That's the same excuse Petsmart uses here. Afraid they will introduce disease. I told them I haven't lost a fish in years, and looking around your tanks, you've lost about 50 today already! So who's fish are healthier? LOL! I then showed him four tanks in obvious need of treatment. Everyone knows most of our "home" fish are way healthier than most of the new fish shipped in. That's just an excuse to not have to deal with it. I think some of those shops don't trust the employees enough to know how much a fish is worth to them. When I managed a shop, I always took unwanted fish (except huge Oscars and Pacus, and any size Convicts.) I figured I could sell their fish (I would give them half retail credit) and that would open up room in their tanks so they could buy more. It's really a win win for the fish shop. The credit is only good at that store, so store gets a sale (they always bought more than the credit,) and customer is happy and comes back often. I'm surprised how many stores don't "get" that. I never had any problems selling their fish.
I think thats a bit out of order! Considering you have a few fish in your tank and you want congratulating for not losing one in about 30 fish in a couple of years and yet a pet shop has thousands of fish and a high turnover. Dealing with fish straight from import where they have travelled 30+ hours to get into the country (sorry, you are in America so import flight times might be very different!) whereas the ones you buy are acclimatised and treated and generally a LOT less stressed.
Hmm... soo to lose 50 (that is most likely an exaggeration) fish out of a few thousand doesnt even compare to you not losing any of your few fish that have cushy lives
Anyway, the shop managers might just take a disliking to peoples attitudes and say they dont take fish. I have done it. If someone comes in asking really nicely for help and explains the situation and isnt just expecting something for it... im more likely to be more tolerant. If someone comes into the shop and insists we take their fish, i just say no. If they are a long term customer and I know they have had ongoing water or health problems in their tanks... im surely not going to take their fish off them. Certainly wont take any coldwater fish for the fear of SVC or KHV viruses. DEFRA use the "cull first, ask later" method and you lose thousands of fish because they 'suspect' the disease is there and yet if the tests come back negative... you know it was all for nothing. Waste of life, waste of money. You do have to weight up risks.
We also wont take back livebearers. Whats the point? They dont cost a whole lot to import and if i import them, they comefrom sterile conditions that have been checked and are monitored, we can buy thrm by sex and by colour instead of having tanks full of grey inbred guppies etc of different sizes. It looks messy, isnt profitable and you do risk introducing diseases.
Besides, and more to the point. A shop is a shop. It isn't a bring and buy sale, nor a rescue center. Don't buy fish you can't look after or arent sure that you want. Dont breed livebearers if you cant cope with culling the onslaught of babies you know you are going to get when you buy them. Get just males instead of breeding groups, its hardly difficult. Its not like its the shops fault when people get bored of their fish any more than its dog rescue shelters faults that people dont want their dogs any more.
Its not like you go into Tescos/Walmart etc and stock up on loads and loads of food and when you get home you realise it doesnt fit in your fridge or cuboards so you take it back and demand a refund just because you have changed your mind....
Sometimes reasons are genuine like forced sale because of house move etc in which ccase, it pays to be nice to the staff at the shop and ask for help, not demand it.
