What's up with this?

[321Boom]

- http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-LIVE-CUTTLEFISH-saltwater-RARE_W0QQitemZ270344051447QQcmdZViewItem QQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2703440 51447&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A 1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50

I've not heard of "Sepia Robertsii."

[monty]

curious. two of the pics look like Sepia apama to me, which would clearly be too big for 3 in a 55gal, but the one of an animal feeding looks smaller.

[321Boom]

The picture of the one feeding is right on tonmo and another one was clearly taken in the ocean. I highly doubt those were taken by the seller.

[DWhatley]

I am not sure I trust the seller. There is one feedback (the rest are purchases) from a customer and no definitive info about the cuttle purchase. They do take Paypal which is helpful if it is a fraud (I won't buy anything on eBay that does not take Paypal) and doesn't expose credit card info but I would want more info on his "store" before making an offer ...

I KNEW I HAD SEEN THAT PICTURE SOMEWHERE:

www.tonmo.com/images/content/basiccuttle3.JPG

The hand feeding picture is from Colin's article!
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tonmo.com/images/content/basiccuttle3.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.tonmo.com/articles/basiccuttlefish.php&usg=__GliAsn-4zUMNACuzgRhv3eL4LxY=&h=480&w=640&sz=60&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=zM9k3qfJE6UdfM:&tbnh=103&tbnw=137&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcuttlefish%2Bfeeding%2Bpict ures%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.micr osoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7GGIK_en%26sa%3DN
This guy is a fraud!

[Tintenfisch]

'Nautalis' lover, huh? :roll:

[Animal Mother]

'Nautalis' lover, huh? :roll:


:lol::banghead:

[cuttlegirl]

:heee::banghead: Yeah, he/she says they have kept Nautilus before...
She is also listing a "Tank-bred" Garabaldi for sale. These fish are protected (and not to be collected) per Department of Fish and Game.

Update: The seller says that the Garabaldi comes from a wholesaler in California. She knows that they cannot be collected in California - she says they are sometimes collected from Mexico.

Here is the link for reporting selling a live animal (cuttlefish) that is NOT a fish... :heee:
http://contact.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ContactUs&wftype=7b6576419713e1e8&rcode=bc34c03d37ae934db777664042292bb0&subject=effb155ac12884a9cb7f30f3d46d2f10 86754dfab974f65c6f847160e26aff7c&bcrumb=e8cea7277b0917a50ef5c3a5fdc7798ad 2121b821e20c38c6122f1d922c3ee1fd2b424eeb 9b05eafa8ee15181b6f3136de2a5159c403d55f1 7d828ae24f61918c4e90700e951aca960d5ef51c 2c4cbc59f82dce9fa1a6ae1004b7e33e47a7939

[jtrasap]

This guy now has a new auction with Bandensis eggs and claims to have numerous other cuttlefish eggs available. Most of them seem to be made up names. This smells like a scam.


http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-LIVE-CUTTLEFISH-saltwater-RARE_W0QQitemZ270346855324QQcmdZViewItem QQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2703468 55324&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A 1|240%3A1318

[Thales]

Reported. Anyone with an ebay account should report her.

[Thales]

WHo is breeding in Carolina?

[Octopus_Reef]

WHo is breeding in Carolina?

I am wondering the same thing, 65.00 dollars for 1 egg! Thats an outright joke! Seems to me there is something not quite right about this auction.....

I have issues with this statement: (cut and paste from her listing)
out of all we have sold only 1 has died ( high ammonia in the customers uncycled tank )! these things are super easy.

What reputable store would sell a cuttle to a customer with a new uncycled tank? I own a store and its this kind of thing that I won't stand for!! They practicly sent it to its death for profit:cry:

[jtrasap]

I am wondering the same thing, 65.00 dollars for 1 egg! Thats an outright joke! Seems to me there is something not quite right about this auction.....

I have issues with this statement: (cut and paste from her listing)
out of all we have sold only 1 has died ( high ammonia in the customers uncycled tank )! these things are super easy.

What reputable store would sell a cuttle to a customer with a new uncycled tank? I own a store and its this kind of thing that I won't stand for!! They practicly sent it to its death for profit:cry:


Don't forget my DOA little one that hatched in transit.

[Octopus_Reef]

Don't forget my DOA little one that hatched in transit.

Hmmm, what are you implying?

