Glasscages @#$@#$@#$

[emissary]

So my wife's been crying for the last hour after getting off the phone with glasscages. So the problem is that our tank has 2 chips in it. Considering the expense of putting the tank in a tank room we figure the tank should be in good condition. So she sent in an email and didn't get a response for a week (very polite email asking about whether it could be replaced). She called and some jerk told her nobody was there to talk to her and she should call back on the 16th. Refused to give a name.

 

So she called back today and another jerk (or the same one?) spoke with her. This is what she had to say about the conversation:

 

3:19:14 PM *mywife*: so I spoke with the man from Galss cages.

3:19:34 PM *mywife*: The man was so mean I can't even believe it!

3:20:03 PM *mywife*: He said that he wasn't going to do anything about the tank and that he wasn't willing to sell me a new one

3:20:33 PM *mywife*: He said that I was "mean" to send him an email saying that the man I spoke with last time was rude.

3:24:48 PM *mywife*: But you know--I think it was the same guy I spoke with last time "posing" as the boss. After all he answered the phone.

 

What in the world?! He was apparently so rude on the phone that she's been in tears for the last hour.

 

So I called up pretty angry with the guy ... he wouldn't let me talk to the person who does the shipping (some lady who was pretty nice over there, which is why I wanted to talk to her)... and he said, "So you're the man" ... I guess implying that I should be dealing with the problem not my wife? He also basically was reading back to me a summary of events "You picked up the tank at such and such a time, inspected it, blah blah blah."

 

What I'm looking for is a way for them to replace the tank or give me something that I can give our contractors saying they're responsible for the damage to the tank. But I couldn't even get there. He wouldn't let me talk until I yelled at him saying "just let me talk for a second!" ... At which point he said, "ok talk" and then put the phone down on the desk and walked away.

 

The number of swear words I want to use right now is AMAZING. What in the world is going on here? I'm so angry right now I don't know what to do.

[rocko918]

Sorry man, but this is very common with them. I have read so many threads on rc saying the same thing. I have NO experience with them and never plan to. Hope it all works out but don't hold your breath.

[emissary]

Why are they still in business? I had not heard/seen any of that stuff when I was looking for a vendor for my tank. I found very little information at all.... Why are they ever invited to MACNA? Seems a dis-service to the community.

[bigal20874]

Why are they still in business?  I had not heard/seen any of that stuff when I was looking for a vendor for my tank.  I found very little information at all....  Why are they ever invited to MACNA?  Seems a dis-service to the community.

50336[/snapback]

 

Sorry to hear that. Do a search in RC and you will find lots of complain. You may want to post this in RC and someone may be able to help you with similar situation.

Good luck. Hope everything work out at the end.

[ErikS]

:o :thumbsdown:

 

Hopefully sooner or later his business goes :toilet:

 

I spoke with Tom once, the attitude was "if you're so sh** all stupid as to ask questions I have no use for you as a customer"

 

:68:

 

It seems if all goes well & you can deal with his attitude you get a bargain, anything goes awry & you're hosed.

 

Unfortunately he has more business than he can handle = he feels like he can be as obnoxious as he wants to be.

[HowardofNOVA]

YANEK,

AS THE SAYING GOES "BUYERS BEWARE"

YOU SIGNED FOR IT! YOU OWN IT!

 

"Sorry man to hear about this, I've heard these before and that is why I WILL NOT use them when it comes time for me to upgrade to a big tank! Complaints, got to be over 25% of their business? I know several guys have got good results from them, but not with my future money!

 

Being that you signed for it in "Good" condition, your at their mercy. I can understand with the contractors, how they can suggest, "they" where not at fault as well and bottom line is you have a tank that has 2 chips on it.

 

Now, what to do??

#1 If your home owners policy will cover it, could be an insurance claim?

#2a If NOT, you can either throw it away....not an option I'm sure! -OR-

#2b Use it! Now using it can come at a risk for leaking, but if I remember, the leak was on the edge, which, I believe they have expoxys that can keep the chip from growing. A chip I believe will be fine structurally, not cosmetically unfortunately! :(

 

Either way sir, sorry for your troubles on this!

But I believe you will be ok?

