• Posted 12/19/2024.
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    I am still waiting on my developer to finish up on the Classifieds Control Panel so I can use it to encourage members into becoming paying members. Google Adsense has become a real burden on the viewing of this site, but honestly it is the ONLY source of income now that keeps it afloat. I tried offering disabling the ads being viewed by paying members, but apparently that is not enough incentive. Quite frankly, Google Adsense has dropped down to where it barely brings in enough daily to match even a single paid member per day. But it still gets the bills paid. But at what cost?

    So even without the classifieds control panel being complete, I believe I am going to have to disable those Google ads completely and likely disable some options here that have been free since going to the new platform. Like classified ad bumping, member name changes, and anything else I can use to encourage this site to be supported by the members instead of the Google Adsense ads.

    But there is risk involved. I will not pay out of pocket for very long during this last ditch experimental effort. If I find that the membership does not want to support this site with memberships, then I cannot support your being able to post your classified ads here for free. No, I am not intending to start charging for your posting ads here. I will just shut the site down and that will be it. I will be done with FaunaClassifieds. I certainly don't need this, and can live the rest of my life just fine without it. If I see that no one else really wants it to survive neither, then so be it. It goes away and you all can just go elsewhere to advertise your animals and merchandise.

    Not sure when this will take place, and I don't intend to give any further warning concerning the disabling of the Google Adsense. Just as there probably won't be any warning if I decide to close down this site. You will just come here and there will be some sort of message that the site is gone, and you have a nice day.

    I have been trying to make a go of this site for a very long time. And quite frankly, I am just tired of trying. I had hoped that enough people would be willing to help me help you all have a free outlet to offer your stuff for sale. But every year I see less and less people coming to this site, much less supporting it financially. That is fine. I tried. I retired the SerpenCo business about 14 years ago, so retiring out of this business completely is not that big if a step for me, nor will it be especially painful to do. When I was in Thailand, I did not check in here for three weeks. I didn't miss it even a little bit. So if you all want it to remain, it will be in your hands. I really don't care either way.

    =====================
    Some people have indicated that finding the method to contribute is rather difficult. And I have to admit, that it is not all that obvious. So to help, here is a thread to help as a quide. How to become a contributing member of FaunaClassifieds.

    And for the record, I will be shutting down the Google Adsense ads on January 1, 2025.
  • 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.

Bad Guy Mike Matson (Mike's Phat Frogs) sold me a WC snake as CB

I read through the entire 70 page thread about the frogs. His posts there made me not want to contact him at all. The only reason I emailed him is because the vet tech at the necropsy clinic suggested that I ask for a refund of the snake's price. But it only confirmed that he actually did lie to me.

Personally, I would have contacted him regardless of what a Fauna thread has said the second I found any information that would have said something other than what I've been told. Do you have any receipts that can verify that he had said CB?

Also, I find it strange a vet tech would suggest that after the snake was in your care for a month. :shrug01:

Again, personally, I would have done a significant amount of research before purchasing a high dollar animal like that. It does appear that no Madagascar Hognoses are produced in the US, unless my googling skills are out of date... :( If you purchase another animal at an expo, do take this as a learning experience. If you notice bumps on the animal, ask yourself if it could be filarial worms. A lot of research should go into choosing an animal, and this was a difficult first time pet to choose! I sincerely hope that next time you give it a go things go much better for you.

That being said, please do not let this deter you from getting another at some point. I am also in Arizona, and if you need help finding a reptile do not hesitate to private message me.

Also, before I forget, do you have the other set of paperwork from Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital that could show us what kind of medications were used? When I went recently I was given a sheet that told me what medications were used, following up on dhaisten's comments.
 
You won't, he has been banned from posting on Fauna, he can be a little hot headed from what I've read. That being said, when I made a purchase with him, and while I was sitting at a booth next to his, he was very honest and up front while I was listening to him talk to attendees at Repticon.

Anyway, he has posted on his Facebook page that he is very firm that he said they were not CB but farmed/wild caught, posting the same screenshot that he has shared with Jing that I posted as well in my first post on this thread.

While I was at the show I do distinctly remember him telling an attendee that the Madagascar Hognose he was looking at was wild caught. When I purchased two tokay geckos from him during that show, he told me right away they were wild caught. I know, he-said-she-said.

Jing, do you have any receipts that say wild caught or captive bred?

No, I do not have concrete proof (unless our phones record convos). I really should have gotten a receipt. Lesson learned.

Also, his fb post was on 4/7. I purchased my snake from him at Repticon on 4/2. Even if I stalked his fb, I wouldn't have seen that post. At the show he very clearly said CB.

