• 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.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
    =====================


    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Mike Roe and Dave Vaugh = Bad Guys

Best of Luck

Hey Shannan

I was one of the people that got scammed around the same time as Damien. It took a while and a bunch of calls to Mike, Dave (his old partner ... I think) and the Fort Dodge police but Mike finally gave up and paid.
Stay on him! It's a shame that someone like him continues to get away with this.

Good luck
Steve Pisarchik
 
Latest

Mike will not respond to my emails. I called and left a message for Det. Doug Utley. King Snake claims they will only pursue it if I file an official complaint with http://www.ifccfbi.gov . Which I intend to do. Where else can I post? How is everyone else doing with getting their money back? Does anyone have a number for Mike or his mother? IF others have called her I might as well too:)

-Shannan Donivan
 
am not suprised

Shannan,

King Snake claims they will only pursue it if I file an official complaint with http://www.ifccfbi.gov .
Click to expand...

I don't know why this statement doesn't suprise me anymore. From everything I am reading, this just stands to reason for Jeff as it's another way to keep folks who are willing to pay his prices to "look good." It's a real shame that the true quality vendors on his site feel they have to utilize his services in the midst of some real con artists in the industry. By using this method to weed out complaints against his paying vendors, he continues to allow scammers and cons to harbor there and thus continue to degrade his site and/or services. It's shameful, but so many have been watching, monitoring and reporting on this that it now comes as absolutely no suprise.

David
 
Complaint official

The complaint has been filed with the Internet Fraud people. I referenced this thread and pasted the URL. I put a call into Detective Utley. I copied the complaint (the official one) and replied with it to Kingsnake as they requested.

Any other advice?
Anyone have his mother's phone number?

He still hasn't replied to my emails. Imagine that. Prior to my discovering his fraud activities he always responded back.

So for a just starting out herper....avoid Repti-bid as there seems to be alot of scams there, avoid Kingsnake, as the same goes, avoid any deals that seem too good to be true, inquire about a person on here, before doing business...anything else I should know to make it in this business?

Thankfully I have had some wonderful deals with some others. I posted their names and thanks to them on my web site. It is good to know the reptile world isn't filled with scammers, entirely!

-Shannan Donivan
 
Update!!!

Just got off the phone with Doug Utley. Their new email is [email protected] for any others currently being ripped off by Mike. Mike is now out of his jurisdiction though. I, and any others, are to contact Steve Switzer at 515-281-8771, he is part of the Consumer Protection Agency. Doug Utley has already sent a nice thick package to him to investigate and any and all calls from the victims is extremly beneficial!!!!

I Have emails saved from Mike Roe. Is there anyway I can tell using the IP address, where he is sending from? I am not computer savy, please keep in mind....

Thanks

Shannan Donivan
 
More....from Steve Switzer

I am to email Steve Switzer at [email protected] with details that happened. He is encouraging me to encourage everyone that has gotten ripped off by Mike to email him as well...

Please everyone, repond to these guys! They may or may not be able to get us our money back, but they are willing to try!


-Shannan Donivan
 
Hey Shannon

How did you pay him? If it was paypal, its electronic fraud and is a felony, if it was via check from your bank , its a felony, and if it was via postal money order go file with them, they always get the bad guys, so there are some useful options, you can file a complaint with the bbb, neither of you have to be members and they will hold is info public indefinetley until closure of the deal. these things help, maybe not today, but down the road. If it was with a credit card do a charge back, if it was with your bank, file a fraud complaint, they do take this stuff seriously. again good luck, oh and i did send a letter to the above said detective to help yopu out.
 
Thanks for the support!

I thought it was a money order I sent. It wasn't. The Brain Cells just came back to life and now I realize it was a cashiers check. I called my credit union and all they can do is send me a copy, front and back of it. It had been cashed right after receipt so it is gone....from my understanding. I will talk to the head of the Credit Union tomorrow to see if there is more I can do.

How I wish I would have utilized Fauna and the BOI prior to this!

-Shannan Donivan
 
complaints to Kingsnake

According to Jeff Barringer, the compalint I filed with Kingsnake and continuing through with the IFCC complaint, forwarded back to Kingsnake, is the first complaint they have received against Animal Island and/or Mike Roe. SO those who have not gotten their money back and have been taken across through an ad on Kingsnake please use their "process" and file a complaint with them and the IFCC and forward what the IFCC emails you back to Kingsnake.

