# Other Aquarium Forums > Equipment and Accessories >  Qian Hu and Your Eheim

## sungod666

Hi Guys,

New to the forum here but want to share something i found out at QianHu this monday. Apparently accessories in their shop is way overpriced. I went to enquire about an Eheim 2260 classic to add to my tank becuase the Sump is unable to handle excess bioload. The fixed price non negotiable is $508 with no media. 

Having been fleeced once on a box of Taro Roll, i decided to check around and i am so surprised to buy the same equipment from Clementi at 350! a difference of 158! enough to pay for the expensive Eheim media. So guys, if you dont already know, QianHu is really for the un-informed!

Oh yah, the reason i went even though i was fleeced before is because the Eheim website list qianhu as the sole importer for singapore.

Anybody got the same experience? Dilema now... I am looking for some fishes but is unable to find but i know QianHu have them... If i run out of options, i guess i will have to hand my head to them for the chop...Sad..

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## BFG

There is a saying," Buyer beware ". Be a smart shopper. Read more in the forum to get to know where to part your hard earned money to. If you have achieved this in the future, don' forget to help other un-informed hobbyist too.

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## Shadow

IMO normally distributor will sell higher than LFS. If not everyone will buy from distributor and no one buy from LFS. If that happen none of LFS will want to carry that product.

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## Mr.Oink

I 2nd shadow, distributor has to protect the margin of the retailer.

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## fongalv

1st post! 

Just to share, I was just there last weekend as I was considering to recommission my dad's old tank. I actually overheard one of their staff say their prices are higher to protect their 'resellers'. I was checking out the Ecco 300pro which was a going for 280. A day later I saw it in going for 195 at another lfs, so that's a good 40+% markup. 

To be fair, qian hu has probably got the largest variety of ehiem poducts as well as spare parts, so I would only buy there if there is a specific part that I am looking for. The staff there that attended to me was also extremely friendly and infomative. 

For the record, I ended up getting the 200 pro!

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## ladygaga

Don't Singapore have law for price margin?

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## BFG

It's up to individual to make a choice on where to buy. Qian Hu is not forcing the public to buy from them. So the individual should go around various lfs to compare prices. If they do not have time to do that, they do not have time for this hobby. With forums such as this, it is now easier to get information from other like minded individual hobbyist. All we need to do is to share the information. Can't blame Qian Hu.

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## ladygaga

It's up to individual to make the choice, it's also up to the regulation.
Whatsoever 40% is out of the regulation in Singapore----you can not price a cup of Tea C anyhow to S$1.4. People may think how they control the price of Eheim product in Singapore. This is not a free market, it's controlled for they are the sole distributor.

Frankly, LFS is a quite special economics here vanishing of guidance of regulation.
No tend to blot any sellers here.

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## benlauhh

> Hi Guys,
> 
> New to the forum here but want to share something i found out at QianHu this monday. Apparently accessories in their shop is way overpriced. I went to enquire about an Eheim 2260 classic to add to my tank becuase the Sump is unable to handle excess bioload. The fixed price non negotiable is $508 with no media. 
> 
> Having been fleeced once on a box of Taro Roll, i decided to check around and i am so surprised to buy the same equipment from Clementi at 350! a difference of 158! enough to pay for the expensive Eheim media. So guys, if you dont already know, QianHu is really for the un-informed!
> 
> Oh yah, the reason i went even though i was fleeced before is because the Eheim website list qianhu as the sole importer for singapore.
> 
> Anybody got the same experience? Dilema now... I am looking for some fishes but is unable to find but i know QianHu have them... If i run out of options, i guess i will have to hand my head to them for the chop...Sad..


Indeed many people in the forum has already raised this up. Which is why it is wise to do your own research prior.

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## aquarius

Like what some of the guys here have mentioned, they mark-up the price so as to protect the resellers' margins but to mark-up by so much is just ridiculars. Anyway we can choose not to buy from them, nobody is forcing us to buy from them. By the way if they're selling their equipments so much more expansive then LFSs, are they also selling their fishes at around the same price as LFSs or are they selling much more expansive?

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## stormhawk

I agree the mark up at the store in the farm is ridiculous, especially with regards to Eheim parts, but no one is forcing you to purchase it from them. Price wise for their live stock, what you see at the display area for sale is only the tip of the iceberg. They have a holding area with a whole lot more species, except those are meant for re-exportation to other customers worldwide. We only get to see a minor range of what they have in stock, but the prices are comparable to most LFS. Maybe a little more expensive but not by much.

It is advisable to first support your local LFS, or well-known stores like C328. Rule of thumb - if you go to a farm expecting to find stuff cheaper, don't.

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## tawauboy

the price differential is normal.
qianhu is the sole distributor and they will sell at recommended retail price. doing so protects their retailers who sells at street prices. and at the end of the day, both qianhu and her retailers make money.
if they sell at street prices, who will patronize the lfs? most, if not all, will go to qianhu because they are the sole distributor.

this happens in all kinds of consumer products.

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## Jimmy

this is common what. even for electrical stuff like TV or washing machine for an example. we know big electrical stores in those shopping malls are more expensive than those shops in our friendly neighbourhood. such big stores are good for us to gather the info and to view the range of products. once you have selected the model that you want, just go to those small electrical shops and place your order with them. same product, same warranty and free delivery too, all at a much lower price. unless you are so interested in the free gift or what interest free installment thing which to me is not even worth the saving i can get elsewhere.

