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Bad Guy Friends Pet and Supply?

R

rockter

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Recently, I ordered a black throat monitor lizard from a person named Brandon at Friends Pet and Supply. I received the monitor this morning as expected; however, I did not receive the quality of lizard as presented. I emailed Brandon asking him to send me a picture of the specific lizard he would be sending me. He said that all of the lizards looked like the one in the ad (see the third attached picture). I now know why he refused to send the picture I requested.

When I opened the package, the poor lizard was emaciated and had obviously gone without proper care for some time. I hydrated him and fed him (I was glad to see him eat). I'm going to keep him because I feel it would be unethical to return it to such an inept keeper, but I would like others to know that Brandon from Friends Pet and Supply does not have a problem misrepresenting his livestock and furthermore, he cares for his stock poorly if this lizard is any indication of how he keeps his animals.

The first two pictures are pictures of the lizard I got this morning, the third is the picture from the ad that he said they all looked like. Maybe I'm off base, but mine sure doesn't look like the CBB he's posted a picture of. It seems that maybe he accidentally mixed in some Wild Caught babies in with his CBBs????
 
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None of the blackthroats are CB.
They are all imports.
Sounds like this dirtbag is just looking to make a buck and doesn't care about the animals.
I hope the little one pulls thru for you.
 
You're hardly off base if that is indeed the lizard you received! Selling/shipping an animal in that condition is inexusable, as is representing it as looking as healthy as the animal in the ad photo.

Not that I disbelieve you, Eric ... but could you please post any emails you may have from Brandon relative to the sale?

I commend you for keeping the monitor; you're correct (IMO) that it does not deserve to be returned to Brandon.
 
I'll put Brandon's writing in red.

yes they look like the picture they are great looking baby's. Give me your zip code and i can get a price on shipping, then you can make payment on pay pal.


http://friendspetandsupply.com
Friends Pet and Supply
Brandon 805-216-6364


--- On Mon, 2/8/10, Eric Enstrom <[email protected]> wrote:

From: Eric Enstrom <enstrom>
Subject: Re: Message about: CB BABY BLACK THROAT MONITORS
To: "Friends Pet and Supply" <brandon>
Date: Monday, February 8, 2010, 12:14 AM

If they all look like the one pictured in your ad, I'll take one. Do you do paypal?

-Eric

On Feb 7, 2010, at 5:07 PM, Friends Pet and Supply wrote:

i only have 6 left. they are all good animals, the picture in the add is one of the ones left.


http://friendspetandsupply.com


http://friendspetandsupply.com
Friends Pet and Supply
 
That is just sad to see an animal shipped in that condition!! That is definately not a healthy well fed or hydrated animal!! I'm sure that poor animal has been suffering for some time to get to that condition!! :( Poor thing.... at least it's lucky it was sent to you!! Good move on your part keeping it!! Hope it bulks up and does well for you :)

Good Luck!!
 
Wow, that lizard looks to be in horrible condition. ): Have you made the seller aware of this ad?? I would love to hear some sort of explanation.
 
I have tried to contact him via phone and email... he's not so quick to get back to me if he's not making a sale. See the quoted email with the red text-- that's what Brandon had to say to me about the ad. He has not responded since I brought the animal's poor condition to his attention.
 
In case the page gets deleted since they're listed as "sold out", here's a screen shot from Friend's website. Supposedly CBB. Unfortunately, the description doesn't mention dehydrated and malnourished. Shameful.
 
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That poor baby has gone a long long time with out proper care.Black throats are hardy and very tuff animals I sure hope it pulls through.That is also an indication why it is still alive it is afighter it ate.Glad to see you keep it and the dude who sold it is a idiot that should be banned from ever selling a reptile.
 
