would you buy reptiles from pets@home

[Zoo-Man]

Mmm, maybe, if they looked in good condition & were reasonably priced

[Dirteewrongen]

I've answered not sure, on the basis of how they were kept and sold before at the Chelmsford store (yes I know diff company etc).
Right environment for the animals? Rarely if ever. (I'm sure everyone who used the store then remembers that iguana stuck in the end viv , the wall to wall vivs of lizards (particularly remember the tokays taking up the entire ceiling of a viv) hatchlings all in together, the cali's that were housed so well they kept escaping, and the fully grown tarantulas that were housed in cricket tubs because they had too many (squished aint the word!) one of which I ended up taking home and was still lovely
Correct advice given to potential new owners? Absolutely not and I speak from experience.
Thought such things as stats and guards were necessary? Pah!

selling bunnies and hamsters is one thing but my 5 year old knows more about reptile husbandry than they did.
I'm sorry to those who worked there like loopylid, but you know how many years I've been keeping reps and I know the 'advice' that was given on the reptiles. 'keep hatchlings together for company' 'stats are a waste of money and shorten the life of heatmats' 'cornsnakes require a flurescent light for at least 12 hours a day' - Which all bascily added up to it being quite possible for a newbie to go in and buy for instance a hatchling corn, buy another for company, take them home and house them in their 'recommended' fish tank, fry them with the heat mat, dazzle and possibly blind them with the light and if that doesn't kill them then one has the option of eating the other.

But yes this was a long time ago and doesn't mean it will be the same again at all, hopefully they've learned from those days when it was - god knows it caused enough of a stir.
If they bothered to employ staff with sound knowledge (and common sense) of such exotics, kept them correctly and the animals were healthy - then yes I would buy from them quite happily

[*hungry-tortoise*]

I wouldnt buy reptiles from Pets at Home, it is like a meat market with animals coming in and out. I had 2 baby guinea pigs from pets at home, I was told they were 12 weeks old when we bought them, only to later discover they were about 6 weeks old, when I phoned to try and establish exactly how old they were I was told that they dont keep records of their mals as they get large deliveries of 'stock' so would be impossible to log. Both piggies also came to us with eye problems and had to visit the vets within 1 week of bringing them home. If they cant sell healthy piggies then imagine what condition the reptiles would be sold in.

[Fangio]

Originally Posted by Dirteewrongen

I've answered not sure, on the basis of how they were kept and sold before at the Chelmsford store.
Right environment for the animals? Rarely if ever. (I'm sure everyone who used the store then remembers that iguana stuck in the end viv , the wall to wall vivs of lizards (particularly remember the tokays crammed in) hatchlings all in together, the cali's that were housed so well they kept escaping, and the fully grown tarantulas that were housed in cricket tubs (squished aint the word!)
Correct advice given to potential new owners? Absolutely not and I speak from experience.
Thought such things as stats and guards were necessary? Pah!

selling bunnies and hamsters is one thing but my 5 year old knows more about reptile husbandry than they did.

But yes this was a long time ago and doesn't mean it will be the same again, hopefully they've learned from those days - god knows it caused enough of a stir.
If they bothered to employ staff with sound knowledge (and common sense) of such exotics, kept them correctly and the animals were healthy - then yes I would buy from them quite happily

There wasn't any tarantulas in crix tubs when I was there, only the plastic containers people use for spids http://www.eurorep.net/retail/produc...oducts_id=1295. The problem with shops like that is who you get doing the serving, if it's busy you tend to get any numpty who's available even into the warehouse staff and some of them will just blag it sadly. I dunno what you mean about an ig in the end viv....was probably after I left. I did end up taking several animals home and nursing them back to health and bringing them back, the state of some of the animals upon arrival wasn't exactly great either.

As for your 5 y/o knowing more on reps than me.....I think I'm secure in the knowledge that's not so. I was only a young part-timer at the time but always said if I didn't know the answer to a question rather than blag it as it'll always come back to bite you in the ass.

