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Inquiry Genefreak339 / Michael Harshbarger

deborahbroadus said:
I just want to point out the difficulty we had getting a tracking number (I never believe the excuse that someone is too "busy" with their lives to get on Fauna and post a simple number or answer a question (but I admit that that's just me).

I also want to point out that I personally do not know the person or character of the breeder to whom the animal was shipped and this was a breeding sized male.
Click to expand...

Just to point out the facts, this was not supposed to be a breeding size male. It was supposed to be a subadult female. However, what I found by shipping it to a friend was that it was actually a breeding size male. If Michael had not misrepresented the snake you would not have been able to make that statement.

As for the request for a tracking number, apparently you don't see that this is a diversion by Michael? He wants to set up in everyone's mind that he is the victim of my deceit. He projects onto others the scams that he has either pulled already or that he has thought up in his mind.

When I posted the first pictures of the snake, Michael made no claim that the pictures were not the snake he shipped to me. Now, I have posted proof that I have the same identifiable snake (look at the consistency of all the markings on the neck of the snake). If I have the exact same snake, what difference would it make if I shipped it to the President of the USA and back? Please tell me how the name/location of the person I sent the snake to has any relevance here at all.

deborahbroadus said:
So, me being me and this involves all my own "white noise" my first suspicion was this was another way to get a free morph and get the money back at the same time. If I have overlooked something that proves the contrary, my apologies...I am not accusing anyone..but instead of providing excuses for anyone's behavior, I try and see how the behavior would affect the transaction and who benefits from any of those presented behaviors.
Click to expand...

So, you are not making accusations, but making the suggestion that I would be trying to get a free morph and get my money back at the same time.

You are right, you don't know me. The people that know me are the ones I have done transactions with in the last 4 months.

  • George Sampson (MORPH MADNESS)
  • Steve Winkler
  • Mike Schofield
  • Jeff Byers
  • Jessica Gibbs (SuperCoiled Constrictors)
  • Lisa Staley (The Herp Vault)
  • Todd Smith

They would all tell you that I have made all payments exactly as I said I would and that I showed concern for the animals by delaying shipment sometimes for weeks because of the extreme heat in NC this summer.

And of course, Michael Harshbarger is on the list. Has he ever claimed that I didn't make my payments exactly as I said I would? Has there been any suggestion by him that I put myself or financial interests ahead of the well-being of the snakes? NO

Of all those deals, there is only one that has had any problems. That is the deal with Michael Harshbarger, a person who has a record of misrepresentation of snakes.

He asks for a tracking number to prove that I have the snake as a diversion because he has actually posted snakes for sale that he doesn't own and actually did it with this same snake. He wants his snake back before he ships because he fears he will get something different in the box, when that is exactly what he did to me. I find it odd that you would buy his story hook line and sinker even though he has a history of shady deals.

I find it offensive that you would suspect me of being shady and trying "another way to get a free morph and get the money back at the same time" based on the words of a know huckster without knowing a thing about me or asking me if there was anyone who would vouch for my character. In the end, your suspicion of me is exactly what he was trying to accomplish here - diverting the focus from his actions!!!

Defend Michael all you want, but please ask for references before trying suggest that I might be up to some mischief.

--Dale

P.S. The snake was delivered by FedEx this morning at 9:33 EDT and signed for by V. Harshbarger.
 
Diversion or not, how long would it have taken you to post the tracking number? There were a few more of us that wanted to see it and now you look very shady by ignoring the requests for it. I'm glad it got worked out but I'd never deal with either one of you.
 
Brandon Roesler said:
...with that being said, everything I learned in the beginning on how to sex a Beardie I learned form watching videos on YouTube, there are an extensive amount. I even learned how to completely Detail Dress my Glock 22C from watching a video on YouTube...and not that its relevant but I also learned how to make an origami swan from a YouTube video. Point being, they have a ga-jillion very informative, very detailed videos at your disposal.
Click to expand...

