Ouch, patience with shipping saves you money (freight company issues)

[Integrity]

From my cancelation attemp from fiji cube (they let it sit for a week with no movement in shipping, ordered it 11/4 and now I'm paying almost $1,000 to not receive a tank)

Roadrunner just replied to us about the cost of shipping and returning. Roadrunner said that the costs of shipping and returning are the same. Please see below for the cost of shipping ($318.75).

So, the total cost of the shipping and returning will be $637.5 + $197 (10% restocking fee) on the product. The total cost of the cancellation is $834.5. Please approve this cancelation then we will work with BRS or you on the cancelation cost. Thanks.
Michael

Senior Sales Associate

Meanwhile I thought I'd share this for comparison of policies:

 

[Humblefish]

Did you attempt to contact them regarding the shipping problem before cancelling? These aquarium manufacturers can be painfully slow when it comes to building & shipping a tank.

 

[Integrity]

Did you attempt to contact them regarding the shipping problem before cancelling? These aquarium manufacturers can be painfully slow when it comes to building & shipping a tank.

I mostly spoke with the freight company. They told me on a couple occasions it would ship that night and I'd be able to schedule a drop-off the next morning but then they didn't ship it. It's weird it made it to California quite fast but then when it's only a couple hours away from where I live it just is left sitting there and no one could tell me when it would move or why it wasn't.

 

[Integrity]

Did you attempt to contact them regarding the shipping problem before cancelling? These aquarium manufacturers can be painfully slow when it comes to building & shipping a tank.

Are these fees normal, do you know? I just feel like this can't be the first cancelation attempt, does it really cost that much? I know this is mostly my fault and I was prepared to pay fees just surprised by how much I guess

 

[Humblefish]

I mostly spoke with the freight company. They told me on a couple occasions it would ship that night and I'd be able to schedule a drop-off the next morning but then they didn't ship it. It's weird it made it to California quite fast but then when it's only a couple hours away from where I live it just is left sitting there and no one could tell me when it would move or why it wasn't.

I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but I personally would have been more patient before cancelling. Everything is just F’d up right now - including shipping. I don’t know if this is the ”new normal” or things will eventually go back to normal.

 

[Integrity]

I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but I personally would have been more patient before cancelling. Everything is just F’d up right now - including shipping. I don’t know if this is the ”new normal” or things will eventually go back to normal.

No, I believe your right. I was just really looking forward to working on it today and the fact it had been sitting just a couple hours from me for nearly a week made it worse. I'm a weak person, I get impatient and in some cases it gets expensive..

 

[Humblefish]

Are these fees normal, do you know? I just feel like this can't be the first cancelation attempt, does it really cost that much? I know this is mostly my fault and I was prepared to pay fees just surprised by how much I guess

Every aquarium MFG has their own policies. It sounds like the tank made it so far, but didn’t complete its journey. From the aquarium MFG POV, they now have to pay to ship it back & aren’t gonna just eat that cost.

 

[Jessican]

From what I read on their site, that guarantee only applies if you purchased from IM directly, not from a third party. But I’m with @Humblefish, I wouldn’t cancel. Shipping takes forever, especially with those logistics companies.

 

[Integrity]

From what I read on their site, that guarantee only applies if you purchased from IM directly, not from a third party. But I’m with @Humblefish, I wouldn’t cancel. Shipping takes forever, especially with those logistics companies.

Yea, I guess I just wasn't ready for the sticker price of cancelation. Fwiw I did order from IM directly for a replacement tank for this one..

 

[Humblefish]

No, I believe you’re right. I was just really looking forward to working on it today and the fact it had been sitting just a couple hours from me for nearly a week made it worse. I'm a weak person, I get impatient and in some cases it gets expensive..

I would have been calling Innovative Marine every day, because they are really the only ones who can light a fire under the freight company’s ass. And honestly, even they can only do so much unless you paid for expedited shipping with a guaranteed delivery date. Basically, those who pay for expedited shipping get priority over the rest of us.

 

[AlienReefer]

ouch

 

[AlienReefer]

If the aquarium is shipped via freight, they are gonna be expensive. I used to work at a flooring company where we shipped pallets of wood flooring to the customers, each pallet easily costs like $300. With liftgate and resident are delivery, they cost more like $400. With the high fuel cost and labor rate nowadays, i am no surprised that this cost this much. I tried to return a large tank to WB, they did charge shipping cost and restocking fees. I decided to sell the tank locally.

 

[Humblefish]

I know a guy who waited almost a year to have a tank built + shipped to him. (I forget the MFG.) Obviously that’s an extreme situation, but an example of what you can sometimes expect nowadays.

 

[Da_Neefer]

Patience is key for something like this. IM was nothing but awesome when I ordered my 112g from them and needed help a few times afterwards.

 

[Integrity]

Dang, I did make a mess of this then.. well, I appreciate you guys talking me through it. Realize my eagerness turned me into an obnoxious customer when I should have just sucked it up and waited.

 

[Jessican]

I know a guy who waited almost a year to have a tank built + shipped to him. (I forget the MFG.) Obviously that’s an extreme situation, but an example of what you can sometimes expect nowadays.

That was approximately ReefSavvy’s lead time when I talked to them. Crazy.

 

[Humblefish]

Dang, I did make a mess of this then.. well, I appreciate you guys talking me through it. Realize my eagerness turned me into an obnoxious customer when I should have just sucked it up and waited.

Can you try to salvage the situation by saying you don’t want to cancel? Better to wait a little longer for the tank than have to pay $1000 with nothing to show for it.

 

[Integrity]

Can you try to salvage the situation by saying you don’t want to cancel?

I mean I can probably still accept the tank but I already ordered a replacement that has a bit more water volume I'd rather have.. if I accept it and return it would it be the same cost you think?

 

[Humblefish]

if I accept it and return it would it be the same cost you think?

Yeah, because of what @Jessican read on their website: The guarantee only applies if you purchased from IM directly, not from a third party. It sounds like you ordered through BRS. So, you’re either stuck with the tank or stuck with having to pay this cancellation fee.

Like @AlienReefer did, your best option might be to try to resell the tank locally.

 

[Integrity]

If the aquarium is shipped via freight, they are gonna be expensive. I used to work at a flooring company where we shipped pallets of wood flooring to the customers, each pallet easily costs like $300. With liftgate and resident are delivery, they cost more like $400. With the high fuel cost and labor rate nowadays, i am no surprised that this cost this much. I tried to return a large tank to WB, they did charge shipping cost and restocking fees. I decided to sell the tank locally.

I think what was confusing is shipping it to me was like $150 so I guess I expected it to be around that plus restocking fee, maybe a little more. Why is the cost so different when you order a tank?