• 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 FloridaHerps.com - BUYERS BEWARE!!!

Jennifer, what is your affiliation with FloridaHerps?
You seem to have more than a casual knowledge of the people, and most customers wouldn't turn their initial BOI post into an full blown advertisement...you managed to squeeze in their business address, phone, and 4 additional websites.
 
hhmoore said:
Jennifer, what is your affiliation with FloridaHerps?
You seem to have more than a casual knowledge of the people, and most customers wouldn't turn their initial BOI post into an full blown advertisement...you managed to squeeze in their business address, phone, and 4 additional websites.
Click to expand...

I live about 15 miles from them. I'm actually closer to Silver City just down the same street. I've been buying from them for about 3 years. My husband who was my boyfriend at the time used to go to their farm on Lorraine Road to get feeders because it was on his way to work. I've personally met with 3 people there, all sweetharts. My husband and I were at their place a few months ago buying Phoenix Worms and I saw their sulcata tortoises in a large pin. Florida Herps posted a picture of a 8 inch female on their facebook page at the end of last month (its still there on their page). I talked my hubby into building a tortoise table in the entrance of our cafe we run in Orlando. We also have one in Sarasota. Quan (my husband) called florida herps and asked for more photos. We had 5-6 pictures within an hour. We called back and ordered over the phone. The very next morning she was there. I say there because this week I am at our place in Myakka City so I can train a new emplyoee at our Sarasota location. Flroidaherps even replied on their facebook page to our buying the girl on 10/1. Long before any of this started.

Lonna was just so nice and we are so happy with our tortoise that when I saw this thread I knew it couldnt be true. I did email them about this thread. Nick replied saying the OP is not a customer. Its acutally a new reptile company owner trying to make them look bad. He has no proof just a hunch so why post anything about a fake customer? I think I am more upset then they are. The OP also said this was a fake company or had some other place ship for them. I just know that to be wrong and felt I should post my tracking number and experience I just had with these guys. I was duped by another reptile company a couple years ago who I wont drag back into this. The company is in NY. My frogs were shipped from Hollywood, FL. and arrived DOA. Long story short, I got screwed. Their website sure looked pretty and I loved the guarnateed live arrival even for amphibians. Funny how that isnt what happened.

I actually feel bad for keeping this thread alive and was asked by Nick to stop egging the fake poster on.

Now I am not who started this and turned it into anything. I replied to a claim that was made without any proof. Isnt that required here? Why hasnt this thread been removed like all her others? If someone is going to accuse me of being some reptile company then why not the one I live next to? I know Dave and Kate Barkasy pretty good, better then I know the owners of Floridaherps. Silver City wont sell to me is why I went to floridaherps. My daughter also goes to school with Dave and Kate's youngest daughter. Oh, I also live about 1 mile from the Nutriworm guys if someone wants to say I am them too.

I know a few more things about floridaherps because I took 60sec on Google. I know that the company that owned floridaherps.com back when the stolen photo thread was started is no longer in business. www.sunbiz.org Florida Herps, Inc. is closed. Florida Herpetology, Inc. is the company that bought them or whatever. Its all right there to check out. It looks like the new company formed on 3/4/11 and became effective on 4/1/11. The picture thread was started ONE day before the new company took over. I dont really know the inner personal dynamics of those guys but I know they do alot more then just sell reptiles to people on a website. Oh, I do know that the original owner is the current owners father. If I owned that company I would be screaming at the roof tops about this injustice. Nick said these threads go away faster then they show up and to just let it go. So I will.

I would still love to see ANY evidence this company did anything wrong with either of the two people that are complaining.

Jen
 
JennyBell said:
Why hasnt this thread been removed
Click to expand...

Threads here are not removed. Each side can have their say, and the readers can choose who to believe, and who to spend their money with on future transactions.

I smell a rat, the company you are obviously going to bat for has been letting you front for them, instead of coming here to say their say.
 
Why would we remove this thread? Because you hinted at it several times, before asking why it wasn't done? Because you are friendly with the company, and have chosen to take up the battle for them? Or because you know Dave and Katie (so do I, btw - can't help but wonder WHY they won't sell to you)

If Nick, or Dr whateverhisnameis, or any other member of FloridaHerps, wants anything said here - please let them say it for themselves. There is no reason for you to serve as a mouthpiece.
 
Lucille said:
Threads here are not removed. Each side can have their say, and the readers can choose who to believe, and who to spend their money with on future transactions.

