Am I dreaming? Check this out!

reticulata · Post by **reticulata** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 9:25 am

For what it's worth I just received an e-mail from one of the buyers of David Taylor's auctions informing me that they had purchased the fish and taken delivery, they looked good and will be transporting them to Taiwan. I also sent an e-mail to Mr. Taylor offering to drive to Tacoma to meet him at a restaurant or the LaQuinta Inn by the Tacoma Dome to pay and pick up my fish.

DavidTaylor · Post by **DavidTaylor** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 6:37 pm

Here are pictures, I will respond to all of your bullcrud posts tonight.
reticulata, I havent recieved an email from you in a while til today.

Right now I am so pissed you people are smearing my name, without reason. No one can claim I have ripped them off.

tmh0324 those pictures are my property, remove them from your site NOW.

Post by **John** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 8:21 pm

DavidTaylor wrote:I will respond to all of your bullcrud posts tonight.

While you're at it you might as well make a stop over here to:

http://www.plecofanatics.com/forum/show ... post292776

It is probably gonna be a busy night for you.

Toppcats · Post by **Toppcats** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 9:51 pm

Mr.Taylor - welcome to this site and thank you for posting. I apologize to you for any offense you may have taken from my postings within this thread. Understand that I have personally lost money (as it appears several others have here as well) in pursuit of auction items where sellers have taken the funds sent to them and then disappeared - this fact demands that I use caution on the auction sites I buy from (ebay and Aquabid) and attempt to research a seller - especially when working with a seller who has no feedback history. As I noted in my prior post I would desire to bid on the fish you present for auction - and bid aggressively - but I also need to bid with some confidence in the seller. Prior to your posting here I had no basis, means, or satisfactory information with which to establish that confidence. Thank you for posting the photos - you have a nice group of beautiful zebra plecos.

Regards and welcome,
Gary

Post by **TwoTankAmin** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 10:30 pm

Well at least there is some response from DavidTaylor finally.

DT- I understand how you would be upset by folks questioning if you are legit or a scammer. But I also think you should see things from the other side.

1. You appear out of nowhere and list a lot of very expensive fish. Fish which have been used by scam artisits to rip off a lot of money from members here, members at AquaBid and on PlecoFanatics. This has folks on the alert.

2. Between this site and several others, a good number of the folks who own and breed zebras are familiar with each other from long standing net and/or in person relationships. Thes fish are not the easiest to spwn, and most who have had success needed advice and help along the way. Most will come to sites like this or their local fish club for help. Nobody at any of these places had any idea who you might be. So that raised some eyebrows.

3. The import ban and potential demise of this species in the wild has many folks who are concerned with not buying illegal fish. That these might be illegally imported fish also had some folks on the alert.

From the number of adult fish listed and the descriptions included with them and in light of the above it is not that unusual for the pleco/auction communities to have lot of questions of a seller who is a total unknown.

The best thing you could do, imo, is to understand things from the other side ot it. Instead of battling those few folks who were rude and jumped to conclusions and called you a scammer (most of who have no zebras and no plans to get them) and provide the legitimate potential buyers with good answers/into and pics. Then deliver on the goods. The rest of us will be quick to sing your praises when you do.

DavidTaylor · Post by **DavidTaylor** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 10:38 pm

Toppcats-
I am truely sorry you have been taken, but do not blame me for it. I have lost money because of these posts. I have had people cancel legitmate orders now.

TwoTankAmin-

1 Your right, and I can provide proof I have these fish, some of the pictures I have written my name on a piece of paper and put it in the background. Is that not proof enough? There is no reason for people to call me a scammer, unless they have proof.

2- I am not a big computer person, my 7 year old knows more than me. I have been around for 15years, but I am not a big breeder or someone who likes to draw attention to myself.

3. I can provide legal paperwork from US customs and USFWS with regard to the legal importation of my plecos. I have stated this many time.

I feel I have provided good answers to questions, I know I have provided good pictures (see above) and everyone who HAS PAID ME has gotten what they ordered.

If these people do not even have zebrasand have no plans to get them. Why are they even worried about me?

Raul-7 · Post by **Raul-7** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 11:01 pm

DavidTaylor wrote:Toppcats-
I am truely sorry you have been taken, but do not blame me for it. I have lost money because of these posts. I have had people cancel legitmate orders now.

TwoTankAmin-

1 Your right, and I can provide proof I have these fish, some of the pictures I have written my name on a piece of paper and put it in the background. Is that not proof enough? There is no reason for people to call me a scammer, unless they have proof.

2- I am not a big computer person, my 7 year old knows more than me. I have been around for 15years, but I am not a big breeder or someone who likes to draw attention to myself.

3. I can provide legal paperwork from US customs and USFWS with regard to the legal importation of my plecos. I have stated this many time.

I feel I have provided good answers to questions, I know I have provided good pictures (see above) and everyone who HAS PAID ME has gotten what they ordered.

