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LA Reptiles

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David R.

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Thought I would try one last time to reach LA Reptile. They were a major wholesaler that I dealt with back in the 70's & 80's. They would only do business with certain people and you had to be strictly a wholesaler to do business with them. Does anyone know if they are still around and in business? All the contact info I had for them is now bad. What I'm seeking is there current correct contact info. Phone numbers and/or email addresses. Thank you.

David Rivers
 
Chris and Gene are still around,

but I doubt they would do any business with you. As you indicated its wholesale only, and they will check you out. Jerry
 
Bruce,

You obviously don't know anything about LA Reptiles. LA Reptiles does not need any new clients and can afford to be very selective to whom they sell to. They only sell to wholesalers and even some of them they will sell to. There have been people that have been allowed to order from them and when LA found out that they were not just wholesalers they were removed from their list and not allowed to order any longer.
 
Than you know that LA Reptiles will not bend their rules and does not need new customers. They turn away new customers just about every day some of them being only wholesale dealers and alot being everything else.
 
Some of you are so mean

What kind of responses are those? The person requesting info is a new member. Who is to say he does not have $10K grand or $100K grand to spend on buying wholesale, and "LA Reptiles" would be glad to do business with him? What kind of responses are those?

Why are you all so often so mean? If you have the contact info why not just be a friend and give it to him - why should you care who a company does or does not do business with.

Play nice, people. As the man said - the things you take with you out of this life are the things you gave away.
 
I actually think Jerry and Rob are very nice people. However, they may have different honorable interests to protect, or it is really just their honest opinions. I can respect that, and I enjoy a friendly debate. Yes, I agree that the BOI can get very rough and tough.
 
I will post LA Reptile's contact information probably within 24 hours, unless I am given a good enough reason not to do so.
 
I am not trying to protect or covet anyone but rather trying to let the person know the truth. LA Reptiles would not even sell to me for years because I sell some in the retail arena. They would now sell to me but because I would rather import the animals myself and not have to change the way I do my business I choose not to purchase from them.

Also it does not matter if a person has $10k or more to spend. LA Reptiles only sells to established wholesalers that are currently selling in the wholesale market and nothing to do with the retail market. So even if this person (or anyone else) wanted to spend $10K with them tomorrow that would not change their way they conduct their business. Most people that purchase from them purchase $5-$10k per week and some are multiple times a week. so they don't really care about the money or new customers as they have plenty.

Another thing about his request, there may be the others that have their information that will not give it out because of the fact that they had to work to establish the relationship and be able to order from them. I can understand that as It is just like people that e-mail me every week wanting me to give them the contact information for my exporters in other countries. Do I give them the information? NO! I worked hard for my contacts and others should have to do so as well. Now there are some of my contacts that I will sell to people without a problem as I don't import from them any longer but they are still established contacts of mine but those people don't want to spend the money or years of work to get them.
 
LA REPTILES....does not need or want new customers. Her list goes out in alphabetical order and usually by the time it reaches the r's or s's all the good stuff is sold out.
She also has a no complain policy to the effect that her prices are so cheap there is no reason to complain. If you do your next order usually sucks. She also gives preference to cash customers and cod customers. If on account and you fail to pay your bill within 30 days she sends you a very crappy order(back in the day) or nowadays cuts your order from 10k to 1k.
I have heard she is very freindly and all untill it comes to non paying customers and customers that complain. I have spoken with her many times and have ordered animals for my pet store distribution company(not M n R-Reptiles) and all have come in well. BUT i made sure I paid her upfront or COD. A buddy of mine paid up front then was given ok status for open account.....he didnt recieve anything he didnt have to rehabilitate.
She has great prices but to many you have to take her good and bad.
Most of her prices are less , some are sometimes so far less it makes you wonder how LA can be a succesful business, than what Rob and others even PAY for stuff out of the originating countries.
There is no argument there.
I remember her selling Mellers chams in 30 lots for 14.00ea!
Green Tree Monitors when they were available for 45.00 bucks....
she has great prices but you have to be one of the first on teh fax list to get those animals at those prices. usually by r or s stuff like that has been sold out ten fold.
Mike
 
Rob is correct. Just out of respect and since you seem to have "the inside" why not simply ask Chris if it's ok to post their company info? I would think they would rather it was fowarded by PM rather than posted on the net. They would be very uspset if suddenly they were getting two dozen calls a day from "wanna be" wholesalers"! The other reason they limit their sales even to wholesalers is out of customer interest. For example if they have a established customer in your area that spends seven to ten thousand per month, and the new customer in the same market wants to spend 2 thousand.. Who do you think they will refuse? Many of their customers have been with them for many years and will call them out if theu don't like the competition. Part of the business so to speak. If you need the info I will foward it by PM only... if needed.
 