This is just my experience with him, obviously he's a good seller sometimes, otherwise he'd be out of business now. I remembered when I was looking at the hognose, there was a man next to me interested in his leaf-nosed snake. Mike tossed in a bunch of anoles with that purchase, which I thought was nice of him, and why I decided to take his word for it.
 
You have a point regarding the Facebook post and timeline, but I still recall him mentioning farm-raised and wild caught at the show. I wish I had something more to offer for you. :(

I'm not sure what to say other than that. My offer to help you find a reptile down the road still stands if you ever want to take it.
 
Mike has always been honest with me about the WC vs CB status of any snake I've inquired about. He even bluntly told me, despite how much I wanted a WC Ptyas korros that he could readily obtain for me, that they frequently die in captivity and he recommended against it. But enough about Mike; I'm not here to dwell on his reputation...I just find a few things about your post really aggravating.

You might have found prior ads showing a Malagasy hognose as being CB, but that is not the norm. Doing 6 months of diligent research before purchasing your first snake does not validate anything in what is ultimately a "he said/she said" conflict that you are presenting in this BOI thread. And it means nothing if your first snake ended up being an impulse purchase at a reptile expo.

To put it into perspective: I too did "research" prior to purchasing my first snake - I researched an exact species I wanted, researched for reputable breeders, found one, and made my first purchase through him. I hear too often from highly reputable importers about their headache when selling to newbies who are completely ignorant to the concept of reptile parasites, as though making a black and white distinction between a WC and CB purchase is the magical invincibility shield that removes any responsibility from yourself as the owner with regards to unfortunate events like this.

How dare you walk into an expo thinking "Ok - all I need to ensure is that my purchase is CB, and I'm good!" That just shows your ignorance in how these infestations occur. CB animals acquire parasites all the time in lieu of poor husbandry, getting fed wild caught feeder fish, cross contamination during cage cleanings, and contamination WHILE AT REPTILE EXPOS.

Not to mention, the fact that you are asking for a refund after an animal has been in your care for over 1 month is ludicrous.
 
Everything in life comes with a 'pricetag.' Even posting somebody's address and an open death threat. Hacking accounts... EVERYTHING HAS A PRICETAG! #patienceisavirtue
 
Mike has always been honest with me about the WC vs CB status of any snake I've inquired about. He even bluntly told me, despite how much I wanted a WC Ptyas korros that he could readily obtain for me, that they frequently die in captivity and he recommended against it. But enough about Mike; I'm not here to dwell on his reputation...I just find a few things about your post really aggravating.

You might have found prior ads showing a Malagasy hognose as being CB, but that is not the norm. Doing 6 months of diligent research before purchasing your first snake does not validate anything in what is ultimately a "he said/she said" conflict that you are presenting in this BOI thread. And it means nothing if your first snake ended up being an impulse purchase at a reptile expo.

To put it into perspective: I too did "research" prior to purchasing my first snake - I researched an exact species I wanted, researched for reputable breeders, found one, and made my first purchase through him. I hear too often from highly reputable importers about their headache when selling to newbies who are completely ignorant to the concept of reptile parasites, as though making a black and white distinction between a WC and CB purchase is the magical invincibility shield that removes any responsibility from yourself as the owner with regards to unfortunate events like this.

How dare you walk into an expo thinking "Ok - all I need to ensure is that my purchase is CB, and I'm good!" That just shows your ignorance in how these infestations occur. CB animals acquire parasites all the time in lieu of poor husbandry, getting fed wild caught feeder fish, cross contamination during cage cleanings, and contamination WHILE AT REPTILE EXPOS.

Not to mention, the fact that you are asking for a refund after an animal has been in your care for over 1 month is ludicrous.

If you sell someone an animal you should have to refund it when asked. Nobody knowingly buys a sick animal and by selling an animal you are advertising it as 'Healthy'. This animal was sick at time of purchase. This isnt even disputed by this point. Therefor the animal was not as described by the seller and that warrants a refund. The animal was also advertised as CB when it was really WC. Another false advertisement and another refund a refund is warranted. If i sold you a tokay and you find out a month down the road its really a leopard gecko would you not ask for a refund?(Obviously that isnt likely to ever happen to anyone) Doesn't matter how ignorant you are at time of purchase if you are lied to about the animal a refund is warranted when its found out regardless of how long down the road you figure out it wasn't what you wanted.
 
If you sell someone an animal you should have to refund it when asked. Nobody knowingly buys a sick animal and by selling an animal you are advertising it as 'Healthy'. This animal was sick at time of purchase. This isnt even disputed by this point. Therefor the animal was not as described by the seller and that warrants a refund. The animal was also advertised as CB when it was really WC. Another false advertisement and another refund a refund is warranted. If i sold you a tokay and you find out a month down the road its really a leopard gecko would you not ask for a refund?(Obviously that isnt likely to ever happen to anyone) Doesn't matter how ignorant you are at time of purchase if you are lied to about the animal a refund is warranted when its found out regardless of how long down the road you figure out it wasn't what you wanted.

