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Bad Guy PAUL EDWARDS- [email protected]

K

kylemillsap

Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2006
Messages
83
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Age
62
Location
los angeles, CA.
Not only does he make CRAPPY cages and incubators. He lies and steals.I paid in full for 2 incubators and one (48 slot) rack. He said 6 weeks for delivery. 12 weeks passed and I called . He was almost done with the incubators but not the rack. I told him forget the rack I needed it in a more timely manner, just return my $1100. He then offered to send a used rack he had at his house, no thanks I said. He then told me he spent my money to pay his bills and was unable to return my money. I suggested he make payments . He still has not returned ANY money.
When I set up the incubators I was bummed to find out they fluctuate by about 7 degrees overnight. When I told him he said he would build me a shelf with another heat source with scrap materials he had at home. That was abut 5 or 6 weeks ago and still nothing. Last time I contacted him he told me he didn't want to REHASH this conversation.
Now I am stuck with 2 worthless incubators and out $1100 extra in cash.
Originally he told me he was just bad with money and should have known better than to mix his personal expenses with his business. Now I know the truth . He is a LIAR and a CHEAT(ask Habitat Systems)
 
I'm curious--what's the relationship between Paul and Habitat Systems (Tom Weidner)-the last I knew (and saw together), they were best buds...?
-K Swan
 
also just curious is the same Paul Edwards that is pretty know in the corallus community? I think he was from Tennessee.
 
I too bought a custom incubator from paul, and had a lousy experience. When I ordered it (february or 09), he said 4-6 weeks. 19 weeks later after a lot of emailing, I finally got my product. He refused to refund shipping costs, and that there was no garuntee on timing. He kept saying ...you can't put time restraints on making quality products. However, he said 4-6 weeks and he had no website then with any policies at all. He kept blaming delays on the crating company. However, he never gave me the name of the company he used when I asked for it, until it actually shipped out. I just think it wasn't ready yet. I just kept getting excuses. When I told him how angry I was, and to just send my money back, which was over $1,000...he actually had the nerve to tell me how great his business was doing. When it finally shipped, he asked me to put a testimonial on his site he was setting up...why would he want a pissed of client to post a testimonial on his site?


I gave him specific dimensions for the incubator. He didn't tell me the box on the back for the heating and fans was another 2". It almost didn't fit through my doors!

As fas as him and Habitat Systems..his big sales pitch was that "its the same product, just a lot cheaper". So, maybe they aren't friends anymore..

Personally, I have no problems with my incubator. It was shipped well, and so far works well.

For myself, I would rather pay more and get my product on time than deal with Mr. Edwards again.


Leslie Steinmetz
 
I have resisted the urge to tell the world about Mr. Edwards and Habitat Systems for some time. Now that the subject has been raised, I will relate our side of the story.
I have known Mr. Edwards for something like 30 years. I have helped him through the herp world on many occasions. I have designed and built cages, mostly for myself, for over 50 years. He copied a design I had made when he lived in Omaha, Ne. He proceeded to make and sell them until the city made him stop. (You cannot run a manufacturing business in your garage in a city area zoned residential).
After he moved to S.C. he purchased some racks from us. Later he “purchased” an R&D unit from us. He promised to make payments. He failed to do so.
He then decided to go into the manufacture and sale of our products and designs. When asked why, his comment was “I just want to make money”. He is a thief, he is stealing our patent. To sue for a patent violation requires a great deal of money. When you win, you get damages and an injunction. Mr. Edwards has never had two nickels to rub together so the damages would never be paid. We decided that the public would eventually get wise to him and realize who and what he is without our help.
At my age, I thought I was a better judge of character. I was wrong. This is the thanks I get for helping him out many times over the years. He has slept on my couch. I remember when he brought mites to my facility. He has offended my daughter. Trying to steal our company is the final straw.
He is correct when he says that our material is the best for cages. However the quality of Habitat Systems units far exceeds anything he can do. It is a difficult material to work with and he has not been able to steal all the secrets yet. We do not want our name used in the same sentence as Mr. Edwards. Our ethics, standards, quality, customer service and reputation are way too important to us.
If you would like to see an example of his workmanship compared to Habitat Systems, see us at Tinley Park.
Maybe Noe Perez of Noah’s Boas would like to relate his Mr. Edwards dealings.
Anyone contemplating a purchase from Mr. Edwards would be wise to consider the possibility of complications.

