Kingsnake.com/Jeff Barringer/ Bad business!! Legal?

I opened a basic classified ad account on Kingsnake.com about a month ago and Jeff Barringer terminated my account because he said I was in violation of his TOS. He said I was posting animals for someone else, was someone else, or was letting someone else use my account. With all 3 different variables, it seems like even he's unsure about his reasons for terminating my account. I politely asked for some sort of proof of this with no reply. He also said I forfeit what I paid for the classifieds, but offers no proof. My question is.....Is that legal? He won't refund my money OR reopen my account.

I sure am finding more and more people swaying from kingsnake.com which appears to be ran by an ego maniac and is flawed with hypocracy, politics, and a "good ol' boys" mind set. Feel free to add your opinions and advice.

Thanks,
Rich Montoya
RM Reps

Before we begin a big debate over this issue, PLEASE answer this question 100% honestly...

Were you posting animals for someone else or was letting someone else use your account??

Be honest now!!!

~ Mike Russi

I had posted animals that I had PURCHASED from someone who was banned awhile back, but they were my animals at that point. As far as I know, that is not violation of his TOS. I wasn't posting them for him. They were MINE. The person who I bought from keeps some of the nicest turtles and tortoises around and appears to have some very jealous fellow herpers on kingsnake so when I posted a radiated tortoise for sale here in CA, I got banned!! This reminds me of the equivelant scenario to the "soup nazi" on Seinfield.

Rich Montoya

Originally Posted by RMreps

I had posted animals that I had PURCHASED from someone who was banned awhile back, but they were my animals at that point. As far as I know, that is not violation of his TOS. I wasn't posting them for him. They were MINE. The person who I bought from keeps some of the nicest turtles and tortoises around and appears to have some very jealous fellow herpers on kingsnake so when I posted a radiated tortoise for sale here in CA, I got banned!! This reminds me of the equivelant scenario to the "soup nazi" on Seinfield.

Rich Montoya

Who is this person you are referring to in this post?

Originally Posted by WebSlave

Who is this person you are referring to in this post?

webslave,

I had bought a few tortoises and surplus turtles from Barry Lambert(Spectrum Reptiles) here locally, but also bought a few animals from other folks as well so it wasn't just one person. I'm just a small private hobbyist and because I bought a few animals from a "banned" person now I'm banned? I can understand that if your charging for a site, you don't want a million people sharing the same account, but banning me just for doing business with another person is wrong and then keep my money?? It's only $100, but it's the principal. I only had the account a month or two. Anyway, I just thought I'd share my story and warn people that it seems as if you can get banned if you misspell a word in your ad. Just my 2 cents.

Rich Montoya

Originally Posted by RMreps

webslave,

I had bought a few tortoises and surplus turtles from Barry Lambert(Spectrum Reptiles) here locally, but also bought a few animals from other folks as well so it wasn't just one person. I'm just a small private hobbyist and because I bought a few animals from a "banned" person now I'm banned? I can understand that if your charging for a site, you don't want a million people sharing the same account, but banning me just for doing business with another person is wrong and then keep my money?? It's only $100, but it's the principal. I only had the account a month or two. Anyway, I just thought I'd share my story and warn people that it seems as if you can get banned if you misspell a word in your ad. Just my 2 cents.

Rich Montoya

In the interests of fairness and credibility, please explain the following possible coincidence...

Originally Posted by WebSlave

In the interests of fairness and credibility, please explain the following possible coincidence...

Oh, Dude is so busted!

In light of this new information... I will repeat the same question... And, this time PLEASE answer this question 100% HONESTLY...

Were you posting animals for someone else, posting as another person, or letting someone else use your account??

Be honest now!!!

~ Mike Russo

Ouch, It is not a coincidence. After being banned , which I am over, I got to know Barry a little since we now share the something in common. I have lots of hobbies and being a pethobbyist is new to me. Barry has told me has some bad home computer issues. I am also A+ and Network+ certifed. I offerded to help him with his home network. No money just a trade for animals. When I started to work on his home network I had my laptop with me. I take it everywhere.
Barry told me about Fauna Classifieds and that it is free. So i created my account at his house. And the only time I had a chance to gripe was whenever I was at his house.

Originally Posted by WebSlave

In the interests of fairness and credibility, please explain the following possible coincidence...

Hi Rich,

I can explain...Rich Montoya and his son being the new wave of interested hobbyists came over last night, looking at animals, talking shop, etc...He expressed his discontent with being banned from KS and had never heard of the BOI on fauna. So, being the helpful guy that I am, I sat him down in front of my computer and turned him loose while I cleaned.

Not only would any posts on KS show an IP coming from HIS house, but any future ones on fauna would also. I see your point though...very suspect in appearance...... Rich is a guy who lives here in town and bought some animals from me at wholesale and thought he'd get a KS account. I am still Barry(Spectrum Reptiles) and I'm still a bit confused as to why he got banned, but knowing how the "KS police" are, it doesn't surprise me. I gave him his $100 that Barringer wouldn't refund just because he knew me. I didn't know I had spies on the lookout for me..HA HA! Rich is a real person and if your ever in San Diego, I'll introduce you to him.

On another note, I had emailed Jeff showing him a post on his own site where the very well known seller is offering some VERY expensive animals on KS that are not his at all and is posting them for another party in another state. I could care less about what people do, but I did care to see what type of integrity Jeff had and what he'd do about that. I wanted to see if he would stay true to his own TOS regardless of who posts, but just as I thought, he didn't terminate that persons account. Many of our own peers have pushed VERY good people out of this hobby over politics. It's also the reason why all these new laws will slowly start being passed prohibiting us keeping herps. We can't get 10 of us reptile people to get into a room and agree on the same thing to save our lives. I know of 2 guys who have successfully bred some of the rarest turtles on a reg basis only to just pull out altogether and not want to be a part of this hobby. Sad.......

Nobody's busted Kelli....Just guilty by association I guess.......I just hope Fauna visitors will not fall into the same catagory as KS and attend "witch hunts" against other folks...

Barry Lambert