Here are the email communications we have had with Gregory Bowman:
These were on 10/30/02 and 10/31/02:
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----- Original Message -----
From:
[email protected]
To:
[email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2002 2:00 PM
Subject: Message about: BIG TAME Adult Female Burmese Python...READY TO BREED...PICS!!
I would be interested in this snake for a breeder. What is the best price you can afford to sell her at?
Im located in the Ventura area and could come pick her up or if shipping is cheaper; would want to know how much shipping may cost.
Thank You
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----- Original Message -----
From: "East Bay Vivarium Sales" <
[email protected]>
To:
[email protected]
Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2002 9:40 PM
Subject: Re: Message about: BIG TAME Adult Female Burmese Python...READY TO BREED...PICS!!
Hello,
The large adult female Burmese Python is currently still available. She would make an excellent breeder because she is huge and has tremendous girth for a snake of her size. She is priced at $500 firm. If you could come and pick her up in person, that would save you a lot on shipping because shipping for her is going to be rather expensive because of her size and weight. Shipping will most likely be anywhere between $100 and $200 depending on the exact size and weight of the container she
is shipped in. We will most likely have to build a wooden crate for her because she is so big. Let me know if you have any other questions.
Thank You,
Celia Chien
webmaster
East Bay Vivarium
http://www.eastbayvivarium.com
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----- Original Message -----
From:
[email protected]
To:
[email protected]
Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2002 10:10 PM
Subject: Re: Message about: BIG TAME Adult Female Burmese Python...READY TO BREED...PI...
Thanks for the information; I think i will opt out based on the price, honestly. I will be up in that area this next week; if you think you can let her go for $250, let me know. That size burmese is very hard to sell; considering its food requirements and housing and Ive been given many with the owner saying " shes eating EVERYTHING!"
Thanks again for your time.
Gregory Bowman.
(818) 894-6635
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----- Original Message -----
From: East Bay Vivarium Sales
To:
[email protected]
Sent: Thursday, October 31, 2002 10:20 PM
Subject: Re: Message about: BIG TAME Adult Female Burmese Python...READY TO BREED...PI...
Hello,
If you are in the area, feel free to stop by and check her out as well as check out our retail store. Unfortunately she is $500 firm because that's what the owners feel that she should be priced at/is worth. Plus she is SUPER tame and definitely breeding sized and the first clutch of babies she produces would make far more than what we are asking for her (50 eggs on average at $35 per baby for example). We actually do okay with large snakes (burms and retics). We get quite a few internet inquiries about large snakes, even with the high shipping costs. Anyways, let me know if there is anything else I can do for you.
Thank You,
Celia Chien
webmaster
East Bay Vivarium
http://www.eastbayvivarium.com
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Then these emails were sent a week later starting on 11/6/02:
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----- Original Message -----
From:
[email protected]
To:
[email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2002 9:08 PM
Subject: Message about: BIG TAME Adult Female Burmese Python...READY TO BREED...PICS!!
Hello,
Ive written to you before and would like to offer you again $250 for the female burmese for my breeding collection. I am aware of her size and potential. I would be willing to sell you back any babies the first year at a much reduced price if you were to work with me on price. A snake that size can't be shipped so it is going to cost me money to drive there to pick her up.
I hope you understand my position and the potential to make a lifelong supplier of burmese and other top quality snakes from a breeder in So. Cal. My snakes are afforded the luxury of indoor rock enclosures heated with underslab hydronic heat, and an outside sunning enclosure (most are 12x12) at least.
Let me know if you would be interested in this joint venture. I assure my loyalty to friends who budge a little comes back to them with years of receprocity. I will let you decide.
Thanks again for your time
Gregory Bowman
Calumet Industries
(818) 894-6635
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----- Original Message -----
From: "East Bay Vivarium Sales" <
[email protected]>
To:
[email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2002 9:25 PM
Subject: Re: Message about: BIG TAME Adult Female Burmese Python...READY TO BREED...PICS!!