Actually what is more irrelevant is you mentioning your Glock. :rolleyes:

I just did a quick YouTube search on how to sex a beardie, and it's extremely easy compared to sexing a ball python. You lift up the tail and look. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZqC2imANpk) Sorry, but any pet owner can easily do that without any risk at all to the animal. Ball pythons, however, have no outward gender differences. You need to either take a long metal rod -- a probe -- and insert it into the cloaca and down the internal section of the tail (if male, inserts directly into the hemipene on either side), or use pressure against the base of the tail in a rolling motion and force the hemipene organs out through the cloaca -- popping babies requires light pressure, but popping sub-adults and adults that have very strong cloacal control requires a good deal of force to pop. Both methods can be very damaging to the snake if done improperly. Thus just "watching a YouTube video" isn't going to properly teach your everyday reptile owner how to sex a ball python like it would for sexing a beardie. These methods generally are taught in person by someone experienced, so it can be properly done without harm to the animal. For a select few, they may feel confident just watching some video or reading some instructions on it and then attempting on their own animal. But I know for myself, and many people I know that keep ball pythons, I was not about to risk permanent injury to a $3,000 snake by attempting to sex it on my own just based on a forum post or video. I damage a hemipene, or both, and I have an unbreedable animal. I had a breeder friend physically teach me how to do it myself when I first got into ball pythons 7 years ago, so that I knew exactly what I was doing before doing it on my own animals. If I were Dale and had purchased an expensive snake like he did and didn't know how to sex it properly, you can bet I'd have someone else do it and not just take a crack at it. Maybe the vet would have been a viable option, unless like some exotics veterinarians, the exam fee and sexing fee would have cost more than just shipping it to a friend did. I know the exam fee for my reptiles is $65 per visit, with any other services or tests costing extra, while my exam fee for domestic cats is $45. In our exotics and pocket pets class at school, our instructor (who is our resident DVM) even went over how clinical practice in exotics is often much more costly than domestic small animal or even large animal and equine.

I am not necessarily defending him in any way, simply pointing out some things. Although I don't really think he needs defending, as I don't see any of his actions as an attempt to scam anyone. That is just my opinion. Michael clearly misrepresented the animal in the beginning, from the morph it was to the weight it was advertised at, and then sent an underweight animal of the wrong gender. If I purchased a snake and it showed up 200g less in weight than advertised, and then found out a month later that it was the wrong gender, I'd be asking the seller for a refund just as Dale did, and be pretty pissed to boot. No, Michael shouldn't be held accountable for the cost of shipping the snake to and from the friend, but Dale also realized this after he calmed down and recanted that request. After all the times Michael has shown to misrepresent animals and lie about origins of animals, genetics, etc, I would be hesitant to send him back the snake and trust he would refund my money. I wouldn't have purchased from him to begin with, but in this case, I can see why Dale wanted him to refund his money before shipping the snake back. He was protecting himself from any further loss and hassle than he's already dealt with in this transaction.

Dale, you stated that the snake was delivered and signed for by V. Harshbarger. Has Michael refunded your money to include shipping costs?
 
JenHarrison said:
Dale, you stated that the snake was delivered and signed for by V. Harshbarger. Has Michael refunded your money to include shipping costs?
Click to expand...

I did get payment on paypal Sunday and he included $50 for shipping. It has been over 24 hrs since the snake was delivered and I have heard nothing about it from him so I assume this whole mess is over.

As for your comments about learning to do things from YouTube, I agree with what you said.

I have learned how to do brain surgery on rats to give them Parkinson's disease and how to give them human cancer from youtube, but the subjects of those surgeries were mice and rats, something the snake industry considers an expendable food item.

I was not about to rush in to probing an expensive snake. I have learned how to pop and will be getting that probing training soon.

Good luck to all on the upcoming season!!!
 
I love how your reputation is so terrible, that you have to LIST the people you've sold to. (I doubt they're thrilled about being associated with you)
 
Be honest.

Truthfully represent your animal (genetics, sex, acquired from etc etc etc)
Do not sell animals you do not have.
Do not buy an animal and start posting that you produced it and hit the odds...etc cetc

Actually I can have a whole list of things. In the end only three words would summarize everything you need to do.

Have some Morals

You do that, and this thread will pretty much go away and be burried under the endless amounts of good guy posts you can acquire. It is all up to you. Some have successfully done it. But there are others who failed miserably.

It is all up to you. :yesnod:
 
HerpVenue said:
Do not buy an animal and start posting that you produced it and hit the odds...etc cetc
Click to expand...


What are you talking about??? You have mentioned this numerous times. The only snake I ever put up saying I finally hit the odds was my black widow male and I definitely produced him along with his clutch mates (Black pastel, pastel, spider, blackbee) :yesnod:
 
I would suggest if you are going to buy, breed, and eventually sell Ball Pythons, make your first impression a GOOD one. Once you are thought of as a "bad guy," it is so very hard to lose that reputation. It is so easy to kill a good reputation, and almost impossible to bounce back from a lousy first impression.
 
ok i'm posting this for all to see
mark @ boamaster.com
i did not ever own or sell a anxanthic pinstripe to this guy or anyone else.
do not use my name as a reference ever.
i'm tired of bs phone calls -you suck for bringing me into this
i do know from a good guy that seen it at hamburg pa
that it is a unknown import that sold for 500 bucks to
lynn robertson blue ridge va
who i know but doesnt work for or with me.
he sold it to a guy in florida from a table next to mine
i've been called numerous times on this snake
quit freakin mentioning my name over this crap!
go scam someone with someone elses name.
 
