• 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....

Heartless New Yorker

1. Yes, Mr Brown was notified.
2. I no longer have the box.
3 & 4. Yes, it was a reused box, thus the tape.
5. I no longer have the tracking number from airborne.

I have never shipped "hots" and I am not in the practise of keeping them.

Sidd Sheppard
Siddartha Reptiles
 
So very one in New York is the same!!!!


SIdd Sheppard
Siddartha Reptiles
 
No, you just shipped venomoids. If you'll notice, the word "hots" in my post was in quotes.

At best, you shipped in complete disregard to Airborne employees (used a second-hand box instead of a wooden crate). Do you think the Airborne employees would have been greatly comforted that the cottonmouth was "only" a venomoid if it had escaped from the crushed box and bitten someone? Even if your story is exactly as things happened, it seems that you were extremely irresponsible, to say the least.

However, with all of that USPS Express Mail tape on the box, which appears to have been cut once (no tatters), and none of it seems to have been torn from the box at all, your inability to have posted a picture of the top of the box (including a clear shot of the shipping label) even though it was requested early on in the thread, AND your inability to post a real Airborne tracking number, all together cause me to question your story from the very beginning. Personally, I suspect that you shipped that snake through the USPS. I have no proof whatsoever, and I am not making any formal accusations. I just have my gut feeling that you are lying to us all.

Whichever scenario is correct, though, it seems to me that you are not the type of person from whom I would ever purchase anything. Just my personal opinion, though.
 
Well that does it!!!!

So it TRUE, you are guilty untill proven innocent!!!!!! I came on here just to let everyone know that I am not stealing anyones money. Now I see that EVERYONE in this busines is potential crook. I am now through with this mess. I guess some people you just can't please. I offerd Mr. Brown a Adult Pair of Western Hognose, He refused, I offerd Him his money back plus a hot cottonmouth (not shipped by me, but by a registered shipper), and he still refused. I also offered him a 1.2 trio of high end Adult Corns, and you got it he turned them down as well. I was poilite to him, and talked to him (when he call a a decent hour, not 2, and 3 am). I also responded to every e-mail he sent. Godd forbid ANY OF YOU LOSE SOMEONE!!!!!!! So this will be my last post on here. Have a nice life, and what a way to show everyone that their are truely HEARTLESS people in the world!!!!


Sidd Sheppard
Siddartha Reptiles
 
No, not heartless, but not gullible, either.

You have made several claims about this transaction, but when you were asked for some specific proof, you could not, or would not, offer any. Like I said, it's only my opinion, but I simply will not do business with someone that posts a picture showing a box that once contained a cottonmouth, which is covered in USPS Express Mail tape, then refuses to show the evidence to back up his "claims" that he really sent it Airborne Express instead of USPS.

If that makes me heartless in your opinion, fine. I think it heartless to send venomoids in shotty containers, hoping that no one gets bitten by your animal! We each have our opinions, and, now that you've exposed yourself here on the BOI, everyone else can draw their own opinions too!
 
It looks like an airborne air bill to me!

I looked at the picture and I am pretty sure its an airborne slip!
They have the 3 little colored boxed on their slip and if you look close you can see the airborne logo at the bottom of the slip which is upside down in the pic so it actually appears on the top.

USPS has a huge bar code on the top of their slips and they are red & blue. Just thought this would help shed a little light on the matter.

Just my 2 cents!
Nicole Elliser
 
Nicole,

You may very well be right. The point is, we have no way of knowing whether that airbill was real or not, because he has refused/not been able to post a clearer, close-up pic for us to see. AND, he has refused/not been able to give us an Airborne tracking number. What IS clearly visible is the USPS Express Mail tape all over the box!

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that you ARE right and he shipped this Airborne. IF that's true, he sent a venomoid through a carrier that doesn't even like to take snakes of any kind unless it is OK'ed by them first, and you have an established account with them. Also, he sent a venomoid through Airborne using a box instead of a wooden crate, which any thinking person would use with a live viper (venomoid or not). Lastly, he used a second-hand carboard box (assuming it was shipped Airborne, because if it was, that's the only way that USPS tape got all over it!) to ship a ticked off cottonmouth!

Venomoid or not, if that snake had escaped from that substandard shipping material and bitten an Airborne employee, it would have caused huge problems with unforseen consequences! So, that is why I said, that even if Sidd is telling us all the complete truth, I still wouldn't feel comfortable dealing with him.

That's all I said on the matter, but I appreciate you trying to keep everything above board, giving everyone the benefit of the doubt.
 
jmho here but mr. sheppard is a god damned idiot...how bad does something like this look in the publics eye...how bad do you a think a warehouse worker might of felt once he realized he was not only holding a snake, but a cottonmouth, which most of the public fears and thinks "deadly"...A LOT of folks ship live harmless reptiles illegally (by their manuals) thru the different (private owned) carriers no problems because its about money to them and we know that they are live harmless reptiles...make us right?...nope...but was Mr sheppard ASININE and IRRESPONSIBLE and downright DUMB...yup... whoever this Mr Brown is, who cares...you said you are aware of the shipping restrictions and laws pertaining to venemoids...I say ya don't...thanks, buddy, you're a real boon to the hobby... and HSUS could use a few good men, too...
 
oh, and you owe mr brown $150.00...he didnt apparently want hognoses or adult corns or whatever...
 
