Bad Guy Fire and Ice Dragons (Terri Sommella)

[Iraqvet]

Also before the is taken as me changing my mind again, a refund is still the more favorable resolution. The only reason I even made the above statement was to put folks mind at ease that I will not be risking a life over $$$. My kids will still eat, I will still make my house payment, and still be able to live the lifestyle I am used to without a refund. I do not wish un-neccessary death of an animal for something like this.

This is why I cant understand why people would take up for them..Just that fact they are so stubborn they would rather have an animal maybe die just so they can make a point is beyond me..Its sad these people are in this hobby for the $$$..They sure are not in it for the animals...I also think its wierd that people on here leave their name when giving good karma but dont when they leave bad karma..Didnt know we had such scarredy cats around here who cant say what they want in the BOI or cry when someone makes their comments look bad cause they are wrong..

 

[aleria]

This is why I cant understand why people would take up for them..Just that fact they are so stubborn they would rather have an animal maybe die just so they can make a point is beyond me..Its sad these people are in this hobby for the $$$..They sure are not in it for the animals...I also think its wierd that people on here leave their name when giving good karma but dont when they leave bad karma..Didnt know we had such scarredy cats around here who cant say what they want in the BOI or cry when someone makes their comments look bad cause they are wrong..

Agreed and agreed.

Fire and Ice Dragons... 07-22-2010 09:19 AM You have to act like a hot head piece of trash no matter dont ya. Ms I HAVE TO HAVE THE LAST WORD. Go get a life or something.

I'm a hot headed piece of trash now apparently

 

[joshjtd]

Agreed and agreed.




I'm a hot headed piece of trash now apparently

Jessica,

Our phone conversation went about like that when I called her. I guess what is done is done. I think that her responses to most folks here did more harm to her reputation that I could have done if I wanted to.

I do appreciate the folks in this community (even the folks that don't agree with me). It does help do get various perspectives on things and try to see it from an unbiased view.

 

[joshjtd]

I will keep this thread updated when/if she ships the dragon or issues a refund. With the lack of communication now, I have my doubts on wether either will happen but we shall see.

 

[omni]

It would probably be best for you and the dragon if you kept it, Josh. The whole risk and possibilities of not getting your refund if you returned the beardie are what would decide me.
Was this thread warranted? Probably not as a bad guy thread, but info. However, Terri's posts say much about her biz and how she would deal with a problem. This is important to know about businesses and what comes out in boi threads is not always expected. That this thread ferreted out things that will now keep many from buying from F&I makes much of the content valid.
Terri is not good at handling a problem. Has variable TOS. Cares more about $$ than the animals. It does not matter HOW LONG you've been in the biz it can come to an end when word gets out that your practices are on the down side of the curve.
Josh, I hope the dragon is everything you hoped it would be, and that you keep it. Terri is not about to refund and likely would not be able to immediately do so even if everything went perfectly in returning it.

I say let this thread die until/unless something else comes up or is an update Josh getting his dragon.

 

[DaveyFig]

This is why I cant understand why people would take up for them..Just that fact they are so stubborn they would rather have an animal maybe die just so they can make a point is beyond me.

Perhaps I read it wrong but I believe Terri said that the dragon would be shipped in the heat if that was what the buyer wanted and agreed to, and would take responsibility for. Otherwise, he would have to wait as was originally agreed to.

The way I see it, Josh was confused as to why the animal was not shipped at the end of June. If it was born on June 7th, it would not have been ready by then (from any breeder), and perhaps the "end of June" was a misprint in the email and should have been "end of July". I am sure none of us have made a mistake like that before though right?

The end of June came and went with no dragon shipped (because a 3 week old dragon isn't ready), and guess what happened!! Just like every year that I can remember, temperatures rose in July. I don't see that as changing excuses for not shipping. I see that as What happens when animals are born in June and can't be shipped until July and by then it is too hot.

