Bad Guy a4strick, Sydney Michelle Strickling, terrible chameleon transaction

[alee]

I purchased a pair of panther chameleons from a4strick 5/13 and received them 5/19. The chameleons are supposed to be Oorena Mena's (Nosy Faly's). The entire for sale post was deleted right after I paid for them, but thanks for a great forum member and a very helpful administrator, here is a copy of the post-
oorana mena breeding pair
email for pictures [email protected]
moving soon and need to find new homes for them by June 1st
asking 800 obo send me offers i need this pair gone
dont want to seperate just need them both gone

The chameleons were supposed to be captive breed. I was told the male is 6 months, and the female is 9 months. When I asked her where she purchased them from, she answered she thought she got the female from Screameleons, and the male was from another seller, but she could not recall who. She stated she had all the paper work, but they are all packed in boxes since she is getting ready for a move. She sent me too pictures of the 2 chameleons-

Male-

Although he looks thin in the picture, he shows no sign of MBD, and looks healthy. I thought fattening him up would not be too hard.

Female, showing her left side-

The female looked perfectly healthy to me in the picture.

When I received the pair, I was very surprised at the way they were packaged and very upset at the poor condition they were in. Neither the box nor the styrofoam liner had any punch holes, AND there was a heat pack inside! The temperature in NY here and where the seller lives is around 70 during the day, and 50's at night. I thought the heat pack was completely unnecessary, and the fact that there were no punch holes in the box nor the styrofoam liner made it even worse. Needless to say I was very glad they arrived as scheduled. When I took them out of the bag, I could not believe how very skinny they were, the female also had burn marks (maybe bruises) on her left side. Both chameleons look like they were freshly wild caught, instead of CB.

Here are some pictures of the female and the male that I took this morning and last Thursday-

I was very upset. I contacted the seller and let her know of my disappointmenet, and after a few exchange of emails, she told me these 2 chameleons were actually "confiscated" from a "no longer" friend. She stated her friend was not taking care of them, and that they were in very bad condition when she took them in, much worse than how they are now. She said she did not know if the female would make it. She was laying on her side over a vine. They were in her care for one month, and in her friend's care for 3 months. I was completely disgusted with her dishonesty and with her withholding important health information about these chameleons from me. At first, she apologized for not being "specific" with their information. After a few more email exchanges, she blamed it all on me for not asking her more questions, and that since she sent the 2 pictures to me, she has done what was needed. I called Screameleons yesterday, and the owner stated to me that they had not had any Nosy Faly's for sale for a very long time, although a new batch has just become available. When I asked him specifically if they had any for sale 4-5 months ago, he answered no. Until the seller can produce the papers for these two chameleons, I highly doubt they are Nosy Faly's. I have so far filed a claim for a partial refund of $300, and have asked her to extend the 5-day health guarantee we originally agreed on, given the poor condition of the animals. She denied both. She stated she will refund the money only if they died or get sick within 5 days.

Here's our all our email exchanges, starting from the most recent, there is more in the next post-



From Sydney Meyers/Strickling, May 20, 6:13pm EST

ok

--- On Fri, 5/20/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: oorana mena
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Date: Friday, May 20, 2011, 5:35 PM

I will see you on BOI on Fauna.


On May 20, 2011, at 5:34 PM, sydney meyers wrote:

if the female dies or gets sick in the first 5 days i will give you a refund but i gave you current picture and i didnt lie to you at any point i may have not told you the whole story only because i didnt think it was important, but that still doesnt negate the fact that you got beautiful chameleons. yes they are skinny but with food and proper care that isnt an issue.


--- On Fri, 5/20/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: oorana mena
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Date: Friday, May 20, 2011, 5:14 PM

Thank you for the info. Yes, I would really like the paper work for them.

