The Superworm Farm delivers dead crickets and superworms...

This is the rest of our e-mail exchange (read from bottom up). They are basically useless.

then it would be "standard practice" to represent that fact on your website. I'm done with this conversation. I will file the necessary complaints with the credit card company and with the authorities. You shipped dead insects. As I said, those superworms were black and had been dead for a long time.

Please view the thread at http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...ad.php?t=71908 to see what others think of your practices.

See ya...

-----Original Message-----
From: thesuperwormfarm [mailto:info@superwormfarm.com]
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2005 11:29 AM
To: Jim Ohlstein, Superior Ectotherms
Subject: RE: Superworm Farm E-Mail Confirmation for Order #: SW56248


Jim:

Our PA facility is offline for routine maintenance. It's standard practice in our Industry to ship from alternate locations during down maintenance cycles. We plan on reopening the PA location mid November.

The Superworm Farm, Inc.
PO Box 25
Kempton, PA 19529
Phone: 866-680-2030
Fax: 610-871-0051
Web Site: www.superwormfarm.com
E-Mail: info@superwormfarm.com

---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Jim Ohlstein, Superior Ectotherms" <jim@superiorectotherms.com>
Date: Sun, 18 Sep 2005 03:02:43 -0400

>One last comment. The following ALSO comes from your website:
>
>"Our products come to you from our growing facility located in the
>foothills of the Blue Mountains, just minutes west of Allentown,
>Pennsylvania." I have included a screenshot for your convenience.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>But my "products" came from Lafayette, LOUISIANA. So you actually
>MISREPRESENTED what you were sending me. Had I known that they were
>coming from that part of the country (two hours from New Orleans) I
>would NOT have bought them given recent power outages and other
>problems in that area. I believe they call that "misrepresentation" and
>I will have to consider contacting the authorities here in Virginia.

I put an order in to SWF a few weeks ago. A few days went by and no crickets, mealworms, or fruit fly cultures. I called and got a machine and then I got through to a Dan or David that said he was the owner. I gave him my order # and asked what the delay was. He explained that his cricket supplier was located in Louisiana, and that although the factory was spared by the hurricane, it was difficult getting orders out through FedEx and ups. I'd have to think the roads were a bit impassable. He told me that was able to reroute the order though DHL 2nd day service. The order arrived by DHL two days later. When I checked the invoice attached to the box, and verified the tracking info on line through DHL, it stated it was shipped by FLUKERS CRICKET FARM.

It was a $75 order and everything was dead, long dead and stinking bad. The mealworms were a mixture of dead regular mealworms and superworms. The crickets dead, black, and stinking, were packed without any water source. I figured the fruit flies may have had a chance to lay some eggs in the medium and possibly I could get a culture or two going from that. It worked, but the fruit flies were perfectly winged and flying throughout the container. That got tossed and was waste of time.

I called again to ask him what the deal was with a replacement and he told me no refund would be given, no credit to a future order.

I questioned the Fluker drop shipment and he stated that his cricket building was under construction.

That...was a lie.

I rode out to Allentown this past weekend with the wife and kids to visit some friends. My friend is a postal worker in the area and within 5 minutes had the physical address to the P.O. Box listed on his website. We drove out to check out the facility.

There is no farm, there were no blue mountains, and there is no cricket building under construction. There was not even an answer at the door. Super Worm Farm is an Internet based drop shipping affiliate for Flukers Cricket Farm.

Him and Howard should both go down in plane crash.

So SWF says:

Our PA facility is offline for routine maintenance. It's standard practice in our Industry to ship from alternate locations during down maintenance cycles. We plan on reopening the PA location mid November.

Did they have to disassemble and re-lube the moving parts on all the crickets assembly machines !! Good job Chuck on taking the time to check them out. There is certainly room for drop-shippers etc within the insect business, and you would think that since most would want to keep the actual mechanism of their business quiet (ie: we really don't produce the bugs ourselves) they would be even more prompt to fix things. Tip-of-the-hat to all other companies given credit here for doing it right.

Jim Flaherty
The Chameleon Company, LLC

"I ordered some cresteds a little while back, right after Katrina. Not only did they arrive about 5 hours late (can't exactly remember, but it was a few hours), but the delivery person just dropped them at my door and left."
-Crested Lady.


I had the same problem with UPS right after Katrina hit. The package was sue at 10:30am, but instead arrived 6 hours late at 4:30. The driver informed me that one of UPS's main facilities was COMPLETELY under water!!! Fedex was probably having the same problem. Other than that, I have never had any problems with either of the companies.

Ank-Inc.
Adam.

Originally Posted by MANTIS

I had the same problem with UPS right after Katrina hit. The package was sue at 10:30am, but instead arrived 6 hours late at 4:30. The driver informed me that one of UPS's main facilities was COMPLETELY under water!!! Fedex was probably having the same problem. Other than that, I have never had any problems with either of the companies.

