• Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
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  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    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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    =====================


    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 Garret Smith ( Scammer )

5Th part
 

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6Th part
 

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A couple of lingering questions.

Did Michael know he was an investor with no recourse when the deal was made? Or is this something which was unspoken and open to interpretation?

The Garret Smith from 10 years ago is referenced as being from Chico CA in one thread, your city. Is this just a coincidence?

You have a want list on your website with a few ESA species currently unavailable in private north american herpetoculture. This raises some concerns about your understanding of import/export laws- which could be a component in why people are getting nervous about trusting you with such large sums of money after no animals have been supplied (particularly after other people have landed their Pakistan orders months ago).

A simple solution to rest concerns about the animals coming may simply be to redact the CITES documents of any sensitive material and show that you are making headway on the shipment




Of course Mike knew he was going in on this transaction and buying these animals at cost. and that It could go quick or take along time. He knows and texted me a few days ago that his friend also confirmed that importing can take 6 months to a year. If the supplier doesn't follow through we can get our money back. But Mike is changing his mind and wants out after everyone has put time and money into this.

All of the ESA species on my want list are in the private sector and in my state. So no import/export laws are required. The one that is not endangered. Yes, is not currently available in the US.

I'm not expierenceing people being nervous from buying animals off of me.

What Pakistan order came in months ago?

I have sent Mike the completed documents and communicated with him every time I get new information.
 
7Th part
 

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Ok I'll play.

The same Pakistan order which went to Kam where all of the Saara which were offered came from.

Mike claims you did not send him completed documents, seems easy to disprove rather than he said she said.

You are incorrect about there being Galapagos Land iguanas in the private sector in California. Cyclura cychlura figginsi is listed as threatened under the ESA and is also not in our state in the private sector. You're welcome to consult anyone from the Iguana workshop on the topic as we are lucky to have a very knowledgeable iguana-head from it in state.

I am familiar with the issues with the import/export game which is a big reason I don't take money up front when dealing with complicated countries. Delays occur sometimes with simple things like re-export CITES. With that said 7 months seems like a problem is at hand; and certainly a reasonable time period to want to wash your hands of a deal. Then again something as simple as providing proof of progress (redacted CITES docs for instance) would seem like an easy solution.
 
8Th part
 

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Ok I'll play.

The same Pakistan order which went to Kam where all of the Saara which were offered came from.

Mike claims you did not send him completed documents, seems easy to disprove rather than he said she said.

You are incorrect about there being Galapagos Land iguanas in the private sector in California. Cyclura cychlura figginsi is listed as threatened under the ESA and is also not in our state in the private sector. You're welcome to consult anyone from the Iguana workshop on the topic as we are lucky to have a very knowledgeable iguana-head from it in state.

I am familiar with the issues with the import/export game which is a big reason I don't take money up front when dealing with complicated countries. Delays occur sometimes with simple things like re-export CITES. With that said 7 months seems like a problem is at hand; and certainly a reasonable time period to want to wash your hands of a deal. Then again something as simple as providing proof of progress (redacted CITES docs for instance) would seem like an easy solution.

Nicely put.
 
9Th pt
 

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10 pt
 

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10Th part
 

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Of course Mike knew he was going in on this transaction and buying these animals at cost. and that It could go quick or take along time. He knows and texted me a few days ago that his friend also confirmed that importing can take 6 months to a year. If the supplier doesn't follow through we can get our money back. But Mike is changing his mind and wants out after everyone has put time and money into this.

All of the ESA species on my want list are in the private sector and in my state. So no import/export laws are required. The one that is not endangered. Yes, is not currently available in the US.

I'm not expierenceing people being nervous from buying animals off of me.

What Pakistan order came in months ago?

I have sent Mike the completed documents and communicated with him every time I get new information.

How did you send the "completed documents"? Any proof of that? Why would anyone avoid defending themselves with proof? I will never understand that mentality. If someone burglarizes my house and I have security cameras, I certainly wouldn't show up on court without the footage. Duh!
 
