UnderGround Reptiles should stay underground

Originally Posted by kurt decker

So there is a half dozen complaints on the Boi?

Much more than 6.

I counted 27 complaints. Could be more but I stopped counting and looking at threads. Don't agree with all the complaints . Agree with some. Underground fixed many and didn't fix some. I've defended them in some threads and completely disagreed with them in others.

The truth is they have far many more positive posts than bad ones. They have handled some complaints with great customer service and some in my opinion not so great.

There are a lot of people with good names that have defended them on many of the posts. Sometimes though I think friendship has clouded some complaints.

Overall their track record has been positive and pretty good for the 12 years on here and their reputation predating the BOI. Again they have many positive experiences posted here.

Also to be accurate, they have had a large amount of animals that have been received in poor condition or DOA. Those situations didn't always come as a complaint and I didn't count them. They were fixed before they made it to the BOI.

The majority of those were reptiles that more than likely imports and uncommon reptiles at the time and harder to keep.

There has been more than one animal sent deformed in their list of complaints.

I think that is a pretty fair assessment of what I've seen posted over a decade.

I know your pain, I recently purchased a pair of Biak Tree Monitors from them that had beautiful pictures posted on the classifieds. I called and talked the price down to $850.00 matching a competing add that had been posted online.
I was excited to get these animals that is, until they arrived. Both animals showed up VERY dehydrated. The female looked like she had a shedding problem and the male just seemed very thin like the female.
Now I have cared for Tree Monitors for the past 3 years and know what is thin and what is normal for them having a total of 7 in my collection (2 Blue tree, 2 Green tree, 2 Black tree and 1 Reisingeri Yellow tree) prior to these 2 arriving, I have never seen them in this bad of condition before aside from the idiots at the trade shows who are looking to turn a quick buck on one.
So I called and asked about the skin condition and they had no real answer for me. My real reason for calling them that day was to figure out what the heck they were feeding them since the female was refusing to eat anything and the add had posted at the top "chowing on hopper mice". They then informed me that the female had to be fed separately from the male due to her skittish nature. After about a week and a half it ate some scrambled eggs and has begun it's slow recovery back and still refuses to eat mice.
As for the skin problem, I happened to be in Miami about a week ago and decided that since I was close by Deerfield that I would stop in and talk to them in person about what my problems were with the animal and if they might know what caused it so that I could find a way to fix it and to get a feel for how they operate.
I was impressed at first when I walked in with the way the store looked until I started looking in cages and saw the condition of the animals. The black trees and the other pair of Biak tree monitors that they had for sale had no humidifier system on them, no misting system or even a large enough water bowl for them to crawl into. But the worst part was that they had the heat bulbs exposed to where the monitors could crawl onto them. Which quickly explained what the skin problem was..... BURNS!!! These animals were being allowed to crawl onto the lights at night and burn themselves. This means that my monitor will never look the same. Tree monitors for whatever reason do not get color back on scales that have been burned.
Another irritating thing that I noticed was that the other female Biak monitor had no visible burns. So I asked why they sent me a burned monitor when they had a good one here. I was ignored. I’m guessing that they figured that since I ordered them over the phone that there would be no way for me to know that I got the burnt one.
Much of the store was the same, they had a couple of Yellow Melinus monitors in a tank with one pretty much dead due to dehydration. The monitor looked flat, that’s how dry it was but was still breathing, very sad to see.
Their staff was very eager to sell you something but could care less about taking care of the animals. It gave you the distinct feeling that all they cared about was making a quick buck.
So all and all, after buying from them and meeting them in person. I will never do business with them ever again. By buying anything else from them I would feel as though, that I am condoning their behavior and that is unacceptable to me.
<I will post pictures soon>

Don't post much and surely don't know anything about the op's purchase, but on my 1st purchase a few weeks ago of a small order of 2 rough green snakes, 2 tokay geckos and 2 marble geckos things went smoothly and all of them doing great.

Charlie Crowe

I'm not trying to argue with anybody, again not my fight. But I don't understand how anybody can scream bloody murder when they have been offered a full refund. I don't see that as a liberal definition, I see that as the gold standard of honest business. Anytime you have employees, mistakes can be made. Stupid mistakes. Ridiculous mistakes. Inexcusable mistakes. It can happen despite the best efforts of any organization. And when it does I think offering to refund your money should at least keep somebody from putting up a bad guy thread.

And what is the excuse when they say "we will give you a discount on your next animal"?

I was in their shop yesterday, and I must admit it looked much better than other times I had been there, the husbandry looked pretty good! Maybe they have been reading the BOI lol.

