| Author | Subject: Dealing with the bad in a fun hobby |
| Billy Fraser | Posted At 03:01:30 08/13/2001
I am amazed to see how much negativity and deceit goes on in a hobby that is supposed to be fun and a learning experience. It saddens me to see what people will do to rip another off. You know what I am talking about. Ordering reptiles only to never receive them, bad checks from customers, receiving dead animals, sick animals, etc. What can be done to avoid all this? For my personal collection, I have 17 colubrids of all kinds. I have been very fortunate to not only buy some very high quality specimens, but develop friendships with most breeders I buy from. From my experience, I have tried to always see either, in person or pictures, what I am buying. That mind sound like a hassle, but it can pay off. I have purchased snakes 3 times through the internet, and these individuals who I bought from were outstanding and dedicated to sell me and others the best and healthiest animals they can produce. Jon Ginter, Doug Kranich and Tim Gebhard ( VIVID reptiles ) are the three, and I wholeheartedly recommend them. Other top breeders that I have purchased snakes from them at shows are Don Soderberg, Steve Hackett, John Meltzer ( coming up in Daytona! ), Dave Jaques, and Don Shores. All of these guys are excellent and the best out there, from my experience. For me personally, I ask as many questions as possible to find out all kinds of info regarding the snake I will buy ( sorry Neil Gubitz! kidding! ha ha!) . Finding out every thing about the snake from his EXACT feeding schedule to his favorite show is important. I have met some breeders before who didn't like answering everything I asked and they received no purchase from me. If you are a true professional, then every thing that your customer asks should be important. ( excluding dumb questions like, " Does this pituophis sayi like to eat chocolate pudding?" ) Phone numbers are a must! References too. Satisfied customers are the best advertising. There is no way to count how many people I have told about my favorites who breed. If I don't have just about all of that, then I don't order from ads on the internet. Not worth my time getting screwed. The people who don't send you anything when you order should be arrested, in my opinion. Rip off artists need to be identified and weeded out of this hobby. Not only is it ruining it for one unlucky soul who gets his lizards shipped dead, but makes it all harder to deal with one more moron who can't seem to get his priorities straight and take advantage of others. That is why I want to thank the person who has started this forum. I have learned a lot about bad people to steer clear from and good people to check out. We should all give this man a round of applause. Thank you!!!!!!!!!! Let us all weed out the evil and identify the good!!!!! Keep this hobby fun!!!!!!!!!! |
| Patrick Hughett @ North Texas Reptiles |
Re: Dealing with the bad in a fun hobby
7263.html Posted At 04:26:29 08/13/2001 Well Said...and very good points! Thanks, Patrick Hughett North Texas Reptiles |
| Brian Oakley |
Re: Dealing with the bad in a fun hobby
7276.html Posted At 09:10:06 08/13/2001 Well said. B Oakley |
| Ritchie Luna |
Re: Dealing with the bad in a fun hobby
7289.html Posted At 11:51:24 08/13/2001 amen. clap clap clap applause applause |
| JERRY TRESSER |
Re: Dealing with the bad in a fun hobby
7294.html Posted At 13:36:31 08/13/2001 Your comments are noble, but your post seems more of the exception than the rule. Apparently your a smart shopper, and you have developed rules that you practice your business by. Unfortunately, the rest of the world does not! I agree with you wholehardetly, but for every one of YOU, their are 100s if not more of THEM. The faceless thiefs who provide daily websites, change emails, and are very savy in their stealing abilities. Until the Fed. govt decides to put some teeth in internet crimes, this avenue will continue to be a treacherous journey. I applaud your values, but just out of curiosity, since your posting makes reference to your hobby, do you sell any of your snakes? |
| Billy Fraser |
Re: Dealing with the bad in a fun hobby