Tom Weidner
 
I wondered when a thread like this would appear. Sorry to hear of your problems Kyle & Leslie. I too purchased a rack from Mr. Edwards last fall as I needed more space to house neonate chondros. The majority of racks in my facility were made by HSL and I LOVE them! So I thought, if this is the same material how much different could they be. Low and behold when the rack showed up the spacing on the shelves was way off. Some of the tolerances were so off that neo emeralds (much less chondros) would crawl right out, other's were so tight the boxes would barely go in and at least one slot the box won't go in more than half way. When I informed Paul of the situation he apologized and offered to make it up on a future order. Gladly I ended up getting a real HSL rack to replace the one he made.

Rico Walder
Signal Herpetoculture
 
That's a sad and disgusting story. I was around his place when Tom bought his first panel, just trying to figure out how to cut and glue the thing. I remember thinking, " well if he doesn't sell any, at least there's no way in hell anyone's ever going to be able to duplicate it" after seeing how hard they are to build. I'm a pretty good carpenter but I wouldn't attempt putting one of those (H.Systems cage)together with DOI kit!! It was a foolish/unethical attempt, and I haven't even seen the copies!!!
 
What's a DOI kit you ask---why it's DIY (do it yourself) spelled incorrectly and in a hurry!
 
I have seen both

I saw Mr. Edwards product at Tinley Park. The Habitat systems products are much better built. When seen side by side. I own many Habitat systems racks and cages. Never a problem with them. I have been to the Habitat production warehouse many times. I would spend a few bucks more to know that someone will be on the other end of the phone if I needed help, or had a question. I needed some custom cage fronts made a few years back. Called them up with my needs. They built the to my needs, and mentioned a few extra idea`s. I am glad they did. I have been using them for the last ten years. That is worth something to me.
Many racks I have seen out there do no even come close to the Habitat racks. The top box, and the bottom box both fit evenly. Other racks I have used and still own some of them. The snakes get out of the top box, because of the gap. And the bottom boxes are so tight you cannot open them.
Tom I hope you keep making a quality product! Good things are not cheap, and cheap things are not good!
 
I have never bought a rack from paul, but I did have a bad experience with him dealing with reptiles. early last year I saw one of his ads on kingsnake and notice he lived in the same area in SC as I do. He had an ad that was about selling animals for people kingsnake for a 25% fee(i think). We talked on the phone about me doing some business with him and he asked me what kind of snakes/turtles I had and that he might be interested in buying some at wholesale from me. I told him some things that I had for sale at that time and that was all. He never said he was going to buy anything or wanted anything at that time. I ended up selling the eastern King pair I had a couple days later to a local guy. about a week later Paul tells me that he needs me to bring those eastern kings to him. I told him that I had already sold them and he told me I needed to get him some cause he had posted them and had a guy pay for them. I never gave him permission to post anything and I told him he shouldnt be selling animals that he didnt have in his hands. he got mad at me and told me that is how the reptile world works. I have not spoke to him since though. I dont know how you can sell animals that you dont have or have any clue as to the shape they are in.
 
Tom,

Thank you for clarifying the relationship between you two guys. So far my incubator works ok...although, nothing has hatched out yet. So, we'll see. Either way, when I do need something else..I will be buying from you!

