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John Light JL Exotics? Bad Guy Maybe!!!

windycitymorphs

windycitymorphs

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Does anybody know of John Light of "JL Exotics" out of Florida. I purchased a Super Pastel off him a little over a month ago. To make a long story short, I bought the animal as a good feeder. Well after receiving the animal it seemed a little thin. No biggy I understand not everybody feeds heavy. Well weeks go by, and the animal never eats and it now losing weight. I have tried everything. I kept John in the loop the whole time with what was going on. Well toward the end of our contact he tells me the animal when he first got it he had to assist feed. Well after reading this, there is no way I would have purchased the animal knowing it had feeding issues. So I responded to him in that manner, that e-mail was the last time he replied. Well to no suprise the animal died because it never ate. I have sent several e-mails to John and tried calling his now disconnected phone number. It has been three weeks and I have had no response from John. To me this is just bad Bisn!

Does anybody know him? Is he out of commission? Am I screwed? Any info would be Helpful

Thanks, Ryan Meyer
 
a one month fast will NOT kill a Ball.

Did you ask him the last time it fed? Did it ever feed on its own, while he owned it?

Dave
 
Not to detract from your feelings of the transaction, but did you attempt to assist feed the snake after he told you that? (Assuming that) We are talking about a ball python, it is not unheard of for one to go off food this time of year...or after being shipped, for that matter. Of course, a month is pretty fast for a ball python to die from not feeding alone - which suggests that it was either an ongoing issue or that there was something else going on.
 
From what John told me, yes it ate several times while he had it. It ate a few days before shipping. No Biggy

Yes, I understand that ball pythons especially this time of the year go off feed. I have a pretty large Ball Python Collection, 57 animals to be exact. I have 10 different morphs i'm working with. I have been dealing with reptiles most of my life. I have worked at the Chicago Reptile House for about 13 years, part time now. So I am very aware of the issues with ball pythons. Do to the animal losing so much weight I actually had to force feed it twice, the first time the animal kept it down, the second time the animal died two days after, most likely from stress of the act. The snake was extremely week the animal was only 3 months old. So I am assuming never ate to begin with.
 
Yeah, the force feeding probably is what killed it.

You should have sent it back immediately. Now, it is probably 50/50 as far as who MIGHT be at fault.

My new buying rules: Buy only from someone that is "driving distance" from me:)

That really sucks man! How big was the Ball when you got it? What kind of rep does John have? I thought he was a pretty good guy???

Dave
 
Dave, after the animal didn't eat and he mentioned the problem with it. I sent him an e-mail saying I didn't purchase an animal with a feeding problem. I asked if he had something to replace it with also. He never responded after that.

The animal was maybe 150 gram wet when I got it. I thought he was an alright guy until this. Thats bad bisn to me. I would sell an animal like that.

Driving distance....... Florida is a SHORT CHEAP flight from Chicago
 
This really surprises me. I bought an animal from John last year (a wc adult blood no less) and he was an absolute pleasure to deal with. The snake was a little bit better than he described, he kept in excellent contact, and even followed up about a week later just to make sure everything was OK. In fact I gave him a good guy post on this very forum shortly after I got her. I'd be willing to bet that he will make this right. Did you email him a link to this thread?
 
dutchallison00 said:
This really surprises me. I bought an animal from John last year (a wc adult blood no less) and he was an absolute pleasure to deal with. The snake was a little bit better than he described, he kept in excellent contact, and even followed up about a week later just to make sure everything was OK. In fact I gave him a good guy post on this very forum shortly after I got her. I'd be willing to bet that he will make this right. Did you email him a link to this thread?
Click to expand...
With due respect James, it is how one handles one "bad" transaction that is more telling than how one handles the last 100 "good" ones. The fact that he is no longer replying to emails, has changed his phone number, and negelcted to tell the buyer the entire feeding history, if all is true, looks bad for him.
 
I too was suprised, he seemed like a decent guy. I have e-mailed him several times and he has not responded. So to me I can see a couple days, hell even a week, but 3 weeks. It easy to make things right when your dealing with couple hundred dollars but $1,700 must be hard for him.

I don't even want my money back I just want the animal I was promised, a feeding Super Pastel Male. I really don't think that is unreasonable.
 
A Ball Python typically hatches out at around 60 - 65 grams, if the ball you recieved was 150 grams it must have been eating for awhile before you recieved it!
windycitymorphs said:
Dave, after the animal didn't eat and he mentioned the problem with it. I sent him an e-mail saying I didn't purchase an animal with a feeding problem. I asked if he had something to replace it with also. He never responded after that.

The animal was maybe 150 gram wet when I got it. I thought he was an alright guy until this. Thats bad bisn to me. I would sell an animal like that.

Driving distance....... Florida is a SHORT CHEAP flight from Chicago
Click to expand...
 