7316.html Posted At 21:35:18 08/13/2001 Hey Jerry! Thanks to you and all others who applauded the comments I said. No, I don't sell snakes anymore, I did breed back in 93-96 here in Dallas, Tx. I decided to stop breeding kings, corns, and milks, back in 96 due to my very busy schedule, and I do miss it terribly. There is such a kick out of hatching babies and letting someone have the chance to own the best pet out there. If I ever breed again, I will do probably just pines, gophers, and bulls. Take care Jerry!!!!!!!!! |
| Neil Gubitz - The Snake Pit - Tampa, FL |
Re: Dealing with the bad in a fun hobby
7332.html Posted At 22:46:34 08/13/2001 Billy!...ARE YOU NUTS??? If you start raising Bulls AND Gophers...aren't you afraid that the Bulls will trip and fall into the Gopher holes??? You'd better be VERY careful!! yuk, yuk |
| Billy Fraser |
Re: Dealing with the bad in a fun hobby
7339.html Posted At 23:35:34 08/13/2001 ha ha ha!!!!!! Neil, you are so funny! You freaking rule!!!!!!!! |
| Brittney Latil |
Re: Dealing with the bad in a fun hobby
7451.html Posted At 02:36:34 08/15/2001 Re: Joey Smith a real piece of work 7347.html Posted At 00:14:20 08/14/2001 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- hey sydney, i caught you in a lie that i have physical evidence on. you said this earlier in this post: "Next, I did not notice the nose rub, so If they had it, they came to me that way, or got it after you got them." Note the part that says "I DID NOT NOTICE THE NOSERUB" Now, read this post that you made on another thread. isn't that what you call A BOLD FACED LIE!!!!! Sydney Alcorn Re: Brittney Latil/Joey Smith (inquiry) 5874.html Posted At 18:51:25 07/16/2001 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I got the gophers on June 10. The females laid on June 20 and 21. I shipped them to you on June 25th. I never even had a chance to feed them after laying. One laid 12 large eggs and the other laid 10 large eggs. Of course they were skinny. I told you they would have to be fattened up first. That is a given when it comes to breeding. You told me you didn't want to breed them anyways. I can't explain the nose rub, I know they had it when I got them. They are WC, it happens. i would like for everyone to pay extra close to the 2nd to last sentence. It says: "nose rub, I know they had it when I got them. " yet it says: "I did not notice the nose rub" How can you sit there and call us liars when we actually never even lied when you are a liar like i have been trying to tell everyone!!! Now I hope someone will believe me! I caught you red handed and i have solid evidence! HYPOCRYTE!!!!!!! |
| Christine Thompson |
Re: Dealing with the bad in a fun hobby
7598.html Posted At 07:05:56 08/17/2001 Good points but this isn't just a hobby for some it is there bread and butter. There is always that chance no mater how cautious you are things can and do go wrong. Even the phone number can be someone else's. There is no sure way to cover yourself especially when in a trade. You ship your animal and hope the other in the dill will also ship. When they don't you are out of your animal. Not a darn thing you can do. With the shipping rules changing it is getting even more difficult. |
| Sydney Alcorn |
Re: Dealing with the bad in a fun hobby
7727.html Posted At 21:47:08 08/18/2001 Brittney, if you are going to cut/paste posts I have made, at least don't edit them. Take them word for word. "the nose rub I did not notice, except for the male, which you are claiming was perfect. They are WC, it happens. You didn't complain for almost a week, how do I know it didn't happen while in your care?" Now I will cut/paste one of your posts, and the e-mail I got from you that tells a whole different story. Joey made the post, and you sent the e-mail. So someone is a LIAR. the post: "for one sydney, i told you the skink came like that and i happen to think that someone broke his jaw and it healed crooked" The e-mail: ""oh, and joey forgot to tell you his jaw was slightly crooked at birth. it is no defect or anything and is quite common in BT's, but i don't want you to think something is wrong with him when there isn't. it makes him cuter! it's not bad, it's just not perfectly symmetrical. i read joey's last e-mail to you and he said he always tells people if there is anything wrong with the animal, and here he is being stupid because he did not tell you about tater's jaw." Need I say more? |