Bad Guy Heather Colwell / Majestic Morphs

[stevek123]

Diem,

I have openly accepted and stated that the pewter and any future conditions he may have be my responsibility.

I do though, have issue with a seller asking for information under false pretenses. It says alot about the credibility of the person as an individual and how they run their business. Heather asked me for a video with the understanding she was going after the shipper for compensation, and that was not the case. And it was wrong to do so.

She gave innacurate iinformation on another breeders guarrantee policy, that was wrong to do so. Nor has she apoligized for it.

She openly accused me of inflicting injury on the pewter, and that was not her call.

She told me she would research with her colleages and get back to me ASAP on her assessment of the injury. She never followed thru.

She held onto the data cards for over a week. They should have been mailed the same day she noticed she forgot to pack them. She still has them.

She posted a message on the BP forum 20 minutes after sending a e-mail about paying for the return shipping, just so she can look good. She already knew I wasn't going to return him. That is not what a good person does.

All this was in addition to her not getting back to me in a timely fashion and in my mind amounts to alot more than just handling the situation poorly. It about character, honesty and sincerity.

I am sure the pewter, who my son named Scarface, will have a fantastic life with us.

Thank again Diem,

Steve

 

[ShadowAceD]

Diem,

I have openly accepted and stated that the pewter and any future conditions he may have be my responsibility.

I do though, have issue with a seller asking for information under false pretenses. It says alot about the credibility of the person as an individual and how they run their business. Heather asked me for a video with the understanding she was going after the shipper for compensation, and that was not the case. And it was wrong to do so.

She gave innacurate iinformation on another breeders guarrantee policy, that was wrong to do so. Nor has she apoligized for it.

She openly accused me of inflicting injury on the pewter, and that was not her call.

She told me she would research with her colleages and get back to me ASAP on her assessment of the injury. She never followed thru.

She held onto the data cards for over a week. They should have been mailed the same day she noticed she forgot to pack them. She still has them.

She posted a message on the BP forum 20 minutes after sending a e-mail about paying for the return shipping, just so she can look good. She already knew I wasn't going to return him. That is not what a good person does.

All this was in addition to her not getting back to me in a timely fashion and in my mind amounts to alot more than just handling the situation poorly. It about character, honesty and sincerity.

I am sure the pewter, who my son named Scarface, will have a fantastic life with us.

Thank again Diem,

Steve

Steve,

I understand all of that, and perhaps I should have clarified where I felt she failed in terms of communication. She failed, absolutely, in maintaining contact with you and being upfront for her reasons of asking for videos and photos. I cannot really surmise what happened with the Pro Exotics deal other than name dropping, which is another area in which she failed. You simply do not drop reference names unless they are asked for.

You should still get your data cards, no question, and I do feel she needs to apologize for how she treated you in this whole ordeal. Had she not been so defensive from the get go, things probably would have been much smoother for the both of you.

Her actions are questionable, but I have to wonder if that's more a person in a bit of a panic mode rather than a person intending malice. Like I said, she has some growing up to do as far as the industry is concerned and could learn a lesson or two from how you handled it. It's my own opinion on if the Bad Guy Thread is warranted, but you have matained your posture and stayed level headed in a sitauation where many would not have. So, kudos to you for that.

Again, I wish you luck with the little guy and I do hope Heather comes to this thread to apologize and make a few things right without being hostile about anything.

 

[Focal]

is it possible that being soo tired you may have closed the drawer of your snake rack on its head, or the lid to its container?...I know that mark was absolutely not there when it was packed, and why is the cinnamon fine?

Not really the response I would expect from a seller when a problem arises, regardless of fault.

Shipping two snakes in the same bag is also a in my book. Hatchling's are already scared, gittery, stressed, and still learning what food is and how to eat. That mark could very well have came from being bit and constricted by the cinny (explaining the neuro damage). Last time I pulled two snakes out of one bag the first thing it did was bite the other snake.

 

[garweft]

Thanks for showing the housing. BTW: the sterlite tub you are using with the top is the same type that I was using when I first started and one of my quarantined animals had the same kind of incident when she tried to put her head though the gaps of the lid and tub.

I took her to the vet and eventually her scales grew back, I wasn't really concerned about it, I knew it was minor and NOT a rat bite.

Good luck!

I had a cornsnake with a similar injury from trying to push out of a sterilite with a lid. I've never kept another snake like that since. I have seen a few end up dead trying to push out and getting stuck as well, scary stuff.

 

[garweft]

Not really the response I would expect from a seller when a problem arises, regardless of fault.

