Mike @ Outback Reptiles

Originally Posted by Fangthane

All of the shortcomings are on the seller's side of the fence; there's literally no way to turn this one around on the OP.

Yep, it was my mistake which I've taken full responsibility for and apologized for several times now.

Originally Posted by tlmoon

I wonder if you purchased something, had your money accepted by the seller, had a shipping date, took a day off work, waited around all day fruitlessly, and the seller's attitude was "oops", would you be so casual about it?

Yes, because I am a reasonable person and I understand that mistakes can happen, and as long as they are fixed I see no reason to continue to harass them about "what they could have done better." It's pretty clear what i could have done better, and I admitted and apologized for it in my first email to Eyvonne.

I don't know Mike nor have I ever purchased from Mike but I would not hesitate to do business with him after reading this. I know the white plains, NY show was this past Sunday and Outback is located in Manassas VA. We are talking major planning to travel with that many animals for a trip that is between 5 to 7 hours depending on traffic. I can see how this mistake can happen and is ridiculous to expect him to give you a free snake and demand he fix his system after receiving a full refund, an apology, and a discount on anything else you wanted. Mike maybe next time don't offer Papa John's, I know I would feel insulted if you sent me Papa John's with a Bertucci's being so close to me.

What I got out of this?

If I ever do business with Mike and things don't go as planned, at least I'd be getting my money back.

OP, I'm glad you just posted this as an info. thread, otherwise my reaction would have been totally different towards you. While I see the arguments Lucille, yourself and some others have made, I think it's gotten too dragged out and repetitive at 5 pages of the same reading material.

Mike messed up and apologized "several" times as he put it, but his apologies in this thread have reached far past several now. You got your money back and it all was settled.

Missing a day at work on Tuesday? I think that ones on you, you slept Monday without a tracking number - as someone previously said, that's enough for me to assume a package isn't coming. In all the years I've been ordering online, I have never once, not received a tracking number the day prior to arrival.

This issue was settled before this thread. Mike doesn't have a track record of such issues, this thread makes it sound like he does and needs to fix this problem because it has happened countless times (not really though).

Anyways, I hope both of you just put it to rest because there's really nothing left to gain out of this and it seems as though it's just causing headaches for all.

In my opinion, this whole situation seems to have been blown out of proportion. Mike made what seems to have been an honest mistake, and rectified it once he was aware of the situation. He didn't try to keep the money, nor did he blame the customer for his mistake. I can understand how mix-ups could happen once in a blue moon when in the business of selling reptiles. I don't think Mike's system seems flawed and I wouldn't hesitate to purchase an animal from him. This thread has devolved into a meaningless back-and-forth with both sides simply repeating themselves, and I see no reason for this. The situation has been resolved and this seems like an isolated incident, which shows that Mike's system isn't inherently flawed. Just my $0.02.

Originally Posted by spawn

Take this simple advice OP: don't order from someone BEFORE they do a show and expect shipping the Monday AFTER. Shows are exhausting, and good business, and most vendors are highly motivated to sell AT the respective shows, in-person. Whatever's left is what you get. Priority is on the show.

I did not see where Mike mentioned that he was vending a show that weekend in the emails between them, so your "advice" is invalid. Mike dropped the ball. He did apologize & refund promptly, which shows he is a good guy. I believe most people are a little put off by his blasé attitude. However, a good point was brought up, she had no tracking number, so it would stand to reason that there was not going to be a shipment.

Sometimes you can't satisfy a person no matter what you do.
Anyone who thinks the answer to a hiccup is overhauling the system probably isn't business smart.
Someone suggested hiring a person for the internet. He would have to raise prices to pay for that extra body which makes no sense at all.
The best thing Mike can do is not reply to this thread again.
Every response will bring on another question. Just look at prior threads.

Originally Posted by TeguBuzz

Missing a day at work on Tuesday? I think that ones on you, you slept Monday without a tracking number - as someone previously said, that's enough for me to assume a package isn't coming. In all the years I've been ordering online, I have never once, not received a tracking number the day prior to arrival.

Did You even read the email thread?

How did I "sleep" through Monday? I tried calling and texting to find out wether the animal shipped or not. The last time I spoke to Mike, he said it would arrive Tuesday. Nor did he or his business answer either of their numbers on Monday or Tuesday. Nor did they answer text messages or emails. It must be nice that you work in a job where you can come and go as you like, but I don't. Since I asked a co-worker to cover for me Tuesday, I couldn't just up and decided I wanted to go in after all.

How was I to know if he forgot to ship, or if he shipped and forgot to send the tracking number? I live in South Carolina, if he had "slipped up" and "forgotten" to send the tracking number and I just went to work, then I would have come home to a dead snake.

Finally, I NEVER expected Mike to send me a free animal! Mike made it clear from the start that he was willing to make this right....as long as it involved absolutely no effort on his part. The ONLY reason I said that, I would PAY for another snake if he would find me one, is because he kept on saying that it was impossible to make me happy-- it isn't impossible to make me happy, but a 10% discount on a $55 snake DOSNT make it "right" by me.

I didn't post this thread because I expected Mike to make any meaningful effort. I knew when I posted that he had no intention by the time he sent me pictures of himself eating pizza. I posted it for the same reason I have posted other BOIs-- to let other people know how the transaction went.

Again, to be clear: I dont expect Mike to do anything. He has been pretty clear from the begining that he isn't going to do anything if it requires effort in his part.

~Beau

Originally Posted by jusmebabee

Someone suggested hiring a person for the internet. He would have to raise prices to pay for that extra body which makes no sense at all.

He doesn't need to hire someone else. He already has staff. Just train them to take stock off the website if it's no longer available, or whatever is necessary to prevent it happening again.

It doesn't take an "overhaul" to have someone actually check if an animal's been sold online before selling in store, or to mark something out of stock on the website.

Y'all are acting like it's some massive, inconceivable thing to simply look at the available stock levels.

Originally Posted by BeauBoi

How was I to know if he forgot to ship, or if he shipped and forgot to send the tracking number? I live in South Carolina, if he had "slipped up" and "forgotten" to send the tracking number and I just went to work, then I would have come home to a dead snake.

Exactly. This line of thought is absolutely baffling. Suppose you had just assumed that the snake hadn't been shipped and left the house- lo and behold, it arrives while you're out for a few hours. You've blown your live arrival guarantee because you weren't there to accept the shipment, and the innocent animal could have suffered and died in the heat of summer. Then, it would be you, Eyvonne, in the chair for not assuming he DID ship the snake but that the email saying so simply got "lost"(forgotten). In such a situation, who would support you when, "well, Mike SAID he was shipping for Tuesday delivery, you couldn't just believe him and be there for it? How is that his fault?"

You, as the customer, will never win with some people.