Scott,
You have chosen to omit MANY of the emails and details that we had discussed.
So Iwill post every detail I have for all to see. As I said, I did not break the law, you did.
And I will not be implicated in receiving an illegally shipped package…way to much at risk for me. My entire career really. I was very sad to hear the snake had passed. But my hands were tied. The USPS in my location as well as his were informed. I also consulted our local humane society and they said I did what was best to keep me out of any subsequent legal trouble. The woman did agree it was a terrible situation to be put in.
So here’s the whole story:
At approximately noon on Sunday May 14th, I called him via phone to see if his 5 foot long, Diamond X Jungle female was still for sale. He said it was and I told him of the fact that I had emailed him two weeks prior about the same snake and never got a response. He said he always responds to his emails and it couldn’t have made it to him for whatever reason. So I moved on to the nitty gritty stuff asking about the snakes’ history, health, shipping plan, etc. When asked how how he was going to ship, he said “to your door”. So when I asked for clarification he said FedEX was how he planned to ship to me. I asked him to verify the sex of the snake and he tried to assure me it was a female. I again asked him to recheck the sex of the snake before I send any payment as I have been burned in that dept. a number of times. He said it may be a while because he’d have to go to the “warehouse” and check it. I said it was just fine by me. . He said he was the “owner” and he was in fact “Scott”.
So just after I got off the phone with who I now know as Terry (Terrance), I sent him an email to give him my email address to maintain further contact with me.
On Sunday, May 14, 2006 12:13 PM I sent this email:
undefinedHere's my addy.
Just let me know if she's for sure a girl and who and where to send the payment to.
Thanks again. It was good talking to you.
-Yasser
-----
Just 12 minutes later he supposedly came back from his “warehouse” and emailed me on Sunday, May 14, 2006 12:25 PM stating quickly:
She is a female just checked.
Send Payment to :
2301 N. Niagara Unit # 201 Burbank, CA 91504
Total Amount OTD w/shipping : $ 210.00
Any questions feel free to contact me at (818)445-4849
-Scott
-----
This is the only time I think he ever signed his name and he signed it as what? Scott. Hmmm.
So right away on Sunday, May 14, 2006 12:49 PM I said:
Scott,
Sounds great!
My girlfriend will send out a check in the mail tomorrow. The check will be in her name, Cheyanne Day. So please keep a look out for it and please let me know when it arrives.
My shipping info is as follows:
Yasser Moustafa
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Port Orchard, WA 98366
I'll let you know what day I will be able to recieve next week.
Thanks!
-Yasser
-----
The next morning I sent him another email because of the remote possibility of him not getting my past email (the first attempt to contact him) on Monday, May 15, 2006 6:25 AM:
Checking in to see if you got my last email okay. That's all. Payment is going out today.
Thanks.
-Yasser
-----
On Monday, May 15, 2006 6:59 PM he said:
Yes I got your email I will send you pics also on the father as per requested.
-----
For the record, I never got those pics.
Then on Tuesday, May 16, 2006 7:40 PM I sent this:
My apologies but my girlfriend I guess forgot her checkbook yesterday and was not able to get the payment out as I had stated previously. But it wnet out today and should be there withing two days I'd imagine.
I look forward to any pics you send.
Thanks again.
-Yasser
-----
I never heard back from him and began to wonder so on Saturday, May 20, 2006 6:18 AM I sent this:
Just wondering if you got my payment.
Please let me know.
-Yasser
-----
Then later on, Saturday, May 20, 2006 12:14 PM he emails me saying:
Just recieved payment I will take the check to the bank and I want to make sure that it clears I will know by tuesday and ship then ok? Also let me know what time or when you want it delivered?
-----
Still no signature to his emails.
Then on Saturday, May 20, 2006 5:40 PM I said:
If possible, I would like it shipped on wednesday for thursday arrival. I work thru wed. so I can't be there to recieve on that day. As far as arrival time goes, the earlier the better for the snakes' sake in my opinion.
Just let me know the plan.
Thanks!
-Yasser
-----
I didn’t hear any confirmation from him about it and the shipping date I asked for was fast approaching so on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 7:15 PM I sent this:
Terry,
Do you plan to ship out tomorrow? The only day I ahve to recieve the snake is Thursday. Please let me know ASAP. Thanks.
