Heather Stotz- Sandstone Corns

AKA "Bezilsgirl" on cornsnakes.com..

Read if you're considering doing business with her and add this to the pros and cons.
Short version, she missed shipping for me on 3 different days, costing me alot of time at work.. While I'm self employed and not 'in trouble' so to speak, I have tons of catch up to do now.
The first two excuses are detailed below, the last one is the kicker though. Instead of shipping Fed Ex, which she alluded to doing (shown below) she shipped purposely for a two day delivery illegally through the US Postal Service.
I'll refer you to this advertisement on cornsnakes.com, where I decided to purchase the ultramel het bloodred, $150 shipped. I am "tom e" there.

http://cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=59945

Firstly, I want to say that you'll notice that I mentioned in the thread there, I wasn't interested in taking this matter to the BOI, but after considering that I could have been in trouble as well for her actions, I decided to write this after all.

I paid via Paypal, and was supposed to have the snakes shipped to me on the 7th, here is the email later about the first shipping attempt..

"There is a problem. Let me first say I am so sorry because I know you stayed home from work! The place I sent from had both packages and left them behind the counter. Well I guess on the the ladies that worked there brought her kid who thought it would be SO neat to see a "live harmless reptile" so he opened the box. The snake didn't get out, but it freaked out the ladies that worked at the shipping place so much that they wouldn't ship the package once they saw what was in it. So I'm going to have to ship again monday from a different place across town. Hopefully one without kids. This is all their fault and I let them know how much this screws me up- but they wouldn't ship the package. I'm SO sorry! Just wanted to let you know if you can at all salvage your day.
-Heather"

My answer:

"Wow! That's so wild.. Was that a Fed Ex location? I'm sure they've broken terms of their agreement at the least..
No problem for me as long as the snake is ok. I'll just go ahead and go to work now, let me know what day to wait again. You're sure the kid didn't shake it or anything huh?
Is there anyway that you can turn them in for that?"

Her Reply in part, this is not the whole email (which I'm happy to post but for the sake of space and TMI):

"...I guess I could report her for mail tampering (now she claims she was "inspecting" the item- my how the story changes), but then again they don't ship 'dangerous goods' (which snakes are listed under at FedEx- you have to go to an actual fedex location)- so we'd both be in some trouble. The snake is fine though, since the kid was older I don't think he shook him (or had time to). We'll just try again monday! Thanks for your patience!
-Heather"

OK so then on Monday I wrote:

"Hey Heather,

Just wanted to confirm whether or not he'll be arriving tomorrow?

Tom"

And the reply,

"No he'll arrive wednesday- i had to put one of my pets to sleep today so that threw my whole day off. Sorry. i'll get him out tomorrow for wednesday."

So that would be tuesday for wednesday. That implies one day delivery..

I waited all day wednesday for the snake, but had a second package slowed by weather or christmas rush as well (though the shipper called me) so I wasn't too worried. I tried to call her and email her, as well as sending a PM on cornsnakes, I just wanted a tracking number which was not supplied. No reply.

Today I still had not heard from her, and still had not received the shipment. My brother in law came home (had thrown out his back) and since he was home to wait, I went to work about 1:00.. I didn't want to break the terms of her live arrival guarantee, which was even more important to me considering the time in the mail..

Finally my brother in law calls me and says that a package arrives. (a little before 3 I think) I go home to take care of it, and find it's been shipped via Express mail USPS. The tag on the box is filled out presumably by the shipper (she has since replied that her mom forged her name at the post office and was supposed to send it Fed Ex)..

The excuse for Yesterday?
Food Poisoning.

Yeah, that's basically how it happened. And I really feel for the guy, especially with missing work! But let me state, I live in a town of around 7,000- so things work alittle differently here (as anyone who lives in a small town knows). So I ship the snakes from the local Zip and Ship - never had a problem before, they ship UPS, FedEx, etc. It is locally owned. I guess the owners son opened the box to see what was in it. Wanted to see a "live harmless reptile". So that screws everything up because one of the ladies that works there is afraid of snakes and won't ship it. (even though its a fedex location...whatever). So, skip to next week. I'm trying to get to the next nearest fedex location (30-45 min. away). Unfortunately that day I have to put my ferret to sleep. Cancer. I'm sorry but I'm not going to ship while I have that to do. Just can't do it. Which brings us to tuesday...whether because of just putting my pet to sleep or whatever I have the stomach flu or food poisoning or something. I've already promised everyone the snakes are going out today. So I send my mom, with the packages and instructions to mail them out, next day, at the fedex place and to use the name on my account. Somehow, when she returns home, she hands me receipts from the post office. I was more than a little suprised. But at that point there was nothing I could do. Was it huge mistake on my part? Yes, I should have just waited until after the holidays and shipped myself, but I thought I could have the snakes to their proper homes before then. Will I make the mistake of having someone (however close to me they may be) send a package again? No. I'll send them myself. As for the other part, missing days- that just couldn't be avoided, sorry. I know I said I would ship but as anyone close to a pet can attest, losing one just really screws up your day! (week, month). And the opened package thing was weird I will admit, but in this town...I've seen stranger things. Which is why I'm now doing business in the nearest town over. Its alittle less, um, "mayberryish"?
Hopefully one bad week hasn't ruined my reputation. I am sorry about your experience tom.
But anyway that's the story. Its pretty much a few minor mistakes that snowballed. I thought I was doing everything right at the time, who knew you can't trust your own mom not to listen to you?