Ryan, another thought. how was the weather when you recieved it, was it cold. was this ball python shipped in an insulated box with a couple of good 40 hour heat packs? did it feel warm when you opened the box or was the snake cold? just trying to figure out what went wrong?
 
Ed, the animal was small for being three months old, 150 gram was being generous. I have hatched out animal very close to 150 grams. Like HE said it ate, but never disclosed the feeding issues with me up front, until after the fact.

Shipping; it wasn't to cold out at the time. It was shipped in an isulated box with heat packs. Didn't seem cold at all. I think the animal was a problem the whole time, the animal seemed alittle thin from the get go.

I'm just upset that I find this out after receiving the animal. I would have never bought it, knowing that. I just want John to make it right.
 
Ryan, I agree if the ball python was only being force feed and that was not disclosed before hand. I believe that a full refund is in order!

You say that you hatch out 150 gram baby ball pythons? :ack2:
windycitymorphs said:
Ed, the animal was small for being three months old, 150 gram was being generous. I have hatched out animal very close to 150 grams. Like HE said it ate, but never disclosed the feeding issues with me up front, until after the fact.

Shipping; it wasn't to cold out at the time. It was shipped in an isulated box with heat packs. Didn't seem cold at all. I think the animal was a problem the whole time, the animal seemed alittle thin from the get go.

I'm just upset that I find this out after receiving the animal. I would have never bought it, knowing that. I just want John to make it right.
Click to expand...
 
Jim O said:
With due respect James, it is how one handles one "bad" transaction that is more telling than how one handles the last 100 "good" ones. The fact that he is no longer replying to emails, has changed his phone number, and negelcted to tell the buyer the entire feeding history, if all is true, looks bad for him.
Click to expand...

You're absolutely right, and I understand that. Like I said John just struck me as an extremely decent guy that wouldn't pull something like this... that's why it surprises me. It's really too bad, and I hope you have some luck recouping your loss. I think I have his cell number still, I'll try giving him a ring on it for you.
 
James, thanks I appreciate it.


Yeah Ed, hatched of two monsters last year there were about 135 grams give or take 5. They are now both close to 600 grams. Growing like weeds. And yes I beleive in full disclosure when selling animals, I just think you owe that to your costumers. I'm not even asking for a refund I just want another animal.

Thanks everybody's for your input.
 
A couple people asked when I got the animal, It was recieved 11/28/06 and died 1/24/07

Obviously there were phone calls involved as well.

These are the e-mails that followed the transaction:


Dec 19
John, hope all is well. Just an FYI, I haven't been able to get that super eating yet. You said you were feeding him rat pups correct? I have tried rat pups, pinks, mice, fuzzy mice, I have tried everything. Is there a trick you used that he only ate that way. Drop me a line when you get a chance.

Thanks, Ryan

Reply
Things Have been crazy Ryan! He was taking hopper mice and rat pups that
were the same size. The weather is cooler now and he may just be slowing
down. I'd just monitor his weight and go from there. I had to assist feed
him in the very beginning when I got him but he did take off from there. He
may need a jump start again which seems odd to me. You may want to try
smashing the head of the food item (braining) this may also work.

John Light

Jan 12
Hey John, hope all is well. I just wanted to let you know. I have tried everything now as far as feeding. I have had force feed hm twice now. Which that was something I did not want to do. I'm going to try him a couple more times, but do you have another super you can get by chance. I didn't purchase this animal with the intentions of feeding issues, you told me he was a good feeder. To be honest with you I wish I knew the problems you had with him early on, because I might not have picked him up. If there is anything you can do I would appreciate it. John if it was a hundred dollar snake I wouldn't care but when your spending $1,700 thats another story. Look foward to hearing from you.

Thanks, Ryan
Click to expand...

I sent several emails after this one, never a response
 
Bad Guy!!

I thought I would update, since I have seen John on the Kingsnake Ball Python Forums recently. I still have not heard from John on a transaction of the Super Pastel that bought from him and died. Never a call or e-mail. Stay away from John, he is not someone you would want to do bisn with. Look how he treats his customers. IT IS SAD THIS STUFF HAPPENS.
 
WE all hatch out babies that do not eat right away!

It sounds like someone sold an animal they should have kept back and made sure it was eating WELL, before selling it. Some people just care about the money.

Dave
 
David Reid said:
It sounds like someone sold an animal they should have kept back and made sure it was eating WELL, before selling it. Some people just care about the money.

Dave
Click to expand...

It is very sad that some people view snakes as money signs and not animals. Especially when they do so not only at the expense of the animal, but at the expense of others.

It's also sad that more and more I read the BOI, the more nervous I get about purchasing reptiles, and the harder it gets for people like me trying to get my foot in the door when it's so hard for people to be trused. I'm sorry that you had such a crappy experience.
 
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