Avicularia shipped in sustrate and arrived dead

[norcalgeek]

Can anyone tell me if this is considered a good shipping practice? I bought from backwaterreptiles.com and they shipped me a pink toe sling in a vial about half full and it arrived dead. They want me to pay them another $40 to reship and frankly I think it's robbery given they shipped it in dirt and it was such a small sling it got battered in overnight shipping.

I thought they were supposed to ship them in loosely packed tissue as this is how I've gotten them in the past and never had an issue. They claim this is a fine shipping process. I just want to hear what others here think about it.

 

[BC1579]

I've not ordered from them, but I feel for you. A quick search of their history on this site alone would have revealed that they are very, very shady. From shipping the wrong species and/or the wrong gender to poor packaging and poor specimens, there are a lot of users here who could have steered you in a better direction.

 

[Ant]

Wow, I've never heard of any T let alone a sling being shipped with substrate! And for them to turn around and ask for more money to ship another is robbery!

Most places here in the UK, I BELIEVE will happily send another T or give you a full refund if reported DOA within 24 hours (most places with ask for a full colour photo of the T and will more often than not request you send back the dead T).

Sorry you've had a bad experience though! At least you know to steer clear of these guys in the future.

 

[Vanessa]

They have a horrible reputation. If I were you - I would not give them another dime, cut your losses, and find a reputable dealer. There are plenty of members here who breed and plenty of bigger breeders who are not dirtbags.

 

[The Grym Reaper]

I'm in the UK and I've heard/read nothing but bad things about them.

People getting sent the wrong size/sex/species, DOAs galore, just bad news all round.

I have had one T (Euathlus sp. 'Red') that was shipped in a vial with substrate and tissue, it arrived alive and well (it was a bit of a mission to find in the vial though).

 

[basin79]

That poor sling.

Make sure you leave all the negative reviews you're able on all the platforms and pages that are possible.

That poor little sling was a LIVING animal. Not a cup or China plate.

 

[KezyGLA]

It can be fairly safe if substrate and cotton wool packed on top. Keeps everything secure if done right but leaves weight in the vials. It adds extra to shipping cost.

Was it just with substrate and nothing else?

 

[norcalgeek]

It can be fairly safe if substrate and cotton wool packed on top. Keeps everything secure if done right but leaves weight in the vials. It adds extra to shipping cost.

Was it just with substrate and nothing else?

Nothing but substrate and it was half full so it essentially rolled the poor little sling to death.

 

[Nightshady]

Can confirm. I ordered my GBB from those clowns (I just didn’t know any better and it was before I found this place), and the sling arrived in a small deli cup with only some substrate and a piece of cork bark in there.

Fortunately, my sling survived the journey and has thrived, but now I know that these guys are clueless.

 

[norcalgeek]

They shipped it with a half filled vial of wet substrate, no tissues and the packing around it was poorly done. They also shipped it in a vial labeled laeta. What sucks is this was a Christmas gift for my 12 year old that loves spiders and has several tarantulas as pets.

Anyone know of a good vendor here to get a pink toe? He would rather get a larger one if there is one available.

 

[Lokee85]

They shipped it with a half filled vial of wet substrate, no tissues and the packing around it was poorly done. They also shipped it in a vial labeled laeta. What sucks is this was a Christmas gift for my 12 year old that loves spiders and has several tarantulas as pets.

Anyone know of a good vendor here to get a pink toe? He would rather get a larger one if there is one available.

You should check the classifieds on here, there are several dealers/breeders that are way better than backwater. Just don't order from someone outside the country (unless you have proper permits).

 

[KezyGLA]

Just another victim to these shoddy vendors.

Sorry to hear this happened. I hope you find something nice for your kid soon. Have a look in the classifieds here if you can.

 

[Nightshady]

Anyone know of a good vendor here to get a pink toe? He would rather get a larger one if there is one available.

As people have said, there’s a lot of GREAT vendors here on the buy/sell forum. If you can’t find what you want, a couple of reputable online dealers include Jamie’s Tarantulas and FearNotTarantulas (please correct me if anyone has had a bad experience with them).

 

[Charlie69]

Its possible that the people working at Backwater never saw your avic. They are retailers, they take your money and then buy the animal from someone else cheaper. And keep the difference. They dont care about animals, they are only in it for the money. Sad pathetic people. So sorry for your loss.

 

[BoyFromLA]

Oh no! So sorry to hear that.

 

[viper69]

They shipped it with a half filled vial of wet substrate, no tissues and the packing around it was poorly done. They also shipped it in a vial labeled laeta. What sucks is this was a Christmas gift for my 12 year old that loves spiders and has several tarantulas as pets.

Anyone know of a good vendor here to get a pink toe? He would rather get a larger one if there is one available.

Swift’s Inverts- best shipper. 99% of my stuff is from him.


Slack water is the WORST, always look at reviews and ask before buying.


Also if you paid by credit card you can dispute the charges and get your money back!!

 

[cold blood]

I bought from backwaterreptiles.com

why??

They want me to pay them another $40 to reship and frankly I think it's robbery given they shipped it in dirt and it was such a small sling it got battered in overnight shipping.

Yes, very much improperly shipped....the norm for that place unfortunately. Never shop for tarantulas at a reptile store, its like buying new electronics from a deli.

I thought they were supposed to ship them in loosely packed tissue

Things should be tightly packed.

Shipping Vial

• cold blood
• Dec 4, 2017
• 4

Wow, I've never heard of any T let alone a sling being shipped with substrate!

I have...only at backwater though

They have a horrible reputation

That's actually an understatement...they are the worst of the worst....the one place to never ever ever under any circumstances give money to. They are a testament as to how important it is to get listed at the top of search engines like google.

Anyone know of a good vendor here to get a pink toe? He would rather get a larger one if there is one available

California is loaded with excellent vendors and breeders alike. Avics, especially Avic avics are plentiful and cheap, even for a sexed adult female. Search the classifieds, there's just too many reliable people in cali alone to start listing off. Likewise, there are hundreds across the country...heck, if temps weren't plummeting here tomorrow (I'm in WI) I would send you one myself.

 

[cold blood]

Also if you paid by credit card you can dispute the charges and get your money back!!

Possibly the best advice so far.

 

[viper69]

Possibly the best advice so far.

Yep... too many people don’t think they have recourse in this area. I did this once with a vendor.

 

[norcalgeek]

I uploaded photos of the container and shipping. I found out via the address that they use a company called Strictly Reptiles out of Hollywood Florida. They have a horrible reputation as well.

I have registered the website backwaterreptilessucks.com and I plan to put up a message board or something where others can post about their problems with them.

What ticked me off the most is that I wrote them, I explained how poorly it was shipped and they don't even respond with anything about the shipping, other than I must pay for it again. They just sent this message:

"As originally offered in our Terms, we will gladly either issue a refund for the Tarantula that passed away or we can ship a replacement Tarantula. Please let us know how you prefer to move forward with your DOA at this time."

https://imgur.com/a/jIOqK