Magical Geckos

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Small Pet Feeders

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I debated with myself whether to bother reporting this or just let it lay, but here it goes.

I started working with Magical Geckos in November of 2011, in which he first messaged me for a quote for 5000 1" crickets to be shipped to his door. Even though we normally require a Breeder Program contract for our lower prices to ensure continued patronage, we thought we'd give Dennis from Magical Geckos the chance to try out our crickets without such an agreement, just so he could gauge the quality of the product. He did ask for a tracking number for this package, and he was told we were unable to supply one as our small family-owned cricket farm use an antiquated postal machine that prints out the little 1.5"x3" Parcel Postage, free of any tracking information to save on the overall cost to the client. We've never had an issue with this system, as we deal largely with people we're familiar with, and never have had an issue with replacing an order that may arrive dead or even if it gets lost. Allowing this system to be used was my first mistake as a feeder mailing businessman.

When he received his order, I found it odd that he seemed to look for things wrong with the boxes to complain about, but still pushed to continue buying crickets from us. Whether it be "some of the crickets in the box were smaller than others" or "there were beetles in the box", meaning dermestids which feast on dead crickets (a beneficial insect I might add that aids in keeping the toxic gases released by crickets under control). To add to it, he of course didn't want to sign a service agreement, but wanted to continue buying crickets at the same rate. I thought it was odd that someone so dissatisfied actually wanted to continue to order.

So some time past till we were now in December, and I thought I would touch base with him, and see if anything had changed. He began quoting prices that he was getting locally and from another cricket farm that he wanted me to match, but when I asked for invoices, those requests went unanswered and ignored. Eventually he dropped this price reduction tactic, and agreed to buy crickets for the rate I wouldn't budge from without a contract, something I also found peculiar, as if you can get crickets for a lower price, why would you come to me to get them? He obviously didn't get them that cheap from the other place, or had another "win" in mind for me. Unfortunately I didn't realize what that was until a month later...

He stated towards the end of December that he never received the first order of 5000 crickets, so I had a new order shipped out for him on January 3rd, 2012. And you know, up to this point, I still lived in a land of ignorance that surely everyone would be completely honest about not receiving such a large order as 5000 crickets. It wasn't until he told me he again didn't receive that order either! And soon thereafter, he hurriedly filed a Dispute with Paypal for his money back. Now even at this point, I'd be willing to give someone the shadow of a doubt that maybe USPS really did defy the odds and lose a rather large package TWICE IN A ROW, but it wasn't until he started stating his reasons for the Dispute that I again paid close attention to his words.

He immediately made a post on this board to ask the people here if he was in the right for asking for a refund for a package with no tracking information. Now I don't know about you, but if I didn't receive a package, I wouldn't need to ask a bunch of people on a message board if I was right about asking a refund, so the fact that he was seeking comfort and approval for his decision also perked my interest. Then as we continued, he seemed to be very centered on the fact that there was no tracking information, not the fact that he didn't receive his package.

In the end, he ended up getting his money back due to the lack of tracking information, and I got a $70 lesson on why you always have tracking information attached to packages. My intention for this post isn't to bash Magical Geckos, but more to warn other small business men and women the dangers of shipping off your products without tracking information, whether the client agrees to paying less for shipping for such a service or not. Whether Dennis did receive his crickets or didn't receive them really isn't the point, as just about anyone can do this to another person if they so choose if you accept payments through Paypal and don't use Tracking information. ALWAYS HAVE TRACKING INFORMATION, or you could be the next one writing your own tale of a good business deal gone bad.
 

Golden Gate Geckos

Mean Old Gecko Lady
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There is an existing thread between these two parties for the same issue. Shouldn't this be a part of the original thread? It just seems like tit-for-tat and dragging out an already messy ordeal.
 

Small Pet Feeders

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The reason I posted this separate thread was to have both sides of the issue equally displayed. Obviously his side holds more weight when it's my company name at the header, I just want the equal sides to be equally displayed. Tit for tat only applies when it's a one sided fault line, and that definitely isn't the case with this situation.

I made mistakes by not having the package tracked, he made mistakes by not paying to have the package tracked. Trying to show some good faith in the guy, I replaced his order of 5000 crickets that was "lost", at a significant loss to me as I was making less than $10 from him to begin with, only to have the replacement get "lost" as well and for him to Dispute his payment with Paypal.

Oh well, $70 lesson learned. Onto the next one, with a little more caution this time.
 

doublet74

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Jersey
This thread really seems to me to have been created maliciously. Seems to me that the OP has decided "well he did it to me I'm going to do it to him". This thread contains no new information and in my opinion was only created to BASH another company. Although in the other thread I said I was having a hard time choosing a side. Well I think this just sealed the deal.
 

lillith

lillith's leo lovables
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Land of the Rain and Trees, WA
Oooo, classy. NOT.

I read through the other nine pages already. This is superfluous and unprofessional.
I had been curious about your business, I usually raise my own feeders. Lately, however, my colonies have been going through a winter slump; I was also thinking about trying hornworms or silkworms.

I'll be trying Mulberry Farms out, if anyone, now.
You've proven yourself to be near-sighted on the matter.
Delivery confirmation exists for a reason, you know. I'm truly sorry you learned the lesson this way, but being as ugly as you have been, I will not ever likely find out if you're capable of a professional transaction, because I won't be ordering from you.

