Andrew Potts
New member
Hello,
Being that fraud is such a drain on the economic viablilty of the herp industry, not to mention the pall shadow that is cast over all of us, I would like to make some recommendations. Let me preface what I'm about to say with this........just because a business or individual doesn't utilize what I consider sound and professional methods, does not a crook make. The first thing i would tell anyone if given a choice(again if you have a choice) is always buy from people/businesses that accept credit cards. That may not seem like much, but if you already accept credit cards you know that a certain amount of jumping thru hoops is required. All that means is there is vetting process that takes place with the applicants. It's not really that much, but it's better than nothing. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, just try to sign up to accept credit cards and you will get the idea. The big reason I'm such a supporter of credit cards is it gives the buyer a little(notice i said little) bit of insurance on the purchase. What this means is you can dispute the charge like you would any other product you purchased over the phone. A dispute of charges means that the C.C company will automatically take that charge off your bill and open an investigation. You should have all your correspondence and the time line of events in writing and most importantly, after you have notified the seller in writing, send the animal back if weather is permitting. It usually takes a couple of months for the C.C company to to do their part and if the purchaser isn't trying to pull a fast one, most times the C.C company sides with the card holder. All that means is the C.C companies know where the bread and butter comes from.......card holders not merchants. The second thing to look for is guarantees or the lack there of in most cases. I've noticed more and more sellers offering guarantees beyond the normal 24 hours. Heck I even seen some put it in writing. As an example I just saw an ad on kingsnake for some high end BP's and they were offering a 15 day guarantee on the purchase and they weren't asking more because of the guarantee. Now that person has really a good grasp on how to do it right. The third thing to look for is how many excuses a seller gives for not replacing an animal that arrives dead or barely alive. If a seller has this in their T.O.S. then avoid at all cost because we all know THE MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE RANGE OF AN EXCUSE is...............0 meters. Just had to say that because I was told that by a D.I some 25 years ago while in basic at Ft. Benning. I suspect there are many other things that can be said in regard to this subject(preventing fraud) and I suspect I will get an earful on this so lets hear from you amazing people. A little off topic but you automatically become a DOWN RANGE RANGER if you can answer these questions. Who is the QUEEN of battle and who is the KING of battle...? OK enough of my drivel for now so let the spears fly. I hope everyone on here (who is not a scum bag piece of feel matter) and their crews are healthy,wealthy and wise. Take care and be safe. Ciao. Andrew Potts.........AKA........Drewmanski Polanskiskiski.
Being that fraud is such a drain on the economic viablilty of the herp industry, not to mention the pall shadow that is cast over all of us, I would like to make some recommendations. Let me preface what I'm about to say with this........just because a business or individual doesn't utilize what I consider sound and professional methods, does not a crook make. The first thing i would tell anyone if given a choice(again if you have a choice) is always buy from people/businesses that accept credit cards. That may not seem like much, but if you already accept credit cards you know that a certain amount of jumping thru hoops is required. All that means is there is vetting process that takes place with the applicants. It's not really that much, but it's better than nothing. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, just try to sign up to accept credit cards and you will get the idea. The big reason I'm such a supporter of credit cards is it gives the buyer a little(notice i said little) bit of insurance on the purchase. What this means is you can dispute the charge like you would any other product you purchased over the phone. A dispute of charges means that the C.C company will automatically take that charge off your bill and open an investigation. You should have all your correspondence and the time line of events in writing and most importantly, after you have notified the seller in writing, send the animal back if weather is permitting. It usually takes a couple of months for the C.C company to to do their part and if the purchaser isn't trying to pull a fast one, most times the C.C company sides with the card holder. All that means is the C.C companies know where the bread and butter comes from.......card holders not merchants. The second thing to look for is guarantees or the lack there of in most cases. I've noticed more and more sellers offering guarantees beyond the normal 24 hours. Heck I even seen some put it in writing. As an example I just saw an ad on kingsnake for some high end BP's and they were offering a 15 day guarantee on the purchase and they weren't asking more because of the guarantee. Now that person has really a good grasp on how to do it right. The third thing to look for is how many excuses a seller gives for not replacing an animal that arrives dead or barely alive. If a seller has this in their T.O.S. then avoid at all cost because we all know THE MAXIMUM EFFECTIVE RANGE OF AN EXCUSE is...............0 meters. Just had to say that because I was told that by a D.I some 25 years ago while in basic at Ft. Benning. I suspect there are many other things that can be said in regard to this subject(preventing fraud) and I suspect I will get an earful on this so lets hear from you amazing people. A little off topic but you automatically become a DOWN RANGE RANGER if you can answer these questions. Who is the QUEEN of battle and who is the KING of battle...? OK enough of my drivel for now so let the spears fly. I hope everyone on here (who is not a scum bag piece of feel matter) and their crews are healthy,wealthy and wise. Take care and be safe. Ciao. Andrew Potts.........AKA........Drewmanski Polanskiskiski.