If you sell someone a sick animal. Sorry guess i missed a word there at the beginning
 
I have to say I am a little surprised here Sabrina...this is the SECOND Mike Matson bad guy thread you are defending him in.
This makes me a little concerned on your possible motives and just who you may truly be.
Funny that Matson being banned cannot speak on here and he conveniently finds a supporter to speak for him
very funny that........
:confused:
 
I have to say I am a little surprised here Sabrina...this is the SECOND Mike Matson bad guy thread you are defending him in.
This makes me a little concerned on your possible motives and just who you may truly be.
Funny that Matson being banned cannot speak on here and he conveniently finds a supporter to speak for him
very funny that........
:confused:
They both showed up on the same day and I saw them on Facebook. I had a positive experience with him, and if you'd like to find my Good Guy post from a while back, its hiding somewhere.

I am not speaking for Mike, period. Again, he has not asked me to comment for him or anything. Lets keep this thread on track.
 
If I bought a reptile that had parasites and wasn't explicitly said to be WC I would definitely be contacting the breeder. How is that acceptable? I have six snakes and seven geckos, none of them came to me with parasites, not even animals I got from expos.
 
I have to say I am a little surprised here Sabrina...this is the SECOND Mike Matson bad guy thread you are defending him in.
This makes me a little concerned on your possible motives and just who you may truly be.
Funny that Matson being banned cannot speak on here and he conveniently finds a supporter to speak for him
very funny that........
:confused:

I agree 100%... It seems its being addressed by moderators in the other thread finally... I'm curious about her intentions/motivation behind her posts
 
Sabrina, you need to go back and review all of the old posts about Mike. He is completely dishonest. Not if you will be burned, but when. I purchased an animal from him, he was using a old girlfriend's Fauna and paypal account to post the ad. I would never have spent $500 on the tortoise if I had known it was Mike. He was a known thief at an early age. He resold the tortoise and would not return my emails or calls. I finally tricked him in to meeting me by having someone else set up a meeting to purchase a snapping turtle which was illegal to sell in Washington State. He ran like a baby to a waiting getaway car before I could catch up with him. There is no way anyone should ever buy any animals from him. He really needs to go away for good. Defending him in any way without spending the time to review the numerous posts about how unethical Mike is just further prolongs the agony for anyone how makes the mistake of purchasing from him. Mike, I am going to forward all my numerous emails between us and Francine who you were using, like have used so many other woman, to Rich so he never considers bringing you back to life.
 
I have to say I am a little surprised here Sabrina...this is the SECOND Mike Matson bad guy thread you are defending him in.
This makes me a little concerned on your possible motives and just who you may truly be.
Funny that Matson being banned cannot speak on here and he conveniently finds a supporter to speak for him
very funny that........
:confused:

Thanks Kevin, I noticed that also.
 
I've known Mike a while. A few years actually and while we are not beer drinking buddies I have done business with him more than twice. He can be an absolute buttwad, but he's not one to misrepresent his animals. I've heard him at shows we both vended at, I've seen his childishness on various forums and his own pages, but I've never seen him say captive bred when he meant otherwise.

I have seen on more than one occasion where a heavy parasite load being treated has killed an otherwise good looking snake. It happens. Most shows require vendors to give receipts for all purchases. Was this not the case when you purchased this snake?
 
I've known Mike a while. A few years actually and while we are not beer drinking buddies I have done business with him more than twice. He can be an absolute buttwad, but he's not one to misrepresent his animals. I've heard him at shows we both vended at, I've seen his childishness on various forums and his own pages, but I've never seen him say captive bred when he meant otherwise.

I have seen on more than one occasion where a heavy parasite load being treated has killed an otherwise good looking snake. It happens. Most shows require vendors to give receipts for all purchases. Was this not the case when you purchased this snake?
Sounds legit, Mike Matson says his Peppermints are also not misrepresented...
 

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I've seen vendors like Mike.

They can spot a newbie a mile away and believe they can get away with misrepresenting animals.

I for one have no doubt he lied to her about it being CB … just read some of the other threads about him.

Also, vendors like him act different with other vendors … because we know better.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Most shows require vendors to give receipts for all purchases. Was this not the case when you purchased this snake?

I have purchased critters, in the past, from more than one show. My experience was that, while some did, most vendors did not offer, or give, receipts.
When I became a vendor, there was no requirement, from show management, to give receipts. Also, observed many vendors who did not offer/give receipts.

....
 
