Turtlesale.com- using stolen pictures

[Ken Harbart]

Recently, it's been brought to my attention that the website turtlesale.com is using stolen pictures to misrepresent animals that they have for sale. The most glaring act of theivery and misrepresentation is a photo from John White.

John's picture of an eastern painted turtle is being used to represent western painted that they are pandering. John's photo was being used without his knowledge and consent, and he has requested numerous times that his photo be removed from their site both via email and telephone, yet the photo is still posted.

For those who would like to get in touch with these guys and let them know it's not nice to steal, here's some contact info:

[email protected]
727/943-2786

Technical contact:
SWANIEC, DUANE
[email protected]
4925 ANN DRIVE
HOLIDAY, Florida 34690
519/754-0914

 

[Ken Harbart]

Also, it wouldn't come as a surprise if John's picture isn't the only one on that site that's being used illegally.

 

[Chris@TSE]

Sounds like someone has taken a few notes from William Horn \ Briarpatch herps

Has anyone contacted this individual and got a response?

 

[mmfrankford]

:eek3: Is it just me or does the propagating and selling ( for up to $89 ) the eyeless turtles just wrong. I also wonder how many of those baby red ear turtles will die that are given away free with a purchase of $100 or more.

http://www.turtlesale.com/rare-turtles1.html

 

[Dennis Hultman]

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?p=503809&posted=1#post503809

 

[Dennis Hultman]

Website

TURTLESALE.COM
244 FIFTH AVENUE
SUITE 2867
NEW YORK , NEW YORK.
10001-7604
1-800-517-1809

Found on another site.

http://www.zoomed.com/html/findstore.php?st=FL&sortID=&pgid=8

Seltrut Inc.
4925 Ann Drive
Holiday, FL 34690
Phone: 727-647-3186

(727) 647-3186
Type: Cell PhoneProvider: Nextel CommunicationsLocation: Clearwater, FL

If you have questions you can check our Message Board, email us at [email protected] or call Norm at 1-727-943-2786.

Swaniec, D

street address not available

Tarpon Springs, FL

(727) 943-2786

 

[CrotalusCo]

ha ha their banners are all over google system. It was even here at top of page 1.

whatever you do though dont keep clicking their banner costing them money and making rich money. We dont want to hurt turtlesale.com by costing them a fortune in advertising <wink>

 

[Tim Cole]

I started a thread

about their discusting practise also a few months ago.
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97334

 

[Daves_Dragons]

I can't see that thread link.

That place really needs to be shut down.

 

[Tim Cole]

Try this one.

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97334

 

[Daves_Dragons]

Thanks!

Can they make a sticky about this evil place? I'm still hearing from people who are buying sick and dying turtles from them. It's horrible.

 

[Cat_72]

David, the best thing you can do is to tell each of those people who have purchased ill or dying turts from them to post about their story here. "Secondhand information" or anonymous third party info isn't allowed here on the BOI, but it can only help others to get the word out about this place if more folks tell their story.

Proof that they are selling sickly animals would probably convince more people not to buy from them!

 

[ssmith_1187]

Granted it’s a January 2007 issue, but tell me how a shady outfit like this can run full page ads (page 17 to be exact) in Reptiles magazine?

Regards,
Steve

P.S. That’s the only issue I have handy at the moment.

P.S.S. Yes...my question was rhetorical.

 

[liquidleaf]

Yeah, I think the same thing every time I see an ad from Turtlesale in Reptiles, and there's an ad of one sort or another in every issue.

 

[Daves_Dragons]

They definitely have very savvy business sense. They are able to get their ads posted on banners across all of the major commercial reptile websites on the internet through their use of Google Advertising. I'm not sure how much control these guys have over who they allow to advertise on their sites or magazines.

 

[Cat_72]

There was an issue not too long ago where someone wrote in to the editor and asked why the magazine allowed them to post their ads, when they practiced purposely breeding genetically defective animals.....the magazine's answer was that the ad didn't say they were breeding them, so they must just be selling the naturally occurring ones (paraphrased, as I can't find the issue at the moment....)

We aren't the only ones noticing them.

 

[Nirvana]

I saw that blurb in "Reptiles." I don't buy that argument though -- on their website they state directly that they bred the parents of their first eyeless turtle together once again and produced eyeless babies. That sure sounds like deliberately breeding for a crippling defect to me. I realize that in mass-produced sliders, defects pop up often in even the best breeding operations. Still, even if they're lying, and the animals are just a random accident, they are least seem to want people to think that they're breeding for defective animals.

I find the whole thing repugnant not only because of their lack of concern for the animals themselves, but because they advertise so much on Google and whatnot that they're bound to be seen outside the serious herp community. I fear that this sort of thing is what non-herp folks are going to see us as: people who treat animals like a commercial commodity, and are unconcerned with the animals' welfare. Not only that, but they seem to be catered more towards non-serious-herpers and I can just imagine what happens to the majority of turtles that leave their facility -- especially the poor free ones

 

[Daves_Dragons]

Yeah, their name pops up from time to time on different turtle forums and always with regards to someone just getting a sick baby turtle and not knowing what they should do. It's really sad.

 

[Cat_72]

I saw that blurb in "Reptiles." I don't buy that argument though -- on their website they state directly that they bred the parents of their first eyeless turtle together once again and produced eyeless babies. That sure sounds like deliberately breeding for a crippling defect to me. I realize that in mass-produced sliders, defects pop up often in even the best breeding operations. Still, even if they're lying, and the animals are just a random accident, they are least seem to want people to think that they're breeding for defective animals.

I find the whole thing repugnant not only because of their lack of concern for the animals themselves, but because they advertise so much on Google and whatnot that they're bound to be seen outside the serious herp community. I fear that this sort of thing is what non-herp folks are going to see us as: people who treat animals like a commercial commodity, and are unconcerned with the animals' welfare. Not only that, but they seem to be catered more towards non-serious-herpers and I can just imagine what happens to the majority of turtles that leave their facility -- especially the poor free ones

I understand that, and agree (did you read the other thread about them? I believe Tim Cole started it). It was a lame excuse from the editor, IMO....

 

[Daves_Dragons]

David, the best thing you can do is to tell each of those people who have purchased ill or dying turts from them to post about their story here. "Secondhand information" or anonymous third party info isn't allowed here on the BOI, but it can only help others to get the word out about this place if more folks tell their story.

Proof that they are selling sickly animals would probably convince more people not to buy from them!

Is this the only thread about turtlesale.com on BOI? I couldn't find another one that specifically dealt with their reputation as regards the selling of sick/dying animals. I'm thinking that the more posts we can get that show their name in a negative light, the more likely it will be to show up on a google search along with the negative comments when someone tries to do research on them.