i got the wrong size tortoise

[lindy]

well ive been looking for a few more russians for awhile now. so i finally went on line and found this nice store. i emailed and they said they have a few near 5 inch females so i payed with paypal and just got them in the mail today. well they are 3.5 inches. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
they said that they ran out of 5 inchers so they gave me there only females. duh 3.5 they could be males for all any one knowes. so i am mad because i told be 5inchers i asked 4 times. and they said i would be happy with them. should i be able to send them back

 

[jlyoncc1]

If you are not happy, I would try. The only problem is that you may not be reimbursed shipping unless you can post a complaint through paypal.

 

[Jacqui]

I think you should be able to, however they may "hide" behind the fact that they only guarantee health or live arrival, not size and gender. A lot depends on how good of customer relations they want to have. They may also offer to let you keep them at a discounted price.

 

[jasso2]

thats just wrong.

 

[lindy]

well i emailed them and all they said is that they just got a breeding size pair in( they are probably small too wonder what they consider a breeding size pair) if i wanted to buy more. i dont want more i want the right size. nothing every goes right with me. i guess i should be happy that they are at least russians, i think one of them are going to be male though, he has a slightly longer tail and it has more of a line then a star already.
i would of had better luck waiting for petsmart to get them in.
the last two russians i got were also supposed to be 4.5 and they are almost 4 inches and they has shell rot.
i would buy from a breeder but they only have babys
o and i paid for two day, i figured it was good because russians can handle colder weather even though its in the low 70s, well they paid $17 to ship them, what a rip.
i hope i can send them back. (they are so cute though)
also i asume they are wild caught do wild caught ones have extra scutes? one of them has an extra one.
just wondering

 

[lindy]

i got a phone call from the previous owners of these two torts. they wont pay to return to ship them and they would only give me a $36 dollar credit towards a female then i have to pay half the shiping. I guess im stuck with these guys.
i cant believe they just wont trade. and its there fault of not sexing the tortoises right.
I guess im never going to get any females.

 

[Jacqui]

Sorry you having a run of bad luck. Experiences like yours are one reason I really hate getting an animal sight unseen. Helps if you can deal with folks you know and who also happen to know their torts. These experiences are how we all grow.

I know I keep telling folks this, but be patient. Fate has a twisted sense of humor and it may seem like you search forever for the one tort you really need/want. You will always hear about ones for sale, just after they are sold. Then suddenly, the right one will be there and normally when you least expect it. (sorta like love, huh? ) Seems often once that happens, a mini flood opens of opportunities for other torts to come your way.

As for the business be sure to read what their guarantees are. If it's not guaranteed in writing, then it's a buyer beware market. Your lucky they are willing to give you even a partial credit and split the shipping costs.

Remember even these "wrong" torts may end up being the "one" that becomes your first or your top breeder. Being too small, just means you have the time to get her to size, get her as healthy as a tort can be, feed her the best and most correct diet so she can produce the healthiest hatchlings for you. It gives you time to do more learning and growing as a tort care taker. To fine tune your enclosures and set ups. An extra male? Well maybe he may be the one who really goes after the females. Perhaps he will be the one to get your current male into breeding mode. Besides, you can at any time sell either or both of them, often at a profit. I don't think there is really any such thing as "stuck" with a tortoise. Just adjust your plans or your timetables and keep working toward that future goal of baby Russians.

 

[lindy]

ya i was just a little upset with the fact they gave me too small of tortoises when i asked a few times to make sure they were big enough. its just a bumer that they are both boys.
I cant afford to buy another tortoise even thought they gave me a $36 credit, that doesnt even cover shiping and the female that they would give me cost more for some reason.
I have room right now so its not like the end of the world i just really wanted females.

 

[Vegas_Leopard]

A similar situation happened to me. I bought a Sulcata that I was told was a female, she was being mounted by other males & could possibly be gravid, but she was about 13"+. Knowing that female Sulcata's don't usually mature until they're around 6+ years old 17"-18" it wasn't possible. I bought it because I was told it was a female, another reason why was because I was told it had a blonder shell coloration. To me it was a done deal, when I received it I was just like wtf.. It was practically dark brow & had no blonde coloration. The thing that angered me most was that it wasn't a female, but a male. I called them about it & they wouldn't do a thing about it. From what I remember I bought it from "RJ Exotics" from Florida.

 

[tortoise_addict]

Sorry about your experience. It seems like everyone is getting the russian runaround lately. I did too but mine had a awesome ending.

 

[Chucky]

I'm pretty sure you can reverse the charges. If you buy something and they send you something else, then they have to give your money back. I've done it a couple times with things other than turtles or tortoises and I got my money back every time including the shipping.

Didn't you say 3.5"? Isn't there a 4" law they have to abide by?

 

[Laura]

Buy in person from a reputable person if you can!!! So many scammers out there that only care about getting the money. To heck with the animals welfare.. IF THERE EVEN IS ONE!!