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ADA stockists other than TGM?

Danny

Member
Joined
29 Jul 2012
Messages
863
Sent them an email asking if they would negotiate on the price of x8 ADA tanks ( £888 total ) and if they could arrange the drilling of a single hole in each and do you think they would.........nope, the drilling I was unsure of but thought they may offer a slight discount on the tanks.

If they are not prepared to even offer a 10% discount on something like that then I am not prepared to spend my money there, Has stuck a royal thorn in my plans for the new system using those tanks so need another stockist if possible even one in Europe that ships here.

If they would of offered some form of discount I would of asked about them getting the sump made and also bought all equipment from them so everything was bought in one go and arrived together but for their sheer greediness that have lost out on probably close to £2000.

Any shop that can turn their nose up at £800+ does not deserve my hard earned cash so now fully prepared to spend more now just to get the tanks somewhere other than there.
 
It's funny you should say that, I think the green machine sells some great things, however I find them to be a bit up themselves. They shouldn't be because I've had one too many shipments of half dead plants and small portions from them. Im not the complaining type however but probably won't spend my money there again. I use aqua essentials now and have never had a bad shipment of plants. They are always healthy and massive portions too, then there's the price too, much cheaper than TGM!
 
Wish I had looked for a stockist list before, there is one only half hour drive away and another that I know well although not been there in a couple of years in Ireland, so stuff TGM they have lost any possible future custom from me also.
 
Hi,
Not 100% sure on this but in TGM's defence I think ADA fix the prices and they don't allow deviation. I could be wrong but I'm sure I've heard this before.
Ady
 
Ady34 said:
Hi,
Not 100% sure on this but in TGM's defence I think ADA fix the prices and they don't allow deviation. I could be wrong but I'm sure I've heard this before.
Ady

I believe Ady is correct, price fixing means the Brand stays 'Desirable'. Lots of Companies ( ORrrr BANKS! !!! ) do it :eek:
 
TGM are also the company that distribute ADA in the uk, you're unlikely to save much, perhaps approaching someone like clearseal might be better?
 
Garuf said:
TGM are also the company that distribute ADA in the uk, you're unlikely to save much, perhaps approaching someone like clearseal might be better?

PMSL hmm ADA or Clearseal.......... hard choice lmfao

Their is a shop in Ireland cheaper at retail price than TGM for most of the ADA stuff they both stock :thumbup: They all have their set mark ups so just depends if they want to do a deal or not and TGM obviously do not want to deal.

Does it being price fixed mean the staff at TGM do not get staff discount on any of it.......I think not
 
Price fixing is more common than you think. When you buy a pint of Guinness, it's prices are fixed. I used to work for a multi national pub company!
 
I am not sure publicly bashing TGM is really going to help and not wanting to get drawn into this, but have you considered that £800ish is not really a big enquiry and worth discounting? Remember a normal full setup to them is probably £1000 to £2000 if not more.....

As for plant problems people, they have a plant guarantee why didn't you claim under that, not that i have ever experienced anything but exceptional plants in the hundreds i have bought.

P.s If you need tanks drilling approach one of the marine companies, they all do it as they have sumps etc. There is quite a skill to it. :wideyed: Fills me with Dread the thought of drilling my ADA tank :? :lol: :lol:

Cheers
Andyh
 
I have an account with one of the food manufacturers (for own use), and enquired about perhaps buying a bit to re-sell, but I wasn't allowed to sell cheaper than RRP as it "devalues the brand" (or something like that).
 
Danny, I was merely suggesting that clearseal would be cheaper. I've bought tanks from them in the past and though not optiwhite the silicon work is as good as the Do aquatanks I've seen. It depends on what you're after at the end of the day. If you want cheaper ADA, buy from Germany or elsewhere in the EU and have it DHL'd over here, it's normally about 20% cheaper.
 
RossMartin said:
Price fixing is more common than you think. When you buy a pint of Guinness, it's prices are fixed. I used to work for a multi national pub company!

thats is not the case, price set by the company maybe not by guinness.

However it wouldnt suprise me if ADA is price fixed and id bet TGM's mark up is fairly slim to start with. Still 80% of something is better than 100% of nothing. :crazy:
 
easerthegeezer said:
RossMartin said:
Price fixing is more common than you think. When you buy a pint of Guinness, it's prices are fixed. I used to work for a multi national pub company!

thats is not the case, price set by the company maybe not by guinness.

However it wouldnt suprise me if ADA is price fixed and id bet TGM's mark up is fairly slim to start with. Still 80% of something is better than 100% of nothing. :crazy:

With guinness that is the case. They tell the pub companies what price to sell their products at, unless something has changed since Monday!
 
It's about a 40% mark up on ADA.

What I do find strange is even at that mark up the price to the distributor is about the same as the retail price of ADA in the US. I attribute this to shipping but I've been told there's very little difference in it. I don't know what the tax levels are like, I'm not from customs and excise but I think it's unlikely to come in on a premium goods tariff.

I have to agree with Andy on this though, a public bashing of TGM probably isn't the best way of dealing with this, though I appreciate that negative feedback is vitally important to be available I don't think it's best aired like this, I mean I have had my own negative experiences with TGM, AE too, taken out of context though they paint a picture that isn't true.