Sorry to be so blunt. However, I feel it's warranted.
Is it possible for the mods to close this thread, and keep us on track with the other..."thread"?

Janece Curtis
 

sunshinegeckos

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Clearwater, FL
I read through the other thread as I am sure everyone has and everyone has already made their opinion on the matter. Starting a whole new thread just to "get even" is not professional and doesn't make you look good at all. Yes things could have been handled different but it didn't go that way. Dennis didn't even originally name you, you did that all by yourself. You could have saved face and said nothing. I also think it was your responsibility to make sure that your customer got what he ordered. Stranger things have happened. I had 2 groups of geckos sent by 2 different people get hung up at the same hub. I have had shipments through USPS get hung up for months. It is not out of the realm of possibility to happen. Good customer service sometimes means that even if you have doubt you give the customer the benefit of the doubt and you eat the $70 and move on. Now you have lost potential customers which means you have now lost more then $70. I for sure wont be buying from you. Noone wants to have to worry that if something goes wrong you will automatically brand them a liar. Also I never buy anything live that cant be tracked whether its a gecko or feeders.
 

Kristi23

Ghoulish Geckos
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IL
I read through the other thread as I am sure everyone has and everyone has already made their opinion on the matter. Starting a whole new thread just to "get even" is not professional and doesn't make you look good at all. Yes things could have been handled different but it didn't go that way. Dennis didn't even originally name you, you did that all by yourself. You could have saved face and said nothing. I also think it was your responsibility to make sure that your customer got what he ordered. Stranger things have happened. I had 2 groups of geckos sent by 2 different people get hung up at the same hub. I have had shipments through USPS get hung up for months. It is not out of the realm of possibility to happen. Good customer service sometimes means that even if you have doubt you give the customer the benefit of the doubt and you eat the $70 and move on. Now you have lost potential customers which means you have now lost more then $70. I for sure wont be buying from you. Noone wants to have to worry that if something goes wrong you will automatically brand them a liar. Also I never buy anything live that cant be tracked whether its a gecko or feeders.

I agree with this 100%. Making this post just makes you look worse. Suck it up and refund the money. At that point, just don't do business with each other ever again. It's that simple.
 

BrightReptiles

Badhabits727
Messages
948
Location
Seminole, FL
This is becoming childish at this point. We have two different companies which appear to have both started with no malicious intentions now ripping each others throats. We're not talking about major losses on either side so why not just let PayPal handle it and stop trying to flame each other like some 12 year olds playing call of duty.
 

Small Pet Feeders

New Member
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68
Location
Georgia
Honestly, a "Dispute" is between two parties, and all I see next to a big red DISPUTE is "Small Pet Feeders". If they changed the keyword from Dispute to BASHING, then you're right, I guess that is a one ended deal.

If you don't want to read my end of the argument, please don't read the thread. Thanks.
 

sunshinegeckos

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But he didnt start it as a dispute it got moved there. It started as him asking a question without even mentioning your name. You both then took it to a whole other level but that is not what is going to make or break you. It is the way you handle the situation. Whether right or wrong you had the chance to have a good PR experience and you blew it. You just see red and cant see past that. That is noone I want to do business with. And I can read and post on any thread I want to.
 

Small Pet Feeders

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Location
Georgia
A good PR experience? When can you ever get a positive PR experience from a person, who you believe strongly is untrustworthy, is now not only ripping you off, but dragging your name through the mud after you sent a duplicate of his order which you're already losing on.

So now with his "non receipt claim", in addition to the overdraft fees incurred by a disappearing $70 and the money paid for the second order's shipping, I also lose the original $70 paid so I wind up losing around $140-$200 from someone I believe strongly is ripping me off.

Yea. I'm a bit mad. Wouldn't you be?
 

Golden Gate Geckos

Mean Old Gecko Lady
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12,731
Location
SF Bay Area
All the above comments by GF members are valid. The original thread was started without even naming the feeder company, but was moved to this section with a new title by the moderation staff of this forum. I did not see any maliciousness in the posting of the original thread until the feeder company was named when it was reassigned. Now it has turned into vicious drama between two individuals that are slinging sand from their kindergarten sandboxes. GROW UP.
 

Small Pet Feeders

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Georgia
I've posted my response to the situation in the other thread. I apologize to everyone for the unprofessional nature of the whole situation, it's hard to think clearly when you're dealing with economic issues and an angry mindset.

Sorry for wasting everyone's time with this childish nonsense.
 

roger

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Toronto ,Canada
I've posted my response to the situation in the other thread. I apologize to everyone for the unprofessional nature of the whole situation, it's hard to think clearly when you're dealing with economic issues and an angry mindset.

Sorry for wasting everyone's time with this childish nonsense.

Yes it is childish.Since you own a company havnt you got better things to do then waste your time posting??.Is this how you handle customer complaints via posting on a forum and making your self look foolish?? Do your self a favor and drop it !.Remember this is your fault for not having a tracking system.All this could have been avoided had you implemented a tracking system when you started your company.You are making yourself look foolish.

Roger Mueller
 

Small Pet Feeders

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68
Location
Georgia
The tracking system is set up. Just not for the crickets and superworms. Dennis and I have already talked, and everything is a lot better. I think we let the worst come out of both of us, him mainly because I called him a thief, and me because I felt like I was getting scammed. We finally got it figured out, and I was actually hoping they would delete this thread, as neither one really should have came into existence, we should have just communicated privately to begin with.

-Dave
SPF
 
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