World Down Under has no Fish Guarantee?

[NewMariner]

I went to WDU and was going to buy a few fish for my newly cycled tanks. I was looking around there and someone approached me and asked if I needed any help. I told him I was interested in buying some fish and asked what their guarantee was. I was astounded to hear that they did not have one. I quickly just turned and walked out as I will never buy a fish from a LFS with no Guarantee....I know its saltwater fish and they are a little harder to care for but geesh.....you could have at least a 48 hr or 24 hr guarantee. Im from a little town in West Texas called Lubbock and even out their theirs one LFS that gives 3 days for saltwater fish.......Whats the deal with WDU?

[Modo]

I can't speak for The World Down Under. But, WDU probably did not give you a guarantee because the fish you were inquiring about had been there quite a while. See WDU is moving locations. They also have a couple of new faces in there they may not "know all". The level of service, knowledge and honosty from those guys is always on par.

If you are new to DFW please get to know these guys and if you haven't already, join the club. I too lived in Lubbock (Get Your Guns Up!) and that is were I began my head first dive into this hobby (and debt :) )3 yrs back. The level of knowledge and dedication to the hobby from people in this area is astounding.

[DAS Dude]

The vast majority of fish stores offer no guarantee on livestock, whether fish, inverts or corals. Even most internet companies only offer an "Arrive Alive" guarantee.
I think the main reason for this is the vast range of tank conditions of the consumers and the very specific needs of saltwater creatures. Unlike freshwater fish and inverts, most saltwater animals have an extremely narrow range of water/light/temperature/oxygen/food parameters that must be met for their survival. That is why reef animals in the hobby are mainly found in similar environments, whether in Fiji, Red Sea, or Hawaii.
This being said, there is no way for the LFS to know whether or not your tank is a suitable ecosystem for the animals. Unlike freshwater fish, which usually come with at least a seven day guarantee, saltwater fish easily die if the water temperature pivots more than five degrees, the pH is off, or nitrates are high. Your best guarantee is to talk to the store personel about the fish's requirements, go home and test your tank, and then observe the fish in the store for at least a week to ensure it is healthy. Above all, avoid impulse buys! If the fish dies right away, not only are you out the bucks, but a formerly healthy animal will have died for no good reason.
I wouldn't be so quick to judge the World Down Under's policies against one store in Lubbock. I have always found the World Down Under's employees knowledgable and helpful. In fact, they have, on more than one occasion, advised me against buying a fish or coral until my tank had matured more.
By the way, I don't work for any fish store. I'm just a concerned hobbyist.

[Breef]

To N.M. I have to agree with the Dude,I also personally know of very few S.W.stores that have any type of guarantee on their animals{not saying that your experiences are out of the ordinary}.There are so many more things that a person must watch out for and be prepared to account for when purchaseing and keeping saltwater animals,than the keeping of the freshwater varieties,not the least being the change of salinity,and the killing of whatever you buy by osmosis problems,the incompatibility of different species,ect. It is so terriably hard to keep one of these stores anyway as the long time hobbiest in this area should be able to attest. I know that there are few stores out there that have been around in my area since I started keeping of tanks. And that goes back to about 1980{actually I can account for one and it isn't in the original place that it started} This accounts for the Dallas Ft.Worth Metroplex Area. If anyone reading this thread knows of one that has been around in this area for more than 15yrs.and under the same management please feel free to correct me. The things that I usually try to go by when frenquenting a LFS is the Professionalism,manner,and curtisy of the stores personel. Usually if you only consider one thing this may cause you to miss out on some very rewarding experiences that you wouldn't have any where else.