Anyone have any dealings with Bart from Exo (Factory) recently? I am aware of his negative reputation but after he posted in the for sale section last week I thought I might give him a chance and place a small order to begin with (€40 for an Ooth with shipping). Things went well in the beginning, very fast to respond, until I paid by PayPal 'friends and family' (yes I know, but I thought I would give him a chance). That was last Friday 26th February, and he said he would send me the tracking number on Monday. No tracking number on Monday so I messaged him Tuesday...ghosted... even though I could see he had been on WhatsApp. Messaged him again on Wednesday .....ghosted again. (Now that's just downright rude Bart!).
Lo and behold, get a message early this morning saying he'd be 'home in an hour and would send the tracking number', nine hours later and still nothing. (Now that's just even ruder Bart!!). And so I have resigned myself to the fact that I will probably not be receiving any order now, that is the only conclusion that I can come to that warrants such behaviour, and that he has no tracking number and that he never sent the order in the first place. Why else would he stall like that? Anyway,maybe I'm being a bit hasty and jumping the gun here, but a bit of common courtesy wouldn't go astray. Don't leave people hanging like that.
Seeing as I'm not getting any joy from messaging him, I will try one last time and send Bart a link to this thread, and again see if he can offer me some consolation, although I won't hold my breath considering his track record.
Update:
So in the interest of fairness I think it is only right that I update my experience of buying from Bart at Exo Factory.
After sending a link to this post, in the hope that he might understand my frustration at the lack of communication, the next day (Saturday 6th March) I received an apology from Bart for getting back to me so late, and confirming the tracking number.
True to his word, tracking showed the package was posted on Monday 1st March, but was still in a postal depot in Poland. Unfortunately it remained in the postal depot until the 7th, before it was shipped to Ireland. Today, after 15 days in transit I received my long awaited Ooth.
I must stress that dispatch time from Bart was very quick. Despite being registered priority airmail, delivery delay was solely down to Polish post and I can only assume that Covid-19 regulations must have played a part in that.
As far as the Ghost Mantis Ooth goes, it arrived safe and sound in a small deli cup wrapped in bubble wrap in a sturdy cardboard box. It is now being incubated at 27c, but I fear 15 days of cold temperatures might have taken it's toll (anyone have any advice on that?).
In short, I probably will order from Exo again, but only when the temps' warm up a bit, and when I can be sure that global postal services are some way back to normal.
Until then, I wait with bated breath for the arrival of some Ghostly hatchlings....
