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boaphile plastics is starting to piss me off....

We just contacted Joel via email to see the status of our order, it was a single rhino rack. I understood the wait time going into the purchase, and we're quite anxious to see the finished product.


My statements here were about the cage and rack builders in general. I still beleive taking partial deposits, even 50% deposits would suit the industry better. I don't like the idea of paying for something that has not even been built yet, for some reason it just does not sit well with me, but since it is the standard at this time you jsut dont have much of a choice unless you have the time to construct your own, which I dont.

People dont like to wait in general, you're absolutley right. Especially when they drop a few hundred, perhaps thousands on housing they dont see for up to a month or more. Someday there will be a builder out there that breaks into the market selling quality finished products, ready to ship. This person will clean up. I can see it now.... Until then however this is the way it is. Hopefully people will understand this instead of bitching about it AFTER thier purchase. From what I can see every single manufacturer we have ordered from was outright honest and open about the length of time it would take to receive a finished product BEFORE they took our money. If this length of time drastically increases however, thats when people should become annoyed. That I don't blame them for at all....
 
I too am from ths school of thought that says why pay the entire cost up front, for something that has'nt beem built yet?
Is there some sort of an incentive to build and ship quickly, when 100% of the buyers money is in hand?
I recently purchased my first cage, and was actually kind of taken back with the fact there is no deposit, just total payment.
I bit the bullet, and sent the money.
I was told 4-6 weeks. After 6 weeks, if the product is not in hand, you can rest assured, I will raise hell.
That is how the world works...you pay for something...you should receive it.
As far as getting behind in production, or cant keep up...if you cant stand the heat....
And why tell a customer 2-6weeks if you cant produce?
Take deposits...heck even 50% is ok...and live up to your word.
In retail, those that cant deliver, are usually gone rather quickly.
Maybe the cage manufacturers need to change the way they do business?
 
deposits

I would agree that even a 50% deposit is not out of the question in a sale of this nature. A great number of breeders offer their animals, especially the high-end variety, early and hold the animal (or animals) with a deposit. Usually this happens prior to hatching/birth and is a bit speculatory in nature. Once the animal is born the depositor is notified so that payment of the remaining sum can be paid and the animal delivered. Now, considering that it is customary for businesses to list a 100% markup and more for products (yep, that $19.99 pair of jeans cost the store approx. $9.99 and their supplier paid roughly half of that from the manufacture,) it doesn't seem unreasonable for manufactures of cages to ask for a 50% deposit. Asking for full payment up front makes me wonder how "liquid" the business actually is and to me it looks as if things are operating on a shoestring budget and these types of businesses don't tend to last out the 3 year average of start-ups in the US. Where will customer service and guarantees be in 5 years if any manufacturer goes out of business in 3? While a bit exagerated, ask the folks who still own the old Neodosha cages...see what I mean?

Example of deposits working correctly. The company I work for sells to dealers, many in Florida and on up the east coast and roughly across the gulf coast with a few in the mid-west. The dealer sells the cabinets to the homeowner and requires a deposit at the signing of the business contract with the remainder due at the completion of the job. They order the cabinets and are also charged 50% of their cost. The things are built, delivered (when our company gets paid our remainder amount) and then installed (and the dealers get their final installment after this is completed.) In the end everyone gets paid, but ultimately it happens in stages with deposits being paid and final payment made after the product is actually produced/delivered. It's a very common and successful business model that has only improved over the years.

David
 
Maybe I missed it somewhere,but did they even give you a timeframe? Hell I do pet portraits and I make sure that's the first thing I do(I don't like ticking people off). I take a 50% deposit and for some reason I can't get the painting done in my 4-6 week quote and they don't want the painting anymore...they get their money back. That hasn't happened yet but there's always the chance that something could happen.

Either way it sounds like someone needs to hire people to take care of their customer service issues!


~Ang
 
Reptiledude said:
That is why I went with Animal Plastics. Great Customer Service!!!
Click to expand...

Just curious-How fast was your order shipped? I'm thinking of ordering a rack from them.
 
it's ALL about customer service...

I can understand a cage making business, most likely run out of a garage, basement, rental space lol etc. on shoestring budget, getting backed up, but C'MON!!!...Spend 30 minutesa week answering emails or returning phone calls...they dont have to long drawn out dramatic sessions, either... a quick, "hey, sorry for the delay, we are making "X" number of cages, your cage/rack is number "X" in line, we REALLY appreciate your business and how about a 5% discount on your next order or customer referred..."

Christmas is fast approaching, and I can bet orders are piling up...Not biting off more than you can chew would probably help too, but if Boaphile had spent just a few minutes with the original poster of this thread they may have ended up with a customer for life postin' nothing but good things everytime their name came up...it's up to them (and any business for that matter) to see what value they place on that...JMHO and peace...
 
If It's Any Consolation

I ordered four of the new 4' Vision cages and received them late. Upon arrival I found two of them were completely devoid of half the fasteners needed to hold the screen onto the cage. After notifying Vision of this problem I was sent a tool to fix them which I have no clue how to use.
About a month before Daytona I proceeded to order four more of the same cages and was told they were back ordered but they'd send some from the stock that was supposed to go to the Daytona show this past August. I'm still waiting to hear from them LOL.
You know to be succesful in business it's a good idea to have customers for your business. When overrun with customers it's also a good idea to HAVE PRODUCT FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS! Get a clue cage builders. Everyone in business should have hoards of people waiting for their products. Gee, maybe it's time to expand. YA THINK?
 
this is EXACTLY what im talking about.