I gave it a lot of thought today. What happened was not right. You need to make this right, you need to make it fair to me. Important information was withheld and lies were told to complete the sale. I paid $800 for 2 healthy chameleons, but instead, I got 2 rescued, extremely thin ones. Also, a 5-day health guarantee is certainly not enough, especially for the female. Just a month ago, you did not even know if she was going to make it.




On May 19, 2011, at 6:57 PM, sydney meyers wrote:

i had them for a month to try to see if the female would even live when i took her form him she was laying on her side in the cage hanging over a vine. as far as my friend(who is no longer my friend) he told me he had them for 3 months. They were eating crickets at house about 10 for the male and 5 to 6 for the female a night. He gave me the paper work which unfortunately i have packed like i said as i am getting ready to move as soon as i unpack /find that box i am planning on mailing them to you as you now own them i believe you are entitled to their paper work. He also housed them together not in seperate cages like they were supposed to be. so i beleive that is why they are so skinny.

--- On Thu, 5/19/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: oorana mena
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, May 19, 2011, 6:52 PM

I have attached a picture. The mark is actually almost 2cm in length.

I would really appreciate it if you can tell me everything about them. How long they were at your friend's care, how long they were with you, and other problems you have noticed. Can you also call your friend to see where they were purchased from. It is very important to me, given the circumstances. It should not be a problem to fatten them up as long as they will eat, I have a ridiculous amount of various feeders available at home at all times. As for the burn marks, I will put some burn cream on her, she should be fine.



<P1010907.jpg>



On May 19, 2011, at 6:20 PM, sydney meyers wrote:

o ok yes the marks that are on her side and on her legs are the marks i was talking about i guess i didnt know they were burn marks i thought they were part of her pattern. They had been there since i got her now as far as what your talking about on her belly can i see a picture of that when you get a chance that one i dont remember and that may very well be new. I used a heat pack because it only got into the lower to upper 50's here yesterday hense being way to cold to send them with nothing.


--- On Thu, 5/19/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: oorana mena
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, May 19, 2011, 6:07 PM

I am accusing you? In your previous emails at 1:19pm today, you stated she came with those marks! Here is a picture of her burn marks on her left abdomen and her left knee on hind leg. There is also another at the bottom of her stomach where she is touching my hand, about 1cm in length. All I ask for is for people to be honest and straight forward, it is exactly how I treat others. I would not be so upset if you were honest with me in the first place.

<P1010901_3.jpg>





On May 19, 2011, at 5:36 PM, sydney meyers wrote:

ok now your just accusing me of anything you want if i thought they were that sick i would not have sent them out, i knew they were thin. As for the "burn marks" I guess i really don't know what you are talking about if you could take pictures of what your talking about we can see if we are talking about the same thing.

--- On Thu, 5/19/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: oorana mena
To: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, May 19, 2011, 5:16 PM

You weren't "being specific" on where you got them from? I asked you where they are from, instead of telling me the truth, you made up some B.S. Screameleons? You were lying! From the pictures you sent me, yes, I could tell the male was very thin but showed no signs of metabolic bone disease. However, would anyone be able to tell they were confiscated from someone who were not taking care of them and they are much smaller than they should be? The picture of the female shows her to be very healthy. It does NOT show her completely sunken fat pads, and the large burn marks on her left side. One of the burn marks look very fresh. You stated the marks were there when you got her, how long have you had them? So you took in two "confiscated" chameleons, and sold them to me for $800. Who got the shit deal? Are they even Oorana Mena's?



<Screen shot 2011-05-19 at 4.50.12 PM.jpg>





<Screen shot 2011-05-19 at 4.50.29 PM.jpg>
On May 19, 2011, at 3:12 PM, [email protected] wrote:

I am sorry I wasn't more specific on exactly were I got the chameleons and on how they looked I figured a picture speaks a thousand words regardless I believe they will have great care with you and be taken care of the way they should be i will be more specific if I have future transactions

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4GLTE smartphone

----- Reply message -----
From: "Amy Lee-Ludovicy" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: oorana mena
Date: Thu, May 19, 2011 1:42 pm


Sure the cardbox was not taped completely, but the styrofoam walls were inside too, and they also had no punch holes. In your earlier email (5/13), you stated you purchased the female from Screameleons, and that you could not find the paperwork for the male. Now you are telling me they were confiscated from a friend, and they were in very poor condition? I am not sure why you did not tell me about their condition. Why didn't you tell me about her burn marks? The one on her stomach is huge!



