I've hestitated posting my experience in the past, but watched these threads with interest. Since so many other people rushed to his defense in the past, I felt it better to be quiet.
But due to lack of communication when shipments are delayed on the two times that I ever purchased from Matt, I quietly went away - use a different vendor who has consistently shipped no later than the next day, and ceased referring anyone to Matt.
On August 6th of 2005, I placed my first order with Matt for a 20 gallon aquarium, 20 gallon screen lid, wired flexwatt, Ranco w/ strip and some 2" foil tape.
I received what looked like an auto generated e-mail that stated
Hello,
I have received your order, thank you! I will be shipping within 3 days of you receiving this email. If delays or back orders occur you will be notified promptly.
Kewl! I was very excited, this was my first online reptile related purchase. I was moving my new ball python from a 20 gallon tall, to this 20 gallon long that Matt had.
On 8/11, I sent this message to Matt:
Hey Matt! Here's the invoice that I got a confirmation on, Saturday. It said you'd ship within 3 days of receiving the e-mail and if there were delays or backorders I'd be notified. I've not received any ship notification or any telling me that it would be delayed.
And Matt's reply (I do have the original e-mails with headers if that's needed later).
Hey Robin, That email is an auto deal that is sent whenever a payment is sent to us via paypal.. I have boxes coming in from Uline to be able to ship the tank out safley.. Thanks, -Matt
I was thinking - ok, well if he knows that he can't ship in 3 days, shouldn't he modify his auto message?
So, I think I must have replied to that e-mail on the 12th of Aug (I don't have the text of that original mail, since I sent it from my webmail address that doesn't save originals) and get this message:
Thank you for contacting MG Reptiles. I will be out of the office from August 12th to August 24th.. All outstanding orders will be filled upon my return. Thanks for your business and God Bless you and yours, -Matt Graybeal
MGR
On the 24th, I sent this message:
Hi Matt! I know you just got back from your vacation from your auto e-mail I got. Any status on when my order will be shipping? Thanks!
And received this reply:
Hello, Thanks for your email. I have been out of town on a family emergency and am trying to get caught up. I had to leave on short notice and apologize for any inconvience this may have caused you, if it could have been avoided it would have. I am working non stop to get the orders out, emails and messages returned. I direct reply to your email will be following within 48 hours. Please feel free to email or call me with any questions you may have. Again I apologize for the inconvience and will be serving you in any way I possibly can to make the transaction as smooth as possible..
-Matt Graybeal
OK, I can understand family emergency - I'll give him a pass. But then I get this e-mail:
Now, at the time I placed my order, he had eight or nine used tanks for sale. At the time of my purchase, I assumed mine was tagged and set aside.
I replied:
Matt, I'm so sorry to hear about your family emergency, I hope that things are taking a turn for the better for you. I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.
I just replied to another e-mail. You had originally said you had several 20 gallon longs for sale when I paid for it. Did you sell out of all of them? As I stated in my previous e-mail, if you think you'd get more in, I'd be willing to wait for that. Please let me know! Thanks again!
I also shot him this e-mail on August 25th:
Matt,
If you don't have the tank, then I really won't need the screen top either. Do you think you'll have more 20 gallon longs later? I'd be willing to wait if you think it would be a reasonable amount of time before you got them in. Thanks so much!
No response, so sent this:
Just wondering if you got this e-mail or not. Can you let me know whether I can wait for you to get more 20 gallon long tanks in? Thanks so much!
to which he replied:
The tanks were a used item we were clearing out to make space for caging here.. I should be able to come by one more.. Ill do some checking and see whats up.. If you dont mind shoot me an email monday and I can let you know.. Thanks
August 31st I send him another e-mail
Hey Matt! Don't know if you got my e-mail yesterday or not. Were you able to locate another tank? Thanks again for all your help!
His response:
Hey Robin, No I sure didnt, sorry about that.. I dont have anyting as of yet.. If I am able to sell one more crested gecko Ill have one availbale.. I am putting them on sale tonight so I probably will. Thanks,
September 8th, me:
Hey Matt! Sorry to be such a "nudge" but just thought I'd check in again and see what the status is!
His response:
I have called all my pet ship friends and they have a eye out for me.. If something in my area comes upi in the nest 4 days Ill have it out to you
Thanks,
Now, granted, I recognize did cause the latter part of the delay in shipping by agreeing to wait for a 20 gallon long that was the primary reason I purchased from him. On Sept. 12th, I became frustrated from a) the lack of communication unless "I" initiated it and b)the initial delay in communicating and the fact it was nearly a month before I was told that the tank I originally ordered wasn't available. I fired off this message:
On August 31st, you said:
If I am able to sell one more crested gecko Ill have one availbale.. I am putting them on sale tonight so I probably will. Thanks,
but then on 9/8 you said:
I have called all my pet ship friends and they have a eye out for me.. If something in my area comes upi in the nest 4 days Ill have it out to you
I'm a bit confused, because I was under the impression that if you sold one more crested gecko that you'd have a tank for me.
