Reconsidering going "green" -and letting off some steam

[Al]

..............and I'm not talking about the environment but I'm talking about my long faith in Eheim as my partner in the hobby.
Today I was looking at some Eheim parts and my blood began to boil. Strangely enough, when you're looking for Eheim parts, it seems there are several on-line retailers that are less expensive than the Eheim site, itself.
UNTIL, you reach the point where no retailer carries the part/parts you are looking for and you have to deal with the mothership - the USS Eheim.
Here is a note I sent to them today on the eheim parts site, as well as a copy to Germany.
I'm not looking for anything for free but don't like getting bent over the desk.
Let them find another rip-off profit center !!

Here is the correspondence:


To whom it may concern,

Please find below a copy of correspondence I have sent to your Eheim parts in North America.
I looked for where I could communicate to office staff but could only find this contact email.
I would appreciate you reading my comments.

I have been a long term Eheim product user with many aquariums filtered by your fine products but am at a loss as to your current pricing for replacement parts, as are several people I know in our club.
I am appreciative of your product quality yet pricing seems to have gotten ridiculously expensive - even silly.
I am located in Canada.

I would like to give you an example - I was on your Eheim Parts site today looking for #7653068 - your price for this impeller is $145.96 $US - are you serious - and if so, I can tell you this isn't going to solidify your customer base and customer support.
$145.96 $US for an impeller??? - when I can buy the complete 1262 pump for $143.99 currently at Big Al's US and can probably find it cheaper if I look. How can that be.?? It's an insult to me as a customer. Even if the pump was at $175 $US, it would seem excessive that you would be charging $145.96 for an impeller.

If I convert to Canadian dollars, $145.99 $US is equal to around $180 $C - I can buy a complete 1260 pump at Pets and Ponds for $182 $C - again, how can this be?? If these are in fact correct prices, it is shocking and seems to be taking advantage of the customer in an unfair way.
I would appreciate hearing back from you so that I might understand your policies and can share them with others at my club who are questioning the same.
Al Reuben

$145.96 $US  OR $180 $C.....................................for an impeller???

[robt18]

I've taken a liking to Rena canisters lately.... Had one of the Pro IIIs leak on me (it was a known issue), but even then, I find the Renas make it easier to customize what media you want to use and work well long term. Eheim sells their media separately - I have an xp3 running full of Eheim media and couldn't be happier.

I also agree that parts are crazy high priced, but sometimes (more so in the case of power filters) they're making their money from the filter cartridge replacements. Hard to think that Eheim's strategy would be along the same lines though, considering they come fully packed and the media lasts much longer/most of it isn't changed.

[Mike L]

That is ridiculous Al. I'm curious what their response is. An impeller for the classic runs about $40.00. Impellers are all basically the same except for size and number of fins. I understand the ones for the pumps might be larger then the canister ones but still.

[Al]

Mike,
The 1262 is the pump that is used on the Eheim 2262 classic and yes it is absolutely crazy what they want for that impeller.
I have several 2260/62 running and they are absolutely terrific "monster" cannisters and just as reliable as the smaller classics.
But parts, insanity.
I also run some Pro 3 2080's - I have 3 of them and they are also very solid and haven't experienced the issues like the smaller Pro 3's like 2071/73/75 - but I would still trade them in a heartbeat for the 2260/62.
The impeller on the 2080 at BA Canada - 129 smackers - BA US side, $64 US and DRUM ROLL please...................................at Eheim Parts, $130.16 US, go figure. $130 bucks when BA US is selling it for $64 US  - so figure even at a small margin, what it really costs Eheim who isn't giving it away to BA - who should be supporting their customers, not with giveaways but a reasonable deal. Especially when many parts you have to go to them.

[lucius]

I don't want to turn this into an Eheim vs whatever thread but this is actually why I didn't buy an Eheim for my first canister filter a few years back.  Pretty much all the forums and websites I visited, Eheim was the top pick for a canister but no one ever mentioned the price of the replacement parts.  I like keeping spare parts around so I was very surprised how pricey the Eheim parts were when I looked them up so I decided on another brand of canister filter.

