wow... what dissapointment

[rav007]

was at the show today in Arizona, stopped by the "blue beast" reptile booth.. and low and behold they had an aldabra tortoise, i was so excited to see one up close. I simply asked if i could see it (it was behind a screen) i was promptly told no, we only show it to serous buyers. What jerks. I'm sure you found many "serous" buyers today interested in a tort that gets that large and cost over 2grand? With customer service like that I can guarantee I will never buy a thing from your company and I will tell the same to others. You lost yourself more than one sale today my friends.

 

[Madkins007]

Just playing devils advocate here, but if you were running the booth and in charge of a popular $2000 dollar animal- what would you do to manage its stress levels?

 

[rav007]

Just playing devils advocate here, but if you were running the booth and in charge of a popular $2000 dollar animal- what would you do to manage its stress levels?

i wouldn't put it on front display on a table?

its the point.... 2000$ or not, how would you like to walk into a store and ask to see a product and be told "only serious buyers?"

 

[Kadaan]

i wouldn't put it on front display on a table?

its the point.... 2000$ or not, how would you like to walk into a store and ask to see a product and be told "only serious buyers?"

Devil's advocate again... a normal product and a live animal aren't really comparable. The wording he used may not have the best/most polite, but I don't think it was wrong for him to not want to let people handle it unless they're thinking about buying it.

 

[Tim/Robin]

Question: Was it visible to you or how did you know he had it?
If you saw it, then you can't say you did not "see" it. What happened to "see with your eyes, not your hands"? If I were in Tyler's situation, I would not have let everyone that passed by "see it" either. I agree with Kadaan, it is a living animal that certainly is not used to being a display piece. This was an reptile expo/show, not a petting zoo!! I certainly do not think this is any indication of a bad business or poor customer service. It seems to me more like a concerned owner who cares for his animals.

Tim

 

[GBtortoises]

Most vendors at shows don't allow people to pick up their animals not because they are concerned about their stress levels, but because they are worried about the animals getting stolen. Almost every show that I have been to are usually people crowded shoulder to shoulder. At tables where there is alot of interesting stuff the crowd is sometimes two, three or four people deep too. Someone could easily be "looking" at an animal and disappear into the crowd and out the door before the vendor has seen them leave. There are people that go to shows to do just that, steal animals. rav007, I'm not implying that you're one of those people at all. But you have to look at it from the vendors point of view too. They have alot of money sitting there that they need to protect. They get the same question all day long, from hundreds of people: "Can I look at that one". They're running a business, not a zoo.

 

[bettinge]

If I were a potential buyer, I would think twice about pay $2K for a manhandled and stressed animal!

It seems that maybe the vendor was a jerk and did not handle the potential customer with respect. Sounds like he knows how to treat tortoises better than people. A simple sign explaing their stance on tortoise handling could have gone a long ways to handle customer expectations.

 

[Lynn DeVries]

Tyler Stewart from Bluebeast Reptile is one of the most polite and caring people that I have ever met. I have purchased many Tortoises from Tyler, sight unseen.

Lynn DeVries

 

[Candy]

Ravoo7, I have to disagree with you. I went to the Anaheim Convention Center reptile show that Tyler was at and I was more than able to see his Aldabra up close. I didn't ask to touch it because I wasn't in the market to buy a tortoise of that amount. Tyler and his wife were nothing but polite and very knowledgeble and helpful about all of their tortoises. Maybe because you are not a breeder you don't understand the other side of it. I noticed that you haven't been on this site very much maybe that's why you don't know Tyler, but we do and he's nothing less then professional and if I wanted another tortoise he is definetely one of the ones I'd go to. He definetly is not going to lose any business from this site from your post. No business lost here, sorry.

 

[Madkins007]

i wouldn't put it on front display on a table?

its the point.... 2000$ or not, how would you like to walk into a store and ask to see a product and be told "only serious buyers?"

Have you ever asked to test drive a Lamborghini, or hold a really expensive piece of jewelery? There are entire stores that only let the 'serious buyers' inside.

 

[rav007]

Your all right.. everyone's main concern was the stress of their animals at this show. I mean, no one was picking up the leopard or the thousands of Sulcatas at the show.. or handling the large amount of redfoots at this show. stressing out the cheap stuff is ok, right? Because its 40$ its ok?

