ebay selling setups with slings

[Nigel M]

not meaning to bitch about JM Clegg but he sent me a praying mantis and a sling the mantis was fine the sling was dead.
So I mailed him and he got back to me straight away saying he would send me another, I waited a couple of weeks then he posted a thread on here saying he has been busy with work and he would send it the next day, fair enough I didnt mind I was just glad he had told me, that was about 2 months ago it never arrived and he isnt answering my emails so understandably im a bit put out, its not just me either, a few people have left him negative feedback saying how they never recieved it and he is ignoring there emails as well, now I dont really want to have to leave negative feed back because when ever I have spoke to him he seems like a real nice bloke, but I dont know what else to do.

I understand , I think he just got fed up with all the hassles etc from ebay and the whole selling argument that erupted at the time , I think basically he just dropped it all ..
I really dont know for certain but that is my presumption...
Nige

[Simon Batten]

I understand , I think he just got fed up with all the hassles etc from ebay and the whole selling argument that erupted at the time , I think basically he just dropped it all ..
I really dont know for certain but that is my presumption...
Nige

thats a bit out of order really because he basically robbed us, it wouldnt of taken much just to refund the money that we had spent and now theres nothing we can do, I suppose il just have to count my losses

[Nigel M]

thats a bit out of order really because he basically robbed us, it wouldnt of taken much just to refund the money that we had spent and now theres nothing we can do, I suppose il just have to count my losses

I have to agree with you on that one , Its not something that I would do intentionally.
I always try to do the best I can for the person buying regardless of what it is I am selling ....

[Simon Batten]

I have to agree with you on that one , Its not something that I would do intentionally.
I always try to do the best I can for the person buying regardless of what it is I am selling ....

thats the way it should be I would have no hesitation of buying from you again

[stuartdouglas]

I would ask the question of why, when there are numerous Tarantula forums with for sale/trade sections does a person feel the need to advertise on eBay? Especially as, by your own admission, it goes against their policies, regardless of what rules anyone else is breaking.
I personally would not purchase livestock from eeBay, nor would I sell it on there, I have had no problems selling on forums. People are saying "each to their own", but the bottom line is, it's against eBay's policies.... whether they're sensible or not. So why encourage it and support it? "eightleggedfreak" is probably a genuine person and if he were selling on a forum I would have no qualms about purchasing from him, but I'm afaraid I agree with all the others who are against the sale of livestock on eBay.

[Simon Batten]

I would ask the question of why, when there are numerous Tarantula forums with for sale/trade sections does a person feel the need to advertise on eBay? Especially as, by your own admission, it goes against their policies, regardless of what rules anyone else is breaking.
I personally would not purchase livestock from eeBay, nor would I sell it on there, I have had no problems selling on forums. People are saying "each to their own", but the bottom line is, it's against eBay's policies.... whether they're sensible or not. So why encourage it and support it? "eightleggedfreak" is probably a genuine person and if he were selling on a forum I would have no qualms about purchasing from him, but I'm afaraid I agree with all the others who are against the sale of livestock on eBay.

I suppose selling them on ebay would appeal to a wider audience than selling on a forum because unless someone was into tarantulas they wouldnt be looking on a forum but might be browsing ebay and come across one

[stuartdouglas]

Based upon that reply, would it not be unwise to sell to the "casual browser"? People interested in T's would/should research their prospective purchases and where better than on the forums, which would bring them to the for sale/trade ads on the sites.
Would you be happy selling slings to the average eBay browser who may be thinking "cool, that looks good" without the first idea of the needs of a sling? I know I wouldn't. But hey, as everyone says..."each to their own" still doesn't answer the original point about the breach of eBay' listing policies though.........I've a feeling this one will run and run

[Simon Batten]

Based upon that reply, would it not be unwise to sell to the "casual browser"? People interested in T's would/should research their prospective purchases and where better than on the forums, which would bring them to the for sale/trade ads on the sites.
Would you be happy selling slings to the average eBay browser who may be thinking "cool, that looks good" without the first idea of the needs of a sling? I know I wouldn't. But hey, as everyone says..."each to their own" still doesn't answer the original point about the breach of eBay' listing policies though.........I've a feeling this one will run and run

yeh I know what you mean id like to think that nobody would buy one just because they look good without doing any research but I know sadly thats naive

[Adam Smith]

Yes much like the last debate on the ebay subject except there were much more that got involved in the discussion and many valid points made. I cant see anyone who has a great deal of interest in tarantulas trawling through the millions and millions of pages on ebay finding slings when they can get them from reliable trusting sources. Selling on ebay would bring in the wrong crowds and end up with many treated wrong and worse been released into the environment or have animal centres full of them and would be shame to see ts go the way it has for reptiles in so many cases.
Thats my personal opinion when I buy a t I need to know where it came from and is reliable, not saying people on ebay arent but even on this thread there evidence of some guy absconding when things went wrong. I always get mine from a good source and never had problems

[J M Clegg]

I rarely get involved with these types of conversations, however this time I must as I’m the villain again – and I haven’t even sold a spider since August!

Nigel, please explain to me why this is my fault? “This whole problem came about when I bought my first T from ebay, from J Clegg.”

Yes – I came up with idea, Yes I pioneered the concept, indeed Nigel liked my idea and copied it, albeit with the admirable intention of doing a better job. Yes, I figured the way to bend the ebay rules. But – never did I make anyone else copy my idea? That responsibility is with anyone else selling them this way. Any problems that you have encountered have been of the sellers creation. I don’t think you can lay the blame on me?