I smell a rat, the company you are obviously going to bat for has been letting you front for them, instead of coming here to say their say.
Click to expand...

I understand the rules here are different. I said that because other websites removed her posts within a day or two. I actually agree with having the posts stay, I get it now.
 
hhmoore said:
Why would we remove this thread? Because you hinted at it several times, before asking why it wasn't done? Because you are friendly with the company, and have chosen to take up the battle for them? Or because you know Dave and Katie (so do I, btw - can't help but wonder WHY they won't sell to you)

If Nick, or Dr whateverhisnameis, or any other member of FloridaHerps, wants anything said here - please let them say it for themselves. There is no reason for you to serve as a mouthpiece.
Click to expand...

Silver City wont sell to anyone that isnt a reptile company. I own two cafe's, that doesnt count. Trust me I tried! If you know them please call them up and ask all about Bill, Lonna, Nick and whomever else works there. I am sure they could tell you much more then I. If you know them you will also trust whatever they say about them I would hope? So why not do that?

Nick is the guy that answers the phone, thats how I know him. (speaking of phones... Not to get sidetracked, but if you read the post from FireChick she says she tried to call and got a machine. That sure isnt what Nick's email says, and Firechick posted that email. So again this just doesnt add up.) Lonna is the one that replied to our emails and who we see when we go there is how I know her. I have never met either Bill's. I did meet Lillian who wrote that email in the other thread. She passed away months ago and was at least 70. I think that was either Lonna or Bill Jr's mom, she was someones mom that worked there. I really dont see what any of this has to do with a couple of people that came here to your forum and pubically slammed a company in the industry we all love so much. I dont see what grilling me has to do with the thread topic.

Like I said, Nick said he would respond to any legit claim. I personally disagree and wish he would come here now, or better yet Lonna. But I understand they feel different. I would have stopped posting if I wasnt being accused of being someone else. That kinda sucks ya know? I sure wasnt looking to get anyone pissed at me. I thought by showing my tracking number, my real name, a little bit about my wonderful buying experinces would actually mean something to this conversation. But like most of this BOI threads seem to do they get side tracked thus making them almost worthless.

Is there anything else I can answer for anyone? So long as everyone is done asking me question I will simply kick it back and wait for the proof that will never come. Moving on...

Jen
 
Serafim said:
So they are aware of this thread and do not care to defend themselves?
Click to expand...

They are very aware of this thread.

Nick said if a customer ever starts a legit BOI thread and provides more then empty comments without proof or evidence he will be happy to respond.

So far we have two girls that have made serious claims and failed to provide any proof of wrong doing, so why should they waste their time? Nick is already upset at me for dragging on a bogus claim. It serves no real purpose to lie and attempt to make a company look bad. In fact... If the OP has no proof she was ever a customer of florida herps why do you think she posted in the first place? Motive? Hmm... Why would any private person take the time to create an account on here and lie about a company knowing it was a lie and never intended on providing proof? I cannot think of a single reason. I can sure see motive if this was a competitor of floridaherps. Perhaps Nick is right and this really is another companies twisted way and making them look bad? That would at least make perfect since given the lack of evidence we all have to go on here.

Ok, any other questions from the fh customer that actually did provide proof of being a customer? Sheesh...

Jen
 
Skinindustries said:
I have read this past 6 pages over an over again, and it seems crazy how bad she is defending this company.
Click to expand...

You darn right. I've been going there for years, they have always treated us great, and we just got done buying a tortoise from them and everything was great with that order too. I posted (unlike the OP) proof of my transaction with these guys. I thought that was the entire point of this forum? Should I have said nothing? Was I wrong for posting I was customer and say my experiences are nothing remotely close to the OP? Really? Why am I getting the 3rd degree for sticking up for a company and people I know to be pleasant and professional? I thought that was called customer loyality? Guess not.

Its not me defending floridaherps its me defending myself for posting my real experiences with my fellow herp lovers only to have this entire thread twisted. I was just offering my $.02 only to have the OP right off the bat deflect the facts and you all fell for her tactics hook line and sinker. The more I read on here the more I see this is the norm. Think whatever you want of me, just dont let the facts or lack there of cloud your logic. This is a bogus thread that does not serve the herp community. It will only make people feel more fear from buying from good companies. I just dont see how that helps reptile people like me. They will see this thread BUYERS BEWARE (Am I the only one that thinks its ironic the only all CAPS we've seen is in the title?) and more then likely never take the time to read such a long clusterumph of BS. I mean really guys... you're smarter then this. Stick to the facts of the thread. Everything posted by these two people is highly suspect to put it nicely so you can either believe the OP that posted nothing. You can believe Firechick with her lack of emails and flat out contridictions to her own story, or you can believe the person that came here and posted proof they are a customer. Remember folks my transaction is even mentioned on their facebook page dated long before this thread. Hmmm. I'm sorry, but I will need to get back to my life now. I feel like this was such a waste of my time when I was just trying to stop an injustice.

