# DD reptiles, anyone else not getting what they paid for?



## Gimbo (May 28, 2010)

Paid £500 deposit on 23 August 2021 and was told that he would start it that weekend and that it would be 3 weeks for delivery. In 2 days it will be 9 weeks with zero photos provided. Numerous promises that it was coming along and the latest was it was built and background was a little wet so could t photo it. I said I was happy to just have a photo from above as not to disturb it. He’s gone quiet at least twice for over a week. He won’t provide any proof he’s built the terrarium, he won’t deliver me one he offered before ordering that’s available and he won’t refund me. To be fair he just won’t give me the respect of responding. After he as 3 weeks overdue with delivery I said I understood things happen and can cause delays and he promised to sort it and provide photos. This time around he’s just dropped off the face of the earth. He sadly does this too often to other customers. Some people are fortunate to get what they paid for but some of us don’t. What makes it worse is he won’t accept PayPal only bank transfer to his private account so there is zero buyer protection with him.

How many others have been caught out on here? Photos of conversation added to backup what I’m saying.


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## Gimbo (May 28, 2010)

More communication


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## Gimbo (May 28, 2010)

More communication (2)


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## Gimbo (May 28, 2010)

More communication (3)


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## Gimbo (May 28, 2010)

More communication (3)


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## Gimbo (May 28, 2010)

Final communication as of (23/10/2021)


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Personally whilst you may have received poor service, or have an ongoing complaint with the guy, publishing private conversations between him and yourself on a public forum is not really cricket. You don't have to prove to any of us what conversations or promises were made, the matter is between you and him, and it certainly isn't going to make him warm to you now to resolve this (I would be frigging angry if someone posted my private conversations in public without my knowledge or approval...)

May I suggest you remove the screen captures. Then if you haven't received any communication, then (assuming you have an address for him) put him on notice that unless you hear back from him and he agrees to refund you the full amount you'll have no option but to start proceedings to recover the amount through the small claims court. That doesn't always mean you'll get the money back, unless he fails to pay if the judge awards you the case, and then you have to escalate it to the high courts, then the sheriffs go in !


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## retic666 (Jan 18, 2021)

I agree with Malc.... Not good to air your dirty laundry in public. Keep the messages for the judge as proof of conversation. You don't need to to prove to us that he's being a bit flakey. For the minute I would try & work with him & hopefully he will come back to you with a valid reason as to why he hasn't responded. Who knows, he might of had a family emergency or some serious personal issues he's had to deal with, so his customers are the last thing on his mind. I know its not great for you & he should at least let you know what's going on if he has got problems his end, but unfortunately when something unexpected happens, we all tend to shut down & deal with things.

Heres to hoping he gets back to you with a solution & you don't have to take it any further. Personally, If you do make contact with him, just ask for your deposit back. Generally this is enough to shake someone up & they tend to get it done overnight. I had the same issues with some vivs I had built a few yrs ago.... Bloke quoted me 4wks to build them, I was chasing him 16wks later for them. I just left him a voicemail stating that if I didn't get them by end of wk, I wanted my deposit back & guess what?......... Vivs were delivered to me that weekend 

Good luck & keep us posted (without the screenshots of messages).


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## Gimbo (May 28, 2010)

There’s no emergency as he’s told me that they are due for delivery on a set day as almost finished. Then he’s told me it will be complete on same day he’s messaged me then comes up with excuses. I’ve said to him amicably if it’s a struggle refund me and he ignored it. I’ve now requested a refund twice and been ignored. From all the private messages and other reviews I’ve found he has been doing this to many people for a long time and when police get involved he leaves the country. So I will try small claims court but am aware it won’t lead anywhere from the track record he’s had with others.

Broadcasting messages publicly isn’t something I have ever done before but he just can’t care less as got the deposit. So more so making people considering aware as this is becoming a trend and sure this community doesn’t want someone ripping people off when so many have reviewed/recommended their services. Just a bad egg, whatever the underlying cause of the past 2 years of intermittent failure to provide what was paid for or to an acceptable quality.
I’ve messaged him a final time to see what he has to say then will take legal action.


