IPSF

[joeyz]

I know that alot of people here have dealth with IPSF and have had very pleasant experiences with them. I on the other hand have not even placed an order with them and have already had a horrifying experience. About one month ago I sent them an email asking for their suggestions on some critters that I wanted. I got a quick reply the next day and that was that. Now moving closer to my order I decided to email Gerald again and ask some final questions before I placed my order. This is his first reply:
************************************************************
I recall offering advice earlier, but I find it difficult to continue offering advice when you will not even do us the courtesy of providing your full name. What's the big secret? What's our percentage in spending time advising a mystery man? You could be a prisoner in Attica for all we know.
Gerald Heslinga
ipsf.com
************************************************************
So I replied back and gave him my first and last name and where I lived. This is what he came back with this morning:
************************************************************
Joe,
We have a pretty big file of e-mails to and from you already, including 3 statements that you intend to order from us, and questions about products that we don't sell and don't advertise...
I see no evidence that you are serious about placing an order. I do see evidence that you are predisposed to asking many questions, however, most without the courtesy of even identifying yourself. In the time since we began answering your e-mails, we've filled over 200 orders for other customers. You can see how the continued questioning from
you would be getting a little tedious. You've exceeded the limits of our patience.

Gerald Heslinga
ipsf.com
************************************************************

OK guys, I know there are two sides to a story and I am not going to even attempt to bash this company with such a good reputation, but this is unbelievable. I have dealt with Inland Aquatics in the past and they are always more than happy to help customers out prior to placing an order.
For this guy to even reply with this kind of attitude is just plain stupid. He speaks of several emails from me. There were 3 in total I believe. 1 was the original email, the second was a message thanking him for his quick reply a request to answer an unanswered question and the third simply said "thanks for your assistance."
If that is too much customer service to ask for then I don't know what to say.......

[LiquidShaneo]

I've had nothing but good experiences with Gerald from IPSF. About a year ago I had a lengthy e-mail exchange with him about aquaculturing gracilaria seaweed and he was more than accomidating. I wouldn't hesitate to do business with him.

In this event, however, we're only seeing his replies here and there's always 2 sides to every story...

liquid

[razorbackfan]

Ok, they're in a business to sell things, not give free advice, that's what these boards are for. I can see ipsf's point. I've ordered from them 5 times and have been very happy with their service.

[chris]

Razor, and Liquid,

I understand you points of view.

However, obviously nothing rude was said by joeyz. Or Gerald would have said that in the e mail, and he would have been totally justified in his actions.

I think this is totally inexcuseable behavior by a vendor. If they dont have time to answer questions then get out of the business!! That is 1/2 of what being in this business is about. If joeyz was asking questions that didnt pertain to their line of business he could have politely suggested posting it on a board for an answer. But to basically say, "either buy something or I dont have time for you", I think is pretty crappy!

Maybe IPSF should take a page out of Gary Meadows (Harbor Aquatics) memoirs. Gary was more than helpful and ready to answer questions sometimes until you had to tell him YOU had to get off of the phone. But that impressed me so much that I have recommended Harbor to literally hundreds of people.

No excuse for treating a prospective customer with such disrespect!

c

[Banzai Bandit]

I think you should ask your questions on the board, unless your going to buy something froom them. They want to make money just like you want to spend it. I think your reading into more than need be.
Mike

[chris]

Obviously he was going to buy something from them or he wouldnt have called them in the first place.

He frequents this board so Im sure he wasnt going through his rolodex of vendors trying to figure out which one to call to answer a question. Think about it.

Also, if he has a question about something that he is going to purchase from a vendor, why wouldnt he call them? They should be the experts. He should get better info there than anywhere theoretically.

c

[joeyz]

Thanks for your defense Chris :)
Yes I do frequent this board and I usually always post a question here before buying anything. This case was different. Again, not to sit here and bash IPSF but in this case I knew what I wanted and I didn't see it on his site. It was there before so I emailed him and asked if he still had it. He said no so I proceeded to ask him about something else instead. If that is too much to ask from any store than maybe he should not be in a business that requires customer service. I explained to him that I would be using these "critters" in my propagation tanks and asked for his recommendations. His next reply was "WHO ARE YOU AND WHERE DO YOU LIVE?" Should I have not mentioned that I propagate corals? Is he worried that an average hobbiest is going to take business away from him? Come on now!!! Do you normally sign an email with your full name and address or do you usually just sign it "Joe" or "Harry?" I see nothing here that I could have done to **** this guy off. He commented that since my email he has received 200 orders therefore he did not need my business. Still, I think this guy is off his rocker. I can see where everyone's surprise is. I have heard so many great things about this company.
Unfortunately I'd have to be a moron right now to order from him so it looks like Inland will be getting my business and I'm sure I will be happy!
I hope I didn't **** anyone off here with this post but that's what this board is for and it's for everyone's good to know what these vendors are doing and how they are treating their customers.

