I ordered Araucana chicks in Jan with a expected ship date of March 1 or earlier weather permitting. She asked me if I could take them earlier. I am talking about $150 for 15 chicks just for pets. I still have not received them nor heard back from the lady. I just sent another e-mail reminding her of the new ship date of May 10
Here is her last e-mail after I demanded my money back in April. I also tried Pay Pal but they said they don't cover that kind of purchase so I guess if it doesn't come from e-Bay you are out of luck. I will try going to my Bank Thursday if I don't hear back from her. She will probably have more excuses
Donna,
First, somehow I was under the impression that you had ordered large fowl chicks and not bantams and only discovered my mistake today when it came time to print the shipping label for your chicks. We all make mistakes.
Second, your bantam order is the next in line and the eggs are in the incubator now. Your new scheduled ship date is Monday, May 10th. I would like to remind you that you did not order chicks with any specific shipping date.(this is a big fat lie) Many variables controlled the 6 week delay in shipping eggs and chicks that I am experiencing this year but the primary one is the long hard winter and the effect it had on my birds.
Third, I know you have previously asked for a refund because you saw other "Araucana" chicks you could buy, but that is not my policy. (Also a lie. I saw on their website 2 days ago that they would give refunds if they had someone from their waiting list that would take over orders for those wanting refunds since it will take her until June to fill them all) None of my egg or chicks orders come with a refund on demand. The vast majority of my customers are repeat customers and are willing to work with me if there are delays, realizing that we are working with fragile biological units.
Fourth, I hope you will simply be patient and realize that I and the hens are doing the best we can, and also realize that the chicks you have ordered are from the top Bantam Araucana flock in the country.
I will email you again to let you know your chicks have shipped and give you the tracking number when they do.
I hope you have a good day and I do appreciate your patience.
Sincerely,
Ann Charles
SkyBlueEgg
Posted on their website under chick & eggs sales
Chick and hatching egg orders have been delayed . . .
The long and exceptionally cold winter has delayed the shipment of Spring hatching egg and chick orders that I received in December and January. All orders have been pushed back by around two months but are now being filled in the order they were received. I am taking no further orders for hatching eggs or chicks this year. All going well, I am expecting to have all Spring orders filled by the end of June.
I do realize that egg and chick pre-orders are placed well ahead of delivery time and sometimes people's circumstances change. I do not normally refund payments on chick or egg pre-orders but will make an exception if have someone who wants to take over another person's place in line.
If you would like to be put on my waiting list to take advantage of anyone wishing to cancel an egg or chick order (bantam and large fowl) please email me at contact@skyblueegg.com. I will let you know when, and if, anything becomes available.
Ann Charles
SkyBlueEgg
This message was edited May 12, 2010 1:59 AM
What would you do
$150.00 for 15 chicks, WOW! I am going into the chicken business!
Looks like a scam.
Most hatcheries will sell Araucanian chicks for less than $2 each. You will get them on the day you want them.
This message was edited May 12, 2010 6:31 AM
Her website looks very official and she may not be a scam but just be having problems. But, I wouldn't like the tone of her email to you, doesn't sound friendly and customer service oriented, sounds more like she is angry you asked for a refund...none of her eggs come with a refund on demand? I have to wonder how many people are asking for refunds.
That being said, unless you want the eggs really bad, I think you need to throw her own posting in her face and demand your refund. Then if you continue to get the run around report her to the BBB.
I think SkyBlueEgg is legitimate and well known, and that she is, in fact, having problems with her layers....BUT she is also covering up by behaving in an arrogant and self-serving manner.
A delay of that length and the statement on her website that she would consider a refund (if someone else is in the queue) suggests to me, like smedgekles, that she is receiving a large number of complaints.
I don't think some of these sellers realise that they are dealing with a whole community of potential customers when they behave badly, and not a single helpless purchaser.
well she informed me that she e-mail me yesterday with Express tracking number. Funny I didn't receive that e-mail. Anyway I checked the tracking and all it shows it is it was scanned through in Arkansas yesterday when she shipped and another town in Arkansas 1 1/2 hrs later at 6:10 p.m. and nothing else.
I called my P.O. and they did not come in
I think I ordered eggs from her last year. Her birds are exceptionally nice! You can't buy Aracauna at a hatchery... especially of that quality. They are hard to hatch, and not that easy to find either!
I don't condone her less than professional attitude in any way.. BUT I've had an online biz, and also sold eggs online, and the constant demands and complaints that are unwarranted can take it's toll on patience.. and we all have our days. Unfortunately, she didn't think of the consequences of emailing a customer something that can be passed on and made public.. Very bad move on her part!