-Yasser
-----
Exactly 30 minutes later on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 7:45 PM he emails me with this quickie:
Shipping first thing tomorrow did not forget about you!!
Hope you like her
-----
So right away on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 8:12 PM I sent this email:
Can you please send me the tracking info and approx. arrival time?
Thanks!
I lok forward to seeing her.
-Yasser
-----
I never heard back from him so on the day the snake was to be shpped out, I sent this email on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 7:07 PM:
Terry,
Just checking in to see if you got the snake shipped. Please send me the tracking number and approx. arrival time.
Thanks.
-Yasser
-----
This is the second time I asked him for the tracking info. I figured that if the snake was shipped by 7PM PST, he’d have the tracking info.
Three minutes later on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 7:10 PM, he emails yet another real quickie:
sent it will get back to you on tracking #
------
And the snake is supposed to arrive the following morning and he wants to get back to me with the tracking number?!
…. AGAIN?! This is where I smell something really fishy...call me naive.
Then, yet again, the morning the snake is due to arrive between 10:30 and noon, I had to send yet another email out on Thursday, May 25, 2006 6:42 AM saying:
Got the tracking info yet?
-Yasser
------
Time passes and no snake, no email from Terry/Scott. So I email him on Thursday, May 25, 2006 10:18 AM showing my concern due to his sudden lack of communication:
Can you please tell me where my snake is?
How was it shipped? Where's the tracking info? When will it arrive?
I am growing very worried about this. You haven't exactly been on top of your communications with me.
Please do so ASAP.
-Yasser
------
I still hear nothing back from him so onThursday, May 25, 2006 11:41 AM I sent this:
Terry,
The Fed Ex delivery truck came but there was no package from you. Where's my tracking number?
What is going on? Maybe I am jumping the gun, but you are leaving me with a very bad feeling about this. I have called you several times today with no answer and no call returned.
If I do not hear back from you by the end of today, I will be contacting your local police dept. and the FBI Internet Fraud division as well as the BBB. I also will be making a post on the Fauna Board of Inquiry with all of our correspondences. Even if the snake does show up at this point, I am very upset at how you have chosen to deal (or not deal) with me.
Get back to me ASAP.
-Yasser
------
So was my email a threat or simple common sense? To me it was common sense. To Terry/Scott, it was a threat. He took it that way because he knew he was not being honest with me. Whatever the case, that email finally got him to respond with this email from him sent on Thursday, May 25, 2006 12:57 PM:
First off do you threaten everyone who does not get back to you in a 24hr. period of time?
2nd of all when you recieve the JCP send it back to me please I gave you a hell of a deal! * I will even refund you!
3rd if you want to post stuff that is untrue I can take legal action against you...
4th here is the tracking: # EQ 099171198 US
* went out yesterday at 3:00 p.m. PST
I run a honerable buisness here and I dont know how long you have been in the game, but I know you just cant threaten people and jump to conclusions!
------
What spooked me about this email is that I ordered a 5.5 foot Diamond cross from him, not a Jungle Carpet. Also, if he sent the snake out at 3PM PST, then why could he not provide the tracking number for me at 7 PM that night or the following morning? Even when he sent the tracking number, he still made no mention of the illegal courier he ended up using (what we now know is the USPS).
So I responded on Thursday, May 25, 2006 1:50 PM with this long winded email:
I did not threaten you. I stated what my actions would be should you be scamming me. I don't even threaten people that make promises and don't come through like you did. I got no tracking number last night. I also don't usually end up dealing with folks who don't get back to me with such important info in a more timely manner.
Who did you ship thru? I've asked that question a few times. I can't find where that tracking number is valid. I remember you mentioning on our single phone conversation that you were going to ship thru Fed Ex. The tracking number you gave is not valid there nor at UPS or DHL. I sure hope you didn't go thru the USPS considering that is a federal violation of the Lacey Act and USPS shipping rules.
All I know is you haven't been communicating with me well and that reflects poorly upon your business. So if I state that publicly, there is no harm, no foul on me, only you due to your action or the lack there of. And why is it that I call you over 6 times today and you haven't returned my call? And why is it that you don't give me the tracking info earlier like perhaps yesterday when you allegedly sent it out.
