Brandon at BPW Reptiles (using someone else's photos)

Hello,

Has anyone done business with Brandon at BPW Reptiles in St. Louis? Email and fauna user ID is bpw1@charter.net

He was using my friend's photo (Ruben14) on a recent classified ad located here:
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...d.php?t=181876

I noticed this just by chance when I recognized that poss het sharp since I had bought a sibling and it was one of the photos that had also been posted on the KS ad.

I sent Brandon a PM asking for an explanation. I wanted to bring this here as a heads up for others. I'm not saying he doesn't have the animals he mentions but anytime someone else's photos are being used that makes it suspect. Hoping he can explain.

here's the PM I sent:
Hello Brandon,

heads up-

in your trade add for the dh coral sunglows, you posted a picture of one of Ruben's boas as your own. I'll be putting an inqury on the BOI (not a bad guy thread, an INQUIRY) so I'm hoping you can come by and explain why you had used a stolen photo.
Thank you,
-April

Screenshot of the ad is attached here.
Thanks for your time,
-April

Also needs his full name some where. Did any of the other pics appear to be stolen?

Oopse, no other pics. Sorry!

Good catch April! I'd really like to know if Brandon has any animals to actually sell or if this was a complete scam. It's hard to think any better than a scam when someone is using stolen pics!!

The EXIF Data shows that picture is from June 14th 2009

Yup,
June 14th when I took the pic. I have no idea who this guy is but he definitely stole my pic and it looks like he's up to no good with it!

Very good catch.

Makes me wonder if BPW reptiles is even a real company or just a front with fake pictures to rip people off.

If he isn't banned how will anyone ever know if the pictures he posts are really his? I'd say avoid him like the plague.

Are you people crazy that is my pic! U can contact ben lom if you won't I brought 3 of these snakes from him last year. You can find him on kingsnake.com I don't have the time to argue with you. Either you won't the snake are not you can compare the markings when you get the snake if you think theres some funny business going on.

BPW Reptiles

Ruben... do you have any other pics of this snake that you can post ? (not doubting you at all) just trying to have more hard proof that brandon is a liar.

Brandon, if this is truly your snake, it would be easy enough to clear your name. Simply take a couple of pics of that snake on a piece of paper with your name and today's date. If I was wrongly accused of such a thing (which you're saying that you are), I would provide those pics immediately!!