Funniest/Dumbest experiences you've had with sellers

[cold blood]

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

Defensive, not aggressive...they aren't chasing people down. But many are quite defensive, but that's not it, because there are plenty of very defensive NWs as well.

As mentioned, OWs lack urticating hairs, as a result they rely on speed (all OWs are fast, most are exceedingly fast) and that stronger venom. This means mistakes have greater consequences as well as being more likely to occur.

Many OWs, like baboons, are generally kept dry, and are fairly easy husbandry wise...but those from Asia aren't like this, and most require a certain degree of moisture...this balance is something that is always easier with experience.

They're not more valuable, there are plenty of valuable and cheap ts on both sides.

 

[agonistes]

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.

Ah. Well, then, I guess I'd be fairly unhappy with a couple of OW freebies too.

 

[VaejovisCarolineanusSDS]

I've had two experiences with this seller worth mentioning.
I seen they had some heterometrus for sale. I had done enough research that I felt like I was able to take care of them. I didn't know for sure what species it was at the time but I knew it wasn't P. imperator. Which is what he told me it was and sold it to me over priced for what it actually was. Once I had my correct information I confronted him about it. I told him about how emperor scorpions are not the same species and all that. Before I was there my dad had already said something about the situation and the seller's response was, " Asian forest scorpions are the same breed as emperor scorpions. They just have different names." I also had to confront him about keeping his Ts on ground walnut shells. His response was, "We use that because when we kept them on corn, the corn kept molding up." I just left in disbelief at what I just heard. I have had a few other painful experiences with that seller. He keeps multiple juvenile ball pythons in one 10 gallon enclosure. As well as a permanent black light fixture on the scorpion enclosure. They also sell hermit crabs. I don't have much respect for hermit crab sellers. Since that is the only pet store close to me I have to start buying online.

 

[nicodimus22]

I also had to confront him about keeping his Ts on ground walnut shells. His response was, "We use that because when we kept them on corn, the corn kept molding up."

Corn? It's effing food. Of COURSE it molds up. Some people don't have the common sense of a groundhog.

 

[Luke Alexander]

Well I don’t have any stories but my wife works at the zoo and deals with a bunch of idiots that visit. Needless to say she has some pretty good stories to tell me when she gets back from work (not everyday but often.) They have a stingray touch tank there with a couple of small sharks in the aquarium. This lady pointed at one of the sharks and said “oh my gosh! A hippopotamus!” My wife just looked at her like she was crazy and walked away.

It’s not a buyer or seller story but I had to share.

 

[cold blood]

Well I don’t have any stories but my wife works at the zoo and deals with a bunch of idiots that visit. Needless to say she has some pretty good stories to tell me when she gets back from work (not everyday but often.) They have a stingray touch tank there with a couple of small sharks in the aquarium. This lady pointed at one of the sharks and said “oh my gosh! A hippopotamus!” My wife just looked at her like she was crazy and walked away.

It’s not a buyer or seller story but I had to share.

I worked at a major zoo for 12 years...I could tell stories for hours...lol.

 

[Luke Alexander]

I worked at a major zoo for 12 years...I could tell stories for hours...lol.

I don’t doubt it. It’s crazy how many idiots there are out here

 

[nicodimus22]

They have a stingray touch tank there with a couple of small sharks in the aquarium. This lady pointed at one of the sharks and said “oh my gosh! A hippopotamus!”

Some uh them city slickers don't know a dang rattlesnake from a guitar. That's what my pappy always told me.

 

[cold blood]

I don’t doubt it. It’s crazy how many idiots there are out here

People in general are smart...but get them in public and all learning goes out the window and they all become children wanting to be spoon fed...lol, sound familiar...hehe.

My favorite, and we heard this almost daily, was..."what time does the 12:00 show start?"

How do you even answer that without sounding like you're being "smart" with them?

Ummm, we try to start it promptly at...12:00


The other daily question was..."can we pet/ride the ____" (fill in the blank)... every animal at the zoo was at one time or another involved.

 

[D Sherlod]

Corn? It's effing food. Of COURSE it molds up. Some people don't have the common sense of a groundhog.

Groundhogs have common sense...... people on the other hand,,, well some are just plain stupid....

 

[Moakmeister]

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

There*

 

[Luke Alexander]

My favorite, and we heard this almost daily, was..."what time does the 12:00 show start?"

How do you even answer that without sounding like you're being "smart" with them?

Yea my wife drives the trains that tour around the zoo, so she gets those questions all the time

 

[cold blood]

Yea my wife drives the trains that tour around the zoo, so she gets those questions all the time

That's a great job...fun to a degree, pretty easy and well paid...at least it was in Milwaukee...highly desirable summer job. We lost a couple to "Casey Jones" syndrome...lol.

 

[Vanessa]

" Asian forest scorpions are the same breed as emperor scorpions. They just have different names."

And one is from Asia, while the other is from Africa - they are not even found on the same continent. Sorry, but I wouldn't give that seller a dime of my money. No wonder he has no clue what he is giving people.

 

[VaejovisCarolineanusSDS]

And one is from Asia, while the other is from Africa - they are not even found on the same continent. Sorry, but I wouldn't give that seller a dime of my money. No wonder he has no clue what he is giving people.

Sadly, when I was little I got my first pet from that store. A bearded dragon. Based on my age and the seller you can already guess how that went. I actually trusted them for years. Once I got my first snake and started doing research, I started to get a little skeptical of them. It wasn't until I started getting into arachnids and focused most of my life around animals that I realized the atrocities that occurred there. For years they were the closest pet store and had just about everything that I needed. Sadly, there are no reliable pet stores near me. So I have to rely on online stores or go to the awful pet store that used to trust. It is really annoying when you provide correct information and most pet store employees don't acknowledge it.

 

[AnimalNewbie]

Went to the bug expo and there was a mom buying her 7 yr old a juvie p. Cam to “handle”. oof

 

[Dave Jay]

I owned a pet shop, birds, fish, herps, inverts etc, no guppies, puppies or kittens, mostly uncommon or oddball animals you wouldn't find in your average pet shop. I had lots of "dumb" as well as ignorant customers but the earlier comment in the thread "what time does the 12 o'clock show start" brings to mind the hundreds of times me stating "we are open 6 days a week, closed on Tuesdays " was met with the question "are you open on Sunday? "

 

[PidderPeets]

Geez, you guys are making me worried for whenever I end up selling the few extra Ts I intend to sell and if I ever breed my girls. I don't want to deal with ridiculous questions.

As for stories, I've seen a possibly MM Avic labeled as a "rose hair" (it was 100% an Avic, it's just the MM part that I'm not positive on), I've had to try to convince pet store employees that no tarantulas are deadly, and when I attempted to offer advice on a G. porteri setup, the employee I spoke to thought "arid" meant it likes to climb in trees (I can't truly bash her though, because she really was trying)

 

[cold blood]

I can't truly bash her though, because she really was trying)

Trying...just not real hard.

 

[PidderPeets]

Trying...just not real hard.

It was at a big chain store where corporate determines the horrible setups. She was the only one actually willing to listen to what I was saying and try to fix it, and without the cocky "I know better than you" eyeroll. That alone warrants a slightly better opinion of her than the others