Hello,
Unfortunately, the price for her is firm at $500. As much as I would like to try and work with you on this, the owners are firm on the prices of all our animals and we only give discounts to
large, multiple animal purchases. Also, your offer of $250 is 50% off of what we have her price at which there would be no way we could do (unfortunately). If you call and speak with the owners,
they *might* be able to give you some sort of discount (although honestly, I don't think they will budge on the price because it is not a bad deal for a female of that size, she really has huge
girth). Also, we can ship her. It would be around $150 to $200 for shipping, but we can definitely do it. We have shipped snakes much larger than her in the past. One last thing I wanted to
mention, since you are in California, we would unfortunately have to charge you tax on top of the total. Anyways, if you want to speak with one of the owners, just give us a call. Our phone number is (510) 841-1400 and we are open from 11am to 7pm
Thank You,
Celia Chien
webmaster
East Bay Vivarium
http://www.eastbayvivarium.com
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----- Original Message -----
From:
[email protected]
To:
[email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2002 10:05 PM
Subject: Re: Message about: BIG TAME Adult Female Burmese Python...READY TO BREED...PI...
Thanks for your reply;
I dont think you understand; I am a wholesale animal breeder with CITIES 1 permits and a valid resale number. I try not to be very outspoken but Ive seen more tropical snakes in the wild in six months than most have seen in their entire life in a "pet store"
Ive imported some of the most valuable mutations in the world in the past and am not just a backyard enthusiast.
Im sorry if you got the wrong impression of me...
Secondly, Ive not seen your inventory but I am always buying snakes for my conservatory and not a one time buyer. I actually would have purchased four snakes in your area if your price had been appropriate.
I understand if you are brokering a snake; but the price is double what a burm that size is worth today. PERIOD. Burms that size are a dime a dozen. If she were 19 ft plus, thats another story.
Shipping would only cost more and thats not something I prefer.
I just bought 6 burmese over 14 ft in the last week; two albino, two normal; 350 and 200 respectively without the shipping cost or driving. All proven breeders and extremly healthy snakes.
After all, I remember seeing in person the three albino burmese babies in Thailand before they were stolen..........the first in the world. I write for many publications and am very active in the serious zoological field as a microbiologist studying avian and reptilian disease.
Sorry to have bothered you with my pettiness.
Gregory Bowman
Calumet Industries
Pangea Zoological Institute
PS when you run out of rabbits and want to sell that snake into a good breeding program conservancy, let me know. Thanks.
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----- Original Message -----
From: East Bay Vivarium Sales
To:
[email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2002 10:33 PM
Subject: Re: Message about: BIG TAME Adult Female Burmese Python...READY TO BREED...PI...
Hello,
I don't really understand why you keep emailing me about this because there is absolutely nothing I can do about the price of this particular snake. If you want to discuss this further, you are more than welcome to call us at our retail store. The price is firm because that is the price the owners want for her. There is absolutely, positively NOTHING I can do about it, even if I wanted to. The decision on what price to sell animals at is not mine, it is up to the owners and they have every right to ask anything they want for her, whether it be $250, $500, $1000 or more.
I think maybe, you don't understand that this snake is priced at $500 FIRM. We are not looking to unload her in a big hurry and therefore do not have the need to reduce our asking price by 50% in order to sell her. We are in no real rush to sell her. If we can sell her,, that's Great...but if not, the worst that will happen is that we will add her to our OWN Burmese Python breeding projects. We have plenty of rabbits to feed not only her but ALL the other big snakes (burmese pythons, african rock pythons, indian pythons, reticulated pythons, etc. since you like to name names of what you have) we have, not only the ones available for sale but the ones in OUR breeding projects.
