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

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    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....

Raphael Mendoza ( bad animal post )

Dan,

My experience in this business is limited, to say the very least. So please, forgive my ignorance. But you're saying if I had researched a person, saw that they had say.... 2 negative reviews but 15 positive reviews and I chose to buy from that person, that makes me an irresponsible consumer?
 
I find it depressing how many people will buy from someone who still owes several people money from bad deals. Buying from these people simply allows them the funds to purchase additional animals, to sell to unsuspecting people, who may or may not get what they paid for.

THERE ARE TOO MANY GOOD GUYS OUT THERE TO EVEN CONSIDER DEALING WITH THE BAD ONES.

Dave
 
I'm not even talking about Mr. Mendoza now. I prefaced my last post making my ignorance in regards to this business known. Even the best of businessmen and women have their share of negative reviews. Would someone having a handful of negative reviews and a lot of positive reviews deter you from buying what they are selling? If that was the case, I would never be able to buy anything off of ebay or anywhere else for that matter.
 
Also, please don't mistake my posts as defending or endorsing Mr. Mendoza in anyway. I do not know him and probably wouldn't buy anything from him.
 
MrClownLoach said:
I'm not even talking about Mr. Mendoza now. I prefaced my last post making my ignorance in regards to this business known. Even the best of businessmen and women have their share of negative reviews. Would someone having a handful of negative reviews and a lot of positive reviews deter you from buying what they are selling? If that was the case, I would never be able to buy anything off of ebay or anywhere else for that matter.
Click to expand...

I guess that would depend on what you call a bad review. If you pay for something and the seller never ships it, well, I wouldn't cheapen it by calling it a bad review. It is outright theft. If I had knowledge that a member of this community has been ripped-off in that manner there is noway I would support such a seller. Mr. Mendoza could have taken the time to fix this if he he had chosen.

This is his response.
Cool I appreciate that. Its actually 2 people that have a problem and a whole bunch of 2 cent givers. 1 has a valid reason the other could kiss my butt. lol I have more good than bad so I let people make their choices. My site also has a feedback section if you wouldn't mind.

Thanks,
Ralph

EMW ( East Meets West International )
Please feel free to look at our site below!
www.emw-international.com
San Bernardino CA
Click to expand...

No, I have zero reluctance stating that I would have a probably doing business with someone who never ships what was paid for. I'm sure you would appreciate it as well, if it happens to you.

To chalk it up to
lol I have more good than bad so I let people make their choices. My site also has a feedback section if you wouldn't mind.
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is enough for me. He knows he ripped someone off, pretty much states it. And states he is going to get away with it because he has more good feedback than bad. He never once mentioned he was going to fix it.

Yep, certainly someone I personally would have trouble doing business with. I can't understand the people who would. It just amazes me.
 
MrClownLoach said:
Dan,

My experience in this business is limited, to say the very least. So please, forgive my ignorance. But you're saying if I had researched a person, saw that they had say.... 2 negative reviews but 15 positive reviews and I chose to buy from that person, that makes me an irresponsible consumer?
Click to expand...

Michael,

It's clear that you are not endorsing RM here. To answer your question there are lots of sellers that have had bad deals. But they took care of them and started anew. Yes, it takes time to mend a tarnished reputation but it can be done. In this case RM has not delivered merchandise that has been paid to him. That sort of action has just one name.

So it depends on how the two negatives were resolved. In esence none of them were, which leaves us with "unfinished deals". Now, the question is why in the world will someone take the risk to buy from an individual with such a history. Then say it's for the good of the hobby when in fact was because they were half priced. Aren't there any other vendors that one might choose to support over him?

There are people that have for sale animals I would have liked to purchase but I always try to check them in the BOI first. If they have wronged one of my acquanintances here I will pass. Name it solidarity if you will but that's the way I feel about it. Am I more responsible than you? No, just a different approach. :)

Let's put it in another context you might be more familiar with, salamanders. Let us suppose there's a guy well known in the amphibian world for selling sickly axolotls or even not delivering them to a friend of yours after he sent his money to him. Now this guy offers a couple of nice looking animals for half price, would you buy them? What would you tell your friend after he asks you where did you get them? :shrug01:

Regards,
 
Fair enough. But my other question would be as to why people are making such a fuss over one of his animals dying before shipping. I thought that was honest of him to come out and say that as opposed to lying about it. Wouldn't that be something you would want to know?
 