If these cage builders accepted deposits it would give them more incentive to provide a finished product when they state they would.... so far the attitude of most is "we got your money, youll get your cage when we finish it, on OUR schedule..."

Lets not kid anyone here, a 50% deposit alone would be sufficient to acquire any materials needed if they are that tapped out.... so the other 50% would be considered labor, labor they have not even earned until a finished product is provided.

Making better sense now? I thought so.

If you say youll deliver something by such and such a date, you DO it. Unless something prohibits you from doing so, the lack of qualified help or being overrun with orders is no excuse. Overrun with orders? Then you have all those upfront payments to expand to a larger area or hire on some temporary help.

I really hope someone in this market takes the initiative to change the current standards. So far, they stink.
 
Too be honest im not even sure if they gave me a time frame but i think it says on thier site 4 to 6 weeks and its about week 6 now so if it doesnt come in soon im going to be an even more pissed off customer. This just isnt right Topshelf i agree they should do the deposit because its kind of uncomforting when you send all this money and who knows i may not receive it for another month....
 
"we got your money, youll get your cage when we finish it, on OUR schedule..."
Click to expand...

I agree with that statement....
It's unfortunate, but once a company/person has your money the sense of "control" a customer has is lost, and is in the hands of the company. I think the 50-50 rule is a fair proposition...

"Boidaddic14" have you tried constructing a rack? They are VERY VERY VERY easy to build. Home Depot sells all the melamine broads already pre-cut. I've built racks, which cost me $50-100 for the material. I've seen similar racks being sold for $400-700!!!

The melamine boards look just as nice as any plastic rack (if not better). The only disadvantage is the weight, but it's not like you're going to be moving it around everyday...

It was just a thought, and an option for you in the future....

Peter Fromme
 
Im pretty sure im gonna start building my own racks out of melamine lt's just alot cheaper and it sickens me looking almost identical to the ones we buy for like 8 times more.
Their was a website mike sent me and it looked really simple to build
 
All this talk...

Has me thinking. I have excellent acess to ACAD with which I can send cutting directions to the computer driven machinery to cut all the necessary parts for caging. Access to Melamine and so many other parts which would make cage design and construction a snap. Beginning this weekend I'll see if I can't work out some plans and transfer them to my system at work so that all the components could be cut out, packaged and then sold to buyers for home assembly with easy to read directions. Even have a friend who does technical writing for a living and could probably get him to do the instruction sheet for assembly. I'd be interested to see who might be interested in something like this. If you would consider it IF I can get the price in a reasonable range, please drop me an e-mail and let me know. Suggested sizes for caging/racks would also be appreciated. I've got a Matrix rack here I can use for an example, but would love to hear other ideas and suggestions.

I'm serious folks, put your thinking caps on and start flooding my inbox with ideas. I'll surely do some for myself just to see how it works out and to see how inexpensively I can get the work done (and how quickly) and also to see how simple I can get final assembly so that even the person with the worst skills imaginabe can assemble it right in their own home.

Thanks in advance and I'm looking forward to hearing from folks.

David
 
I am also planning on making my own melamine racks... I will make them so they are compatible with 16, and 32qt sterilites. That way I can house adults and youngins in the same rack, without having to have multiple racks.
 
great idea an idea could have a large boid rack like freedom breeders maybe because theirs is upwards of 2 grand! just an idead not sure if it would work or not
 
LOL

The problem is not in the design of the current cage manufacturers or the materials they are using. The problem is in the money and planning to build 6 - 8 weeks worth of sales before opening shop (pre buying materials and paying laborers). Considering the margins that the current cage manufacturers have wheedled themselves down to it is hard to find someone to invest that type of funds in the venture (stock market or real estate is a much more lucrative investment field right now).

If you came up with a great way to manufacture the cages or racks within 4 weeks you would be in the same boat as the current manufacturers without proper funding and planning as demand drove you to the brink of insanity.... and competitors starting dumping prices thinking that is the way to compete (removing your reason for building cages in the first place).
 
knowing the right people...

It helps that I work in a custom cabinet shop and if this would work out, then I could order the materials right along with the regular orders, would be a simple run and since actual assembly would be at the buyer's home, by the buyer, then it would cut lead time to maybe a couple of weeks (order made, materials ordered, parts cut, packaged for shipping and estimate days for ground delivery to reduce total costs.) Setting it up and arranging the time and everything with the boss would be the hardest. I'll begin checking out prices for materials first of the week and begin working out designs and as detailed a description as possible. The company owner and I were talking a week ago about looking for a product that could be run on a steady basis (or fairly steady) which would sustain the company even in slower times of the year. We're currently running dog hotels for somebody in the New England area and this would be little different. I think I could "sell" the idea to him for running them fairly easily. It'll be well worth it just to work it up and take the idea to him. With the way we're set up, I could run just about any size imaginable as long as the materials can be purchased in the right size for larger cages. Looking for something large enough to house a burm or retic...how about outside dimensions of 8' long by 4' deep and even 3' or 4' tall. Probably more expensive than a smaller rack, but size ceases to be a major issue with the ine of thinking I running with right now.

David
 
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