If these people do not even have zebras and have no plans to get them. Why are they even worried about me?

Part of being on a forum is to help fellow members, whether it be advice on solutions to fish problems, feeding questions, seller reputation, etc. are all common and viable concerns rasied by a community of hobbyists.

I would like to apologize as well. But TwoTankAmin's points were spot on. Given the last major scam that involved a very similar situation (seller with no repuation and wanting fast payment) people are now worried and want be completly assured that they are dealing with a legit seller if they're ever to spend that much money again. I mean, we're talking about a fish that goes for $150-400 a piece. That's no easy money to come by and it often leaves buyers really nervous, especially when there's a new seller on the scene who isn't active on any of the forums.

Maybe if your past buyer were to post their expierences along with pictures that would help clear a lot of confusion.

And can I ask, if they're are captive bred - how did you import them? I'm assuming these were not from Brazil.

[/b]

DavidTaylor · Post by **DavidTaylor** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 11:05 pm

Raul if you read the auction, I imported the parents, and grand parents of the ones I am selling. I am not going to ask people to come post supporting me, because people are just going to claim its me or a friend. I am not stupid, I know how most of you people work. People are just here to get there kicks and giggles and spread gossip.

Raul-7 · Post by **Raul-7** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 11:38 pm

DavidTaylor wrote:Raul if you read the auction, I imported the parents, and grand parents of the ones I am selling. I am not going to ask people to come post supporting me, because people are just going to claim its me or a friend. I am not stupid, I know how most of you people work. People are just here to get there kicks and giggles and spread gossip.

Maybe. But it would be wrong to generalize everyone. There are some serious buyers who raised these concerns in the first place, and then there are others who would like nothing more than to ridicule a potential unknown seller - but I think you must be reffering to the other forum. I have yet to see anyone here turning into a mockery. I was a neutral and at the same time weary, I was skeptic - but you have to releasize that we only heard one side of the story up until you joined the forum.

DavidTaylor · Post by **DavidTaylor** » Sat Apr 14, 2007 11:43 pm

Well the others, are making everyone look like morons.

esp goober, I really appeciate all the people leaving me voice mail messages. Esp the obscene, wouldnt it be great if my 9yr old had somehow listened to those!

Seems the average IQ on these forums is running around 80. or maybe the average age is just running around 13. I dont know

tmh0324 · Post by **tmh0324** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 12:49 am

Hi, David:

I already delete these pictures from my site.
I apologize for using these pictures...

But I really just want to say
Trust is build up on two-way, not one way.
Everyone is all afraid to get ripped off...just from different positions.

IMO, the forum is a place to let people discuss and exchange information...I may over the line a bit...but not on purpose at all.

Sorry again.

By the way, I do really want to buy and also have money ready...not just thinking...

Steven

DavidTaylor · Post by **DavidTaylor** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 1:11 am

forum maybe a place for discussion, but it is not a place to make libel statements against an honest person. Before someone labels me a scammer, find someone I scammed.

Post by **TwoTankAmin** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 1:43 am

Well the thing is, if you look around and see who was saying what where, that may help you decide if a site is discussing or making unfounded statements.

I breed zebs and sell the fry. I do not ever list them on AquaBid. I am not after the maximum dollar and will only sell fish to folks who I think want to raise and breed them.

I rely on the for sale section here and on one or two other sites. I have always had a waiting list for the fish and none of the hassles you just got.

If you had come here, or one of several other forums, before listing on AB, you would have been helped with what sort of info to put in your listing, warned about what can happen when 0/0 sellers list pricey fish and probably would have ended up selling all your fish before you even got to AB.

Toppcats · Post by **Toppcats** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 1:44 am

David,

Again - thank you for your posts here. Please note that at no time did I place blame on you for losses sustained by me in other auctions where the seller did not follow through. That experience does however lead, and properly so, to a general recommendation for one to be very cautious in an auction on a relatively expensive item where the interaction is with a seller for whom there is no feedback data or rapport. My comment/post was to impart information and a sentiment to the forum; again my apologies if you feel that this contributed to a lower auction price or a buyer who would not follow through.

I completely agree that the placement of an obscene call or e-mail to your home is totally inexcusable and I too would be quite angry if I had been the recipient of that but I also believe that the individuals comprising that element are an extreme minority here (I know that does not make the receipt of even one improper call more palatable). A review of most of the threads and topics on this site show a community of people, most of whom are working for a common goal.

Regards,
Gary

reticulata · Post by **reticulata** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:29 am

Bottom lined for me:

I e-mailed David today that I would drive from Portland to Tacoma, meet with him and pay for the fish I won (proven pair) and get on the band wagon and tell everyone what a great guy he is after all. His reply:

"I'm not selling any fish period"

So there you all have it. Thanks,

reticulata

Am I dreaming? Check this out!

Zebra Pleco Auctions

utter bull

Re: utter bull

Response to Mr. Taylor

David Taylors Zebra Plecos