MrClownLoach said:
Fair enough. But my other question would be as to why people are making such a fuss over one of his animals dying before shipping. I thought that was honest of him to come out and say that as opposed to lying about it. Wouldn't that be something you would want to know?
Click to expand...

Simple, it means that there was one animal of a group that died. The reason? Unknown. Could the rest be carrying something contagious? Who knows. I wouldn't buy an axolotl from a tank where one is found dead floating in...In this case "the price was right" (half) so he decided to take a risk. Not for the love of the hobby...just because they were cheap...
 
I'll give you one personal experience. A friend here once offered me a free ball python because it wouldn't eat and didn't look very good. Now, that was cheap! you might say. I didn't even pay for shipping! That was a big risk I took. The animal had to be in constant quarantene and after several weeks didn't make it. That was a risk I took because I had other animals at the time. But the desire to do something for the animal and try to bring it to health was greater than my reasoning (I should have refused). It was not my desire for a cheap deal but to do something for the animal. Let us suppose that in this case Jake learned about some problem animals RM had, and decides to take them of his hands to bring hem back to health. Let us suppose he doesn't even pay for them thus they are even cheaper than half price. The situation changes drastically, he is doing this for the sake of the animals. But coming here and boasting that he "took a risk" and got a good deal out of RM by purchasing animals at half price...well that was a different story.
 
Well I understand about why you wouldn't want an animal from a tank that was in with other sick animals. But I was just saying that Mr. Mendoza didn't have to share that information. I do understand where you are coming from though. *Sigh* I should have stayed soley a dog person. =)
 
Michael

Like Dennis said a few posts back, it's really a matter of degree. A negative post because someone was not thrilled with what they got, or something that went awry that the seller at least made a concerted effort to fix, those are negatives that you can consider. Not shipping anything at all or refusing all contact after you aobviously know you packed a substandard animal poorly and dumped it on someone? Those are unforgivable. As someone else pointed out, this "I got mine...who cares if you got yours" attitude has become alarmingly prevalent lately. Even a miserable thief will have the occasional deal that goes well, that's just the law of averages.

I'm sure Ted Bundy was nice to small children and loved his dog...doesn't make him a Good Guy.
 
Here we go again

I was told this post was going again. I'm not going to go back and forwarth with all the people on here who have nothing better to do then try to rip people apart. When they have no clue whats really up. first of all yes I screwed Caden. What happened at the time 3 or 4 years ago is my personal buisness and I have appoligized to her and am making it right with her already. Brian now he's a different story. Im not going to sit here and say he's full of sh@@ because I don't know. The first time I heard anything about this problem with that boa was MONTHS after her purchased her when this post was started. He says that he called and e-mailed me Which I am not saying he didnt I am saying I never received any. He knows dam well that, that boa was outwardly healthy when he received it. By looking at that snake you could not see anything wrong with it. He also knows dam well that my add clearly stated that she was mine for a very short time and in no way was represented as a animal that I had for a long period of time. So it is BULLS@@IT!!!!!!!!!!!! to sit here and say that I PURPOSLY sent him a sick snake. Now as far as making it right with him... NO! I hear nothing about this animal for months and months then all of a sudden a freind finds a post by Brain bashing me about this animal. if I would have known about it then....i would have done something about it. Months after the fact NOBODY would do anything. You can all sit here on your high horse's and give your opinion but if it came down to it finding out about a problem with an animal 4-5-6 months after its been in someones care is too far of a time passed to do anything about.

As far as Jacob. I appreciate you comming on here to state you had a good deal with me and I am sorry people on here just like to complain about things all day long. Thats all this board is truly for is angry little people to vent there frustrations in thier daily life.
The reason one of the salamanders died was because it crawled up between the rim and the lid and got stuck up there and dried up. So far all you trying to say it died because it was sick. Speak about things you know, not about things you don't! As far as the half price part... The price on them was too high to begin with and after dealing with jake back and forwarth I realized he will be a good customer to sell some of the rarer newts and salamanders that I have been getting in to. It's called buttering up a relationship.

