mislabeled Ts causing problems?

[curiousme]

We happened to be in the vicinity of our L(ocal)P(et)S(tore) this week, so we stopped in to see what sort of tarantulas they had. We were curious, but will not ever buy one from them again. They had made some changes that I suggested in the past,(whether I caused the change, I have no idea) all were on peat instead of vermiculite and the H. lividum had been given moss to burrow in(not what I said, but better than what it was in before) and all in all they were in better conditions. Still had the stupid sponges, but for some damn reason that is customary and they will staunchly defend it saying their breeder told them to. Anyway, they had a pretty good selection too. They actually had a L. violaceopes spiderling(very premolt) for sale and I have never seen that!

Back to the thread name though...... They had 2 P. irminia, one correctly labelled as Venezuelan Sun Tiger and the other labelled as a Mexican Red Leg. My first thought was *expletive deleted* somebody is going to get a nasty surprise, if they have researched at all. Seriously though, one would be a slow moving terrestrial and the other a twitchy arboreal! So, I find someone to tell, but it is a ditzy girl who I could tell could care less about the tarantulas and even less about a person 'dumb' enough to buy one. If the buyer should try and research the correct habitat, it will be correctly wrong, as will any expectations they would have for their pet. I would call the place, but I fear that wouldn't do any good either.........

Has anyone else ever seen such a horrible mistake in labeling at a LPS?

 

[AudreyElizabeth]

That's pretty bad. Is there a difference in price? I'm assuming that it came in labeled incorrectly, and now that pet store is going to stick to their guns about it. Just like the sponge thing.

 

[Projecht13]

Sometimes its not always bad I bought a 4 inch female a.semanni that was actually a g.pulchripes female for only 30 bucks at a Lps

 

[Ictinike]

Yep I've seen them mislabeled all the time but since I don't have any real good sources locally I wasn't expecting much

The most recent, similar situation, that we found ourselves in was at a local reptile show where there were 1 or 2 dealers that had a T or two. As well while looking my son, who's been wanting a scorpion, notices some tiny boxes labeled just "scorpion" and of course was drawn to them. Not knowing too much we decided to pass them buy to discuss down the isle since those where the only one's we had found

I inquired later as to the type and the dealer did not know and was selling them for someone else he knew. Upon further investigation we find out they are Leiurus quinquestriatus or The Deathstalker scorpion!

Not only did he not know what they were he was selling them to anyone who had the cash and he didn't seem to worried about the mis-identification. I took the issue up with the promoter of the show to inform him of the risk involved and not sure what eventually did happen as we had to leave shortly thereafter.

It still bothers me to this day that some unsuspecting buyer who potentially bought one of these thinking that if some guy was selling they were perfectly safe. Regardless my son (12 years) has now been reading up on all types of scorpions and we just picked up our first Emperor last week and is doing well.

It's a shame that sellers/dealers of this caliber don't research more to fully understand the animals they sell nor inform the public of the conditions and possible danger of some pets.

 

[Suzjohnson]

Sounds like it's a good time to run screaming to the manager rather than wasting breath on a ditzy sales person!

 

[curiousme]

Sounds like it's a good time to run screaming to the manager rather than wasting breath on a ditzy sales person!

None were around to do so to....... Also, any time I have sought help from the management staff there, they have been worse than their employees!

 

[Mad Hatter]

Has anyone else ever seen such a horrible mistake in labeling at a LPS?

Oh definitely. I once (about 5 or 6 years ago) found a beautiful 2" B. emilia labeled as a "Mexican Red Knee." A good example, I guess, of how common names create confusion.

Although... I've come to expect that kind of thing from PetCo.

 

[Chris_Skeleton]

Well I got a 5" G. pulchripes for $20 because it was dropped off at the store because the guy was joining the military. And they told me it was an A. seemani.

Then I got two 2" B. albopilosum for $20 a piece because he didn't know what they were, but suspected them to be L. parahybana. This was at a reptile store that specializes in tarantulas. After telling me he'd sell them for $20 he followed with, "And if I was sure about them being Salmon pink birdeaters, I'd have to sell them for $40 each" :wall:

 

[malevolentrobot]

i wouldn't call it a horrible mistake, but there was that whole thing with the "euthalus singapore blue" at the LPS i sometimes go to that i ended up buying. it ended up being an okay sized euathlus sp. for the price, so i was pretty pleased with the outcome.

i've seen a few other labling errors as far as common or scientific name go, but nothing scary or remarkably worth snatching up.

