Need opinions on a bad deal with Tim Bowles of Arboreals of the Rainforest!!!

Matt,
I was going to suggest putting her down, but I kow some people from on that (as do I at times).
Sad, but I brought in a little import ball a few months ago. NICE gold coloration, white around some of the pattern etc. The little thing NEVER drank.........litterraly, NEVER ate, and was so thin. I have soaked it in water for 24-48 hours at a time, tried feeding it every other day for 2 months. Lots of lose skin, and last night was the worst (I would check on it every day or day). I came home from a unsuccessful herping adventure, checked all my snakes like I do every morning and night (and 100 times in between...lol), anyway, I opened the little shoebox I had it in and it stunk.........bad. Keep in mind, the bottom was dry, no urates or anything. I picked it up and on top of the fact that it was like a shoestring hanging in my hand, there was a lump approx. 2" long starting about 1/2" above the vent the thickness of a permanent marker. I felt it lightly (slight squeeze) and it was not hard, but it had small "ball type" objects within the lump. They would not break down as I added pressure and I KNOW it was not fecies. Like I said, I have NEVER had it eat and never seen anything in the bottom of the shoebox that would represent waste matter of any type. Long story short (well not really I am done now), I put it down.
Point is, like you were saying, I hate to know a snake is not doing well. I honestly felt there was no hope and thought it would be best.......maybe I am wrong, but there was zero progress of any kind. As a side note, please don't ask where it came from as I feel this had nothing to do with the seller. It was just the chance you take with an import. Not his fault and not mad, I would buy from him again.
I have only had to put one other snake down in my 15 years of working with snakes and it sucks.
Whatever the decision, I know you have tried your best.
Brian Oakley

I am sorry to see this happen to this nice snake. It is bad that someone would let it get this far. I am glad now that we didnt buy any of the snakes he was trying to sell us a few weeks ago. He was trying his best to get us to buy some from him. I hate to say it but I would have made a trip to where he lives and he wouldnt have been happy for my visit. That is alot of money to put out on a snake that looks that bad. It just makes me ill he is not man enough to answer any of the questions asked here. I guess he aint a man at all is he? I hate to see you put the snake down but it has suffered long enough. I dont think I could have waited this long to do it. I wish things would turn around for you Matt. Good luck with everything!

Tim,
I think you need to give Matt a refund ASAP. Whatever happened to that snake was not the fault of UPS in this instance (Although I still would only use UPS as a last resort!). I think you must have treated that snake for a bad RI or something over the winter, using alot of lactated ringer injections...probably too many ringers at that!...and as I know, emeralds do not always recoup well from such maladies. Often anorexia can result from the antibiotics,etc.

I think you should come clean on this Tim. Your initial responce to Matt sounded like you were grabbing at straws. Cheap shots, calling him King Lerer, criticising him for living with his parents. Matt's parents are in their 70's. I lived with my mother up until she died at the young age of 62 and don't feel a bit ashamed nor do I regret it for one minute. Also, you referred to the fact that Matt talked you into selling that new Locale. I have one that Matt has been trying to buy back for two years now. Everytime he calls me he bugs me about it LoL. know that to be part of Matt's character. You should have said NO to him on this one. I'm sure you now are wishing you had...Please give Matt a full refund Tim!! Do the right thing...

John Hedger

Matt, I know that kind of snake likes to coil up on branches but I can't help but wonder if it's bad for her right now. Does she have the strength to get down and get a drink on her own? Maybe you should restrict her to a small box with nothing to climb on so she doesn't have to work to get water. Just a suggestion...that last picture nearly brought me to tears and it occured to me that this may be an overlooked problem.

Please don't put her down tonight...Can you give her a couple more days? I'm rooting for her to pull out of it.

Thanks John but from what I hear through the grapevine Tim is getting quite a kick out of this so I am sure no refund of his own free will is going to be issued. I am putting her down in the morning and having a necropsy done for use later. She is very sluggish now and has retained fluid in some sections of her body and her head is swaying back and forth from left to right. I don't think it is fair to let her suffer any longer.

With all of the pics, lab studies, results from another lab in Miami, and necropsy, it will all be very clear what happened to her and it will all be down on paper. I have been trying to get a hold of Tim to discuss all of this but he won't answer my calls or e-mails so I don't think he even cares.

Thanks again Hedge!

I'm sorry to hear about all of this Matt, I hope it all works out for the best meng.





Dan Pitre

Originally posted by Ghi Reptiles
Thanks John but from what I hear through the grapevine Tim is getting quite a kick out of this so I am sure no refund of his own free will is going to be issued.

Hmmm, that's wierd. Why would Tim be laughing about all this? That's very strange.

John Hedger

Hmmm, that's wierd. Why would Tim be laughing about all this? That's very strange.

I guess he feels he got me good...and he did.

Yes Matt, I guess he has swiped some of his money back for the high end snakes that you gratiously and patiently gave him months to pay off !!

JHedger

Matt

I know that Paypal, by their TOS, will not do much regarding claims on live animals but have you at least explored that option? If the PayPal payment came from your credit card rather than your checking acount you may have a shot at bypassing PayPal and going directly to your credit card company and reversing the charge.

Tim's silence and reluctance to answer direct questions put to him regarding this matter is an obvious indication that this is the only way you will get this problem rectified.



Good Luck