I am not going to come on here and go argue with everyone who wants to put in their 2 cents on this topic. As I stated I know which person I wronged and again CADEN I am very very sorry for that and I will be fixed 150%!

BRAIN I am sorry for all the drama that has incurred from all this but I cannot do anything for you. As I stated I knew nothing about this until I found out months later that i was being hung out to dry here.

So for anyone that wants to judge me GO FOR IT! If you want to do buisness with me as jake and many many others have then GREAT! If not, thats all good to. But until you have done buisness with me, personally talked to me, even e-mailed me. Keep your 2 cents to yourself because you don't know me.
 
=coldBlooded123456]I was told this post was going again. I'm not going to go back and forwarth with all the people on here who have nothing better to do then try to rip people apart. When they have no clue whats really up. first of all yes I screwed Caden. What happened at the time 3 or 4 years ago is my personal buisness and I have appoligized to her and am making it right with her already.
Click to expand...

So you are fixing it now? 3-4 years later after this thread was revived?

So for anyone that wants to judge me GO FOR IT! If you want to do buisness with me as jake and many many others have then GREAT! If not, thats all good to. But until you have done buisness with me, personally talked to me, even e-mailed me. Keep your 2 cents to yourself because you don't know me.
Click to expand...

No, that is where you are wrong; your actions here show your true nature. So we do not need to "Know You", we can see how you act and they way you show the great lack in self-control. Your attitude speaks volumes about you, and the way you handle the complaints about the way you do business. Looking at this, I would not throw you a thin dime, regardless how good of a deal you might offer, that is not based on knowing you, and it is based on your actions clearly seen here in every post.
 
Well...here is my opinion on all of this...

For starters, I would never, ever do business with Raphael...I dont care if your feedback is 15 positive to 2 negative...you clearly stated you screwed Caden, and I wouldnt give you 3-4 years to make it up to me...My a$$ would have been in the car on my way to Southern Cal and you would have given me a refund...you ripped someone off on a $500 deal? That one instance is good enough proof for me that your not someone I want to be doing business with...As far as the other case...I believe that the snake was probably sick when you had it, and you probably were aware of it, or you wouldnt have sold it at such a discount...You say you didnt get any emails, but didnt he try to call you too?...Anyways, I would never do business with you and Im sure that doesnt bother you but that doesnt really matter to me...Also, I would never do business with anyone who responded to my long, thought out emails with things like "k" or "cool"...that is very unprofessional...keep in mind, you're running a business.

As for Jake...I dont blame you for coming on here to put in a good feedback for Raphael...thats what this forum is for...for the people with bad feedback to post their opinions and the people with good feedback to post theirs...Jake saw the bad feedback on here before he made the deal, and if he wants to do business with someone like Raphael, then that is his perogative...yes it keeps Raphael in business...but unfortunately thats the way this world is...there is more idiots to keep the idiots in business (not saying your an idiot Jake)...I mean for god sakes, George Bush got re-elected in 2004...thats enough proof right there...Anyways everyone should not bash people that havent wronged them, like Jake...because that causes a snowball effect and people get defensive and these threads lose their purpose...

Anyways...thats my opinion.
 
Your right I did clearly state that. everyone in life does things that they are not proud of. That is something I am not proud of. Nobody here knows what was going on in my life that led to that happening. I made a bad choice that I have to live with. I will fix it as much as i can.
The snake was not sick looking at all. and was not sold at a discount!.

I cant change the past all I can do is work on the future.
 
Ralph, OK you admitted you stole the guys money fine and dandy.

As for the Boa it doesn't matter if you had it 5 minutes or 5 years you sold it to someone and your responsible for them receiving a healthy animal! No 'Ifs Ands Or Buts" about it. . Look at it from the perspective of someone seeing this thread thinking about doing business with you.. They see you admit to theft and then say hey I didn't have that boa very long and they are going to say to themselves BS!!!!! I'll take my money elsewhere!! And that doesn't even take into account your asinine attitude you have displayed here which makes you look even worse.. So go on say I had problems poor wittle me ETC ETC that doesn't matter either.. What matters is how you've dealt with these two problems and in that you've failed miserably.

Randy
 
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