# www.exoticpets.co.uk



## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

Lo,

Thought I would post this here, as lots of people seem to think that this website is a good place to try. This might become a rant...:whistling2: and, I am sorry if it appears condesending or patronising to people who are experienced.

Anyway: It's not. The information is 9 times out of 10 incorrect and they always seem to offer WC rather than CB - even when the invert in question is often readily available CB. 

Whats wrong with WC? you might ask - well, here goes:

1) It puts pressure on the natural habitat - the collecters dont walk on air, so tramp around and erode the habitat, and can actively damage it. 

2)It creates "artificial" pressure on collecters to collect many inverts that need not be collected in the first place, reducing numbers in the wild. Great for introducing new genetic varients into the captive stock, but alas not so great for the wild populations. 

3)Removal of predators in large numbers (eg scorps, T's) creates problems in the natural area as an imbalance of prey items can damage plants etc, and worsen the habitat even more. If you don't belive me that such numbers of animals are harvested, I have heard reports from wholesalers that some people can collect up to 2000 emperor scorpions a night in parts of Africa - does that sound sustainable? 

What is happening to the genes in the wild population - there's one hell of a one way migration occurring...

4) They often don't adapt well to captivity, and become stressed, ultimately having a reduced (or lack) of standard of life in a collection

5) They can harbour mites and parasites that require quarentine lest they infest other inverts you might own

6)They are often collected with little idea of what the genus or species name is, resulting in difficulty in knowing what conditions are ideal.

There are other reasons, but I think thats enough not to buy WC surely...

*Questionable statements:*

a)Tail-less Whip Scorpion - Amblypygids species

Whip scorpions are listed as a family of scorpions, when they are a completely seperate class of arachnid, belonging to the CLASS AMBLYPYGI. 

They even put "Amblypygids species" at the top so surely they looked? Its not Amblypygi anything, its _Genus. species_ - in this case, most likely _Damon diadema, or D.varigatus_. 

They make no mention of the fact that these animals become stressed if not provided with vertical surfaces on which to rest. They don't require hides in the traditional sense, but need to have a vertical surface, quite wide in which to move around on happily. 

You DO NOT need to dust with mineral supplements. Argh, that crops up so often - great, dust the crickets with calcium and let the poor amblypygid develop internal calcification of its organs. Great. Whatever sells...even a simple search on wiki should show you that arachnids do not need calcium in large amounts to aid moulting. GRRRR!

b)Emperor Scorpion - Pandinus imperator

Calcium again. Sigh

Makes no mention that in communal set-ups, you need more space...at least they alledgedly offer a CB option, although why the adults are WC is a mystery.

c) The guy writing the care sheets doesnt understand the difference between CLASS, GENUS and SPECIES. 

Most of the inverts are unnamed - as in, they can't be bothered to look up this often easy to find information and would rather sell you a pet with no real knowlegde of what it requires. I don't see why they should be allowed to sell such quantities of animals without any idea of to what their scientific name is.

d)"_Feeding velvet worms is easy, purchase small crickets from our Live Foods section or catch your own in your back garden. The live foods need to be quite small and nothing to big and over powering for the velvet worm. Place a few small crickets in the container every 2/3 days_."

Catching insects from your back garden - great advice if you are 100% sure that no harmful chemical of any sort has been absorbed from the food the prey has eaten. The amount of insecticides used today means that I sure as hell wouldnt risk it. How many people live within a few miles of argiculture, golf courses or gardens? Does he not know that toxins accumulate UP chains? That tasty prey item has likely chomped on some toxic plants, or some insects that chomped on toxic plants. Why is he saying that is safe!?:banghead:

E)Hermit Crab - Coenobita clypeatus and rugosus

There are several bits questionable here, and I am no expert on hermits. I still dont think feeding inverts cat and dog food is a great idea, even if it just makes a mess. 