I looked up some of the parts mentioned above and that's just crazy.

[Mike L]

so just to be clear the 2262 impeller is the same as the 1262 and the same price. Wow. I always bought eheim because they last forever. Again I'm curious what they say.

[Al]

The eheim 2262 uses the 1262 pump, which you can buy separately as a pump.  The 2260 uses the 1260 pump. They mount on the same mounting plate. Same impellers and shaft. Same can but different gph outputs. And those prices for the impellers don't include a shaft.
At the end of the day, eheim would probably have to insult my mother and my wife in addition to their high prices for me to give up and go to methadone.
Yes, they do last forever, it's just my OCD making me keep backup parts. I haven't had any quality issues and don't expect to, BUT...........

[Mike L]

 You just made me smile Al. Your right to be angry. It doesn't make sense and I feel the Eheim brand might suffer from this. The Classics are a bargain considering what you get. Of course time will tell considering where they are made now, however it appear that the rest of the line that is still made in Germany is getting ridiculous in price and replacements costs. To me if you charge a premium price for quality the company should at least have reasonable prices for replacement parts.
Mike

[exv152]

The cost of replacement parts are pretty much the only downside to eheim products. But thankfully, they engineer and manufacture their products so well that they hardly ever need replacement. But like Mercedez Benz, BMW, Audi/Volkswagen etc the parts & service are ridiculously expensive. I doubt they will do anything about it anytime soon, but it is worth bringing to their attention, and I'm interested in their reply. The reason I feel it won't ever change is because we're situated right next to the largest eheim market globally (the USA) and they're also being charged exorbitant pricing, not quite as bad as us, but bad enough. So, like yourself Al, I've found a few online parts dealers in the US for much less and I tend to stockpile critical parts. And they can insult every member of my family, I'll still come back and buy eheim...

[Al]

Well, the dance continues.
"She ain't pretty she just looks that way" !! 1990 - Northern Pikes.

From my initial email to Eheim North America and Germany I got an email response from Eheim NA on June 10th , asking for my phone # so they could call me to discuss the situation as "it will be easier to discuss this over the telephone".
June 10th?? - guess they have a real phone log backup issue.
As of today, the 25th - zip, bubkus, SFA.
I have called them 2-3 times since then as I was running out of breath waiting and nothing. 2 people at Eheim told me they had relayed messages to the person in charge and that's all they could do.
He's either out of town or busy.
Really?? how long is this phone call gonna take - we're not discussing the Greek debt options.
I am waiting for "Daniel" to call me. And probably going to hear "Yes, but.........." "Sorry but"
Today when I called and he wasn't there, AGAIN, I asked to speak with his superior or a contact for his superior - and was told he owned Eheim North America.
Jeez, nice gig.
We're talkin' senate priviliges here, I'm sure.
Nice customer service. NOT.
I am disappointed to say the least, as an avid past supporter of many things Eheim.
And when I think about all the fish conventions I have been to over the years, and look at the companies that are present, supporting the hobby and big Green is NEVER there. A lot of others are - yeah they are promoting products but they are also supporting grass roots stuff.
I look at the American Cichlid Association this July that I will be attending in the US - it's a big event as fish stuff goes.
The big guys like United Pet Group to the small guys like Little Africa Aquatics are sponsors - from Zoo Med to Fluval to Cobalt, etc, etc, etc,
But no Big Green. Jack !!
No support to the American Cichlid Association. Oh, it's only the ACA - but they probably support the Malaysian Trumpet Snail Association.
I'm not suggesting or asking anyone to take any action against Eheim rather than expressing my disappointment in their fish community standing/policies and their standoff position in treating customers right.
It's a disgrace.

[Mike L]

Any update Al
What you have posted is very discouraging. While I will keep using big green classics because of the dependability, simplicity, and relatively cheap parts I will give pause on other products in the future.
Mike