"BEARDED PETS" ... *Inquiry/BUYER BEWARE!!*

... Would like to know more about these guys! ...

They post classified ads on a well-known site, abusing the rules and regulations.

The first time I read their posts, it sounded like a cut & paste job right off someone else's website.

Sure enough, I found both the sites, and word-for-word! (Nevermind the wee copyright sign at the bottom of those sites!)

Their latest hat trick ad today was the real shocker - for me!!!!

I happen to sell the same species of tortoises, (Aldabras), and low and behold, they have copied and pasted 99.9% of the opening paragraphs OF MY VERY OWN AD!! ....which just happens to be listed on the same page! (...a total violation and disrespect to my work...)

DO THEY HAVE NO SHAME OR TRADING ETHICS???

- Are these guys serious??
- Do they only use other people's work to drive home their sales pitch?

In my opinion, it is evident that they know NOTHING about the animals they claim to be selling. Why else would they steal other people's descriptions and articles to try to make a sale in a basic classified ad?

Tried emailing them, no answer ... but then I asked a lot of questions. Maybe I should post the answers to help them out...

The 'Breeding Pair' ad is a classic!
As an experienced breeder of Aldabras, I had to laugh(!) ...and pray that no-one falls for that one! SERIOUSLY!!

ARE THEY FOR REAL?....

I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYONE HAS DONE BUSINESS WITH THESE GUYS BEFORE???

Do a search for Bearded Pets here on the BOI. The schmucks are severely challenged in the arenas of integrity and intelligence.

Thanks! I will do a search for sure...

In the meantime, here is the matter concerning the blantant disrespect to my work:

MY AD:

ALDABRA Giant Tortoises: 1, 2, 3, and 4 yr olds . . . * LOWEST PRICES! *

ALDABRA BABIES & JUVENILES:
Incredibly strong, developing beautiful carapaces , and 100% healthy.
Vet checked & certified, with all legal documentation, including CITES permit.

[COLOR=deep pink]SUPERIOR QUALITY:[/color]
~ Hatchlings come from first-class breeding colony of adults.
~ Not one single medical ailment in their history.
~ Guaranteed top quality offspring.
~ Raised by an experienced and specialised Aldabra breeder.
~ Fed from Day 1 on their native island plant foods, ~ vital to their correct carapace development.
~ Distinct advantages of the healthiest start to life most natural to their species.


THEIR AD (posted after my 3 ads, whereby all mine go by the same opening paragraph):

"ONE PAIR OF ADULT ALDABRA TORTOISES LEFT ! SHOWING BREEDING ACTIVITY TAKE A LOOK !"
Posted by "Bearded Pets"[/b] on August 30, 2004 at 14:55:16

[COLOR=deep pink]GREAT QUALITY =[/color]

-Come With all Legal Documentation and Cites Permit
-Shipped Delta Dash
-Vet Checked
- Shells Are in Beautiful Condition
-100% Healthy Guaranteed
-Guaranteed top quality hatchlings
-No medical ailment in their history.
-Fed on their native island plant food
-Raised by an experienced keeper



REMAINING TEXT (Infringement of Copyrights?)....

URL's TO THEIR 2 RECENT CLASSIFIED ADS:

http://market.kingsnake.com/detail.php?cat=50&de=248580
http://market.kingsnake.com/detail.php?

THE 2 WEBSITES WHERE "Bearded Pets" HAS COPIED & PASTED DIRECTLY FROM OTHER ORGANISATIONS' WEBSITES:

http://www.whozoo.org/students/ceydel/turtle.htm
http://www.seaworld.org/AnimalBytes/...ortoiseab.html

With, OR Without permission from these websites, it still shows total unoriginality, with a preference for as little effort as possible on the poster's part.

makes you wonder if they even have these animals? and if they do where did they get them from?

they dont have the animals. That is covered in the other thread. Alison, you need to send your complaint to Jeff B, at KS. Now, he rarely ever does anything to stop criminals from using his site (just as long as they keep paying), but this is pretty damning. The bearded fools, are in a way, ripping him off, too. This time, he may actually do something.

Please keep us posted.

I have written back to KS, and apparently the "legal department is looking into it"...

I await their response ...

It is taking a lot of restraining power for me not to email these "Bearded Idiots" directly from their message link, and tell them what I really think ...

