RBI Hide Boxes VS Vivarium Electronics?

Update: LLL Reptile would not admit anything. What she said infact is that she is sorry Im not happy with the product and that she will send a Call Tag to return and refund full including Shipping charge. She also said Store Credit isnt an option as the only Hides they have are those in which they call RBI. I said well they arent RBI, she said well im not sure whats going on as thats who we get hides from however lets just get you a refund. That tells me they know what they're doing. Bad business ethics right there. Glad they are cooperating, it's the point not to $23.



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Originally Posted by KevinK

Another dirty little secret is that they are probably using the same mold for several different companies (which China can do because they don't follow patent restrictions or intellectual property rights)....

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I was about to say the same thing. Did you know that the majority of toilet seat covers of various brands and 'quality' mostly all come from the same factory? (I work for a packaging distributor and lots of paper and plastic products from China are the same, using the same molds, same factories just changing the labeling, etc).

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

I was about to say the same thing. Did you know that the majority of toilet seat covers of various brands and 'quality' mostly all come from the same factory? (I work for a packaging distributor and lots of paper and plastic products from China are the same, using the same molds, same factories just changing the labeling, etc).

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Im sure thats true. Im having that problem looking for a Bed.. You cant believe anything. They are all manufactured the same under different names.
What I did notice is that these don't fit over (stack) any of my Real RBI hides.. Shape is different as i showed the Pic on page 1 how much the bottom is wider than its top. But if you were a Newbie you'd never know the difference.


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Mattress shopping is THE WORST EVER.

It is extremely difficult to compare quality or research them, because the different stores call them different things (while basically the same) and then run obscure sales. Until one is thoroughly confused about whether its truly a good deal or not, or whether they are truly a good item or not. Bleh..

I would ask RBI right out whether they supply to LLL or not. They should care about this, because that sorry excuse for a hide you got could give them a really bad name..

The Petscrafts doesn't look as textured as my old ones, but does look more "matte" then the RBI. But that could also be the picture. There are no good "close ups" of them. Form wise, they appear a lot like the RBI hides.

The slick material should be easier to clean (until its scratched up, scuffed) but I still prefer the look of the textured one. My old ones look exactly the same as the day I bought them, while my newer ones are scuffed and scratched from cleaning and just feel "lighter/cheaper".

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Originally Posted by zina10

Mattress shopping is THE WORST EVER.

It is extremely difficult to compare quality or research them, because the different stores call them different things (while basically the same) and then run obscure sales. Until one is thoroughly confused about whether its truly a good deal or not, or whether they are truly a good item or not. Bleh..

I would ask RBI right out whether they supply to LLL or not. They should care about this, because that sorry excuse for a hide you got could give them a really bad name..

The Petscrafts doesn't look as textured as my old ones, but does look more "matte" then the RBI. But that could also be the picture. There are no good "close ups" of them. Form wise, they appear a lot like the RBI hides.

The slick material should be easier to clean (until its scratched up, scuffed) but I still prefer the look of the textured one. My old ones look exactly the same as the day I bought them, while my newer ones are scuffed and scratched from cleaning and just feel "lighter/cheaper".

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Bobby said he has supplied them to LLL. They also sell his Tstats. He said those ones I got are NOT His at all though. With that said he is contacting them about it. He also asked me to send him pics, Link to this thread. All his Hides say Vivarium Electronics and he did have some that say RBI. His injection mold is in a different spot than the ones I received too. He knows whos hides they are but didnt share that. He did mention Pangea. Im thinking thats who's hide I received.
As far as Petscraft. I wouldnt give my Card info to anyone in Pakistan without a proper website and the prices also seem ridiculously cheap to make a quality product. Im sticking with RBI.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...128d038cef.jpg


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Originally Posted by CALM Pythons

He said those ones I got are NOT His at all though. With that said he is contacting them about it. He also asked me to send him pics, Link to this thread. All his Hides say Vivarium Electronics and he did have some that say RBI. His injection mold is in a different spot than the ones I received too. He knows whos hides they are but didnt share that. He did mention Pangea. Im thinking thats who's hide I received.
As far as Petscraft. I wouldnt give my Card info to anyone in Pakistan without a proper website and the prices also seem ridiculously cheap to make a quality product. Im sticking with RBI.

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Wait, so you did or did not order them from http://www.reptilebasics.com/hide-boxes? I don't buy anything of their's that is not from their site.