Leslie
 
Hey,
This is Paul Edwards of Paul Edwards Reptiles. I have been a cage connesuer for a few decades now and it has always been my dream to make cages, racks and incubators for a living, and now that is what I do, almost exclusively. However, as I will explain in a bit, it is not a full time living...yet.
First off I'd like to say that you can do no better than to have Tom Weidner of Habitat Systems making cages for you. Yes, Tom and I go way back, and I'm sorry he feels the way he feels about me (I had no idea I offended his daughter though...my sincerest apologies). I'm sure he is mad at me for using what he thinks is his material, but Henry Ford didn't want Chevy around either. I realized Tom Weidner is not going to put money in Paul Edwards pocket, Paul Edwards has to do that, so I decided to use the skills that I have and the knowledge that I have in using this material to make affordable, yet high quality cages, racks and incubators for herpers and breeders, not effecting Habitat Systems markets, which are primarily zoo's. I have no interest in going into their markets, and don't have the infrastructure to do so even if I wanted to, and I have no interest in stealing their company or harming them in any way, and don't believe I have. I in fact pray for their prosperity and abundance on a continual basis. I have been a HUGE supporter or theirs ever since they found out about this material from a friend of mine. They did not discover it and they are NOT the first to make cages out of this material. But the fact is most people can't afford to pay $1000 for one arboreal cage. That's where I come in. Except for an extremely few, like Rico Walder, the people that I do business with are simply not HS customers. I use the same hollow core material as they do, all of my stuff is made with an awesome adhesive I found, so everything is adhered together. I do use rivits a lot on the face frames and doors. I use a process of adhering these things together that utilizes 2 seperate types of adhesives and I frankly don't know if Habitat Systems does it the same way or not...I have my own process and it took me a long time to figure out how to go about working with the material and a lot of trial and error and research on my own...and it is a tricky material to work with for sure and I am getting better at it as I go, kinda like anything else that is manufactured. I am always improving my products. But my product will hold up just as well as Habitat Systems and will last a lifetime. Myherp room is filled with my racks and I've never had an animal escape. Nothing is better than H.S. though in my mind as they are the top reptile enclosure manufacturers on the planet...bar none. And they should be, they've been doing it for over 10 years. I've always said success with animals is all about the facilities. I'm a facilities guy all the way. I'm trying to bring to the herper/collector/breeder a superior product that they can actually afford. I'll never be as cheap as most out there and I don't want to be.
I want to explain why there are some people on here calling me names like liar and thief. I am none of those things, never have been and never will be. the people who know me know that. You can say a lot of things about me, like not getting people products out in time, but I am not a liar and I am not a thief. Everyone has got their products they have ordered from me and I have many testamonial letters to prove how happy they are with their products. Some are on the BOI in fact, including a doctor who ordered just one cage. Some however have not gotten their products in a timely manner and I don't blame them for being upset, I would be too. The short explanation is, the business is not fully supporting my personal expences and business expences, and so I've done some things so that very little of my personal expences are paid from the money that comes in for the business now. Before it all went into one account and there was more outgo than income frankly and it got me into a little trouble in buying materials for projects. Plus, I don't know how many of you have actually ran an actual full time business before, but it's hard! I've learned so much in the last year, you have no idea! When I tested Rico's rack there was one box that was a little tight and I told him about it. And I did not know it was for Chondro's. Kyle will get his money, I built him the incubators and have shipped him the heat shelves for them yesterday, and I built the rack in question but it did not get sent out in time so he wants a refund. I have always told them I will give them a refund, just haven't yet, even though he and Santo have called me every name in the book. We have a date promised that he will be receiving his first payment. This was set yesterday and I have the email to prove it, before all this began. He promised that he would not post on here if I did what I said I was going to do, but I guess he did anyway.
I don't know if everyone who see's this saw that there have been several inquiries and Good Guy posts about me over the years, but I went back and read them and I would like to ask that you do too. There are some pretty good things said about me. I have been breeding and selling what I bred since the mid 1980's and I have an excellent reputation. I have bred not only Emerald tree boas on a consistant basis, but Amazon tree boas, various other pythons and colubrids and easy to breed things, and also panther chameleons, Kimberly Rock monitors, Red Ackies, cave dwelling rat snakes, and tons of ball pythons. I have spoken at 5 different states herpetological societies and at the MidWestern Herpetological conference, have had my photographs published in reptiles magazine and even won the 1996 reptiles magazines photo contest.
In short, I'm here to stay.
Paul Edwards
Paul Edwards Reptiles
843-224-8985
 
