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The Green Machine- a bit disappointed.

Sacha

Sacha

Member
Joined
3 Jan 2014
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992
Location
London
I recently went to Wales for a few days, and on the drive back to London I decided to stop off in Wrexham to check out the Green Machine.

To be honest the place is nothing special. They had two large planted tanks, but they weren't exactly spectacular. Then about 6 or 7 smaller ADA tanks, mainly with shrimp and smaller tetras, but again- the layouts aren't any more impressive than the stuff I've seen at Aquatic Design Centre.

Also I was completely ignored while I was in the shop- they were busy re- arranging and organising the store, and I had to go into the office to ask for some assistance. Having said that, once I had got their attention I had a ten minute discussion with one of the guys who worked there.

Anyway, all in all- not exactly what I was expecting. The tanks at ADC in Great Portland St are more impressive and better maintained. And there are many more of them. I guess TGM are focussing more on their internet business these days?
 
I have never been to the store but have dealt with on the phone many times and always been really helpful.
 
They're always very helpful and will chat for ages once you get talking. I agree the place is starting to look a bit shabby, I believe they are trying to address this though. If you're going to be selling all the high end stuff like ADA you need a much smarter store to show it off, I haven't been to ADC but I have seen photos of Viktor's awesome place which should be the benchmark.
 
It'd be interesting to know how tight the margins are in this business...I'm guessing that they're pretty tight and store rebuilds can be V expensive, but from what I've seen on video GM is perhaps not the destination store it once was.
 
Troi said:
It'd be interesting to know how tight the margins are in this business...I'm guessing that they're pretty tight and store rebuilds can be V expensive, but from what I've seen on video GM is perhaps not the destination store it once was.
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Too tight to sponsor the forum anymore
Tgm margins can't be that tight look at their prices of compared to other retailers.

I was going to drive down from yorkshire and have a look but i dont think i'll bother now, at least until after the refit.
Thanks for the heads up sacha
 
Sacha said:
the layouts aren't any more impressive than the stuff I've seen at Aquatic Design Centre
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Do they have to be more impressive? Did they ever say they were guaranteed to be more impressive than what is clearly a flag ship aquatic specialist in the heart of london? Clearly you visited them in a bit of limbo moment. I'd rather hear what a local would have to say

I've never visited but I am going to give them the benefit of the doubt. Did you buy anything after the 10 minute chat?
 
I had just heard so much about them, and they didn't live up to their reputation- that's all. Why is my experience any less valuable to a local's? I'm just telling you what I saw with my own two eyeballs.
 
I think what he means is that a local would have the benefit of visiting often, and therefore knows what the store is usually like.

That's a shame about TGM though, I heard great things. Was Nature's Chaos any good?
 
I had similar experience on recent visit. Too busy with one other customer, no prices on anything, finished up walking out after 30 mins without buying anything when I had diverted especially to get some plants. Shame, stock looked 2nd rate, not as good as previous visits, I wouldn't recommend a special visit, or even a detour.
 
I've never been into there store,but I have orderd off them three times now and here is my account with dealing with them.

First time was a couple of years ago now,ordered plants turned up in perfect order was very happy:)

Second time was about six months later from my first order with them,ordered plants and a few other bits and bobs.It arrived a week later and one of the plants I had ordered did not turn up,also some plant feed I orderd was ment to be 500ml but was sent 250ml.After a quick phone call they were very apologetic and a few days later received said plant the 500ml of plant feed and even a freebie "sorry for the mess around" Anubis on a small bit of bog wood,happy days:thumbup:

Third time was november last year,orderd £150 of plants,nine days later nothing.Made the phone call to be told they didn't know anything about the order (in not what I would call a very polite manner either) and the person in charge of online orders would not be in until the afternoon and I'd get a call back later,fine not a problem.24 Hours later still no call back,so I phoned again explained again what had happened and I was still waiting for a call back,the only words that I heard from the other end of the phone was "Hang on" the phone was then placed on the side and for the next 5 minutes all I could here was people talking in the background,then the phone was picked up off the side and I was hung up on:mad:.I phoned back and it's fair to say I was not very happy,but the chap who I spoke to this time was the guy who sorted the online orders out and again he was very apologetic said the problem was somthing to do with the ordering system at there end and everything would be sent out first thing next week and even another freebie as an sorry,cool.
The following monday get a phone call from tgm,very sorry but some of the plants you orderd are no longer available can we send you some alternative such and such plants which are pretty much the same as the ones you wanted and they will be sent wednesday and with you friday,ok what ever just send the bloody things already:grumpy:
Friday comes,package arrives:happy:open with bated breath but something is not right,not enough plants Im missing at least 3 some have been sent twice some not at all and the alternative plants were not even the ones I was told they would be.Plus they were in p**s poor condition, most had broken stemes and rotting leaves:rage::rage::rage:
Oh yeah and no free gift either:mad::rage::mad::rage:
Anyhow sent an nice email;)was told again very sorry will be rectified,it wasn't and I will never give them a penny of my money again.