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Originally Posted by SDA

Wait, so you did or did not order them from http://www.reptilebasics.com/hide-boxes? I don't buy anything of their's that is not from their site.

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SDA Bobby @RBI was on back order for the Large & he has LLL listed as a Distributor of his products so I ordered from them for the first time. That was a mistake whether he does business with them or not that was a shady move they pulled.


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That would be horrible if they sold knockoffs and tried to pass them off as genuine. Glad you got a hold of him.

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Originally Posted by SDA

That would be horrible if they sold knockoffs and tried to pass them off as genuine. Glad you got a hold of him.

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Yup sent him pic of the Receipt too.


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I know a lot of people like the side opening, but I get my hides from NPI (neodesha). They are extremely high quality. Just a hopefully helpful two cents.

Since CALM has already asked about prices on hides, I just asked about shipping rates and payment methods.


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Originally Posted by Sunnieskys

I ordered mine from bean farm. They are bigger, textured, and the door is in front than in the size. To me they look better, no,warping, and thicker material.

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

I also use bean farm hides, been happy with them so far.

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i use Bean Farm hides also but as in-between sizes of the RBI hides as my snakes grow. the medium Bean Farm hides fit well between the small and medium RBI's during a snake's growth, and the large Bean Farms fit between the medium and large RBI's. i think their plastic is thinner but it is a harder plastic overall.


Edit:

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Originally Posted by zina10

This is how my old ones look. They are over 10 years old. No warping. Well made and sturdy and far more attractive then those cheap looking slick ones I've gotten recently...https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...9e14462827.jpghttps://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...456f4397ab.jpg

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those are nice! they look like Bean Farm hides in the shape of RBI hides.

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Originally Posted by KevinK

I will tell you EXACTLY

I couldn't tell you how many Chinese molds I have worked on over the years and the build quality is amazingly poor. Tolerances and quality go out the window in order to save money. If I had the time I would make my own molds and produce hides that I guarantee would last a lifetime.

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Originally Posted by CALM Pythons

Well I volunteer you to start the New Biz Kevin.
K&K Reptile [emoji12][emoji216][emoji216][emoji216]

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exactly! i'll order 20 right now! :)

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Originally Posted by Prognathodon

Since CALM has already asked about prices on hides, I just asked about shipping rates and payment methods.


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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...df5877797a.jpg



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Originally Posted by MD_Pythons

Well crap. I just ordered some RBI hides, after seeing this I have some concerns about the quality but I'll update you guys on them when they get here.

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If you ordered them from RBI, you should be fine. I have ordered them for years and they all seem the same except they do warp after a while lol.

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Originally Posted by CALM Pythons

See my recent post. Mine are Fakes being sold as RBI.


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Well, that's what you get for ordering from a middle man lol. That would be like me buying a Rolex from a guy standing out in front of a Rolex dealer saying his stuff is legit. If i can, i ALWAYS go straight through to the manufacturer. Do it with Herpstats with Spyder Robotics and do it with anything from RBI. Honestly the only companies i really order from are RBI, Spyder Robotics, AP and i usually just drive out to Bean Farm.

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Originally Posted by Sauzo

If you ordered them from RBI, you should be fine. I have ordered them for years and they all seem the same except they do warp after a while lol.



Well, that's what you get for ordering from a middle man lol. That would be like me buying a Rolex from a guy standing out in front of a Rolex dealer saying his stuff is legit. If i can, i ALWAYS go straight through to the manufacturer. Do it with Herpstats with Spyder Robotics and do it with anything from RBI. Honestly the only companies i really order from are RBI, Spyder Robotics, AP and i usually just drive out to Bean Farm.

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Your right 100%. The only reason I did use LLL is because they are a distributer for Bobby. He just emailed me, he must be a pretty descent person because he said not to be to hard on LLL as everyone makes mistakes, and that he basis how someone handles the mistake on what kind of business they are... I thanked him for the help and I'll wait like I always have when someones out if stock. The one time I did this was all that I needed to remind me why I never go through others...
PS: I have a sweet Rolex for ya ;)


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yeah there's a big difference between a distributor and the guy in a trench coat selling Rolexe's. for example, at the mall there's the official Apple store (RBI in this example). in the same mall u can have Best Buy (LLLreptiles in this example) that sell Apple products and like 90-something% of the time there are no problems. then there's the guy in the parking lot hawking iPads from the trunk of his car and you're probably gonna have problems w/ his deal. i've ordered from LLL w/ no problems. they also vend live animals and supplies and bring a big show to our reptile expos as well. mistakes do happen but it becomes an issue if they don't take care of the customer or intentionally sell false/misleading products.

