Heather Colwell / Majestic Morphs

Originally Posted by KelliH

She offered to refund you in full and pay the return shipping if you were not happy with the snake. If you aren't happy return the animal for a full refund and move on.

Hi Kelli,

Heather offered to pay for the return shipping ONLY after I told her I was going to post a BOI on her, and ONLY after she knew I had already decided to keep the pewter.

She e-mailed me that she would pay for the return shipping 20 minutes before she posted in the thread I started in FC "My new pewter is not right. Help". Then she proceeded to go on that thread and proclaim to all that she agreed to pay for 1/2 the shipping, making it sound as if she offered this all along. If I am allowed to use another persons words. "evasive and fishy".

Thanks Steve

Just everyone knows I have already moved on quite some time ago.

I am replying to comments posted here, as I feel I should being that it is my BOI.

Steve

Originally Posted by RobNJ

I really have no thoughts on what caused the wound, but for those who think that if it happened while the snake was trying to escape its tub that the injury would be on top of its head, I don't agree. A ball python, or a lot of snakes for that matter, if absolutely set on escaping its enclosure will try to do so any way possible...sideways, upside down, etc... So it's entirely possible that it could have caught its chin under a flimsy lid rather than on the lip of the tub. If you watch them long enough, you'll see snakes attempt escape at seeming impossibly awkward angles.

You are right, they will do anything to get out. But the way that cut is pushed back towards the tail would lead me to believe it was made on the way out of the tub and there is nothing on that tub that would catch the snake on the way out (rounded on the top and on the lip of the tub). I've had snakes trapped in those lids before also and any damage would have came from trying to go back in, reversing the direction of the cut. It would catch on the lid and pull the skin on the head towards the nose. If it was upside down, then I would assume the skin on the chin would also be pulled towards the nose.

Steve,
I agree with most of what your sating but step back a sec and put yourself in her shoes, minus the insulting part of blaming you.
You ship out a perfectly healthy snake. Snake gets held up in shipping (she should have been the one doing leg work here not you) and is in transit about 3x longer than it should have been. Snake arrives and buyer says all looks good and even leaves you feedback. Later than day comes the we have a problem moment. So now as a seller you have to jump through hoops and prove to the shipper it is their fault. Knowing this you offer industry standard, refund minus shipping or work out a fair deal and let them keep the animal. The buyer says that's not good enough.
So now faced with having to eat a loss on the snake the buyer wants to do 2 thinks. First have at least some recourse to try to recover shipping and also wants to make sure its not just buyers remorse. So seller ask for a time stamped video and now the wobble is gone and he is better. I am not saying it is fishy.... but put yourself in her shoes.
Why she didn't ask how he was doing I don't know, why she was defensive from the get go I don't know. But I always try to look at things from both sides.

Hi Jeff,

I do understand what you are saying Jeff and concur that she offered me the industry standard. I would be out $140 on a $355 purchase. That's a huge loss for anyone to just say accept as OK, when they know they have done nothing wrong and was treated terribly by the seller.

and I have put myself in her shoes Jeff.

I would never have handled the situation the way she did.
I would have immeaditely called the buyer on the phone.
I would have asked what I can do. And asked the buyer what they wanted me to do.
I would have never told the Buyer (first converstation) send it back and we will cull it, when the jury was still out on what was wrong.
I would have assessed the situation full well knowing I have a buyer with a sick animal I sold him. I would do what I could to put the buyer at ease, research the health of the pewter and investigate more into the shipping. I would have waited and prayed alongside the Buyer, get a vet involved if needed, instead of just giving the buyer the "industry standard".
I would have made good on any promises I made.
I would have mailed the "forgotten to pack" data cards immeaditely.
I would have done everything in my power to fix the situation and make the buyer happy, outside of cutting off my right arm.
I would have kept in contact daily with the buyer and not just reply to e-mails when I felt like it.
I would have called the Buyer when he asked me to.
I would be genuinely concerned for the health and recovery of an animal I raised from an egg and would be frantic not knowing how he is.