As far as how long I've been in the business? I don't need to justify who I am to you, that's for sure. I am well respected in the herp community and enjoy making my customers happy.
So who did you ship thru and where's the pic of the father?! Still?! You see where I am coming from? This all wreaks of a scam.
I am not the one in the hot seat...I lived up to my end of the deal and you have not. No communication and no snake.
Somewhere you are being dishonest with me and time will tell. If things prove to be okay, great. But as far as any apology goes, there is no need because I have not said anything untrue your actions thus far and therefore any legal action against me would be a simple waste of time. I have yet to slander you in any way nor do I plan to. Just the facts, that's all I will tell.
-Yasser
------
I got no response yet again so I emailed him AGAIN with this comment on Thursday, May 25, 2006 7:39 PM:
Well since I haven't heard back from you yet again, I just wanted to inform that it's 7:45PST and no snake arrived here today like you said it would. I await your response. Again.
-Yasser
------
Finally that night when the snake was supposed to show but did not on Thursday, May 25, 2006 9:35 PM I get his signed (wow) response:
Yasser,
Look, I definitely understand your worry. I have been ripped off
in the past and I am very cautious when I order snakes online as
well. But you must understand that I sometimes have business at other
locations, that does not allow me to check my mail because I am
obviously away from my computers. I got home from work extremely late
last night so this morning I missed your calls. At first I was
shocked to see that in less than a day you were obviously upset with
me for not contacting you. I have a lot of customers and I am prompt
with all of them, including you. As for your JCP, you will receive it
no later than tomorrow (if everything goes accordingly) and your JCP
will be healthy and you will hopefully be happy. In this business you
must stick with those that you can trust. It is my hope that when
this deal is completed that there will be no harsh feelings and that
we will be able to do business with each-other again. Thank you.
-Scott-
WHUH?! This entire email above doesn’t even seem like it came from him. It was signed, had more words in it than any of his emails to me combined, and it was nice. The only factor that links him to this email is that he once again stated he was shipping a Jungle Carpet, not the Diamond cross I was trying to buy.
Unfortunatley, due to my work schedule, I had to work the next few days and was not home to receive any package from him. That’s obviously why I asked him to ship for Thursday arrival. So while I was at work the day after the snake was due to arrive, I get this email from him on Friday, May 26, 2006 1:25 PM:
Below shows that you recieved the snake. ----->
Label/Receipt Number: EQ09 9171 198U S
Status: Arrival at Unit
Your item arrived at 7:36 am on May 26, 2006 in PORT ORCHARD, WA 98366. Information, if available, is updated every evening. Please check again later.
------
I don’t know how that could be since I was not home that day lol! So the following morning on Saturday, May 27, 2006 5:23 AM before I went to work I sent this:
I don't know where you got that info from but I did not recieve any package yesterday. I was at work all day. That's why I had you ship it to me to arrive on Thursday, my day off. I will also be at work today so I cannot get back to you about this until late tonight.
Late last night when I saw the USPS note in my mailbox, I was able to confirm that you did indeed ship illegally thru the USPS, I will not be implicated in your breaking the law by accepting the package. I have not signed for the package and will not sign for it. Therefore the package will be returned to you by the USPS without any involvement on my part. You told me you were going to send it Fed Ex and I essentially paid for you to ship it that way. You lied to me and broke federal law. I will have no part of it. I have too much to lose over accepting a package shipped by someone who wished to cut corners.
-Yasser
-------
Here’s where things go way south…on Saturday, May 27, 2006 10:32 PM, Scott/Terry sent this to me:
Dude cut the BS I have tried to be nice to you!!!
DHL /FEDEX /UPS/ USPS * all of them do not take live animals but breeeders send them anyways.
If my Animal does not come back to me alive, you will be responsible for the death and you will lose your money!!!
7-10 days tossed around in a box * when they are shipped to last 1-2 days max!!!!!
If you opened the package and you were not happy that would be another story but you did not do that.
See under Terms and Conditions.....
USPS ALSO SHOWS THAT SOMEONE SIGNED FOR IT!!!