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## retic666 (Jan 18, 2021)

Gimbo said:


> There’s no emergency as he’s told me that they are due for delivery on a set day as almost finished. Then he’s told me it will be complete on same day he’s messaged me then comes up with excuses. I’ve said to him amicably if it’s a struggle refund me and he ignored it. I’ve now requested a refund twice and been ignored. From all the private messages and other reviews I’ve found he has been doing this to many people for a long time and when police get involved he leaves the country. So I will try small claims court but am aware it won’t lead anywhere from the track record he’s had with others.
> 
> Broadcasting messages publicly isn’t something I have ever done before but he just can’t care less as got the deposit. So more so making people considering aware as this is becoming a trend and sure this community doesn’t want someone ripping people off when so many have reviewed/recommended their services. Just a bad egg, whatever the underlying cause of the past 2 years of intermittent failure to provide what was paid for or to an acceptable quality.
> I’ve messaged him a final time to see what he has to say then will take legal action.


Sorry to say, but you should of done your research first. If I'm spending that sort of money I would check out reviews & asdk about for word of mouth & see what people come back with. 

Anyhow, that aside it sounds like he is a wrongen & I sincerely hope you either get your vivs or your money back! Not a nice situation to be in & no one needs the hassle of raising a small claims court on an individual. It's time consuming & stressful. 

Good luck & hope you get it resolved 👍


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

With other interests including astronomy, I've seen a lot of similar issues on other forums. On one astronomy forum there is a similar thread where people have waited 12-18 months for an observatory to be delivered and installed. Same thing.. emails dry up, unanswered messages left on answerphones, etc etc and here we're talking deposits over a grand. One person finally received his order 14 months after placing it, and so the owner is well aware of the thread running on that forum. Most of the customers are happy to wait IF only the owner would contact them and advise of the delays and keep the customers in the loop. Most are sympathetic given lockdown / covid etc...its just the not knowing that is the issue, and why two forum members have taking the owner to court, one has succeeded in his case being ruled in his favour, so now the owner has at least one CCJ against his name.... but that still hasn't got the customer his money back... but he is determined to escalate this when the period for payment to be made has elapsed. 

The problem was that up until that thread started, the company had a great reputation (better reviews on trust pilot than DD Reptiles  ). Orders were turned around in three months as stated on their website, and there were many happy customers as the products, whilst very over priced, were of the highest quality and standard. There were new customers that were considering placing new orders based on the companies website, and trawling up posts on forums from previously satisfied customers prior to this happening. But they stumbled on this thread and then thought better of it.

Although I personally have never had to take anyone to court, the process is straight forward but it can be lengthy, and stressful, and there is no guarantee of winning, unless of course the other party fails to attend court, which happened in the case above.

I have reported the OP to the moderators to see if they feel making those conversations public on their platform could bring the forum into trouble. It's not my call, and both me and retic666 have advised you to remove them as IMO it won't help your case as explained in my first post.

Fingers cross you get this resolved ....one way or t'other !


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## retic666 (Jan 18, 2021)

I have been on their website just now & seen this statement under their news tab. Not sure how you communicated with them? If it was through their website then you spoke to the real deal?


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

> If you wish to cancel your order before despatch, please contact us. Either email our DDReptiles team or telephone *07934673197*.


What happens if you call him on the number stated on their website


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## retic666 (Jan 18, 2021)

Well.... I emailed them earlier on this evening pretending to enquire about a viv being built for one of my snakes & I got a response back a little while later from a guy called David 🤔


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

Interestingly the returns address is 27 Fifth Avenue, York, YO31 0XB. If you enter that address into google it's a residential house



Not quite the impression you get from the glossy website



> _Welcome to the DDReptiles website. We are the young and stable company originated from the passion for reptiles, amphibians & invertebrates. DDR is distributing company sell natural decoration, mixed substrates and at the same time make natural biotope vivariums, light units and natural backgrounds _


I only have a basic O level in English, but that sentence doesn't really read right...." _*DDR is distributing company sell natural decoration *_" - Is distributing company sell - what level of English is that..

At least you may possibly have his home address where you could go and knock on his door for your cash.....


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## retic666 (Jan 18, 2021)

Malc said:


> Interestingly the returns address is 27 Fifth Avenue, York, YO31 0XB. If you enter that address into google it's a residential house
> 
> View attachment 354544
> 
> ...


Yeah I see this. I would drive up there.