On May 19, 2011, at 1:19 PM, [email protected] wrote:

She came to me with those marks and I never punch holes in the boxes that's why I don't completely tap the sides shut and they were confiscated from a friend of mine due to them not being cared for you should have seen them when I got them also I'm not suprise they were thirsty they have been in a box since yesterday morning

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4GLTE smartphone

----- Reply message -----
From: "Amy Lee-Ludovicy" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: oorana mena
Date: Thu, May 19, 2011 12:55 pm


I teach. I cannot call nor email while I am giving instructions to my students. I have a break now, and that is why I can write you now. When I got them, I only had about 15 minutes to take them out of the box and get them settled (and eat my lunch) before I had to teach my next class. The chameleons were very dehydrated, I had to spend several minutes giving them a drink.

I am very surprised to see how they were packaged. There're no air holes, and with a heat pack. The inside of the box was hot. Needless to say I am very glad they arrived on time. The female has a few burn marks on her stomach and on her legs (black marks), they are not certainly from sheds. Both chameleons are very skinny and very small for their age, their fat pads are completely sunken in. I have never seen chameleons in such condition except for freshly wild caught ones.





On May 19, 2011, at 12:29 PM, [email protected] wrote:

I see they got there at 1035 and haven't heard anything from you and its been two hours and your suprise to contact me within an hour of arrival

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4GLTE smartphone

----- Reply message -----
From: "Amy Lee-Ludovicy" <[email protected]>
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Subject: oorana mena
Date: Wed, May 18, 2011 4:23 pm


I called UPS again. I am getting the same answer, but the rep asked for you to call them to verify the information. I am assuming they were dropped off at UPS at the time stated on the receipt? I am not sure why the tracking number is not in their computer system. I just hope the package is not lost.

Thanks,
Amy




On May 18, 2011, at 4:04 PM, sydney meyers wrote:


i mailed them here is a picture of the receit
--- On Wed, 5/18/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: oorana mena
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Date: Wednesday, May 18, 2011, 3:50 PM

Just called UPS and spoke to a rep. They have no record of this number.





On May 18, 2011, at 2:41 PM, sydney meyers wrote:

1ZXY95520140652449

--- On Wed, 5/18/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: oorana mena
To: [email protected]
Date: Wednesday, May 18, 2011, 1:24 PM

Hi again,

Can you double check on the tracking number? It is not showing up at the UPS site.

Thanks.

Amy


On May 18, 2011, at 12:38 PM, [email protected] wrote:

Tracking number is 1ZXY95520140652449

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4GLTE smartphone

----- Reply message -----
From: "Amy Lee-Ludovicy" <[email protected]>
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Subject: oorana mena
Date: Tue, May 17, 2011 12:55 pm


Can't wait to see them! : ) I will take good care of them. I would love the tracking number when you have it. I get very nervous too when having reptiles sent. Does the female just have some shed stuck to her?

Thanks,
Amy





On May 17, 2011, at 11:47 AM, sydney meyers wrote:

tomorrow is the big day im excited to be sending them to a new home and nervous all at the same time. I hate shipping i spend all night worrying about the packages. But its worth it when i get great feed back.

--- On Sun, 5/15/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: oorana mena
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Date: Sunday, May 15, 2011, 8:34 AM

Thank you for the offer, I really appreciate it. However, we just got a bunch of feeders in last week, and will not be needing more for another month.

What kind of feeders do the pair like to eat besides crickets? We always have crickets, various types of roaches, hornworms, silkworms, superworms, and butterworms. Do they prefer to hunt, cup feed, or hand feed? As for water, I run a mister and drippers for my chams.