Shipping two snakes in the same bag is also a in my book. Hatchling's are already scared, gittery, stressed, and still learning what food is and how to eat. That mark could very well have came from being bit and constricted by the cinny (explaining the neuro damage). Last time I pulled two snakes out of one bag the first thing it did was bite the other snake.

From the first post

There were two snakes in separate bags directly on top of each other touching.

 

[Focal]

The only reason I don't think it was caused by the tub is because the scales look like they have been pushed backwards. When inside a tub, any resistance on the bottom jaw would have been on a rounded and smooth surface. I could very easily see this happening to the top of the head, but don't see what would grab the snake like that when trying to get out.

 

[Focal]

From the first post

Gotcha, I read this and thought otherwise:

Also, it is not uncommon for two smaller snakes in the same bag together.

 

[Bobby Douglass]

Thanks for showing the housing. BTW: the sterlite tub you are using with the top is the same type that I was using when I first started and one of my quarantined animals had the same kind of incident when she tried to put her head though the gaps of the lid and tub.

I took her to the vet and eventually her scales grew back, I wasn't really concerned about it, I knew it was minor and NOT a rat bite.

Good luck!

That's kind of what I think. There's a lot of play in the middle of the lid on the long side. The snake could have tried to push his way out and got his head stuck.

 

[ophidile]

Steve, I see you asking her in an email before shipping if she guarantees healthy arrival. Did you get a response? I'm sorry if it's up there but I couldn't find it. What, if any, guarantees were you given?

If none then I guess it is what it is. If you were guaranteed a healthy snake and that is not what arrived (and I can't say what I see in that video looks healthy, nor that gash) then I do think the seller is responsible for shipping if returned. Since OP does not want to return the snake I would say covering the vet bills would be the alternative. Steve, have you gotten this snake to a vet or do you plan to do so?

 

[stevek123]

Yes I did Adie, and here is Heather's response to question #10. about guaranteeing healthy arrival. Quote:

"10. I guarantee healthy live arrival, and I use ”ship your reptiles”"

So Heather Colwell did guarrantee the healthy arrival of the pewter I purchased from her.

I seriously doubt she would even consider paying for a vet bill, (although I cant talk on her behalf) I mean until I told her I would do a BOI, she was against even paying for the return shipping. Before I posted the BOI, I contacted her twice to reconsider going back on her offer of $100 in consideration for recieving a hurt and possibly non-breedable BP. But she went back on her $100 offer once she knew I decided to keep him.

Thanks for asking,

Oh, and the pewter has made good improvement. For awhile he was status quo, and them he started coming around. So unless there is trouble shedding b/c of the gash under his chin, I'd honestly say my major concern is his future breeding ability. I did not take him to a vet as I was not convinced the gash was life threatening right away, if it did get worst I would have, and from a neurological standpoint (unless I was prepared to have him undergo extensive testing), there was not much that could be done other than give him quiet, and stable environment. If he did not show improvement that may have been an option.

Steve

 

[ophidile]

That's good to hear he is improving! It's hard to say whether a vet would be helpful or harmful in this case, since he is getting better with rest.

Honestly, my best guess is the snake had some underlying neurological problem that the stress of shipping (and whatever caused that gash) uncovered. Perhaps similar to how spiders wobble? I don't know, I'm not into the ball pythons. I did have 5 kenyan sand boas that had a congenital issue (reportedly caused by their mom not having access to proper temps while gravid) where they would loop around and generally behave in a bizarre fashion, especially when stressed. They mostly grew out of it, but the first day I brought them home they looked terrible! Lying on their backs and things like that!

However, I bought those snakes with full disclosure and the three worst were thrown in free. IMHO she should give some kind of recompense for the snake, although it's hard to say what since she (and most people) don't exactly spell out what her guarantee is good for. I know what I would do but it doesn't seem to be industry standard to 100% refund an unhealthy animal and consider it lucky someone wanted to give it a good home instead of returning it for me to try to deal with the care and vet bills

 

[Homegrown Scales]

The morning after Steve received the babies I received an email from him stating he needed advice on an urgent situation. I called him to talk and he explained the condition of the pewter to me and sent the pictures to me by email. When I look at the pictures imo it does look like a bite trauma. The tub theory sounds plausible.. but i agree that with those tubs, the top of the head if anything is what would get injured if he got his head stuck. The tubs have a rounded lip on them. So that gash just doesnt make sense to me from that. I think some of what were seeing in the pics is swelling. Making the gash look a bit different then when it first occured. I watched the video as well, the twitching and almost seizure like behavior i had no answers for. I did give Steve Multiple reason of why something like that would occur, Illness, overheat, genetic issue, head trauma.
I do know that #1 it wasnt normal behavior even for a stressed animal.
My personal feeling as a buyer and seller of animals is this, if someone has an issue with an animal I have sent out I give immediate responses. I certainly dont blame the buyer. Id try to IMMEDIATELY figure out what is going on with that animal, and immediatly rectify the situation. While I agree with the fact shipping cost are what they are, I certainly wouldnt absorb those, but I would have tried to figure out as soon as possible a partial refund to the buyer for the condition if the buyer wanted to keep him.
Which it sounds like from the emails they were working on this I saw that Healther offered to return 75.00. Steve wanted 100-125.00 Really is that 25-50.00 worth all of this?
If you were willing to give him $75.00 back for an animal that arrived less then perfect why was 100 or even 125.00 so unreasonable?

