Funniest/Dumbest experiences you've had with sellers

[centipeedle]

I was at Repticon this year and I came across a guy who had a Scolopendra dehaani for $10. My dad asked him how bad the bite was (I can't really get anything too dangerous) and he replied, "It's no worse than a bee sting." I didn't bother to argue. Well I ended up taking it home. And in the parking lot a kid pointed at it and said "woah a desert centipede dad!"
Also, a seller tried to convince me pokies can easily kill someone.

 

[EulersK]

Not a seller, buy a buyer. A mother wanted to buy my subadult H. maculata for her nine year old son. He explicitly wanted to handle a tarantula, so I tried guiding her to one of my (many) species that at least wouldn't put the kid in the hospital. She was unbudging about what she wanted, because she saw a handling video on YouTube, so that must mean all H. maculata are able to be handled. We obviously parted ways.

Fast forward a few weeks, and I see her trying to sell an adult female H. maculata on the same Facebook group that I found her on. Turns out her husband got bit and spent the next couple days bedridden. She was furious with the seller for selling her such a dangerous animal.

 

[cold blood]

I had a buyer once ask me for de-fanged ts...when I explained that this not only would prevent food intake, but also be cruel and abusive.....he flippantly came back with...you're wrong, my friend de-fangs all his tarantulas. I then said, well even if you get that t through a molt, those fangs would just grow back....he then implied he would just get them de-fanged again and it wouldn't be a problem....trust me he says.

Conversation ended shortly after I told him that my ts weren't for sale for him.

Then there was the seller selling his LP as a suspected goliath birdeater...that whole conversation was just bizarre....I told him that it was clearly not a Theraposa, but a common LP. "but that's what its called, it can be called that, too" he replied. His ad said he wasn't sure what he had...but now he was suddenly 100% positive and he had breeders lined up...and got snippy with the "I know what I have"...yeah, then why are you selling it and why does your ad clearly state you weren't sure of the species??

Not a seller, buy a buyer. A mother wanted to buy my subadult H. maculata for her nine year old son. He explicitly wanted to handle a tarantula, so I tried guiding her to one of my (many) species that at least wouldn't put the kid in the hospital. She was unbudging about what she wanted, because she saw a handling video on YouTube, so that must mean all H. maculata are able to be handled. We obviously parted ways.

Fast forward a few weeks, and I see her trying to sell an adult female H. maculata on the same Facebook group that I found her on. Turns out her husband got bit and spent the next couple days bedridden. She was furious with the seller for selling her such a dangerous animal.

Priceless...did you give her an "I told you so" on face book.

 

[chanda]

Not a seller, buy a buyer. A mother wanted to buy my subadult H. maculata for her nine year old son. He explicitly wanted to handle a tarantula, so I tried guiding her to one of my (many) species that at least wouldn't put the kid in the hospital. She was unbudging about what she wanted, because she saw a handling video on YouTube, so that must mean all H. maculata are able to be handled. We obviously parted ways.

Fast forward a few weeks, and I see her trying to sell an adult female H. maculata on the same Facebook group that I found her on. Turns out her husband got bit and spent the next couple days bedridden. She was furious with the seller for selling her such a dangerous animal.

Better the husband than the kid!

 

[Vanessa]

A big part of Tangled in Webs mandate is education as well as selling. We spend countless hours speaking to people and educating them at the expos - making sure that the animal they are going to buy is a good fit is more important than the few dollars that Dawn will make from the sale.
The ridiculous, absurd, dangerous, and mind numbing stupid things I have heard from buyers/potential buyers could fill a book.

 

[viper69]

None I buy from reputable dealers or breeders.

But I have heard tons of buyers ask the dumbest of questions and their first T is a P metallica because it's "pretty". A lot of people treat animals as objects, and not living animals.

 

[EulersK]

Priceless...did you give her an "I told you so" on face book.

Nope, bought it for $20 and resold it for a hell of a profit

 

[chanda]

I don't remember for sure which Expo I was at (So Cal within the past year) but there was one of the vendors who was charging people $5 each to hold one of his tarantulas for a picture - and doing brisk business. (I want to say it was a C. versicolor?) Bear in mind, these people are holding the spider at anywhere from 3-5 feet (depending on the height of the child or adult) above a concrete floor, in a very crowded building and surrounded by looky-loos.

It's entirely possible the spider may have been a mature male approaching his end, in which case (from a financial perspective) all those $5 bills would have more than compensated the vendor for the loss of the spider, if it bolted or got dropped, flung, or stepped on... BUT! It's a terrible way to treat a live animal.

