Lowest price for Instant Ocean

[Pszemol]

The day is coming I will have to buy new salt
and I was wondering where is today the lowest
price for larger quantities (4x50g or 1x200g).

BTW - Petsmart.com sells 50g bags for 9.99
plus shipping, but the same bag in the store
costs 18.99 + tax... Interesting.

[Toni]

"Pszemol" > wrote in message
...
> The day is coming I will have to buy new salt
> and I was wondering where is today the lowest
> price for larger quantities (4x50g or 1x200g).
>
> BTW - Petsmart.com sells 50g bags for 9.99
> plus shipping, but the same bag in the store
> costs 18.99 + tax... Interesting.




I have heard that if you print out the online page some stores will price
match- it's up to the individual manager.


--
Toni
http://www.cearbhaill.com/reef.htm

[Pszemol]

"Toni" > wrote in message .. .
> I have heard that if you print out the online page some
> stores will price match- it's up to the individual manager.

I doubt this would work for heavy-shipping items like salt.


BTW - So far the cheapest I found is www.bigalsonline.com with
the price of $44 for a 160gallons mix bucket of Instant Ocean.
This price includes shipping to a zip code in Chicago area.

[John]

160 gallon bucket is 34.99 at Petsmart...if they have it in stock.
~John

[Trygve Lillefosse]

On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 17:18:14 -0600, "Pszemol" >
wrote:

>"Toni" > wrote in message .. .
>> I have heard that if you print out the online page some
>> stores will price match- it's up to the individual manager.
>I doubt this would work for heavy-shipping items like salt.

I would give it a try, they may match the price when shipping is
included.

--
SEE YA !!!
Trygve Lillefosse
AKA - Malawi, The Fisher King

[Pszemol]

"Trygve Lillefosse" > wrote in message ...
> On Sun, 14 Nov 2004 17:18:14 -0600, "Pszemol" >
> wrote:
>
>>"Toni" > wrote in message .. .
>>> I have heard that if you print out the online page some
>>> stores will price match- it's up to the individual manager.
>>I doubt this would work for heavy-shipping items like salt.
>
> I would give it a try, they may match the price when shipping is
> included.

Including shipping the price on petsmart.com is similar to the price at store.

[Toni]

"Pszemol" > wrote in message
...
> "Toni" > wrote in message
.. .
> > I have heard that if you print out the online page some
> > stores will price match- it's up to the individual manager.
>
> I doubt this would work for heavy-shipping items like salt.
>


It has worked for many people.
Could it hurt to try?



--
Toni
http://www.cearbhaill.com/reef.htm

[Billy]

"Toni" > wrote in message
.. .
|
| It has worked for many people.
| Could it hurt to try?
|

Tried it today. 50g bag of IO. They matched the website
price....including shipping, which saved me a grand total of US$2.50.
<g> And I got to bring it home today, instead of finding it sitting
on my porch, roughed up, broken open and wet 9 days later.

Manager explained this by telling me that the online prices are
artificially lowered to encourage business they may lose due to the
shipping fees. I suppose they make most of it back with said fees.

<shrug>

billy

[Pszemol]

"Billy" > wrote in message ...
> Tried it today. 50g bag of IO. They matched the website
> price....including shipping, which saved me a grand total of US$2.50.
> <g> And I got to bring it home today, instead of finding it sitting
> on my porch, roughed up, broken open and wet 9 days later.

Ha, ha, ha :-)

> Manager explained this by telling me that the online prices are
> artificially lowered to encourage business they may lose due to the
> shipping fees. I suppose they make most of it back with said fees.

It does not sound right - do they share profits with UPS/USPS/FedEx ?

If not, there should be no reason for them to artificially
lower the price (loosing their margin) and giving it to the
shipping carrier... shouldn't it ?

