Switzer Bad to Deal with you Tell ME ?

[Carbon-killer]

and he had say over the phone his mouth did look a little swollen on the left side when i returned him back to him .

 

[SiscoReptiles]

I appreciate your answer though Rick, as I honestly didn't know how challenging it would be to open one of those little buggers mouths.

It can sometimes be a challenge, depending on how friendly the tegu is. If it's not overly friendly, it becomes very easy to get it's mouth opened..

The problem is in forcing it open. A tegu hatchling can safely be tricked into opening it's mouth, but forcing it is dangerous. On top of the obvious hazards, the tegu may have had metabolic bone disease, which is a weakening of the bones, a result of low bone density caused by lack of supplements and UVB. If the tegu did indeed have this issue, the jaw could literally break if forced.

As I stated prior, Switzer does have some good feedback in the forums. I am not saying Switzer is bad. Sometimes people make a bad choice, but it's how well the mistakes are resolved that help to show a persons professionalism.

I'll wait and see how this unfolds.

Rick

 

[SwitzerReptiles]

We are very sorry that Jim Rich is dissatisfied. We did tell him to immediately return the tegu for a full refund including shipping which we did send out. We received the tegu on Saturday and because Monday was January 1st, we sent the check out on Tuesday January 2nd. We asked him to send the tegu back with the FedEx box marked "bill shipping to recipient", so again, he is out absolutely nothing. Perhaps because of the New Year holiday the refund may have been delayed a day or two at the most. It would be nice that if he does have his refund or when he does receive it, that he at least ad that to his post.

We did have him looked at and was told it appeared to be a piece of dried turkey meat and we irrigated his mouth. He was eating great, and appeared alert. As far as the other customer, we have not heard anything from him except that it arrived and they were happy. I don't know how large the splinter was, but it was not visible to us upon inspection. Either way, Jim Rich payed nothing. We are very sorry for the tegu that there was a splinter in his/her mouth and if the customer would contact us, we would rectify that as well.

We never, never would knowingly send out an animal that is sick. We are sorry that this has happened, but we do stand behind our animals and customer service.

Switzer Reptiles
www.SwitzerReptiles.com

 

[SwitzerReptiles]

We would like to respectfully point out the following:

It turned out that this tegu did NOT have MBD or mouth rot but a splinter which we did not see. Yet someone rushed in and made a diagnoses from a pic. We do not personally know the person who made this diagnoses, but feel that he should have perhaps contacted us for our side of the story before rushing to judgement. We have never claimed to have purchased any tegu from varnyard.

We did not ship out the tegu the next day. We received the tegu on Saturday December 30th. Based on our experience, we believed that there was no MBD or mouth rot. We did believe that there was some dried food on his mouth and we irrigated his mouth and soaked him. We would never send out an animal with mouth rot or MBD.

One last comment. Mr. Rich told us that he had a lot of experience with reptiles and has received many shipped reptiles. When Mr. Rich called us to let us know of his very cold temps and to please put in two heat packs, we advised him that we always check the zip codes for weather conditions prior to shipping and that we had planned on putting in two 40 hour heat packs. He clearly knew the importance of heat packs and appeared very knowlegable of them. We thanked him for the call. So he is very aware of how a reptile is packed (with heat packs when it is cold) and shipped. We opened up the heat packs on a Wednesday and shipped FedEx Priority Overnight. Now, he takes the used heat packs, which were opened on Wednesday and uses them on Friday expecting them to last till Saturday? in near freezing weather to re-use? Since he called us to let us know the importance of heat packs, he clearly knew about the importance of using heat packs to return. If he had any questions at all, all he needed to do was call us. We would have told him that 40 hour heat packs would not have lasted till Saturday. Also, if he had told us that he did not have all sides of the insulated box, we would have sent him a piece as heat packs are almost useless without insulating. For the record, no one yelled at him and he was refunded everything. Please remember that the post office is closed Sunday and that Monday was a holiday. We sent his refund on Tuesday and if he only would have called us we would have told him that.

Again, we are simply wanting to tell our side.

Thank you,

Switzer Reptiles

 

[varnyard]

=SwitzerReptiles]We would like to respectfully point out the following:

It turned out that this tegu did NOT have MBD or mouth rot but a splinter which we did not see. Yet someone rushed in and made a diagnoses from a pic. We do not personally know the person who made this diagnoses, but feel that he should have perhaps contacted us for our side of the story before rushing to judgement. We have never claimed to have purchased any tegu from varnyard.

Well, to such I must reply. It was not normal for this animal to have a swollen jaw.

We did not ship out the tegu the next day. We received the tegu on Saturday December 30th. Based on our experience, we believed that there was no MBD or mouth rot. We did believe that there was some dried food on his mouth and we irrigated his mouth and soaked him. We would never send out an animal with mouth rot or MBD.

But this did not cure the problem?

Call it dried turkey or whatever you wish. The animal was resold the same as you got him back, or should I say the same way you sent him out the first time. As for MBD, it would look the same as this, I have seen it many times in a number of different lizards, as well as tegus. But regardless he was not healthy.

