Silas of Appalachian Exotics in WV?

RyanT · Jul 4, 2007

Can't find any info about him. Anyone have an experience to share?

m00kfu · Jul 12, 2007

Actually, I believe he's in Kentucky going from the area code of his phone number... I'm currently in the process of purchasing that cinnamon female from him... I'll let you know how it goes.

jasballs · Jul 12, 2007

m00kfu said:
Actually, I believe he's in Kentucky going from the area code of his phone number... I'm currently in the process of purchasing that cinnamon female from him... I'll let you know how it goes.

What? My buddy just bought that cinny from him! He sent a 1100 gram normal male to him. He said they shipped out the wrong snake. WTF?

m00kfu · Jul 13, 2007

Hmm... starting to sound pretty fishy to me... he was supposed to ship it out to me this past Wednesday, and when I emailed him to check if he did and told me there was a death in the family and he was in Ohio until Monday and wouldn't be able to ship until then... Did you buddy pay through paypal? I hope he did so if this does turn out to be a scam he can get his money back...

chaos31 · Jul 14, 2007

Definitely a scam artist, as a matter of fact I think that the whole family is in on it so.... beware of any purchases from from him (Silas or Celia Crawford - Appalachian Exotics) All in all I spoke to him, his wife and his mom. He and his family ship from Ohio not Kentucky or West VA. If you want further info on this major scam artist who will ship you a $15.00 snake for $950.00... email me @ [email protected] I will be happy to get him for what he did to my 12 year old son, who is devastated!!!!!! But good news everyone my fiance's father works for the Bureau of Investigations and was real interested in this so look out whoever you are its called FRAUD.

m00kfu · Jul 15, 2007

Here's another ad from him that sounds like another scam also... found it on http://www.digitalexpo.biz/default.cgi/action/viewtradeleads/tradeleadid/116235/subject/Reptiles/

Trade Lead Description:

I am looking for people who have the money to invest in a growing buisness.I have 15 yrs in the trade of reptiles, and am looking for people who don't have time to breed or take care of the animals themselves and still want to have the extra income.I am a breeder of just about all reptiles and have the knowledge, and facility to do so. So if you're interested let me know.
Thanks,
Appalachian Exotics.
Posted from US - Ohio on 22 February, 2007

RyanT · Jul 15, 2007

Wow. I knew it. That just wasn't right. First he was selling an adult 1600 gram female Cinny for $650 shipped. We went back and forth for a couple days. He sent me 3 pics that were all different sizes, and 2 of them were definitely not the same snake. When I asked him what was up, he disappeared. Then I see him posting a 2500 gram female with real nice pics that even have his "company" imprinted on them. Like they say, when it's too good to be true.... I wish I could have posted something about him before anyone got ripped off, but I had absolutely no proof from my experience with him. Just a bad feeling. Hopefully he can be tracked down. He seemed like a douchebag to me. Apparently, he is.

jasballs · Jul 15, 2007

RyanT said:
Wow. I knew it. That just wasn't right. First he was selling an adult 1600 gram female Cinny for $650 shipped. We went back and forth for a couple days. He sent me 3 pics that were all different sizes, and 2 of them were definitely not the same snake. When I asked him what was up, he disappeared. Then I see him posting a 2500 gram female with real nice pics that even have his "company" imprinted on them. Like they say, when it's too good to be true.... I wish I could have posted something about him before anyone got ripped off, but I had absolutely no proof from my experience with him. Just a bad feeling. Hopefully he can be tracked down. He seemed like a douchebag to me. Apparently, he is.

Ryan, I'm glad you started this thread. Just to bad I didnt see it before Chaos sent the $$.

m00kfu · Jul 15, 2007

jasballs said:
Ryan, I'm glad you started this thread. Just to bad I didnt see it before Chaos sent the $$.

Thanks from me also, I already escalated my paypal payment to claim so hopefully it will get cleared up quickly. Who knows how long I would have had to deal with this if I was waiting on Silas to come through.