3 times missed, and 3 great excuses. So what about giving your customers a tracking number if you aren't going to be tracking them? What about initiating a little communication if you know that it's going to take 2 days instead of 1? I have never shipped a snake before, but I can't imagine sending one out in a box and not checking up on it's status for 2 days. If you are like me, you can still check the computer with the stomach flu, maybe even answer the phone.
I've said what I meant to say about this, it's not something I plan on going back and forth on. My goal is not to ruin your business, just to give people the benefit of my experience.

Hopefully you really have learned a lesson and your business thrives..

I smell tuna.

Originally Posted by Wilomn

I smell tuna.

I was hoping it was just the minnows with which I scent my garters' pinks, but I have to agree.

As I said in the thread on cs.com, I wish you the highest level of success, Heather, but it's not going to happen this way. Your excuses are very thin, and you seems to be saying: "yeah, it's kinda my fault, but the real problems are the size of my town, the snake-fearing ladies at the FedEx office, and my mother's inability to follow directions when I pawn off my customer service functions on her."

I was especially turned off by the fact that you decided not to oblige your second shipping committment to Tom, but didn't contact him. He contacts YOU, and you state: "Unfortunately that day I have to put my ferret to sleep. Cancer. I'm sorry but I'm not going to ship while I have that to do." That statement seems to say in no uncertain terms: "My customers are my last priority." That's how I see it.

I still wish you the best of luck, Heather, but you need to make a better public statement than you've yet made to gain my trust. I'm sure I'm not alone. At this point, I wouldn't buy a $20 anery from you. When I send something out, I track the package VERY frequently myself. You seem to hand it off to whomever and hope for the best. These are LIVE animals, not dvds or cell phones.

Heather, I have a question about the labels on the boxes. How do you normally obtain your labels for your boxes? The reason I ask is that myself and almost everyone I can think of print the labels for FedEx off the computer. I would think if you gave the boxes to your mom to send with FedEx that they would already be pre-labeled?

Thomas, did she use her own packaging or a box from the post office?
Was your address written own the box? If her mom did take the packages to the post office was there any identifying marks on the box itself so mom would know which label went on which box?

Yes Dennis, there does appear to be a handwritten label (my name and address on the top of the box) under the label. So if I understand your question right, it could very well be the way she says.
Surely though, since the label filled out (maybe at the post office) says Express Mail, USPS, Date Accepted 12-11-07 and Scheduled date of delivery 12-13-07; and because it's a carbon copy which means mom probably brought home an original for Heather to look at; there is no excuse for not letting myself (not to mention others that she shipped to this way) know that it would be delayed.

The thing that she can't dodge out from is that very day we were trying frantically to reach her, and she says she was sick. IMO she saw the labels, knew it had gone wrong and did her best to avoid the confrontation- WRONG ANSWER. How can you not know that multiple phone calls have come in? My message on the answering machine said "please call me as soon as you get this message, I don't care if it's late when you hear it."

I can't prove that she dodged us in all honesty, though I could see that she had been on cornsnakes.com at about 6:30 or so PM (it tells when the last time she logged in was) so she had probably read my PM a full 16 hours or so before she responded to me. And she didn't respond till after the snake had arrived. Unfortunately I didn't ask for a read receipt on that PM though I thought I had. The system has recently changed at cs.com (it used to ask upon sending the pm if you wanted one- now you have to check the box before you click send.)

Being as it is illegal to ship reptiles through the United States Post Office, the lady behind the counter at this small town PO didn't ask questions with the box marked, "Live Harmless Reptiles"???

The thing that she can't dodge out from is that very day we were trying frantically to reach her, and she says she was sick. IMO she saw the labels, knew it had gone wrong and did her best to avoid the confrontation- WRONG ANSWER.

Absolutely!

The question about the labels is attempt to see if she is being honest about who shipped the packages. I just can't see how someone can let someone else ship their snakes for them. It really is a small part of the transaction in regards to who actually shipped them. The fact that were shipped that way and the lack of customer service is the bottom-line.

It would still be good knowledge to have the information that she is being less than truthful about who did the shipping. Most probably suspect that she is.

That wasn't written on the box. Should have been. The box does say 'Perishable, handle with care'..