Rant over.
 
All i know it is extremely difficult to maintain a 100% feedback. We are deeling with perishable items here especially in regards of plants. I am sure any online NA supplier would be on top of their service with dry goods or advice but give the guys a break with live plants. The pricing policy is a whole different story ;)
Also i am sure they are trying to perform to the best they can. These days reputation is everything.
 
Think this is a case of TGM were once a minority specialty store, now there are dozens of alternatives offering the same product at a more competitive price point.

Sorry ed, restaurants, bars supermarkets etc are also trading perishable items, if the product is no good don't send it. With a perishable item business wastage is a cost that must be factored in to selling price. If they can't move the products they have before they are past best then put them on offer before they diminish...

When I see the likes of greenaqua and other Ada flagships I want to visit, i no longer feel that way about TGM as i don't see that self promotion of excellence any longer.... Just self promotion of 'world renowned aquascaper James Findley'





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I am very sorry to hear bad experiences of people in the hobby.

I order to Cyprus a few plants with TGM and they sent them to me twice because a couple of plants melted along the way and to be honest it wasn't their faul but the post office fault.

I went all the way from Cyprus to ADC aquatics, liked the place, liked the tanks but it seems no-one noticed me in the shop. I was happy to see all these tanks with plants for the first time in my life so I didn't care much that no-one paid any attention to me. I guess if I was a customer I wouldn't be happy. I also asked if I could phone him to put an order to be shipped to Cyprus but he declined my offer which was his choice I guess.

Most important thing in this hobby is knowledge and the sharing of information. If you walk into a store then the people working there should help you out as much as they can and give you their full attention unless other customers need help as well. Its a shame if certain shops don't do that.

In my opinion though TGM are very helpful and ADC is a very nice shop with nice tanks...haven't seen anything better than that but yet again I haven't seen much!
 
I ordered just once from them last year some sand for one of my tanks. No sign of the order for 2 weeks. I called them. They apologized and said they had an issue on their side and it wasn't sent. I eventually received it in about 3 and a half weeks in total. I wasn't in a hurry then so it didn't bother me but if someone was it wouldn't have been too nice.

Apart from that I sometimes understand the lack of attention in fish shops. The guy that owns our local one is almost always alone I suppose due to the crisis and he's torn between chatty customers when it seems he's got a lot of work to do and other waiting customers to attend. I know it's not our problem as customers but probably because I like to mind my own business it doesn't bother me. I just stare at the tanks like a small kid in Disneyland for the most part until I decide what I want.

But yes, it's nice to have a chat with a fish lover from time to time so it depends whom I happen to chat with in fish shops. It does aid in buying something you never came for :). But in some shops here certain stuff members can't even distinguish between the types of snails they have.
 
Piece-of-fish said:
We are deeling with perishable items here especially in regards of plants. give the guys a break with live plants.
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I'm sorry but no,If a retailer is offering goods via a mail order sevice reguardless of what is being sent I expect top quality or very close to it,not a "well we sent something"attitude.

Piece-of-fish said:
Also i am sure they are trying to perform to the best they can. These days reputation is everything.
Click to expand...

This time there "best"was not good enough,and yes reputation is everything so maby they should have done better.
 
Ye, certainly plants have to be best shape to ship. But lots can happen in transit. Its very interesting to hear such a bad feedback. Would have thought they have to be on top with tough competition these days. We need greenaqua branch in London ;)[DOUBLEPOST=1402055991][/DOUBLEPOST]Its weird that they send different plants without asking first I must admit. Is their main customer just an average plant guy who does not care what he gets? Hmm.
 
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Iain Sutherland said:
When I see the likes of greenaqua and other Ada flagships I want to visit, i no longer feel that way about TGM as i don't see that self promotion of excellence any longer.... Just self promotion of 'world renowned aquascaper James Findley'Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Do I detect a slight hint of irony;) Maybe Wrexham's Takashi Amano has spent all TGM's profits on 'gently caressing' Amazonia in to 'world renowned' aquascapes:rolleyes:
 
Iain Sutherland said:
i don't see that self promotion of excellence any longer.... Just self promotion of 'world renowned aquascaper James Findley'
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Exactly. All the videos telling us how 'game changing', world first', back slap, back slap.........:singing: Seen better here :D

There's just no excuse for bad service these days. If there's an issue the seller should be contacting the buyer before sending out, not the other way round. Especially when even chains like MA & Pets at home have some good tanks on display and surprisingly good plant/fish stock at some stores.

Saved me a visit anyway :cool:
 
I visited TGM a little while ago, mainly to play with hardscape in the sand pit, and also to check the store out. A little while after this visit i ordered a load of plants, I was told when i ordered that they had some of the plants in stock but some of the others would need to be ordered. When i received my order i could tell which had come from TGM stock, and which had come straight from tropica. The TGM stock plants were in a terrible state. When you are paying a premium you expect to have top quality plants and service, and i just don't feel as though that was provided... So i don't really use them now.
 
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