Also, I do not quite understand why the price at the store
would not have shipping included in it - this bag did not teleport
out there, it had to be shipped somehow to the store anyway...
It will definitely cost less than shipping to the house of
the end user, but still it will gain some costs on the way
from the Instant Ocean warehouse...
All this sounds very weird, probably because I am not an accountant ;-)

[Billy]

"Pszemol" > wrote in message
...
|
| It does not sound right - do they share profits with UPS/USPS/FedEx
?
|

No, and I'm no accountant either. I do have some experience with
shipping dry goods, though. Shipping an entire pallet of IO would be
cheaper (per bag) than shipping one bag by many times. (i.e. 50 bucks
to ship a whole pallet, but 10 bucks for one bag) In addition, S&H
fees are generally higher than the actual fee paid to the shipper.
Sometimes quite a lot, depending on the company, who may or may not
be equipped well for small orders. My company was not, and charged
much more than the shipper's bill for the inconvienience of pulling a
forklift driver or manager to assemble, pack and ship a tiny order.
The volume of sale of this nature did not merit hiring someone for
this task. Petsmart should be equipped for small orders, however, so
they likely charge only what they feel they need to to cover all
costs and still make a profit. That said, I'm sure the manager's
response was dictated to him by higher-ups, as the question was
likely foreseen.

[Matt]

"Pszemol" > wrote in message
...
> "Billy" > wrote in message
...
> > Tried it today. 50g bag of IO. They matched the website
> > price....including shipping, which saved me a grand total of US$2.50.
> > <g> And I got to bring it home today, instead of finding it sitting
> > on my porch, roughed up, broken open and wet 9 days later.
>
> Ha, ha, ha :-)
>
> > Manager explained this by telling me that the online prices are
> > artificially lowered to encourage business they may lose due to the
> > shipping fees. I suppose they make most of it back with said fees.
>
> It does not sound right - do they share profits with UPS/USPS/FedEx ?
>
> If not, there should be no reason for them to artificially
> lower the price (loosing their margin) and giving it to the
> shipping carrier... shouldn't it ?
>
> Also, I do not quite understand why the price at the store
> would not have shipping included in it - this bag did not teleport
> out there, it had to be shipped somehow to the store anyway...
> It will definitely cost less than shipping to the house of
> the end user, but still it will gain some costs on the way
> from the Instant Ocean warehouse...
> All this sounds very weird, probably because I am not an accountant ;-)

You also need to take into account any murchadise at a store is priced
higher due to the price of running the store. An item sitting at a
warehouse doesnt need to be straighted or displayed. Store pay people to do
these things along with other basic store running costs. So the lack of
attention an item recieves on a shelf in a warehouse saves money in the long
run. As for shipping cost being higher than what a company charges, thats
where the handling comes into effect. Someone has to get that item, pack
it, label it, tape it and prepare for the company to get so a $2 shipping
costs turns into 8.95 or whatever.

[Pszemol]

"Matt" > wrote in message ...
> You also need to take into account any murchadise at a store is priced
> higher due to the price of running the store. An item sitting at a
> warehouse doesnt need to be straighted or displayed. Store pay people
> to do these things along with other basic store running costs.

You would better not think about it going to the Pestmart store and
requesting the price from the Pestmart.com because it should make you
feel you are doing not ethical thing demanding the online price and
asking the store owner to pay the retailing costs for you by giving
you shipping free and convenience of no-wait time for free :-)

[Tre' Landrum]

I have always had an overactive since of micro-economics (dad was a downtown
merchant)....... just think where we all would be if it were not for all the
advice and information we got from our local reef store. Yea, online is
great... but don't forget to support locally!

Tre'

"Pszemol" > wrote in message
...
> "Matt" > wrote in message
> ...
>> You also need to take into account any murchadise at a store is priced
>> higher due to the price of running the store. An item sitting at a
>> warehouse doesnt need to be straighted or displayed. Store pay people
>> to do these things along with other basic store running costs.
>
> You would better not think about it going to the Pestmart store and
> requesting the price from the Pestmart.com because it should make you
> feel you are doing not ethical thing demanding the online price and
> asking the store owner to pay the retailing costs for you by giving
> you shipping free and convenience of no-wait time for free :-)

[John]

> just think where we all would be if it were not for all the
>advice and information we got from our local reef store.

LOL. I have yet to get any good advice from a LFS, but I'll still support
them. If they were marine biologists, they'd be doing that, not running a LFS
so I dont expect much from them.