Anyway, I reckon many of you could correct most of the Tarantula pages ( I am no expert on a lot of the species), and those of you into other inverts likewise. They don't even have care sheets for a huge chunk of what they sell...

My main gripe is that it appears to be written for children - and exotic pets shouldnt be marketed in such a manner as "easy pets", they simply arent as robust as dogs and cats, and the chances are that their parents won't know a huge amount so that they can step in when things go horribly wrong. 

The whole website just screams "I WANT MONEY" to me. That, and the grammatical and spelling errors just make it look unproffessional. 

Sorry for the rant, but please, please avoid. Hopefully they will get the hint and get their act together.

I am sure many of you guys can add your own horror stories about the actual service....


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## enlightenment (Dec 14, 2006)

Yeah mate, not the most reliable of sites.

I think the info they give is done in good faith, however, I have a feeling that they cannot be running this as a proper business, simply because it takes them about six months to reply to a simple e mail!

Anyway, in all truth, I have kinda gotten a bit bored with my wee hobby, it seems. Dunno why. I only have one T now (Baboon), a pede, and a scorp, and I used to have a lot more than that, and then realised that they are, well, just not very interesting (all except the scorp).

I used to love the hobby, and now not, I wish I knew why this was...

PS - What part of Fife you from?


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

yep..theres 2 sites u should stay clear of..that one and also bugsdirect..they suck and will rip u off big time.


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

enlightenment said:


> Anyway, in all truth, I have kinda gotten a bit bored with my wee hobby, it seems. Dunno why. I only have one T now (Baboon), a pede, and a scorp, and I used to have a lot more than that, and then realised that they are, well, just not very interesting (all except the scorp).
> 
> I used to love the hobby, and now not, I wish I knew why this was...
> 
> PS - What part of Fife you from?


sounds like u need some prayingmantids in your life


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## Muze (Jun 20, 2007)

apart from the info being unreliable the customer service is also appaulling..i myself have had dealings with them where stuff hasnt arrived after the stated 10 working days and ive had friends who've had stock turn up dead...the only way they have gotten their money back is to do card charge backs...my person opinion is to avoid

They actually took their phone number off the site last year and any lack of communcation is always met with the same crappy reply...our email server went down...which just gets a bit beyond a joke


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## enlightenment (Dec 14, 2006)

macro junkie said:


> sounds like u need some prayingmantids in your life


 
Yeah, of all the things that I have had, I love these the most. Elegant, visible, and they DO something. Had lots of different types, not seeing so many around for sale now.


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

enlightenment said:


> Yeah, of all the things that I have had, I love these the most. Elegant, visible, and they DO something. Had lots of different types, not seeing so many around for sale now.


i think martin has some..these things are very hard to breed..im hoping both will shed to adult fine but i hear only 50% do it successfully so heres hoping.


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

enlightenment said:


> PS - What part of Fife you from?


Im in St Andrews the now, but originally from all over scotland - Ive lived in Orkney, Turriff, and now I live in East Lothian when im not at uni. I spend most of my time here in fife tho. Yourself?

I'm not sure if its accepptable that the info is in good faith if you are trying to run a businees however - most people ask the source of the pet for advice, so if they don't have a clue, what chance does the kid have?


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## weelad (Jul 25, 2006)

my order came fine .. and i wouldnt go on any of their info on reps..cos i always read up a bunch before, if people are only looking at their site for info befor buying a animal then they probly shouldnt own the animal in the first place

Edit .. mine wernt wc and never will be


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

weelad said:


> my order came fine .. and i wouldnt go on any of their info on reps..cos i always read up a bunch before, if people are only looking at their site for info befor buying a animal then they probly shouldnt own the animal in the first place
> 
> Edit .. mine wernt wc and never will be


 
Yeah, I just don't touch them at all. They epitomise what is wrong with the exotic pet hobby 100% IMO.:blowup:


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## enlightenment (Dec 14, 2006)

GRB said:


> Im in St Andrews the now, but originally from all over scotland - Ive lived in Orkney, Turriff, and now I live in East Lothian when im not at uni. I spend most of my time here in fife tho. Yourself?