IF I DONT GET MY SNAKE BACK ALIVE YOU SURE AS HELL DONT GET YOUR MONEY BACK!!!!!
------
On Tuesday, May 30, 2006 6:08 AM I sent him this email quoting some of his comments for direct rebuttal:
You deal with this however you feel. You lied about your shipping practice. The other couriers do ship reptiles knowingly but it is up to the receiving clerk to dismiss the package bfore reciept with the courier. With USPS, it is a big nono across the board. But you have the ultimate responsibility here. You shipped the snake for an arrival date that I DID NOT AGREE TO. I could not be here to accept the package any other day than thursday as stated more than once in my emails. So right there, you have the responsibility to fix that. I was working friday and saturday so even if the snake arrived and I was to accept an illegal shipment, I could not have done so anyway. So yes, the responsibility is still on you. You do what you feel is right. The sad part is you shipped the snake the cheapest way you could find. Shows how much you care aboutyour snakes, let alone your customers.
"If you opened the package and you were not happy that would be another story but you did not do that."
Correct. I did not open any package because I did not recieve it.
"USPS ALSO SHOWS THAT SOMEONE SIGNED FOR IT!!!"
The info I get on my end is quite different. Perhaps you should take a better look or stop lying, one of the two. I signed nothing.
I am very sorry for the snake but I will not risk what I have worked so hard for over the last 15 years because you (Scott, Terry, Terry Scott, Scott Sanchez, Tery Sanchez, Terry Scott Sanchez or whatever your real name is) decided to implicate me in an illegal shipment violating the Lacey Act. Sorry, I am just not that kind of guy. Your $200 snake is not worth risking what we already have.
You do what you feel is honest and best and I will do the same.
-Yasser
He responded on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 12:08 PM with this email:
Actually I do care about my snakes thats why the box and packaging and heat packets all cost me 8 dollers + 32 dollers for shipping. But you would not know that because you denied the package!!! You even E-mailed me saying that you would not accept it so what are you talking about you were not there to get it!!!!
Dude your the one that is not accepting the snake therefore it is your responsiblilty!!!!!!
Besides I have your Money, so it is you that missed out on a awsome snake!!!!
SNAKE KILLER !!!!! it will be 2- 2 1/2 weeks before I get her back!!!
FYI Terry is short for Terrance also whats up with your shaddy name and using girlfreinds checks!!! Names do not match your Site HAHAAH
15 years BS more Live 15 days DUDE GET A LIFE!!!
------
What’s funny is he told me in our initial phone conversation that his name was Scott…now he’s justifying the origin of the name Terry!
So in that email, he accuses me of having a shady name when in fact it is my name given to me by my lovely adoptive parents at birth. (Thanks mom and dad!) And my girlfriend’s check was used because I had to go to work the following Monday and I wanted to be sure to get him his payment promptly. Then he feels the need to mock my time breeding herps…that’s fine if it makes him feel like any better of a man. I have many trees my dogs piss on so I can understand where he’s coming from. I have nothing to prove to anyone but myself and my family. I sent a response to that little attack on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 9:02 PM stating:
You are really stooping. My and my girlfriend's name are on our site. Always has been.
What's so shady about my name? Please explain.
All I know is you ship illegally. Why don't you address that claim?
-Yasser
------
I never heard back from him so I sent the same email again on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 9:18 PM:
You are really stooping. My and my girlfriend's name are on our site. Always has been.
What's so shady about my name? Please explain.
All I know is you ship illegally. Why don't you address that claim?
-Yasser
------
I was hoping he would finally address my issues with shipping illegally.
I did not hear back from him for over a week so on Wednesday, June 07, 2006 10:16 AM, I sent his this email:
So Terry, what's the plan?
Did you get your snake back? Is it dead? If so, please send me a pic of the dead snake.
Either way, you have no right to keep my money. You are the one who shipped illegally. You are the party at fault. I have done nothing wrong. You bear the entire responsibility of this problem due to your decision to ship thru the USPS and the fact that you did not tell me you were. I never have and never will acccept a 5 1/2 foot snake shipped via USPS.
The ball is in your court.
-Yasser
------
I got no response for over a week so I sent this email on Saturday, June 10, 2006 9:06 AM I sent him this email:
Anybody home?
