Mitch from M.S. Herps (drop shipper, etc)

[reptilebreeder]

John, as I stated in my prior post, I don't know either party. I do not know if Mitch functions solely as a broker, or if he deals first hand with any of the animals he sells. In my mind, even though the title of the thread referenced it, I don't feel that brokering/drop shipping is the real issue with this transaction.

I disagree. I think the problem was almost entirely due to the fact that it was drop shipped. Those example excuses you referenced ie. "already sold", "didn't even have them" etc. are almost exclusively problems associated with the fact that the guy drop ships/brokers animals. None of those problems you mentioned should ever occur from a reputable dealer, because they would handle it the ways I mentioned in my responses ie. "Don't have it, won't take money for it." "Won't sell to someone else, if they are spoken for." etc. The other major problem.....forcefully shipping something he didn't want was another issue or problem, resulting from the other problem (at least in my mind).

(I also don't think that a major discussion of that topic is appropriate to this thread, so if it is coming from any quarter - please post a thread in the General Business Discussions forum.)

He's got drop shipping in the title. In addition, as I mentioned, I do think it is entirely relavent to the guys problem, and this thread. (maybe that's what your follow up post is mentioning and therefore my point is moot?)

The bottom line is that the seller advised the buyer that the animals he purchased were not available. It happens, it doesn't really matter why, and is not really the problem either.

I think it matters why it happens, and that it would not have happened from a reputable private breeder or retail establishment, or even a drop shipper/broker who is up front about their business methods. In any case the second part of the problem; force shipping of unwanted product, is a direct result of drop shippers mode of business andpoor "response" to first problem.

 

[Zoo Supply]

The whole point that should be takin here is that if Mitch would have said...geeze I can't get those...sorry do you want your money back, or would you like me to try to find them, then I doubt anything would be on here.
If you don't see the stock everyday then how do you know if it is there or not.
Drop shippers and brokers will always be in the business, cheaper prices is why they will always be here, but the downside to them is things like this happening.

Simple fact is, Mitch didn't handle this right.
TOM

 

[Chameleon Company]

Andrew, I am glad that this matter resolved quickly ...

I went back to your original complaint, and pulled this one line regarding your characterization of Mitch:

If Mitch wants to set this and his name straight, I welcome that. So far he has shown some pretty unethical standards.

Quite understandable, towards the end of the thread and things had been fixed, in a rather quick 3 days, you have this laudatory comment, among others

Mitch, MS Herps made things right...

I wanted to let everybody know that MS Herps made it right today. Mitch ponied up and refunded the money I had originally paid him for the two turtles he didn't have. Mitch is very young and made a mistake that he hopefully learned from by having to take a double hit to his bank account by refunding me the money. I applaud him for that.

I think that is what this site is for, arbitrating wrongs; not forever messing up someone's name over mistakes.

In several other posts you also refer to him in similar terms as "a kid who made a mistake" ....etc.

I can only speculate as to whether Mitch fixed it as quickly as he did, taking the "double hit" as you put it, solely because you brought it to the BOI, or whether he would have fixed just as quickly otherwise. What I do see is that you brought the thread almost immediately after the initial mix-up, or was it deliberate fraud, or something in between? What apparently did not happen, or at least I see no evidence of, is an exchange between you and he in an attempt to rectify things in the 24-48 hours after you received that which you did not want or order. I am fully aware that you emailed him that you did not want them, but it is possible that Mitch thought that he was giving you a good deal, that he was hasty in his substitution, but that the wheels were already in motion to have it shipped since it was a drop-shipment. Not excusing any of his actions, but IMO those actions by themselves do not rise to the level of unethical standards quite yet. But prior to you bringing this here, I don't see any evidence of him ignoring you (which takes a little bit of time, at least 48 hours), telling you "tough luck", or "you should be happy, and you're not getting your money back", etc. Your own words are that the BOI is for "arbitrating wrongs", although its arbitration function is better stated as "arbitrating disputes", and I don't think you gave it time to become a dispute. In your own later words, you call Mitch's actions a "mistake similar to those we all have made in our youth" (my paraphrase), which now would seem to be a considerable deflaton from unethical standards.
Short version: I think you jumped the gun, by your own definition of the purpose of the BOI to "... not forever mess up someone's name over mistakes", these same "mistakes" which you had earlier referred to as "unethical standards". I agree with your initial frustrations, applaud you as well for the later nice comments about Mitch, but IMO you had an obligation to attempt to square this with Mitch first before coming to the BOI, giving it at least 48 hours. It is possible that all of this could have been resolved without it ever coming here, and I would hope that others would keep this in mind before starting a negative BOI thread.

 

[turtlepimp]

Andrew,glad he was a man about the situation in the end.

What alot of people dont realize that if you live in Florida,you can buy a wholesale license.With that license you can request pricelists from wholesalers like Zoological,Strictly,Emerald Coral,Two Amigos,and so on.
If you are so inclines,you can advertise those aminals and make a buck.The downer is every collector and petstore around also gets those lists and are buying off of them from the time they are released.So an animal advertised might just be gone the same day when many might be trying to sell it.It is the dirtiest way to be in the reptile buisness for many reasons.

First,the seller most likely has no clue about the condition of the animal or how it was kept.Second,warranty issues come in to play on DOAs.Those that don't spend much have a hard time getting paid for thier mistakes.Third,and important in your case,your guys got sold while he was selling them,leading to an upset customer.

And then there is the character issue,he substituted the wrong animals because it was all he could get.Dirty

Andrew Sury