Jen
 
Yet, you keep on posting.....
Have you noticed that the OP has not returned to this thread? That you are the one keeping it alive?
We're all happy that you have had good experiences with FloridaHerps....but your experiences don't carry any more weight that anybody else's.

Yes, I should call Dave - it's been too long...but I have no reason to waste time asking him about another company. It isn't as if I would post his comments anyway. If Dave wants to to say something about FloridaHerps, he is a member here.
 
JennyBell said:
They are very aware of this thread.

Nick said if a customer ever starts a legit BOI thread and provides more then empty comments without proof or evidence he will be happy to respond.
Click to expand...

So what about the other thread, with the stolen pictures and removed watermarks? That's a legit complaint, from multiple photographers, and was never resolved with any grace. Floridaherps never responded to that thread on the BOI--which was legitimate thread--and all their email replies to the photographers were snarky, sarcastic, condescending, and downright unprofessional.

Even if you had a good experience with your animals, why are you so willing to put your name and reputation on the line for a company that has shown itself to be so lacking in ethics, and so nasty to people trying to defend their property?

Sure, I'd love to see proof from the two gals who posted about the BP with ticks and the dehydrated/sick uro. They've made their claims, and need to put up or shut up.

But for me personally (and many others, I suspect), even without either of these animals up for debate, Florida Herps has already made my DNB list because of their ethical violations and attitude, and if I were you, I would think very carefully about if they're the kind of people you really want to throw your lot in with.
 
Good Day Everyone,

My name is Bill Thompson, CEO Florida Herpetology, Inc.

I will try to keep as short as possible…

- The OP of this thread is not nor has never been a customer of my company. That is why we did not reply.

- Kellie Taylor is/was a customer of ours. I think Nick’s email explained her issue just fine. We offered her a free replacement and she refused. What else can I say? I will point out that we have never replied to anyone using all CAPS. That is silly & there is no evidence of that – just another lie in a series of lies.

- Jennifer & Quan Bell are longtime local customers and I would go so far as to call them my friends. I did ask Jennifer to please stop posting on our behalf because I thought she was doing more harm than good. If she would have left this thread alone it would have faded away for being complete & total garbage. I had to call Quan and ask his to please have his wife stop posting. I do appreciate your enthusiasm Jennifer but if we feel the need to respond we will.

- Regarding the past thread… Lillian was (she died in June) my mother & reacted to that OP about as bad as a company can. That was my mom’s last week working here and she was having a really hard time turning over a group of companies to her son after she controlled everything for almost 16 years. I am sincerely sorry that had to be the BOI’s first experience with our business. We did reply to all 3 of the people in that thread directly and worked everything out. Sorry we didn’t do that publicly. Feel free to ask the people in that thread if we handled that quickly and professionally. I think copyright laws are very serious and sure do not want anyone to think otherwise simply because we chose to deal with our business issue as professionals by directly communicating with the nice people that had a real reason to be upset.

- If a real customer of our company ever comes here with a valid claim including evidence of us doing something “wrong” - I will personally come here and respond. We’ve been selling to the public for over three years. The fact that this is the first bad guy thread in 3+ years I think speaks for itself – especially when you realize this OP is full of it and everyone here knew it from the start.

- I will not be commenting further here, but if anyone wishes to discuss this or any matter please feel free to email me at [email protected] or call (800) 975-5880. My cell phone is (941) 448-5438. I will take as much time as needed to go over anything with anyone. I will not however continue to keep this thread alive.

Thank you,
Bill Thompson
Florida Herpetology, Inc.
3809 Lorraine Road
Lakewood Ranch, FL 34211
(800) 975-5880 – 10am to 6pm EST Mon-Sat.
(866) 261-3820 – FAX
(800) 844-5203 – Wholesale accounts
www.FloridaHerps.com
www.SuncoastReptiles.com
www.SuncoastReptileRescue.org
www.ReptiLabs.com
www.FloridaAquaria.com (Under Construction & Coming Soon)
 
Back
Top