One last comment. Mr. Rich told us that he had a lot of experience with reptiles and has received many shipped reptiles. When Mr. Rich called us to let us know of his very cold temps and to please put in two heat packs, we advised him that we always check the zip codes for weather conditions prior to shipping and that we had planned on putting in two 40 hour heat packs. He clearly knew the importance of heat packs and appeared very knowlegable of them. We thanked him for the call. So he is very aware of how a reptile is packed (with heat packs when it is cold) and shipped. We opened up the heat packs on a Wednesday and shipped FedEx Priority Overnight. Now, he takes the used heat packs, which were opened on Wednesday and uses them on Friday expecting them to last till Saturday? in near freezing weather to re-use? Since he called us to let us know the importance of heat packs, he clearly knew about the importance of using heat packs to return. If he had any questions at all, all he needed to do was call us. We would have told him that 40 hour heat packs would not have lasted till Saturday. Also, if he had told us that he did not have all sides of the insulated box, we would have sent him a piece as heat packs are almost useless without insulating. For the record, no one yelled at him and he was refunded everything. Please remember that the post office is closed Sunday and that Monday was a holiday. We sent his refund on Tuesday and if he only would have called us we would have told him that.

Once again, the animal should not have been shipped to him in this condition to start with. It is not good business to sell animals without them being 100% healthy, unless the buyer is aware of this beforehand.

Again, we are simply wanting to tell our side.

Thank you,

Switzer Reptiles

I still have a problem with reshipping this animal in the shape it was in the first time, not to mention the second time. The least that could have been done was to keep the animal until it was well. Instead you resold it and shipped it to someone else.

As for eating real well, that would be real hard to swallow.
Swelling is a real good sign of infection, eating would not be something this tegu was doing.

I do commend you on wanting to make good on your wrong doings, but it should have never happen.

 

[Carbon-killer]

first off you were Yelling . " all you care about is your money" second after Kevin e-mailed me on shipping him back. i called him and he said the same thing. Box him up and ship him back . and as far as the getting many animals through the mail. yup i have from CA and NM to AZ so they never used heat pack's and only one time did an animal come in Styrofoam . i have been in MT for 6 months so i am unfamiliar with cold climate shipping and i read a thing about needing to use heat packs that is all . i have no idea humm 6 hours heat packs 60 hour heat packs that is WHY I CALLED ! and all the animals i have gotten have i NEVER had to ship back !!! and all Kevin told me was to BOX HIM UP AND SHIP HIM ..NEVER THE LESS NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPEN IF YOU WOULD HAVE SHIPPED A HEALTHY TEGU .. its funny how your trying to turn it in to my fault . not the fact that you shipped a unhealthy animal twice and you knew something was wrong the second time. but i think your right about one thing ..ITS MY FAULT .... ITS MY FAULT ..FOR DEALING WITH YOU WHICH WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN

 

[varnyard]

Paul (The second buyer) has been in contact me. He said that he was given a refund for the vet bill.

I want to thank you guys for doing the right thing. The guy that got this animal the second time really likes this tegu a bunch. The tegu should make a full recovery, so there has not been any other harm done, instead the seller has righted the wrong.

We all have made mistakes as sellers, none of us are perfect. It is how we handle our mistakes that shows us to be honest or dishonest. In this case the Switzers righted the wrong.

I am sure if they had it to do over things would be different. Thats what makes the difference.

 

[SwitzerReptiles]

Dear Mr. Rich,

I am truly sorry that you had to go through this, but we did not knowingly send you a tegu with some particles in its mouth or swollen lip. We felt that he was a healthy reptile when we shipped him to you and did not see the lip. After you returned him, we thought we saw something in his mouth and irrigated it. We saw a few particles come out (we thought dried turkey meat) of his mouth and thought that was it. It appeared to have solved the problem or at least we thought so, but we now know that it did not. This was clearly our mistake and not done intentionally.

We have already called the tegu owner and offered to send him $32.00. I also explained that we thought we got the particle out of his mouth. We have made a mistake and are willing to make it right. We just feel really bad for the tegu that there was evidently still something else in his mouth.

 

[varnyard]

Dear Mr. Rich,

I am truly sorry that you had to go through this, but we did not knowingly send you a tegu with some particles in its mouth or swollen lip. We felt that he was a healthy reptile when we shipped him to you and did not see the lip. After you returned him, we thought we saw something in his mouth and irrigated it. We saw a few particles come out (we thought dried turkey meat) of his mouth and thought that was it. It appeared to have solved the problem or at least we thought so, but we now know that it did not. This was clearly our mistake and not done intentionally.

We have already called the tegu owner and offered to send him $32.00. I also explained that we thought we got the particle out of his mouth. We have made a mistake and are willing to make it right. We just feel really bad for the tegu that there was evidently still something else in his mouth.

As I stated before, you guys are awesome for making this right!!

 

[SPJ]

Still, even though he has refunded the vet cost and the other expenses, I would be very leary of doing with business with these people just due to the fact that they immediately shipped out an animal they knew had a problem to another customer as soon as it was returned.

They may have done the "right thing" in the end but they did all of the "wrong things" to begin with. This situation was completely avoidable.

