• Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
    =====================


    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Bad Guy problems with TOM CRUTCHFIELD

Arslan

New member
Joined
Jan 24, 2013
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Russia, Saint-Petersburg
TOM CRUTCHFIELD is a thief!

There’s a man, his name is Tom Crutchfield. Great herpetologist! Which is true because he’s achieved a lot. At present he keeps trading snakes, although he can’t work with them himself. He’s just unable to make it much further than his computer because of his health, so his partner Patty does all the paperwork. In December 2012 I ordered reptiles from USA to Russia, the order consisted mostly of very usual stuff and lots of epicrates. After lengthy negotiations I came to Florida myself to give him upfront money, 3000$ to be precise, and explain him all the bureaucratic demands of importing snakes to Russia. It went well, I had no reason to disbelieve him. I gave him a contract where the part of the total amount of money, 3240$, was stipulated, so in compliance with this contract he must send me the reptiles in the course of month after I paid him. I needed the contract to get a permission to import those snakes to my country. There was a list of reptiles: c.chrysogaster, c.fordi, trachemys albino, ball pythons and others, every reptile costed about 30$. We didn’t put real prices on the list because if there was some sort of unplanned delay Tom would have to pay a big fine, so I just didn’t want to bother my supplier. But the contract was important for the customs and I needed it. We arranged that he’d send me all before summer comes. Tom said he’d do everything without trouble and he’d be able to deliver me more reptiles later this year. Then I transferred him all the money according to the contract and made several remittances more, 13000$ altogether for the animals and 1000$ for the frights. All spring I was reminding him of myself, I was asking him to keep me informed but he always forgot to answer. All his replies to my long e-mails were short and he kept saying that he had put all my reptiles together and was dealing with paperwork. In summer – yes, in summer! – I asked him about what was taking so long with my order and his answer was very simple – he didn’t make the order and didn’t have all the snakes! What a discrepancy with what he said before, hah! Then our conflict started and I tried to explain him that his lies were really bad thing. In every e-mail I was asking the following: When will I get my snakes? When will you start dealing with the paperwork? Now his answers were long and romantic, Tom told me about his great experience and about himself, being all this big and omnipotent, about how many orders he’d sent successfully… I asked Tom to call Bob Clark, I’ve been working with Bob for several years from now and he’s very experienced in sending snakes to Russia, he even came to see me here personally and knows everything. But Tom said me that he couldn’t speak with Bob on the phone! He couldn’t get through for several days! I asked Bob to check his phone for missed calls but there weren’t any!
Then Tom felt offended because of two silly questions of mine (about the date of the snakes delivery and completion of the paperwork) and told that I didn’t appreciate all his creative writing and banned me. He took my money and banned me! He took the money and just disappeared – what would you call it? It’s a stealing! It’s funny actually. I couldn’t believe my eyes and I tried to resolve the conflict without Tom. I didn’t want scandals. I wrote Patty, his partner. It was September 2013. She’s way wiser than him so she finally gave papers for CITES and the work began. At the turn of the month everything was still in process. In November I asked my money back, I lost my clients and it didn’t make any sense to proceed it. Tom is not professional, he was very childish about complying with the contract and I was surprised. Patty agreed to give me my money back and asked for the bill. When she got it she realized the amount of money and… changed her mind! She said she’d keep doing the paperwork but it wasn’t that simple! Here comes the most important information. «You ordered way too specific species to export! And now you’re asking for impossible!» - Perfect! When they took the order it wasn’t impossible at all. Weird. Patty got offended too, she wrote me again about Tom being very pissed at me and asked not to bother them. It was late November, New Year’s coming, Patty stopped answering. I don’t have the money. I don’t have reptiles. Tom disappeared. I had no idea that I shouldn’t have made prepayment, it was my mistake, I had been warned about his criminal past and about him bancoing other people. I should have listened to them all. You can’t trust people like him, he sees the money – 14000$ and he steals it. I never thought that it was such a big sum of money for an American. But it’s big for me. I borrowed part of the money from my mom, the other part from my job and that smartass just took it. Be careful, don’t trust anybody! I liked USA though, I was there again not so long ago, but this time I was visiting Tom’s friend who I had met in Florida. He was speechless about all this mess and he tried to make Tom become more sensible but Tom said him the same. I beg you to post this message in your page because it’s very important for people to know the truth! He’s a very popular herpetologist and many people trust him. He uses their trust against them. In the USA he delivers reptiles without any troubles. I understand that people don’t care about the name. The just want to get reptiles and to get them cheaper and closer. But I hope you’ll support me. Professional reptile keepers are afraid of disrupting a relation with him but you can express your sympathy sending me messages. Those who live way too far from America he cons and there’s nothing we can do about it. He’s a very bad example of American herpetologist and I’m very surprised. Before only African exporters were that knavish. There is only one word Tom and his friends can use, high education! They always use "asshole", very professional. I would never know this part of his personality, if Tom had no problems with papers, i would get animals and was one of you, who was happy in buisness with Tom, most successful transactions taking place in the U.S., and it is clear there are fewer problems.. But now i know, if he make mistake (document problems, animals die) he always start to be agressive and disappears. Its not good way of buisness. For example, i work much with Bob Clark, if something happen- he refund the money, i can believe him and trust! Be careful here with Tom, your transaction will be successfully only if all goes smoothly it in any unusual situations you get a sea of mud and obscene words in your direction, do not return the money, too. permission for the import of animals in Russia was over, I can not get the animals lost customers. I understand, it happens sometimes made ​​long documents, but not so long as it is now. Yes and terms were agreed, Tom knew them, Tom knew what types will be dealt with. I paid him for the result, it is not, there are some words about the difficulty, I asked him to return the money, but he also does not wish to send his friends say that he continues to make the documents and I still have to wait a month or a year! but it was late, very late, so things are not done. I have all the evidence, I am ready to answer any additional questions, there are pictures of correspondences with him, there are plenty of witnesses! anything, all you desire. Thank you for reading!
 
you should post up the screenshots from the conversation you had with him, that def showed his true colors. Ive seen that side of him myself. isnt it nice?
 
