Glasscages @#$@#$@#$

[DEEPBLUE]

Yes, you are right.

 

Eric

[emissary]

So please understand that there are people out there that will lie, cheat, and steal to get what they want, and the sad point is that honest poeple have to pay the price.

 

And in my mind, GC will lie cheat and steal and I pay the price. As far as I'm concerned there are some strong DO NOT rules in customer service:

 

* DO NOT make your customer cry.

* DO NOT ignore your customer's questions.

* DO NOT hang up on your customer when they have been civil.

* DO NOT try to put the blame on everyone else in a defensive manner.

* DO NOT steamroll your customers on the phone.

 

Jon raises the key point. My expectation with a reasonable company would have been like this:

 

Me: Hey, my tank has chips

Them: Did it have chips when you picked it up?

Me: I don't *think* so

Them: When did you pick it up?

Me: Months ago

Them: How come you didn't mention this sooner?

Me: I just saw them... I told you as soon as I found them. I only just had the opportunity for a leak test.

Them: What took so long?

Me: Contractors were installing it in a wall for me.

Them: I see. So the tank was moved around or stored for a while in the interim?

Me: Yeah both.

Them: I suspect it wasn't properly treated while being moved/stored.

Me: You feel that the contractors did not handle the tank properly?

Them: Yeah. Unfortunately given our 90 leak warranty I can't replace the tank for you. After all it's not even leaking. I do understand that you want a good tank though. Could your contractors replace it?

Me: Well, I can talk them into it if you'd be willing to send me something via email or writing about poor treatment leading to chips.

Them: Sure I can do that.

Me: That would be cool. And then I'd want another tank shpped for $560

Them: Okay, we can do that for you, no problem. Oh and I have here in my notes that we were supposed to ship you some pieces of acrylic and glue with the last tank but we failed to do so. Why don't I just throw those in for you now for free?

Me: Wow, that would be fantastic. I could actually still use that stuff.

 

 

Does this seem like an unreasonable conversation? Customer leaves happy, vendor gets more money. Everybody wins!!

 

Instead all the rules were broken and everyone's unhappy. I'm not usually this cranky about stuff. I just feel so *wronged*

[dbartco]

not unreasonable at all.

 

Sorry anyways. To make you feel better, I will be glad to graciously give you some Xenia to help fill your new tank once you get it.

 

:P

[emissary]

not unreasonable at all.

 

Sorry anyways. To make you feel better, I will be glad to graciously give you some Xenia to help fill your new tank once you get it.

 

:P

50512[/snapback]

 

 

Ha!!! I'm sure Jake can give you some Anthelia in return

[mutley29]

Wow, sorry to hear that Yanek

 

I too have a GC tank, the guy on the phone when i ordered was a bit gruff, but other than that i had a good experience with them, the guys that helped load it onto my truck at MACNA were great, making sure the tank was safely loaded, strapped down and protected with foam and blankets for the perilous drive along I-66 at rush hour to my trailer in Manassas.

 

The guy has obviously never heard of the customer is always right, what you said was a win/win.

 

If you need a hand moving your old or new tank gimme a shout

 

And as soon as i get the behemoth of tank of mine singing along you've got first dibs on any frags i don't manage to kill.

 

Anton

[Eve]

I have done repeat business with GC getting 2 glass tanks first and then one acrylic sump the last time. For whatever reason, I haven't had big problems with them on the phone even though I've had to call back with issues a few times. I usually try to talk to Beth (Tom's wife?) but even when I got Tom on the phone - he's been "OK" - but after reading this I won't do business with them again. I think it's true that because they have more business than they know what to do with (because you really can't beat their prices or the shipping arrangements), they can treat people the way they do. The only way to affect behavior is by hitting them in the pocket. If their business dries up - I think they will change.

[Guest Edwardj]

I thought I'd chime in here. I bought my tank from glass cages. My experience was mixed. I tried to call a few times in the beginning, and was told by a woman who was exasperated before I even started to talk "are you gonna order, because if not, I gotta go - they are working on the phones here and I don't have time." I was a little surprised, but figured it was a small business and she must not really be a part of it. I ordered the tank, and it arrived with no problems. This is my first large tank (95g), and I was surprised it had a glass overflow - but I haven't had any problems with it. Overall, the tank was a good deal. I called about 2 weeks after I ordered it and asked them to add the overflow, and they were pretty cool about it. They then talked me into buying to bulkheads for $15/pc, which turned out to be a bit absurd, for they were just fittings Fischer's would have had for about $10 total, and there was no return or pre-filter, etc.

 

I can absolutely believe that your wife had this experience. I owned my own business for a while, and while I certainly got exasperated once in a while, I never started a conversation with a presumption that the customer was being a jerk. When I was on the phone with them, they certainly seemed on edge, so I tried to keep it brief. I will not order from them again.

 

On a related note, my tank has a Eurobrace - and some flimsy plastic around the top and bottom edges. Seems simple enough - does anyone have any experience building their own tanks?

 

Edwardj

[Guest heathman]

Hello Group: I am wishing I had searched for complaints now before buying my broken aquarium from Glasscages.com

 

So now I will chime in as well to help warn others:

 

I am posting this note to relate my unfortunate experience with buying a cut-rate aquarium from the Glasscages.com website online AKA Twin Oaks Terrariums.

 

First of all I ordered a tank from them two years ago and was all excited to get it and then about three weeks before scheduled delivery, they sent an email saying they were cancelling my order because ther was not enough interest in that year's Des Moines show. What a bummer.