I'd like to believe this may prevent Mike Roe from taking anyone else across in the near future on Kingsnake.

Are there other reptile web sites that Mike Roe could begin using? I'll gladly take the time to patrol through them.

Shannan Donivan
 
I reported him too!

Shannan

I also turned Mike Roe into the bbb, reported him to kingsnake.com, filed the IFCC thingy and called the FORT Dodge police. Kingsnake is wrong when they say that this is Mikes first report. Although when I went thru all of this, he was 1/2 owner of Midwest Reptiles and Aquatics. I also froze their paypal account. I think the account was actually Dave Vaughts. If you can, ask Kingsnake to dig up info on Midwest reptiles and aquatics (and Mike Roe). If I remember, this was last September 2003. I think that it's at the beginning of this thread.

Once again, I wish you all the luck.
Steve
 
Beware of Mystic Herps

Everyone beware that Mystic Herps of Iowa is just another scamming business name set up by Mike and Mandi Roe to rip people off. Here's a link to an inquiry I made on 4/05/04 about a mike at Mystic Herps. http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=36302
The first response from a Mike Jones of Animal Island recommending them may very well have been a name set up by them to promote their new name,. I'm not really sure. As for Josh Burm Guy, you had better rethink your opinion on this scum because the only interest this guy had in you was to string you along for more money. He never would have sent the animals.
My story began when I posted an ad looking for a ten lot of Colombian boas at the other site. A Mike of Mystic Herps responded saying he would sell me them for $535 shipped. I wanted to pay by Paypal but he said he didn't have an account yet, but they were going to get one. I decided to pay by US Postal MO and sent one for $535 overnight to a Mandi Roe who became involved in the transaction. The address I sent payment to was:
Mandi Roe
3156 68th St.
Urbandale, Iowa 50322
The agreement was for me to overnight payment to her to receive for Wednesday 4/07/04 and she was supposed to ship the same day so that I would have the animals on Thursday for a local customer. I instructed her before sending payment to make sure the animals were not fed and to anticipate sending them on Wednesday so they'd be ready to go out. I received a letter from Mandi saying the post office couldn't cash their own money order and the animals had accidentally been fed by her worker. She then stated she had to deposit the MO in her bank account and that it would take 2-3 days to clear. This coupled with the animals having been fed would not allow her to ship until Monday 4/12/04. I was very pissed off and asked her why I had gone through the added expense of overnighting her a US Postal Mo that could be cashed instantly so she could ship the animals upon receiving payment. She told me she would send me an extra two Colombians with the ten lot just to keep me as a customer and for my troubles.
Yesterday I was supposed to have received the animals and needless to say I didn't even so much as get an e-mail with a carrier name or tracking number after repeated requests for one. Another person responded yesterday saying they were normally closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and that he just happened in on my e-mails asking where the animals and tracking numbers were, etc. because he was there to feed a few animals.
I've since sent a letter to Mandi telling her I was onto their scam as a result of this thread and they had best overnight payment back to me TODAY or I was going to report them for felony crimes of mail and internet fraud. I haven't heard anything back as of this point. These people are the lowest scum imaginable! DO NOT DEAL WITH MYSTIC HERPS, Mandi Roe, Mike Roe or anything remotely affiliated with them. They are scammers.
 
Greg, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE call Captain Utley immediatley!!!!He was wonderful to work with on this! Then call Steve S...can't remeber but it is in this thread. They both have seemed very eager to catch these morons.

Greg, where did you originaly see the ad?

Does anyone live in Iowa near Urbandale? Please email me.

SHannan Donivan
 
Mike Roe, Animal Island, MIke Jones, Mystic Herps

These are all the same person, Mike Roe who is currently ripping people off everywhere. Buyers beware. Please see other thread regarding Mike Roe and Dave Vaught for details and police contact info.

SHannan Donivan
 
Shannon...

I posted an ad in the wanted section at K...snake looking for a ten lot of Colombians and Mike of Mystic Herps responded saying he had them for $535 shipped. I did a search here at Fauna and not knowing Mike's last name was Roe didn't find anything. Then when Mandi Roe became involved I didn't think anything of it because it's not uncommon for more than one person to communicate in e-mails. After suspecting I was being scammed I checked out her name this morning and came upon this thread. Their current e-mail address is [email protected] I've been writing to. I'd be very surprised to hear from them again.
 