I wanted to make sure I wasn't speaking with bad info so I put a call in to my friend who runs the Iguana breeding facility for the SD zoo.

Even they can't acquire land iguanas. All captive figginsi in the private sector are locked in Florida and the only pure lewisi in state outside of zoos belong to David Blair who only has males.
 
How did you send the "completed documents"? Any proof of that? Why would anyone avoid defending themselves with proof? I will never understand that mentality. If someone burglarizes my house and I have security cameras, I certainly wouldn't show up on court without the footage. Duh!

Chris you nailed it :rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:



Lynn Peterson
Big Time Reptiles
 
I can add to this post from a few thousand kilometers away:

The geckos at Garretts house are mine and garrett, as a great business partner, was so kind to open up the US market for me. He keeps the animals for me in best condition and also manages the shipment to my customers.

Importing animals from countries like Pakistan is a though bussiness. It is amazing, which progresses Garrett made in this topic. And amazing, that people, who know how complicated such imports are, complain about it. To get this animals is a dream for many people and getting them is anyway worth the waiting time. I know that this dreams are close to become reality. and I am very thankful for all the time and effort and a lot of personal money Garrett already spent in this project.

I trust Garrett from all the wonderful things we dealt with in the past and can tell everyone: If bussiness with him works over that big distance, be sure, it will also work in your close distance. And any problems coming due to delays is just a matter of documents and organisation that just take longer in some countries.

Cheers, Markus

Markus, thank you for posting. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Where were you born and raised and how did you come to be involved in the herp community?
 
Then again something as simple as providing proof of progress (redacted CITES docs for instance) would seem like an easy solution.

Just a point to keep in mind. Import documents through US Fish and Wildlife are subject to a FOIA request and it is possible to not only get what was imported but who imported it, who exported it from the country of origin.....

The request typically will take a few weeks but pretty much all of the information is available.

Ed
Ed Kowalski
 
His wife's name is Lori Grieve Smith, you should message her and let her know what her husband is doing to you. Either she knows and is in on it, which I doubt, or she has no clue what he is doing and when you let her know she will make him do the right thing. At the very least it will embarrass the heck out of him! Sorry he did this to you, it's not cool at all. I know how exciting the thought of getting saara's must have been. I really hope he can be a man and do the right thing

Per your "I doubt it" statement, I'm inclined to believe you know her? If so, have YOU made her aware of this thread? Perhaps she could weigh in.
 
Ok I'll play.

The same Pakistan order which went to Kam where all of the Saara which were offered came from.

Mike claims you did not send him completed documents, seems easy to disprove rather than he said she said.

You are incorrect about there being Galapagos Land iguanas in the private sector in California. Cyclura cychlura figginsi is listed as threatened under the ESA and is also not in our state in the private sector. You're welcome to consult anyone from the Iguana workshop on the topic as we are lucky to have a very knowledgeable iguana-head from it in state.

I am familiar with the issues with the import/export game which is a big reason I don't take money up front when dealing with complicated countries. Delays occur sometimes with simple things like re-export CITES. With that said 7 months seems like a problem is at hand; and certainly a reasonable time period to want to wash your hands of a deal. Then again something as simple as providing proof of progress (redacted CITES docs for instance) would seem like an easy solution.

Wow Jorden Russell are assuming a lot of things in this statement. Let's go through them.

1. Your assuming I know Kam and this order or its the same order and it should be taking the same amount of time. I don't
2. Your assuming I'm lying about sending information to mike. Im not
3. Your assuming that I was referring to the Galapagos Land iguanas in the private sector. I was not
4. Your assuming that you know about EVERY legal Cyclura in California. You don't.Legal Cyclura cychlura figginsi, and Lewsi are bred in good numbers in California.
5. Your assuming Importing from one country is the same as another: Its not, Reptiles have not been exported legally from Pakistan quite a while
6. Your assuming I'm playing some game with you. I'm NOT

Garrett
 
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