I would have not:
Not replied back in a timley fashion.
Not called the Buyer, even after he asked me to, multiple times.
Not say I would research and get back asap and never do it.
Not accuse the buyer of anything, but instead try to work something out.
Not offered the bare minumum of what is called "the industry standard" in this particular situation. For Buyers remorse, yes I would.
Not hold on to data cards after a sale, but send them the next day.
Not give false information about another breeders business, when we are talking about her business.
Not say I am going to approach the shipper for liability when that was not true.
Not demand anything from the buyer.
Not play games by agreeing to pay for all of the return shipping after the buyer told me I would do a BOI. E-mail the buyer about it, and then post it on a forum 20 minutes later as if it was offered all along.

I have no idea why she handle the situation this poorly Jeff. How would you feel and react as the Buyer being treated this way? From the start she dropped the ball, and never bother to pick it up and try to make things right. Her priority was herself and the $$$$. Not the Buyer or the Pewter.

She knows the BOI is here, I doubt she will chime in but rather just dissapear.

EMAIL FROM ROBYN at PRO EXOTICS....
...

I think you are being scammed : )

Most cell phones can shoot video nowadays. Can you ask for some video footage of this behavior?

Barring that, you could ask for the immediate return of that animal under a satisfaction guarantee.

As a breeder myself (Pro Exotics), we offer a 24 hour satisfaction guarantee. If you are not happy with the animal, for any reason, return it to us and receive a refund. That typically needs to happen with 24 hours, but we make exceptions if it is the weekend or a holiday or something. It is the customer's responsibility to get the animal back safely and securely. They can't ship it in a plain uninsulated box and expect success. Nor can they ship it out on a Friday and claim ignorance that it wouldn't be delivered until Monday.

I would make that type of offer. I would also ask for immediate video footage. I do think that he is trying to take advantage of you because of the delivery delay. He either has, or knows someone that has, a cell phone with a video function. He could email or text you the video.

My first guess is that you find some resistance to this simple request, and/or the situation will change to "oh, it looks fine now".

Be very cautious, but courteous, let me know if you have any more questions.

Robyn@ShipYourReptiles
(303) 730-2125 ext. 4

AllProShipping.com
AllProMediaworks.com
ProExotics.com
Tempgun.com


On Thu, Sep 22, 2011 at 3:53 PM

the email I just posted was before steve sent the video....IT IS TO SHOW .....24 HOUR GUARANTEE directly from robyn himself

this is the following email after I forwarded the video to Robyn....
.....

Well, I guessed wrong on that one. There is definitely something there. Shipping is not likely to cause such an effect though. I have never seen it, nor had it happen, in the 10,000+ shipments over 20 years that we have personally done (as Pro Exotics).

From a breeder's perspective- I would offer to take back the animal and refund, or allow the customer to keep the animal for 7-10 days and see if the condition disappears. It could be simply from the high stress of shipping and the delay. It may go away shortly and not affect the health of the animal mid/long term. If the condition remained after 7-10 days, I would again offer to take the animal back and issue a refund.

I am sorry that your package was delayed. I cannot definitively explain the head wobble. We have shipped over 75,000 customer packages through our system. We see delayed delivery 3-5 times a week, on average, far less than 1% of shipments. I have never seen a wobble or neurological effect like that in any of those shipments. This is a first.

Doesn't make it any easier. It is both disappointing and frustrating.

Robyn@ShipYourReptiles
(303) 730-2125 ext. 4

AllProShipping.com
AllProMediaworks.com
ProExotics.com
Tempgun.com


On Thu, Sep 22, 2011 at 5:41 PM

my failure to ask the condition of the pewter , was because I received detailed emails from steve daily telling me his condition,...the lack of communication on my part was a mistake that I will learn from...I work 2 jobs and dont get much phone time while working,....I am truly sorry for not responding more often by email or phone...AND TO CLARIFY I NEVER ACCUSED STEVE OF CLOSING A LID ON THE SNAKE!!! I asked if during putting the snake away if it were possible that happened...I even elaborated that in the email that was sent to Steve....I was confused and distraught over what could have happened to him,...I evaluated all possibilities