I must look at these "expos" different than most, its a time to learn, see new things, ask questions and maybe find the right animal for you. I don't consider any of my animals "breeding machines" or a means of income, they are members of my family. I asked to see it and quite honestly you right,that can mean a thousand things - my meaning was to take the screen off so I could get a close look at it. Maybe they should have taken the time to ask or say "ok, but please dont handle", i wouldn't have taken offense to that. There was a very high chance I was going to purchase it but after being told we only show it to serous buyers i wouldn't have even considered it. I know what its like to be told "you look like you don't have enough money". If you only show it to serious buyers, don't put it on display with the cheap stuff that "non-serious" buyers can handle.

I must ask, would you buy a 30+ grand car without a test drive? and would you buy that same car if you knew someone else had test driven it before? Apples to oranges you might say..but i disagree. what if they told you that you they only let serious buyers test drive? I don't know about you but I would leave that dealership on the spot and go to another, even if that meant purchasing a different vehicle. If you are willing to purchase an animal sight unseen that's your cup-of-tea but i personally wouldn't purchase anything (animal or otherwise) sight unseen, its my cup-of-tea. and I know you might disagree but that's how it is and before you start with the snide remarks about "but what if you purchase something online.." let me stop you there - i can always return it or send it to the manufacturer if its not working or defective. I have never purchased an animal online and i would not consider it without pictures (again, just seeing it not asking to pick it up)

I understand you all go immediately to the health of the animal - and i completely agree.. but it was painfully obvious at this show that was not the concern of "everyone" there.

I welcome all of your disagreements - and i have been a member here for over a year and before that i was a "lurker"... I post very little and there is a reason... i read a lot and i find my answers to my questions without having to ask the same question over and over and over. I do my research and i can assure you if i do post a question there will be no simple answer. this was something that really got under my skin.

And to address the lost business - your right maybe around here, but I turn a lot of people in my life on to getting herps of all kinds- not everyone interested in tort's goes online and posts on forums - and believe me the first thing I tell someone who is interested in torts or has a tort is to come to this site, it is a wealth of knowledge.

---

i wouldn't put it on front display on a table?

its the point.... 2000$ or not, how would you like to walk into a store and ask to see a product and be told "only serious buyers?"

Have you ever asked to test drive a Lamborghini, or hold a really expensive piece of jewelery? There are entire stores that only let the 'serious buyers' inside.

and to this I say don't bring a Lamborghini to a Honda Dealership - i know better than to walk into a Lambo dealer good sir.

 

[SunsetHypo]

I understand your dismay when he told you no you cannot hold the animal, but lets think about germs. Whenever you buy a new animal you are advised to isolate it from your other pets to avoid transmission of illness. At a pet expo there are thousands of animals that you could have handled prior to asking permission to handle his aldabra. What if you handling that animal caused the animal to get sick and die? I know it sounds extreme, but it is a very real possibility. Now if you had an expensive pet would you risk letting it catch something. I don't think I would.

Gary

 

[rav007]

I understand your dismay when he told you no you cannot hold the animal, but lets think about germs. Whenever you buy a new animal you are advised to isolate it from your other pets to avoid transmission of illness. At a pet expo there are thousands of animals that you could have handled prior to asking permission to handle his aldabra. What if you handling that animal caused the animal to get sick and die? I know it sounds extreme, but it is a very real possibility. Now if you had an expensive pet would you risk letting it catch something. I don't think I would.

Gary

If we use that logic than why are people handling hatchling sulcatas, hatchling redfoots, leopards, hatchling russians, ect..? Shouldn't all animals be treated with this same rules regarding disease? Or is it that someone said that because this animal is worth 2000 that its life is more valuable than that of a 40$ sulcata?

I want you all to understand it has nothing to do with holding the animal - i did not ask to hold it, i asked to see it. it was in a 3 foot plus cage and at the other end with a screen top on it + bedding. I wanted a closer look i said could i see it pointing at the screen- as i stated i know this can be taken 10,000 different ways but i was immediately told "no, we only show to serous buyers" - not "sure, but don't pick it up" -i would not have taken any offense to this.

 

[mctlong]

You make a good point. It was strange of the dealer to assume that you're not a serious buyer. What does a "serious buyer" for aldabras look like?

 

[rav007]

If I were a potential buyer, I would think twice about pay $2K for a manhandled and stressed animal!

