Bad Guy Rick Cremeans of Lancaster, OH-BAD, BAD, BAD!

[jackie fleming]

contact the police and tell them about it

 

[jackie fleming]

thats what i did and the more contacts they get the better chance you got of them doing something about it

 

[prattay]

Rick Cremeans

I would avoid this guy at all costs. I have reported him to Fedex who has opened a case to investigate him. If you have received an unacceptable shipment from him via Fedex, please let Fedex know.

Lessons learned. Anyone who doesn't accept paypal or another safe form of payment these days is suspect.

If you happen to have a shipment on the way from this guy, call Fedex and they will try to help you find the package & get it safely to you.

Shipping reptiles via 2-day in the dead of summer pretty much sums up Rick Cremeans of Lancaster, OH. Shame on you for doing what you do and for not bothering to show any concern what so ever.

 

[prattay]

As a follow up, Rick just called me. I don't have much history with Rick beyond buying a couple box turtles from him. He informed me that he had a family emergency and had to leave town for the past couple days.

He says my shipment never went out and that he would send them overnight and packed correctly next week. It doesn't explain why he sent the snake that ded 2 day but wanted to update this thread with new information.

I'll reserve further judgment next week.

Paul Rattay

 

[SPJ]

As a follow up, Rick just called me. I don't have much history with Rick beyond buying a couple box turtles from him. He informed me that he had a family emergency and had to leave town for the past couple days.

He says my shipment never went out and that he would send them overnight and packed correctly next week. It doesn't explain why he sent the snake that ded 2 day but wanted to update this thread with new information.

I'll reserve further judgment next week.

Paul Rattay

Sounds like the excuses are starting already.

Good luck.

 

[SPJ]

Yes, the bones were visible; the decay was that advanced that the flesh was just falling away.

Sharon McKenzie

I am starting to think it was dead when he shipped it.

 

[pitbulllady]

I am starting to think it was dead when he shipped it.

Well, that's what I thought. That was a big snake, and while I don't doubt it would have died within a short period of time the way it was packed, I still don't think that a snake that size would have reached that state of decay in 48 hours, especially not inside an enclosed space that the flies could not get to it and hasten that process. It was literally falling apart. I suspect he packed that snake up as soon as he got the money order, which was on July 23, and waited until he had a chance to go to the FedX drop-off on Monday, then sent it the cheapest way he could. It was probably long dead by the time it got to the FedX office. I feel sorry for the delivery people who had to handle that box and ride around in the truck with it, since I could smell it before I opened it, and most of the sides were wet. It's a wonder they didn't report it, since that was unmistably blood on the box. I've had to move some big snakes that were outside, dead, including a big Canebrake that got killed by a car in front of the house, that had lain outside in the sun for two days, and they weren't in THIS bad shape, decay-wise.

So, Rick is going to send the rest of the animal's he's sold the RIGHT way, after experimenting with MINE? I would not count on those animals arriving alive, in any case. I don't know what I'm gonna do to get my money back, but I'm not holding my breath that he'll send it. It will shock me if he does.

Sharon McKenzie

 

[spyder79]

Just a word of advise. I have done money order transactions before. Whenever i have i only send half payment up front that way at least you arent completely screwed on a deal. It is ashamed this person shipped this animal the way he did. I wish you the best of luck on getting it squared away. I would call his local aspca and infom them of the animal cruelty as well. I bet they could put some fear in his heart.

 

[prattay]

Good advice on money orders.

 

[MedusaCoils]

That is despicable, sickening, cruel and unconscionable! This person has absolutely zero regard for the welfare of the animals, he is shipping. I think if anyone makes a future purchase from him, then they should have their head examined. This just makes me ANGRY!!

What a cruel SOB you are, Rick Cremeans! Freaken Loser!

Wayne

 

[pitbulllady]

Just a word of advise. I have done money order transactions before. Whenever i have i only send half payment up front that way at least you arent completely screwed on a deal. It is ashamed this person shipped this animal the way he did. I wish you the best of luck on getting it squared away. I would call his local aspca and infom them of the animal cruelty as well. I bet they could put some fear in his heart.

The bad thing about involving any ASPCA or Humane Society is that many of them are becoming more and more influenced by the "Animal Rights" rhetoric, and are opposed to people having reptiles or other "exotics" in the first place. They will take incidents like this and use it against US, use it as just another example of why there should be laws against private ownership and trade in reptiles, just like they will use a dog-fighting bust as reason to ban all "pit bulls" or use a bust on a "puppy mill" to say that ALL dog breeders are like this. They have a tendency to tar everyone with the same brush. I don't know about Ohio's animal cruelty laws, but many states unfortunately do not recognize reptiles as animals that are worthy of such protection. How many times have we all seen some hick who killed a snake, usually a harmless species, get his picture in the paper with a big write-up, treating him like a HERO for what he did? Imagine if that had been a cat or dog instead. How do you think that the public would react if California had announced it planned to implement a hunt of the feral goats on some of its islands, and that the goats would be killed by hacking off their heads with machetes, which is the means of dispatching Burmese Pythons in the Everglades? All of us here, and me especially since I was the one who paid for this animal and had to open that box, love reptiles, but sadly not everyone shares that opinion. Even our local Humane officer, who is a rabid PETA supporter, hates a snake and won't pass up the opportunity to kill one.