Born and brought up in Edinburgh, and yes, I now stay in Fife.

Praying Mantids are the way to go, all the other things I have kept over the years have been pet holes! :no1:


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## iiisecondcreep (Oct 29, 2007)

Not all the care sheets are written by exoticpets though are they?

I am sure I saw a bit where you could submit a caresheet for them if they didn't already have one for that beastie.

Though they really should still be checked before they are published.


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## Richo (Jan 4, 2008)

I've only ever heard bad things about this site. Stay away from them.


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## Jsnake (Sep 21, 2007)

Which part of fife are you from. I'm in Glenrothes. As for exoticpets i've never bought from them I was tempted once but changed my mind as I found I could get my t's a lot cheaper elsewhere. So glad I did now.


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## enlightenment (Dec 14, 2006)

Jsnake said:


> Which part of fife are you from. I'm in Glenrothes. As for exoticpets i've never bought from them I was tempted once but changed my mind as I found I could get my t's a lot cheaper elsewhere. So glad I did now.


Dunfermline.

Want a kick ass pede?:no1:

Poor bastard, after it escaped twice, the mrs freaked, and I now keep it in a plastic cereal tub, it is not happy in there.

It was either that, or kill it, or let it go free, those were my choices.

I did offer it out on here ages ago, a few PM's, but nothing concrete.


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## iiisecondcreep (Oct 29, 2007)

How fast are 'pedes? Like what species of T would you compare it to, for speed and nastiness?


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## enlightenment (Dec 14, 2006)

iiisecondcreep said:


> How fast are 'pedes? Like what species of T would you compare it to, for speed and nastiness?


Well, it is tough to do a comparison like that, as it is comparing two entirely different things mate, the thing with this pede, and all pedes for that matter, is that they are great escape artists, and yes, they can be very hostile.


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## weelad (Jul 25, 2006)

Richo said:


> I've only ever heard bad things about this site. Stay away from them.


if you read up you would of heard somthing good about them :Na_Na_Na_Na::lol2:


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## matt1977 (Jul 1, 2007)

*Any good sites?*

As I am fairly new to this game i found this thread usefull and interesting. Can anyone tell me some good sites to use for future reference also resons why there good would be cool.


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

I ordered my Whip Scorpions from virginia cheeseman (Virginia Cheeseman)

She tends to try to have all her invert stock as CB, and is fairly well clued up on how to look after them, as I believe she normally breeds them from her own stock more than just buying them. 

With my whip scorpions she was a little out of detail, but they arrived fine and in great condition. The postage is reasonable, and she offers a live arrival gaurentee.

Other than her, I cannot vouch for anyone as my other pet T was a rescued animal.


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## Pon (Jan 9, 2008)

ok, if there shit were abouts would you order from? 
: victory:


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## Woodi (Oct 11, 2007)

www.exotics-pets.co.uk
See RIP ref Princess - killed by supplier!!!!!!!!!

Most hateful people on earth..truly:cussing:


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## joe0709 (Sep 22, 2007)

Pon said:


> ok, if there shit were abouts would you order from?
> : victory:


 
the spider shop


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

Ive heard good words about the spidershop, although ive heard his postage style is a bit iffy - one customer received a spiderling in a jiffy bad *allegedly.*

I can't speak for them, but I would recommend Virginia cheeseman. 

Has anyone tried SouthCoast Inverts?


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## enlightenment (Dec 14, 2006)

GRB said:


> I ordered my Whip Scorpions from virginia cheeseman (Virginia Cheeseman)
> 
> She tends to try to have all her invert stock as CB, and is fairly well clued up on how to look after them, as I believe she normally breeds them from her own stock more than just buying them.
> 
> ...


Absolutely the best that I have used, VC's site.