 

[Staehilomyces]

So far not much. The very worst was when I was thinking about buying another centipede. The seller said it was 14cm but it looked rather smaller in the pic. I asked him if it was measured body length (the proper way), with its terminal legs, or with both its terminals and antennae. His response was "Yes, 14cm".

 

[centipeedle]

Also they're was a guy with a 2" T. stirmi for $350.

 

[CyclingSam]

There is one reptile store in my area. I decided to check it out. They only had one Tarantula for sale. I think it was an A. avic. It was kept in a box with only a halfwood hide and a dish full of water crystals. The owner came out and talked with me. She told me I couldn’t raise spiderlings in the area because they weren’t strong enough for the altitude! There is a recorded wild Aphonopelma population about 40 minuets away from that shop...

 

[nicodimus22]

Some people might not think this is dumb, but I thought it was pretty dumb.

Bought a B. klaasi female recently, and when the package arrived, it had two freebie Chilobrachys in it. OW freebies? I can maybe see doing that if the person orders OWs to begin with, but my reaction was pretty much "WTF?" at the time.

 

[spookyvibes]

Some people might not think this is dumb, but I thought it was pretty dumb.

Bought a B. klaasi female recently, and when the package arrived, it had two freebie Chilobrachys in it. OW freebies? I can maybe see doing that if the person orders OWs to begin with, but my reaction was pretty much "WTF?" at the time.

Honestly, that is dumb. Like you said, it'd be understandable if you were ordering an OW. But imagine if you were somebody just getting into the hobby... Sending a fast and defensive tarantula to someone who's only had Brachypelmas, Grammostolas, Avics, and/or other suitable beginner species is just asking for trouble for both the spider and the keeper.

 

[Vanessa]

Some people might not think this is dumb, but I thought it was pretty dumb.
Bought a B. klaasi female recently, and when the package arrived, it had two freebie Chilobrachys in it. OW freebies? I can maybe see doing that if the person orders OWs to begin with, but my reaction was pretty much "WTF?" at the time.

That would be a huge deal for me, since I don't keep any OW. I am lucky, I have countless people that I could give those spiderlings to, but not everyone has a network of tarantula people to provide that option.
That would be a deal breaker and I would not buy from that seller again.

 

[Chris LXXIX]

I was at Repticon this year and I came across a guy who had a Scolopendra dehaani for $10.

Fair enough price: 10/10

My dad asked him how bad the bite was (I can't really get anything too dangerous) and he replied, "It's no worse than a bee sting."

Correct, if for a 'bee sting' we consider those twisted 'bees-like elf' flying in Berserk's 'Lost Children' chapter, this is correct

And in the parking lot a kid pointed at it and said "woah a desert centipede dad!"

It's because of Fluorite. Fluorite in the water

Also, a seller tried to convince me pokies can easily kill someone.

This is a fact that everyone knows... we keep deny that because we can into 'being modests' and we tend to avoid 'sensationalism'

joking a bit

Those Asian 'pedes are IMO amazing... use always tongs, provide a secure enclosure and everyone should be fine. If given the chance, they are class A pet holes (altough when they are out, in the open, for hunt, they can remain out for hours). The venom potency is brutal, so attention, always.

Here's my female, btw v

 

[MetalMan2004]

I saw a CL ad in which the person clearly had no idea about the tarantula he was selling. I decided to mess with him and sent him a message asking if it was de-fanged. When he responded with “of course it is, all my tarantulas are de-fanged” I just left him alone. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t kidding either...

 

[centipeedle]

Some people might not think this is dumb, but I thought it was pretty dumb.

Bought a B. klaasi female recently, and when the package arrived, it had two freebie Chilobrachys in it. OW freebies? I can maybe see doing that if the person orders OWs to begin with, but my reaction was pretty much "WTF?" at the time.

I would be really upset with that seller if he gave me 2 OW Ts.

 

[agonistes]

Honestly, that is dumb. Like you said, it'd be understandable if you were ordering an OW. But imagine if you were somebody just getting into the hobby... Sending a fast and defensive tarantula to someone who's only had Brachypelmas, Grammostolas, Avics, and/or other suitable beginner species is just asking for trouble for both the spider and the keeper.

I assume OW means 'Old World'? Are old world tarantulas considered more aggressive? More valuable for some reason? Harder to care for?

 

[Nightstalker47]

I assume OW means 'Old World'? Are old world tarantulas considered more aggressive? More valuable for some reason? Harder to care for?

More venomous.

 

[nicodimus22]

I assume OW means 'Old World'? Are old world tarantulas considered more aggressive? More valuable for some reason? Harder to care for?

Old World tarantulas have pretty hot venom. They also lack the urticating hairs of New World species, so they have one less defensive tactic before resorting to biting. If one tags you, you may end up in the emergency room, and have an unpleasant couple of days.