Should I give the pet store who sold the fish a piece of my mind?

Question

my not so intelligent cousin went to the fish store and told them she was starting a fifty gal tank. she called me and said I need to see her wonderful tank and so I went to her house and saw that she had over 100 1 to 2 inch gold fish in her 50 gal tank. well I told her that she would not have a healthy tank that way she said the store told her she needed to 'get the tank dirty' before she could put fish in, my point is that they knew she was starting a tank and they also knew that was way too many fish for that size tank and my not so bright cousin's answer to me after I did my best to explain how to start a tank she wanted to put the fish in the canal and keep only a few!! OMG!!! I think the store should have not sold her those fish!!! and its stores like that who help destroy the eco system. shouldn't I tell them about it. I now have the gold fish and I am taking them back to the store but I'm afraid I wont keep my cool. at least shouldn't I tell them the mistake that almost happened?

Answer 1

You should tell the store about how irrisponsable they were, but don't yell. Tell the store that they're gonna lose customers if they keep tricking people.  

Answer 2

Don't give away more than you can stand to lose.  Tell your cousin she could be in line for a hefty fine for releasing fish into any body of water, as well as doing major ecological damage.  At the store, don't talk to the clerks about your problem, talk to  the manager.  It's HIS (or her) job to oversee the actions of the clerks.  If he just blows you off, go up the managerial chain.

Answer 3

I suspect that it is a clerk at the store not the management, no store could stay in business that treated its customers in that manner.  So when you return the fish be sure you are able to talk to management.  As far as giving a piece of your mind remember, only give what you can afford to lose.  Myself it important I keep all that I have.

Answer 4

It's pretty appalling the shop was so irresponsible. Fish are living beings, not disposable commodities. As has already been mentioned, the ultimate responsibility falls on your cousin, but the shop must know that people will ask them for advice and then trust that advice. After all, the pet shop staff are supposed to be the experts! Advising your cousin to buy so many fish for the tank she specified was a betrayal of the obligation they owe to the fish, and a betrayal of the customer's trust in their advice. Shouting at them will not resolve anything, but it needs to be made clear to them just how thoughtlessly they have behaved. If you know of anyone who wants some goldfish, it would be better to rehome them than to return them to such a sub-standard place. Good luck.

Answer 5

The store was very wrong in selling all those fish to her. All they saw were dollar signs.

The pet store where I go to will ask how big your tank is, if you buy 3 or more fish at a time. They also will refuse to sell fish, if the tank is not big enough.

Without getting nasty, You need to tell them about their selling practices.

GO GET THEM, GIRL!!

Answer 6

I think you should just take the extra fish back and tell them what could have happened - in a un-mean way.  The only person that knew the whole situation was your cousin...she's the only person that is responsible for her actions.  So while I don't think its a wrong idea to make the store aware of it, the responsibility falls on your cousin.

Answer 7

Definitely return the fish and speak to the manager. If you have no trouble returning them, let it drop. If you do have trouble, just open your mouth wider than you normally do when you explain why the clerk was irresponsible in selling them. That way, you won't be yelling but you will be projecting and the manager will realize that the rest of the people in the store are hearing what sort of clerks they hire. It gets results rather quickly.