[jtrasap]

Hmmm, what are you implying?

Just that the heat pack was ice cold and so were the eggs and the little cuttle. Not really your fault though.

[Thales]

There is something wrong with the auction, but not price. I think we pay way too little for wild collected animals.

[Octopus_Reef]

Not really your fault though.

Fair enough, I will be happy to replace the one that was DOA. No problem there. :smile:

[jtrasap]

Fair enough, I will be happy to replace the one that was DOA. No problem there. :smile:

That would be great!

[DWhatley]

Reported. Anyone with an ebay account should report her.

What link did you use to report her? I wanted to report the use of copyrighted photos (and now have a different problem with pictures from one of the sites I am responsible for) and the procedure was very cumbersome. Since you didn't use the intellectual rights complaint, can you post the link to the one that you could successfully submit (or did you use the one Jennifer supplied - afraid that one won't produce anything since they are very loose with the term fish and alive)?

Tkx

[Paradox]

Look at all the captive bred cephs they are claiming!?!?1

[Thales]

Post number 7 D.

[jtrasap]

Look at all the captive bred cephs they are claiming!?!?1

I noticed that. I googled some of the cuttlefish listed and came up with nothing. She is calling the flamboyant cuttlefish "Horned" Cuttlefish.


I questioned her on them and she seems to be unable to produce any photos of her own. She told me that she could send me pictures to my email address and when I supplied her with my email address she replied with a hateful email stating that I insulted her.

She now has a new auction offering 3 Bandensis eggs for $150!!!

She is also now including an email address in her auction........nautalis_sales@hotmail.co m

[Thales]

I noticed that. I googled some of the cuttlefish listed and came up with nothing. She is calling the flamboyant cuttlefish "Horned" Cuttlefish.


I questioned her on them and she seems to be unable to produce any photos of her own. She told me that she could send me pictures to my email address and when I supplied her with my email address she replied with a hateful email stating that I insulted her.

Report that to Ebay as seller abuse.

[Thales]

I just sent her:


I recognize many of the photos in your auction from other sources - do you have any photos of the actual items you have for sale?

Thanks

[jtrasap]

Yeah...I asked her if she had permission from Mark Norman to use his photo.......

[Thales]

I think we should be nice and mine for info before going after her. With more info, we might be able to get ebay to do something. If we make her mad, she will clam up. If we are nice to her, perhaps we can sway her...

[jtrasap]

I think we should be nice and mine for info before going after her. With more info, we might be able to get ebay to do something. If we make her mad, she will clam up.


I've been digging around a bit without any luck as of yet.

[Thales]

She replied to me. She seems confused.

[jtrasap]

She replied to me. She seems confused.


Same here. She did send me a couple of pictures that you couldn't see much of anything in. It smells so badly of a scam but she accepts PayPal. I thought about buying a few of her "flamboyant" eggs just to check it out and if it fails file a claim with PayPal.

[cuttlegirl]

:shock::mad: She says she has kept squid in the past?!?

[jtrasap]

:shock::mad: She says she has kept squid in the past?!?


Yes...She even states in her auction that she has "Australian rainbow squid eggs" available. After I pointed out to her the fact that she was using other people's copyrighted photographs to sell her items, she replied with another hateful email and blocked me from bidding on the auction. Another thing that I found funny was that her business name in the email that she sent me was "Doc. B Taxidermy"......:roflmao:

[DWhatley]

This one is at best fishy and I would almost bet that there would be trouble with the Paypal account when the winner tried to pay and the request for a check would follow (this was not uncommon in the old days). I am also not sure if Paypal covers live purchases, a lot of the warranties don't. It also sound like you might be getting responses from more than one person. Saltwater Scam Fish, I think.

[Thales]

Ah, Doc B taxidermy...

[Thales]

cuttlegirl found this:



http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110474


And I haven't heard back from the seller even though I sent an email.

[jtrasap]

I reported him as a fraud. It looks indeed to be Bruce Eismann!! I remember that guy from a few months back as well. He was all over the place under different names trying to sell fish and reptiles. How is he not in jail??

[jtrasap]

Here's a bit more reading on Bruce. After digging, I found that Bruce has previously been in trouble with the law for owning some tigers and them nearly starving to death.


In the link below Bruce's story starts about halfway down with "Janie's story is an example of what can happen to a white tiger cub.

