Mail-Order Houses

Mail-Order Aquarium Supplies

Although prices are lower through mail order, one must consider the cost of the shipping and handling, the delay time if product is not in stock, and the fact that the mail order company will typically not answer detailed questions. Your local retailer on the other hand must pay for the overhead of inventory, and often times are willing to answer questions. We need to collectively ensure the survival of good, helpful stores with fair prices.

Service Comparisons

Here is a quick comparison of five of the most popular mail-order houses, That Fish Place (TFP), Mail Order Pet Shop (MOPS), Pet Warehouse (PW), Wet Thumb Aquatics, and Daleco. Addresses and phone numbers are listed later in this section.


                TFP   MOP        PW   DLC   WTA        
Price           1.5   1.2        2.0  2.5   1.0
Selection       1.6   1.9        2.3  1.5   3.0  
Service         1.7   2.3        1.0  2.0   1.0
Processing      2.1   2.0        1.0  1.5   1.0
Completeness    1.6   2.1        1.3  2.0   2.0
Correctness     1.1   1.4        1.0  1.5   1.0
Damage          1.0   1.2        1.0  1.0   1.0

Sum             10.6  12.1       9.6  12    10
# Responses     11    10         3    2     1
Avg		1.5   1.7	 1.3  1.7   1.4

Criteria

Price: Total cost of an average order.
1 - excellent, 2 - good, 3 - fair, 4 - pet shop
Selection: Do they carry what you want?
1 - anything you could possibly want, 2 - good, 3 - fair, 4 - poor.
Customer service: Are they pleasant on the phone? Do the sales people provide accurate product information? Are printed materials helpful?
1 - excellent, 2 - good, 3 - fair, 4 - why are you calling and bothering them?
Order processing: How fast is your order processed? (When does it leave the warehouse? Not when do you actually receive it, as this varies with your location!)
1 - same day, 2 - 1-3 days, 3- longer than three days.
Order completeness: Do they have what you ordered in stock?
1 - rarely a stock out, 2 - occasional, 3 - often items are out of stock.
Order correctness: Did they send what you ordered?
1 - never a problem, 2 - minor problems, 3 - common problem.
Order damage: Do you ever receive broken items?
1 - never a problem, 2 - minor problems, 3 - common problem.

The Big Fish

That Fish Place
237 Centerville Rd.
Lancaster, PA 17603
800-733-3829

Clearly, a favored source for mail order. Best catalogue (very useful for ordering from other places). I received no "horror" stories, only one minor complaint.

Good Source for: Plants

Shipping: Actual Cost

Mail Order Pet Shop
250 W Executive Drive
Edgewood, NY 11717
800-366-7387 (ordering and product info)
800-326-6677 (customer service)

1338 North Market Blvd.
Sacramento, CA 95834

Probably the total lowest cost place for supplies. However, it seems that people either love or hate them. I received several complaints about service and bulk products being shorted etc. People like their flat fee for shipping.

Shipping: $3.99 orders <= $45, $5.99 orders > $45 but < $100, $7.99 orders > $100. For $5 extra, they will 2-Day ship orders under 20 pounds.

Pet Warehouse
Dept. C45F
P.O. Box 310
Xenia, OH 45385
800-443-1160
FAX 800-513-1913

People like their quick service.

Shipping:

           $35 or <   $5.95
           $35-50     6.95
           $60-75     7.95
           $75-100    9.95
           $100-150   10.95
	   $150 or >  11.95
	   2-day UPS delivery for $3.50 extra for items < 23 pounds

The Small Fry

Daleco
3556 N 400 E
Warsaw, IN 46580
800-987-1120
FAX 219-268-6302

Has many unusual items. Shipping is included in prices for orders over $50 but prices are sometimes higher than bigger places.

Good Source for: Live Food Cultures, Dupla Products, LaMotte Test Kits

Shipping: Free, orders under $50.00 require a $5.00 handling fee.

Wet Thumb Aquatic
52700 Base St.
New Baltimore, MI 48047
810-725-0960

Smaller outfit. Their selection is not great but prices are very good. They are more breeder oriented. They ship same day. Also, they happen to carry a great deal of merchandise, a lot that other companies do not even think about. Also, they are very willing to answer your questions.

Good Source for: Regenerative Blowers and Reverse Osmosis units.

Shipping:

           $25 or <   2.50
           $25-45     3.50
           $45-60     4.50
           $60-75     5.50
           $75 or >   Free

Others mentioned but not ranked

Spectacular Sea System: Specializing in marine lighting and accessories ranked 3,3,1,1,1,1,1 305-941-3792

End of Resource FAQ.

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