Being harrassed by a reptile rescue

[Montessa Python]

I was on good terms with this person who runs a reptile rescue in the southern part of the US, until the moment came that I unjoined his yahoo group.
Since then he has sent very nasty emails, I have been cordial and he had sent me a box to ship a native US lizard to him. I was going to, but could not guarantee that it get there in the time he wanted. WI to his state was at least 2 days via express. I didn't have 50 dollars to send it via UPS or Fed Ex, I got quotes.
He requested that I send the box to a person who needed it to ship some reptiles to him, the box needed to go to UT.
I did that, (I had a friend do it since I was going some where for the day). BUT I have the receipt, and can have his testimony. I did get a delivery confirmation and sent him an email with the tracking number.
He has now sent me a paypal invoice requesting payment for some insects he sent for the lizard to eat.
When I was waiting for the box, and for the temps in his state to go down, so the lizard would remain healthy.

All was fine until I unjoined from his group. Now he won't leave me alone.
I have taken steps to protect myself.. but this is ridiculous.
He states the cost of shipping the insects was 15.00 and would credit me 5 for shipping his container to UT. Thus owing him 9.
I had a post office to post office label and had to tape Express tape/labels all over the priority box he sent me. He was adamant that the box and its contents remain absolutely the same.
In order to keep it in that state. I shipped the box in a flat shipping rate box which cost 14.35. So technically I owe him 65 cents.
I do not have his mailing address as I took it off the box in order to ship it to him with the Post office to post office label.

So what should I do? I have contacted his email provider and he is a group owner at yahoo, due to his nasty emails he has violated their TOS.
I have been cordial and have kept all of my emails where he was nice, we spoke on the phone one night for 45 minutes talking about things.
Once I left the group he went nasty.

When part of the group he posted on there, some very nasty things were said about a lady in NY, he even called the NY fish and wild life on her saying she had taken 6 particular lizards and called her a poacher.
WHile the one I have is not in any way endangered, I really don't need this.

So what do you reccommend that I do?
OMG really he needs a life.

Carol

[dr del]

Hi,

**personal opinion only ahead**

Ask him for his address to send a personal cheque for $10 so you can prove it was cashed and when.

Send the cheque registered delivery so that he has to sign he recieved it. Put a letter inside saying that you consider this to be the end of any dealings and direct contact between you and that, if he persists in harrasing you via email, IM or forum posts you will report him to both the authorities and his ISP.

Once there is no financial transaction between the two of you it should be a lot easier to determine if any further contact counts as harrasment. Er I think.

Obviously I am no lawyer or anything but in your shoes I'd happily pay $20 or so to get the guy out of my life.

But keep everything in writing if possible in case you need it later.


dr del

[Montessa Python]

He has sent me another email saying that the 14 plus dollars I spent to ship his box, which had his shipping items in it, a box for the reptile, an ice pack, packing peanuts, and other items...
He wanted it shipped express, it was a priority box. The post master himself put quite a lot of express tape on the box to hide the priority printing.
If I had removed all of the tape to make it a priority box again in order to ship it to the person he wanted me to ship it to... there would not be much left of it.
I put it in a flat rate shipping box, and that cost 14 plus dollars.
He gave me insects to feed the lizard, gratis. But the moment I left the group he wants the insects paid for.
And won't consider the 14 plus dollars I paid for shipping HIS container... payment, only part of it.
He now says he will have this go to collections if need be.. for apparently 9 dollars..
I never placed an order with him. I never asked him to send me the insects.
I have contacted his email provider, and have an abuse complaint in.
I am calling them tomorrow. AND will contact the local news stations in his area if he continues this.

OMG..
this has gone so far.

[wilomn]

I'd put him on ignore and forget all about him.

Do NOT send a personal check. If you feel you must make payment for something you never ordered, us a US POSTAL money order. Those can be traced if necessary and the guy won't have more of your personal information.

You could also try fauna, though with the way things are nowadays you may not get much satisfaction there.

[Kaorte]

Wait let me get this straight.

He sent you the box that he wanted the reptile shipped in and then you payed for the shipping of the reptile to him?