Simon – I apologise to you personally for the delay in your replacement spider. The reasons I have explained in a separate email and we will resolve the situation quickly. I would appreciate you confirm this within this forum and restore my good name.

To answer a few more points. How many of us first bought a spider because we had always wanted one just because they are cool?? I did! There are number of people writing in these forums who first bought a kit from me whilst looking for other things on ebay, they bought without planning or really thinking about it. It’s important not to be hypocritical about these things. There is a simple point. Both myself when I was selling them, and Nigel now – have sold the Spider Starter kits with everything a person needs to get started, including an environment and instructions on keeping a spider. They are after all starter kits designed to introduce new keepers into this wonderful hobby. They are not making a huge profit – Nigel will confirm this. They are not a self sustaining business, they probably don’t make enough profit to justify the time in creating the kits. For me personally I got huge satisfaction in introducing new people to keeping spiders. The BTS, the Spidershop and any other number of online Spider shops have benefited from what I did. Nigel and Simon are both recipients of my kits and are now actively contributing to the BTS forum, so proof of my claim is there for all to see.

Quite frankly – you can type in Tarantula to a search engine and you will find any number of sites. Virginia Cheeseman, The Spider Shop, Tarantula Barn Et al. I have bought spiders from most of these people and never once received information on how to keep and feed them etc. You are sold on the fact that you wish to buy. Nigel like I did, is selling instructions as well as home for the charge of which you invest. This can only be a good thing.

I have said on many occasions that there exists a snobbery amongst spider keepers and breeders, that the right to do so is exclusive. It isn’t. Anyone has the right to keep, breed, buy and sell Tarantula’s and their related kin. Just because you do – it doesn’t make you an expert with an exclusive right to decide who can and cannot supply. I have over 80 tarantulas of varying species in my care today, I don’t claim to be an arachnid expert and I don’t claim that any way of selling is better than the next. As long as new people find the hobby then the rest of us benefit from even more knowledge, it makes little difference whether these are bought on-line, in a pet shop or via ebay. In fact based on the above, and the fact that Nigel, as I did, actually provides well written instructions and email advice and support to his customers, I would argue that my original idea of selling on ebay is probably one of the best ways to buy your first Tarantula.

BTS members (Layla in particular) seemed to enjoy reporting my sales to ebay. I can’t understand why BTS members would want to prevent the propagation of Arachnid husbandry, in any form. If anything BTS members should get behind the idea as it promotes the hobby to new people. The argument could be made that it is against ebay rules. SO WHAT! How many of you drive at 40mph in a 30mph zone? The ebay rules don’t effect you directly so I can only assume – as I wrote before, its sour grapes. Taking it to the next level, instead of griping that Nigel is still selling on ebay, would it not be better that we all asked the on-line sellers to create a cost effective starter kit along with instructions, that new people could buy with confidence and get the support that Nigel still offers. Maybe even a BTS approved kit costing below £20.00? It’s achievable both Nigel and I have sold 100’s of them!

If anyone should be griping at Nigel it should be me. He pinched my idea!!! Yet I don’t gripe – in fact I support.

Best regards to you all

Jay.

[Simon Batten]

I just recieved your email Jay and like I previously said, whenever I have spoken to you, you have been nothing but helpful, it was all a misunderstanding and an unfortunate event with a computer virus which I can relate to first hand as do most people that use a computer I would of thought. Anyway im glad it has been cleared up and I shall be recieving my spiderling soon thanks for getting back to me Jay.

[Andrew climance]

I'm glad that's all settled then. Personally, I find it unlikely that someone would 'stumble' across these listings, as Jay said... Anyway...

Here's one:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Lees-terrarium-sling-spider-amphibian-river-sand245g_W0QQitemZ280050923116QQihZ018QQcategoryZ1285QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

What does anyone know about these?

[J M Clegg]

That’s an interesting one. He or she is a power seller who if you examine the feedback left from buyers is selling anything and everything. They are not specialising in anything arachnid or insect. My guess would be that this is a “for profit” sale rather than to spread the knowledge in Arachnid husbandry. You have to assume that they won’t be supplying after care support. They do however claim to be able to supply a full care sheet.

This is where the grey line exists, do you buy and acquire a fishing spider with it’s own unique food requirements, or do you not? Again it comes down to choice. Would I risk buying one of these if it was Nigel selling – or they were advertised on the Spidershop’s web site? Absolutely. Would I buy one from someone who most recent sales include children’s CD’s? No way!

If this was a BTS member selling on the BTS forum, I would snap one up. As things stand I would avoid it.

My point is this, before you buy anything alive you should consider all options. That’s your responsibility as a buyer. As a seller you should ensure that have provided everything necessary to ensure the buyer can effectively look after what they have bought. Nigel and I both met this requirement with our kits. The seller of these items in providing a care sheet also has met this basic requirement. The final decision ultimately comes down to choice.

[Andrew climance]

I thought it illustrated quite nicely the buy/don't buy dilemma... As you say, it's up to the buyer to take their chances.

If anyone has any Ancylometes bogotensis, by the way...

[J M Clegg]

Andrew, in my experience people didn't just stumble on my kits, they had actively searched ebay by typing in Tarantula in the search field. I accept though that many did find them by typing in Vivarium, as I sold my kits as "Tarantula Micro Vivarium starter kits" If people are actively looking then they will find what they search. You have to accept that most (not all)people who buy a Tarantula from ebay will have gone looking for it. Maybe Simon and Nigel can answer that one better than me, they both bought kits, I just sold them.