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Terri Sommella Fire and Ice Dragons -- Nightmare

WOW!!

I have had a little experience with Terri, I bought a trio of cresties from her last year. The male died en route, and Terri was so incredibly helpful and nice and understanding I couldnt believe it. We talked on the phone and kept in touch via email for a while. One thing, I did notice though was how enthusiastic she was about her animals. She was very gung ho about their health and how hers were the most healthy, even to go so far as telling me a popular breeder I will not name has coccidia running rampant in their beardies. I really got the feeling she loved all her animals, and they were her life.

I had a similar experience 4 years ago when I bought a Brazilian rainbow boa, he came tiny and not eating, I had his cage set up they way I researched it needed to- with damp moss. After a while when he still hadnt eaten I called the breeder and she yelled at me because she had never told me to use moss, and they snake was definately impacted by moss and to soak the snake twice a day. So, still being inexperienced I did, and the snake got a respiratory infection. Two vets later I had both problems solved and continued to keep moss in the cage with no problem for the next 4 years. I think some breeders get so into their animals, that, they dont think anyone else can do it right and resent other people giving advice.

Still it is no excuse to yell and then not hold to her guarantee. I'm sorry it happened, you still have a nice baby right? $500 is $400 more than I'd ever pay for a beardie but you have a eating growing baby still that you have to take care of.
Dunno, just my 2 cents.
 
Yeah, she's an eating growing baby. Her personality though has been troublesome. She still gapes, her belly darkens whenever we pick her up, and she always trys to run away when we hold her...and we hold her every other day! It upsets me to spend $500 for an animal that we specifically requested, and were assured would be calm and placid. Instead she doesn't like to be held and is nervous around us. But hey live and learn right?

Jonathan Newsome
 
bad beardies

Yeah I dont blame you for being upset! Usually babies arent that aggressive, or at least calm down. Last year when I had baby dragons I interacted with then every single day. Though, I only had a few babies. If you have so many, it becomes impossible to tame them all down, and the fact is, all reptiles are born feral. This doesnt mean wanting to eat us when they hatch, but more along the lines of they could survive on their own from the egg and have wild little instincts to run from and/or defend against huge scary humans. Its up to us to get them used to humans early so they can turn into fat placid lumps of dragon (well thats how my two dragons are :) )
 
Not honoring a guarantee......sucks!!!

What a bummer.

Cheers to EBV getting her healthy. I have had awesome service from them since getting back into reptiles. The store hasn't changed since I was a kid. A bunch of good guys over there.

Good luck for your future purchases and with your current Dragon.

Bthacker
 
Thats a terrible story and it sounds like a lousy dealer. EBV is outstanding and if they said you have a bad animal, you most likely do. I just was scammed myself and what I would do is send a certified letter so you know it was received with your intent clearly stated that you are sending her back on a certain day and demand a refund for purchase price, AND for the boarding costs of EBV since she did not take the baby back when you wanted to return her. If she balks on ANY of this, I would fly to Baltimore and file a claim in small claims court. You have to do this in person, BUT you can add your trips to baltimore for this purpose to the amount you are suing for. It is open and shut. keep all your emails and documentation. And, let her know your intent if she does not refund your purchase price AND the boarding, which is not cheap. If you take her to court, she will likely have to pay you a couple thousand when you add two tickets to baltimore, the 500, plus hotel cost in baltimore. if you need to fly your girlfriend out too as a witness for the second trip, then she'll have to pay this too. to prove you are serious, reserve a ticket and send her the printout showing your intent and how much it will cost. Its time to take all this scum to task and get them out of our hobby. Good luck and keep me posted. Do NOT roll over and take the loss.
 
This is not good advice. This is NOT an open and shut case. You have an eating growing baby. Its personality may be due to something you are doing, who knows, it is not prima facie the breeder's fault that the animal gapes.
There was an issue with a previous infection at your house. It is exceedingly difficult to prove that one infection did not beget another, hospitals know this as even though health care workers take measures to control infections, sometimes they are nonetheless transferred.
There were posts about heat levels in this thread. That will be a matter for proof; it is not an easy thing for either side to prove.
Print out this thread. Look at it, as if you were a dispassionate decided of fact with no special lizerd knowledge. There is some controversy about facts here, and you DO have a live lizard. I am not saying it is impossible to do anything here but it is a LONG way from being open and shut....
 
There is a guarantee that you can return the animal for any reason ....correct? If that is the case then this is an open and shut case in my opinion.

Bthacker
 
With regards to the fact the baby is eating well now (i didnt get that far in the thread when i first replied!) you are correct. However, the intent of the guarantee was clear with regard to her ability to return the animal for any reason if unsatisfied, and that was clearly not allowed when the buyer expressed that desire. In this sense the situation is absolutely open and shut. With advice from friends and siblings who are lawyers and a judge, I am fairly certain this will be a very simple case if she still wants a refund. As I said, I am in another case myself with someone who simply stole money under a pseudonym on reptibid and tried to disappear. This case is even simpler! Good luck.
 
Because of the possible exposure to infectious disease as an intervening cause I do not see this as a simple case; and further do not think that advising people that the preparatory expenses may be allowed is a good thing unless you know you are going to win; especially for such a small case. Check with your judge and get back to me.
 