The shipped an injured animal. They had it returned knowing it was injured and instead of treating it and letting it heal, they immediately shipped it out to another unsuspecting buyer. Terrible thing to do no matter what they did in the end to compensate the buyers.

 

[varnyard]

Still, even though he has refunded the vet cost and the other expenses, I would be very leary of doing with business with these people just due to the fact that they immediately shipped out an animal they knew had a problem to another customer as soon as it was returned.

They may have done the "right thing" in the end but they did all of the "wrong things" to begin with. This situation was completely avoidable.

The shipped an injured animal. They had it returned knowing it was injured and instead of treating it and letting it heal, they immediately shipped it out to another unsuspecting buyer. Terrible thing to do no matter what they did in the end to compensate the buyers.

True Steve, but at the end they did make it right.

The ones I can not stand are the ones that don't.

 

[varnyard]

At = In

 

[SPJ]

You're correct. They did make it right but what really bothers me is they shipped this animal out a second time knowing that it was injured.

Shipping is stressful for animals and then to knowlingly ship an injured animal just doesn't sit well with me.

 

[varnyard]

You're correct. They did make it right but what really bothers me is they shipped this animal out a second time knowing that it was injured.

Shipping is stressful for animals and then to knowlingly ship an injured animal just doesn't sit well with me.

I had a real long, as well as a very nice talk with Linda Switzer last night. IMHO, she was straight up with me.

For the record, I do not think that Linda though the tegu still had a problem when she resold him. She seemed very forthright in our conversation. I do believe she thought the problem was due to some dried turkey, I also think it was a honest mistake. It was not MBD as I thought, I was wrong and I admit it.

I am also going to deal with her on some of my baby tegus this coming season. I have no doubts that the Switzers are great to deal with. Like I said before, we all have made mistakes. But it is how we handle the problem that counts.

Linda sent a refund as well as paid all shipping on the first sale. She also paid the vet bill on the second sale. IMO, she has done what was needed to make this right.

With that said, I would not hesitate to deal with them. They did what needed to be done, that speaks volumes about running a good quality herp business.

 

[LadyOhh]

I'm very glad to hear that. Kudos to Kev!

 

[Psycho-saint]

So Carbon did you ever get your cash back bro?

 

[dzoo]

My experience

The Tegu issue aside I just completed a transaction with Switzers on Tuesday and everything went very well and I was impressed with their service.

 

[Mooing Tricycle]

With that said, I would not hesitate to deal with them. They did what needed to be done, that speaks volumes about running a good quality herp business.

Its great to see people are willing to learn and fix their mistakes, and be honest about things!! Thats what seperates the scum from the people that count! ^_^ glad to hear!

 

[Psycho-saint]

That's nice and I am happy for you but they so far aren't scoring to well in my book do to the fact that they have shipped out sick animals before. The odd part of this whole problem is the member of thetegu.com forms Merm had bought a tegu after Jim Rich had purchased his I find it odd that Merm did not get a new tegu but yet the same one shipped withing a day or so of it returning. The question I have to ask Switzer reptiles is why they were in such a hurry to get rid of that tegu.Did they realize the fact that it was going to be a money sink. That is just bad business no matter which way you look at it and the fact that Jim STILL has not gotten his refund is disgusting. So all in all answer to your question Switzer bad to deal, I myself have to say yes. I wouldn't deal with them if they were the last herp dealers alive. Mind you they are dealers that buy out of country/state they do not breed nor care for their herps or else they would not keep them in a whare house.

 

[Wolfy-hound]

I'm very glad to hear this has such a great outcome. Reading this, I was thinking "Well, if they irragated and thought it was just some dried food stuck, then they didn't ship out a injuried animal" so to see that addressed reassures me.
I feel it was all a misunderstanding and mostly that was due to being rushed during a holiday season. The first buyer rushed to put him back into a box and shipped him out wanting his money back. I've lived in florida my entire life, and I know that you need the styro layer, and I know not to try to re-use heatpacks. He probaly knew that too, but was in a rush, and upset that his new pet was 'sick' and he wasn't going to get to keep him.
When they received him back packed incorrectly, THEY were understandably upset and were harsh with him. I would have been upset myself, and again, in a rush trying to take care of holidays and shipping reptiles and such, things rapidly go south.
After looking at the tegu, and seeing something obvious like 'turkey' and being able to flush the mouth, of course they would resell it. After all, he wasn't sick, he wasn't injured, it was just some 'turkey'. Big relief and out he goes to another person. They didn't know it was a splinter, they thought it was all fixed.
So the new owner and the first buyer realize it is the same tegu and immediately jumped to the most obvious conclusion. Not their fault, several people here agreed with that conclusion. Most times unfortunately it would have been true! Now that all the information is filled in on the total sequance, it is not so bad as it seemed.
I think this is the perfect way for the BOI to be used! Instead of massive rumor flying through word of mouth, it's been aired in a format that can be viewed by anyone that wasn't in on the first round.
Kudos not only to all involved, but also to Varnyard for taking the time to talk to the participants and report back!
Wolfy