 

[flamesbane]

Well I got a 5" G. pulchripes for $20 because it was dropped off at the store because the guy was joining the military. And they told me it was an A. seemani.

Then I got two 2" B. albopilosum for $20 a piece because he didn't know what they were, but suspected them to be L. parahybana. This was at a reptile store that specializes in tarantulas. After telling me he'd sell them for $20 he followed with, "And if I was sure about them being Salmon pink birdeaters, I'd have to sell them for $40 each" :wall:

Was this at the Critter? Their prices always crack me up....

 

[Chris_Skeleton]

Was this at the Critter? Their prices always crack me up....

Yep at the critter. I love going there and looking at their Ts and then laughing at how ridiculous the prices are. I don't know if you've seen it, but they used to have an Acanthogonatus francki labeled as a Chilean tiger rump. I go in there and tell the guy it's not a true tarantula, but a Nemesiidae species. He then immediately pulls out the TKG and searches for it for like 20 minutes. I just left. Before that he pulls out a "Vietnamese Tiger Rump" and prods at it with his pen to show how mean it is :wall:

This place has half their Ts labeled with common names and the other half scientific, but they don't know the common names for the ones labeled with the scientific name and vice versa. Then you tell them what you want to look at one and have to point it out, because they don't know the name you just said.

 

[curiousme]

i wouldn't call it a horrible mistake, but there was that whole thing with the "euthalus singapore blue" at the LPS i sometimes go to that i ended up buying. it ended up being an okay sized euathlus sp. for the price, so i was pretty pleased with the outcome.

i've seen a few other labling errors as far as common or scientific name go, but nothing scary or remarkably worth snatching up.

I have seen many errors as far as common names/ made up names, but none that would point you in the wrong direction for all the appropriate care instructions. We even bought a H. sp.Vietnam there once, because it was labeled as a Brazilian Black(usually G. pulchra) and we pictured some newbie getting home with a Haplopelma! Since she stridulated that very same evening, we are still glad we got her out of there and kept her out of some unknowing(presumably) person's home.(this was at xmas time) They haven't had another of that species that we have seen.

 

[pwilson5]

"tiger rump" at an expo was not a cute cuddly c. fasciatum.. but instead was a h. vonwirthi with an attitude.. haha

good purchase tho.. 4" T for 8$

 

[Hobo]

It can go both ways, in that it could be very good for an individual hobbiest looking for a good deal (perhaps not so good for the hobby in general though, should a newbie come across the wrong species like previously mentioned).

Anyway, some of you on the Canadian board might have already read the unfortunate story of the $100 P. metallica. Yes, that's right, unfortunate. For all you non-canucks, I'll quote the post here for you to enjoy.

I went to the local pet store today to get some rats for my ball python. As I was waiting in line to pay, I see this girl in front of me checking something out in a little tank on the checkout counter. At the time, I thought it was just a lizard or something similar. When it was my turn to pay, I look in the tank and I see a nice sized P. metallica. I estimate, based on the carapace size, that it should be about 4" DLS.

So I say to the cashier, "Hey, when'd you guys get a metallica?"

"Oh, that's not a metallica. That's a cobalt. It's $100!!!" (he emphasized "$100" as if I was supposed to be impressed with that number..)

"No, I'm pretty sure it's a metallica. And really cheap at that."

"That's a cobalt BLUE there. See how it's blue?"

We start going back and forth about what it is with me insisting its a metallica and the cashier insisting it's a cobalt blue.

Eventually, he goes, "No. Metallicas aren't blue like that. (???? wow I was really annoyed at this comment) It's a cobalt blue. Here, let me show you." He goes around the counter to their little book rack and pulls out one of the tarantula guides. He flips to a photo of a baby Avicularia that's turquoise-ish coloured (I'm thinking A versicolor or A geroldi) and says, "See. THIS is a metallica."

At this point, I was just furiously shaking my head (internally, of course).

I say to him, "Dude. That's not a metallica. THIS (referring to the tank) is a metallica. You can tell by the carapace pattern, the banding of the legs, the yellow highlights, and the abdomen pattern."