My pede is still on offer as a swap, if anyone is interested. 

Good pede, just cannot have it anymore.


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## zirliz (Nov 15, 2006)

I've heard very bad things about them


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

enlightenment said:


> Absolutely the best that I have used, VC's site.
> 
> My pede is still on offer as a swap, if anyone is interested.
> 
> Good pede, just cannot have it anymore.


You know, I really would, but I can't unless you are literally going to kill it. I shouldnt even have one pet.


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## Muze (Jun 20, 2007)

what type of pede is it...i may be interested? : victory:


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## enlightenment (Dec 14, 2006)

Speling(?), Sc Subsnipes, Vietnamese one, adult female, and it will die unless it gets into a proper viv soon, simple as.

I won't kill it, it will most likely die.


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## Muze (Jun 20, 2007)

Pm'd you


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## TheSpiderShop (Apr 5, 2006)

> Ive heard good words about the spidershop, although ive heard his postage style is a bit iffy - one customer received a spiderling in a jiffy bad *allegedly.*


You have us mixed up with the polish guy. We use boxes which are insulated with polychips. Spiderlings are also packed in clear display pots then wrapped in silver insulation strips. We have never used jiffy bags.


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## Muze (Jun 20, 2007)

Ive used Spidershop before and packaging was fab...spiders were in excellent health too

I would recommend them : victory:


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## joe0709 (Sep 22, 2007)

i highly reccomen the spidershop. excellent prices excellent products and excellent shipping and best of all they take the welfare of the animal seriously


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

TheSpiderShop said:


> You have us mixed up with the polish guy. We use boxes which are insulated with polychips. Spiderlings are also packed in clear display pots then wrapped in silver insulation strips. We have never used jiffy bags.


 
My apologies - I misread the thread it appears. I did say allegedly at least!


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## philbaker76 (Jul 6, 2008)

GRB said:


> Thought I would post this here, as lots of people seem to think that this website is a good place to try. This might become a rant...:whistling2: and, I am sorry if it appears condesending or patronising to people who are experienced.
> 
> Anyway: It's not. The information is 9 times out of 10 incorrect and they always seem to offer WC rather than CB - even when the invert in question is often readily available CB.
> 
> ...


Hi GRB, I'm Karen (Exotic-Pets.co.uk) older brother. Karen is big on this too - this is why she states WC/CF/CB etc. so the customer has the choice. Most of her stock is from the same suppliers as every other pet shop.



GRB said:


> *Questionable statements:*
> 
> a)Tail-less Whip Scorpion - Amblypygids species
> 
> ...


This information was given to us by a member, if this is incorrect we'll remove it. Not trying to up-sell items, don't currently sell dust on the site.



GRB said:


> "_Feeding velvet worms is easy, purchase small crickets from our Live Foods section or catch your own in your back garden. The live foods need to be quite small and nothing to big and over powering for the velvet worm. Place a few small crickets in the container every 2/3 days_."
> 
> Catching insects from your back garden - great advice if you are 100% sure that no harmful chemical of any sort has been absorbed from the food the prey has eaten. The amount of insecticides used today means that I sure as hell wouldnt risk it. How many people live within a few miles of argiculture, golf courses or gardens? Does he not know that toxins accumulate UP chains? That tasty prey item has likely chomped on some toxic plants, or some insects that chomped on toxic plants. Why is he saying that is safe!?:banghead:


I see your point, but I'd assume that if someone has been spreading poision around their garden - that they wouldn't use it to feed their pets.



GRB said:


> E)Hermit Crab - Coenobita clypeatus and rugosus
> 
> There are several bits questionable here, and I am no expert on hermits. I still dont think feeding inverts cat and dog food is a great idea, even if it just makes a mess.


This page has been researched from published books and other highly ranked american websites. 



