• Responding to email notices you receive.
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    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

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    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.....

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    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 Avangel Reptiles- parasitic reptiles, and more

First, I'm going to say that my geckos stay on the crested side of the line, not the leo side.

But even I'm not so blind and ignorant as to think that these animals are healthy with those tiny, emaciated tails. And a leopard gecko just burying itself in it's water dish kinda made my jaw drop because I can't even imagine my cresteds doing that, and they're much more fond of water than leopards.

So the guy obviously sent sick animals because animals don't get that ill overnight in a box. But him screaming about his military service is what disgusts me the most. My husband's been active duty for nearly 13 years and intends to retire. It's literally why I'm (temporarily) getting out of the reptile trade- the moving is too much of a worry for the little guys' health. He has been mortared at, shot at, bombs gone off right outside his base, and dealt with corpses and all sorts of nightmares during the tsunami relief effort in Japan.

And he blushes when somebody at a restaurant notices his hair cut and thanks him for his service. He ignores military discounts at restaurants. And here's this hopped up loser who sells sick animals screaming "I was in a war zone!!!!"

I'm glad to see the BOI is so strongly worded (ie: it doesn't agree with your lousy practices. Oh no. What sadness. Such sorrow) that it's setting off your obvious PTSD. Too bad you've probably given it to your geckos too. Your very existence insults me and I wouldn't buy a tin whistle from you.
 
Are you using PTSD as a pejorative?

No, I'm using it sarcastically since this guy thinks that he doesn't treat his animals "inhuman" when it's obvious that he does and he's hinting about it, so I'm throwing it back in his face. If you really think for 2 seconds that I don't think PTSD is a real thing, oh man are you wrong. I volunteer at two different ongoing events for vets in the area with PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, and a number of other issues. So while I'm no psychologist, I'm pretty aware of it.
 
nikki9093 said:
I have been privy to another buyer , who, about six months ago, got a leo from Avangel Reptiles. The animal is on deaths door as I type. I had no clue just how bad off he was until she actually posted photos to my group tonight. She has been in contact with him, and I also have PMd him about the buyer. Its been six months tho, So its hard to make any type of case for it, but she will probably be loosing this leo. Theres no way , as far gone as he is now, that he can recover from whatever he has. He looks so bad. I would have recommended her , had I known, to have him put down. I DID, when I saw the pics...Im happy that my skinny is crypto negative, and grateful that they are all seemingly on the mend. Eating, pooping...but this leo she has... wow.
Please identify this person, since you have relayed the story - anonymous third party quotation is not acceptable on the BOI.
 
Please identify this person, since you have relayed the story - anonymous third party quotation is not acceptable on the BOI.

I re-read the rules, and I saw nothing about this. I haven't quoted anyone either. I made an observation, have been in contact with, and know what she was dealing with. She is also under 18. The said leo has died, so there is nothing further to mention about the animal, unless she want to post in here about her experience with Chaz. I will ask her if I can post her name, as the name on FB is not her "name", but a moniker. I have encouraged her to post here, but as I have said, she is under 18.
 
I re-read the rules, and I saw nothing about this. I haven't quoted anyone either. I made an observation, have been in contact with, and know what she was dealing with.

If you look at the BOI front page, up top, in red, you will find the rules for posting on the BOI. Here is the link/sticky:
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8880
If you look toward the bottom, of the rules page, you will find the following:
"Anonymous third party quotation - 1 point
Saying something like "my buddy says you are a thief" is a third party quotation. There is no ownership to the accusation being made. Not allowed here. Let you buddy come in here and say it, otherwise it needs to remain unsaid."


Here is another link/sticky, that is located on the BOI front page, about anonymous third party quotes:
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=146268
 
"Anonymous third party quotation - 1 point
Saying something like "my buddy says you are a thief" is a third party quotation. There is no ownership to the accusation being made. Not allowed here. Let you buddy come in here and say it, otherwise it needs to remain unsaid."

Obviously I'm not going to argue the point, as this is the BOI and proof is needed while anonymity is not permitted, but as Nikki didn't make an accusation based on what the third person said (as in the example in the rules), simply stated another case, I don't know if *personally* I would call it third party quotation. But that's simply my interpretation of the rules and what was stated, and I'm not an moderator here. Just my thoughts on that little tidbit.

Hopefully we can get the third person with experience with Chaz on here to tell her story. Every bit of experience with this man helps get the word out there, and maybe will help even just one person getting into the hobby learn how not to treat their animals and customers.
 
Nikki didn't make an accusation based on what the third person said
I believe she did, in describing the condition of the animal received...and, while she didn't say "someone told me ______", she made it clear that it wasn't something of which she had first-hand knowledge (ie: he sent my friend an emaciated gecko)
 
this is the BOI and proof is needed while anonymity is not permitted
Proof is not in fact required (although it is encouraged).
But anonymity lends itself to false claims of proof, because one could if one was so inclined make up pretty much anything, call it proof and conveniently have it come from another who could not be cross examined.
It is remarkable how many stories fall apart on questioning, but one cannot question someone who is not present.
 