Greg,
Jeff from Kingsnake is asking that you please go through their channels and file a complaint with the IFCC then forward what the IFCC emails you back to them. I contacted him about mike striking again. I know this takes time and may result in nothing but at least I felt that I had done 1 more thing to stop another from getting ripped off!

I also contacted an Attorney, a good family friend. Hopefully pursuing Mike through the police, internet, and legal system, may stop him. Doubt it....but I am willing to dedicate a lot of time to it.

Again anyone living near Urbandale, please email me.

Shannan Donivan
 
the screenname Rubyxexe has the name Mystic Herps attached to it.

the IP addy is 63.230.61.104

This "Mike Jones" with the screen name Animal Island has an IP of 63.230.61.104

If you look they are giving each other good feedback.
But they are the same person
 
Mike Roe

Hello everyone my name is Paul Wyble I live in Pittsburgh, PA those of you who read this whole post know that Mike and Mandi Roe got me for 1700.00 for a albino ball python but I got it back from his mother and I froze his paypal account I have seen Mike posting on KS and when I do see one of his ads I make sure I post right underneath it that it is a scam KS has warned me a few times about it but I dont care I just wanted to let you guys know keep on him you will get your money back he is trying to run a scam where he is robbing one person to pay back the person that is closest to his trail when you get close to him he scams someone else to pay you off he is the biggest piece of s%%t I ever had the displeasure of knowing and he thinks that he has 30 days after you pay him to either send the animal or refund you your money without any consiquences he has stated that to me plenty of times the funny thing is he came from a very wealthy family I am going to look back in my info to try and find his mothers# I think I might have posted it before I know it helped more than a few people get there money back I know he does not live in Fort Dodge any more and he just picked up and left one day left his tatoo shop and everything his mom had all of this stuff and she might sell it I told her to sell it and keep the money to take care of some of Mikes victems she said she would probably do that so I would try and call her and see if there is anything left you can do a search on Roe for fort dodge you will find her Mary is her name very nice lady and well now I know that Mike is reading these post I just wanted to let you know Mike that I just told my supervisor that if any jobs come up in the state of Iowa to please put me on them and there normally is a couple a year there I travel alot for work so I think I might have to stop up and put a face with this name I hate so much I told you you little piece of ---- I might have got my money back but as far as I am concearned you still stole from me its scum like you that are killing this industry see you soon Mikey
 
MIKE Roe

Hi Everyone,
My name is Tony I live in NY. I was also scammed in the beginning of the year. I eventually got my money back from Mikes Mother. She is a very nice woman, I feel bad that she has to deal with this crap from her son. I have some information from about a month ago that I will share with you....
These are some numbers that I have. THE FIRST NUMBERS ARE FOR (THE BUCKLE) WHICH WILL BE FOR MANDY ROE.(515) 276-1809 (515) 225-3818, (515) 287-0107, THERE ARE THREE STORES IN DES MOINES AT THIS TIME I DONT HAVE INFORMATION WHICH ONE SHE WORKS AT. THE PHONE NUMER FOR THE HARLEY SHOP IN DES MOINES WERE MIKE IS SUPPOESE TO WORK IS (515) 265-4444. THIS IS THE ONLY HARLEY SHOP IN DES-MOINES. THE NAME OF THE HARLEY SHOP IS (ZOOKS HARLEY).

This is Mike's mother's E-mail address:
Mary E Roe [[email protected]]
Try not to get her Involved; her husband gives her a hard time about this whole nightmare!!!

I WILL TRY TO DIG UP MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU ASAP.
GOD BLESS, TONY

Hebrews 4:13
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
 
Thank you for all that wonderful info Tony! Captain ( I think it is actually Chief) Utley expressed to me how nice Mike's mom is and how this is horrible for her. She'll be my last resort. It is nice having their work numbers handy. I say we all start calling asking to speak to supervisors regarding the police reports filed and the reprots with the Attorney General. I have plenty of time on my hands and plenty of free long distance...I'll gladly fax their work places copies of the reports...
That info is very helpful, thanks again!

Shannan Donivan
 
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