When did online corals become "Instagram vs. Reality" ?

[Frogspon]

Not trying to call out any specific vendor because I think this is a hobby wide issue, but just look at the difference between what was shown vs. what was received:

It would be laughable if it wasn't so shameful.

 

[Krully]

Sure you can get the same thing, just need to pop the blue to 100, take a picture, bump up contrast, and watch it on your phone. Congrats you got a $500 coral!

 

[CakeyCake]

To be fair, that's a macro shot. I totally get what you mean though, a lot of vendors use misleading photos.

 

[CakeyCake]

Sure you can get the same thing, just need to pop the blue to 100, take a picture, bump up contrast, and watch it on your phone. Congrats you got a $500 coral!

Dont forget to give it a ridiculous name!

 

[Frogspon]

To be fair, that's a macro shot. I totally get what you mean though, a lot of vendors use misleading photos.

The coral is literally gray in person. I'm not sure you can get the color pop without bumping saturation & vibrancy in photo editing software.

There is also no frag plug visible in the photo, leading to an assumption of larger size (this was a WYIWYG sale without any description).. but then it shows up on a plug that is 2/3 the size of the coral lol

 

[ZoWhat]

Take the restaurant industry....

I've never been served a Big Mac that looked this meaty and perfect

This is closer to reality:

 

[mwil79]

Great thanks now I'm hungry.. I came to add a comment .. be back later.

 

[mwil79]

Not trying to call out any specific vendor because I think this is a hobby wide issue, but just look at the difference between what was shown vs. what was received:

It would be laughable if it wasn't so shameful.

I am 99% sure I know what vendor you purchased this from. Contact them I had an issue with them and they worked with me. They were actually pretty good about it.

 

[MartinM]

Not trying to call out any specific vendor because I think this is a hobby wide issue, but just look at the difference between what was shown vs. what was received:

It would be laughable if it wasn't so shameful.

Unfortunately this has been happen for for a decade+. I’d like to see a vendor offer un-saturated photos under 14k and 20k lighting, personally. Also, being honest is good for repeat biz!

 

[Frogspon]

So are you saying Sellers are suppose to post bland dull pics (like your 2nd pic) to market their product?

Take the restaurant industry....

I've never been served a Big Mac that looked this meaty and perfect

That's a poor analogy. The restaurants are creating advertising campaigns representative of a mass produced item. Everyone already knows what they're getting when they decide to eat at Mcd's.

The corals are marketed as one of a kind WYSIWYG.

If an artist was selling a one of a kind artwork, using a photo of the original that was heavily manipulated.. the collector would be fairly p-o'd when it shows up not looking like what they paid for.

 

[ZoWhat]

That's a poor analogy. The restaurants are creating advertising campaigns representative of a mass produced item. Everyone already knows what they're getting when they decide to eat at Mcd's.

Is it though?

If I were looking to buy this ricordea I would know going in that the pic was taken by a very expensive DSLR camera with a macro lens under very strong 420nm actinic lighting. Only 420nm light in fact!

I would know the size and colors are misrepresented by a pic that shows it under perfect conditions.

I would know that any white light would drastically wash out colors.

IMO your expectations were way too high going in.

Welcome to the reality of ONLINE coral buying

 

[VermontReefs]

Who’s the vendor?

 

[ZoWhat]

Who’s the vendor?

Like........... everybody

 

[CavalierReef]

No. Not everyone. Check out Tidal Gardens. Even their WYSIWYG corals are photographed under three lighting scenarios including plain old 10K. You have a much better idea of what you are actually getting.

 

[JumboShrimp]

I feel your pain. Every incredibly-vibrantly-colored online coral arrives looking like some form of drab green, and stays that way in my tank.

 

[Frogspon]

Who’s the vendor?

My advice is to stay away from vendors doing flash sales that try to seduce people out of money with hype/FOMO.

What is the reasoning behind uploading corals a few at a time in a fashion that makes it seem like you have to buy now before you can think about it or risk losing it to everyone else? Hype.

It seems like fun and all (which it would be if you were getting what was shown) but it certainly dances the line of "too good to be true" territory when the above happens.

 

[New&no clue]

I agree that coral pictures are heavily doctored, but corals are also change under different lighting. I have seen recently vendors showing multiple pictures of corals under different light settings which is nice.

I had a purple torch with green mouth, it was an awesome coral, but under whites it looked brown.

 

[Frogspon]

I feel your pain. Every incredibly-vibrantly-colored online coral arrives looking like some form of drab green, and stays that way in my tank.

100%. Everything I bought was vibrant blue, and purple, pink, etc.. and in the tank it is drab olive green or straight up gray lol.

And I have then under pretty decent blue lighting.

 

[desagon]

In the defense of the sellers, who would want to buy a drabby looking coral from someone for $200, when someone has the same thing at the same price and it's edited to look good? In order for these sellers to remain competitive, they need to play the same game as the other guys.

 

[Frogspon]

Is it though?

If I were looking to buy this ricordea I would know going in that the pic was taken by a very expensive DSLR camera with a macro lens under very strong 420nm actinic lighting. Only 420nm light in fact!

I would know the size and colors are misrepresented by a pic that shows it under perfect conditions.

I would know that any white light would drastically wash out colors.

IMO your expectations were way too high going in.

Welcome to the reality of ONLINE coral buying

You're not wrong, but just justifying predatory sales tactics in the hobby.. which is not healthy for anyone but the vendors.

The question is not if they do it, but why the hobbyist as a whole are fine with this crap let alone defending it