I thorough point out and describe to him how it was a metallica and I explain how a cobalt 1) wouldn't be hiding at the top of the tank (it would be burrowed), and 2) Cobalts are way darker with more black in them.

Anyways, he still doesn't believe me and says he'll 'confirm it later.' I was quite annoyed and a little agitated so I paid for my rats and left.

So I'm in my car, almost home, when I realized that I should've just bought the thing for $100 cuz it was an amazing deal!! I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier. I think I was too focused on explaining what it was and totally forgot that I was allowed to buy it.

So I turn my car around and drive back to the store. It's now 25 minutes later.

I go up to the counter again and I say to the guy, "Hey, can I check out the tarantula again?" I wanted to see if it was male or female..

At this point, he says to me, "Oh yeah! You were right about it being a metallica."

Internally, my mind is shouting "DUH!!!!!"

I ask him if he's still going to honour his price and he says to me.............

"Oh. It actually wasn't $100. I didn't remember the price correctly. It's actually $600."

So interally, I'm just shouting "WHAT?!?!?!"

I just stand there. I stare at him. And I ask, "You sure it's originally $600? ..or did you just make up that price because I told you it was a metallica?"

"Oh, no yeah. That was the actual price. I actually knew it was a metallica all along." says the man who insisted it was a cobalt. Anyways, he made that statement with almost no conviction and was totally lying through his teeth.

I just left at that point.



So I'm home now. I'm kinda annoyed. Kinda pissed.

Annoyed at myself for not buying it right away for $100. Pissed because they tried to jack up the price after I told them what it was.. and they knew I wanted it too because I left and went back.

Anyways, the moral of the story is.. if an LPS is selling something for way cheap because they have no idea what it is, just buy it. Don't tell them what it actually is.. or you might miss out on a $100 4" P. metallica like I just did.

 

[Chris_Skeleton]

It can go both ways, in that it could be very good for an individual hobbiest looking for a good deal (perhaps not so good for the hobby in general though, should a newbie come across the wrong species like previously mentioned).

Anyway, some of you on the Canadian board might have already read the unfortunate story of the $100 P. metallica. Yes, that's right, unfortunate. For all you non-canucks, I'll quote the post here for you to enjoy.

What you are supposed to do when you see a deal like that is correct them AFTER you bought it.

 

[LirvA]

Damn is a mature P. Metallica worth 600 dollars?

 

[Nicole]

Oh definitely. I once (about 5 or 6 years ago) found a beautiful 2" B. emilia labeled as a "Mexican Red Knee." A good example, I guess, of how common names create confusion.

Although... I've come to expect that kind of thing from PetCo.

I heard there were lots of folks getting those little guys for $17.99 as rosehairs during that time also! On a related note, if anyone has been looking for adult P. scrofa, make sure to check out the "rosehairs" at your local Petco.

 

[Chris_Skeleton]

I heard there were lots of folks getting those little guys for $17.99 as rosehairs during that time also! On a related note, if anyone has been looking for adult P. scrofa, make sure to check out the "rosehairs" at your local Petco.

Well I will just have to check Petco tomorrow when I go into town. Lately all they've had was a MM rosea, but it's gone now. So hopefully they have something good.

 

[TomM]

Well I will just have to check Petco tomorrow when I go into town. Lately all they've had was a MM rosea, but it's gone now

I've had the same experience. The Petco near me has had about 90% MMs, just avics and roseas. Pretty dissapointing, but what do you expect?

 

[flamesbane]

Well I will just have to check Petco tomorrow when I go into town. Lately all they've had was a MM rosea, but it's gone now. So hopefully they have something good.

The one in Mboro is awful. They had some Haplopelma (labeled lividum, I wasn't convinced) on 1/2" of bark chips, it died. They also had a B. smithi for $159 sitting dead in its cage (deathcurled, said it came in that way and was molting) I convinced them it was dying and ICU'd it, never found out whether it made it. They also had an A. avic that had 3 legs 1 pedipal (said it came in that way..), they let me adopt if for $5 I got it to eat some cricket slurry and it fattened up and molted 4 days later, then died immediately after.

You'd think they would realize they aren't any good at it after a while...