• 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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    Posted 08/15/2025
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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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    Addendum: 01/10/2026
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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....

Ethics Question - Selling to "Scammers"

Okay here is how I feel. I personally would not want to deal with the guy but if I am stuck between closing my doors and going to the poor house or making the sale and paying my bills. I will make the sale to keep my bills paid. Yea it sucks but that is just reality. If you need his business to survive sell rodents to him. You can charge him more if it makes you feel better. I have people come into my store that I have "heard" are not the type of people I would ever deal with on a personal level but I still sell them crickets, feeders and fish food. Would I ever loan them anything, buy anything from them or have them over for dinner? Absolutely not. I think it comes down to how bad you need the business. If you can get by with out selling to him tell him to go pound sand.
 
Kelly I think that is where us that work out of our homes have an advantage over a physical store. Our overhead is alot less... and therefore we can be picky about who we sale too.

Before my collection exploded I had ALOT of extra feeders so I ran an ad in the paper for cheap feeders. I had a couple guys contact me about needing rodents and I sold to them. Just so happens that my buddy was there for the transaction (by chance not design) and after they left he informed me that I might want to stay clear of them because they are known dope heads. He was on the force at the time. Two weeks later they called again wanting feeders... and I told them I couldnt do it... to find feeders elsewhere.

Yes... Im trying to make an honest go of my business.... but I wont sell my name and reputation to do it. I have always said if you stand by a pile of crap long enough... you too will smell like crap. Therefore If I know your a bad guy... I dont want anything to do with you and that means even if I loose out on a sale. In the end... I will come out ahead because my ethics and rep will be above reproach.
 
I'm sure he'd find a place to get feeders, but it wouldn't be from me. I'm not interested in knowingly dealing with someone who has willfully ripped people off or stolen, no matter how many times they may claim they've changed.

We're often judged by the company we keep, and I just don't want my name which I've worked hard for tossed into that hat.

Sounds to me like he needs to start breeding his own feeders. Do some good deals, some good deeds, work his way back up in the eyes of the community and give us reason to want to deal with him. If he doesn't want to put in the work to right his wrongs, I personally am okay with him being run out of the hobby. :shrug01:
 
RidgeTop Reptiles said:
Kelly I think that is where us that work out of our homes have an advantage over a physical store. Our overhead is alot less... and therefore we can be picky about who we sale too.
Click to expand...


:iagree:This is quite true.

My Ball python business is based out of my home and you bet I wouldn't sell to or let scum around my home. I just assumed the op had a facility. To me it makes a difference. One is alot more personal than the other.
 
Ok, I have approached the debate from an ethical issue and a social responsiblity/moral angle. We are all on the same page. HOWEVER... I always give any business the option of making their own choice and my own decisions come from their choices.

Kevin, you already know my stance on this issue. My ethics are not for for sale, in fact, if I screwed up like this guy did, I would get out. It would be that simple. I know how unforgiving this small community can be and some of us are like sharks when we scent blood. On the other hand, speaking to the older breeders, some of them seem to have the impression that we "upstarts" are on a moral "high horse."


How do we stike a balance? Is being unyieldingly ridgid the correct path? Who of us has never made a mistake?

*Please, what the Wises' did was reprehensible. I would forgive them and I simply would not let them into my sphere, because I wouldn't be able to trust them... so this kind of situation wouldn't come up .
 
Maybe we are on a moral high horse... but shouldn't we strive to hold ourselves to a higher standard. Im not saying what any of the old timers did was wrong... but why not hold oursleves to the highest standard that we can.

This is the first thing you see when you visit my website

Welcome to RidgeTop Reptiles, we specialize in only one thing... Quality!

Quality comes first in everything we do, whether its our animals or our customer service. We can continually guarantee this kind of excellence because, as a small reptile breeding business, we are able to pay greater attention to the details.
Click to expand...

And the reason it is there is because I truely believe it.

I try to hold myself to the highest standard I can... and for me... that means not dealing with KNOWN (to me) bad guys. Even if it means loosing out on a sale.

Deb.. Im not saying your rep is for sale... I honestly believe you when you say its not. Im just playing devils advocate on why the OP should not deal with this guy.

We all make mistakes... it happens. If they are honest mistakes then Im the first to tear into you and hopefully help you see the light, then I'll help you get on the right path (IMO). But there are some things that just are not honest mistakes. And Theft is one of them. Your moral compass is all messed up and quite frankly... I dont have anything for you.
 
deborahbroadus said:
My ethics are not for for sale, in fact, if I screwed up like this guy did, I would get out. It would be that simple.
Click to expand...

And that's why you'll be around for the long haul. :yesnod:

I dunno. I see what you're saying, but there's just this block in my head that won't let me even consider knowingly doing business with someone who's stooped to that low level. I mean, it's not like it was an honest mistake. :shrug01: The good news for people like that is that there'll always be someone out there willing to deal with them, whose ethics are for sale.

Myself? I can forgive, and I do quite often. But I sure won't forget. :reddevil:
 
Ok OP, there you have it. We've laid it all out for you. The pros and cons. Others will pitch in..but the decision is yours.

But be aware...we are watching...muwahhhahahaha! (snicker).
 
LOL Deborah... Looks like the OP has a choice to make now! It's all been laid on the table from some of the more respected members of the site so there you go!
 
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