I'm glad to hear that you are such a big time breeder and that you get such great deals on animals...that is great for you and the more power to you. I do not doubt your credibility or who you are at all. That isn't even at issue here. I did not have the wrong impression of you before...I didn't really think anything of this situation other than the fact that I, personally, can NOT lower the price on the animal for you and I gave you my honest opinion that I didn't think the owners would be willing to either. We are a retail store so the prices for our animals are RETAIL PRICES. While we do wholesale occassionally, we do not have any animals available for wholesale at this time and the big female Burmese Python is definitely not available as a wholesale animal. I'm sorry I can't do anything for you. Like I've already said again and again, if you would like to discuss this any further, please give us a call at our retail store and ask to speak with one of the owners.
Thank You,
Celia Chien
webmaster
East Bay Vivarium
http://www.eastbayvivarium.com
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Then two emails in a row from Gregory Bowman:
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----- Original Message -----
From:
[email protected]
To:
[email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2002 10:57 PM
Subject: Re: Message about: BIG TAME Adult Female Burmese Python...READY TO BREED...PI...
thanks;
I would think it would be a lot easier to forward it to the owners yourself; obviously you dont have a clue as to sales.
East Bay...............OFF my list.
Have a nice webmaster day.
GEESH
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----- Original Message -----
From:
[email protected]
To:
[email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2002 11:01 PM
Subject: Re: Message about: BIG TAME Adult Female Burmese Python...READY TO BREED...PI...
P.S.
Who the hell are you if you are the contact person and cannot make decision on selling a snake or even contact the owner to discuss a potential sale; who the hell are you anyhow? a broker for a retail store with a mark up? I don't get angry very often but you are on my LOSER LIST.........take heed.........no one needs this in the industry.
FORWARDED TO KINGSNAKE.COM
Life is too short to deal with morons.
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----- Original Message -----
From: East Bay Vivarium Sales
To:
[email protected]
Sent: Wednesday, November 06, 2002 11:23 PM
Subject: Re: Message about: BIG TAME Adult Female Burmese Python...READY TO BREED...PI...
I am trying not to be like you are and have this whole situation turn into a big ugly thing but obviously, it is already too late for that. I try to expect some level of maturity from others but sometimes, even that is too much to ask for. To answer your question, the owners do not have regular access to the internet and email. I could forward your email to them, but they are far to busy to be able to sit down and type out a long email explaining why we price things the way we do and why (repeatedly) they need to tell you that are prices are firm...chances are you would never get a response back.
Read your own email replys and see how moronic you are acting and how defensive and aggressive your last three emails are. I have tried to deal and respond to your emails in nothing short of a completely professional manner but unfortunatley, it seems that you just can not let this go. Probably the best thing for me to have done would have been to ignore your emails completely. Now, Because you aren't getting what you want (which is completely unreasonable to begin with because once again, you are asking for a 50% discount on an animal) you now must resort to lame threats, name calling, and just a general all around tantrum. It does not matter...that is your choice. You can do anything you want.
I am the contact person for the East Bay Vivarium and I can reinforce and reaffirm to customers, the decisions the owners make about the price for selling an animal at. ONCE AGAIN: the Burmese Python is PRICED AT $500 FIRM. THAT IS THE DECISION. I think I have probably typed these EXACT words to you about 4 or 5 times now which is pretty ridiculous in itself. I am not a broker and we are not a brokers. ONCE AGAIN: WE ARE A RETAIL STORE. What people in this industry do not need are others who try and try and try to talk a price down and when their attempts are refused, they go crazy and can't seem to let things go. I'm sorry you are angry but that's life. I'm sorry you don't like the price of the animal...but you know, there is a very simple answer to that...don't buy her. That's your choice and your right. What the price is set at is our choice and our right. Go ahead and forward whatever you want to Kingsnake.com. I know that we have done absolutely nothing wrong and I can assure Jeff Barringer of this personally with all the proof from the ridiculous email communications we have had with you.
Please do not waste any more of my time.
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And his final reply:
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----- Original Message -----
From:
[email protected]
To:
[email protected]
Sent: Thursday, November 07, 2002 8:14 AM
Subject: Re: Message about: BIG TAME Adult Female Burmese Python...READY TO BREED...PI...
Fair enough
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Thank You,
Celia Chien
webmaster
East Bay Vivarium