BP story from local pet store

[justinsane82]

***UPDATE***

I received a phone call today from a lawyer that is defending the pet store that this all went down at. The woman in question is claiming that....and I can't believe this...that the store owners paid me to go into the store and make false claims against her in order for them to have grounds for her to be fired. WOW is all I can say. They've asked me to go in to answer some questions tomorrow. I'm sure this will be interesting from this point on.

[olstyn]

Well, even if they had paid you, presumably it would have been cash and therefore difficult to trace. How could she possibly hope to prove that allegation even if it were true? Sounds like someone is hoping that the threat of a lawsuit will get her job back and/or some sort of settlement without actually going to court...

[Lolo76]

Wow, what a story! Now I'd suggest you print out this whole thread, in the format of screenshots if possible (to capture the time/date stamps). Then at least you can show your side of the story, as it unfolded on here... might not be "hard evidence," but it couldn't hurt.

And yes, those prices are VERY high! If you don't mind sharing, can I ask where you live? Everything around here (Bay Area, CA) is ridiculously overpriced, and even our local reptile shops charge less than that... I paid $50 for my normal female BP (as a baby) at a local shop, and they sell adult BPs for $150-200. I did see a spider there priced at $350, which seemed a bit crazy to me - considering I paid just over $200 for my spider online, and he's gorgeous IMO.

[justinsane82]

I live near Vancouver BC Canada. Everything up here is more expensive than down there. If most of you knew what we paid for gas, you'd pass out.

As for what's going on...what a mess...I went in for the requested meeting with the lawyer and it looks like there's so much more to all of this than I could've ever imagined. The woman is claiming that not only am I liar (I have my brother in law as a witness to everything she did and said on the day in question), but that they paid me to make this story up and then play it out, there's talks about abuse to the animals (I happen to know that there is video footage of her in the reptile pit tossing snakes while cleaning cages) and of course, sexual harassment against the husband that owns the company.

Like you said, this all seems like some sort of game in which she plans to get either some sort of compensation OR she thinks that this will drag their shops name threw the mud, which I imagine if this got out, it could. I'm going to keep my eyes on the newspapers to see if it does hit the media.

[seeya205]

I live near Vancouver BC Canada. Everything up here is more expensive than down there. If most of you knew what we paid for gas, you'd pass out.

As for what's going on...what a mess...I went in for the requested meeting with the lawyer and it looks like there's so much more to all of this than I could've ever imagined. The woman is claiming that not only am I liar (I have my brother in law as a witness to everything she did and said on the day in question), but that they paid me to make this story up and then play it out, there's talks about abuse to the animals (I happen to know that there is video footage of her in the reptile pit tossing snakes while cleaning cages) and of course, sexual harassment against the husband that owns the company.

Like you said, this all seems like some sort of game in which she plans to get either some sort of compensation OR she thinks that this will drag their shops name threw the mud, which I imagine if this got out, it could. I'm going to keep my eyes on the newspapers to see if it does hit the media.

We do pay crazy prices for snakes and gas up here! Considering we have tons of oil but sell it off so we can import oil at high prices! A normal goes for $89 for a male and $125 for female at my local shop! I did get my normal for $40 for a breeder friend!

[steveboos]

I live near Vancouver BC Canada. Everything up here is more expensive than down there. If most of you knew what we paid for gas, you'd pass out.

As for what's going on...what a mess...I went in for the requested meeting with the lawyer and it looks like there's so much more to all of this than I could've ever imagined. The woman is claiming that not only am I liar (I have my brother in law as a witness to everything she did and said on the day in question), but that they paid me to make this story up and then play it out, there's talks about abuse to the animals (I happen to know that there is video footage of her in the reptile pit tossing snakes while cleaning cages) and of course, sexual harassment against the husband that owns the company.

Like you said, this all seems like some sort of game in which she plans to get either some sort of compensation OR she thinks that this will drag their shops name threw the mud, which I imagine if this got out, it could. I'm going to keep my eyes on the newspapers to see if it does hit the media.

Oh man I WOULD LOVE to be in your position. Since your the customer and you have witnesses, you hold more ground than she ever could. Shes just angry she got called out on a situation that she created. I love when this type of stuff happens because she is just so ignorant and self-centered she can't even accept the fact she really is crazy and doesn't know what shes talking about. Not a single person at my work even questions a customer, all we can do is tell the customer what we think is right or what is best for the animal. If the customer gives us signs that they aren't going to take care of the animal, we wont sell it to them. If the customer insists that they know what their doing and have done it for years, we do what they want. I would never undermine a customer or force them into a situation they don't want to be. She deserved to get fired and i hope this all is kept on record, she will have a very hard time getting a job in the future .

[grim reaper in NY]

Ummmmm...let's see...a Piebald Ball Python can easily run into the thousands of dollars. How much does a RTB go for? Yeah..ok...that's one danged expensive "goldfish" of a snake, don't you think?
People like this are just living proof that you can't fix stupid...or ignorance. There's no point in arguing with people like this because you will just get worked up over someone who is just too ignorant to understand.
Do what has been suggested. Bring it up to the owners, but be a bit adamant about the offense you took to her comments. Let them know they may have lost future sales due to her remarks and see how they react.

[AcePythons]

Wow! I am very interested in finding out what happens! I hope it doesn't cause a ding in the store's reputation! I can't believe that girl is so ignorant to cause all this drama! It makes me so mad! Grrrr!! Keep us updated!

[BPelizabeth]

My husband told me the rest of this thread this morning in the car....this is crazy. Im not sure what the laws are in Canada in regards to employment but most states are really difficult here in the US. (Except AZ...right to work state). I use to be in the HR industry and here most of the time it is up to the employer to prove that he DID NOT do what is being stated. I hope that they followed all procedures and had documentation. It can be a nightmare. As some stated previously....print out all of the documentation on here. This will at least give you a date stamp of what happened. I would also print out information on IBD as well. Putting the boa on you...could have led to you infecting your snakes. And was she allowed to make deals on snakes....was this in her work contract? I don't know many business owners that allow employees to barter with their goods.

Being in the HR industry previously I swear I have seen all the crazy stuff there is to see with disgruntled employees making accusations. It is a shame that the employers have to pay such a price to disprove allegations. I understand the laws are there to protect employees...but it seems there are so many that take advantage of it.

Good luck and keep us posted on the drama...lol

[Patricia]

Oh geez, what a situation you've been sucked into! Thank you for speaking up. The whole notion of rich man/poor man's snake smacks of slotting customers into different classes depending on what they buy. It's disgusting, and that kind of attitude should be kept far away from dealing with the public.

Please keep us posted. I wish you all the best.