Pets at home sold us a used mouldy fish tank how would you...

Orange2010

Go about getting compensation?
Here's the story.

My 3 year old wants a pink little mermaid fish tank for Xmas. They only sell these in pets at home. The nearest one is 25 mins away so last Sunday night I checked see if there was any in store. There's was 2 I thought I won't bother reserving it as going first thing in the morning. Anyway I was there by 10am they told me they didn't have any there I said how can you sell them when your not even open they said website is wrong. I was fuming as I travelled and on the was home we got stuck in roadworks took at hour to get home!

Yesterday we checked by ringing the store they didn't have any so we deceided to travel to further store to ensure they don't sell out as they are all out of stock online too. We reserved it this time there was 4 instore. We drove 40 mins there and when we got home and checked it it had been used! The stones were at the bottom it was filthy. Pump was very mouldy. Mermaid mouldy. Tank stinking and smelly. No background or stickers.
I am tamping as went there especially for that.

Now I'm ringing them when they open and going to ask for the manager. What would you demand? Its only a£35 tank but it's not the point. How the he'll can they sell a used one like that.
I want them to deliver it to me and compo of at least £10. Is that acceptable?

kajstring24

You say you didn't bother to reserve it, so what's to stop other people wanting the same fish tank and reserving it themselves? The website wasn't wrong, you just didn't use common sense and reserve the item.

If I were you, I'd just ask them for a replacement before you go in all guns blazing, it was probably a mistake, these things happen. 'Demanding' any form of compensation will get you very little. Ring the story and calmly explain the situation and ask them for a new fish tank. If that doesn't materialize, then you could make a claim for compensation.

Oliver14

Why do you wasn't compensation. Reasonable people would just politely ask for a refund or replacement and except mistakes happen.

demanding compensation for whatever makes you look unreasonable, silly and a bit of a muppet. It will just get their backs up and make things more difficult.

Orange2010

No way am I prepared to drive all that way again and have no compo!!!!!!

I rang the manager and he's agreed to give me £15 to cover my petrol.

pmduk

Orange2010 wrote: »

No way am I prepared to drive all that way again and have no compo!!!!!!

Why did you bother asking us then if you had already decided what you wanted to demand?

ellay864

So you've got a new tank lined up, you have £15 to compensate for petrol costs...seems reasonable. If you'd been able to buy it online it would have cost a fiver delivery charge anyway so you've got a good result. And I assume you'll check this one in the store to make sure it's OK before you take it home

Orange2010

pmduk wrote: »

Why did you bother asking us then if you had already decided what you wanted to demand?

I suppose it was more of a rant coz I was so !!!!!! off!!!

Orange2010

ellay864 wrote: »

So you've got a new tank lined up, you have £15 to compensate for petrol costs...seems reasonable. If you'd been able to buy it online it would have cost a fiver delivery charge anyway so you've got a good result. And I assume you'll check this one in the store to make sure it's OK before you take it home

Yeah I will check it this time!! Trouble was I was trying to distract my daughter so that she didn't see it and hubby was paying for it then quickly put it in the boot of car so he didn't check it- so guess who got the blame for all this?...:D:T

arcon5

Must have been an extremely distressing time for you, I say sue their !!!! and get everything due to you!

Orange2010

arcon5 wrote: »

Must have been an extremely distressing time for you, I say sue their !!!! and get everything due to you!

Oh it really was. I've gone to the ferret and watchdog.

coldcazzie

Can I ask, Orange, what are you planning to keep in the tank? The pets at home tanks don't come with heaters as standard and claim they are suitable for goldfish but they actually aren't. Goldfish need much bigger tanks (200L+) and heavy filtration as they are poop machines and also grow to a foot long and live for 20 years...

If you are hoping for a fish that your daughter can interact with I would recommend getting a 25w heater as well (they sell those in store) and buying a siamese fighting fish (betta) and keeping him on his own, or perhaps with a couple of shrimp or snails. They are very characterfull and will interact with people through the glass, and also more colourful than goldfish.

I realise this is not what you asked originally, but I have kept fish for many years and it pains me to see people keeping fish in inappropriate tanks. Hope the new tank you get is in better condition than the first one, which to me sounds like it was a return before you had it and they sold it to someone else.