I offerd Him his money back plus a hot cottonmouth (not shipped by me, but by a registered shipper), and he still refused.

Why does this make me suspicious? It took how long to refund simply the money, but you were willing to offer the money plus a cottonmouth first?

Something stinks about this alone.


/yet another heartless new yorker
 
Listen up pal, take the wax out of your ears (proverbially speaking) - Losing a loved one does not make it alright for you to spend someone else's money if that is what you did (and I kind of get the idea you did that but I could be wrong). Regardless, nor does it make it ok for you to cause a somewhat lengthy delay, in my view, in giving a refund. It, in my opinion, does not make it right for you to bad mouth New Yorkers either. If you don't like the fact that I and others disagreed with you, tough noogies.

If the buyer really threatened you or your family as you say he did, why not inform the authorities as such is a felony here where I live in New York. There certainly would be no excuse for that type of thing, if that is really what happened, and someone like that may deserve to be dealth with criminally. Of course, this is a rather one sided story as far as the deal bewteen you and him has been reported on here. So why not invite him to this thread to tell his own side of the story. I love how people from all sorts of places love to bad mouth New Yorkers, when the New Yorker in question is usualy nowhere around so as to be aware of what is being bandied about.

According to you, if I understand you correctly, I as a New Yorker am heartless. There is a song that fits this situation from The Wizard of Oz, you may know it. Based upon your view of New Yorkers as being heartless, my part in the song would likely go: "...if I only had a heart...". You part from that same song, in my opinion, would go "...if I only had a brain..."!

Why not just live up to the fact, that as you described things, you were, as I see it, rather irresponsible, and leave it at that. Sincerely,
Glenn B
 
I have some questions

1) Why does a customer have your home phone number?
2) what exactly was the timeline from the demise of the snake, to Mr. Brown wanting a refund to your brothers passing to the issuence of the refund?
3) How has the refund been sent?
4) Why didn't you call the authorities about the illegal phone calls?
5) why did you sell/ship to someone who "refused" to show you legal documents saying he could own this animal?

In the future, when you post on the BOI, you need to be aware that you are opening yourself up to scrutiny and well as the person you have a claim against. The people on this forum are set to find the truth and they go about it in a very "courtroom" like manor. Facts and evidence. All claims you (or anyone else makes) should be backed up by hard evidence. In losing or throwing evidence away, you shot yourself in the foot. No one here is being heartless, just business like. This is how it works.

I would also like to say, that as difficult as it may seem, your brother is the one who passed away, not you. You still have your life/business to take care of. If you are overloaded, then appoint someone to help take care of things until you can manage.
(and just for the record, I was born and raised in Oregon)
 
So the story is not over, in my opinion, as Sidd would have us believe. There is a new thread, posted earlier today, about someone who apparently was dissatisfied with a deal with Sidd. Is it coincidence that she mailed out a $150 payment for a snake she ordered from him just the day before Sidd got that $150 money order to repay the money owed to Mr. Brown - the so called heartless New Yorker {as per Sidd}. Would Mr. Brown have received his refund next week, if Sidd had not been paid by this other person until then???????????

I have half a mind to contact Mr. Brown, using the address from the copy of the money order that Sidd posted here in the BOI, just to hear Mr. Brown's side of the story. Would that be ethical of me?

I wonder if he has actually received the refund yet?

This is getting deep.

Best regards,
Glenn B
 
Shipping Venomous

I'm not making judgements, just stating facts. ALL VENOMOUS species should be handled and shipped with due care. Delta is one of the few reliable carriers. They require that you be a "known shipper". It's not a difficult process. Call your local airport and request an inspection. The personnel will come out and go over the requirements for shipping.(IATA regulations for shipping reptiles.) They require all venomous species(note"species" include venomoid specimens as well) be shipped in a wooden box with screws to hold the lids and metal corners to strengthen the sides. It takes us about 10 minutes and $10-12.00 to build one. Not difficult. Also all specimens must be double bagged. It must be marked clearly, "Contains Venomous Reptiles" We add additional precautionary labeling. UPS, Airborne and U.S. Postal Services DO NOT allow shipping of venomous snakes. In most cases they do not allow shipping of snakes at all unless pre-approved. Even if the specimen is "Venomoid", it could still be mistaken for a "Hot", specimen! It can still bite someone and cause a lot of problems!! Read as; liability, lawsuits etc. Any area that requires a permit for venomous possesion include venomoids. Why? THEY CAN PRODUCE VENOMOUS BABIES!Also, everyone should be careful unless you know the surgeon who conducted the surgery. I've seen several so call venomoids that WERE "HOT". Please be responsible. Also, if you ship to someone it is your responsibility to know the state laws in regards to wether the person you are shipping to is allowed to posses that species in their area. You can contact local authorities in their state and check. Yes, permit needed in N.Y. and must be 18. I know it sounds like a lot of work but, the alternative is no shipping or possesion of venomous or venomoids. In regards to Sidd's refund, all I have to say is be a little patient. Give a reasonable amount of time to correct it. If there is nothing done or no arrangement made within of 10 days then come out strong!!Good luck to both sides. Hope it works out well. Thanks Ray Goushaw Herpetological Breeding Research. [email protected]
 
Back
Top