These twitches could be a high stress response that have been with the animal from hatching. They may have just gone unnoticed until a seriously stressful event occured, Will we ever know? No.

They could be this, they could be that.... problem is Is we wont know. What we do know is that the animal apparently has an issue of some sort. Either stress or heat or whatever related its not perfect,. When I pay for animal I expect perfect unless I am told otherwise. Especially since in the future this was a planned breeder.

The lack of communication in my eyes is just unacceptable, I understand what Its like to be busy but this should have been top priority.

I hope you guys can come to a solution asap and both get some closure.



Thanks,
Morgan Weiss

 

[garweft]

But you can't be sure that the snake arrived that way. The damage wasn't seen until the next day. It's too bad the OP didn't give the snake a good look over once it arrived.

 

[stevek123]

Just to clatify the damage was seen the same day. Only at a later time.

 

[Homegrown Scales]

I will say that is true.

 

[Homegrown Scales]

Maybe I should clarify my first post by morning after I mean 9-22-11 at 11:43 am i received the email. From what I understand the snakes were received at 2am ish.

 

[MinisaurusReptiles]

This transaction was handled incredibly poorly by both parties IMO.
The seller accusing him of smashing its head in the tub would have been a customer service NO NO in normal circumstances. But after such a long travel time it makes it even more insulting.
But if you put yourself in her shoes,(and try to pretend the above didn't happen) and ask for a video with a time stamp and get the answer he gave.....you start smelling something fishy and evasive... all of a sudden the snake is better when I ask for a video...hmmm
Not that I doubt one word of the story...but put yourself in the sellers shoes.

Now with all that out of the way, if its eating and not shaking anymore then I think the odds of it being a future breeder are bright. The $75 would be ok $100 better and I hope he has a long happy life.

 

[KelliH]

She offered to refund you in full and pay the return shipping if you were not happy with the snake. If you aren't happy return the animal for a full refund and move on.

 

[stevek123]

Jeff,

Understand that Heather asked for a current video SPECIFICALLY to go after the Shipper, and not for herself. She made that perfectly clear in her e-mail.

It was only after I told her a current video would be of no use to the shipper (and that it would be better if she sent them the video taken the same day he arrived), that she pretty much demanded a video from me.

To me that is what "smells fishy and evasive", as you put it.

Heather never bothered to ask me about the health status of the pewter during this entire time, and it was only after I mentioned to her that she never asked, did she finally ask. At that time I immeately replied and gave her a status on the pewter. Funny thing too, she finally asks "how he is doing" in the same sentence she is wanting the video to go after the shipper. (sugar coating).

Heather being the business person she is, chose to to stick to the "numbers" only, and that is what I did. At any given time, had she simply asked me "how is the pewter doing?", I would have gladly responded.

In addition, Heather never did get back with her investigation with "her colleages" on the pewters injury and temours as promised. I believe she just didn't care. The only research she did that I am aware of was to cover herself the best she could on shipping, and "her guarantee". And that was by giving me false information on another breeders policy to support herself. And that smells fishy and evasive.

Yes, the $75 would be OK and the $100 better, but do you really think I will see any of it? As soon as she knew I was planning to keep the pewter, and not send it back she recended her $100 compensation, not before. Fishy and evasive.

 

[RobNJ]

She offered to refund you in full and pay the return shipping if you were not happy with the snake. If you aren't happy return the animal for a full refund and move on.

Agreed...you have to take what has been offered or let it go at this point.

To me, it doesn't appear to be a bite mark at all, but as Diem said earlier, a skin wound. It also appears to be rather fresh in the pictures. I really have no thoughts on what caused the wound, but for those who think that if it happened while the snake was trying to escape its tub that the injury would be on top of its head, I don't agree. A ball python, or a lot of snakes for that matter, if absolutely set on escaping its enclosure will try to do so any way possible...sideways, upside down, etc... So it's entirely possible that it could have caught its chin under a flimsy lid rather than on the lip of the tub. If you watch them long enough, you'll see snakes attempt escape at seeming impossibly awkward angles.