[LiquidShaneo]

chris wrote:

However, obviously nothing rude was said by joeyz. Or Gerald would have said that in the e mail, and he would have been totally justified in his actions.

This isn't *obvious* in my book... The entire e-mail exchange was not posted, so it's not obvious.

Either way, if you don't want to do business w/ IPSF, then that's the way it's gonna be! :)

liquid

[joeyz]

Liquid - is this a court room? If you want to see ALL the emails I will post them here if that will make you feel better. I am not trying to sway anyone one way or another.
I am just posting my experiences.

[AReefwhat?]

True the entire e-mails aren't posted but for you few who think that I should post my question here and not to the place of business that I am going to buy from you are truly mistaken. If a business does not have time to answer an e-mail, which they can reply to at their convience, then I wouldn't buy from them. My opinion of IPSF has not been effected because I have never planned on ordering from them but some of you need to come back to reality.

[LiquidShaneo]

Hehe. It does sound like you *are* trying to sway me if you are asking me if I want to see the e-mail exchange posted here... :D Sounds like you want to prove to me who's "right" and who's "wrong"... :) Anywhoooo....

Dude, I'm not dissin you or your experience with IPSF at all here. It's nothing personal. You may very well have had a bad experience with IPSF and if that's the case, then so it was. All I'm saying is that Chris said that the posted e-mail exchange was *obvious* in his book who was right and who was wrong. All I'm saying is that it's not *obvious* to me. I'm a chemist and for me to say something is *obvious* I have to see all the data, hear both sides of the story, etc, etc, etc. (scientific method -- gets me into trouble w/ my wife sometimes! :)) No, I'm not interested in seeing the e-mails as it really wouldn't sway my opinion either way. Please understand that this is not a flame, a judgement, or anything against you or your experience. All I'm saying is that it's not *obvious* by the very definition of the word so I disagree with Chris on that point only.

Think about it from my point of view for a sec: I haven't written each e-mail to him like you have nor have I experienced your frustration with him. I'm just a guy who's sneaking into this board to read up on my favorite hobby (when I should be really working) and I happened to read your post. I know nothing of the experience other than what you posted in your original post. Thus, the whole event is not "obvious" to me as I have not experienced it first hand...

joeyz, your experience with IPSF is your experience. I'm not placing any judgement anywhere... If you had a bad experience with IPSF then I'm sorry to hear that as Gerald has always been very accomidating to me.

Have a good one...

liquid

[lightson357]

I feel you Joeyz. I to had an experince not a plesant one with Gerald this week after I was planing to spend a couple of Hundred dollars with him.. Frankly he ****ed me off and when i told him that . He too got ****ed.. and sent me two foul emails.. I since have gotten over it and made Friends with Gerald (I think he just wanted my $$$)

No one wants to bash anybody Business. I think its a duty of the consumer to warn other of possible bad service whenever one is able to to that. Gerald is cool guy just a little quirky at times (to much Hawaiian Sun). As I have come to realize that he is quirky. Hopefully those who are friends with him will tell him of the concerns That others have so he won't **** off any more potential customers. Word of mouh bad plublicity is hard to recover from and We all need services like which gerald provides, if we want to further this hobby sucessfuly .

[Snailman]

lightson357 said "No one wants to bash anybody Business" Telling the truth about a company is not bashing them. Lying or stretching the truth about a company is bashing them.

The other thing I will say is there is already a thread here on IPSF so lets try to keep all posts on a business together so when someone reads it they will get a larger picture in one place.

[joeyz]

Again, my intentions here was not to bash IPSF. In fact, I am very disappointed that this all happened. I was very excited about placing an order with them which btw was going to be rather large. Believe me, they are not going to starve if they don't get my business but the point is still that they lost a customer and their competition will be getting it now...

I find it truly amazing that this has happened to others and Gerald has yet to learn his lesson. What I find even more amazing is that people that have the same experience with him, still give this guy business. I don't care if he has the best stuff on earth. I would just assume eat my pride and tell him to shove it. There is no reason to come off like that with any customer that is merely asking advice on what to buy.

Again....just my 2 cents :)

[kysard]

I was also very turned off by IPSF from a brief conversation. He was short AND told me that the 9 for $99 deal would take 2 days to arrive even though his website says FEDEX. I didn't order from them, if you look at what they sell it is terribly overpriced and fully of marketing fluff (i.e sea bunnies??)

[Milhouse]

I have to agree with what some had said. Answering questions is what having a business is about. People want to ask questions before they buy. If you have worked for a retail business or owned one, you know how people love to ask questions. Its just part of owning a retail establishment. I can't understand why anyone would own a business and not be willing to answer some questions. Even if he had sent 10 emails in a months period, I would still answer the questions. And besides, if he didn't want to answer them, then don't send an email back. Oh, and I agree with Chris about Gary from Harbor Aquatics. He actually called me at home in regards to an order. We talked on the phone for an hour about reef tanks.

[joeyz]

Yup! Gary was definitely one in a million :)

[Snailman]

Milhouse



[welcome]