John Light JL Exotics? Bad Guy Maybe!!!

Does anybody know of John Light of "JL Exotics" out of Florida. I purchased a Super Pastel off him a little over a month ago. To make a long story short, I bought the animal as a good feeder. Well after receiving the animal it seemed a little thin. No biggy I understand not everybody feeds heavy. Well weeks go by, and the animal never eats and it now losing weight. I have tried everything. I kept John in the loop the whole time with what was going on. Well toward the end of our contact he tells me the animal when he first got it he had to assist feed. Well after reading this, there is no way I would have purchased the animal knowing it had feeding issues. So I responded to him in that manner, that e-mail was the last time he replied. Well to no suprise the animal died because it never ate. I have sent several e-mails to John and tried calling his now disconnected phone number. It has been three weeks and I have had no response from John. To me this is just bad Bisn!

Does anybody know him? Is he out of commission? Am I screwed? Any info would be Helpful

Thanks, Ryan Meyer

Did you ask him the last time it fed? Did it ever feed on its own, while he owned it?

Dave

Not to detract from your feelings of the transaction, but did you attempt to assist feed the snake after he told you that? (Assuming that) We are talking about a ball python, it is not unheard of for one to go off food this time of year...or after being shipped, for that matter. Of course, a month is pretty fast for a ball python to die from not feeding alone - which suggests that it was either an ongoing issue or that there was something else going on.

From what John told me, yes it ate several times while he had it. It ate a few days before shipping. No Biggy

Yes, I understand that ball pythons especially this time of the year go off feed. I have a pretty large Ball Python Collection, 57 animals to be exact. I have 10 different morphs i'm working with. I have been dealing with reptiles most of my life. I have worked at the Chicago Reptile House for about 13 years, part time now. So I am very aware of the issues with ball pythons. Do to the animal losing so much weight I actually had to force feed it twice, the first time the animal kept it down, the second time the animal died two days after, most likely from stress of the act. The snake was extremely week the animal was only 3 months old. So I am assuming never ate to begin with.

You should have sent it back immediately. Now, it is probably 50/50 as far as who MIGHT be at fault.

My new buying rules: Buy only from someone that is "driving distance" from me

That really sucks man! How big was the Ball when you got it? What kind of rep does John have? I thought he was a pretty good guy???

Dave

Dave, after the animal didn't eat and he mentioned the problem with it. I sent him an e-mail saying I didn't purchase an animal with a feeding problem. I asked if he had something to replace it with also. He never responded after that.

The animal was maybe 150 gram wet when I got it. I thought he was an alright guy until this. Thats bad bisn to me. I would sell an animal like that.

Driving distance....... Florida is a SHORT CHEAP flight from Chicago

This really surprises me. I bought an animal from John last year (a wc adult blood no less) and he was an absolute pleasure to deal with. The snake was a little bit better than he described, he kept in excellent contact, and even followed up about a week later just to make sure everything was OK. In fact I gave him a good guy post on this very forum shortly after I got her. I'd be willing to bet that he will make this right. Did you email him a link to this thread?

Originally Posted by dutchallison00

This really surprises me. I bought an animal from John last year (a wc adult blood no less) and he was an absolute pleasure to deal with. The snake was a little bit better than he described, he kept in excellent contact, and even followed up about a week later just to make sure everything was OK. In fact I gave him a good guy post on this very forum shortly after I got her. I'd be willing to bet that he will make this right. Did you email him a link to this thread?

With due respect James, it is how one handles one "bad" transaction that is more telling than how one handles the last 100 "good" ones. The fact that he is no longer replying to emails, has changed his phone number, and negelcted to tell the buyer the entire feeding history, if all is true, looks bad for him.

I too was suprised, he seemed like a decent guy. I have e-mailed him several times and he has not responded. So to me I can see a couple days, hell even a week, but 3 weeks. It easy to make things right when your dealing with couple hundred dollars but $1,700 must be hard for him.

I don't even want my money back I just want the animal I was promised, a feeding Super Pastel Male. I really don't think that is unreasonable.

A Ball Python typically hatches out at around 60 - 65 grams, if the ball you recieved was 150 grams it must have been eating for awhile before you recieved it!

Originally Posted by windycitymorphs

Dave, after the animal didn't eat and he mentioned the problem with it. I sent him an e-mail saying I didn't purchase an animal with a feeding problem. I asked if he had something to replace it with also. He never responded after that.

The animal was maybe 150 gram wet when I got it. I thought he was an alright guy until this. Thats bad bisn to me. I would sell an animal like that.

Driving distance....... Florida is a SHORT CHEAP flight from Chicago