Do any of you use resin hides? I think they're much better than those light plastic hides as snakes can easily flip those light ones over. Plus I think the Exo Terra ones look really coolhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...40ca218fe4.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7eb2fb3cbb.jpg

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It's been maybe two years since I've ordered hides, but I had issues with some hides from RBI warping... Ordered from their website also, so they are the real deal. The main ones that have warped are the jumbo and large hides (for my adult male boa and adult female BPs). With the 3 that I have that warped, one corner of the hide points up leaving about a 1/2" gap between the ground and the hide on that corner. One of these came warped, the others developed the warp over time.. maybe 3-4 months use under normal wear (uth on a thermostat, normal humidity range, etc.). The previous ones I had ordered from him (about 4 years ago) don't have any issues like that, but they are the medium sized and small hides.

I now need to order more large hides, so I'm on the fence about ordering more from him or looking for another source. It is good to know to be aware of knock-offs, as I for sure would not want anything more likely to warp than my RBI hides... I just wish there was a way that I could be assured the actual RBI hides wouldn't warp. :/ I'm still using my old warped ones in cages where there is enough substrate to bury that side of the hide, but on paper towels, that doesn't work so well lol.

Are the ones being sold by bean farm good and sturdy?

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Originally Posted by Valaryan

Do any of you use resin hides? I think they're much better than those light plastic hides as snakes can easily flip those light ones over. Plus I think the Exo Terra ones look really coolhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...40ca218fe4.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7eb2fb3cbb.jpg

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No i tried those years ago and when they crack, chip (cleaning in the bath tub etc) they were sharp and bridle. I tried to melt the corners when that happened and they basically bubbled and wouldn't melt correctly.
Also I noticed underneath they curve under instead of out & are pretty sharp where the snake would be. As far as I'm concerned eeven though the RBIs are plain jane they're the best possible hide for someone with multiple snakes that cleans a lot.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ax01

yeah there's a big difference between a distributor and the guy in a trench coat selling Rolexe's. for example, at the mall there's the official Apple store (RBI in this example). in the same mall u can have Best Buy (LLLreptiles in this example) that sell Apple products and like 90-something% of the time there are no problems. then there's the guy in the parking lot hawking iPads from the trunk of his car and you're probably gonna have problems w/ his deal. i've ordered from LLL w/ no problems. they also vend live animals and supplies and bring a big show to our reptile expos as well. mistakes do happen but it becomes an issue if they don't take care of the customer or intentionally sell false/misleading products.

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I haven't heard of a hide yet that doesn't worp that's been made over the last 5-6 years... The hides 10 years ago we're great .. the difference I've heard about Bean farm is the door is centered & the plastic is harder & not as flexible as RBI.



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Just checked my jumbo RBI hides that I ordered from reptilesupplyco.com... doesn't say vivarium electronics on the inside. My large and xl RBI hides from serpentmuseum.com do though. Anyone else's jumbo hides not say VE inside the top?


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by CALM Pythons

No i tried those years ago and when they crack, chip (cleaning in the bath tub etc) they were sharp and bridle. I tried to melt the corners when that happened and they basically bubbled and wouldn't melt correctly.
Also I noticed underneath they curve under instead of out & are pretty sharp where the snake would be. As far as I'm concerned eeven though the RBIs are plain jane they're the best possible hide for someone with multiple snakes that cleans a lot.


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Yeah true the older ones (the one my snake is inside of in the pic) are sharp inside but a quick run over with sand paper smoothes them out then wash them off and you're away. The other pic is the newer type which are smooth inside when you buy them. I just don't like my snake moving or tipping over the light weight ones and I don't like the look. If you use those RBI ones then I think buying a normal plastic tub and cutting a hole in would be better.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Valaryan

Yeah true the older ones (the one my snake is inside of in the pic) are sharp inside but a quick run over with sand paper smoothes them out then wash them off and you're away. The other pic is the newer type which are smooth inside when you buy them. I just don't like my snake moving or tipping over the light weight ones and I don't like the look. If you use those RBI ones then I think buying a normal plastic tub and cutting a hole in would be better.