GRB said:


> Anyway, I reckon many of you could correct most of the Tarantula pages ( I am no expert on a lot of the species), and those of you into other inverts likewise. They don't even have care sheets for a huge chunk of what they sell...
> 
> My main gripe is that it appears to be written for children - and exotic pets shouldnt be marketed in such a manner as "easy pets", they simply arent as robust as dogs and cats, and the chances are that their parents won't know a huge amount so that they can step in when things go horribly wrong.


The aim is to give a bit of general advice - I'm sure you'll agree, before owning ANY pet; you should do your own re-search.



GRB said:


> The whole website just screams "I WANT MONEY" to me. That, and the grammatical and spelling errors just make it look unproffessional.
> 
> Sorry for the rant, but please, please avoid. Hopefully they will get the hint and get their act together.
> 
> I am sure many of you guys can add your own horror stories about the actual service....


True. English isn't a strong point in our family :blush:. All information (as I think someone else has said) has been given in good faith.

Just wish you would have contacted us, offered some suggestions on improvements - rather than posting on a forum mate. Anyone who personally knows Karen, will tell you she's all about the pets.



Muze said:


> apart from the info being unreliable the customer service is also appaulling..i myself have had dealings with them where stuff hasnt arrived after the stated 10 working days and ive had friends who've had stock turn up dead...the only way they have gotten their money back is to do card charge backs...my person opinion is to avoid
> 
> They actually took their phone number off the site last year and any lack of communcation is always met with the same crappy reply...our email server went down...which just gets a bit beyond a joke


Hi Muze, yeah - we've had issues with e-mail - we moved to a larger building last year and now have a landline you can call.

Can you give me the order numbers of your and (any of your friends orders) - let me know what the problems were and I'll look in to it.

Card charges only apply to order cancellations; i.e. when we've ordered something in and you've cancelled the order before it's been sent. There are *no card charges for refunds*. 



weelad said:


> my order came fine .. and i wouldnt go on any of their info on reps..cos i always read up a bunch before, if people are only looking at their site for info befor buying a animal then they probly shouldnt own the animal in the first place
> 
> Edit .. mine wernt wc and never will be


Thanks (again) weelad 



iiisecondcreep said:


> Not all the care sheets are written by exoticpets though are they?
> 
> I am sure I saw a bit where you could submit a caresheet for them if they didn't already have one for that beastie.
> 
> Though they really should still be checked before they are published.


Yeah, this is correct - some caresheets are supplied by our members, I understand what you're saying and seems it would probably be best if we stuck to doing our own.



Woodi said:


> www.exotics-pets.co.uk
> See RIP ref Princess - killed by supplier!!!!!!!!! Most hateful people on earth..truly


Hi Woodi - replied to your post.

Cheers, Phil


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## C_Strike (Feb 20, 2007)

enlightenment said:


> Absolutely the best that I have used, VC's site.
> 
> My pede is still on offer as a swap, if anyone is interested.
> 
> Good pede, just cannot have it anymore.


Heeeeyyyy... how comes i neva knew that which variant is the pede?
regards


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

Hi there, 

Thanks for replying, it's reassuring to see that you treat this seriously. 

I will say firstly that I did try to contact you guys a few times, and was either ignored, or in one instance recieved an email basically saying something similar to: " its not really our problem, its all in good faith and its up to people to re-search themselves" (from what i remember as it was a while ago). 

Now, I did write this a while ago, so perhaps I saw the website during a bad period and things might have changed. I'll just go through the quote as I think thats the easiest way to address everything brought up. I havent quoted everything because its a long piece of text.

I dont want to just wail on you guys, I do belive that its in good faith. However, I just think that a website such as yours has such potential to better the state of knowledge in the hobby especially in beginners and children, and its being missed out upon. 

I cant comment on any of the customer problems. If you want help with craesheets for certain animals, then I am sure myself and others can help far more than the member submitted ones you currently have. 



philbaker76 said:


> Hi GRB, I'm Karen (Exotic-Pets.co.uk) older brother. Karen is big on this too - this is why she states WC/CF/CB etc. so the customer has the choice. Most of her stock is from the same suppliers as every other pet shop.
> 
> Fair enough.
> 
> ...


