Well, since whereswaldo has mentioned my name in this thread I figure I should post so people don't just assume I am recommending him.
First of all, you must understand this is MY story of MY individual dealing with whereswaldo and in no way is an endorsement of whereiswaldo. Buyer beware ... do your own research and decide for yourself. I do not know whereiswaldo well enough to recommend him; I can only tell my story. Apparently before he was banned he was allowed to sell for pick up only so that the customer could see what they were getting and to make sure they actually got what they paid for. I was a pick up customer and did not order sight unseen or pay in advance.
One more thing before my story. There was a quote ny Terri that I believe was not correct "This person is also a minor, which brings into play the legality of responsibility after the fact." Waldo is not a minor. He is young but not a minor. Maybe she meant he WAS a minor instead of IS.
Now, with that being said, here is my story. I communicated with Waldo by way of posts and PM on BYC. We set up a meeting and my son and I drove about an hour to NC to his farm. He has a ton of chickens and they free range. I met Waldo and talked with him for about an hour. When I first arrived I was skeptical about buying birds because I saw a bird that was almost dead lying in the middle of the road and another carcass. Waldo seemed concerned when he saw the dying bird. He commented that he had owls that sometimes got his birds. Anyway, when you drive up and see a dying bird you start to wonder. So, I took my time looking at the birds and they seemed healthy but thin. They were free ranging. Like I said, we talked for a long time and he told me about his operation and birds he had at other locations. He has some cochins that I would LOVE to have and really just a neat variety of breeds. I did not see any breeds separated and assumed the breeders were in the other location.
I bought three barred rock hens, 1 barred rock rooster, and a pair of partridge rocks from waldo. They ate like crazy when I got them home and I was surprised at how quick they fattened up .... and they are doing very good and are very nice birds. I am very happy with the birds.
So, my overall experience with waldo was a good one. He seemed like a very nice guy. He charged what he said he would charge and I am very happy with the birds. I will buy from waldo again but keep in mind, I pick the birds and pay on the spot. That was apparently not his problem.
I have no idea what whereswaldo or TOFFowner was banned for in the past but something must have happened. I don't condone ANY unethical actions and take allegations very serious. However, like Terri said, "some members do grow up and become better citizens" and I hope this is the case here.
