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Bad Guy Mike the Screamer "Strictly Reptiles"

S

Sychomantis

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In my ever expanding efforts of increasing my collection and breeding stock I decided to give Strictly Reptiles a shot. Bad idea. As soon as I walked in through the door I encountered a burly man named Mike. I instantly realized why others here have dubbed him Mike the Screamer. I asked him what morphs he currently had available and requested a price list. He gave me the price list which were some of the most ridiculous numbers I have seen. Prices resembled an outdated 2008 price list. Once I saw the list I asked if he had any 2010's, this is when he snapped. In a tone of borderline screaming he says "I just gave you a list, you don't even know what you're looking for!" At this point I realized the type of person he was. He followed with "Why do you want 2010's when I have 09's" I then asked if there would be a price difference. Louder than before he yelled "No! There is no price difference, nobody anywhere has lowered there prices yet!". Being the nice guy I am I kept calm and asked him about a male lesser. He made a call to an unknown individual inquiring if the lesser was available. Apparently he was told that it was a butter not a lesser. After yelling back on the phone and instructing the person that they were the same snake, he asks me if I wanted it for $600. How can one expect you to purchase a snake without even seeing it? After I told him I would take his card and give it some thought he rudely smirked as if self assuring himself that I didn't know what I was doing. Before leaving I politely said "Thank you". He completely ignored me.
 
Strictly Reptiles is only a few miles away from my home, and when I visited their warehouse it was terrible, it stunk something fierce and wasn't very clean. Also, I just wanted to bring this to everyone's attention:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Lizard-King/Bryan-Christy/e/9780446580953


I bought and read the book "The Lizard King" by Bryan Christy and it exposed some pretty nasty details about the Van Nostrands.

I suggest it to reptile hobbyists everywhere.

From the synopsis:

"When Bryan Christy began to investigate the world of reptile smuggling, he had no idea what he would be in for. In the course of his research, he was bitten between the eyes by a blood python, chased by a mother alligator, and sprayed by a bird-eating tarantula. But perhaps more dangerous was coming face to face with Michael J. Van Nostrand, owner of Strictly Reptiles, a thriving family business in Hollywood, Florida. Van Nostrand imports as many as 300,000 iguanas each year (over half the total of America's most popular imported reptile), as well as hundreds of thousands of snakes, lizards, frogs, spiders, and scorpions.

Van Nostrand was suspected of being a reptile smuggler by Special Agent Chip Bepler of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who devoted years of his life in an obsessive quest to expose The Lizard King's cold-blooded crimes. How this cat-and-mouse game ended is engrossing and surprising. "
 
Forgot this part

"Albino pythons, endangered lizards and other reptiles are the currency of an underworld as dangerous and lucrative as the drug trade. Freelance writer Christy's debut is an enthusiastic but scattered chronicle of the rise and fall of a lizard kingpin and the federal agent who pursued him. Mike Van Nostrand inherited Strictly Reptiles, an import-export business in Florida, from his father, Ray, turning it into a multimillion-dollar smuggling operation. Van Nostrand imported reptiles of all shapes and sizes, usually concealed in the suitcases or clothing of his mules, and sold them to collectors and pet stores. He exploited loopholes in the international treaty on endangered-species trade and paid off corrupt officials. In the early 1990s, Fish and Wildlife Services agent Chip Bepler set his sights on Van Nostrand. After Bepler's years of surveillance and hard work, Van Nostrand was sentenced to eight months in prison, his export license revoked, and Strictly Reptiles was forced to pay $250,000 in fines to a wildlife fund. Christy's frenetic approach-bouncing from Mike's smuggling to young Ray catching snakes to the neglect of wildlife crime prosecution-is disorienting in what could have been a fascinating tale. (Aug. 1)"
 
ah Mikey must have been having a bad day! I have know Mike since he was a kid, and he's a great guy. Someone mentioned Ray sr, he's a good guy also, so ask for him next time you go in, better yet, bring a peanutbutter and jelly sandwich and offer it to Mikey, you will see how nice he will get. LOL!

Randal Berry
 
I have the "lizard king" and its a great book and I know it makes tom crutchfield and the Van Nostrands look bad in some ways. But lets face it, its because of these guys that we have a pet trade. crutchfield and Van Nostrand paid there fines and served time for what they did. I have had the priviledge to meet both parties and Im a fan of both tom crutchfield and Ray Van Nostrand sr.
 