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## PeterUK (Jun 21, 2008)

I have never used them and dont intend to. This due to the bad reports and also because of their outrageous prices. I wonder if they buy their stock from a retail outlet at retail prices and then add their bit on top before selling them on. 

I have heard more bad things about their service and livestock than good things, and the bad out weighs the good by a long long way.

There always seems to be an excuse why something went wrong. 
Why not just own up and say 'We messed up' instead of making excuses

Here is a thread on Bugnation about exoticpets ..... doesnt exactly make you want to rush out and buy from them. 
The first few posts seem positive and then it rapidly goes downhill.

EDIT ... I posted the link but it gave access to my CP and PM's so i deleted it. I suggest anyone interested in the thread to look it up on BN themselves


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

PeterUK said:


> I have never used them and dont intend to. This due to the bad reports and also because of their outrageous prices. I wonder if they buy their stock from a retail outlet at retail prices and then add their bit on top before selling them on.
> 
> I have heard more bad things about their service and livestock than good things, and the bad out weighs the good by a long long way.
> 
> ...


That seems to be a recurring story. I'm interested as to what they have to say.


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## philbaker76 (Jul 6, 2008)

GRB said:


> Hi there,
> 
> Thanks for replying, it's reassuring to see that you treat this seriously...


WOW! GRB, great post - I'll take you guys up on the care sheets; I get (or get Karen) on to them ASAP.

Thanks for the feedback, I'm at work so can't spend too much time replying. But I will at a later date mate. Cheers, Phil



PeterUK said:


> I have never used them and dont intend to. This due to the bad reports and also because of their outrageous prices. I wonder if they buy their stock from a retail outlet at retail prices and then add their bit on top before selling them on.
> 
> I have heard more bad things about their service and livestock than good things, and the bad out weighs the good by a long long way.
> 
> ...


Hi Peter, if someone gives me an *order number* - I can look into it, can't do anything about hear-say.

Prices reflect what we can get them for - from Pet Trade suppliers AND breeders.

Admittedly we've had problems in the past with communication (mainly e-mail) - everything I've posted are facts. Not excuses.

We genuinely don't understand _why_ Exotic-Pets.co.uk has such a bad reputation. Our records/stats don't show these "problems". I haven't have an *order number* from anyone yet who has had bad stock from us. 

Things can/do go wrong - but they are always put right.

I'll have a look at Bugnation - and if you're a member or know anyone who has had a problem that wasn't sorted, please send me the *order number*. ...esp if it's been poor quality livestock, we have records of everything.

Cheers, Phil


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

I bought a snake from 888 reptiles and everything was spot on, they have a land line no and very knowlagable staff who you can talk to.
Has anybody else dealt with them? I would be interested to hear other opinions about them as I buy food and equipment from them regular.


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## weelad (Jul 25, 2006)

Slinkies mum said:


> I bought a snake from 888 reptiles and everything was spot on, they have a land line no and very knowlagable staff who you can talk to.
> Has anybody else dealt with them? I would be interested to hear other opinions about them as I buy food and equipment from them regular.


this isnt a thread for that... theirs plenty about 888 use the search button


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## Slinkies mum (Jul 15, 2008)

weelad said:


> this isnt a thread for that... theirs plenty about 888 use the search button


Soz new to forums will try search then. Thanks


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## Mark88 (Apr 14, 2008)

I got a Desert Hairy Scorpion off exotic-pets... 
Everything seemed fine for me, although the whole payment to delivery time is a little bit long or that may be because i get impatient.
Everything was fine though... Scorpion turned up alive and ate pretty much straight away. Settled in nicely.


