A Word of Warning re Herp Trader Adds

[bigguy]

Hi all,

I had a distubing talk with a close friend yesterday. He advised me a an unscruperlus selling technique that is being used by sellers on the Herp Trader. This is how it is supposed to go.

First. An add is placed for unusal reptiles at very inflated prices.

Second. The Herp Trader is advised they are sold within a day or so from the add being placed, and the sold sign is than placed on the add.

Third. Now a seed has been planted. People who were interested in the species, but thought they were a bit expensive, now think they were snapped up quickly and the price may have been worth it.

Forth. Now that a artifical inflated climate has been established, lo and behold the same seller suddenly has more of the same rare species for sale at those high prices. People thinking they missed out the first time rush in and make a deal. A sucker is now born

So if you see rarer animals for sale at higher then normal prices, which then appear to sell fast, and then you notice a similar add appearing within the next few weeks, my advise would be to check with the herp trader as who placed both adds. You may be supprised.

 

[nigmax]

i noticed this the other day with those western blueys bigguy,
and the second ad was only a few posts under the first, with nearly exactly the same wording.

 

[Bryony]

thats cheeting!
lucky i shop around before i buy

 

[spottedpython]

god thats why i don't really like to shop online i found the breeder of my female diamond python on herp trader hope she is a real breeder its making me wonder now

 

[Slateman]

I think that herp trader is stil good way to find animal you are looking for.
I personaly used our APS for sale forum few times and find it great.
It is only one chance to be member on APS. people who do not fit to be one of us do get kicked and it is hard to join under different name. I would think that people here trying to deal honestly as possible, not to step out of line.
Another think is that in many cases you know the seller from previous posts or you can search for his posts here to get bit of idea about him. Not perfect , but better than blind purchase.

 

[Bryony]

i agree slatey
i trust the APS sale forum more than the others because of this fact.
some of them you can have multiple adds and multiple alias's and no one knows any better, the only reason i don't like herp trader is cause my computer wont let me access the contact seller my BF will fix this though

 

[Incredible_Reptiles]

Thanks for pointing that out bigguy.

 

[Artie]

Ditto!

 

[Greebo]

I have bought off Herp Trader many times. I have never had a problem but I would never buy something very expensive sight unseen.
These guys trying to manipulate the market.....who do they think they are kidding? Only people new to the hobby would fall for it and most of them would not be looking to spend that sort of money.
It costs money to advertise, I think the person advertising is the only one who has wasted money.

 

[herptrader]

Dear Bob,

I think you know as well as most how the Herp Trader works. We do nothing to set prices and have little control over when what adds are placed. Your complaints could be leveled at any similar trading system.

What the Herp Trader provides that other similar forums don't is that we check the adds for wording and correctness. For example ads for dangerous species get labeled as such.

If advertisers put up a pair of a species rare in captivity at a high price and get a good response then they may well be tempted to sell off the remainder of that species rather than hang on to them as breeding pairs.

One of the advertisers whose adds may have provoked your comments recently decided to cut his collection back to almost nothing as his herps were getting in the way of his family and business traveling commitments.

If two different advertisers put up similar ads on the same day at different prices then this is a bit unlucky. Often we will point out this kind of anomaly to the advertisers.

The Herp Trader advertises millions of dollars of animals every year, the vast majority of which sell at or close to the advertised price. The $10 dollar listing fee is a very very small percentage of the value of animals sold. (Much less than 0.1% on average... and it is invariably waived if the total value of the add is less than $100.)

All ads get the same attention and quality of service regardless of the value of the animals on offer and hence the flat fee.

If you don't like the service please feel free not to use it. If you want to get in contact with the herpers of Australia who might be interested in what you have to offer then I suggest you use our service.

If you are having problems with any of the forms on the Herp Trader site please email us directly via email ([email protected]) but please remember to include all the relevant details like phone numbers etc. as we will quiz you for the missing information before handling your inquiry.

