its sure strange, but then thats the whole industry right now.

Question for the shops on here, would you commit to a code of practice IF the support and info was forthcomming, and as asked alread, where would you be pleased to see that support coming from?

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This is surely a question to bring up with REPTA themselves?
It should not be the trader/retailers responsibilty to actively seek out an organisation that claim to be their voice, they should be "out there" for all to see.

If there is no database of pet shops currently stocking exotics, is there a database of suppliers to said retailers? If not how does REPTA find and contact such people? Or do they simply not bother?

In my eyes DEFRA and those who make the laws should be discussing changes directly with REPTA who in turn should be informing the trade - though this will of course require REPTA (or a similar organisation) to step up and make themselves known, in addition to improving their relations with DEFRA (if indeed they have any?)
The fewer "links in the chain" the less will be lost in translation - the laws waters are muddy enough as it is.

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........True. In many others not.

If l wanted to know about a society specific to my hobby and the politics, l would seek it out, as indeed l would expect a society specific to my hobby to advertise somewhere where upon l could view them.

[ESRAS, ERAC, PRAS, BRAS, IHS, BHS etc]

If l were a society seeking to join a federation, l would seek them out, as indeed l would expect them to advertise so that l could locate them.

[FOCAS/FBH]

The above are all about a joint secure and locate option.

If however l was a retailer looking to join an association for my business security and political beliefs to be viewed l would expect to as you say not to specifically approach them, but in many ways perhaps to be approached by them, for they would award me with all the benefits of a membership. All the good they could do for me. In return l would expect to be able to view them as an association.

The problem we have here, is that REPTA is such an association by all accounts, so you are right one would expect them to approach retail and traders alike. But this does seem to be the case.

The reason l have raised this here as a thread is to try and understand what retailers have in the way of knowledge about an organization that is there for them and their voices to be heard.

Yet, this is not the case.

DEFRA should inform as you say the right links in the chain or vice versa.

If REPTA is there, why have they not approached DEFRA with a view to all the legislational changes being implemented and so forth instructed the retailers?

R

PKL

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REPTA

REPTA was formed to represent the opinions of the reptile and exotic trade with a view to ensuring that no unreasonable legislation was made regarding the keeping and trading in exotic animals. Membership consists of major wholesalers and retailers who have become increasingly concerned with the campaign by extremist animal rights campaigners to end the keeping/trading of exotic species.

R

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As stated by a number of people, were I a shop ( which of course I am not ) then I would not expect to have to find out about who will stick up for me if needed, I would expect them to contact me.

I would view it as something akin to a Union where they are my voice to the powers that be. It's only a telephone call or a quick visit after all and presumably each shop must be registered at companies house or with the local council who issue the shop licences ... so names of owners and addresses should not be too hard to get hold of ?

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http://www.herpcare.org.uk - Herpetocultural Care Guides

http://www.happinet.co.uk

This is the official on repta

It is made up of mainly wholesalers without an individual retailer membership

Peregrine, Livefood, Monkfield, reptec etc

All the big livefood wholesalers form repta

By default all shops that receive livefood are members of repta, through the wholesalers.

So this may well mean that if information regarding legislational changes is expected then it may have to come direct from the wholesalers.

Rory

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The first and last I ever heard about REPTA was about 3 years ago when it was communicated to me that a % of my spend with wholesalers would be going to repta to fund a fight back campaign, That was the first and last I ever heard of REPTA.

The affore mentioned wholesalers have great great great difficulty in making their customers aware of new products, special offers etc etc, And it is usually us the retailers who have to chase them and the manufacturers for new products. This directly effects their profit line and they struggle to communicate this information so I wouldnt hold my breath for any legislational info being passed down.

As previously mentioned it is the retailer who finds their own information we have no voice that we know about.

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www.livefoodsbypost.co.uk

Look we can do self promotion as well...Livefoods from £2 a tub - Delivered.

I'm with pink there - we have to do enough chasing for things that we want to buy from the wholesalers, if they can't let us know about what they are selling, why would they bother telling us something that doesn't gain them financially!

I've been at the shop just over a jear now, the first time I heard about REPTA was Rorys first post on this thread... I had no idea that there was an association for the shops, I must admit that because nothing had ever been made known to us I assumed there was nothing.

The only (and I really do mean only) reason that I know about the AWA and the EPS and other things like that is because I read this forum. Someone with a life outside work would not have a clue!

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Chiltern Reptiles

Brand new equipment for sale!
Habistat Thermostats
ExoTerra Digital Thermometers and Hygrometers

The sad fact is, that if you have livefood in your store then only by default are you a member of REPTA, if you do not then you are not.

You are right, perhaps if there is no financial gain to be had, is there any point in informing the retailer about legislational changes?

Well yes is the simple answer there is!

It is not acceptable that there is an organization out here that is supposed to be your voice and yet retailers do not know about it. The wholesalers and suppliers want your business, l would have thought it common sense to keep retailers informed?

I come back to my threads of late where upon l have said that something is needed to pull the retailers together.

Not many retailers use forums for fear of naming and shaming if something goes wrong and l can see why. If something goes wrong for a keeper in a store, then sometimes the first place they vent it is within a forum. This perhaps is not the first place one should vent their emotions, but maybe with the store in question.

Undoubtedly there are retailers out there that are not ideal, but even in the good quality stores things can go wrong, and a small error could so easily be cleared up at the time, rather than a brewing on a forum where small details and errors are oft bypassed and usually blown out of all proportion.

But back to the point, the retailers voice is not being heard and also the biggest failing of all is that they are not being informed. That alone is totally unacceptable and in many ways totally irresponsible.

Pro Keepers Lobby are looking at the retailers with a view for a campaign to endeavour to pull them together.

With my retail advisors we are looking at the possibility of a charter of standards [minimum] and l hope to be able to reveal more here sometime in the future.

IMO, REPTA should be for the shops and suppliers within the industry, in reality it is only there for the bigger players - and l just dont view that as acceptable.

Sorry REPTA, not good enough. Something is needed, you could provide it, and it is a service that is not supplied.

Rory Matier
Pro Keepers Lobby

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