As far as your order and your complaint with her Donna, I totally agree that you were not treated fairly. I hope your order arrives okay, and you get some really nice birds.
I sure hope you get your order. Though i m a firm believer that " The customer is always right " she should refund you the money.
If she doesn't do refunds. I hope she compensates for the wait.? i always do with my customers.
sending happy chicken thoughts coming to you. She has no idea the power of DG chicken people LOL
:)
tracking still only shows they were processed through Arkansas. We have been 88 degrees already. I sure hope where ever they are they are not sitting outside. I have always gotten Express shipments the next day. This is a first for me.
ZZ I ordered eggs first. They arrived ice cold in December. She didn't put any heat in the box. They stuck in my egg turner and I had to break them to get them out. Was so gross. none hatched or even looked like they were fertile. I let her know about it and said sounded they had frozen in shipment and that she normally didn't replace eggs but would ship more for the cost of shipping. I waited a week and never got a invoice for them. I e-mailed her a reminder. She said she was having fertility issues then had other orders to fill but still had open auctions on e-Bay. I never heard from her about eggs. I checked her website and decided to just order live chicks and save the hassle of dealing with low hatch rates. This is all my own fault. If i had just waited others have been selling babies from stock they bought from her for very cheap these past couple of months. At the time I was looking she was the only one selling grrrrrrrr
Sounds like she's over her head in the business.
I was at my lumber supplier today & we were talking about that very thing. People run ning a business & getting into more than can handle. Next thing you know they are out of business because of all the bad relations.
Hi DonnaB,
I won some eggs on e bay from http://www.araucanasonline.com/
she looks to have some nice birds.I won 12 eggs she sent me like 20 they are due to hatch next week i will let you know how i do if you think you might want to try again.Also i ordered some chicks from a guy in va and he had the bantams ill look up his webb page for you also.He was a very nice person and sent extra chicks however i dident order the araucanas from him.I had orederd white caped blue polish,Black and copper marans ans milli fluer cochins.
Wolfie
I just looked up his site and i was mistaken he only has bantam americanas.
Wolfie
I have 5 right now from 2 different breeders. 4 out of 8 hatched from a lady in Fl. with 1 dieing, 2 out 12 hatched from a lady in TX TinkerToyYorkies pretty sure they are or at least 1 is a EE mixed with Araucana since she is tufted and bearded and partial tailed. her sister look more pure Araucana and tailed. The ones from Fl are fabulous but no tufts. I only orfered from SkyBlueEggs because I wanted at least 1 perfect one rumpless & tufted and she gets anywhere from 50 to 400 per bird at auction even the non perfect ones
wow! well the eggs i have are not bantam but she breeds for show prospects and has beautiful birds so i figured this would be a good place to start.I odered some other auracana eggs on e bay and only got 1 chick out of it but its adorible rumpless and tufted.
Have you ever tried showmesilkies? He has rumpless Araucana bantams and sells them for $26 for 6 eggs. I have seen his birds and have some Silkies from him. He has beautiful birds and has pictures on his website.
Did we ever start a section in the reference sticky on good experiences with breeders?
I had a wonderful egg purchasing experience with a breeder by the surname of Eppling on eggbid. He kept sending me Barnevelder eggs that were delayed by hurricanes and postal problems. It was my first time buying eggs and I was so worried. Every time I contacted him he reassured me I would have my Barnevelders. The third time was the charm...and he never charged me extra, even for the shipping.
Also excellent luck with Diane Thompson on eBay (etrulah) and eggbid (lingling). Excellent advice and support. She has Serama and Nankins.
This message was edited May 12, 2010 10:15 PM
that is a very good idea Cat
yipee tracking show they arrived in Gulfport at 2:04 a.m. Sure wish I could go get them right now. Only 40 minutes away. Hate to think of the poor babies spending another night in the box. I have been worried sick over these babies. Better get to bed so I can be up bright and early to go get them
well she scr*wed me big time. Pd for 15 chicks and got 7 I thought until I got home and put them in the brooder just now. Found 1 almost dead under the others so she sent 8 out of 15 ordered. Off the nurse the little one. I e-mailed her and will post her reply if she sends one. If she sent a refund via Pay Pal I have not ever received a notice
Guess on top of being bad at customer service she also can't count.