It's been over a month since you received my payment, and at first you told me that you were waiting on U-Line boxes, then you had your family emergency, then suddenly the one you had for me had a crack, then you were going to sell a crested gecko, and now you've got pet shop friends looking for one. I'm just wondering if you have some sort of date in mind when this transaction will be completed?
I understand things happen in life, but I'm very concerned that the every communication that I receive from you about this order has to be queried by me first.
You aren't going to run out of Ranco thermostats too are you? Or the FlexWatt? Would love to hear what's really going on. Thanks!
This didn't please Matt and while not blatantly rude, you could detect his irritation and he replied:
Whats "really" going on? I have some friends of mine in the area looking for you a tank. I dont have any left unless you want one that is broken down one side.. I have to call tomorrow and see if anything was made available(shop takes trade ins on fish tanks) and will know then.. I didnt want to send you a broken aquarium, not good business.. We just received 50 rancos intoday and already had 23 on hand.. So I am good there.. I have plently of the flexwatt size you ordered.. Not trying to be harsh but my word is very important to me.. If I say something then you can rest assured it is very much the truth.. I will go ahead and ship the rest of your order and then when a tank comes up I will ship it to you.. If nothing comes int he next week(trust me I want to sell that gecko..lol) Ill goto petsmart and buy you a brand new tanka nd send it to you
Just want you to be happy.. Let me know what ya think,
My reply:
Matt,
I also was not trying to be harsh either, and you have a wonderful reputation on Fauna. However, this is my first transaction with you, and so I can only go by "my" experience thus far, if that makes sense. Then I saw the post from Xxxxx today also asking how she can get information on tracking from you because she's been unsuccessful reaching you, another member of the BP board told me it took them over a month to get an order from you too, it set off warning bells in my head, so it made me wonder and ask "what was really going on".
I did not mean to ruffle your feathers, it just seemed a little odd, is all, and like I said, it was my first transaction with you and I can only go by "my" experience.
I am willing to be patient to wait on the tank, since that was my primary reason for contacting you, and I'm waiting for it, to get it set up, and get a second BP. No need for you to spend money twice on shipping if you can get it all shipped at one time.
Realistically, when do you think it all can ship together if we wait on the tank and screen top? I would like to have a nice transaction with you, because I'm sure as my BP collection grows, I'll be needing more t-stats and flexwatt from you
His response:
mmm BP's..lol Can I ask where the thread is about me on the BP site?? Yeah my rep means mor eto me then just about anything.. Worked my booty off to get it there..lol.. I have your order sitting here on a holding shelf until it can be completed.. I totally understand the worry, and yes it is not unusual for an order to take a month depending on what the order consists of, like 37 parellel connections and different size flexwatt withing the circuit..lol.. Thanks fo ryour patience I do apprictae it.. You sure you dont want me to send the other items out?? Thanks,
-matt
I had told him I'd prefer everything ship together the other items were purchased to use with the tank, I knew that this would delay my shipment, but at this point, my irritation was more towards having to initiate every update. So, I asked this:
I'm sure I can wait for it all to ship at once. Like I said, no need for you to spend shipping twice. The flexwatt and t-stat were going to go on the tank I ordered from you anyway! Do you think that it would be reasonable to expect it will ship before the end of this month?
He assured me:
End of the month , you bet.. I think i might have the cestie sold and if so I will know the 15th... Thanks,
Got my FIRST Matt initiated e-mail on Sept. 26th!
Hello Robin,
Got you a tank, finally.. Ill be packaging everything up and have a tracking number for you shortly.. Thanks for your patience, I appricate that,
Received it on October 4th (2 months after I purchased) and the rest of the supplies shipped on October 7th.
So, I figure - some of this delay is my fault, I did insist on waiting to see if he could get another 20 gallon tank. I'll give him another try when I need more heating supplies. That day came in late December, I e-mailed him asking advice what size I should get and told him I'd need everything by late January - because some new girls were being delivered then.
He replies:
Hey Robin,
Thanks for your email. We currently have the Johnson Controls on sale till the end of the month for a Christmas sale. The tubs would be needing a one foot strip of 11" flexwatt per tub.. Right now were running on secudle so it should go out the next business day.. Hope this helps,
-Matt
January 13th, I'm ready for my order and send this e-mail:
So, I see you have a sale on the Ranco right now, $69.99 wired, right? But that sale ends on Sunday?
I don't get paid until Friday, a week from today - which is when I planned to place my order with you. Are you going to have any other thermostat on sale next week?
He agreed to extend the sale price to me, so I was ready to go! Sent this e-mail notice what I bolded:
Thank you for extending the sale price to me!
So, if you get payment next Friday, do you know about how many business days before it might ship? I'm also paying off my girls next Friday, but I don't want to take delivery of them until everything has been set up and regulated first. Gotta be a good BP momma!