I am inviting anyone to contact LA Reptile and have them come on the BOI and tell us all wether they care to deal with anyone or not.
 
Funny how no onw has mentioned what a NICE guy Gene is to deal with. Now there's a polite and well spoken man if ever there was one.

It's been a few years since I dealt with them personally but, from what I hear he is still the same pleasant fellow he's been for the last 20 years.

Just give the newbies his number. They'll have such wonderful and insightful conversations with him. HA HA HA HA

Wes Pollock
 
I have to tell you all that what I personally dislike most about big time dealers and breeders is when they have a stuck up, I'm so great, holier than thou, she will only deal with me attitude.
If you have this attitude, I apologize in advance, but I have to tell you all that you ain't nothing. You are just pee-wees and wanna-bees. No one will care about what has become of you in a few years anyway. The people who are remembered are those that are giving of information to the herpetoculture world, not the ones who keep everything a big secret so they can screw other herpers. Sorry, but I had to say the truth.
 
Bruce,

I am curious how many businesses you could walk into and say "I like what you have here but could you tell me who you buy from so I can go direct" and get an answer. LMAO

There are some people I will give out sources of supplies and materials etc but that is usually after establishing a one-on-one relationship with that person. And there are a number of people that have helped us as a small start up company but again these tid bits of information where given in confidence and trust and would probably upset the person giving them to us (ending any other information we would receive). Not that I have LA's information or have ever done business with them.

Personally I'd like to be able to choose who and when I will do business with people instead of people on a board deciding who my customers should be, but I can understand them not wanting to give out their sources.
 
Hey you! Ya you, the newbie who started this thread! Look what you did with one innocent question! They'll be counting the bodies till next year!
 
brucestephenson said:
I have to tell you all that what I personally dislike most about big time dealers and breeders is when they have a stuck up, I'm so great, holier than thou, she will only deal with me attitude.
If you have this attitude, I apologize in advance, but I have to tell you all that you ain't nothing. You are just pee-wees and wanna-bees. No one will care about what has become of you in a few years anyway. The people who are remembered are those that are giving of information to the herpetoculture world, not the ones who keep everything a big secret so they can screw other herpers. Sorry, but I had to say the truth.
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Bruce,

Your comments you just posted made absolutely no sense. If people are going to be remembered and be around they can not give out their suppliers information. Just like in any business, one company can not let another company know who they are getting something from otherwise they will have that much more competition. Not that I care who purchases from LA Reptiles as I don't but when it comes to my suppliers I have worked my ass off for years finding, establishing good contacts and I am not about to give that information out to someone just because they want it. No one has given me the information, I had to work for it myself. In doing so I have lost thousands of dollars to people that are bad and dishonest. Now if someone asks about those people I will give out all the information I can but not on the reliable, trustworthy exporters I have. If you have the information that this person desires why don't you go ahead and give it to them in private e-mail or why don't you contact Chris and Gene and ask them to come on here.
 
Theres a reason why Chris and Gene dont advertise and only have certain people they deal with and sell to....because they're SUCCESSFUL at what they do. It's not about a holier than thou attitude, its about treating the customers you do have and dealing with them the right way over and over again. It's a reciprocating relationship.

When you get to the point they're at and have quality customers that come back to you over and over again to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars.....why would you need to take on any one else ?

I personally wouldnt give their info out if someone begged, pleaded, and offered to pay for the info......why? because its fairly well known that they dont deal with just anyone, dont need to take on any new customers, and clearly dont WANT to take on anyone new at this point.

I would respect that and not offer the info to anyone. Not because I believe myself to be holier than thou or bigger than thou or more experienced than thou....but for the simple fact that this is how they operate.
 
This is a free country and I will give out information as I so choose. I have read your complaint and I will render a judgement soon.
 
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