The weather forecast changed a bit, it looks like we will be getting a lot of thunderstorms and rain next Tuesday and Wednesday. I am nervous about delays in shipping. Can we plan on a Thursday delivery? If the forecast changes, I will let you know right away. I had a cham that was stuck in a shipping facility for 2 days, because of flight delays (due to a big rainstorm) 2 months ago. Luckily, he made it okay.

Thanks,
Amy



On May 14, 2011, at 8:27 PM, sydney meyers wrote:

are you interested in the 1000 crickets that finally arrived today for an extra 15 dollars

--- On Fri, 5/13/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: oorana mena
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Date: Friday, May 13, 2011, 11:49 AM

Sorry, I had to get my students set up for a test. My cell is XXX-XXX-XXXX.



On May 13, 2011, at 11:47 AM, sydney meyers wrote:

i sitll need your phone number to give to the shippers

--- On Fri, 5/13/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: oorana mena
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Date: Friday, May 13, 2011, 11:37 AM

That is my home address. I will need them to be sent to my work place. Here's my work address-

Amy Lee-Ludovicy
Deleted address



On May 13, 2011, at 11:35 AM, sydney meyers wrote:

is deleted address
your correct address and i need your phone number and full name

--- On Fri, 5/13/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: oorana mena
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Date: Friday, May 13, 2011, 11:19 AM

Wonderful. What is your Paypal address? I will need them to be sent to my work place, any day next week is fine. I will check the forecast.

Thanks.


On May 13, 2011, at 11:15 AM, sydney meyers wrote:

yes i guarentee live arrival as long as you are there to get them on the first attempt and its below 90 degrees and i also give you a 5 day health guarentee

--- On Fri, 5/13/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: oorana mena
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Date: Friday, May 13, 2011, 11:14 AM

I would love them if you can guarantee live arrival and health for a few days after arrival. I am experienced with keeping chameleons, and currently own 14 panthers and 2 veileds. Please let me know.




On May 13, 2011, at 11:10 AM, sydney meyers wrote:

its 800 shipped and yes if i can find it i will send a copy

--- On Fri, 5/13/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: oorana mena
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Date: Friday, May 13, 2011, 11:04 AM

What is the shipping cost to 10990? Is it possible for you to dig out the paperwork once you are settled in your new place?


On May 13, 2011, at 8:31 AM, sydney meyers wrote:

no i didnt i think i purchased the female from scremealons and im having problems finding paperwork on the male i am moving next week so all my stuff is in boxes

--- On Fri, 5/13/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: oorana mena
To: [email protected]
Date: Friday, May 13, 2011, 7:10 AM

Did you purchase them from Max Huerter from Florida? I just need to make sure they are unrelated to mine.

Thanks,
Amy





On May 12, 2011, at 9:00 PM, [email protected] wrote:

I know they are from wild caught parents and unrelated but that's all the info I have on lineage

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4GLTE smartphone

----- Reply message -----
From: "Amy Lee-Ludovicy" <[email protected]>
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Subject: oorana mena
Date: Thu, May 12, 2011 8:55 pm


Sounds good. Can you tell me what lines they are from? I have a pair, both are sired by ones owned by the Chameleon Company. Also, do they mind being handled? Have they had any health problems? They do look very healthy in the pictures.



On May 12, 2011, at 8:23 PM, sydney meyers wrote:

800 which is way under what they are worth

--- On Thu, 5/12/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: oorana mena
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, May 12, 2011, 8:15 PM

What is your asking price?


On May 12, 2011, at 7:40 PM, sydney meyers wrote:

the male is 6 moths old the female is 9 months old and they are captive bred

--- On Thu, 5/12/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: oorana mena
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, May 12, 2011, 7:30 PM

Thanks Sydney. Can you tell me more about them in terms of age, CB or WC, etc?

