Paul Edwards Reptiles - Experience

[Entropy]

On March 1st 2008 Paul Edwards Reptiles sent notice that my payment for .2 '07 pastel females from an ad he'd posted on Kingsnake classifieds was received via paypal and in the process of clearing his account. In this email he suggested setting up shipping and asked for my address and phone number (I had also included this information in the paypal transactions just to be thorough).
I sent this back and we planned shipping for the week of the 1st.

I got busy with predeployment stuff for Ryan and didn't notice until mid week that I had heard nothing from Paul. I got an email on the 6th saying "I am so sorry, I totally spaced that I was supposed to ship this week. How are things looking for next week? Again, totally sorry.
Paul" I responded that it was okay, I hadn't bothered to remind him so we could just set up a new shipping date as soon as I got my work schedule. I got back to him saying that I was open for a Thursday morning delivery (the 13th since Ryan's deployment was pushed back). He said "OK cool. I'll get it out tomorrow afternoon then." Wednesday night I got an email saying "Hey, I just checked and they just ate 2 days ago, probably not fully digested yet, do you still want me to ship?
Paul" (we'd just talked about shipping from last week, why would you feed if you were going to ship?) "Melissa,
I hate to put off shipping, but I did feed on Monday and some of the animals still have lumps in them and definatly not fully digested. it would be wise to wait a little bit more. If you want to talk to me directly, you can certainly do that at any time at *** *** ****.
Thanks,
Paul"
I wasn't thrilled and emailed him such. I got this reply.
"Not a problem, your right of course. You'll get your animals next week.
Paul"
I emailed him with my schedule on Sunday and he emailed this back "I will be gone Monday and Tuesday - my son is here from PA and we're going herp collecting with Heyward Clamp of the Edisto Island Serpentarium for their "snake pits" displays. Would any time later in the week work? It can go to your work you know...does that help?
Paul" I emailed him back that I preferred to get shipments at home so they didn't get stuck sitting at work with me all day and that I had time later in the week. I heard nothing again from him until Wednesday the 19th when I got this. Kinda out of the blue message. "Hey,
I was just going over all the transactions I have going and saw that we need to ship these guys to you...are we ready? Sorry for my forgetfulness but please understand I have several deals going on at once and at different stages. Let me know what's going on.
Thanks,
Paul"
We'd been working on shipping and so this seemed just so out of place, I however responded on when I could recieve and then got this back "It's getting down to barely 40 tonight so I'm holding off all shipments til next week. Just wanted to let you know.
Paul"
I emailed making sure there were no 'blackout dates' like the previous monday and tuesday. Also I said that if for any reason besides weather they weren't delivered I wanted to discuss a refund. I got this in reply "Melissa,
I hope your husband got off alright and I know you are worried about the whole situation about his safety and it must be hard not having your husband around for however long he's gonna be gone and I also know you wanted him to see these guys. I'm sorry that it didn't work out that he did but he will. Please know that the only reason it will not be shipped is the weather. It is not the money or anything else. I have shipped litterally hundreds of shipments over the last 20 years or so and I know what I'm doing. it is the part of the business I hate frankly, because your "package" is totally in the hands of people that are, well, the type of people you don't want your package to be in the hands of! You have no control over it once it leaves your possession. It is VERY cold here tonight and I stand behind my decision not to ship unless you don't want me to guarantee live arrival...which some don't when shipping through UPS type carriers btw.
This is a weird time of year to ship because during the day, like today, it was great. Perfect for shipping. But this morning and tonight was colder then heck...I left a friends house tonight and I wished I had my coat on...and I'm in Charleston ! So do you put a heat pack in or not? If it gets warm during the day it could easily over heat the animals and that's not good. If you leave the heat pack out and it gets too cold...that could kill them too so what do you do? You wait. I have a gal that is in New Mexico and has been waiting weeks just like you for her albino Ball. We are just coming out of winter in most parts of the country, or still in, and it is not wise to ship when it is going to be under 40 degrees.
I will be getting back from a weekend buying trip to Florida late Monday afternoon, lets go from there. I'll get ya your snakes Mel, just hang on, I know you want to see what you paid your hard earned dollars for and I want you to know I appreciate your business and hope we can do more in the future. Don't hesitate to call me if you want.
Paul"
I replied with the days I had off. He sent the following in return. "OK I'll get it out this afternoon. Will you be there only in the morning? Am I shipping this to your home and you have the day off or what? Is this a business address I'm shipping it to?
Thanks,
Paul" I responded that it would be a home that he would be shipping to and that I was going to be home until 6 p.m. I then got this "It's chilly here today so I'm going to include a heat pack. What is your phone number? They ask for it."
I replied with my cell and home numbers and got this in reply "OK...it is beautiful right now, how's the weather there?"
I replied that it was nice but chilly. Got nothing in reply. I then emailed that I would be up awhile longer keeping an eye out for the tracking number. Got nothing in reply. I then emailed that I was still waiting on a tracking number. Got no reply. I then sent this "Paul. As of 11:25 p.m PST I have not received a tracking number on the snakes that you said you were shipping today. I had responded with my phone number which was also included as a message on the paypal payments I sent you and included in previous emails.
I will be up in the morning and looking for a package. If one is not delivered I will most definitely be in contact with you. Also, as I stated last week. If my animals are not delivered this week I will be requesting a refund. I do hope it's just a rather large oversight on your part that you didn't bother to send me a tracking number.

