Receiving a wrong tarantula

[Emlynn]

Hey
I ordered 2 Cyriocosmus elegans slings and today I recieved the package. The problem is that it contains a very large female Chilobrachys huahini. I allready contacted spidersworld.eu (where I ordered it), but they didnˋt answer.
Does any of you know what to do?
I am a definite beginner and tbh I am kinda scared to fully look at that tarantula. (I mean I looked very briefly but not further)
Did this happen to anyone else before?

 

[vancwa]

Only thing to do is contact the seller. Might have to send them a photo as proof. They should send you what you originally ordered. You probably will have to pay for the shipping. Do research and rehouse the one they sent.

 

[Emlynn]

Only thing to do is contact the seller. Might have to send them a photo as proof. They should send you what you originally ordered. You probably will have to pay for the shipping. Do research and rehouse the one they sent.

The problem is I canˋt rehouse her today and I definitly donˋt have the equipment and skills for that.

 

[chanda]

Only thing to do is contact the seller. Might have to send them a photo as proof. They should send you what you originally ordered. You probably will have to pay for the shipping. Do research and rehouse the one they sent.

If the seller messed up and sent the wrong spider, the buyer should not have to pay any additional shipping costs! While the buyer might be responsible for additional shipping costs to replace a DOA spider or one that was lost in transit - because these things are out of the seller's control, once the package has been shipped - this is a case where the seller clearly messed up and sent the wrong item. It should be the responsibility of the seller to make it right.

 

[Vanessa]

That is a tough situation to be in. Do you have a German forum/FB group that you could maybe post to, to see if another member might have been the one who ordered the package you received?
This is a really rotten mistake to happen. And I understand that you aren't prepared to rehouse an adult when you were expecting two dwarf spiderlings. She should be okay in that travel container for a little while until you get this cleared up. Just keep her someone warm.

 

[ghostly]

Hello! Wow that sounds like... quite the situation.

Is she still packed/inside the shipping container? If she looks fine, not dehydrated or injured and like transport didn't harm her, I would say: leave her in there over night and try everything to contact the seller. If you sent an email, they might be out of office and reply tomorrow. Contacting them via Facebook is also a possibility, I do believe spidersworld.eu have a FB account you can message.
It's maybe not ideal for the animal to be stuck in this tiny space for another day, but it's better than you trying to rehome a defensive OW tarantula when you don't feel ready or might panic if something goes wrong. Better not to interact with it if you're truly afraid of it.

I have no idea if they would take the spider back or if another transport that lasts several days is even a possibility at this point. - But they have to send you what you originally ordered.

If you really get into a situation where you're stuck with a spider you don't feel ready to deal with - I'm sure there's a possibility to find her a new home. You're from Germany, right?
I'm not sure if this helps but I've made the experience that over here "emergency rehoming" works best via Facebook groups. (From what I've observed, I've never had to give one of my own spiders away, fortunately.) I'm not a big fan of tarantula FB groups in general, but particularly in the German speaking area, a lot of local networking happens there (and we do have a rather big community over here, there are a lot more T keepers around than you probably think) - sometimes there are even tarantula groups for specific cities, so there might be someone right around the corner who can help you deal with this situation, and I'm sure there are experienced keepers who will be happy to receive a confirmed female.

But in all seriousness: Don't panic. Give spidersworld a little time to respond, because the seller actually needs to sort this out. I'm sure you just received the wrong package, they will realise their mistake and react accordingly.

 

[Thekla]

Can you post a picture to see if it's okay to leave her in the shipping container?

Basically, I'd do what others have already suggested... give spidersworld.eu a day or two to respond. Try to contact them in any way possible. If they haven't responded by the end of tomorrow I'd start trying to find a new home for her. You could post on Arachnophilia.de and also try "Vogelspinnen-Kleinanzeigen" (at Brachypelma-smithi.de or spidercity.de - same thing), explain your situation and I'm sure someone will get her off of you.

Wow, das ist echt ein Riesen-Schlamassel.

 

[Emlynn]

So I found somebody locally to help me out with this problem. He is very experianced and allready keeps a few other Chilobrachys.
Sorry I canˋt post any picture now cause she is in the basement and I donˋt want to disturb her any more. (Also my mum is against tarantulas but she would have never noticed the small ones ... but that big one idk)

I will see what spidersworld says about that and then act as they say.

 

[Emlynn]

So I rehoused her today.
I still didnˋt hear anything from spidersworld, but I found out that I have the tracking number to the packege of the 2 slings. Maybe I can figure out who received my actual package.

The T was very weak and definitly not in a good shape. God knows how long this poor thing has been in transit.
After a while she did better and I now have her in a warm spot in our house.
But I probably have to give her away ... my parents definitly wonˋt allow such a big T. :-(

 

[NukaMedia Exotics]

Jeez what a mess up, those can be wild glad you rehoused it without any issues.

 

[vancwa]

I am glad you found someone to help and thank you for re-housing. Find someone to take guardianship. That T is not for newbies. Very fast and defensive. No one can hide things from parents. Moms have a 6th, 7th to infinity sense. They "Just Know".

 

[Mirandarachnid]

Also my mum is against tarantulas but she would have never noticed the small ones

What's going to happen if (when) she does notice? Just make sure she's not the type to flush them down the toilet.

Even if she won't destroy the spiders if she finds them, harm could inadvertently be done by routine pesticide use, chemical cleaners, or just turning the heat off if y'all go on vacation.

Honesty is the best policy. It's better to wait than potentially endanger innocent animals. The hobby isn't going anywhere.

Not to mention it's just rude to hide something in her home that she's not comfortable with. When you move out you can do whatever you want.

 

[Emlynn]

What's going to happen if (when) she does notice? Just make sure she's not the type to flush them down the toilet.

Even if she won't destroy the spiders if she finds them, harm could inadvertently be done by routine pesticide use, chemical cleaners, or just turning the heat off if y'all go on vacation.

Honesty is the best policy. It's better to wait than potentially endanger innocent animals. The hobby isn't going anywhere.

Not to mention it's just rude to hide something in her home that she's not comfortable with. When you move out you can do whatever you want.

Don’t worry.
I already figured everything with the seller out and I sent the T back today.
I’m going to tell my mom eventually, but with her it’s never a good idea to tell her right away.