RyanT · Jul 15, 2007

Yeah, but I guess at least 2 people got taken. That sucks. I didn't really do anything though. I could have written about my encounter with him then, but it would have been pretty unfair not knowing whether or not he really was out to rip people off. That doesn't seem right before you have any solid evidence against anyone. Hopefully those guys used PayPal and there's at least some recourse for getting their money back. I was just hoping someone else either got the feeling he was shady too, or could surprise me, and clear up my apprehensions. That didn't happen. I guess now we know. At least this is here now. Should slow him down, at least somewhat.

RyanT · Jul 15, 2007

I just went back to look at the ad for the $900, 2500 gram female Cinny. It's gone. After it was marked sold, I made a comment about hoping the buyer is getting the snake in the pic, because of the pics he sent me not being consistent. Guess he then removed the ad completely instead of just marking it sold. Covering his tracks.

m00kfu · Jul 23, 2007

Yeah I noticed it disappeared right after I opened a claim against him through paypal. I did however get a screen grab of it before he removed it, so if anyone needs a copy for whatever reason let me know, and I'll email it to you.

chaos31 · Jul 23, 2007

please send me a copy

Eric Musser

m00kfu · Jul 24, 2007

I'll go ahead and just post them here I guess since I don't have your email.

And here are the two images from the ad.

richardduckworth · Aug 2, 2007

silas crawford has been around for a while now. he first started out selling/trading venomous (mostly timbers, coppers and cottons). he used to be a pastor/preacher at a serpent-handling church in GA i believe, not 100% sure on the state but he'd visit with the one on sand mountain in the northeast corner of alabama. i got a timber from him that i had for 7 years, great snake, but i dealt with him in person. we met in an uncrowded parking lot and he had a couple of timbers (one gravid) and i had a couple of cotton and coppers. he refused to use a hook and simply reached into the bags i'd brought and pulled the coppers out. i warned him against that with the cottons since i knew they were very irritable specimens, but he did it his way, was tagged on the thumb and ran inside mcdonalds to wash his hand while i gathered up the now totally free roaming venomous snakes from the parking lot, going in all directions. it was a near disaster and very embarassing. there was also a film crew there recording the whole thing for the sundance channel and i even had to sign a waiver but was allowed to give my honest opinion of him lol. he's a character that has had issues of some kind with various people all over the eastern seaboard. he's taken extended periods of time to pay people before and it wouldn't surprise me if he did one of his disappearing acts. he's disappeared and turned up on other states more than once. he advertises on venomousreptiles.org a lot (mostly milksnakes and other colubrids). he is not nearly as capable or competent when it comes to reptiles as he'd have you believe.

RyanT · Aug 3, 2007

That's an interesting story. And hilarious in an awkward sort of way. What came of the cotton bite? Obviously he was Saved in the long run. Maybe a miraculous event we would have been better off without.

richardduckworth · Aug 3, 2007

RyanT said:
That's an interesting story. And hilarious in an awkward sort of way. What came of the cotton bite? Obviously he was Saved in the long run. Maybe a miraculous event we would have been better off without.

most cottonmouth bites are painful and ugly, but not deadly or even crippling. they were headed to the hospital afterwards though. he's not a serpent handler anymore though, and i've noticed that in pics he's posted of his snakes, there are snake handling tools in the background lol.

RyanT · Aug 3, 2007

richardduckworth said:
he's not a serpent handler anymore though, and i've noticed that in pics he's posted of his snakes, there are snake handling tools in the background lol.

Haha. I guess at least the snakes taught him a little bit about reality. Apparently not enough to be straight up with people yet, though.

m00kfu · Aug 3, 2007

http://www.ic3.gov/
If you were scammed by Silas or Celia, PLEASE file a compliaint with the FBI!!!
Chris

chaos31 · Aug 13, 2007

Ya Hoooooooooooooooo i got my money back and i hope who ever else got scammed by him gets there money too.. he's a total scum bag and will be in jail soon and his family

(mookfu pm me and i will give u him home number)
Eric Musser

Silas of Appalachian Exotics in WV?

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