# Aqua Bid Anybody use it ?



## John Edwards (Apr 11, 2006)

Wondering if anyone uses this online fish source ? Good/bad/comments ?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Yes, and with success. Just read the feedback on the sellers.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

It can be a very good source, just buyer beware. A lot of online breeders use it and I know of at least one 
very good breeder on this forum that sells fish there. Check the feedback and poke around for a while 
and it'll become pretty obvious which ones to stay away from. I've sold hundreds of fish there that I 
probably wouldn't have been able to otherwise, so it can be a really good source for both buyers and 
sellers. And if you're selling, beware of the buyers too. Some buyers will waste your time and are only 
looking for you to give fish away. There are folks to watch out for on both sides, so be skeptical and 
verify as much as you can. Best to work with those that have a good amount of positive feedback. It's 
kind of like buying on ebay.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

I've used Ebay in the past , and think it would be similar. Just be carefull and buy from higher rated sellers. Quality can vary, but there are reputable folks there so just ask for plenty of pics and ask lots of questions. Don't get sucked into bidding wars. I've overpaid for fish before cause I wanted them bad, and so did someone else :? . And watch out for the shippng costs. Lots of people who sell online like that make their profit in the shipping,so talk to the seller and see if they're willing to come down on the shipping a bit . And last but not least *read the whole add*! Sometimes the fish in the pic is not the fish your bidding on but maybe the parent or even just a pic from the internet , or they show a pic of a group of juvies and your only bidding on one.

Aqua Bid seems to be well moderated and looks like it's starting to become home to some well known breeders now as well. If I didn't mind paying through the nose for shipping, I'd use it. Don't let me scare you of it though . I'm just cheap. :thumb:


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> Lots of people who sell online like that make their profit in the shipping,so talk to the seller
> and see if they're willing to come down on the shipping a bit .


Ok, I'll put my .02 in from the other side. I charge actual shipping costs as do most others that I've 
seen. I've been around Aquabid for a long time and I've not seen *anyone *that looks like they're trying 
to make a profit on shipping. Shipping fish the right way is expensive. Cheap shipping if for those 
that don't care about the health and well being of the fish. I know they may make it alive, but sitting in 
polluted bag water for 2-3 days or more can have long term health effects. I've had at least one buyer 
balk at shipping after winning the auction. It was spelled out clearly in the auction listing, so yes, 
*please read the whole auction*. That's one of the 'buyer' issues I warned to be wary of. That's a 
breach of sale. It goes on. I fell for it once, but never again. I let them back out of the sale and then 
saw signs later that it was their habit and I'd been lied to. I had one ask me to cram 4 bags of fish 
into a tiny flat rate priority mail box, so they could pay $8 shipping. :x I didn't do it obviously.

If you buy from any online breeder, shipping is expensive, but the cost of the fish is much less than 
what you'll pay retail. It comes out cheaper in the long run and you have opportunity to get fish that 
otherwise would not be available to you from quality breeders all over the country.

Whew, I'm done now. Been wanting to rant about that for a long time.


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## chapman76 (Jun 30, 2004)

If shipping is a concern cost wise, do what I do, I only buy from people in UPS 1 day coverage area. That way they can ship normal UPS ground and still get it to me for cheap. Like prov356 for example. If he was selling, I'm in the 1 day area for him so I'd check to make sure he'd be willing to do that before I bid on the fish and then go ahead and do it.

99% of problems happen on Aquabid and Ebay due to lack of communication.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

*prov356*: Didn't mean to offend you . I've been victim to way overpriced shipping before, and unfortunately didn't realise it till later. Not trying to say you do that , just that it's something to watch out for. My statement about profits in shipping comes not only from that but from a family member who sells stuff on ebay. he always marks up the shipping and I have read articles on how to sell online which states that as a way to increase profits. But like I said it's just something to watch out for.  As for coming down on the shipping, mostly it refers to what *chapman76* is talking about . If you can get ground shipping instead of overnight and the fish arive just as fast, then ask if the shipper will do that. No sence paying the extra if you don't have to. Obviously though if your buying fish in Alaska and shipping them to Florida your not going to be able to get a break .

