• 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 BUYERS BEWARE! BEN SHOTTS of VIVID DRAGONS- dishonest man, possible scammer

S

Sgambino94

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BUYERS BEWARE. Ben Shotts is a fraud. I recently ordered a dragon from him and he sent me a different, lesser quality dragon than what I ordered and paid for. When confronted he DENIED it and claimed they were the same dragon, despite proof in photos and on his own website! He wouldn't even refund me the price difference of a mere $25! And as it turns out, the dragon I thought I was purchasing had actually already been sold, which I later found on an older sales listing of his, yet he still listed that same dragon for sale again two more times. This guy is dishonest, and not at all professional or courteous in his dealings.

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/member.php?u=160659
 
Sarah, can you please post your emails, along with a screen shot of the dragon you were sent and a picture of the ad with the dragon you paid for?
 
The first is the dragon I ordered and paid for. The one I received is shown in my hand. You can tell they're different by the markings on his back. The one I received has a heart shaped marking on the left side. The one I ordered doesn't, and also has a different pattern of circle markings on his right side.
 

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I later found his website and found the one I received as dragon 4.
 

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And here's the one I had ordered and paid for, though at the time I had only seen the fauna classified post
 

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I have been In contact with him multiple times. Even opened a PayPal dispute, which he escalated for PayPal review before I had a chance to send them all of my evidence, so they ruled the case "not in my favor". He now doesn't answer my calls or texts.
 
He is on Fauna right now


Ben shotts is at reputation level -50 to -99
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Current Activity: Viewing Thread [For Sale] AMAZING COLLECTORS QUALITY RED TIGER HYPO TRANSLUCENT
 
Sarah, is your Paypal backed by your credit card? You could either go to your bank or credit card company.
 
No it's not unfortunately. And I have no problem with him viewing this thread. Although to be perfectly honest I don't see the use of it. He'll more than likely just try to tell me again that "it is in fact the same dragon", that their colors change with each shed and their markings can fade, and that he's "sorry if I am dissatisfied".

But if it would make others happy I don't mind sending him a link to this thread
 
And here's our messages, took the time to stitch them together to try to save me from posting each individual screenshot. Might be hard to read but you could save/screenshot the photo and zoom in
 

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I agree dragon 4 is an identical pattern match to the dragon you recieved. Looks like the ol bait and switch scam.
And it's only a $25 difference? It's crazy that just a few bucks is worth more than a mans reputation.
Well I'm sorry you got something that you didn't order. And by posting this I'm sure you will be saving a bunch more people from falling prey to him for the same thing again.
You told your story in the exact right place. This will cost him in the long run.

See ya buddy:out_of_here:
 
Definitely not the same dragon. And lets just say the dragon you received is the same as the original red one, it did not go through two shed cycles. They're almost identical in size. I have also never seen a dragon go from BRIGHT red to brown as it grows. Bearded dragons, get lighter, not darker.

He switched dragons on you 100%.
 
OP has been awesome and calm throughout the process. Would definitely give her my business! I cannot say whether I would have been so calm.

$25 to save face / rep and you won't comply Ben? You should be counting your blessings she isn't demanding a refund.
 
The lighter color dorsal markings are clearly different. The one on the left are more in-line while the one on the right are staggered.
PicMonkey Collagebd2.jpg
 
Yes, trancebrah, I completely agree. And honestly I was expecting a little bit of a color difference than what was in the pics for that exact reason. I wasn't, however, expecting a completely different dragon:/ and at first I gabe him the benefit of the doubt that he just made a mistake, which is why I offered to just receive a refund for the price difference. But after I discovered he deliberately posted a dragon for sale two more times after he had sold it, I decided to take further action and try to go to PayPal for help.

Also, would just like to thank everyone for your support. It really is much appreciated.
 
I agree with others. The dragon, that you received, is not the same one you ordered.
Ben's denial, of that, is mind boggling.

....
 
Please remove this thread immediately. This transaction has already been settled via pay pal. Person has sent threatening and harassing texts and calls. There are no refunds because your dragon is growing up nor if it looks like it's clutch mates. User sgambino needs to be banned
 
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