On this next part I may be way off, but it is something that came to mind.Is it possible that the reason there aren't pictures is because the animal that is to go to Josh is not set in stone? I am not saying that they buyer is pulling a bait and switch, but what if the "hand picked" dragon can't be hand picked until they are at the same stage? Maybe they are waiting until they are all looking their best to decide which will go to Josh. By sending pics of one in shed, it locks them into sending that one, even if they think a different one looks better after shed. I don't know, just something to think about, but they might be trying to pair Josh up with the best animal for him.

 

[aleria]

Perhaps I read it wrong but I believe Terri said that the dragon would be shipped in the heat if that was what the buyer wanted and agreed to, and would take responsibility for. Otherwise, he would have to wait as was originally agreed to.

The way I see it, Josh was confused as to why the animal was not shipped at the end of June. If it was born on June 7th, it would not have been ready by then (from any breeder), and perhaps the "end of June" was a misprint in the email and should have been "end of July". I am sure none of us have made a mistake like that before though right?

The end of June came and went with no dragon shipped (because a 3 week old dragon isn't ready), and guess what happened!! Just like every year that I can remember, temperatures rose in July. I don't see that as changing excuses for not shipping. I see that as What happens when animals are born in June and can't be shipped until July and by then it is too hot.

On this next part I may be way off, but it is something that came to mind.Is it possible that the reason there aren't pictures is because the animal that is to go to Josh is not set in stone? I am not saying that they buyer is pulling a bait and switch, but what if the "hand picked" dragon can't be hand picked until they are at the same stage? Maybe they are waiting until they are all looking their best to decide which will go to Josh. By sending pics of one in shed, it locks them into sending that one, even if they think a different one looks better after shed. I don't know, just something to think about, but they might be trying to pair Josh up with the best animal for him.

These are all great what if's, but it would be nice if Terri would have actually stated any of that, made the correction from June to July if it were a misprint, which she didn't, etc. etc. etc. She had and still has a chance to answer all of the questions posed by those in this thread and by the OP himself but has chose not to do so.
We would all like to believe there isn't something sinister behind it, but instead we're all left to wonder.

 

[DaveyFig]

I think that my "what ifs" are as worthy of posting as any that paint Terri in a bad light. Terri has said that when the animal can be shipped, it will be shipped. It was too small, now it is too hot. Neither can be controlled by Terri. The animal couldn't be shipped, so it wasn't. That much has been made clear. Terri did say that and the emails were posted by Josh to prove it. So far all we have is a person who hasn't shipped an animal that couldn't be shipped being called out for not shipping, and then being degraded for saying that they would ship in the heat if that is what the buyer demands. It does look like buyer's remorse to me. I know he paid 3 months ago, but the Dragon is only 7 weeks old, and it has been hot. I don't know how else to say it.

 

[Iraqvet]

I think that my "what ifs" are as worthy of posting as any that paint Terri in a bad light. Terri has said that when the animal can be shipped, it will be shipped. It was too small, now it is too hot. Neither can be controlled by Terri. The animal couldn't be shipped, so it wasn't. That much has been made clear. Terri did say that and the emails were posted by Josh to prove it. So far all we have is a person who hasn't shipped an animal that couldn't be shipped being called out for not shipping, and then being degraded for saying that they would ship in the heat if that is what the buyer demands. It does look like buyer's remorse to me. I know he paid 3 months ago, but the Dragon is only 7 weeks old, and it has been hot. I don't know how else to say it.

Ok..We will talk about shipping..Who here thinks an animal has a say in that??No one,ok lets move on..She is the one who was so ill minded she said she would rather have the animal shipped back to back for a refund versus just giving him one strait out..How many animals die every year cause of SHIPPING ERRORS??..Why risk it???..This just has CARLESS AND GREEDY written all over it by fire and ice...Oh and please refrain from calling Aleria a piece of trash..Thats not nice to talk to good standing members here like that..This is about your crappy businness fire and ice!!