I'll post back later...

Thank you for the comments already.

I got a shock when I searched the BOI for "Bearded Pets", and saw that so many people have been on the receiving end of these guys' scams... and yet "Bearded Pets" are carrying on doing what they do best, simply because THEY CAN!

Kingsnake.com feel they cannot back me up because a virtually 99% copy of my ad is not "100%" ... I guess it is a case of 'Spot The Difference', not
'Spot The Oh-So-Obvious-Similarities'!!

"Copyright violation" appeared to be KS' only stance for any argument against taking action to ban them or even just to delete the offending ad.
So why is it that the majority of copyright notices cover 'reproduction in whole AND in part/portion, etc."??
I would say without any doubt or hesitation whatsoever, that the opening paragraphs (of my work/ad) were copied in MOST PREDOMINENT PART!!!

Here's what they say WILL make a difference to their policy of dealing with "Bearded Pets" once and for all:

-----------------------------------------------
----- Original Message -----
From: phclassifieds
To: ALDABRAS
Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2004 4:16 AM
Subject: Re: Abuse Submission from Tortoises on the Kingsnake.com Classifieds


Dear Ms. Mason,

I have been waiting for a reply from our legal department. I now have it and am writing to you about it. Unfortunately, because he did not use use your ad 100%, there is can be no claim against him. Copyright violations is not an exact law, and very difficult to prove.

Because of legal issues, we will not take action against an advertiser unless a complaint is filed with the IFCC, which is the Internet Fraud and Control Center. This is a branch of the FBI. Until someone does this, it is just one persons word against another. We have repeatedly asked people who have complained about this company to file a report with the IFCC and NO one has. I personally have sent a number of emails to the people asking for help to stop fraud, but I receive no answers to my pleas.

As you state below, "As long as no one does anything about it", this goes two ways. Without legal backing, anything anyone says is considered slander, anything anyone writes is considered libel. If none of the people who have complained are unwilling to do anything about it, then nothing will be done. All they have to do is file their complaint with the IFCC at http://www.ifccfbi.gov, then forward the reply from the IFCC to us. When this is done, action will be taken per our Terms of Service. Please urge those others to do this.


--
Classifieds Coordinator
phclassifieds@pethobbyist.com
-------------------------------------------

So there you have it...

I now call upon everyone to PLEASE file your complaints to IFCC - this seems like the only way KS will do something about them!

Since KS appears to be pretty much the #1 hot spot where reptile enthusiasts go to buy & sell, "Bearded Pets" should be denied of such an advantageous platform for their 'performances'. They are hurting people, being disrespectful, and have no ethics.

IF YOU HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THEM HERE ON BOI, (or had an unfortunate experience that you did not post here), THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND GET THEM WHERE IT MAY HURT: (hopefully) kicked off their #1 selling site!

... Otherwise, (sadly) ~ just expect to see more complaints about "Bearded Pets" right here on BOI.

Just thinking about their prices advertised for "Aldabra tortoises" makes me shudder, and anxious, for the potential victims. I could list a number of things that make their ads completely transparent. Unfortunately, eager buyers are likely to overlook the obvious if not well-researched (or experienced) about this species beforehand.

Here's the email address again for KS, (to send your IFCC response):

Classifieds Coordinator
phclassifieds@pethobbyist.com

Please post back here, if you have any news/updates from IFCC or KS...



Thanks in advance,

Allison Mason

jeff b and ks say that all of the time. It is just their way of
weaseling out of actually having to do anything. they have
coddled criminals like bearded pets, bruce eisenmann and
jesse underhill for sometime.

All of this proof, and yet they do nothing. I hope that the FBI
dings ks for being an accomplice to all of this crap. How sweet
would that be?

When you have a monopoly, you can do that. IOW, he who has the gold, makes the rules. I bet if there were another Kingsnake out there, you'd get a better response.

It's a shame that this industry is so full of "losers" and someone (hint, hint, Kingsnake) who is in a position to take a positive role in this hobby has chosen the 3 Monkey approach.

Sigh!

Their response via email is certainly written by some one "in the know" legally...You just wish it would leave enough of a sour taste in someone's mouth to say "We REALLY don't need to support this person/business by continually allowing him/them/it to purchase advertising space on our site when they are well known or proven con artists/scammers' :*(