Hi,
This is Paul Edwards of Paul Edwards Reptiles. I have been a cage connesuer for a few decades now and it has always been my dream to make cages, racks and incubators for a living, and now that is what I do, almost exclusively. However, as I will explain in a bit, it is not a full time living...yet.
First off I'd like to say that you can do no better than to have Tom Weidner of Habitat Systems making cages for you. Yes, Tom and I go way back, and I'm sorry he feels the way he feels about me (I had no idea I offended his daughter though...my sincerest apologies). I'm sure he is mad at me for using what he thinks is his material, but Henry Ford didn't want Chevy around either. I realized Tom Weidner is not going to put money in Paul Edwards pocket, Paul Edwards has to do that, so I decided to use the skills that I have and the knowledge that I have in using this material to make affordable, yet high quality cages, racks and incubators for herpers and breeders, not effecting Habitat Systems markets, which are primarily zoo's. I have no interest in going into their markets, and don't have the infrastructure to do so even if I wanted to, and I have no interest in stealing their company or harming them in any way, and don't believe I have. I in fact pray for their prosperity and abundance on a continual basis. I have been a HUGE supporter or theirs ever since they found out about this material from a friend of mine. They did not discover it and they are NOT the first to make cages out of this material. But the fact is most people can't afford to pay $1000 for one arboreal cage. That's where I come in. Except for an extremely few, like Rico Walder, the people that I do business with are simply not HS customers. I use the same hollow core material as they do, all of my stuff is made with an awesome adhesive I found, so everything is adhered together. I do use rivits a lot on the face frames and doors. I use a process of adhering these things together that utilizes 2 seperate types of adhesives and I frankly don't know if Habitat Systems does it the same way or not...I have my own process and it took me a long time to figure out how to go about working with the material and a lot of trial and error and research on my own...and it is a tricky material to work with for sure and I am getting better at it as I go, kinda like anything else that is manufactured. I am always improving my products. But my product will hold up just as well as Habitat Systems and will last a lifetime. Myherp room is filled with my racks and I've never had an animal escape. Nothing is better than H.S. though in my mind as they are the top reptile enclosure manufacturers on the planet...bar none. And they should be, they've been doing it for over 10 years. I've always said success with animals is all about the facilities. I'm a facilities guy all the way. I'm trying to bring to the herper/collector/breeder a superior product that they can actually afford. I'll never be as cheap as most out there and I don't want to be.
I want to explain why there are some people on here calling me names like liar and thief. I am none of those things, never have been and never will be. the people who know me know that. You can say a lot of things about me, like not getting people products out in time, but I am not a liar and I am not a thief. Everyone has got their products they have ordered from me and I have many testamonial letters to prove how happy they are with their products. Some are on the BOI in fact, including a doctor who ordered just one cage. Some however have not gotten their products in a timely manner and I don't blame them for being upset, I would be too. The short explanation is, the business is not fully supporting my personal expences and business expences, and so I've done some things so that very little of my personal expences are paid from the money that comes in for the business now. Before it all went into one account and there was more outgo than income frankly and it got me into a little trouble in buying materials for projects. Plus, I don't know how many of you have actually ran an actual full time business before, but it's hard! I've learned so much in the last year, you have no idea! When I tested Rico's rack there was one box that was a little tight and I told him about it. And I did not know it was for Chondro's. Kyle will get his money, I built him the incubators and have shipped him the heat shelves for them yesterday, and I built the rack in question but it did not get sent out in time so he wants a refund. I have always told them I will give them a refund, just haven't yet, even though he and Santo have called me every name in the book. We have a date promised that he will be receiving his first payment. This was set yesterday and I have the email to prove it, before all this began. He promised that he would not post on here if I did what I said I was going to do, but I guess he did anyway.
I don't know if everyone who see's this saw that there have been several inquiries and Good Guy posts about me over the years, but I went back and read them and I would like to ask that you do too. There are some pretty good things said about me. I have been breeding and selling what I bred since the mid 1980's and I have an excellent reputation. I have bred not only Emerald tree boas on a consistant basis, but Amazon tree boas, various other pythons and colubrids and easy to breed things, and also panther chameleons, Kimberly Rock monitors, Red Ackies, cave dwelling rat snakes, and tons of ball pythons. I have spoken at 5 different states herpetological societies and at the MidWestern Herpetological conference, have had my photographs published in reptiles magazine and even won the 1996 reptiles magazines photo contest.
In short, I'm here to stay.
Paul Edwards
Paul Edwards Reptiles
843-224-8985
 