Sharon McKenzie

 

[ForkedTung]

Rick Cremeans=Scumbag!

 

[mydummyacct]

Just a word of advise. I have done money order transactions before. Whenever i have i only send half payment up front that way at least you arent completely screwed on a deal.

Good advice on money orders.

I know this is off topic to this thread, but I don't think there are too many people that would ship prior to receiving full payment (unless both parties already have some prior experience with one another...and, usually, if one person trusts the other enough to only accept half, the other trusts enough to just send the money)

 

[hhmoore]

I hate when I do that

 

[MikeCurtin]

One other thing about Money Orders: I like and use them, but only US POSTAL Money Orders, If I send you one of these and you screw me, it's federal. If I try to screw you, it's federal also. It's also good to remind the buyer/seller that "I prefer USPS Money Orders because if there's any fraud on either end, it becomes a federal matter". Keeps folks honest.

 

[Dennis Hultman]

What is the user name he is using on KS? Is it Rick Cremeans? Also, you can launch a complaint with them as well. Not sure, but I remember some time ago someone posted that they now have a three strikes rule or something similar depending on how many complaints a seller receives.
Regardless, I know of a couple of people that have lost their accounts due to multiple complaints.

 

[jackie fleming]

Sorry but this is totally of the point but i just whanted everybody to know that dan scolaro has an ad on kingsnake trying to scam is their anything i can do about that

 

[pitbulllady]

What is the user name he is using on KS? Is it Rick Cremeans? Also, you can launch a complaint with them as well. Not sure, but I remember some time ago someone posted that they now have a three strikes rule or something similar depending on how many complaints a seller receives.
Regardless, I know of a couple of people that have lost their accounts due to multiple complaints.

I did file a complaint with Kingsnake, although by that time, he'd already removed all of his ads. In their "dear John" response they informed me that due to the privacy issues they could not reveal what actions they have taken, of course.

I always use Postal money orders, by the way, and I always insist on payments that way if I ship anything. Checks can bounce or be cancelled easily, and I don't mess with credit cards. A Postal money order can be tracked, can be redeemed at any Post Office, and like has been said, it's Federal if someone uses one in a scam, either sending or receiving. I have the copy/receipt of both the money order, the Overnight Express ticket with which I mailed it, the FedX airbill, and a print-out from the Post Office's website which tells when he received the payment, even though he told ME, via email, that he had not received it at that time, and never did in fact notify me of having received this payment. That is just a common courtesy that I always do if someone sends me a payment-let them know when it arrives, and I expect the same from those to whom I send payments for something I purchase, as well as letting them know when I send out something and tracking number of the package. The lack of communication from Mr. Cremeans had me suspicious that something bad was going on; it was just one of those situations where I had a bad feeling as soon as I confirmed when he got the payment, but had told me he hadn't received it yet.

Sharon McKenzie

 

[R. Eventide]

Wow. This makes my insides wrench with sorrow for what that poor animal had to go through. I was tearing up just looking at the pictures!

Sadly, I think the animal was indeed alive when it was put in the box. If it had been dead, there wouldn't be that much blood on the box. There might be some, but not nearly that amount. I, too, am surprised at the rate of decay, but the snake could have died shortly after being shipped, and we don't know where the box was stored while it made its way across the country.

This person should not be involved with any kind of live animal at all.

 

[hemingway155]

an update and questions

Sharon, or anybody else who might be able to help me:

I agree about the need to use USPS money orders for all of the reasons stated above, which is why I used one and I also have the tracking and delivery confirmation data on the package.

Cremeans has gone silent on me as well. Last I heard from him was an email Friday July 24 when I sent him the tracking info for the M.O. and he said he'd contact me about shipping upon receipt of the M.O. I sent a few emails starting four days ago (Wednesday 7/29) because he received the M.O. on Monday (7/27).

Given the content of this thread, I'm pretty concerned, but I don't want to look like the bad guy here. What would be the appropriate timeframe to make contact with the Postal Inspector about this issue. I'll contact kingsnake and probably his local PD at the same time. In my most recent email I told him I would give him at least through 5PM today (8/01) before taking any action, but I want to make sure that it will be maximally effective when I do.

Thanks for any input.

Kris Stroup