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## Gimbo (May 28, 2010)

retic666 said:


> I have been on their website just now & seen this statement under their news tab. Not sure how you communicated with them? If it was through their website then you spoke to the real deal?
> 
> View attachment 354542


Definitely the real David Danihel I spoke to, he reached out since I last posted a comment on this thread. He said he’s been hacked and lost access to Facebook, Facebook messenger, his website and email. (But messaged off his Facebook personal account on messenger and emailed me off DDreptiles email to say check his message on messenger. So bit of a red flag that he can’t access business page linked to profile but can message me off a account that apparently still hacked. Gave him the benefit of the doubt. He provided a photo of what he claimed was my terrarium, it was incomplete and didn’t match the design requested. Asked for a refund to which he refused, asked for the terrarium to have internal design finished and sent without any electronics for the value of deposit with no additional paid. He refused.
Said refund me £300 of the deposit and I go away as does any trace of my references to him online, he refused. Said as it’s already built I can’t have a discount. Pointed out it’s 6 weeks overdue and had to make decision to source alternative. Then insulted me. So now fully accepted he’s take. My money and run. 



Malc said:


> What happens if you call him on the number stated on their website


I have phoned the number on his invoice, it never rings. No point trying that as there’s no room for an adult conversation sadly. 



retic666 said:


> Well.... I emailed them earlier on this evening pretending to enquire about a viv being built for one of my snakes & I got a response back a little while later from a guy called David 🤔


It’s him David Danihel



Malc said:


> Interestingly the returns address is 27 Fifth Avenue, York, YO31 0XB. If you enter that address into google it's a residential house
> Not quite the impression you get from the glossy website
> 
> 
> ...


After some intensive digging and a handful of people contacting me privately I have discovered that he hasn’t resided at that address which is on his latest invoices for up to 3 years or thereabouts. He has a shop he runs in Slovakia and lives out there. His move roughly lines up with a court case involving HMRC, so small claims will be attempted but probably pointless and action fraud have an email and by sounds of it already aware.
The reviews and his website are not portraying the real side of the story. Sounds like he once was a decent company but now whatever the catalyst…. We’ll if you’re reading this you know



retic666 said:


> Yeah I see this. I would drive up there.


As above


In regards to reviews, he said leave them up he didn’t care. Who knows, just be careful people, it’s very easy to lose money, be more diligent in general than I was on this occasion. The personal account payment gave me a gut feeling and ignored it. I’m just fortunate that the worst this has done is royally annoy me not cause me to rehome my animal as can’t afford to pay twice. (Just gonna build myself)


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## Malc (Oct 27, 2009)

I see you found the details of the court case, or the appeal which was rejected. Branded a smuggler by HMRC for not declaring 4000 ciggies tut tut !!

Sorry to say this but maybe you will just have to cut your losses and move on... Yes it's a bitter pill to swallow, but if there is little way of redress, and any efforts to recover the money could cost you more than what you paid him then learn from this and move on. All you can do is warn people of your experience (just be factual and stick to the events you can prove without accusations) by posting the account as you have done here.


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## retic666 (Jan 18, 2021)

Sorry to hear of this. This is awful news. I can't understand how people can go through life ripping people off & sleep at night?! I'm talking to him now & making out I want to put a deposit down on an enclosure, then I'm gonna tell him where to go. What a lowlife. 

I got scammed for £27 last week on a logo design & that pee'd me off, so god knows how you must feel?


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## Gimbo (May 28, 2010)

Malc said:


> I see you found the details of the court case, or the appeal which was rejected. Branded a smuggler by HMRC for not declaring 4000 ciggies tut tut !!
> 
> Sorry to say this but maybe you will just have to cut your losses and move on... Yes it's a bitter pill to swallow, but if there is little way of redress, and any efforts to recover the money could cost you more than what you paid him then learn from this and move on. All you can do is warn people of your experience (just be factual and stick to the events you can prove without accusations) by posting the account as you have done here.


That’s the plan only trying to tell my story as a cautionary tale, not looking to sprinkle extras on there as it’s enough as it is. Not the best of experiences but if no one has information then they can’t choose to make a calculated risk. Wish I’d known more at time of deposit payment.


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## Gimbo (May 28, 2010)

retic666 said:


> Sorry to hear of this. This is awful news. I can't understand how people can go through life ripping people off & sleep at night?! I'm talking to him now & making out I want to put a deposit down on an enclosure, then I'm gonna tell him where to go. What a lowlife.
> 
> I got scammed for £27 last week on a logo design & that pee'd me off, so god knows how you must feel?


Yeah just got to dust myself off and carry on with other things. All I know is that I can sleep at night and the cautionary tale may help others.


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## retic666 (Jan 18, 2021)

Gimbo said:


> Yeah just got to dust myself off and carry on with other things. All I know is that I can sleep at night and the cautionary tale may help others.


It certainly will mate, cos I'm gonna tell everyone not to use them & that they are con artists.


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