 

[DaveyFig]

Ok..We will talk about shipping..Who here thinks an animal has a say in that??No one,ok lets move on..She is the one who was so ill minded she said she would rather have the animal shipped back to back for a refund versus just giving him one strait out..How many animals die every year cause of SHIPPING ERRORS??..Why risk it???..This just has CARLESS AND GREEDY written all over it by fire and ice...Oh and please refrain from calling Aleria a piece of trash..Thats not nice to talk to good standing members here like that..This is about your crappy businness fire and ice!!

If the buyer had waited for an appropriate time to ship (remembering that is is 7 weeks old today and mid July), the animal wouldn't be returned, so using that to go after the seller is a stretch. Again, Terri would only ship the animal if Josh demanded it. If Josh shipped it back, again that would be HIS decision. This thread isn't about not getting a refund, it is about impatience. While I agree that there are red flags that would leave me suspicious, it very well could be that age and weather are playing a factor.

 

[chamgirl99471]

I'm not going to go back and search but I believe in one of the F&I posts she stated that they did have the dragon set aside and that it was in constant shed so she wasn't going to take a picture of it! If I'm wrong then I'm sorry. The fact that she stated that and won't take a picture although Josh has asked since day 1 says a lot. If I were breeding dragons and had 12 years of business under my belt, I would be sure to take pictures of the entire clutch the day they hatched or shortly after they hatched so that Josh could actually see that the clutch is there. Then.. when I have chosen said dragon for a customer I would take comparitive shots to show the customer that this is your dragon and here it is growing. Just my opinion but it would help to at least have one picture of said dragon but as her other threads on here have suggested... she has issues with taking pictures of individual animals that she's selling unless you pick one specific animal from her website.

Just my .02

 

[aleria]

I'm not going to go back and search but I believe in one of the F&I posts she stated that they did have the dragon set aside and that it was in constant shed so she wasn't going to take a picture of it! If I'm wrong then I'm sorry. The fact that she stated that and won't take a picture although Josh has asked since day 1 says a lot. If I were breeding dragons and had 12 years of business under my belt, I would be sure to take pictures of the entire clutch the day they hatched or shortly after they hatched so that Josh could actually see that the clutch is there. Then.. when I have chosen said dragon for a customer I would take comparitive shots to show the customer that this is your dragon and here it is growing. Just my opinion but it would help to at least have one picture of said dragon but as her other threads on here have suggested... she has issues with taking pictures of individual animals that she's selling unless you pick one specific animal from her website.

Just my .02

Agreed. And really I don't think I have seen many threads where a person was waiting x amount of time for an animal and didn't at least get one picture. Usually the only time they never got a picture was when it turned out the seller either didn't have the animal or something was wrong with it. And usually people would jump all over that seller and let the accusations fly as to why no pictures, not a single one, are being provided after weeks of waiting and requesting it. But I guess in this case any type of speculation is a big or so it seems.

 

[joshjtd]

Still no contact and still no pictures. As stated before I am now not sure that she will ship the dragon. My other concern is that if she does ship it, she will not communicate when it is shipping so I will not be able to make arrangements to be home to get the package. I am still holding on to hope that she will have had some time to cool down and get the issue resolved before it comes to this. I will be updating if any changes in the situation occur.

 

[joshjtd]

I did notice that the fire and ice website was updated today.

Babies Hatched: 6-7-10 SOLD OUT
Second Clutch Hatched: 7-3-10 SOLD OUT

It also appears she did adjust her TOS a bit.

Please note: No refunds are given on deposits for special order dragons of certain pairings or dragons held for International shipment before the dragon has shipped. Thank you.








GUARANTEE



We guarantee that our dragons are healthy and eating well from hatching to the day of shipment. When you receive your dragon(s), if it is not what you wanted, or you are disappointed in any way, contact us immediately. Return the dragon to us in good health immediately and we will provide you with a replacement dragon.