Ank-Inc.
Adam.

What companies? Fedex and UPS? This isnt a thread about Fedex or UPS. Its about a lying skell running a scam on his customers.

Not to be the odd man out here, but if someone tried claiming a DOA or delivery issue that has a signature release on file with an overnight carrier, and did not notify us of such a release on file prior to purchase, I would be inclined not to replace the shipment either.

But I would probably offer a discount on a future order..... Thats just me.

Depends on the individual of course...

Signature releases make for big trouble in this industry. People do not realize that if they have such a release on file authorizing a carrier to leave a parcel on a doorstep that would usually require a signature it ALSO means that deliveries accepted in person will show this waiver as well! Even if you sign for the package in person, in most cases tracking will show that there is a waiver and no signature or proof will be listed.

I suggest removing this waiver Jim. Nothing but trouble... If you doubt your ability to accept a package in the future, from any vendor, live or material goods, have it shipped for pickup at your local carriers facility.

I still think these people should have issued a partial refund or credit on a future order, definitely not good business.

Chris,

As I said in an e-mail to them, I would have been happy with a 20% credit, or all of about $10 toward a future order. Now they have a hold on $70.89 from American Express and their name is, if nothing else, in the FBI Internet Fraud database.

Originally Posted by critical bill

I put an order in to SWF a few weeks ago. A few days went by and no crickets, mealworms, or fruit fly cultures. I called and got a machine and then I got through to a Dan or David that said he was the owner. I gave him my order # and asked what the delay was. He explained that his cricket supplier was located in Louisiana, and that although the factory was spared by the hurricane, it was difficult getting orders out through FedEx and ups. I'd have to think the roads were a bit impassable. He told me that was able to reroute the order though DHL 2nd day service. The order arrived by DHL two days later. When I checked the invoice attached to the box, and verified the tracking info on line through DHL, it stated it was shipped by FLUKERS CRICKET FARM.

It was a $75 order and everything was dead, long dead and stinking bad. The mealworms were a mixture of dead regular mealworms and superworms. The crickets dead, black, and stinking, were packed without any water source. I figured the fruit flies may have had a chance to lay some eggs in the medium and possibly I could get a culture or two going from that. It worked, but the fruit flies were perfectly winged and flying throughout the container. That got tossed and was waste of time.

I called again to ask him what the deal was with a replacement and he told me no refund would be given, no credit to a future order.

I questioned the Fluker drop shipment and he stated that his cricket building was under construction.

I ordered from Flukers last Weds, got my order Thursday 100% DOA and reaking like death. What the hell is going on at Flukers this week? Maybe it's the temps down there or something else causing problems or maybe the bugs are on the truck or tarmac longer due to post storm issues and getting wiped by the heat. I usually have good luck with them. They have another box coming to me for tomorrow, hopefully it will fare better. I put a note on every order from them to leave at my back door, in the hallway with no signature required. I've gotten 2-3 doa or partial doa shipments and despite having them left at the door they are always replaced without question. My hallway gets down as low as 50-60 in the dead of winter and only about 80 in the peak of summer so it's not a bad place to leave bugs for an hour or so until I get home from work. It's not heated or cooled on purpose but what leaks out of the doorways to the hall keeps it reasonable. In the end they've replaced a few orders here and there but I have spent tens of thousands with them, money that I would have not spent if they gave me a hassle on the first doa. Maybe SWF can take a lesson in service from them. Say what you will about Flukers, they've always done right by me.

Q: What is your return policy?
A: All Fluker's products are backed by our 100% guarantee of complete satisfaction. If for any reason when you purchase an item from us and you are not satisfied, return it and we will refund your money, or replace the item, which ever you prefer.
We do not honor any returns that weren't purchased online from Fluker Farms.


What should I do if my insect order appears to have arrived dead?
A:
First, if it is cold weather, please allow the crickets to slowly warm. They will become dormant when below a temperature of 32 degrees. Place crickets close to a heat source to allow them to warm slowly.
If they don't start jumping in the box, please call us for a replacement. If mealworms are black, that is a good indication that they are dead due to being overheated. In that instance, you may call us for a replacement. All claims must be made within 48 hours.


Do I have to be home for delivery?
A: Yes, on all overnight delivery's, we require a signature. If for some reason you aren't going to be home during the day, you can request "no signature" required. In this instance, the shipment isn't guaranteed.

Well thats the problem though...

A signature release on file with your carrier essentially voids all delivery guarantees. Regardless if you are there or not, the release is still on file and thats what shows up in tracking, not the proof of personal acceptace. Therefore a guarantee cannot be issued. There ijs simply no proof that you accepted the delivery in person, a third hand account of your dogs barking does not count unfortunately, they depend on proof from the carrier which is understandable.

This said, I suggest you remove the signature waiver \ release from your account, or expect problems like this in the future! Be warned... This is begining to be a common occurance with people who truly do not understand the signature release option.