One of the problems of being a shop employee is everyone expects you to know absolutely everything about everything, and sadly that'll never be the case. No matter how knowledgeable a shop owner/employee you can always guarantee that someone'll walk in with a bit more knowledge on a species than you have.

[Issa]

If they had what I wanted in an acceptable condition at a reasonable price then yes I would.

[Dirteewrongen]

Originally Posted by Fangio

There wasn't any tarantulas in crix tubs when I was there, only the plastic containers people use for spids Euro Rep Ltd - Europes largest manufacturer and distributor of Reptile Products. The problem with shops like that is who you get doing the serving, if it's busy you tend to get any numpty who's available even into the warehouse staff and some of them will just blag it sadly. I dunno what you mean about an ig in the end viv....was probably after I left. I did end up taking several animals home and nursing them back to health and bringing them back, the state of some of the animals upon arrival wasn't exactly great either.

As for your 5 y/o knowing more on reps than me.....I think I'm secure in the knowledge that's not so. I was only a young part-timer at the time but always said if I didn't know the answer to a question rather than blag it as it'll always come back to bite you in the ass.

One of the problems of being a shop employee is everyone expects you to know absolutely everything about everything, and sadly that'll never be the case. No matter how knowledgeable a shop owner/employee you can always guarantee that someone'll walk in with a bit more knowledge on a species than you have.

I don't claim to know everything by far and I'm the first to admit it, but I do know who the advice came from, and that they kept their reps in this manner too.
Good and bad in every shop, unfortunatly it was the given advice that did it for me there - god knows how many peeps kept their reps in this way.
Yus, those wc chile roses were in cricket tubs because too many had come in and they didn't have anywhere to house them until there was some space.

Good to know that you weren't 'blaggin' lol, I'm first to hold my hands up if I don't know something and would rather ask than look a pillock later on lol.
And yes, my 5 yr old knows stats etc are important - which is more than they did at the time lol.

Which one were you by the way? Had mates who worked there for years so was always in there

[Dirteewrongen]

Originally Posted by poizon

my other consern is they do get attacked by animals rights a lot, theres been sooo many occasions of ar going in there and pouring bleech in all the fish tanks ect, so i would be conserned what they would do to the reps!

Yus I remember that, was a big thing round here. Terrible wasn't it.

[Mush]

would never buy from there again, they been in trouble so much here for animal cruelty and 2 rabbits i had from there died within a week

[Fangio]

Originally Posted by Dirteewrongen

I don't claim to know everything by far and I'm the first to admit it, but I do know who the advice came from, and that they kept their reps in this manner too.
Good and bad in every shop, unfortunatly it was the given advice that did it for me there - god knows how many peeps kept their reps in this way.
Yus, those wc chile roses were in cricket tubs because too many had come in and they didn't have anywhere to house them until there was some space.

Good to know that you weren't 'blaggin' lol, I'm first to hold my hands up if I don't know something and would rather ask than look a pillock later on lol.
And yes, my 5 yr old knows stats etc are important - which is more than they did at the time lol.

Which one were you by the way? Had mates who worked there for years so was always in there

Matt Lydia and Kay I assume? Poizon knows me too

I only worked with the animals for a relatively short stint. I was also doing the warehouse and tills. Yay for multi-tasking. I left about 10 years ago now.

[Dirteewrongen]

Originally Posted by Fangio

Matt Lydia and Kay I assume? Poizon knows me too

I only worked with the animals for a relatively short stint. I was also doing the warehouse and tills. Yay for multi-tasking. I left about 10 years ago now.

Yup, and Darren. Will have to probe Lyd and find out which one you are lol. I was always in and out so probably remember you - I made the most of other peoples staff discount lol, Did big vivs out with all the parrot branches etc and had loads of rep stuff when it was discontinued so was very greatful indeed lol.