Feel free to say it how it is, that's how this forum has always been.
I've not ordered corals (or any livestock as I haven't had a tank for a few years now) but it was always hit and miss. There was excellent companies like "FishMan's Frags" (no idea if they're still going) and a few others which were basically fellow hobbyists who've converted their garages to house lots of frag tanks and do it as a sideline and part of their hobby, some are bigger, proper businesses like charter house aquatics, etc but ordering online unless it says WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) then it can be hit and miss sometimes as obviously they want to show a really good picture of the stock to help sell it, but the reality isn't always so perfect looking. Like the burger on a McDonald's billboard vs the sweaty sad little mess that you get handed in reality
That's not to say that 90% of buying a coral is to simply get that organism into your tank, it can grow and proliferate hopefully thereon, plus bare in mind transport is going to take it's toll on it, and it'll take a good week likely to fully recover in your tank before you can really see what you've been sent.