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I'm constantly paranoid and OCD about edges and things that are sharp, also if it isn't perfectly squared/symmetrical/shaped it drives me crazy so I guess we all have our funny quirks [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]


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Petscraft responded promptly, which is nice. They asked what products/how many I was interested in (I’d only said less than container-load volumes) in order to generate a shipping quote via DHL, which is reasonable. Payment by bank transfer - nopenopenope.

I’ve bought hardware from the UK, leatherworking molds from China, and all sorts of odd things from US manufacturers/distributors (10,000 bra stays - for leatherworking). Not liking these guys too much.


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Originally Posted by Prognathodon

Petscraft responded promptly, which is nice. They asked what products/how many I was interested in (I’d only said less than container-load volumes) in order to generate a shipping quote via DHL, which is reasonable. Payment by bank transfer - nopenopenope.

I’ve bought hardware from the UK, leatherworking molds from China, and all sorts of odd things from US manufacturers/distributors (10,000 bra stays - for leatherworking). Not liking these guys too much.


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Nahh.. Im not dealing like that with the Middle East. They have done a lot of business that I can see.. But I dont need then when RBI is doing me ok and Ive dealt with them for years.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by CALM Pythons

I haven't heard of a hide yet that doesn't worp that's been made over the last 5-6 years... The hides 10 years ago we're great .. the difference I've heard about Bean farm is the door is centered & the plastic is harder & not as flexible as RBI.

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lol i'm such a noob whenever u peeps say 10years ago this, 10 years ago that!!

anyway Bean Farm hides take up less ground space and therefore they are "smaller" than RBI hides and that's why i use them as in between RBI sizes. however they are taller. for example, the Bean Farm mediums are 8.5x6x3 while the RBI's mediums are 9.5x7x2.375. instead of spreading out over the ground in an RBI hide, a snake can throw more coil on top of coil in a Bean Farm hide. it's a matter of preference, but i use both for whatever size fits whatever snake.

Here is the guys FB name. He messaged me. There are several links for products he has on there along with webpages etc...
FB: Waqar Jamil
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...0f073d245d.jpg


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How many people bought hides after reading this thread, lol, I did. The bean farm.

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Originally Posted by Sonny1318

How many people bought hides after reading this thread, lol, I did. The bean farm.

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Mine will be here from Bobby @ RBI tomorrow.. LLL sent me a Call Tag and is giving the Full Refund.. The reason I was so confused is because LLL sold me RBI Replica's, also known as "Fagazies" her in NY hahahahaha
... all these hides warp some, but what I got from LLL was pure Rubbish.. RBI has never sent me anything like that Junk I received from LLL. My RBI Jumbo's rock back and forth a little but nothing that bothers me. Its the quality if the mold Im concerned about (Smoothness etc..)


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Shout out to Bobby at RBI. Just got the Hides and they are just like the others I've bought that i love. Smooth, no sharp edges and no nasty injection mold site on the outside. Labeled on the inside like always.
I wont Bad Mouth a company unless they do something shady, and selling Hides that are complete JUNK under RBI name is some Bad Business. Yes they gave me a refund, but that doesn't excuse selling a Generic product under someone else's name. Thanks again Bobby.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6f41a696ed.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...322458aedd.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d19999d170.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...7336edf5f7.jpg


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Now THAT looks a LOT better !!!

And love the Shirts, that is so thoughtful !!

Great company :)

And shame on LLL. That is actually a very wrong thing to do. The product they sold is pathetic ... wonder how many people ended up with the cheap version rather then what they paid for.

bamp!

i had to pickup a few more hides for the new babies but RBI was all out of stock of their small hides on their website, so i had to look for alternatives. i found what looked like RBI/VE hides on the Pangea Reptile store on Amazon. they looked the same and had the same dimensions and similar description. i remembered this thread but thought "why not?"

and here they are:

6pack
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/ANntah8.jpg
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/VA0cZo6.jpg




Pangea on left, RBI/VE on right
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/OtudoLO.jpg


Pangea stacked on top
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/gxKAjRW.jpg


both flipped
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/tNxLEtz.jpg


they;re the same. the 6 Pangea's and the RBI, solo at the bottom.
https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/DwO8sUa.jpg