The Concerns About the Recent Cameroon Imports

[jajeanpierre]

My chams are with a close friend in OH. Condition? Well we just lost one tonight. Couple more a pretty sick. Hope some of them live long enough I get to see them. I guess you don't want to hear what a total fiasco this import has been for me. If I didn't love quads and want so much to see them established in the US, I would give up. But I am just to stubborn to quit.

I'm so sorry Laurie.

 

[OldChamKeeper]

My chams are with a close friend in OH. Condition? Well we just lost one tonight. Couple more a pretty sick. Hope some of them live long enough I get to see them. I guess you don't want to hear what a total fiasco this import has been for me. If I didn't love quads and want so much to see them established in the US, I would give up. But I am just to stubborn to quit.

Muther******* That sucks. I'll be sending you some from my first clutch once that happens next year. I'm going to try and pair up one of Bill's boys with the new import for a new bloodline. I'll send you a pair from that.

Laurie, others hearing what happened and what you went thru will help others to learn about these pitfalls. I've seen many reptile businesses rise and fall over the years and the ones that die off are the ones who get a bad name for things just like this. The only way they can continue is when people don't speak up. Go use that BoI thread.... lay it out. Just lay it out the right way and be concise.

 

[GCash]

I as well. Was it the small 8g girl that you guys were still concerned about in the KY post? I was liking the thought that things were taking a turn for the better with your group. Hoping the rest pull through for you.

 

[Motherlode Chameleon]

My condolences Laurie!

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich

 

[Mike Fisher]

My chams are with a close friend in OH. Condition? Well we just lost one tonight. Couple more a pretty sick. Hope some of them live long enough I get to see them. I guess you don't want to hear what a total fiasco this import has been for me. If I didn't love quads and want so much to see them established in the US, I would give up. But I am just to stubborn to quit.

My condolences.

 

[rshewfel]

My chams are with a close friend in OH. Condition? Well we just lost one tonight. Couple more a pretty sick. Hope some of them live long enough I get to see them. I guess you don't want to hear what a total fiasco this import has been for me. If I didn't love quads and want so much to see them established in the US, I would give up. But I am just to stubborn to quit.

This really sucks. I'm so sorry

 

[MelissaB]

Laurie, I am so sorry.

 

[laurie]

Thanks everyone, I am really sad but that is me anytime I lose a cham, even if I had not seen her yet. My big male, the one I wanted for a breeder, isn't doing well. I sure hope he makes it.

 

[laurie]

Muther******* That sucks. I'll be sending you some from my first clutch once that happens next year. I'm going to try and pair up one of Bill's boys with the new import for a new bloodline. I'll send you a pair from that.

Laurie, others hearing what happened and what you went thru will help others to learn about these pitfalls. I've seen many reptile businesses rise and fall over the years and the ones that die off are the ones who get a bad name for things just like this. The only way they can continue is when people don't speak up. Go use that BoI thread.... lay it out. Just lay it out the right way and be concise.

You are so nice to me, thanks. I will go set up a fauna account and describe my nightmare.

 

[kameleons jvo]

Cant you ask for a refund?

 

[Saldarya]

There is currently a thread on BOI inquiring about them. May want to at least offer your experience.

 

[laurie]

Cant you ask for a refund?

You are kidding, Right???

 

[OldChamKeeper]

Cant you ask for a refund?

It's not a viable business model for an importer. There will always be some losses. That's a simple truth.

I've dealt with multiple importers over the years and there are two types. Seriously there are two types when you break it all down.

1 - this type simply moves the animals as fast as they can, this prevents animals dying on them which is a loss of $$$. They also tend to keep the good stuff since they know they can sell it for more.

2 - the importer only sends out the animals that look like they have a fair to good chance of making it while keeping back the animals that need a few extra weeks of hydration and stability. Then they sell them. These importers charge a little more for that effort and the risk they take on but overall they provide a better product and it shows.

Neither type tend to provide a refund, that is why a person's reputation is so important in this business. When a person doesn't provide what was promised (remember $4000 was provided up front sight unseen and that HELPED the importer decided on how many animals to purchase, or to even make the purchase) then their reputation drops and eventually the business fails over the long term. In the short term animals die and customers like Laurie get screwed.

