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Business Profile

Tropical Fish

Cultivated Reef

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

Find BBB Accredited Businesses in Tropical Fish.

Complaints

Customer Complaints Summary

  • 1 complaint in the last 3 years.
  • 0 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

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The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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Complaint type

  • Initial Complaint

    Date:12/21/2023

    Type:Delivery Issues
    Status:
    Answered
    Resolved:
    The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
    Unresolved:
    The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
    Answered:
    The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
    Unanswered:
    The business failed to respond to the dispute.
    Unpursuable:
    BBB is unable to locate the business.
    I tried to order a pair of clown fish from Cultivated Reef. I saw that they offered Saturday delivery for an extra added shipping fee. I work and live on a military base. The shipping company ******* called to tell me that he didnt have the proper credentials to come on to Altus Air Force Base. I tried to call the delivery driver but he was driving back to ****************** and told me h*** try to deliver it again on Monday. I told him not to bother I wont be home till Tuesday. I explained that why I specifically selected and paid for shipping for Saturday delivery. I also got in touch with Cultivated Reef and I explained my situation to them why I had to have it delivered on Saturday. They suggested I accept the delivery for Monday but I explained to them I wont be home till Tuesday. They said they refuse to send me another pair or even give me a partial refund.

    Business Response

    Date: 01/09/2024

    Hi ******,

    This is a very unfortunate set of events that took place back on October 14. We were under the impression that we had resolved this issue with you back at that time. First of all, it is extremely rare for us to not replace an order if things do not go well. Unfortunately when ***** called you to let you know they couldn't gain access to the base, you told them to ship the fish back to us. That was unfortunate because it resulted in both the fish dying due to the extra time in transit (shipped Monday for a Tuesday delivery) as well as adding a needless additional priority overnight shipping charge on our shipping account. When ***** called you, you had an opportunity to make arrangements to either pickup the fish at the shipping station that afternoon or make other delivery plans. But instead you told them to ship the fish back to us. By informing us of these details AFTER you set into motion the return of the fish we were never given an opportunity to help figure out a solution. The fish would remain alive a few days so there was a lot of possible solutions.

    As you know, when you placed your order you had checked the box that states that you agree to the terms and conditions of Cultivated Reef. Those terms include that "mistakes made by the shipping carrier or recipient etc will void our guarantee". That being said, we are almost always able to resolve these kinds of issues with our customers when given the opportunity. In this case, there clearly was an issue with the delivery address provided. We are not familiar with what sort of credentials are needed to gain access to an Air Force Base. The address you provided when placing your order made no mention of a military base. It looked like any other typical address. The awareness of possible difficulty gaining access to the customers location is the responsibility of the customer since they are the only one aware of these details. It's not reasonable for us to be held accountable for those sorts of delays. And unfortunately you did not go to the ***** station that afternoon to pick up the fish or make other arrangements. 

    It is for all the reasons above that we did not refund your order. We do wish things had turned out differently for both you and the fish.

    Sincerely,
    Cultivated Reef

    Customer Answer

    Date: 01/10/2024

    Better Business Bureau:I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does not satisfy or resolve my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint # ********. Please add your rejection comments below; if you do not provide any details, your complaint will be closed as Answered. 

    [You must provide details of why you are not satisfied with this resolution.  If you do not enter a reason for your rejection, your complaint will be closed as Answered.]

    Businesses and Customers should be civil, courteous and polite in their responses to complaints. It is important to remain professional and productive when participating in the BBB complaint process.

    FAQ

    Regards,

    ******

     

     

Cultivated Reef is NOT a BBB Accredited Business.

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