The Herp Trader is a service of which we are proud. We put a lot of effort into making it the best quality service available and I believe for the most part we succeed. If you think the $10 listing fee is too much then there are plenty of free services available including the one on this bulletin board. If these work for you then great? when they don?t, hey we will do the best we can.

Salutations Judy, Daavid & Brian (aka Herp Traders #1, #2 & #3)

 

[dobermanmick]

I hope they lose out in the end when they get caught !

 

[Slateman]

TO Daavid & Brian (aka Herp Traders #1, #2 & #3)
Guys I think you are having go on Bigguy for no reason. He just adviced people about some disonasty of trading by users. He did not criticized your service or you or the way how is herptrader run I think. You can't be responsible for your customers.
I have to say that warning about internet purchases is justify for any trading done by any of net traders. APS included.
As I said before, I think that herp trader is stil good way to find animal you are looking for. And we all using it. But it is good practice to be curefull.
You rightly protecting herptrader as you do spend lot of time to make sure that site is running properly, but I think that Bob did not have go on you in his post.
Herptrader is doing great service to all herp enthusiasts.

 

[JunglePython]

I agree Bob was trying to warn people not to be suckered.

This is the same for things like Ebay.com. Ebay is awesome but it also is a minefield for people buying things they dont really know alot about. A great example is Japanese swords, Ebay is full of immitation swords being sold as genuine by dodgy sellers.

I have used Herptrader to buy and sell in the past and I have nothing but good things to say about it.

 

[herptrader]

If Bob was trying to criticise specific few adds on the Herp Trader I suspect he could have worded it a little better. If the word of warning is not specific to the quality service we provide then this should be made clear.

The comment "buyer beware" apply just as much to the Herp Trader as to any other advertising.

 

[Farkurnell]

I can't see anything that Bob has said could be construed as anything derogatory toward the Herp Trader. It plainly states that it is the actions of the unscrupulous sellers, not the Herp Trader.




Greg.

 

[Hickson]

Agreed, that's how I read it.

Hix

 

[dobermanmick]

all i can say is thanks Big guy I will now watch out for this on all trading sites for Reptiles surely herptrader dosent think they are the only site where these people are selling

And i would like to say to herptrader that my very high opinion of you and your site has not been affected by this post as it is beyond your control what people will do to make a quick buck

 

[bigguy]

Daavid

I in no way attacked the Herp Trader. I merely pointed out that some sellers were using it to inflate prices in a deceitfull manner. Just as ANYONE could use any other forum involved in selling.

I also made no mention of which adds I was referring to for legal reasons. Its up to readers to make their own opinions.

Brian has just rung me and he felt along with yourself, that I was attacking the Herp Trader. Read my thread again. I clearly stated unscrupulus sellers were using the Herp Trader to sell and inflate prices of unusal and rare animals. How on earth is that deemed attacking the Trader. Its attacking a few sellers only and warning people to be on their guard with this practice. The Herp Trader has no control of how people choose to use it, just as Ebay has no control either.

As you can see from the responces since your thread, no one read it the way you and Brian have. People have simply read it as I wrote it. As a warning to be aware of the practices of some sellers.

 

[herptrader]

Dear Bob,

The subject line and phrases like: ?unscruperlus selling technique that is being used by sellers on the Herp Trader? imply that it is just the Herp Trader is where such unscruplosity exists. (I suspect that the advertiser in question does not feel he is being unscrupulous in any case.)

Alas unscrupulous selling techniques are widespread but I believe them to be rare on the Herp Trader. As always, however, buyer beware.

regards __daavid

 

[ether]

Well a lot of us use the herp trader to buy and sell reptiles. So in turn it is extremely relivent to us. So i think that Bob was just trying to be helpful and notify of this technique being used by only a few people. How would you feel if you bought a reptile thats price had been artificially inflated.

In no parts of Bob's post does he mention that the Herp Trader is at fault.

Regards Ether