I am going to address this here. No longer will I go back and forth with others who are not involved in the transaction. Also, those that find evidence I post on my Facebook and share it here were not asked too. Every fauna bio I have addressed on my Facebook because of my past ban. Everyone that post info that would support my side is attacked and ridiculed on fauna by other members then threatened to be banned.

The Madagascar hognose was a "farmed import" and she was told so at the show also. There is no documents or evidence supporting her claim that I told her this was a CB snake. My ads found on my Facebook back in April show that I listed them as farmed.

It's not worth my time to lie for a $20.00 profit about an animal being CB vs farmed or imported. When emailed a month and half later for the first time she informed me that the animal passed away and she wanted a refund or she will post a fauna bio. That is not the way to approach me especially when messaging me 40+ days after the sale for the first time.

I denied that refund as she was fully aware of this animal being a farmed import.

There were a few other species on my table that were either wc or farmed imports. Everyone that purchased either a Malaysian mangrove, red tail green rat snake, golden or giant hognose, leaf nose snakes and the various geckos were made aware of their wc or farmed status.




I met Mike at Phoenix Repticon on 4/2, where I purchased a female Madagascan Giant Hognose snake from his table for $170. I asked him directly whether it was captive-bred or WC, and he said CB with no hesitation. My boyfriend was with me at the time of purchase and can attest to that.

A month after purchasing the animal showed bumps and lumps on her body. The vet diagnosed her with a heavy intestinal and subcutaneous parasite load, and that she was most likely WC. On that first visit he removed 6 adult worms from under her skin, and we started deworming treatment. I took her back two weeks later for another round of dewormer.

Unfortunately she passed away on 5/19. The necropsy showed that she had eleven adult parasitic worms in her body. These worms caused systemic inflammation and fluid buildup around her heart, finally causing her heart to stop. The vet said she must've been pretty heavily infested when Mike sold her.

She was my first and only reptile, if he’d been honest with me regarding her WC status I would not have purchased her. I did roughly 6 months of serious research before going to the show and was not looking for a WC animal.

After her death, I emailed Mike to explain what happened, and to ask for a refund since he had lied to me about her. He denied having ever said she was CB, even insisting that he told me of her WC status. I can guarantee that did not happen; he was quite happy to say the snake was CB to make a sale.

Regarding his statement that no Malagasy Giant Hognoses are produced in the US, there are a couple of ads for CB snakes on this forum alone. There was no reason for me to not believe him at the time.

I only had Skittles for 1.5 months. I did what I could to bring her health up. I've attached her vet reports, the necropsy report, and the email convo. Hopefully this serves to warn others looking to buy "CB" snakes from him.
 
The Madagascar hognose was a "farmed import" and she was told so at the show also. There is no documents or evidence supporting her claim that I told her this was a CB snake.
Incidentally, there's the very same lack of evidence to support your own contentions. You have a very well-documented history of lying when it suits you, even about something as simple and fundamental as the names you've chosen to post under. The OP presented an extremely plausible scenario, which is given even more credence by your aforementioned utter lack of credibility. Personally, I think Rich made a mistake by even lifting your ban; your removal was a clear case of addition by subtraction.
 
Evidence from April 7th of hognose being advertised as farmed imports.
In the pic attached.

I will also address this once. For the thousands of orders that have been placed I have a handful of bad guy threads. That is bound to happen with so many transactions as not everyone can be made happy. Seeing as I was not able to defend myself at those times others near me argued on my behalf. Also, made accounts to bypass the ban to argue the nonsense. That was not the way to go about it.

Misunderstandings, errogance and self pride take place and those few bad transactions get out of hand.

I am glad Rich allowed me to post and defend myself as others who share the other half of the story found on Facebook are bashed and attacked.

I supply frogs all around the world and am 90% on the way to 3 new morphs that I have created being released for sale next year.

If I am so bad why do I vend shows consistently and as far as Texas? I am out in the public eye and have nothing to hide.

A few of you in these threads that are not related to any of the transactions will stir the pot for hits. You can try and make me out to be this horrible monster when in reality Those that know me don't have the same view. . I do have my frustrating times and get worked up which I have learned to stop doing. Also is the reason why I am not responding past this post to anyone but the poster in these threads.

If the OP would have kept me involved in the snakes "issues" I would have gladly made an effort to fix it. However, seeing the Instagram pics of the animal doing well over the last few weeks led me not to work anything out past the original email which wanted a instant refund of the snake or she would make a bio post.

Incidentally, there's the very same lack of evidence to support your own contentions. You have a very well-documented history of lying when it suits you, even about something as simple and fundamental as the names you've chosen to post under. The OP presented an extremely plausible scenario, which is given even more credence by your aforementioned utter lack of credibility. Personally, I think Rich made a mistake by even lifting your ban; your removal was a clear case of addition by subtraction.
 

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