Sorry to hear this Arslan. Very sorry! Some of these peeps that think they are high and mighty need to be... struck down.

Post up some proof and unveil this 'has been.' I just watched his deal on 'Locked up Abroad.' Totally un-impressed.
 
http://s020.radikal.ru/i706/1311/f4/1b0c0eb470f3.jpg
http://s005.radikal.ru/i209/1311/77/061cb479600b.jpg
http://s019.radikal.ru/i601/1311/58/3d834450d587.jpg
http://s019.radikal.ru/i623/1311/02/f1eccf1781c2.jpg
http://s019.radikal.ru/i601/1311/fb/69db71f76e7e.jpg
http://s003.radikal.ru/i201/1311/2e/14b24c257b7a.jpg
http://i069.radikal.ru/1311/86/8188ae0560b1.jpg

pictures of dialogs

now i see, Patty and Tom banned my, dont want to speak on telephone and dont answer on e-mail

the upper half of document that Patty sent me few days ago, then i made this text in facebook is not true, its without stamps and signatures, all gaps are empty, they did it in one night, to justify. Even if they are now all done, then in this sense is long gone, the text revealed that the reason
 

Attachments

  • 1.jpg
    1.jpg
    30.7 KB · Views: 2,083
  • 2.jpg
    2.jpg
    34.6 KB · Views: 2,076
  • 3.jpg
    3.jpg
    35.6 KB · Views: 2,088
  • 4.jpg
    4.jpg
    19.9 KB · Views: 2,094
If the exchange above reflects the truth, it grieves me but doesn't surprise me.

It grieves me because of the immorality of it--and the fact that so many in the Reptile Industry act like thugs; but it grieves me also as it adds evidence to my conviction that our industry is doomed to failure.

The general public already leans against our industry, and the momentum against us is increasing. But when our public image is little more than that of Hell's Angels, it will be the nail in the coffin.

Very sad.
 
I guess the thieves in this Hobby ran out of Americans to steal from and went International.

Maybe Tom needed more time to smuggle animals to payback the $14000.00
 
http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/1999/April/140enr.htm?vm=r&s=1

For those of you who don't already know.

He came to Omaha to be a keynote speaker at a recent reptile symposium.
It disgusted me so much that he was the keynote speaker that I missed the entire symposium. Having spoken directly to the event organizer, he (Tom) had to be warned/talked to about not bringing up his past smuggling issues.

A smuggler, who to this day freely advertises reptiles for sale on KS. No freakin' thanks!
 
"A smuggler, who to this day freely advertises reptiles for sale on KS. No freakin' thanks!
__________________
- Robert

Robert Walker Reptiles
USARK Member "


Hi Robert. Why would it surprise you that people with bad business practices are on KS, when good people get kicked off all the time? This thread is truly a sad situation for Arslan, hopefully Tom will make it right. I am not going to say anything good or bad, but maybe Tom will come on to tell his side. Someone should send him or Patty an email so that he knows there is a thread here about the situation.

Have a good night everyone!
 
"Why would it surprise you that people with bad business practices are on KS, when good people get kicked off all the time?


Hi Joseph - my comment really has/had nothing to do with KS itself, but simply directing readers to a known location where he/they do business.

Like always...I hope they do the right thing.

Also, before any defender of Crutchfield jumps out and gets on me for using only the word "smuggler", please feel free to insert your own description before it to make you feel better about having done business with him.

A_____________Smuggler (known, self admitted, past, history of being a, etc.)
 
I am very sorry to hear that Arslan.
I have never dealt with Tom Crutchfield, but his reputation, both good and bad is very well known.
One of your paragraphs has me concerned.
There was a list of reptiles: c.chrysogaster, c.fordi, trachemys albino, ball pythons and others, every reptile costed about 30$. We didn't put real prices on the list because if there was some sort of unplanned delay Tom would have to pay a big fine, so I just didn’t want to bother my supplier. But the contract was important for the customs and I needed it.
It seems you both undervalued the animals for customs. This can be a problem for you as now if you seek legal help it could have bad repercussions for you both. Is it possible that is why Tom feels safe?
There is a saying, not sure how it goes, but it is something about
"get in bed with a thief...blah blah...??"
Good luck to you!
 
In reading the dialogue it seems something's missing. Patty went from being cordial and telling you to send Tom a pm to being irate. What happened there? Are there any messages missing?
 
In reading the dialogue it seems something's missing. Patty went from being cordial and telling you to send Tom a pm to being irate. What happened there? Are there any messages missing?

"When she got it she realized the amount of money and… changed her mind!"

This was in the first post.
 
Patty agreed to give me my money back and asked for the bill. When she got it she realized the amount of money and… changed her mind! She said she’d keep doing the paperwork

I read it that she was cordial and cooperative until she received the bill she asked for. When she got it and saw just how much money was involved for a refund, she back-peddled.
 
Back
Top