfortunately, I was after a specific strain and no one else had it at the time. Like I said, I should have been more patient... I have a lot of experience in purchasing discus and I do take most of the blame because I knew better...

Brian, the blame rests squarely with the seller providing a pic not even close to what was actually shipped imo. You paid for what you thought was a fine fish only to receive a very poorly shaped different looking fish. It’s time we demand to get what we pay for, especially since theses are pricey fish to begin with. Selling fish is just like anything else when the seller is outright wrong, if not actually deceptive. Get a refund, return it, or let the world know. I kinda feel sorry for the fish you received.....it wasn’t the fish’s fault. Maybe he can go to a LPS.

[jeep]

I'm kind of a softy when it comes to living things. It can stay with me :D

Maybe I'll pick up some Severums so it doesn't feel all alone, lol...

[LizStreithorst]

Who am I to tell you that you're doing a stupid thing? I have been doting on a worthless chicken I rescued when it fell off the truck on the way to slaughter. She isn't pretty, she isn't smart, she was bred to grow fast and be turned into food only. She has a broken knee, I think. I'll take her to the vet for an exam and prognosis next week. Who am I to say you're wrong? She can be your pet like my chicken is. Nothing wrong with that.

Keep your soft heart. I feel that having a soft heart is good for the soul (whatever that is). A soft heart is a terrible thing to loose.

[jeep]

Good for you Liz. I hope she's ok!!!

[slicksta]

I'm kind of a softy when it comes to living things. It can stay with me :D

Maybe I'll pick up some Severums so it doesn't feel all alone, lol...

You're a good man Brian.

I have to stay out of LPS's.. or I feel the need to rescue some very broken fish.
And on my last purchase.. I took one runt just cause he had a nice patern and I like the way he danced at the front of the tank.

[peewee1]

I agree. Adding that Kenny had been referred to me by a 40+ years angle and discus hobbyist and breeder. This month I sent an email to Kenny asking about one of his offerings. Not more than 10 minutes later my phone rang, I did not recognize the number. Usually I do not answer but I did. It was Kenny. Thirty minutes later I had my answer and he had an order for more fish than I had planned on ordering. I feel that the sponsors here have a responsibility to all and they try very hard to please. Stick with them and you will not be disappointed. I do understand the temptation to order that which is rare and hard to find, however.

[Discluv]

I bought two Alenquers from this company a couple years ago when they were a sponsor here. They are my favorite discus, but; appears the quality has gone drastically down hill. Sad because there are so few discus vendors to choose from as it is.

[RBM328]

they pulled the photo down

rich

[dspeers]

Brian, you do have a kind heart. Kinder than mine, I would contact my CC issuer and try and obtain a refund.,
What Uncle Sam's needs to do is come up on this forum, apologize and refund the purchase price.

You need to stop being so nice and add this to your positive comments review about Uncle Sams from 2018 on the livestock and product review forum.

[peewee1]

Brian, you do have a kind heart. Kinder than mine, I would contact my CC issuer and try and obtain a refund.,
What Uncle Sam's needs to do is come up on this forum, apologize and refund the purchase price.

You need to stop being so nice and add this to your positive comments review about Uncle Sams from 2018 on the livestock and product review forum.

SD arguably must be one of the foremost and world renown discus forums in the interweb. As such purveyors of fish and discus reputations can be made or lost here. I'd not concern about Uncle Same or Discus.com because whatever business they lose every time someone posts a negative it costs them money. Good press results in good sales. Have you know of Kenny's Discus for any number of years? I do not recall a time when his complete inventory has not sold out within a matter of days from each month's posting. To a lesser degree same for Chicago Discus, Dennis, Winnie, Golden State...so why would anyone buy their fish from anywhere else? Yet, I sympathize with the jeepster in that there was a hard to find fish that none else had. I did the same with Mac. I am a 100% Kenny loyalist but Kenny never gets the Green wilds. Mac had some at the time. So I gave consideration.

[dspeers]

Agreed, but in fairness I also use Discus Madness. Great owner, great fish and also in driving distance so I don't need to stress the fish.

[Iminit]

I’ve checked out discus madness. I too am within an hours drive. But sorry just not impressed and prices are off the chart. Never made the trip. I also bought the mystic red cover from US and I’m happy with it. Bought a green from them too. It looks more brown than green but the color is true to their photo.128523 they are the 2 high left.

[peewee1]

I've not seen a green that is green, Tom. Which is why I thought that I would work at trying to develop a true green discus. I may never do it but it is a dream I have. I am looking for the Tefe or Peruvian Green but no one seems to have them for sale. But I do not know why they are called "green" they do not look what I would call green. Say, Tom, would you suppose that dspeers lives there on Lawn Guyland and he is not admitting to it? What say you my devoted Jets diehard.

[dspeers]

Lawn Guyland....Like that, had to check the urban dictionary, not as bright as I used to be I guess. Spent a couple of summers on the island in Old Brookville with my grandparents in the 70s, but here in sunny Howell NJ now. Have been to DM x 1 and found the fish beautiful, but have not critically compared pricing, will have to look closer. Still not done setting up my 2 125s. Need to plumb the storage tank to the two displays through the basement, add joists to the first floor floor and set up the AWC system. Then I can get started.

[peewee1]

Lawn Guyland....Like that, had to check the urban dictionary, not as bright as I used to be I guess. Spent a couple of summers on the island in Old Brookville with my grandparents in the 70s, but here in sunny Howell NJ now. Have been to DM x 1 and found the fish beautiful, but have not critically compared pricing, will have to look closer. Still not done setting up my 2 125s. Need to plumb the storage tank to the two displays through the basement, add joists to the first floor floor and set up the AWC system. Then I can get started.

Even a single 125 gallon will make a remarkable discus habitat. At 1 fish to 10 gallons you are in line for more than 2 dozen discus if you so choose.

[jeep]

Brian, you do have a kind heart. Kinder than mine, I would contact my CC issuer and try and obtain a refund.,
What Uncle Sam's needs to do is come up on this forum, apologize and refund the purchase price.

You need to stop being so nice and add this to your positive comments review about Uncle Sams from 2018 on the livestock and product review forum.

Actually, I did contact my bank and they sided with me. I was refunded everything I asked for :thumbsup:

As far as being too nice, this is an old post and it was soon after I returned to the hobby after 10 years away. I've become a little sassier since then :grin::grin:

[Second Hand Pat]

As far as being too nice, this is an old post and it was soon after I returned to the hobby after 10 years away. I've become a little sassier since then :grin::grin:

I can attest to that lol
Pat

[dspeers]

Brian sorry for the untimely comments, did not catch the dates transition:)