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  • Results 1 to 4 of 4

    Thread: "Ron's Golden Ponds" in Lakewood, CO (near Denver)

    1. #1
      lavajoe is offline Junior Member
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      Thumbs down "Ron's Golden Ponds" in Lakewood, CO (near Denver)

      My first and only experience at this koi dealer was very aggravating in the end. Great service before the sale, but terrible service after. Also, I learned (too late) that the price I paid was very out-of-line with the market value (the urgency of the purchase prevented me from researching, unfortunately). By writing this, I hope to help others avoid getting ripped off the way I did. Here is a link to my yelp.com review, and below it is the text copied from that review:

      http://www.yelp.com/biz/rons-golden-...qybwJsphK03zuA

      There have been very few times when I have felt truly ripped-off, but my recent experience at this koi pond supply retailer left a very bad taste in my mouth. My pond pump had failed, and I needed a new pump in short order to keep our koi fish happy and healthy - it was a Saturday, and I had very little time to find a pump and get the water flowing while stores were still open.

      I visited Ron's Golden Ponds in Lakewood, and they had a pump that appeared like it would work. The price they charged was $399, and I had no data to verify if this was fair or not. When I asked Ron (the owner) if it was a quiet pump, he said this model was even more quiet than my previous pump. So I bought it along with a leaf catching basket, some PVC pipe fittings, and primer/glue. Ron helped me to get the fittings I needed, and he even gave me a short length of pipe, which seemed like great service, but in the end I did spend nearly $600 total with tax, so it was a pretty large purchase. Still, so far so good. In retrospect, a warning sign should have been that he told me to contact the manufacturer for any problems with the pump, insisting that it's better if the customer tells them about issues directly.

      After installing the pump, I noticed a few things that concerned me slightly, like the fact that the impeller had some small nicks in it, the pump sounded louder than my old pump, it felt hot when running, etc. I just wanted to be sure nothing was wrong with it.

      I went online at this point and did some research on the Web about this pump (I wish I had had the time and information earlier so I could have done this before actually buying!). The most shocking thing I found was the going price: $169.95. Prices varied, and some were higher than this, but many were around this price. None were anywhere near $399. I am more than willing to pay a premium at a local retailer vs. buying on-line, especially when the retailer is helpful. I am all about supporting local stores. But this price difference is egregious.

      I talked to the manufacturer, and they were helpful and pleasant. Since I was not home at the time, they offered to help me next time I was near the pump with a phone to try to determine if it sounded like there was an issue with the sound level, for example. For all I know, the pump is fine, but I will follow up with them later. As for whether this will all work out when followed through, I do not know yet.

      I also called Ron (at the store) about these things, and his responses were, "I don't know what to tell you about the impeller - it was new in the box...", "I don't know what is quiet and what is not quiet", "All pumps run hot. You should call the company and ask them. I don't know how to tell what's too hot", etc. Granted, it is hard to explain degrees of such things on the phone, but he had, after all, stated (before I bought) explicitly that this pump was quieter than my old pump.

      Although an awkward question, I then asked about the price difference. Ron's response was that his cost is fixed by how much his distributor charges him. I nicely said that this seemed like quite a large price difference. He kept insisting it had to do with what it cost him, where he can get, that he gets very few at a time, how much they charge for shipping, etc., etc. I also asked if he has a satisfaction guarantee at his store, and he said that he would have to say no to taking back the pump he sold me since it has now been used. He said if he allowed that, people could then return a pump and go buy on-line after using it, and he said he was not in the business of renting out equipment. I essentially feel like all of the customer service went out the window after I gave them the money.

      So although I understand the reality of "buyer beware, etc.", and I know that retailers can set any prices they want to, I feel very ripped off. I also do get the feeling, from this experience, that this store does not care to stand behind the products it sells. Needless to say I will never do business with Ron's Golden Ponds again, nor do I recommend them. If only the price were a little closer to what I found as typical for this pump, I would not have been left feeling this way. Hey, even $250 at a local store, although on the high side, would have been acceptable. But $399 with no ability to return it if I had trouble? I honestly do not know how someone can stay in business when they treat a customer like this on his first purchase.

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    2. #2
      cooper0038 is offline Supporting Member
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      Sorry about your experience with Ron's and have to agree with you about the quality/service. We had issues there in the past and have found Nick's on Chambers to be a better choice for emergency supplies. Thank goodness for the internet as we haven't a great resource in Denver.

    3. #3
      lavajoe is offline Junior Member
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      Quote Originally Posted by cooper0038 View Post
      Sorry about your experience with Ron's and have to agree with you about the quality/service. We had issues there in the past and have found Nick's on Chambers to be a better choice for emergency supplies. Thank goodness for the internet as we haven't a great resource in Denver.
      Ah, good to know about another option - thanks! I had not heard of Nick's. We are somewhat new to Denver (and koi!) - it'll be 2 years this winter. The closest place is "True Pump", where I've gotten a few things. They seem cool as well (but they were out of the type of pump I needed at the time).

    4. #4
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      65efi5.0 is offline Senior Member
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      I live close enough to walk to Ron's but will drive across town to Koi Boy (approx 136th and I-25) or Alpine in Ft collins (Alpine is my favorite, Casey and Hanna along with their son Shawn are great people and very knowledgeable) for anything specifically pond related. It is a shame to have a dedicated pond shop so close yet be so worthless and overpriced. They have a ton of potential but just walking in you get the feeling nobody has cared about the business for a long time.

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