It seems that maybe the vendor was a jerk and did not handle the potential customer with respect. Sounds like he knows how to treat tortoises better than people. A simple sign explaing their stance on tortoise handling could have gone a long ways to handle customer expectations.

I agree 100% with you.

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Now that I am a tortoise keeper my assumptions about tortoises have changed completely. I let my brother-in-law approach Taco and before I knew it he roughly and suddenly stuck his finger in her shoulder cavity. I have never seen her retract herself back into her her so far and so fast. I know he didn't mean to scare her, and he thought she'd "like that" (because Oscar, their childhood desert tortoise, had liked to be scratched there), but I was very angry and almost yelled at him for frightening her so badly.

Once when my 17-year-old had some of her friends over, she got Taco out to show them. I stuck my head around the corner to check on them right as one boy turned her over on her back. I rushed over and spoke sharply to him as I righted her and then took her away. I know he didn't realize what he was doing may harm her, but I had to put my tortoise's safety and well-being ahead of this nice young man's feelings.

Here on the forum we were recently treated to a YouTube video of a teen-aged girl "surfing" a Sulcata tortoise, and most of us found it offensive and cruel, even though the girl probably didn't have a clue that she might be hurting the tortoise (she seemed pretty clueless in general, judging from the posts accompanying the video).

I agree that the vendor could have been more polite in refusing your request to see the Aldabran, but I can understand his caution in keeping the general public at a distance from his pet.

 

[dmmj]

I have never dealt with this company but I must say If I had a 2000$ tortoise I would only show it to serious buyers, I was rasied that you can look with your eyes not your hands, you said you could see it in it enclosure I don't really see what a closer view would have gotten you except waste the employe's time for a look-e-loo, no offense. Could the employee have handled it better? ,maybe Are you within your rights to never do business with them again? yes. I think that stress and theft may be the main concerns, but again since I have never dealt with them I can not really say, just my 2 cents.

 

[rav007]

Now that I am a tortoise keeper my assumptions about tortoises have changed completely. I let my brother-in-law approach Taco and before I knew it he roughly and suddenly stuck his finger in her shoulder cavity. I have never seen her retract herself back into her her so far and so fast. I know he didn't mean to scare her, and he thought she'd "like that" (because Oscar, their childhood desert tortoise, had liked to be scratched there), but I was very angry and almost yelled at him for frightening her so badly.

Once when my 17-year-old had some of her friends over, she got Taco out to show them. I stuck my head around the corner to check on them right as one boy turned her over on her back. I rushed over and spoke sharply to him as I righted her and then took her away. I know he didn't realize what he was doing may harm her, but I had to put my tortoise's safety and well-being ahead of this nice young man's feelings.

Here on the forum we were recently treated to a YouTube video of a teen-aged girl "surfing" a Sulcata tortoise, and most of us found it offensive and cruel, even though the girl probably didn't have a clue that she might be hurting the tortoise (she seemed pretty clueless in general, judging from the posts accompanying the video).

I agree that the vendor could have been more polite in refusing your request to see the Aldabran, but I can understand his caution in keeping the general public at a distance from his pet.

I agree - I don't put my animals into a position that could endanger them or those viewing them in any way. And on that note i don't let anyone other than myself or my wife handle any of our animals with the exception of our beardies. If someone asks I explain that they can be bitten or suddenly scared (animal or person) and the animal could fall and be injured or killed - i understand this to the fullest extent but one thing i do is explain why. I always take them out and let other pet them (with the exception for the larger lizards.. and again i explain why)
I have never refused anyone's request to "See it" - and i have never made anyone feel bad for asking to see it.

On the other hand i never have nor would i take any of my animals to a "expo or show" because i know what the expectation is - and if my expectation if different from that of the show (please dont handle the aldabra) then i would explain why to the people that did ask to see it.

I want to ask you all to think of a time... a time when you had such great customer service (for anything in your life) and it may even be from someone at Bluebeast reptiles.. didnt you feel so good about the whole expereience? Didnt you walk away feeling 100% confident and reassured?