They are at the end of the day a premium shop selling premium products and this should be expected to carry a premium price tag, they're selling a lifestyle with an associated cost, they are also essentially a monopoly with being the distributor so the price will always be fairly even, if people want to buy from that's their choice but there are alternatives, 90% of the ada product range isn't an essential to succeeding with a planted tank.

It's also worth pointing out that we didn't always have ADA in the UK and we got on fine without it, there are more products on the market now that rival ada than there has ever been. The thing with ADA tanks is that though desirable and beautiful works of craftsman ship, the glass is thinner than most tank builders would allow you to build in, this is part of the reason why they are cheaper than a custom tank in some cases, also the economy of scale from building thousands of units. Other than the tanks and possibly the new LED rig which I would say represent the best choices for the money generally speaking the rest is easily found in ranges from other companies for less.

You have to hand it to TGM though for all peoples misgivings and peoples perceptions that they're "up themselves" they have done a lot for the hobby and I suspect the hobby would be in a worse state than it is without them.
 
Why do people say "they are up themselves"?

I guess everyone's experience is different but for me they are by far the BEST company I have dealt with in the industry. They have always gone out of their way to actually talk to me and explain things in detail, either on the phone or via email. They have never pushed the most expensive products and actually help me select the right product for the job. I honestly can't speak high enough of their customer service and recommend them regularly.

Seems silly to post a message because they wouldn't give you a bit of discount. Perhaps those tanks are difficult to drill and so they would rather not take the chance. Anyway, i'm guessing you'd prefer a specialist company do that part anyway.

Have you only dealt with them on email? Perhaps you might be reading it in a way it's not meant? I suggest actually giving them a call and speaking to Mark or James.

If they can't discount the tanks then perhaps they can do you a little deal on something else (substrate / plants / food / bottles / powders etc.) if you buy everything through them?

Up to you though.
 
At the end of the day it is not about money or I would not of chosen those tanks, I choose those tanks because I like them not because they are cheap.

If that amount of money is nothing to them then they do not need if off me, as I said I will happily pay more to get them elsewhere now, the offer of some form of discount or offer of a deal with other items just would of been nice to show they care about your custom.

As they obviously do not then I will not be using them simples.

Also there have been numerous posts on here about how over priced they are especially with their rocks which are 5x the price of elsewhere.
 
Matty1983 said:
It's funny you should say that, I think the green machine sells some great things, however I find them to be a bit up themselves. They shouldn't be because I've had one too many shipments of half dead plants and small portions from them. Im not the complaining type however but probably won't spend my money there again. I use aqua essentials now and have never had a bad shipment of plants. They are always healthy and massive portions too, then there's the price too, much cheaper than TGM!

When I win the lottery, I'll maybe start thinking about buying my stuff from TGM.

Have you tried http://www.poseidons-palace.co.uk/Poseidons_Aquariums/Rimless Aquariums.htm Danny? I bet he'd drill the tanks however you want no problem.
 
Hmmm. Well I am always the first to criticise if I do not receive good customer service, but I am not sure that declining a discount comes into that category. Generally I have found that discounts are available on more "run of the mill" products and that luxury goods (such as an ADA tank or most things considered 'premium quality') tend to be the price they are. Oftentimes discounts can be made available on the side goods such as substrate where a greater profit margin is available in the first place, but there is no mention of you asking about that Danny.

I would have thought it better, if you wanted to negotiate a deal, to have called them as I suspect they get a lot of emails of people who wish they could afford ADA stuff but want it cheaper. Now, I realise you have told us that you can afford it, but they would not necessarily know that from the email you described. So to them it was probably a bit like someone emailing a Mercedes dealership wanting BMW prices. In this instance I can understand their reluctance, especially if you weigh up that you were asking them to take on some considerable risk too with drilling. Would you have paid for a split tank if the drilling went wrong, or would that have been their responsibility, even though they had discounted the price in the first place ?

TGM have high prices. We all know that. To an extent I even respect that because for whatever failings James may have, he is an excellent business man who has built up quite a reputation and contributed significantly to our hobby.

I also have had nothing but excellent customer service from him and his team. I have spent long conversations on the phone with Jim and the others, making use of their expertise, and not really rewarded them for that with many purchases so I guess you could say that is the flip side of the coin.

Danny, you are entitled to your opinion, and also to buy your products anywhere you like, but in this instance I have to observe that I don't believe they deserve such a public trouncing, especially when its on a general forum as opposed to one which they can respond to should they have wished.

Good luck with your set up though. It sounds pretty amazing and I will be watching the thread. Whether you choose ADA products (which I consider to be vastly overpriced regardless of who sells them) or another one of the very good manufacturers, I am sure it will look great.

Have you considered Aqua Jardin ? I recently purchased a used Optiwhite tank from their PureAqua range, along with stand and a few other bits. I think the quality is there, though perhaps not quite as spot on as ADA, but then I guess thats where the price differential comes in. Its more than good enough for me though :)
 
I can't believe that people are having a bad experience with TGM. They are by far the best retailer I have been to in this country. Closely followed by the likes of the abyss

As for discount don't shop for food in M & S if all you can afford is asda.

And don't buy a Rolls Royce if you want a kit car!!!

ADA is no good if you want a custom fit :)
 
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