 

So anyway I tried again this year and ordered an aquarium from them. I drove 50 miles to a truck stop in Des Moines last Sunday to meet these guys and get our tanks. Another fellow in the parking lot came all the way from Council Bluffs. We both waited for two hours and the driver never anwswered the cell phone number we had been given by the factory. He later claimed to be out of cell phone coverage right on I35 by Mason City. That sounded really strange to me because for about 6 years I designed cell phones, and I know there are towers all up and down the interstate highways.

 

The guy finally shows up two hours late with two different lame excuses. The other fellow from CB called the factory and was able to get somebody there who told him that the driver had to wait on a late customer delivery earlier that morning, which put him behind schedule. Yet the driver gave us the story about having vehicle trouble and no cell phone coverage.

 

The tank I bought was all tightly wrapped up with cellophane for some reason, and although I carefully inspected the glass to see it was not broken, when I got home I found that the plastic rim had a huge crack on one corner and was very sloppily glued with silicone RTV so that it bulged way out on that side, and the opposite corner had a bunch of gouge marks on it and some black paint or something that came off on my hand when I touched it.

 

The factory ignored my request for help until I wrote back and threatened to call BBB and mastercard, which I have since done. They accused me of lying, and then said they would have someone pick up the tank and then if I am lucky they will refund my money, to say nothing for the 4 hours I spent driving and waiting on them, and the fuel cost for friend's large truck to go get it.

 

My advise is to use extreme caution if dealing with this place. Expect poor and rude service, if you are lucky enough to get any, and take a book with you when you go to pick up your aquarium, because you will be waiting around for them to take their sweet time if and when they ever show up.

[extreme_tooth_decay]

Another 3+ year old blast from the past!

[lanman]

It's comforting in my old age to know that time passes, but some things never change...

 

bob

[blaze98]

It's comforting in my old age to know that time passes, but some things never change...

 

bob

 

 

They should make that a motto or something...."screwing people over since '06"

[dbartco]

I bet you can find this same post on DFMAS, ARC, CMAS, and every other board. Person has a real chip, but almost spam.

[Origami]

Heathman, their reputation precedes them for sure.

 

It seems to me that you're from Iowa and still live there. Did you sign up for our forum and dig up this old post just to let us know about your experience with GC?

[extreme_tooth_decay]

I bet you can find this same post on DFMAS, ARC, CMAS, and every other board. Person has a real chip, but almost spam.

 

I admire the man's dedication!

[steveoutlaw]

I bet you can find this same post on DFMAS, ARC, CMAS, and every other board. Person has a real chip, but almost spam.

 

 

So what?? The guy is speaking the truth. Glass cages is a piece of $hit for a company and will never change. Their warranty is written so that it doesn't matter what the defect or the reason for the defect, they don't have to do anything. All the glasscages owners that have gotten tanks in good shape should consider themselves lucky.

[onyx]

Amen. I don't care how much I could save with them, with their attitude they would never get a dime of my money. Just how it is.

[NAGA]

I bet you can find this same post on DFMAS, ARC, CMAS, and every other board. Person has a real chip, but almost spam.

I too salute the mans dedication!

[dbartco]

Yeah, you should salute pepole that only come to your board to post one time and bash people... GC quality and issues aside, can't say I like the practice.

[Origami]

Yeah, you should salute pepole that only come to your board to post one time and bash people... GC quality and issues aside, can't say I like the practice.

 

Same here.

 

Steve, you're experience has far more credibility for me than this hit-and-run poster. While it may be true, I'd rather the board hear from people who have an active interest and want to contribute to the hobby and our community on an ongoing basis. I know how to Google something; so does everybody else here.

Edited March 27, 2009 by Origami2547

[WallyBackm]

I know if I got so screwed by a company to the degree others have, I would post it all over the seven seas. Bashing GC is not exaclty an uncommon occurrence on fish boards. A moving company tried to hose me once and complaining about it on moving forums (yes they do exist) eventually got me a refund of sorts.

[NAGA]

Yeah, you should salute pepole that only come to your board to post one time and bash people... GC quality and issues aside, can't say I like the practice.

 

Oh well Doug

[steveoutlaw]

Yeah, you should salute pepole that only come to your board to post one time and bash people... GC quality and issues aside, can't say I like the practice.

 

 

I do salute him. I wish I had the time and inclination to go to every aquaria board I could find and spread the news about what a crappy company glasscages is. Bottom line Doug, I'd have the same attitude with you if this was an isolated incident. But the reality is that the people who get screwed by this company really don't have any option. If this post causes someone looking to buy a tank to do a little more research and find out how bad this company really is, then it is a good thing.

 

I took my chances knowing that I had about a 20% chance of getting a crappy tank. However, what I didn't know is how their warranty is written to give you no choice. In order to even file a warranty claim with them, I would have had to spend over $200 to ship the tank back to them and then THEY get to decide if the defect in the tank is their fault. If they decide it isn't their fault, I would have to pay to have the tank shipped back to me. That is utter crap.

 

So, in my opinion, anybody out there who is trying to get the word out.......more power to them. Right now I have a $500 paperweight. I'm trying to re-seal it, but the first attempt didn't work so I'm hoping the second attempt does.........but that is extra time, money and effort that I have to put in to fix something that the manufacturer should take care of.

[Amuze]

Show up at MACNA with a bat. I'll do it for some nice frags...

[L8 2 RISE]

lol, I honestly would give frags to anyone that showed up at their table with a bat and just started talking about a bad experience they had with them... as long as they filmed it

[davelin315]

With this being resurrected, I'm moving it to the vendor experiences forum.