Good for them!

Ben, who are you talking to exactly? I do not think it is a question of who on here is wrong or right, we are all going to have our own opinions on this matter, also, who are you reffering to when you say: you put certain life over others? Certainly you are not reffering to my comparison of a child wandering over to where the retic was and a dog?!? I think the biggest red flag and question at hand is... Responsibility.... Again, its bad publicity to see someones pet getting out or not being attended to and eating the neighbors dog, I cannot recall this happening to a child here in the US, but I wouldnt doubt that it has happened... anyone who has ever owned a full sized Retic knows fully well what they are capable of... They are highly intelligent snakes and can pack a mean punch... When they get to a certain size, it becomes a liability more then just a pet... You do not just let something that powerful "roam" you do not let just anyone watch it.... So without getting into the kittens, multiple small dogs by large snakes pics, "pet squirrel/ squirrel food.. etc... etc... so to sit here and say it was a accident isnt flying with me... whatever they want to fed their snake is their business, but advertising it doesnt help, adult retics demand respect, they are not a toy, they are not on the same caliber as a pet gerbil getting out of its cage. I most certainly would'nt dare have my ferret running around when I know my doberman is near. Accidents do happen, though I do not believe this was a accident.., I guess if anything let this be a lesson for other owners of large snakes... treat them with respect... like you would a weapon... Retics and other large snakes are cold blooded killers... they were never meant to be cute or fun pets you let slither about and let your little chihuahua dog walk on while photographing it.

wrong area... so sorry! ^

I dont think its undergrounds fault. i mean this is what i think. if you're going to buy a pet know what your buying.i dont like when people have a random animal sent from where ever to there doorstep. a lot of things could happen to your new pet from bowing to unboxing. You cant take someones word for it when it comes to a live animal. you need to see that animal in person, spend a little time with it ask the owner about papers, shots, birth, cb not cb. ask about diet, shedding, sex, pb not pb. people always ask" how tame is it", go hold it find out.. why would you spend money on something you've never felt,seen, or connected with yourself. ive been searching for a monitor for 11 months now. i have this 8 log 8 tall 6 wide i built 9 months ago just sitting there. i drove 2 hours to spend 45 min with a reptile im thinking about adding to the family. im going back this tuesday to spend more time with her. this is just the way i think and feel about it. its the same thing if i go buy a car take the sellers word for it, good papers good price, seems nice. i dont test drive it and i dont watch the temp, i just buy it for the good price and the color because its nice. on my way home the engine blows because it over heats, didn't show me it was running hot because temp gauge is broke. so this is not my fault i blame everything on the seller, i ask him to fix it he does nothing. im out 6 grand and riding my bike to work,my wife leaves me, my house burns down and its all his fault. wrong, its my fault for not knowing what i was buying. i live 20min from underground i go there often, they seem like nice people and ive never seen a abused animal there. someone said take the complaints into account. i never do, because anyone can say anything, so i form my own opinions. good day to you.

Originally Posted by dovaking

I dont think its undergrounds fault. i mean this is what i think. if you're going to buy a pet know what your buying.i dont like when people have a random animal sent from where ever to there doorstep. a lot of things could happen to your new pet from bowing to unboxing. You cant take someones word for it when it comes to a live animal. you need to see that animal in person, spend a little time with it ask the owner about papers, shots, birth, cb not cb. ask about diet, shedding, sex, pb not pb. people always ask" how tame is it", go hold it find out.. why would you spend money on something you've never felt,seen, or connected with yourself. ive been searching for a monitor for 11 months now. i have this 8 log 8 tall 6 wide i built 9 months ago just sitting there. i drove 2 hours to spend 45 min with a reptile im thinking about adding to the family. im going back this tuesday to spend more time with her. this is just the way i think and feel about it. its the same thing if i go buy a car take the sellers word for it, good papers good price, seems nice. i dont test drive it and i dont watch the temp, i just buy it for the good price and the color because its nice. on my way home the engine blows because it over heats, didn't show me it was running hot because temp gauge is broke. so this is not my fault i blame everything on the seller, i ask him to fix it he does nothing. im out 6 grand and riding my bike to work,my wife leaves me, my house burns down and its all his fault. wrong, its my fault for not knowing what i was buying. i live 20min from underground i go there often, they seem like nice people and ive never seen a abused animal there. someone said take the complaints into account. i never do, because anyone can say anything, so i form my own opinions. good day to you.

Healthy animals and good customer service is still expected even if you don't get to "bond" with the animal ahead of time.