Now i ask you to think of a time when you had horrible customer service.. maybe it was at was when you wern't feeling well and you went to the pharmacy to get a prescription and were treated rudely by the staff
maybe it was when you went out to dinner and you asked the waiter 3 times for a refill on a drink for your child
Maybe it was a time when you asked a store associate if they could "checkin the back" for a product and they lied and told you "if its not on the shelf wereout of stock" when you know that in the past they have checked in the back for you.
Did you walk away with a good feeling, positive ? I work in the medical field and in previous lives i have worked in "customer service". How would you like it if your father/mother/grandmother/child was dieing of cancer and he/she had a rude, unsympathetic nurse taking care of him/her in his/her final days?

Extreme examples you might say.. but its all about how you treat and are treated by others.

---

I have never dealt with this company but I must say If I had a 2000$ tortoise I would only show it to serious buyers, I was rasied that you can look with your eyes not your hands, you said you could see it in it enclosure I don't really see what a closer view would have gotten you except waste the employe's time for a look-e-loo, no offense. Could the employee have handled it better? ,maybe Are you within your rights to never do business with them again? yes. I think that stress and theft may be the main concerns, but again since I have never dealt with them I can not really say, just my 2 cents.

waste their time? Well then, apparently you can tell who is going to purchase and who is not just by looking at them.

 

[Madkins007]

I have to say that I am jealous that so many of you have access to big expos. Here in Omaha, the local herp club runs a small one twice a year- one recent show had a couple big sliders and a Red-foot (medium small, moderate pyramiding, priced about twice what you would expect.)

When you do an expo or any sort of trade show, you bring an assortment of stuff- your 'bread and butter' items, your 'hope to sell' items (often clearance stuff you just want to get rid of), some of the hot new stuff, and you try to bring things that will attract eyeballs to your booth.

Some expos use 'boothbabes', some use performers, some use contest and interactive things. It sounds to me like Blue Beast was using the Aldabra for the attention getter. And it sounds like it worked... sorta.

What does a serious $2k tort buyer 'look like'? Any salesperson worth their keep can tell if someone is a buyer or a looker. I'll bet you a nickel you've seen that in action shopping where the sales staff gets commissions. The sales staff gravitate towards the buyers and the junior staff gets the lookers and the low-commission sales.

Now, to ME, your next step is to contact Blue Beast and express your disappointment (and phrase it as disappointment rather than outrage) over the exchange and see what they say. How they handle complaints says a lot about the company. If they blow you off, you have every right to keep venting and posting- but give them a chance to share their side.

 

[rav007]

I have to say that I am jealous that so many of you have access to big expos. Here in Omaha, the local herp club runs a small one twice a year- one recent show had a couple big sliders and a Red-foot (medium small, moderate pyramiding, priced about twice what you would expect.)

When you do an expo or any sort of trade show, you bring an assortment of stuff- your 'bread and butter' items, your 'hope to sell' items (often clearance stuff you just want to get rid of), some of the hot new stuff, and you try to bring things that will attract eyeballs to your booth.

Some expos use 'boothbabes', some use performers, some use contest and interactive things. It sounds to me like Blue Beast was using the Aldabra for the attention getter. And it sounds like it worked... sorta.

What does a serious $2k tort buyer 'look like'? Any salesperson worth their keep can tell if someone is a buyer or a looker. I'll bet you a nickel you've seen that in action shopping where the sales staff gets commissions. The sales staff gravitate towards the buyers and the junior staff gets the lookers and the low-commission sales.

Now, to ME, your next step is to contact Blue Beast and express your disappointment (and phrase it as disappointment rather than outrage) over the exchange and see what they say. How they handle complaints says a lot about the company. If they blow you off, you have every right to keep venting and posting- but give them a chance to share their side.

I don't have the same mindset as the majority when it comes to shows/expos it seems... i understand you are puting your "best herp forward" so to speak - but i didn't realize this is treated similar to a used car lot? (ahh yes, there's a sucker now and he looks like he has some dough) Yes to your question I have seen this in action - but I have also gone to commission based stores with the intent to buy and given the cold shoulder because they THOUGHT i wasn't going to buy, Maybe I don't put that vibe "hey, easy sucker right here" out into the air for them to sniff out and target me, maybe its because I do my research before I even go to the store.. maybe its because 97% of the questions I ask they cant answer *i want to add a note to this comment, in the herp world i find that if i have a question when asking someone face to face the person usually very knowledgeable or willing to admit they don't know*.


I agree- i am interested in hearing their rebuttal - i know they post on this site frequently which is why I posted this here in the first place.