That's funny because this thread (http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=120393&highlight=lynn+robertson) says that Lynn actually worked the tables for you. And it's also funny that his table just happened not only be right next to yours but also had Boa Masters imprinted into the actual display cages????

I never said you sold the snake. I said Lynn did and he said he was affiliated with you. And judging by that thread and the fact the display the snake was in had your company name on it, it seems to me he worked for you.

So sorry that when I asked you (Mark) how I could contact Lynn you got all crabby and said "Just go freakin look for him on facebook". So yes when someone emailed me asking about that snake I clearly told them the story and the snakes background.


boamaster said:
ok i'm posting this for all to see
mark @ boamaster.com
i did not ever own or sell a anxanthic pinstripe to this guy or anyone else.
do not use my name as a reference ever.
i'm tired of bs phone calls -you suck for bringing me into this
i do know from a good guy that seen it at hamburg pa
that it is a unknown import that sold for 500 bucks to
lynn robertson blue ridge va
who i know but doesnt work for or with me.
he sold it to a guy in florida from a table next to mine
i've been called numerous times on this snake
quit freakin mentioning my name over this crap!
go scam someone with someone elses name.
Click to expand...
 
boamaster said:
i do know from a good guy that seen it at hamburg pa.
Click to expand...
Mark, since anonymous third party stuff isn't permitted here -
Who is this "good guy" that gave you the information about the snake (and its history)?
 
lynn robertson blue ridge va
who i know but doesnt work for or with me.
what part of this dont you understand ?

i had sold him some of my old displays
thats why my name was on them.

as i have done with other people too!

all my cages have boamaster on them
does that mean every snake sold out my cages w my logo on it
are mine as well?

and then you called me and i i told you its not mine,he doesnt work for me,dont mention me .

and you do anyway ?
and i told you he's hard to get on phone
try facebook
your the one being an :censored: about it

so again dont mention me
as i m tired of people calling me about this animal wasting my time
because you cant get it through your thick head


it aint mine !! never was! dont bring me into it !:thumbsup:

hey its fine you will never sell it if you keep mentioning me anyway
because i know its a import,therefore unknown origin
and type and thats what i'm going to keep telling people,the truth.
 
Genefreak339 said:
.So yes when someone emailed me asking about that snake I clearly told them the story and the snakes background.
Click to expand...

Which background?
1. That it was wild caught?
2. That it was an axanthic pin?
3. That it was an IMG?
4. That it was a VPI axanthic?
5. That it miraculously became a possible lemonback axanthic?

You tried to sell the snake so many different ways, you forgot the history of it yourself
 
Genefreak339 said:
That's funny because this thread (http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=120393&highlight=lynn+robertson) says that Lynn actually worked the tables for you. And it's also funny that his table just happened not only be right next to yours but also had Boa Masters imprinted into the actual display cages????I never said you sold the snake. I said Lynn did and he said he was affiliated with you. And judging by that thread and the fact the display the snake was in had your company name on it, it seems to me he worked for you.

So sorry that when I asked you (Mark) how I could contact Lynn you got all crabby and said "Just go freakin look for him on facebook". So yes when someone emailed me asking about that snake I clearly told them the story and the snakes background.
Click to expand...


You don't get it, do you? MARK should KNOW who works for him and who doesn't. :shrug01:

If Lynn actually said "he was affiliated with Mark..." someone is lying perhaps (sharpens pen to add another name to the ever growing list).
 
Omg were still going on with this? Micheal is just bad news all over, and if ppl still buy off him thats there own fault. He flips with no quarintine, hell he sells animals that arent even in his possession yet. He has a cool looking pinstripe something, and changes what it is everytime we talk about it. But people wanna take advantage of his scammer specials anf those are probably the only few references he has. I thought this guy was toast already but guess not. Oh that reminds me Micheal, i didnt see u at daytona this year. What happened, they wouldnt let u in?
 
I bought a Pewter from Michael and I had no problems. He was very professional and returned all my texts and phone calls. The pewter arrived on time and is in geat health. Before any of you get all round up about me buying from him I just want to add that I don't buy from just anyone. I'm a police officer and I'm always suspicious of other people especially who I buy from. I have not found anyone that has been scammed from Michael and I have no problem buying from him again. Just my two scents.
 
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