Where's your proof of death? Otherwise, you are stealing my money with even less justification.
I am willing to give you a little more time to fix this. Not much more
-Yasser
------
That email elicited a response from him that same day on Saturday, June 10, 2006 2:03 PM, He sent this email to me:
Listen man and listen good The snake is still in shippment because of you They hold the package 5 days after you refused it they it takes 7-10 buisness days to get to me after that.
1 week of your BS refusing it!
1 week hold
2 weeks till I get the snake back
Total amount of time till I get the snake back is 4 weeks I have never know a snake to life that long in a box without heat or food or water or air etc.... you get the point in other words yes when the snake comes back to me dead because of you not accepting it I will take a photo and send it to you so you can get off on what you did. SNAkE KILLER !!!
------
My response an hour later on Saturday, June 10, 2006 3:03 PM stated:
Sounds good. Your name calling is unneccesary. As far as me "getting off" on the possible death of the snake, wellcall it what you will but I don't "get off" on the idea of Breaking federal law and risking what I already have for your poor business practice of lying me, your customer, and shipping illegally. It only reflects poorly upon you, not me. You are the one who shipped illegally and without question, that is not in the snake's best interests in the first place. To reiterate, you LIED to me about your shipping practices. I have done nothing wrong.
I await pics of the dead snake and my refund.
-Yasser
------
I was quite patient…it had been over a month since the snake was supposed to arrive so I sent another “reminder” email on Wednesday, June 28, 2006 7:11 AM:
Terry,
Any word on the Carpet? It's been a month. Surely you have gotten the snake back by now. So send me pics of the snake dead or alive. The post office said you should have gotten it back at the least two weeks ago. So tell me what's going on.
Either way, you have no right to keep my money. I will pursue this until this situation is done to my satisfaction.
-Yasser
Amazingly enough, it just so happened that the snake arrived the day before I sent the reminder email so he emailed me with this response just 3 hours later on Wednesday, June 28, 2006 10:27 AM with these words:
Dude just got the snake yesterday it is dead! You are a asshole! Snake Killer!!!
If the snake arrived back at his place the day before, I woud think it would be a high priority to prove it to me immediately, not just hope this all goes away.
My response the following morning on Wednesday, June 28, 2006 9:09 PM:
Call me names all you want. You are an illegal shipper and a liar to boot. I made choices after you shipped illegally due to following my basic ethics and subsequently following the law.
I await pictures of the dead snake for proof. Also, I will require detailed pictures of the box and everything in it and outside of it including copies of any Postal parerwork thast may have accompanying it.
Nonetheless, you still owe me due to misrepresentation of the transaction.
I await your response.
-Yasser
He emails me back on Thursday, June 29, 2006 12:57 AM with his response:
You dont get pictures of the box you failed and denied the box. I will not give you the satifaction of seeing the dead snake. However 1month 15 days is proof in itself also you have the tracking # see yourself when I picked up the Box smart guy it was 2 days ago. Further more you should be glad I dont take legal action against you for killing my snake. My time is not worth your $200. I have better things to do with my life and also have one. This will be my last and final E-Mail to you....
Notice he’s long since been back to not signing his emails? And now he won’t show me the pics of the dead snake?
And yes, this was the last I had heard from Terry/Scott/Sanchez. I have given him ample opportunity to patch this situation. Opportunity he has chosen to pass on. I am however very sad that the snake had to die due to Terry/Scott’s actions. I simply could not risk accepting an illegal shipment. My family and I love and also somewhat depend on this hobby in many ways and the carelessness of his actions made it so the risk was too great. I felt that it was not of my doing and therefore my hands were tied with nothing to do to fix the already botched situation. And after the snake did not arrive the day it was supposed to anyway, there was no way for me to be home to receive it even if I did choose to break the law. It was shipper error (I use that term loosely here) and courier error…something where, in this hobby, the responsibility falls on the shipper for carrier delays or loss.
These emails are EACH and EVERY correspondence I had with this man and all I have stated is absolute fact…side from my occasional commentary.
Here they are for all to see. I have nothing else to say.
To those who’ve waited for my response, your patience is much appreciated.
Enough shenanigans...now back to work.
-Yasser
TERRY really is...