I guess I am a little confused. This guy sounds ridiculous though. Its just a yahoo group D: Is he really that desperate for members?

[Montessa Python]

I originally contacted him in order to send him the reptile. I purchased it, and felt due to my location and its special dietary needs that it should go to a rescue, which he operates.
He also has a yahoo group, he invited me to. I found it rather uninformative. And while I had the reptile all packaged up and ready to send. He insisted that the reptile be shipped in 24 hours guaranteed. The USPS could not do that. The species is allowed to be shipped via USPS.
While waiting to ship it, due to weekend and temps in his area. He sent me a specific type of insect to feed it.
(I don't want to go in to particulars at this point so I am trying to keep any names, and any specific references to types of animals out of the replies at this time.)
Since I could not get it to him with out the fee costing me quite a lot of money... I felt I could do a lot more research and with his help care for the lizard myself. I have previous experience with them in my youth but not keeping them in an environment so alien as the midwest in winter.
I unjoined his group, and from that point on, he has gotten extremely nasty using 4 and 5 letter expletive words about me and to me.
With me repeatedly asking him to stop, and he not doing so I have contacted his email provider and do have an abuse complaint in.
IF he does continue and does not at least meet me half way in my request for an address... then I will consider the matter closed and if he continues to email OR if he calls me. I will contact the media in his area, and the police. I will see if I can have his email closed and his group closed down for violating the TOS.
I considered what ever debt he thinks I owe him for shipping me w/c insects via priority mail, to be done when I mailed his box, which I could not use, to some one else who had contacted his rescue wanting to send him more reptiles/lizards.

does that clear things up??

[nixer]

i wouldnt send him crap and contact paypal before they just try to take $ from your account.

[Montessa Python]

The funny part is they can't i don't have an active paypal account and that card has expired, it was a bank visa debit card and every few years they expire and give you a new one... we had an issue with a company that we contacted for a free credit report...
We had to give a card number and within 30 days you had to request them to remove you..
I did, they continued to try to bill me for a "membership". our credit union said in order to stop it entirely they would give us new cards with new numbers...
hehehe, and he I don't have paypal set up with the new card, so techincally I don't have a paypal account.
I just wish I had kept his address, if there was one on the box.
And another thing.. heheheh, he is on a dating site... and says he is a member of some conservation groups.. I will contact them if need be as well.
I don't like to be mean, or find ways to have to protect myself... but I can, and will and can get nasty, in a nice way.
I don't think he wants his local t.v news caster showing up on his door step asking him why he is harrassing a person over 9 dollars.
And he does provide a service to some, the same way BP.net does, (albiet with out the soap box) to people he allows onto his group, and education.
I would not want his email provider to have to remove him, but will if he continues.
I have kept his emails where he calls me some rather NASTY words.
He took offense at the words, "care tips".
really... wow.
I have tried to be nice.. but WILL defend myself.

Yeesh, its late and I have to get up early.

[wilomn]

Horned lizards don't generally make good pets.

Your info is.....well, let's say it's not exactly clear and concise but I'd still tell this guy to pound sand.

Think twice before turning him in to anyone if he's ONLY irked you. If you have serious issues, which at this point I'd have to question, then go ahead and do what you can.

[Montessa Python]

I have asked him in at least two to three emails to please leave me alone.
he has gotten nastier and nastier each time.
And only when I unjoined his group.
I have been reading through them over and over.
I am on a specific group and now have contacts with other keepers in the midwest, and a specific husbandry guide for my specific type of lizard. And have a supplier of the specific type of insect my lizard needs.
I hope this ends peacefully.
But reading the posts on his group.. how he called the NY DNR or some other authority group and accused a person of poaching, because they removed a certain number of a non endangered lizards from a state, and was keeping them, not reselling them or anything...
He is vindictive, and I almost expect a call from my DNR.
And PLEASE... I am trying to keep this non species specific. I am asking help to deal with a man who called me a female dog in an email, and used the word poop.
When i was nice and cordial, he got nasty. And is now threatening me with collections for 9 dollars.
Thank you.