 

[deborahbroadus]

Agreed. And really I don't think I have seen many threads where a person was waiting x amount of time for an animal and didn't at least get one picture. Usually the only time they never got a picture was when it turned out the seller either didn't have the animal or something was wrong with it. And usually people would jump all over that seller and let the accusations fly as to why no pictures, not a single one, are being provided after weeks of waiting and requesting it. But I guess in this case any type of speculation is a big or so it seems.

Perhaps she has to wait till the ALL shed to pick the best one. He wants HOLD BACK quality, he wants a picture of HIS dragon. If all the dragons are in constant shed (as my snakes are at different times). It would be nearly impossible to pick the most colorful one; hence the OP's may not be picked yet?

Just a thought.

 

[chamgirl99471]

Very True Deborah but at one point she did state that she had "His" Dragon picked out and ready to ship when the weather was right but she won't send a picture of "His" Dragon to him so who knows.. the fact that she's not responding says a lot about her character. If she could come back and just answer these questions in a professional manner then I think it would make Josh feel a lot better about this whole situation! Just my opinion.

 

[deborahbroadus]

Very True Deborah but at one point she did state that she had "His" Dragon picked out and ready to ship when the weather was right but she won't send a picture of "His" Dragon to him so who knows.. the fact that she's not responding says a lot about her character. If she could come back and just answer these questions in a professional manner then I think it would make Josh feel a lot better about this whole situation! Just my opinion.

Ahh, that's right. She did.

I can't speak for her character at this point. Anger makes us talk crazy sometimes. I do hope she upholds the reputation of her company has enjoyed until now.

 

[Omnomnami]

Still no contact and still no pictures. As stated before I am now not sure that she will ship the dragon. My other concern is that if she does ship it, she will not communicate when it is shipping so I will not be able to make arrangements to be home to get the package. I am still holding on to hope that she will have had some time to cool down and get the issue resolved before it comes to this. I will be updating if any changes in the situation occur.

I really wonder how she will go about this. If she does ship the dragon without telling you and you aren't their to receive the dragon then that is her fault and I'm sure if you inform them, she will have the proper authorities all over her and her business for animal cruelty.

If she continues this I would call her local police department and have her taken in. Now that she has ceased all of her communication there is no telling if she will ever give you the dragon or refund so she has pretty much stolen your money.

Best of luck. Sorry this lady is putting you through hell but it seems to me that she'll be put through just as much if this gets to her locally. And that's assuming that this thread isn't hurting her business like it should be.

 

[chamgirl99471]

I agree Nichole... Hopefully she'll resume some sort of communication even if it's just an E-mail to Josh stating that she will be shipping him his dragon on a specific date so that he can make arrangements to be there to receive it. I would truly hope she's not that bitter and stubborn to completely put the animal at risk by shipping without any notification whatsoever. That would be just plain cruel and unusual punishment for a helpless animal who has no say in the matter. Josh... Just take the proper actions and see what comes of this and keep us updated. This is a sad case to say the least. When you are in this hobby you need to be flexible and work with your customer no matter what! Good Luck Josh and Hope things work out for the best in this situation.

 

[chamgirl99471]

I did notice that the fire and ice website was updated today.

Babies Hatched: 6-7-10 SOLD OUT
Second Clutch Hatched: 7-3-10 SOLD OUT

It also appears she did adjust her TOS a bit.

Please note: No refunds are given on deposits for special order dragons of certain pairings or dragons held for International shipment before the dragon has shipped. Thank you.








GUARANTEE



We guarantee that our dragons are healthy and eating well from hatching to the day of shipment. When you receive your dragon(s), if it is not what you wanted, or you are disappointed in any way, contact us immediately. Return the dragon to us in good health immediately and we will provide you with a replacement dragon.

Does anyone have a screenshot of her previous TOS and Guarantee?

Josh.. If you happen to take this to the authorities it would be helpful to have the original TOS so there is no confusion there. This TOS is basically saying that you will NOT get any type of refund whether you return the dragon or not. I'm glad you are compassionate enough to state that you are willing to keep the dragon rather then risk it's life by returning it. Good Luck!