Amy





On May 12, 2011, at 5:36 PM, sydney meyers wrote:

here are a picture of zeus and herra

--- On Thu, 5/12/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: oorana mena
To: [email protected]
Date: Thursday, May 12, 2011, 5:27 PM

Hi,

I would love to see pictures of the Oorana Mena breeding pair you have listed for sale on Fauna Classifieds.

Thank you.

Amy

 

[alee]

Here's more of our email exchange, again, starting from the most recent-


From Sydney Strickling, May 20, 9:48pm:

I have no idea were he got them I am just telling you when the first time I saw them was and I told you their ages all I can go on is what I was told and what little paperwork I have for them

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4GLTE smartphone

----- Reply message -----
From: "Amy Lee-Ludovicy" <[email protected]>
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Subject: oorana mena
Date: Fri, May 20, 2011 9:34 pm


Let's see, one month in your care + 3 months in your friend's care = 4 months, right? You mean your friend did not get her from Screameleons 4 months ago? Did he get her from another friend who got her from Screameleons at an earlier time?

"
i didnt post anything on the boi you said you were, lieing again?"


Huh????

Don't worry, you will see me on BOI, keep checking..... Have a great night.







Have some patience, I promise, you will see me at BOI soon, keep checking.


On May 20, 2011, at 8:55 PM, sydney meyers wrote:

i didnt post anything on the boi you said you were, lieing again? and the two chameleons i sent you are older than 4 months old!

--- On Fri, 5/20/11, Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Amy Lee-Ludovicy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: oorana mena
To: [email protected]
Date: Friday, May 20, 2011, 8:35 PM

Lol, sure, send a pic of her right side, when it is her left side that has the burn marks. Just because Screameleons has some Faly's for sale now, it means that they had some for sale 4 months ago? Please, do yourself a favor, call them like I did.

Not only are you a liar, you are a fraud. Yes, please do post ALL our email exchange on BOI. See you there.




On May 20, 2011, at 8:22 PM, [email protected] wrote:

Ok well as I stated I'm several emails everything I have is in a box and I am done talking to you take it to were ever you want I am done being called a liar I just proved that you lied you said they didn't have any for sale and haven't for a long time well since they currently have some that means you lied but I'm done talking to you your chameleons arrived alive regardless of the small issues the female has and you even stated in an email how healthy they looked if you want to take this to the boi then that is your right but its your own fault for not asking more questions and asking for more pictures on Tuesday are contact will be over with and we will part ways

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4GLTE smartphone

----- Reply message -----
From: "Amy Lee-Ludovicy" <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: oorana mena
Date: Fri, May 20, 2011 7:55 pm


You know, you should send Screameleons your receipt to prove YOU "purchased" it from them. He can look it up on their computer. He sends all invoices electronically, everything is in their system. Really, he told me. How about digging out the paper work? Maybe he remembered wrong, that he did have Faly's for sale.




On May 20, 2011, at 7:45 PM, [email protected] wrote:

And I don't know who you talked to but they have some for sale on their site currently

Sent from my Verizon Wireless 4GLTE smartphone

----- Reply message -----
From: "Amy Lee-Ludovicy" <[email protected]>
To: "sydney meyers" <[email protected]>
Subject: oorana mena
Date: Fri, May 20, 2011 7:18 pm


Just contacted Screameleons. They have not had any Oorena Mena's for sale for a long time. You did not lie? Read what your wrote in your own emails.

 

[bobtard]

Why the hell would you sell a rescue animal, much less within a month of being rescued?

 

[Candachan]

Not only that, but "confiscated" animals? Did she steal these from her "friend"?

 

[Onetruesikorsky]

What a mess! I really hope this gets resolved. =( She sounds like a backpedaling liar to me, and it's always awful when backpedaling liars take advantage of a living, breathing animal for their own benefit.

 

[Matt2979]

Wow...I don't even know what to say...at least not without getting banned!