Disclaimer: Generalizations that all marine biologists have never worked at a
LFS, is just that, a generalization. :o)
~John

[Tre' Landrum]

So there is a good question I would like to see what some of you would
say... where have you gotten all your expertise in reef tanks? my answer
would be(and in this order):

college prof/helping with the college tank
LFS
books, books, and books
local reef club (new member, I am sure this one will defiantly be moving up
the list soon.)
I know experience is here somewhere
maybe a little off the web

"John" > wrote in message
...
>> just think where we all would be if it were not for all the
>>advice and information we got from our local reef store.
>
> LOL. I have yet to get any good advice from a LFS, but I'll still support
> them. If they were marine biologists, they'd be doing that, not running a
> LFS
> so I dont expect much from them.
>
> Disclaimer: Generalizations that all marine biologists have never worked
> at a
> LFS, is just that, a generalization. :o)
> ~John

[John]

> my answer
>would be(and in this order):

Books
Internet (here, rc, nano-reef, the 2 e-mags i know of)
Magazine (Coral magazine, very informative articles, love it)

Not sure if this should be added but it definitely adds to my 'expertise'. at
least the DIY end of things. I did swimming pool construction and maintenance
for 4 years. I was basically the 'lead tech' for the company. pH and
alkalinity play a major role. They actually have sal****er pools that turn the
NaCl into Sodium hypochlorite which disinfects. I did all the plumbing and
heater work, as well as the concrete and tiles. Worked with pumps, head,
priming etc. Now I'm a computer geek, weeeee! (I'd be interested to hear of
others occupations that have helped people's learning curve entering the hobby)

The main reason I dont like LFS's is when you give them a latin name they go
'huh' and then they ask me for a common name so I have to give them three.
Their advice is usually profit oriented unless you have good buddy buddy skills
and get a straight answer from them. I usually always know what I want to get
before I get there so I've probably done more research on the
product/livestock.

~John

[Toni]

"Tre' Landrum" > wrote in message
news:_6Bmd.17664$233.14902@okepread05...
> So there is a good question I would like to see what some of you would
> say... where have you gotten all your expertise in reef tanks? my answer
> would be(and in this order):
>
> college prof/helping with the college tank
> LFS
> books, books, and books
> local reef club (new member, I am sure this one will defiantly be moving
up
> the list soon.)
> I know experience is here somewhere
> maybe a little off the web




My answer-
Off the web, and
Books books books

None of my local shops are any help whatsoever.


--
Toni
http://www.cearbhaill.com/reef.htm

[DeeOooGee]

"Toni" > wrote in message
...
>
<snip>
>
>
>
> My answer-
> Off the web, and
> Books books books
>
> None of my local shops are any help whatsoever.
>
>

exactly the same for me!

[Margolis]

"Tre' Landrum" > wrote in message
news:_6Bmd.17664$233.14902@okepread05...
> So there is a good question I would like to see what some of you would
> say... where have you gotten all your expertise in reef tanks? my answer



books, the web, usenet and experience. There isn't a single fish store
around here with people that know anything. The last good local store that
had people that knew anything went out of business about 8 years ago ;o(
{they didn't do sal****er anyway, but they knew their freshwater}

now we're overrun with petco and petsmart and walmart, and this is in a
major metropolitan area, St. Louis.


--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

[Pszemol]

"Tre' Landrum" > wrote in message news:_6Bmd.17664$233.14902@okepread05...
> So there is a good question I would like to see what some of you would
> say... where have you gotten all your expertise in reef tanks? my answer
> would be(and in this order):
>
> college prof/helping with the college tank
> LFS
> books, books, and books
> local reef club (new member, I am sure this one will defiantly be moving up
> the list soon.)
> I know experience is here somewhere
> maybe a little off the web

In my case LFS would be at the last position if any...
All I heard there was bs. I prefer to read a good book and
clear my doubt on good websites... Google.com is my friend ;-0

And I am talking about private owned speciality stores...
Not chains like walmart or even petsmart - people working
there are teenage students making money on the side,
not with any experience keeping fish tanks...
This is my experience - but everybody is different.