READ where the buyer replaced everything that the dragon was to be raised?!!!!!! EBV said they had a bad animal. What part of all that don't you understand? No case of infection here.

The lady had a guarantee that for any reason they would be able to return for a refund, now that guarantee has changed on her website. If you have a guarantee on animals you had better honor it. There is no evidence that the buyer did anything wrong like abusing a $500 dragon. Nobody in their right mind would shell out that kind of money and want to go through all the hassles that they went through.

Open and Shut. Seller should HONOR her guarantee or not have any guarantees like she doesn't now. Period.

Bthacker
 
In my experience, anyone who says words like 'open and shut' and 'period' has little value (other than to illustrate the concept of freedom of speech) when they have not explored both sides more fully. If I had an attorney who did that without knowing what facts the other side had, I would fire him.
We have heard some good things about the seller, this should put anyone on notice that we have not heard the entire story.
I have emailed the seller, and will try to explore the whole picture.
 
Sounds like Perry Mason!!!

This isn't a murder case. It's just a guarantee. Very simple stuff. And I don't think that Bearded Dragon husbandry is rocket science either. Period.lol

Bthacker
 
lucille said:
In my experience, anyone who says words like 'open and shut' and 'period' has little value (other than to illustrate the concept of freedom of speech) when they have not explored both sides more fully.

I agree.
:D
cock a doodle doo in the hen house
Click to expand...
 
Peruvianfanatic said:
lucille said:
In my experience, anyone who says words like 'open and shut' and 'period' has little value (other than to illustrate the concept of freedom of speech) when they have not explored both sides more fully.

I agree.
:D
cock a doodle doo in the hen house
Click to expand...

Hey Mike-

Why are you following me around. I had nothing to do with you making a fool out of yourself. YOU DIDN'T NEED ANY HELP!!!!!!

Please folks if you would check this guy's threads out. This guy also follows me around on my for sale ads making stupid comments.

Mike-I am still waiting for your phone call.

Bthacker
Click to expand...
 
Books and revisions, and parts of the UCC, have been written about guarantees. They are not simple stuff, and neither is what is happening here. There are many considerations here, and I hope to hear from the seller. It is good this isn't a murder case, your careless attitude would have the buyer end up sitting in a not very comfortable chair.
I hope it gets straightened out, but I would like to decide for myself on facts seen from both points of view.
 
Lucille-

You are right about hearing both sides but there is only one side and they have a very good argument. As far as my careless attitude, come on get real!!! That is the last thing I have is a careless attitude. I believe maybe I care too much for folks getting ripped off and shoved away by lousy business ethics. You sound like a lawyer....maybe you should start your own forum: "Lucille's Court". You can be the judge and sit over all the mishaps. I was clearly stating an opinion as you were. I don't want to stray away from the subject. So I am finished responding. Blast away.

Bthacker
 
I understand your caring and I too do not like to see people ripped off; I simply am not completely sure that is the case here, without hearing from the other side, especially since we have a couple of positive comments.
You are I am sure a good person, but there is a reputation at stake here and the BOI is widely read, careless words can destroy a carefully built reputation. If we get to the point that we are more sure (I am not) that the buyer was wronged, then the seller's reputation deserves tarnish. I'm not there yet. How about we just put it in a holding pattern for a couple days and see if seller responds?

PS I am quite pleased that you think I sound like an attorney :D
 
lucille said:
You are I am sure a good person, but there is a reputation at stake here and the BOI is widely read, careless words can destroy a carefully built reputation. If we get to the point that we are more sure (I am not) that the buyer was wronged, then the seller's reputation deserves tarnish. I'm not there yet. How about we just put it in a holding pattern for a couple days and see if seller responds?
Click to expand...

There may have been no outright fraud, but the buyer notified the seller of initial problems and requested a refund per the sellers guarantee. The seller refused and then apparently changed their guarantee, after the fact. Probably because they knew they would never get $500 from anybody else. As a consumer, that is enough to make me leary of a seller.
 
Its been several hours over 4 days since this thread began, the seller notified and still no response from the seller. I too would like to hear her side of this.

We had at one time thought about getting a dragon from her also about a year ago, but decided after a few conversations with her to withdrawn from any purchase. That was not based on any concerns on the quality of the animal, but did involve the verbal guarantee, her terms and something's she said in conversations on phone, in person and email.

I do have a few question for others that have spoken here and bought bearded dragons or may read this. Has anyone purchased a dragon that was not sold to them as a holdback by her? Where you able to see the dragon in photo's prior to purchase over the phone? If not, was the dragon as represented to you?

At the time, we thought it might just be a difference in the way one breeder was handling sales, and that she has a dog breeder background, but still was uncomfortable with what was said that we did not purchase. Now I am wondering now and would like to hear why the terms in place at the time of the sale was not honored.

It also bother's me if she is claiming as was said here, other breeders have parasite or illness in their stock. That just strikes me wrong telling someone on the phone that might buy a dragon from you something like that. Most breeder have many sales going, if they were delivering ill babies, I would think that would be on here or all over the web on forums.
 
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