I just want to let the OP know a few of the tips and traps of these auctions . I realize most sellers are good people and will bend over backwards for folks and I didn't mean to hurt any feelings. there are a few bad apples though that make it necissary to be cautious when we deal with these things (my step brother's a prime example).


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

> If you can get ground shipping instead of overnight and the fish arive just as fast, then ask if the shipper will do that. No sence paying the extra if you don't have to.


Those are big 'ifs'. No one, including UPS, will guarantee overnight service at a reduced rate. UPS *may *get the package to you overnight for the cheaper rate, but it is not guaranteed. If you look up rates and delivery times on their site, the cheaper rate is a 2 day guaranteed time, not overnight. Overnight guaranteed UPS even to nearby states is very expensive. USPS is the same. If you want guaranteed overnight, it costs more.

I understand your point that it often gets there just as quickly, but it sometimes does not. I have researched this and agonized over what I wanted to do and how I much I was willing to do and if there was a guaranteed overnight service cheaper than what I use, I'd use it. Buyers sometimes act like they're letting us sellers in on some little cost savings secret that we don't know. I stand by my principles even if it means losing a sale and I don' t ship anything except overnight *guaranteed * (as much as anything is) because it is best for the health of the fish. I just won't send my fish out and hope they get there overnight to save a few dollars or make a sale. I can't do that to fish and I don't like being asked to do that to fish. Just tells me that the buyer is more interested in $$ than the well being of the fish, and it makes me not want to deal with them. That's probably not a fair or accurate assessment, but that's how it makes me feel.

I've read the ebay for dummies books too and saw that recommendation made to haggle over shipping, but Aquabid isn't ebay. Ebay is a whole other animal. Aquabid is mostly made up of fish nuts that mostly care about fish. Of course there are bad apples and we should watch out for them.

See there, you got me going again.  I think that's all I have to say about that.


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## chapman76 (Jun 30, 2004)

I agree with prov356. Aquabid and ebay are two completely different "animals" so to speak. Most shipping I have seen is quite reasonable and they do charge an arm and a leg.

I know UPS ground isn't guaranteed to arrive next day in their range, but if you contact a seller and they see you're well within the 1 day range, most will just do UPS ground and ship it that way. Never bid and assume that is what the seller will do. I've had probably 100 different shipments sent to me from the UPS 1 day zone and every single one has arrived in one day.

Always communicate with the seller. It generally comes out win/win. You'll also notice a lot of auctions include the shipping costs.


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

beware of international orders unless you are receiving airport-airport. international door-door orders, are doa nightmares, unless your livestock can manage 10+ days in a bag. IMHO


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## k19smith (Sep 6, 2005)

Off topic but I just had to throw this in in the past week ebay has put shipping caps on 30 or more items.


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## MetalHead06351 (Oct 3, 2007)

> If you buy from any online breeder, shipping is expensive, but the cost of the fish is much less than
> what you'll pay retail. It comes out cheaper in the long run and you have opportunity to get fish that
> otherwise would not be available to you from quality breeders all over the country.


This only comes out cheaper in the long run if you are planning to buy lots of fish. you have to figure that all shipping will be anywhere from $35-$80, and if you only want 1 $10 fish that you could get for $20 at an lfs its not worth the extra money. You do have alot more options for choosing fish though.


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

True, if you're only buying 1 fish, online probably isn't the source I'd look to.

Retail prices in my area are outrageous, if you can even find what you want, so online is where I go for 
just about all of my fish. Others are luckier and never have to go online.

It ain't fair. :x


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## teqvet (Mar 24, 2008)

I just bought about 30 fish for just over 200$ that included shipping. Had I bought the 30 fish at the lfs, I would have been looking at 900$  Just to put it in perspective.


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## Joels fish (Nov 17, 2007)

Yeh , but since most of the time I only buy a couple at a time online is just not worth it. I wish I had the room for 30 new fish though  .


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