Maybe Mike was having a bad day...in all the years I have visited them...was down there just last summer...they have allways treated me with a warm reception and were allways very courtious towards me or my friends I had with me...we even sold Ray some millipedes for cold hard cash which we spent there..
Mike ...Ray...and lil Ray have allways been stand up towards me
 
Yeah I like to add to this. I asked for a specific animal. He saays doesn't have any. Next email I politely ask when he will have any. He goes "I get them when I get them, not right now". Real *****
 
Remember strictly is not a pet store. It's a wholesale business. And mike is running that business, he's not a sales rep. He and his staff have always treated me well, but I have always made a point to not waste their time. Get in, get out, they're busy
 
kurt decker said:
Remember strictly is not a pet store. It's a wholesale business. And mike is running that business, he's not a sales rep. He and his staff have always treated me well, but I have always made a point to not waste their time. Get in, get out, they're busy
Click to expand...
No offense you don't talk to people like that. I was inquiring about an expensive turtle species. That's great you had an awesome expierence with him. I googled him and nothing good came up. So being busy justifys saying to someone I get them when there available not right now. Screw that. If someone talked to me in person like that I would surely defend myself. I doubt even gets the species in I'm looking for.
 
Oh and he is not a sales rep . So its ok for him to be a complete ***** to people.could you not post on this thread and defened this fat slob.
 
Van Nostrand

A liability to his own business. Crude, rude , disrespectful and has major people skills. Thats Mike. The father whom i knew 50 years ago just passed on his ignorance to his son. Both served time in prison, Mike of course being the most famous for fauna federal violations.

Dont understand why they are even still in business. Apparently they are. One has to wonder what accomplishments Mike gets when he completely turns off a customer on the first meeting. Nothing to pursue here as provides the necessary requirements for being an unhappy person who has problems that should send up a red flag .

The only solution , which should have happened years ago is to avoid these operations. Spend your monies elsewhere.
 
dhct301 said:
No offense you don't talk to people like that.
Click to expand...

There are many that can't stand the 50 question routine,even though you may not have been guilty of it.
I don't usually talk like that to people directly,but I do in emails from idiot teeny boppers on Craigslist for extremely cheap animals. I have just about every question answered with pics,and the dumbf***s still ask it.
I did experience a known seller recently that would have scared anyone else away. It was a higher end animal that I wanted. Apparently he had many a "window shopper",and finally got tired of it,with me being next to inquire. I won't list the emails,but the last was "you are obviously not going to buy,so quit wasting my f***** time.
Paid a few dollars to find his #,and called him. I was nice throughout this whole transaction,and the person quickly realized I was serious. He quickly became apologetic,and I got a great deal,as did one of my customers on another animal he had.
Every situation is different of course.
 
I know what you mean. I was very polite. I asked 2 questions. The first email inquiring if had any. Reply was not at the time. Made me think he gets them in so next email was asking when he would have more. Got that rude reply.
 
I'm not defending anybody. Mike's a big boy. I'm just giving you information that would be helpful to you. Dealing with mike is not the same as someone with an online classified. That's not what he does. He doesn't owe you anything. He's not going to sell you a terrarium and give you a care sheet. If you would prefer a friendly retail experience, plenty of those around. No excuses, it just is what it is.
 
Strictly

If those doors are open for business, regardless of whether its retail or wholesale. Dont kid yourself, Mike is not as selective between the difference other than the color of money, Those doors are open. No proof of retail, wholesale, importer, exporter, is required other than pictures of the president on green paper. Do not expect much from lessons due to higher education.

some sense of decorum is required. He did not achieve stardom but acquired it as family owned. Whatever traits people skills he learned is just as poor in treating his employees the same.

Every customer is entitled to some respect regardless of how simple some questions may be if looking to make a purchase. Apparently, this person was allowed into the premise, and Mike was happy to take his money, so what would been the big deal to provide some courtesy. This is what is lacking in the VanNostrand family.

We have enough problems in this industry without the addition of an embarrassment such as Mike , Ray and the other family members who feel that this type of behavior is the norm or acceptable . It is not under any circumstance. Its unfortunate that this person is still in business instead of prison.
 
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