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## weelad (Jul 25, 2006)

i was impatient too .. i just nagged via email :lol2: seemed to work


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## philbaker76 (Jul 6, 2008)

Mark88 said:


> I got a Desert Hairy Scorpion off exotic-pets...
> Everything seemed fine for me, although the whole payment to delivery time is a little bit long or that may be because i get impatient.
> Everything was fine though... Scorpion turned up alive and ate pretty much straight away. Settled in nicely.


Glad to hear your Scorpion is doing well Mark. I don't think the dispatch times are clear enough (again, some great feedback we've had from RFUK memebers). We're looking at ways of making it clearer.

Technically, companies have 30 days to send out an order. But Karen aims to get them out within 10 working days - 4 working days for On Site items (excludes weekends and bank holidays).

We're working on some about us pages - they will hopefully highlight _better_ how the business works. Cheers, Phil


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## philbaker76 (Jul 6, 2008)

GRB said:


> I will say firstly that I did try to contact you guys a few times, and was either ignored, or in one instance recieved an email basically saying something similar to: " its not really our problem, its all in good faith and its up to people to re-search themselves" (from what i remember as it was a while ago).


It's becoming apprent to me that e-mail has been a major problem. I can assure you that *every* e-mail is replied to. ...yeah, we do encourage customers to do their own re-search.

We're going to change the site, so it doesn't rely on e-mail in the future.



GRB said:


> I dont want to just wail on you guys, I do belive that its in good faith. However, I just think that a website such as yours has such potential to better the state of knowledge in the hobby especially in beginners and children, and its being missed out upon.
> 
> I cant comment on any of the customer problems. If you want help with craesheets for certain animals, then I am sure myself and others can help far more than the member submitted ones you currently have.


That's the plan mate, and any help would be much appreciated. I'm getting a PC set-up at home, when I'm online. I'm going to make a point of going through and reviewing/creating caresheets.



GRB said:


> Basically, I understand your point, but this is a chance for you to make a difference to the hobby. Why aim for the lowest rung on the ladder of service when you could aim for the highest?
> 
> I think that because:
> 
> ...


The original idea of the site is to give a little background on each animal. This is why we're not keen on it _just_ being a list of what's for sale. 

We built in an articles system for more detailed information - something our members could use to "help others keep their pets healthy" - but it isn't really used much, so I'm going to re-look at it.



GRB said:


> I think that if you updated your information, provided detailed caresheets and stopped using common names so prominantly, you could become far more popular and trusted than at the present. Instead of threads like this, there could be the same praise for you guys that e.g Lee at the spidershop or such gets. He is basically universally recommended as the best invert site in the UK - and I agree.
> 
> One last point is the use of common names in massive bold lettering, then a tiny latin name below. Its the same reason that beginners constantly use common names - but it leads to problems, and i'm sure you'll agree that its more proffessional, more "adult orientated" to use latin names.
> 
> ...


I understand what you're saying regarding the common names etc., but I'd really like to strike a balance between the two. Ideally, we want it to be useful to both serious hobbyists and people new to the hobby. ...we we're all new to it once.

Yeah, Karen knows Lee from the SpiderShop - and also speaks very highly of him (and his stock).

I see your point about how some of the content is wrote; probably just us getting a little too excited about some of the pets. I 100% agree and will change this when I review the caresheets. 

Karen does visit schools, and give talks to the kids on some of the animals - so again, this may have rubbed off on some of the caresheets. But, you're right mate - they should be more adult, words like "Monsters" aren't attracting the right kind of keeper.

Thanks for your input - and I look forward to working with you on some caresheets, you obviously know your stuff.

Cheers, Phil


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

Hey Phil,

Thanks for replying again.

The caresheets thing- well, it is easy to get excited. I was grinning like a madman when I first saw my solifuge, they are pretty unusual to say the least! I guess the trouble is getting past that excitment and writing something that appears proffessional - there's nothing wrong with enthusiasm, unless it sends out the wrong message. 