Response from Paul Edwards

Hi,
This is Paul Edwards of Paul Edwards Reptiles. I have been a cage connesuer for a few decades now and it has always been my dream to make cages, racks and incubators for a living, and now that is what I do, almost exclusively. However, as I will explain in a bit, it is not a full time living...yet.
First off I'd like to say that you can do no better than to have Tom Weidner of Habitat Systems making cages for you. Yes, Tom and I go way back, and I'm sorry he feels the way he feels about me (I had no idea I offended his daughter though...my sincerest apologies). I'm sure he is mad at me for using what he thinks is his material, but Henry Ford didn't want Chevy around either. I realized Tom Weidner is not going to put money in Paul Edwards pocket, Paul Edwards has to do that, so I decided to use the skills that I have and the knowledge that I have in using this material to make affordable, yet high quality cages, racks and incubators for herpers and breeders, not effecting Habitat Systems markets, which are primarily zoo's. I have no interest in going into their markets, and don't have the infrastructure to do so even if I wanted to, and I have no interest in stealing their company or harming them in any way, and don't believe I have. I in fact pray for their prosperity and abundance on a continual basis. I have been a HUGE supporter or theirs ever since they found out about this material from a friend of mine. They did not discover it and they are NOT the first to make cages out of this material. But the fact is most people can't afford to pay $1000 for one arboreal cage. That's where I come in. Except for an extremely few, like Rico Walder, the people that I do business with are simply not HS customers. I use the same hollow core material as they do, all of my stuff is made with an awesome adhesive I found, so everything is adhered together. I do use rivits a lot on the face frames and doors. I use a process of adhering these things together that utilizes 2 seperate types of adhesives and I frankly don't know if Habitat Systems does it the same way or not...I have my own process and it took me a long time to figure out how to go about working with the material and a lot of trial and error and research on my own...and it is a tricky material to work with for sure and I am getting better at it as I go, kinda like anything else that is manufactured. I am always improving my products. But my product will hold up just as well as Habitat Systems and will last a lifetime. Myherp room is filled with my racks and I've never had an animal escape. Nothing is better than H.S. though in my mind as they are the top reptile enclosure manufacturers on the planet...bar none. And they should be, they've been doing it for over 10 years. I've always said success with animals is all about the facilities. I'm a facilities guy all the way. I'm trying to bring to the herper/collector/breeder a superior product that they can actually afford. I'll never be as cheap as most out there and I don't want to be.
I want to explain why there are some people on here calling me names like liar and thief. I am none of those things, never have been and never will be. the people who know me know that. You can say a lot of things about me, like not getting people products out in time, but I am not a liar and I am not a thief. Everyone has got their products they have ordered from me and I have many testamonial letters to prove how happy they are with their products. Some are on the BOI in fact, including a doctor who ordered just one cage. Some however have not gotten their products in a timely manner and I don't blame them for being upset, I would be too. The short explanation is, the business is not fully supporting my personal expences and business expences, and so I've done some things so that very little of my personal expences are paid from the money that comes in for the business now. Before it all went into one account and there was more outgo than income frankly and it got me into a little trouble in buying materials for projects. Plus, I don't know how many of you have actually ran an actual full time business before, but it's hard! I've learned so much in the last year, you have no idea! When I tested Rico's rack there was one box that was a little tight and I told him about it. And I did not know it was for Chondro's. Kyle will get his money, I built him the incubators and have shipped him the heat shelves for them yesterday, and I built the rack in question but it did not get sent out in time so he wants a refund. I have always told them I will give them a refund, just haven't yet, even though he and Santo have called me every name in the book. We have a date promised that he will be receiving his first payment. This was set yesterday and I have the email to prove it, before all this began. He promised that he would not post on here if I did what I said I was going to do, but I guess he did anyway.
I don't know if everyone who see's this saw that there have been several inquiries and Good Guy posts about me over the years, but I went back and read them and I would like to ask that you do too. There are some pretty good things said about me. I have been breeding and selling what I bred since the mid 1980's and I have an excellent reputation. I have bred not only Emerald tree boas on a consistant basis, but Amazon tree boas, various other pythons and colubrids and easy to breed things, and also panther chameleons, Kimberly Rock monitors, Red Ackies, cave dwelling rat snakes, and tons of ball pythons. I have spoken at 5 different states herpetological societies and at the MidWestern Herpetological conference, have had my photographs published in reptiles magazine and even won the 1996 reptiles magazines photo contest.
In short, I'm here to stay.
Paul Edwards
Paul Edwards Reptiles
843-224-8985
 