Howard

[emissary]

What boggles my mind though is the fact that this guy was about 30 seconds away from making another $500. All he had to do was say:"Wow, that's unfortunate. As you know our warranty can't cover that... but I suspect your contractors probably moved it around too much during the early stages." At which point we would have gotten the contractors to buy a new one for us.

 

The problem is he's a jack@ss.

[Caribbean Jake]

Away from nothing bud. I am glad you posted this incident cause my wife and I agree on buying the 240 G from them this weekend (that is three days from today), and it costs $785, but after reading your experience, forget it, no way Jose, that's it... I will look for another supplier, or even deal with Super Pet in Annadale. :D , which I know and expect the same attitude but not the same outcome.

[emissary]

Away from nothing bud.  I am glad you posted this incident cause my wife and I agree on buying the 240 G from them this weekend (that is three days from today), and it costs $785, but after reading your experience, forget it, no way Jose, that's it... I will look for another supplier, or even deal with Super Pet in Annadale. :D , which I know and expect the same attitude but not the same outcome.

50360[/snapback]

 

Well then at least *SOME* good came of this. Tonight I will write up a full detailed description of what happened and post to RC. this is a market driven economy... I'm also thinking I'll create a web page with all the right keywords so that it comes up on searches for glasscages.

[steveoutlaw]

Yanek-

Get the better business bureau involved. It might not resolve the issue in your favor but they do carry a lot of weight when it comes to incidents like this. I would also write a well worded letter to the planners of MACNA. I would have to imagine that if they weren't invited back it would be a H-E-double hocky sticks of a bit out of their business.

 

Steve

[discordja]

When angry, count to four; when very angry, swear. -- Mark Twain

[Caribbean Jake]

It is a good idea to report them to the Small Business Bureu, this way if someone in the future does a research it will be documented that they are a problematic business. They only hurt them selves, no one else but them selves.

[GaryL]

hey jacob try NAGA from cmas i think chip can get you his info. he built erics's tank i think.

[johnnybv]

hey jacob try NAGA from cmas i think chip can get you his info. he built erics's tank i think.

50376[/snapback]

 

Guys, when looking for a tank let me know, I can get All Glass Aquarium and Oceanic, I'm sure I could get an AGA with a competative price. I saw a 75 from glass cages and I was not impressed at all. Jake what are you looking for?

[emissary]

Well I'm looking now for a 180G custom tank 72 long, 24" deep, 25" tall with three holes drilled in strategic locations...

[lmeyer]

Sorry to hear about your troubles. What a pain. Unfortunately, this sounds like many other stories I've seen about them on RC. As you say, this should catch up with them. Based on your experience I will most likely not be going to them for my new tank either.

[ErikS]

hey jacob try NAGA from cmas i think chip can get you his info. he built erics's tank i think

Yes he did indeed...and the sump, but a couple of points -

 

NAGA does acrylic tanks & he generally doesn't do anything much under 300 gallons.....but if want acrylic it can't hurt to ask - workmanship is superb.

 

In a nutshell GlassCages can "get away" with this crap thanks to the lack of alternatives, especially if you need custom.

 

The choice comes down to -

 

GC.......or????

 

Price a custom Oceanic :o Aquarium Obsessed does fine work from what I've heard....but shipping a glass tank? Even shipping a custom acrylic runs about $250+ (crating, motor freight).

 

Lack of alternatives allows him to get away with this stuff.

[lmeyer]

The choice comes down to -

 

GC.......or????

50408[/snapback]

 

I guess thats the $64,000 question: or????

 

Aquarium Obsessed has his own issues. I haven't heard of his being rude, just way late and ducking calls. Plus he supposedly posts much of the positive feedback on his systems himself under several pseudonyms (or so I've read).

 

Miracles in Glass? I'm just beginning to look into them. Don't know anything yet.

 

Any other well known names? Anybody closer for large custom glass tanks? There is clearly some market.

[ErikS]

IIRC - there's a place in New Jersey that does custom glass (or maybe only acrylic). That's about as close as I've heard.

[emissary]

I just got a quote from Miracles...