I see what you mean about a balance with common names. Just now however, the latin name looks like an afterthought, hidden in tiny font. IMO, for the hobby to improve, its worth getting people immersed into latin as soon as possible. Hell, I dont expect people to become fluent, but I think people should at least know the name of the animal they keep. 

Looking forward to seeing the changes, you have some interesting stock - which until recently I was put off buying by reputation.


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## philbaker76 (Jul 6, 2008)

GRB said:


> Hey Phil,
> 
> Thanks for replying again.
> 
> The caresheets thing- well, it is easy to get excited. I was grinning like a madman when I first saw my solifuge...


Thanks mate, some of the code changes (e-mail thing etc.) are in development; I get my BT line on the 1st Aug - so shouldn't be long after, that I'll be looking at the caresheets.

...I'll def. give you a PM when I make a start. :2thumb: Thanks for your support. Cheers, Phil


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## GRB (Jan 24, 2008)

Just thought I would add to this.

So far Phil and Karen have shown a lot of interest in improving the reputation that exotic-pets.co.uk has, and recently updated a caresheet for the amblypygids they sell. 

I just thought I should highlight this, as its a good sign IMO that a company is willing to listen to a thread such as this and aim to improve upon its service/advice. Im looking forward to seeing the further changes on the site...

Hopefully other members of RFUK with experience in T's etc will contibute and together everyone can help raise the level of info available to the beginner and inexperienced alike who buys from exotic-pets.co.uk. Whith such a large audience, I think it would be great to get a bunch of accurate and detailed caresheets available at a glance for the myriad of animals offered. 

-Grant


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## philbaker76 (Jul 6, 2008)

GRB said:


> Just thought I would add to this.
> 
> So far Phil and Karen have shown a lot of interest in improving the reputation that exotic-pets.co.uk...


Thanks Grant - it is our aim to have a basic care sheet with every pet. 

We want to keep them _simple_, under three simple headings.

*What do they look like?*
*Where are they from?*
*How do you keep them?*

Also, if anyone would like to contribute a more in-depth article on a pet or pet related subject (i.e. breeding, moulting, health ...anything) - please PM me.

Exotic-Pets.co.uk helpful articles is another area of the site that I will be personally helping manage.

Cheers, Phil


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## axorozzas (Aug 16, 2008)

I did join this site, but then realised how rubbish it was. it's like an exotic pet ebay, they seem to treat the animals as objects and I think it's just a business idea not a dedicated project by people in the know.


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

philbaker76 said:


> Thanks Grant - it is our aim to have a basic care sheet with every pet.
> 
> We want to keep them _simple_, under three simple headings.
> 
> ...


i see alot of your mantids havent got images next to them.

what mantids can you get hold or or have in stock?


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## axorozzas (Aug 16, 2008)

OOPS! sorry! I posted without reading the last page *slaps forehead* 
that is indeed good news!!!:2thumb:


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## macro junkie (Oct 27, 2007)

axorozzas said:


> I did join this site, but then realised how rubbish it was. .


 hahaha..straight to the point. :lol2:


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## philbaker76 (Jul 6, 2008)

axorozzas said:


> I did join this site, but then realised how rubbish it was. it's like an exotic pet ebay, they seem to treat the animals as objects and I think it's just a business idea not a dedicated project by people in the know.


Sorry you feel that way axorozzas.



macro junkie said:


> i see alot of your mantids havent got images next to them.
> 
> what mantids can you get hold or or have in stock?


We have a lot of images from the MantisUK.com days, but none that will fit the new image size required for Exotic-Pets.co.uk.

Karen just needs to get time to take new mantid photos. Stock wise; Karen has loads of "mantis contacts" from her MantisUK.com days - there is an e-mail notification at the bottom of each page ...this should e-mail you when more of that mantis is available.

I've started a thread for any feedback.
http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/general-herp-chat/156982-exotic-pets-co-uk-feedback.html

Cheers, Phil


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