When she arrived in 1997 at a wildlife sanctuary run by Vernon Yates of Seminole, she was 4 years old and should have weighed about 400 pounds.

She weighed 100 pounds."


http://www.sptimes.com/News/052701/news_pf/Floridian/An_unnatural_fate.shtml

[Octopus_Reef]

Im tempted to place a low bid so I can request user contact info and call and ask some questions...

[jtrasap]

Im tempted to place a low bid so I can request user contact info and call and ask some questions...

I tried to but he has me blocked so that I can't bid.

[DWhatley]

Im tempted to place a low bid so I can request user contact info and call and ask some questions...

Should your temptations get the best of you the link Thales posted (from Cuttlegirl) has contact information.

And the plot thickens:

http://www.tonmo.com/forums/showthread.php?p=133645#post133645

[monty]

Reading the seller reviews, it sounds like most of them were written by the same over-enthusiastic person, too. Who writes "A++++++++!!!!!!!!!" in ebay reviews? I know I don't.

[monty]

http://www.tonmo.com/forums/showpost.php?p=133648&postcount=765

[DWhatley]

copycat (see post #38)!


Reading the seller reviews, it sounds like most of them were written by the same over-enthusiastic person, too. Who writes "A++++++++!!!!!!!!!" in ebay reviews? I know I don't.

Monty, the posts you are looking are at are from sellers, not buyers. There are only two buyer's posts and the first one looks like a young person (both appear to be authentic, I won't rant about second poster)

[MooingTricycle]

You guys need to check this thread out. This guy, or "Girl" May very well be a KNOWN scammer on another forum.

It might seem like alot of reading, but its WORTH checking out, just to see if anyone with ANY information on this guy/girl ( we think its a guy) can also prove he is one and the same.

If this post is inappropriate for this board, i truly apologize. And please feel free to delete this information/post. I just wanted to alert you to the other forum and the information it has.

Im not saying this is DEFINITELY the guy... but its pretty fishy ( har har)

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110474

- Alicia Holmes

[MooingTricycle]

cuttlegirl found this:



http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110474


And I haven't heard back from the seller even though I sent an email.

Nevermind. I didnt not realize you have heard of us :D

[321Boom]

It might be legit. The seller does have 100% feedback. Maybe its just a not very smart person with a great supplier. I'd hate to have a hairy over someone just trying sell things on ebay that they thought were cool. I would be pretty T.Oed also if a bunch of people started complaining about me to ebay. I'm not saying it's not Bruce E., or some other scam; just that we don't know.

[jtrasap]

It might be legit. The seller does have 100% feedback. Maybe its just a not very smart person with a great supplier. I'd hate to have a hairy over someone just trying sell things on ebay that they thought were cool. I would be pretty T.Oed also if a bunch of people started complaining about me to ebay. I'm not saying it's not Bruce E., or some other scam; just that we don't know.


No...It's Bruce.

[321Boom]

No...It's Bruce.

Nevermind....... did not happen.

[DWhatley]

If you look back a bit you will also note that there are only 2 (3 now I think) purchasers and a very low feedback number on the account.

[L8 2 RISE]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160317631625&category=168143&_trksid=p4340.m212&_trkparms=algo%3DSI%26its%3DI%252BC%252B S%252BIA%26itu%3DPSS%252BCRS%252BUCC%252 BUCI%252BIT%252BUA%252BSI%252BUS-BWR%26otn%3D4%26ps%3D56

is this him too? cheapest golden I've ever seen, also, look at the feedback, it all says pretty much the exact same thing.

[broken__dori]

My first post is a frightened one ! I saw the 3 eggs on ebay and bought them, got them Tuesday, They are in a beta breeder inside my tank, there are copepods around the eggs and looks like algae is starting to do its ordeal, here is a picture, what can I do to be sure these are alive/safe ?!?! I would feel down right sick to my stomach if something bad happend or these are fakes/duds..... I have done all I can for now, 3hr acclimation then right into that breeder. Starting to grow brine shrimp as well.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y96/punk_no_label/DSC00015.jpg

[broken__dori]

Oh I also have some address' if she f's me. Plus I can leave the feedback she deserves if this is fake...

[Thales]

Oy. Hard to tell about the eggs.

Brine is widely regarded as an unsuitable food for cephs.


For a while she/he was saying they were going to send me the cephs, but then I never heard anything else.