I'll be in contact tomorrow.
Melissa"
I then went to bed so I could get up early and check mail. I woke to the following message.
"Melissa,
Why is it that you seem mad all the time? Your shipment went out yesterday as promised. The driver picked it up around 5:00 PM. I included a heat pack in your shipment by the way...glad I did too. Your UPS tracking number is A314114948 5. It will be there sometime today. Total charges were $56 - more than I bargained for but that's OK.
One of them was shedding when I went to pack them up so I let her finish but she still might have a tad on her.
Enjoy your female Pastels !
Thanks for your business,
Paul
Paul Edwards Reptiles"
I then discovered that he had shipped my snakes Next Day Air Saver which typically delivers between 3 and 6 p.m. I called UPS and managed to get everything tracked down. I opened the box to find a single back with both pastels in it. One was the animal I ordered, the other does not match the numerous photos I was sent. I emailed Paul "Well Paul, I do believe I have a right to be mad. They were shipped for a 3p.m delivery. Also, only one of them is the animal I ordered. The other... most definately does not match the photo I was sent."

As of 1:15 p.m PST this is all the information I have on this transaction. I will keep the posting updated as more information comes available. As this is not the BOI I didn't feel the need to include a copy and paste of all emails however the entire transaction was conducted via email only and all were saved.

[Patrick Long]

That seems a little off to me! keep us posted!

[lord jackel]

Let me say I know nothing about this transaction but I just (minutes ago) got off the phone with Paul...why don't you call him and discuss the issue? I am thinking of getting a snake from him and all his Fauna feedback indicate a great guy to deal with...not saying anything just curious about what might have gone wrong here.

PM me for his cell number.

[Entropy]

I have his numbers. I'm not saying he's a bad guy, I am simply posting my experience with him. I checked him out on the BOI prior to dealing with him so I wasn't worried.

[lord jackel]

I have his numbers. I'm not saying he's a bad guy, I am simply posting my experience with him. I checked him out on the BOI prior to dealing with him so I wasn't worried.

Don't get me wrong I wasn't saying you were calling him bad...just didn't know you had his number or were doing all this via email and perhaps somewhere the lines got crossed.

I hope he makes it right.

As I really like a Blood he has available.

[spix14]

Well. Looks like this guy will be added to my Do Not Buy From list...I will wait and see what he does to rectify the situation about the wrong snake being shipped though. Is there any way you could post pics of the snake you thought you were buying and the one you got? Do they look healthy otherwise?

[Tosha_Mc]

Between Melissa's experience and the fact that he charges you a paypal fee - I wouldn't certainly wouldn't do business with him.

I hope he makes good on getting you the right pastel - not that it would make up for the rest of the mess.

[Entropy]

This is the female that I got that matches the photo I was sent.

(here is one of the photos I was sent that matches her, look at the pattern near the tail)


This is the female that does NOT match the photos no way no how.

(here is what she's suppose to look like, obviously not the same animal)

[Entropy]

Hey Tosha, thanks. I've been trying to update both here and there, I see ya found it however.

[dalvers63]

Yep, no way that number 2 is the snake you purchased. I hope that Paul is quick to make it right by you.

(I do have to say though....she's the type of pastel I go for, I love the busy patterns....)