I'm going to definitely be ordering that Ranco Thermostat then, as well as at least 3 pieces of wired flexwatt (need to check my old e-mails to see which size you recommended to me - I want to say 11"). I think I'm still ok on the aluminum tape, you sold me a nice quantity last time.
That might be all I need, but let me check and get back to you when I get home this evening.
Thanks again!
Please note his commitment:
I have plently in stock and shipping would take about 3-5 days.. Talk to you soon,
So, he sends me an invoice, and I have a question, because the flexwatt is more than it was just six months earlier:
Hey Matt! What's the plug & play? Since there were 3, I assume it's the wired part of the flexwatt? I looked at my invoice from this summer, and it was 9 for the wired flexwatt. Has it gone up about $3?
His reply - which knocked the socks off me and made me go WTF????
Actually back in the summer you bought used pads if I remember correctly..
Do people actually sell used flexwatt?
If I did, I don't remember being told that it was used. It looked brand new to me.
I only asked because I can get wired from Reptile Basics for a little under $9 for 1 foot of the 11"
Actually, they were on a page of used items and and I oversold the used ones I have so you actually received new ones at a used price..lol.. If you buy from reptile basicis you are pretty much buying from me but I just dont get the money.
This is when my red flags went up, but I needed my heating supplies and decided to complete the transaction. I still don't understand how when I buy from Reptile Basics that I'm pretty much buying from him - but he matched the RB's price.
January 20th, I send payment and wanted to make sure it would ship in a timely manner.
Hi Matt! I know you probably got the e-mail from Paypal, but just wanted to confirm that you received payment on the heating supplies!
I know I asked you this before, but do you know when it will most likely ship? Thanks so much!
His response (just for reference Tuesday was the 24th):
Yuppers got the payment, thank you. I will be shipping the early part of next week. I have the stats coming in then and have a ton of orders to go out the same day,, Seems like Tuesdays are the day I drink 40 gallons of coffee and wire 400 thermostats and flexwatt..lol.. Thanks again,
Very cool! And I sent the e-mail to confirm:
LOL! Tuesday sounds like a very busy day! If you could let me know when you ship, that would be great, then I can coordinate with Will on the delivery of the girls and request a day off to receive them. Thanks so much!
His response:
Sounds like a winner to me.. You should receive a paypal email telling you I am sending you a package.. If you havent received that email by say, Wednesday, email me and I will give you the status or a tracking number
On Wednesday, I send this e-mail:
Good morning! Can you please give me the status on my order for the
thermostat and flexwatt?
I'm trying to coordinate a delivery time for my three girls (which I'd
like to be next week if I have the heating supplies in time to get set
up and regulate), and my boss has told me I have until the end of today
to request time off for next week.
I'm just trying to figure out timing of delivery of my order from you,
having a day or two to regulate the enclosures and scheduling a day for
delivery of my girls. I am so excited about getting them!
Please let me know the tracking number as soon as you possibly can!
January 26th (Thursday) I get this reply - and I'm thinking - NOT again!
Howdy Robin,
I will be shipping your order Friday. We have been dealing with a company that cant seem to keep the products we need to order in large quanties in stock.. This in turn makes me look bad..lol. We ahve the stats here friday(should have been last friday) and I will make sure yours is one that leaves friday evening... Sorry for the delay
I reply to confirm:
Thanks Matt! So to make sure we're on the same page, we are talking about tomorrow, January 27th, right?
So, do you know if it's just 2 business days to get here? Does the USPS guarantee a delivery date the way you ship? I've not really used them for shipping (other than mail! LOL), so I'm not sure.
Sorry for all the questions, just trying to get all my ducks in a row. I also need to try to set up a vet appointment for the day that the girls arrive. So much to do, all with timing issues! LOL
He replies:
Yuppers tomorrow be the day
It is usually 2-3 days in transit. Hard to say exactly as USPS does not gurantee an exact date. It is usually no longer than 3 though.. Hope this helps,
He did ship on Friday as promised. I think what really "sealed the deal" for me to no longer do business was the shocking e-mail that my first purchase of flexwatt was for used flexwatt, but then when I said I didn't remember, he came back with that he sold out of used, so I got new for the used price.
I can understand that things happen - shipments get delayed, but as far back as at LEAST Aug. 2005, it's been a recurring theme.
I do hope that he gets his service and communicates with his customers when orders are delayed corrected, without them having to query first. It takes just as long to respond to their queries as it would be to be proactive and initiate an update to your customer when goods are going to be delayed.
I choose to buy from another vendor now, that provides excellent communication and either ships the day that they receive my order (if placed early enough) or the next day - no excuses offered. And since each transaction I've had have not been delayed, I'd be more tolerant of a future delay, because this vendor also keeps communication open with me, I would not have to query them about it first.
Sorry that it's so long, and I have no beef with Matt, just thought it was time to share MY experiences and why I choose not to buy my heating supplies from him any longer. When I order supplies, I usually need them rather quickly. I don't get that with Matt.