So she rescued dying animals, and then sold them after 1 month of nursing them back to health. The month wasn't even for quarantine, but for nursing back to health...which obviously wasn't enough time!! That's just lower than low.

 

[maggie22195]

Wow, I think this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever read!I fell awful for you, the OP!!! I couldn't imagine selling a sick animal to somebody! This person sounds like somebody we do NOT need in the reptile community. I am sorry this has happened to you and I hope that you guys can resolve this. This chick was tooting her own horn by saying that for only $800 shipped that it is a steal or whatever. And then being caught in LIE after LIE and just ridiculous also! She has really made a mess for herself. Lets see her try to clean this one up! Thank you for the post! I HOPE EVERYTHING WORKS OUT FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[lavy&purple retics]

this is really sad to see a good person and ost of all the chameleons go threw liers and pain like this...i really would like to hear what this lady has to say and like maggie22195
said the lady charges 800 like its a steal price or somethin smh...people these days do anything for a quick buck...

 

[alee]

I just emailed a4strick a link of this post.

 

[Morelia4life]

Wow.. some people are just disgusting beyond belief. I can't believe someone would sell Chams that were "rescued" only a month ago. I hope you get all your money back. I am sorry this happened to you. Just shows that some people don't care about the animals, all they care about is that $$$$.

 

[maggie22195]

Well I just thought about this again, she claimed she bought them, then said her friend bought them from scrameleons or something like that and then she said that the male is of unknown origin. When you think about it, she really didn't spend a dime on these chams! So like what Kyshawn and Justin said she is really only in it for a quick buck! Because if she did care about them and wanted to improve their health she would have kept them longer and put more effort into fattening them up and making sure they were healthy enough to be shipped and for gods sake make sure they are hydrated before shipping. If I were her they probably would have been in my care for a lot longer than one month! Especvially since the female was dying when she got her. Just my 2 cents...

 

[Vegas Chad]

Wow, Sydney has the gumption to call you a liar when she is the one who clearly has scammed you. If I were you I would dispute the entire charge. Its people like her that make me thankful the BOI is still around so her lies can be brought to light and hopefully so she won’t steal from anybody again.

Hopefully you can get some resolution from this OP.

 

[Homegrown Scales]

This whole thing is disgusting. I'm so sorry. You deserve everything back IMHO. She lied prior to the exchange, and sold you animals that never should have been sold in the first place. I'm so sorry. That's the scummiest thing a seller could do.
Morgan Weiss

 

[heebie.jeebies]

I agree with Chad. Dispute the entire charge and claim the items received were not accurate or as advertised. Get your money back AND keep them; they are in no condition to be shipped back to this person so that she can scam someone else.

I also am in shock and awe as to how she claimed she gave you enough info for the transaction. Whatever happened to fair and honest dealing? What a shame. :[

 

[LauraB]

Just a little recap of the outright lies and scam of Syndey Michelle Strickling (or is it Sydney Meyers?)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
May 12 .. I know they are from wild caught parents and unrelated but that's all the info I have on lineage

May 13 .. i think i purchased the female from scremealons and im having problems finding paperwork on the male i am moving next week so all my stuff is in boxes

May 19 (after delivery) .. She came to me with those marks ... they were confiscated from a friend of mine due to them not being cared for you should have seen them when I got them

May 19 .. I am sorry I wasn't more specific on exactly were I got the chameleons and on how they looked

May 20 .. if the female dies or gets sick in the first 5 days i will give you a refund but i gave you current picture and i didnt lie to you at any point i may have not told you the whole story only because i didnt think it was important, but that still doesnt negate the fact that you got beautiful chameleons.

May 20 .. but its your own fault for not asking more questions and asking for more pictures

May 20 .. I have no idea were he got them I am just telling you when the first time I saw them was and I told you their ages all I can go on is what I was told and what little paperwork I have for them
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There is no way the photos sent to the buyer were current .. especially of the female. The buyer's photos show no fat reserves at all on her tail and hind leg and her spine is way more prominent in the post-delivery photos. You can clearly see the difference in body fat from the seller's photos to the buyer's photos!