[broken__dori]

Ah I have some on the way, but I can hold off on those, mysis shrimp is another good one correct ? I can try to get these at my LFS closer to when their hatching, hopefully.

[Brock Fluharty]

Mysis is better, but may be a bit big for newly hatched cuttles (depending on what species they actually are). Amphipods would be a more correct size I think.

[Thales]

Mysis is better, but may be a bit big for newly hatched cuttles (depending on what species they actually are). Amphipods would be a more correct size I think.


Not really. Most cultured mysis are small and perfect for newly hatched cuttles (that usually start feeding in the first week after hatching). Amphipods are generally too strong for newly feeding cuttles and often get away even when caught.

[Brock Fluharty]

Whoops, sorry about that Broken Dori. Listen to Thales, not me :-P I'm still learning too :)

[broken__dori]

Haha its fine Brock all info is welcomed :P
There's quite a few copepods in there now, are those sufficient ?

[shipposhack]

Some pods may be too big for a newborn cuttle to eat. Pods are built heavier than mysids as well which may make it more difficult for your cuttle to eat.

[broken__dori]

Well I think the eggs are bad :/
I've had them for a week and they haven't grown, can't see in them, nothing, how long does it take for them to grow to where you can see inside ? Thanks,

-Ryan

[cuttlegirl]

Do they look transparent at all? If you gently touch them, they should feel like they have water inside of them. If they feel hard like they have jello inside of them, they are bad. You could hang on to them for awhile longer, maybe they will inflate. If they start disintegrating, then they are dead.

[broken__dori]

Ok thanks for the info cuttlegirl ! I will check on them tomorrow its time to sleep now -_-

[Octopus_Reef]

Broken dori, I looked at the auction you got them from, How did they ship them? Was it overnight? heatpack? I ask because I noticed that they had posted in the auction that is would be US postal service. Depending on how long it took in shipping it could be an issue.

[broken__dori]

Well it feels like theres water in them, yes it was overnight and the water they came in was blue ? I've never seen that, the seller has kept in contact with me quite abit, I will take more pics in a couple days to see if you guys notice anything, I hope these poor little guys are ok :(

[Octopus_Reef]

My one concern is they got too cold. Was there a heat pack? was the water cold?

[broken__dori]

There was a heat pack and water was about room temp when opened, there was a coat of rough texture surrounding the eggs, but now they are looking more like a perfect sphere, is this ok ?!

[Octopus_Reef]

Chances are they are ok, The waiting game..............

[cuttlegirl]

There was a heat pack and water was about room temp when opened, there was a coat of rough texture surrounding the eggs, but now they are looking more like a perfect sphere, is this ok ?!
:smile: That's a good sign, it's bad when they look deflated...

[broken__dori]

YAY ! They look full and 3/4 are clearing up that weird texture outside of them ! This is great news thanks guys !

-Ryan

[broken__dori]

I'll never have a ceph :(
My cuttle eggs got holes in them and passed... I ordered an octopus he got here and had inked in the bag, DOA >_<

[Thales]

Did you really order for the ebay auction that is the subject of this thread? There were reasons people said not to order from them. :grin:

[Brock Fluharty]

Thales, I believe that he bought them before he saw this post. That's why he said on the last page that his first post was a frightening one...

[broken__dori]

Yeah I ordered before seeing this page.... It's ironic I was lurking before the order too :(
It's upsetting I have really wanted a cuttle then no hatching.... Then my octopus... *sigh*

[Six-Seven]

So I also bought from this scammer before I found out that it was a bad idea on this site. It is definitely the guy, Bruce, you are talking about, exact same address and everything. He says he has a business partner named betty that he works with but it all seems bogus!! He uses pictures from this site and even sent me a "cuttlefish care sheet" that was taken word for word from the Richard Ross article "Keeping and Breeding the dwarf cuttlefish Sepia bandensis" the pictures even credit Richard Ross and Mike Irving!!!

The first two shipments I received were horrible, one was a bunch more eggs than I paid for and were all duds. Then he replaced that order and it arrived with a huge hole in the bag that looked like it was done before it was sent!!! I have finally received some fertilized eggs and they are doing well so far!! I have learned my lesson though, if these dont make it I will buy from here when I decide to try again!!

[Thales]

Could you send me a copy of that care sheet? :D

[Six-Seven]

Could you send me a copy of that care sheet? :D

Just did!!