 

180G glass

all edges machine polished

5/8" bottom

1/2" sides

Starphire front and ends

4" eurobrace with polished edges

3 holes in back panel

shipping to 22180, client responsible to offload aquarium or have it shipped to a location with a loading dock.

$ 1594.00

 

 

That's 2.4x times the cost shipped than GC. But balancing against what I just experienced. The GC guys are just *trying* to screw people near as I can tell. They sell on ebay under "twinoaks" or something like that. And I swear the dude just replied to my post on RC posing as someone random ... but coincidentally also from TN.

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...178#post6528178

[flowerseller]

uys, when looking for a tank let me know, I can get All Glass Aquarium and Oceanic, I'm sure I could get an AGA with a competative price.

Johnnybv

 

I'll bet he can also get Perfecto.

I'll need to look around and see how many bad marks Perfecto and AGA have.

I'll bet lots of it boils down to the stand they're placed on or the heat/UV that brittles the plastic top supports anyhooter.

Just because they have so much presence and longevity in the business must mean something.

 

Heading off the "they cost too much"......

You get what you pay for in both product and service.

 

Why not take a good suggestion from Johnny, inquire, and support someone who supports you.

 

BTW, I have an 11 year old 220h made by either Perfecto or AGA and I have had to fix the top braces since it broke from either heat or UV. I'd buy again.

[dbartco]

Hate to say it Yanek, but GC has never been great with the customer service, and I wished you got the opportunity to see people's reactions before purchasing (and the warnings to inspect meticulously before taking off the truck. My impressions of my tank and service I recieved were better than a lot of others. They cracked a peice of superficial plastic that was on the back of the tank on the truck, and offered me 8 bulkheads in return. I took it and went home fairly happy. A few after looking at my tank have replied, "wow, this is a glass cages tank, I did realize until I noticed the glass overflow."

 

Expecting to talk to the gruff curmudgen of a man I had talked to on the phone when ordering the tank, I met Tom at MACNA and he was pleasant and amiable. Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde I guess. Maybe like a lot of us, being at work ticks us off. Many on RC have said that taking the time to know him, and visiting his operations in TN (yes, he give tours of the facility) have gone far with him. Still doesn't make things right for his treatments, but what can you do.....?

 

 

I never expected any type of cutomer service. Don't know if I was lucky or what. And as Chip is likely to point out, same old beating of the same ol horse.

[Caribbean Jake]

Guys, when looking for a tank let me know, I can get All Glass Aquarium and Oceanic, I'm sure I could get an AGA with a competative price.  I saw a 75 from glass cages and I was not impressed at all.  Jake what are you looking for?

50382[/snapback]

Johnny

180 or 240, reef ready, with holes on corners. Glass AGA preferred.

[DEEPBLUE]

I have a 240 tall GC tank and am very happy with it. Also when I order the tank I ordered it without built in overflows, but when I meet them in Manassas to pick-up the tank, they had shipped one with 2 built in overflows. So instead of having to wait until the next VA or MD delivery, they just gave me that tank which has worked out to be great. Also I was the one that pick-up the raffle tank from them and held it for MAGNA. They were all very nice to me and the other customers there to pick-up their tanks.

 

I do understand your situation, but try to think of it in there shoes, they probably get calls all the time from people saying that when they got home the tank is chipped or cracked, but it is the buyer responibility to inspect the tank completely before they sign and pay for it. It would be the same way at Super Pets or any other retailer in the area if you bought a tank from them and took it home. You just gotta understand that he is in the business to make money. Also everytime I've talked to him or anyone else at GC, they have been nice and very helpful. I know the business aspect of it because I own my own trucking company and I get calls from people that say your driver broke my windshield or your truck dropped something and popped my tire, etc. 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.

 

This is just my opinion of my experience with them.

 

Eric

[Jon Lazar]

Deepblue,

 

I'm genuinely glad you had a good experience with them, and you bring up some valid points. But none of it excuses them from being a-holes on the phone. GC could have been polite and thrown Yanek some sort of bone, like discounted shipping, 10% off the tank, or something. Even if they don't have much of a profit margin, they have some room to maneuver. If they had at least tried to work with Yanek, I think this would have turned out differently, and the post would have read, "GC goes the extra mile with their customer service."

 

Jon