GreenOasis
Well-known member
I just received this suspiciously whiney message from my "comment box" and an even more suspicious set of emails following my response. I thought I would share in case this person might be trying to scam anyone else. (Didn't post in the feedback area because I don't know if this person is a member on here or not, and it is also not a "seller", so...)
Name
Garrett Chang
Email
[email protected]
How did you find out about us?.Google or other search engine
1
Comment
Can you guys send me a free mantis of any type i really want one so bad please please please send me one here's my address so you can send it to me ____ tomcourt highlandsranch co.____ and do you do mail order"
So, I responded thus:
"Hello Garrett,
Yes, we do do mail order, however, we do not ship out "free samples" of mantises.
Please see the website for more details about shipping, if you decide to order.
Thanks!
-Carey Kurtz-
www.mantispets.com"
The next message I received from him was this:
"But how do I do mail order can I send out cash
Sent from my iPod"
Thinking that this was a kid I was dealing with (not uncommon), I tried giving a very simplistic response:
"Garrett,
We do not accept cash.
You must use the paypal shopping cart system and pay with either a credit card or a paypal account. Simply click on the button for each mantis species. If there is no button, that means that they are not available.
Thanks,
-Carey Kurtz-
www.mantispets.com"
This was the next response I got:
"And come on man why can't you send me one my son is sad because last time which was a week ago I bought a mantis from mantisplace.com and it came dead and they said no refund so he picked this website but since you guys said no to me and my son he's sad and crying a little bit because it was his b day present so he's sad
Sent from my iPod"
At this point, I was pretty livid with this person and began formulating my next (and final) response. Obviously, there are one of two things going on here, 1) He's a teenager, and a liar...probably a scammer, or 2) He is an adult who is used to "entitlement" and believes he has a legitimate reason to be able to request a free mantis from me because he is also raising his son to believe in "entitlement".
For your entertainment purposes only, I provide you with my (our) last response. (Hubby had to get in on in because it was just such a ridiculous scenario!):
"Garrett,
I am curious why you think that because you had a problem with Mantis Place, you think that WE should give you a free mantis? It costs me money to house, feed & breed these creatures. I spend no less than $100 a month to feed the mantids that I keep and sell and barely make enough back on them to cover my expenses...much less anything for the daily labor involved in caring for so many mantises. If you had a problem wtih Mantis Place, I suggest you take it up with the person who runs THAT site. Not us.
-Carey Kurtz-
www.mantispets.com
Garrett,
I am sorry to hear about your trouble with our competitor. We run a small home business and have 4 children that we are raising without help or assistance, therefore we cannot afford to send you something for free. I do not believe I have ever been so insulted as to have someone try to guilt me into giving them what we have worked so hard for. You should be ashamed of yourself for even asking, let alone trying to use emotions and pity to get what you want. I hope in the future you will set a better example for your son. Our country is falling apart because of those who work the system and expect handouts from others instead of paying their own way. If your child is starving, then by all means swallow your pride and ask for help, but seriously man, begging for a bug? You need to man up.
-Steve Kurtz-
www.mantispets.com"
I hope anyone out there who has a site or is building one in the future to sell mantids keeps an eye out for this person and doesn't give in to his requests! People like this should learn to EARN what they get instead of getting whatever they want ON DEMAND. Makes me so mad to think that after all the hard work & money *I* have put into my business & animals, this person thinks I should just GIVE him something...out of the blue...and because he had a problem, not with ME, but with *Rebecca* (which I can totally understand why she would refuse to refund this guy, because I'm betting that this is the sort of person who wanted her to ship Priority, but expected her to still guarantee live arrival, just because he/his kid are whiney!) :blink:
"You've just received a new submission to your contact form.
Name
Garrett Chang
[email protected]
How did you find out about us?.Google or other search engine
1
Comment
Can you guys send me a free mantis of any type i really want one so bad please please please send me one here's my address so you can send it to me ____ tomcourt highlandsranch co.____ and do you do mail order"
So, I responded thus:
"Hello Garrett,
Yes, we do do mail order, however, we do not ship out "free samples" of mantises.
Please see the website for more details about shipping, if you decide to order.
Thanks!
-Carey Kurtz-
www.mantispets.com"
The next message I received from him was this:
"But how do I do mail order can I send out cash
Sent from my iPod"
Thinking that this was a kid I was dealing with (not uncommon), I tried giving a very simplistic response:
"Garrett,
We do not accept cash.
You must use the paypal shopping cart system and pay with either a credit card or a paypal account. Simply click on the button for each mantis species. If there is no button, that means that they are not available.
Thanks,
-Carey Kurtz-
www.mantispets.com"
This was the next response I got:
"And come on man why can't you send me one my son is sad because last time which was a week ago I bought a mantis from mantisplace.com and it came dead and they said no refund so he picked this website but since you guys said no to me and my son he's sad and crying a little bit because it was his b day present so he's sad
Sent from my iPod"
At this point, I was pretty livid with this person and began formulating my next (and final) response. Obviously, there are one of two things going on here, 1) He's a teenager, and a liar...probably a scammer, or 2) He is an adult who is used to "entitlement" and believes he has a legitimate reason to be able to request a free mantis from me because he is also raising his son to believe in "entitlement".
For your entertainment purposes only, I provide you with my (our) last response. (Hubby had to get in on in because it was just such a ridiculous scenario!):
"Garrett,
I am curious why you think that because you had a problem with Mantis Place, you think that WE should give you a free mantis? It costs me money to house, feed & breed these creatures. I spend no less than $100 a month to feed the mantids that I keep and sell and barely make enough back on them to cover my expenses...much less anything for the daily labor involved in caring for so many mantises. If you had a problem wtih Mantis Place, I suggest you take it up with the person who runs THAT site. Not us.
-Carey Kurtz-
www.mantispets.com
Garrett,
I am sorry to hear about your trouble with our competitor. We run a small home business and have 4 children that we are raising without help or assistance, therefore we cannot afford to send you something for free. I do not believe I have ever been so insulted as to have someone try to guilt me into giving them what we have worked so hard for. You should be ashamed of yourself for even asking, let alone trying to use emotions and pity to get what you want. I hope in the future you will set a better example for your son. Our country is falling apart because of those who work the system and expect handouts from others instead of paying their own way. If your child is starving, then by all means swallow your pride and ask for help, but seriously man, begging for a bug? You need to man up.
-Steve Kurtz-
www.mantispets.com"
I hope anyone out there who has a site or is building one in the future to sell mantids keeps an eye out for this person and doesn't give in to his requests! People like this should learn to EARN what they get instead of getting whatever they want ON DEMAND. Makes me so mad to think that after all the hard work & money *I* have put into my business & animals, this person thinks I should just GIVE him something...out of the blue...and because he had a problem, not with ME, but with *Rebecca* (which I can totally understand why she would refuse to refund this guy, because I'm betting that this is the sort of person who wanted her to ship Priority, but expected her to still guarantee live arrival, just because he/his kid are whiney!) :blink:
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