Laurie I'm sorry to hear the big male is not doing well either.

 

[jajeanpierre]

This afternoon I was in to the importer's retail store to pick up some bugs. He had just received a Madagascar shipment that arrived late last week. He gave me a tour of the back of the store to look at the new arrivals, which were in very good condition, including the Parsons the size of a small cat.

The back cages were just as lushly furnished and clean as the cages in the retail section. I had the pleasure of watching one of the new imports snap up a cricket while I was standing right beside it.

The importer is hoping that he will be able to get another shipment in the spring, and is hoping to have more younger females. I think he is hoping to have a ratio of 2 females to 1 male shipped. His last shipment was the opposite ratio--twice as many males were shipped as females.

 

[MelissaB]

This afternoon I was in to the importer's retail store to pick up some bugs. He had just received a Madagascar shipment that arrived late last week. He gave me a tour of the back of the store to look at the new arrivals, which were in very good condition, including the Parsons the size of a small cat.

The back cages were just as lushly furnished and clean as the cages in the retail section. I had the pleasure of watching one of the new imports snap up a cricket while I was standing right beside it.

The importer is hoping that he will be able to get another shipment in the spring, and is hoping to have more younger females. I think he is hoping to have a ratio of 2 females to 1 male shipped. His last shipment was the opposite ratio--twice as many males were shipped as females.

I guess if you can go to his shop in person, you get to get the good ones. But if you pay upfront, sight unseen, trusting someone's word you get get the short end of the stick.

 

[little leaf]

This afternoon I was in to the importer's retail store to pick up some bugs. He had just received a Madagascar shipment that arrived late last week. He gave me a tour of the back of the store to look at the new arrivals, which were in very good condition, including the Parsons the size of a small cat.

The back cages were just as lushly furnished and clean as the cages in the retail section. I had the pleasure of watching one of the new imports snap up a cricket while I was standing right beside it.

The importer is hoping that he will be able to get another shipment in the spring, and is hoping to have more younger females. I think he is hoping to have a ratio of 2 females to 1 male shipped. His last shipment was the opposite ratio--twice as many males were shipped as females.

I'm sorry, but what is your point of this - to further rub salt in the wound? this person SCREWED my friends - they put up good money on his "word" he would do the right thing- sorry, but to me, a person is only as good as his word - and as a business owner myself - we all know a bad word travels much faster than a good one.....

 

[OldChamKeeper]

This afternoon I was in to the importer's retail store to pick up some bugs. He had just received a Madagascar shipment that arrived late last week. He gave me a tour of the back of the store to look at the new arrivals, which were in very good condition, including the Parsons the size of a small cat.

The back cages were just as lushly furnished and clean as the cages in the retail section. I had the pleasure of watching one of the new imports snap up a cricket while I was standing right beside it.

The importer is hoping that he will be able to get another shipment in the spring, and is hoping to have more younger females. I think he is hoping to have a ratio of 2 females to 1 male shipped. His last shipment was the opposite ratio--twice as many males were shipped as females.

You only proved my previous post, the part where I described two types of Importers. I said it clearly when I said "#1 - this type simply moves the animals as fast as they can, this prevents animals dying on them which is a loss of $$$. They also tend to keep the good stuff since they know they can sell it for more"


I never said his retail store was crap. Nice to hear he has a back room set up for the good stuff. Paying up front however for sight unseen animals from this importer is a lesson in what not to do with in our hobby.

 

[laurie]

Let me enter the discussion again.

Everything has been worked out to my satisfaction. Craig was more that willing to meet half way. They are imports, and he is an importer. Very few of the chams he sold to anyone have been lost that I am aware of.

I think we all need to take a step back. I bought quads, I have quads. That is all I can ask or expect.

 

[Mike Fisher]

Everything has been worked out to my satisfaction.

Glad to hear that.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I guess if you can go to his shop in person, you get to get the good ones. But if you pay upfront, sight unseen, trusting someone's word you get get the short end of the stick.

I don't think that is quite fair. I saw a very nice panther boxed up ready to ship whose new owner bought him sight unseen. Very little of his business is done retail--most are internet sales so virtually all the animals I saw were destined for owners who bought them sight unseen.