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## ladygaga

Some manufacturers would like to recommend a suggested retail price (MSRP) which it would have been against competition theory.

MSRP will suggest a pretty high price and expect a deep discount of street price which will promote sales, it will be somehow against Singapore law----Eheim 2260 price on internet is around S$210 (think it's just a product of plastic + motor), CIF to Singapore will be no more than S$260. QH is now on behalf of Eheim.

Understood Singapore's small size market and high cost, a higher retail price is reasonable and acceptable like what many bros said above. The key issue is the margin. Distributors will share the profit with retailers, but retailers will not share the profit together with distributors. In this case S$158 will go into distributor's pocket but any LFS. If QH really loves and tends to protect their LFS, then just stop selling since they are the first chain of the channel.

The electronics sample raised by Jimmy is not all correct, actually many hot models the Courts will sale in a lower price compared with neighborhood shops, especially at year end promotion or stock clearance season. This because Courts can make money through mass selling at a lower unit price. It's a chicken rice rule for retail games.

There may have no smart enough hobbyist have really bought a Eheim product from QH instead of from LFS. From some perspective, it's like a tag labeled "Discount! Was S$508, is $350 now!" in a shop. Consumers have the rights to complain if 508 is cheated. 

Post for discussion only no any other action beyond this discussion.

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## StanChung

Not familiar with law but this is the correct way to do business.

Who goes there to buy stuff? That's for LFS owners and related businesses and perhaps tourists.

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## benlauhh

> Understood Singapore's small size market and high cost, a higher retail price is reasonable and acceptable like what many bros said above. The key issue is the margin. Distributors will share the profit with retailers, but retailers will not share the profit together with distributors. In this case S$158 will go into distributor's pocket but any LFS. If QH really loves and tends to protect their LFS, then just stop selling since they are the first chain of the channel.


I sort of agree with this statement except the last. I think its emptor caveat for all consumers. QH cannot stop selling because of what they are practicing now. For business practice especially when they're drawing throngs of tourists local & foreign with free buses, etc, it is only common for them to open up a retail front. The same can be said for all tourist spots like USS where a can of coke can be S$3 or even Science Center. Consumers will just need to be more discerning and not assume that a distributor will be cheaper.

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## BFG

Caveat emptor, not emptor caveat. Buyer beware.

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## benlauhh

Thank you for correction 'cher! :P

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## williamng

Well, Qian Hu is the distributor to all the retail shops. That is why they mark up the price so that retailers can earn a living. By selling at the same price as retailers or even lower, the retailers will close shop.

If you need some Eheim spares, Qian hu has a great variety and they keep almost every item on the Eheim spare part list. If you just want to buy filters, retail shop will provide the best price. 

Hope it is clear

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## icefire

> I agree the mark up at the store in the farm is ridiculous, especially with regards to Eheim parts, but no one is forcing you to purchase it from them. Price wise for their live stock, what you see at the display area for sale is only the tip of the iceberg. They have a holding area with a whole lot more species, except those are meant for re-exportation to other customers worldwide. We only get to see a minor range of what they have in stock, but the prices are comparable to most LFS. Maybe a little more expensive but not by much.
> 
> It is advisable to first support your local LFS, or well-known stores like C328. Rule of thumb - if you go to a farm expecting to find stuff cheaper, don't.


i second that... but still some species which are currently NOT FOR SALE in sg can be found and bought in certain farms.... i'm certain AVA knows it but just have not enough information or evidence to catch them... so lets just all support LFS  :Very Happy:

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## kanguin

QianHu is the place to go if you need spare parts. They have almost every parts readily available on the shelve.
You will probably need to wait for a few days at other LFS.

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## rascal

hi, bro sungod666 , may i ask you where the shop at clementi that you said the eheim 2260 classic cost 350 and does it come with media?? thanks
by the way i believe you can buy nice and exotic fishes at pasir ris farm way :Smile:

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## stormhawk

There is more than one fish farm in Singapore, and more than one place to acquire parts for your Eheims. I just buy everything I need at C328. This is not an endorsement of the shop, but that it is a well-known fact that you can get almost every Eheim spare part there too. If it's difficult, just use eBay or cannibalise parts from broken Eheim sets. To date, none of my Eheims have broken down, or needed a spare part replacement. One of them has been running for the past 8-9 years, and still going on strong.

Just handle your units with some TLC (tender loving care) and you won't have a need to replace the parts.

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## sungod666

$350 is for the 2260 classic Eheim. No Media. Buy at C328.

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## jeffteo

> There is more than one fish farm in Singapore, and more than one place to acquire parts for your Eheims. I just buy everything I need at C328. This is not an endorsement of the shop, but that it is a well-known fact that you can get almost every Eheim spare part there too. If it's difficult, just use eBay or cannibalise parts from broken Eheim sets. To date, none of my Eheims have broken down, or needed a spare part replacement. One of them has been running for the past 8-9 years, and still going on strong.
> 
> Just handle your units with some TLC (tender loving care) and you won't have a need to replace the parts.


Totally agreed the TLC part. Eheim are also well know for it durability and it comes at a price.

All vendors have the rights to sell it at different price. Only after I got my 2213, the next day i found that I can get it at the same price with media and double taps online.
Different vendor have different sales margin. If you are lazy to do comparison and just shop blindly, who else can you blame??? Law is law, reality will always be different... If you want cheap and good, work harder.

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