Oswald and Sarafina update

Both Oswald and Sarafina have been doing good. Oswald is growing, but its slow-going for him. That orange coloring advertised never did come to light. He has shed no less then 5 times since he's been with me, the last being today, and he is, and will probably be a very dull, dirty looking orange color. Unless he matures into that bright orange I was hoping for from his advertised picture, he is not going to get it. Im disappointed, but I guess getting a mellow leo is the exchange for the color I was hoping for. Maybe I can find a really really orange female to compliment him. *sigh*

Sarafina is just huge. Im getting worried that she may be gravid, but she's eating fine, pooping fine...just HUGE. No males have been with her here. She's in lock-down for another 2 months. Im not prepared to breed or have eggs from any leos right now, so Im crossing my fingers that she's just in heavy ovulation.


Sarafina is in the first photo, and Oswald is in the next two.
 

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Avangel Disaster

This is my experience with Chaz Stewart at Avangel Reptiles. Let me start by saying I have never spoken to Chaz before purchasing his leos. I simply followed him on Instagram and he posted all of his for sale geckos (usually how gecko buying goes; you see one you like, the breeder is 'big' and 'reputable' and you go for it) I messaged him asking about one leo, an enigma male. (End of October, Beginning of November) Chaz told me that he was part of a project he has started. An emerine line.. So he sent me pictures of the 3 other leos involved in the project. None looked emerine but Chaz said it was just the photo lighting and they had green hues in person. (They didn't- they looked like normals except for the enigma male who just looked enigma) So I saw the pics he sent me, liked how they looked, liked the idea of my own project and liked the price. $315 shipped for all 4 geckos. I sent payment to Chaz, but something got involved with paypal (money wasn't sending, it was a big mess; thats what the first few screenshots were). So after I sent him the money and we were trying to figure out payment, Chaz texts me and says "Oh by the way don't worry about the enigma's belly, he got burned in my garage one time when it got really hot" At first I wasn't worried because he said it didnt affect the gecko and I trusted Chaz's judgement. (Now the gecko has major shedding problems and is SEVERELY burned, not just red.) I would've liked to know that before sending out the money. Who wouldve thought to ask if the gecko has ever been burned... Well that was one small part of the many problems I had with Chaz. I got the geckos and none of them were eating for the first few days, as expected. The enigma male started eating soonest, and the other 3 took a week+. The two females I got eventually ate. Now 3/4 were eating. The non-enigma male I received would not eat for his life. I texted Chaz because I was worried that he wasn't eating and he was already skinny.. (Chaz said he was always skinny-it was normal for him. "He's just built small") He told me to try blacking out the cage. I did. He said to try feeding liquid diet. I did. Try armion. I did. Nothing would get through to this gecko. At that point it has been about a month and the only thing that leo ate was 2 wax worms. I got happy about that thinking he would eat. But he stopped after the waxies. He wasn't loosing weight at the time so I wasn't TOO worried, but I was definitely getting there. All the while I trusted Chaz and did not think to send the leo to the vet. I thought he was perfectly healthy, just took some time to adjust and I would fatten him up in no time. The gecko eventually started eating crickets. He didn't eat much but he ate, which relieved me of a big weight on my shoulders. I thought "this is it, he's gonna get fat now!" He maintained his weight for a few months. It was around March if I am remembering correctly (it's in the screenshots) that he lost some weight. I got concerned and again messaged Chaz. He told me to try more things with him. Again, I didn't think I needed to take him to the vet because he was eating and still having solid poop. I bought a dewormer though, just in case. I gave it to him with his liquid diet. He maintained that weight still. Then it happened. All at once. He turned into skin and bones. Before my eyes, literally. At that point I messaged Chaz, furious. I told him I'm done. Enough is enough with his lies. He told me it wasn't his fault and the gecko "probably" has pinworms but it wasn't from him. I ordered a crypto test online. Again, I didn't take him to the vet because I knew he was going to die (it's horrible, I know) and because the only exotic vet within a 2 hour distance from me SUCKS. I took a rescue with parasites to that vet and all they did was give the leo a calcium shot. My best bet was to get the test results and go from there. The leo didn't make it for that. I told Chaz and he stuck with the story that it wasn't him and all that. Finally Chaz admitted that he had parasites in his collection once and he told me that many others were experiencing it too. (?????) He wouldn't refund me. He called me and pretty much yelled at me saying "all you want is a refund" which wasn't true. I wanted the money back that i spent on trying to care for the leo, which was $60+. After a while Chaz agreed to pay me back $60. $30 on May 1 and the other 30 on June 1. So far I only got the 30. All the while Chaz was being disgusting towards me; talking about sex and how he thinks I'm beautiful when at the time I was 17 and he was in his mid twenties. Here are a few screenshots, more to follow.
 

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Round 2 of screenshots
 

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Round 3
 

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I'm so sorry to hear that. Do you have a picture from when you received the skinny gecko? He looks so very thin and sickly in the picture above. I didn't get a chance to read every mention and just skimmed them after reading your post. How much weight did he lose with you? Was he that deathly skinny when you got him?
 
Just an Update

Well, Oswald has come a long way since I got him. They all have. Sarafina did lay one dud egg. Things like that happen. Oswald is...well...pictures speak louder then words do...as I have mentioned before, and will do so again: Food. Water. TLC. He has shed a few times since I got him, and has never gotten any of that bright orange I was hoping for. Though he is finally almost at the weight that I have made a goal of. 60 grams. He's so close too. The last two shots were pre-shed a couple days ago. :yesnod:
 

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