Utah!

[RedIII]

corvidae, you could always contact a Mod to let them know of the situation, but I'm not sure if they could do anything, either. You're right, it probably would be in bad form to interfere with another auction, no matter the situation. That's why I'd contact the Mods.

 

[Cynthia12]

Sphinx-- here is a link to the auction: http://www.rarebreedauctions.com/au...hicks-greenfire-farms-stock&auction_id=106515

The seller doesn't actually have any feedback--no comments at all. I usually make it a habit not to bid on things sellers with no feedback are selling, just to be on the safe side, but I really wanted Isbar chicks, rather than shipped eggs. Greenfire isn't selling them right now, so I went ahead and bid on these chicks. Now I see that someone who is on this board is bidding on these and I don't know what to do! I sent an email to the seller stating that most of the chicks had died (which he already knew from texts back and forth) and that, as most of them died within the first 72 hours of receiving, I would like my money back. I sent it through the board rather than text so it wouldn't seem harrassing. It was just a short email, maybe three lines. The seller has already stated in texts that there is nothing wrong with his birds--apparently sees no sign of illness in them. I stated in the email that I would like a response tonight. Made it a very short, polite email (though email can always be taken as rude, regardless of what you write). I will give him until tomorrow afternoon before I leave any feedback. I would really rather not leave negative feedback for anyone. Not fun. But then, neither is a bunch of dying chicks.

I really want to warn the person on BYC that I see bidding on these birds, but I'm having a moral issue with it. It seems wrong to interfere in an auction I have no part in. I can't quite bring myself to do it. But, if I am going to leave bad feedback, I will do it before this auction ends so folks have a chance to retract their bids. I really hate this situation. And I'm really sick of having chicks die no matter what I do to help them.

My boys are calling it "The Chicken Plague." We are a plague house. Sheesh.

I noticed he has a little thing right there that says....no refunds. Oh Brother! Guess he's sticking to his guns. I feel bad for you. I hope you do leave the feed back before the auction ends if he doesn't write back. Sounds like you've done all that you can. For now. Good luck!

 

[corvidae]

Yeah, I am pretty much not expecting a refund, but I figured I would give him the chance to correct things before I left negative feedback. I was actually just going to let the matter drop before the BLRW's started dying and then I saw he had posted the new auction and I was kind of appalled. He knew from texts that these chicks were dying. The last text I have from him was on April 9th, when he asked after the chicks. I told him how many had died and the circumstances, and I have not heard a word back from him. He had another auction up for Olandsk dwarfs that closed at the same time, but I can't figure out on that site how to get to it--I wanted to email the winner of that auction to find out if they had any problems with the chicks. I have, however, noticed that the winner of that auction hasn't posted any feedback either.

 

[the-bird-man]

the man is a horrible business man... a sure fire way to kill business is to get a bad reputation. the way i am treated effects where i shop just about as much as the prices. i am so sorry you have to deal with this i would be sure to leave negative feedback and i would even contact the other buyer because i feel it is my duty. the man makes me so mad

 

[La Casa de Pollo]

X2. Leaving negative feedback, is not that big of deal, that is exactly what it is for----if it is not used that kind of defeats the whole purpose of the feedback system. Donna, I would leave a negative comment and state that the chicks not only died but others in your flock died after contact so you question if there was an illness involved. I know when I shop somewhere, I read feedback and would be disappointed if that important information was not on there. Good transactions deserve good feedback, questionable transactions deserve questionable feedback....and transactions like yours--well---IF he had gone above and beyond that might make me hesitate, but where he is being an ____ about answering your repeated emails I would not see any reason to not leave your honest feelings about the transaction. Other consumers deserve to know....if I were bidding on those chicks I would be devastated not to know what had just happened. Just my thoughts---it does NOT make you a bad person to be honest about what happened and use the system in place to rate your transaction, not at all!

 

[Cynthia12]

What Brad and Lisa said!

 

[SashaT]

Corvidae, I am so sorry for all the heartbreak! What a horrible think that seller has done/is doing! I'm the kind of person that tends to turn the other cheek, but this makes me mad!

I'm also going to add my $.02 worth and advise you to leave the negative feedback. If it were me and I could protect another person's flock from potentially being exposed to a disease by simply telling my story through feedback, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I'm hoping and praying that your healthy babies continue to remain that way!

~Sasha

 

[Sphinx]

I also agree with Brad and Donna. I think that "feedback" has evolved to where people hesitate to leave completely honest feedback because they're afraid of the consequences (i.e. retaliatory feedback, hurt feelings, etc)

But, if when you were bidding on those chicks, and someone dropped you a private message and told you a story similar to what you're experiencing, would you have appreciated knowing?

I was in a less dramatic situation, and it was really awful for me. I ended up not leaving feedback at all, but feel bad that I didn't say anything to potential buyers. On the other hand, the seller was much more willing to work with me.

 

[corvidae]

I will be leaving feedback this afternoon on this guy when I am not so furious. Someone on the emergency/disease section of this board pointed me to the Agriculture Extension office (which is in Logan) to have the dead birds tested and I've just gotten off the phone with their vet. She says it sounds like pullorum and wants to test some of the dead chicks. Since we actually destroyed the bodies of the previous ones and none are quite dead this morning, she wants me to freeze any that die over the week-end, then overnight them to her Monday morning. The test results will be complete within a week and they will notify our vet of the results so he can tell us (apparently they can only notify vet to vet). I have one chick that will likely be dead within an hour or two and another five that will probably be dead within a day or so. I think I will actually drive the bodies up there Monday morning if I don't get called into work Sunday night.

If it is pullorum (which I am wildly hoping it's not), all the remaining Isbars and the BLRWs they came in contact with will have to be destroyed. The vet felt that the other chicks in the other brooders were probably safe as long as there was no contact between them and no cross-contamination. Pullorum is mainly fecal-oral, evidently, and has a very low probability of being aerosolized. I hope she's right, since Zach's Breda and my Greenfire Cream legbars are in that other brooder.

 

[Cynthia12]

Oh man! Keep those other babies faaaaar away! I know ~ you are! That is crazy. Then what do you do if it is this thing they are thinking of? He will probably just say it started in your own flock, and there would not be any way to prove other wise, unless....he was told to do a test. Somehow, if it is this disease, you will have to let his Agriculture in his area know. Oh dear. So sorry you are going through this, but, it will save some others from heart ache.