John: Wow, you had me stiff until I arrived midway through your post. However I appreciate your observations, and somewhat agree with your constructive criticisms.
And no offense meant, I initially and intentionally stated that my thread was intended specifically for the consumer, not the wise businessman. How or why or when it was presented is actually not relevant as it is actually only 6 pages, and I've seen many threads here go fifty pages and nothing get accomplished. And I did at least offer a short version and long version. If people continued to read the long version on their own accord, then well what can I say?
It did not really dawn on me until I read your comments, that my second posting with the emails restated the first post. I discovered that I made a big mistake in my presentation. Allow me to explain: My initial draft was 2 pages. Then I recalled that these other threads go 20 to 50 pages simply based on a simple issue as a tick on a snake. Further, I had to weigh whether it was better to explain it all in a few pages, or leave vital information open ended for speculation, criticisms, and a million more questions, which only have proven in other thread to mislead the topic at hand. Then the report grew to its 6 pages in just a half hour as I can type like the wind. The second post was where I made the mistake. After I made the first post, I recalled the terms of this forum, and thought that I should at least post the emails that would substantiate the events, also attempting to not distract readers attention, and avoid another million questions. I decided abruptly to include the emails in another post. However, I had the emails on another writing, under a different folder, and pasted them to the second post without taking the time to review them and remember that I made comments above and below the emails that were simply a duplicate of my first post. I messed up and did the opposite of what I intended for readers, and pissed them off. Whoops, I apologize.
But I guess that's what you get when your trying to type and concentrate and your better-half is standing over your shoulder yelling at you to throw the garbage out. Well, at least that 6-page post did not turn into a 50-page thread of questions, slurs, arguments, name-calling, verbal threats, attacks, and the whatnot and confusion seen on most other posts involving robbery. Hence, in the long run, regardless of my mistake, the point was proven, and your observations brought something to light that I was unaware, so thank you.
As to your other constructive criticisms: Of course I realize how "bizarre" I must sound to attempt to present a scenario to portray information to people who perhaps are very speculative in the first place, and cannot believe that a reptile dealer actually went through all these sinister steps to fraud his customer out of a simple hundred and fifty dollars. It came clear to you perhaps because your experienced and heard of similar tactics. My intended audience was the "new customer", not wise reptile business people. It was the "actual" degree and high level of "bizarre" events in this transaction that made it so detailed and supported by emails and photographs. It's a "bizarre" saga for sure. "Bizarre" that I held through it without the wake-up call to cancel the order, and accordingly, explained and expressed it in a "bizarre" fashion, and involved many things besides I paid for this, and got that. It was quite complicated also, however my contentions were based on facts from actual emails and conversations, not suppositions as you indicated. And yep, I am a bizarre wild-man if you screw me blue and forget to thank me.
And the tirades you mention about in-depth investigations by government agencies and investigations by the FBI are not an example of lack of a grasp on reality. Actually the FBI Internet fraud investigation is the "reality" for Mr. Lesh.
And perhaps some people wished I should ignore this incident simply because it was only a 150 dollars, and people tell me I am right, and still Mr. Lesh has yet to provide anything in writing on this thread which explains why he sent a sick snake and refused my refund. And if this is my day in court, let me enjoy it. Heck, since all I’ve been through with this dying snake and all, I deserve it.
I will let you in on something I am not sure you are aware: I waited for investigators to do something about SERPENTBOY and I did not make a post under his name. What did he do since he robbed me? He screwed four other people and sent venomous snakes via UPS again. I was a bit disappointed with not making a post myself and then learned afterward that he ripped off other people, so excuse me if I sound a bit brash about the situation, at least I've maintained to not be vulgar and attacking. Based on that, am I supposed to think that Mr. Lesh is any different from SERPENTBOY, and he will not rob another customer if I ignore this matter, and don't at least to the best of my abilities provide a 6-page description of the facts in the matter? Not that your post suggested that.
And as to your comment about my previous posts on SERPENTBOY, Mike Clark: I was not the one who started that thread, obviously he did. He admitted to sending the venomous snake via UPS, paid for it the next day without seeing a photo, and a reference said the snake was dead. I am not in the reptile business, so what good does that do for the public if it’s under my name?
And John, you already know that I served many years in the military, so please give a little leeway to my responses and posts.
And perhaps it is your steadfast contention that this is an overblown melodrama, and I respect your opinion, and can agree that based on my second post; it was overstated in many ways. And yes, even my own friends told me that their eyes fell out of their heads reading it. And that is perhaps why I did not read the second post again. I wanted to keep my vision. But I did not expect everyone to read all those emails, but if I left one out, then I would get a question, have to find the email, post it explain it, describe how it is relevant to the matters at hand, receive 100 bursts of insults from trolls, etc. Not what I wanted to really spend the rest of my month doing. But at least others have thanked me because it reveals numerous tactics that unscrupulous reptile dealers practice to thwart and con their way through the business.
And you use that "anal" word again? Never heard it applied to me in over 40 years on this planet. I heard slob, messy, bonehead, silly, humorous, as well as astute, responsible, tactful, considerate, sensitive, but never anal. And regardless; what if I was anal? Hell without anal people, who would clean the house. Not me. I never do. Ask my wife. I drop my things where I stop and move on to the couch. Has anyone even noticed that I never asked for my refund from Mr. Lesh in this thread? I think an anal person would have at least asked for a refund?
Creepy you mention? Or does my attentiveness to scams simply scare or threaten people in the industry who utilize similar scams to keep their livelihood going? I did not initiate this thread to win a popularity contest. Read between the lines on some of that stuff. It was meant to be creepy to scare Mr. Lesh into paying me. Loosen up you say in my writings? Hey, I know where this information is going to be sent. Am I going to be some jolly jokester poster to have people discredit the facts because I opted to express them with humor, and then be attacked afterward by people who do not appreciate the humor in the situation. I appreciate and respect that you may interpret it differently, however do not concur.
Your post refers to simple terms for a post? OK, read my initial post. Its says to avoid the saga below read this short version, one paragraph. Was that simple terms? Might be to some people? OK here it is in simple terms and my attempt at humor in the situation: Ah duh, I was ah duh ripped off by a dude named Joey n he ah duh sent me a duh sick ah duh snake with a back bone a duh stickin up and ah duh the snake would not wiggle ah duh n I gave it to d airplane lady who ah duh said it was gonna ah dah die and ah duh I ah du want ah du me money before I ah duh call ah duh d cops dat I ah duh see on ah duh tv.
Limit my vocabulary because someone or me might not understand the meaning of some words. Hey I did not sign up for this circle-jerk in the first place, so if I put words in there that someone else cannot understand or you think they are not an inappropriate description of my interpretation of events, by all means feel free to perhaps revise it from 6 pages to 1, and post it on another name, and lets just see how many questions might arise to clarify information for readers? Just kidding of course.
Move on you say? Calm down? Bro, I never stopped in the first place, and am so calm that I can feel the couch shake when I drop a bomb now and then. Hey, I am so moved that I got me a ah duh new ah duh central ah duh coral snake 2 days ah duh after that one ah duh died n I ah duh moved on.
And John, please do not judge a book by its cover. If you really interested in seeing this industry around in year 2030, then with all due respect, your criticisms are worded to be constructed and helpful and beneficial. However, they also might be misinterpreted to why many consumers refuse to make posts to oust the bad blood in this industry based on the fact that no matter what they say, and how to present it, there will always be someone in the crowd with a different view of things, who was not present at the time, was not wearing the shoes the customer was wearing at the time, and is going to analyze sentences until the cows come home.