Brandon Responded

This is what he wrote back to me:

You are the first person to complain, i have sold over 100 of these guys in the last month. It eats every other day here and gets proper care, for you to accuse me of improper care with out seeing how i take care of my animals is wrong and it sounds like you are just out to get something. Maybe you don't have much experience with these monitors but they are slender in the hip are and plump in the gut as babies and even as adults. I have been to Africa to study these and other animals and seen these in the wild and they all look the same.If you want to ship the animal back and i find it in the same condition as i sent it i will give you store credit for the animal but not for the shipping as per my shipping terms that i previsoly sent to you, here they are again. http://friendspetandsupply.com/store/shipping.php
I did not refuse you a picture i told you The one in the picture is one of the ones i have left and they all look like it.


Thanks
http://friendspetandsupply.com
Friends Pet and Supply
Brandon 805-216-6364
 
This is Brandon's response:

You are the first person to complain, i have sold over 100 of these guys in the last month. It eats every other day here and gets proper care, for you to accuse me of improper care with out seeing how i take care of my animals is wrong and it sounds like you are just out to get something. Maybe you don't have much experience with these monitors but they are slender in the hip are and plump in the gut as babies and even as adults. I have been to Africa to study these and other animals and seen these in the wild and they all look the same.If you want to ship the animal back and i find it in the same condition as i sent it i will give you store credit for the animal but not for the shipping as per my shipping terms that i previsoly sent to you, here they are again. http://friendspetandsupply.com/store/shipping.php
I did not refuse you a picture i told you The one in the picture is one of the ones i have left and they all look like it.


Thanks
http://friendspetandsupply.com
Friends Pet and Supply
Brandon 805-216-6364
 
well that last statement in that email is a bold face lie. the picture in the sell ad looks nothing like the animal you got.
 
Just the last sentence is a lie? I'd say the lie started when I began quoting him. Where does one come up with 100 captive bred black throats? My guess is these are either wild caught or captive hatched in Africa (both of which are bad for the ecological concerns and the pet trade). If this guy is selling 100 of these a month as CBB, he needs to be stopped. Is there some other avenue I can take to bring more awareness to this guy's operation? Seems like this should be illegal.
 
as it pertains to his deal with you and the direct lie in reference to the status of the health of the animal you purchased yes the last line is the biggest lie to you. As far as where the animals are coming from, if he is listing them as CB (not to be confused as CBB) its a play on words as he could have gotten an umber of wild females that were gravid and the babies would be CB (Captive Born aka CH Captive Hatch) so that wouldnt neccessarily be a lie as much as a missdirection. But no matter what you were lied to about the health of that animal.
 
I agree though i cant prove that one way or another. At the end of the day the biggest red flag is that he sold you that black throat saying it looked just like the one pictured on the sale ad which it does not. good luck with that lil monitor im sure if you feed him up and get him healthy he will be just fine for ya.
 
I've said it a thousand times already and I will have to say it a thousand more I'm sure.

True monitor breeders have proof!!!!!

ALWAYS ask for photos of eggs, breeding if the ad says CBB (captive bred born). 99.9% Of the time if it's true they'll have it.

I'm more then willing to bet the original photo ad of the healthy baby is either
A) someone else's photo
or
B) Someone else's animal he took a photo of.

I'm fairly sure your baby is just a wild caught baby as most Albigs are. The main breeding farms there are for Niles and Savannah's since they're the most popular and cheapest in the pet trade. Based on markings the localities do not even look the same.

I would request a partial refund. If you paid via PayPal request it through them also. You did not get what you paid for!

Glad you kept it. Poor baby. :angry: His whole response to you is a lie. I'm really sorry.
 
You're right... I don't need the money, but I can't let this guy make money off unethical business practice. I'm going to ask for partial refund.
 
If you paid with a CC through Paypal I would go through them. Pypal isn't usually very helpful when it comes to live animal deals. You should be able to get at least some of the money if not all of it back through your bank or CC company. just the fact that it will probably cost you more in time, food, and possible vet bills to re-hab him than the actual value of of this animal should be enough for your bank or CC to be able to do something about it. Hope it works out for you.
 
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