The fact that she so blatantly lied & backpeddled, had the unmitigated gall to charge $800.00 for those chameleons (and even said they were worth more), tried to shift fault to the buyer for "not asking more questions" is dishonest, unprofessional and unethical enough.

And despite their poor health and knowing the very fragile nature of chameleons overall, she still chose to "dump" them for top dollar and lie about them every step of the transaction. That tells me she only cares about the money, not the animal, not the customer and not even her own reputation.

PS ... Re: "If the female dies or is sick" ... SHE IS ALREADY SICK! You owe the buyer a hefty refund! The buyer did NOT get "beautiful chameleons", she got chameleons she has to nurse and hope they survive! Refund her!

 

[TripleMoonsExotic]

When I received the pair, I was very surprised at the way they were packaged and very upset at the poor condition they were in. Neither the box nor the styrofoam liner had any punch holes, AND there was a heat pack inside! The temperature in NY here and where the seller lives is around 70 during the day, and 50's at night. I thought the heat pack was completely unnecessary, and the fact that there were no punch holes in the box nor the styrofoam liner made it even worse.

Thinking that holes punched through the box and styrofoam is needed is a common shipping misconception. The boxes are not air tight and do breath. Punching holes effectively compromises the integrity of the box and does not assist in anything. Most shippers do not damage the shipping boxes.



This situation in itself is rather disgusting. Who is there right mind would try to pawn these Chameleons off as healthy and for that price?

I'm afraid PayPal will not help you as they only check to see if you received something from the shipper and do not get involved on matters of what specifically was received. If she does not plain on refunding you (did you notify her of this thread?), file a charge back on your credit card (assuming you used one to make the purchase).

 

[alee]

Thank you everyone for your comments and support. It's a long road to get the 2 chams healthy, but I will give it a try. The female sleeps during the day sometimes, not a good sign. The male seems to be ok so far.

Thinking that holes punched through the box and styrofoam is needed is a common shipping misconception. The boxes are not air tight and do breath. Punching holes effectively compromises the integrity of the box and does not assist in anything. Most shippers do not damage the shipping boxes.



This situation in itself is rather disgusting. Who is there right mind would try to pawn these Chameleons off as healthy and for that price?

I'm afraid PayPal will not help you as they only check to see if you received something from the shipper and do not get involved on matters of what specifically was received. If she does not plain on refunding you (did you notify her of this thread?), file a charge back on your credit card (assuming you used one to make the purchase).

I've always received chameleons shipped in boxes with punched holes. I would assume the boxes with styrofoam liners breathe very little. When I opened the box, the inside was very, very warm. It is actually in ship-your-reptile's directions to punch holes in the boxes.

Yes, I have emailed her a link to this thread. I have seen her in the viewer list for this thread a couple of times. I wonder why she is not posting.

 

[LauraB]

I wonder why she is not posting.

Likely because there is not a lot she can say in her defense.

As for the boxes, and as a fellow cham keeper, I've never received chams in boxes with punched holes (from as far away as CA). That said, I've also never received chams with heat packs (nor during winter months).

 

[Eltortu]

Hey Alee, what a hassle you are having. Like Chad said I would dispute the full cost because of the sellers misrepresentation of the animals. I sure dislike dishonest people like this Sydney character. I think with lots of care your male will do fine. The one thing that you should pay extra attention, is the females burned spot. If it becomes infected with a skin fungus trips to the vet for cultures and medicine will add up and the quality of life for your female will be compromised. I wish you the best.

 

[bigsam586]

I had a good experience with Sydney Strickling....

I got 2 PI Chahoua from Sydney Strickling that she got in a trade.Both are healthy , were packed well and doing great .She was also pleasure to deal with and answered all my questions and gave a great price for some awsome little chewies.Im shocked to see your bad experience.