Paul,

You say you are not a liar, I'm interested in your definition of a liar. When you advertise that a product will be in the consumers hands in 4-6 weeks...and then its 19 weeks, thats a lie! Also, you said the incubator would be built to the dimensions I gave you. You never said there was going to be an extra 2" or so for the box of fans and heat. Thats a pretty crucial piece of information to leave out! So, infact it was not made to my dimensions...another lie.

I run 2 of my own business, plus have a full time and part time job. So, I know exactly how hard it is..i've never used funds from one company to another. One company is Aquarium Services Co. When someone pays me to do an aquarium installation, the money is only used to buy the items needed for their job...nothing else! Thats how you are supposed to do things. Just as in selling reptiles, the money should never be spent until you know the buyer is happy with their purchase.


Thanks,
Leslie Steinmetz
 
Actually, lying has to do with intention. It was not my intention to deliver your product in 19 weeks, it was my intention to deliver it in 4-6 as told to you. And as to the other thing, I admit that I have a lot to learn in running a business, it's all new to me and I'm more on the creative side as opposed to being an analytical type of person, but in any business, you have monies coming in and monies going out all the time, accounts receivables, etc.. Businesses support people and the paying of their bills all the time too, that's what they are supposed to do. I just had more outgo because of my Foster son moving out last September...with him went $1000 a month. I thought the business would support it, but it has not. So I've made some changes and replaced that and then some, so that none (or little) of the money I need to run my life (bills) will come from the business. I started this thing with no capitol and shouldn't of expected it to fully support me being only a year old. I'm learning!
Enjoy your incubator, I'm glad it's working fine, if you have any trouble with it or anything what so ever, let me know.
Paul
 
So, by your logic...if I'm selling a snake and I say it male. Then the customer gets it and it actually female, I'm not lying because my "intention" was to send a male snake? That makes everything ok because my intention was that its male?
I'm sorry, but you stated the incubator would be done in 4-6 weeks. You didn't say I hope to finish it in 4-6 weeks. That's a big difference...you lied all the way on this one.
Why would I ever contact you if something was wrong? So I could wait another 19 weeks? I'd rather throw out your product and buy a new one from a company that knows how to do business correctly.

Leslie
 
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