Check this out. She is the Representative for the Arkansas APA. Maybe I should file a complaint with them
http://apa-arkansas.com/
copy of what I sent to the APA President of Arkansas
Hi Dianne
I would like to file a complaint with you about your Representative for the Arkansas APA
http://apa-arkansas.com/
Ann Charles. She is dishonest and should not be representing the APA.
I received 8 chicks from her today. 1 almost dead and postal employee didn't even see it in the box when he counted them at the desk. I paid 150 dollars for 15 live chicks in January with a expected ship date of March 1 or sooner depending on weather per her e-mail to me and received them today May 13th 2010. I have not received a refund for the unshipped chicks. She is having fertility problems and is hiding the fact. I got zero hatch from the eggs I incubated in December. She said she was having problems then in another e-mail she claimed she didn't say that. Here is a copy of a e-mail from her when I asked not demanded a refund in April
Donna,
First, somehow I was under the impression that you had ordered large fowl chicks and not bantams and only discovered my mistake today when it came time to print the shipping label for your chicks. We all make mistakes.
Second, your bantam order is the next in line and the eggs are in the incubator now. Your new scheduled ship date is Monday, May 10th. I would like to remind you that you did not order chicks with any specific shipping date.(this is a big fat lie) Many variables controlled the 6 week delay in shipping eggs and chicks that I am experiencing this year but the primary one is the long hard winter and the effect it had on my birds.
Third, I know you have previously asked for a refund because you saw other "Araucana" chicks you could buy, but that is not my policy. (Also a lie. I saw on their website 2 days ago that they would give refunds if they had someone from their waiting list that would take over orders for those wanting refunds since it will take her until June to fill them all) None of my egg or chicks orders come with a refund on demand. The vast majority of my customers are repeat customers and are willing to work with me if there are delays, realizing that we are working with fragile biological units.
Fourth, I hope you will simply be patient and realize that I and the hens are doing the best we can, and also realize that the chicks you have ordered are from the top Bantam Araucana flock in the country.
I will email you again to let you know your chicks have shipped and give you the tracking number when they do.
I hope you have a good day and I do appreciate your patience.
Sincerely,
Ann Charles
SkyBlueEgg
Posted on their website under chick & eggs sales
Chick and hatching egg orders have been delayed . . .
The long and exceptionally cold winter has delayed the shipment of Spring hatching egg and chick orders that I received in December and January. All orders have been pushed back by around two months but are now being filled in the order they were received. I am taking no further orders for hatching eggs or chicks this year. All going well, I am expecting to have all Spring orders filled by the end of June.
I do realize that egg and chick pre-orders are placed well ahead of delivery time and sometimes people's circumstances change. I do not normally refund payments on chick or egg pre-orders but will make an exception if have someone who wants to take over another person's place in line.
If you would like to be put on my waiting list to take advantage of anyone wishing to cancel an egg or chick order (bantam and large fowl) please email me at contact@skyblueegg.com. I will let you know when, and if, anything becomes available.
Ann Charles
SkyBlueEgg
Thank you for your time
Sincerely
Donna Bailey
uhg that is the pits ! i hope the little one makes it .
You could always post a utube video of all this . That may get your refund back when you send her it . So she can view it herself. !
I think your doing the right thing. I just can't see why she won't refund your money?. I m sure she spent it already. ? is my guess.
i have never heard of a waiting list for refunds ?
good luck
I also left her a message on the answering machine. She has not returned my call
Back on her website I see she has started her own auction site for SkyBlueEggs. Look at the feedback she has posted from sales. They are from 2008
still no response from her. I e-mailed her again and told her to refund half my money or send the rest of the chicks I paid for. Here is my proof of what I purchased
Business Name:
SkyBlueEgg (The recipient of this payment is Verified)
Email:
contact@skyblueegg.com
Total Amount:
-$150.00 USD
Fee amount:
$0.00 USD
Net amount:
-$150.00 USD
Item amount:
$150.00 USD
Shipping:
$0.00 USD
Handling:
$0.00 USD
Quantity:
1
Item Title:
15 Day-Old Bantam Araucana Chicks
Date:
Jan 24, 2010
Time:
14:12:33 PST
Status:
Completed
Shipping Address:
Donna Mc Donald-Bailey
Report her to the BBB! Then post this on ALL the poultry sites on DG! That oughta get her!
that will be my next step if I don't hear from her tonight. EggBid will be my first stop where she gets big bucks for her birds. Wish there was a way to put the word out on e-Bay.
I hope your babiez get warmed up and they all survive. Sounds like this has been a nightmare!
edited to add..
True Aracaunas are hard to hatch.. they carry a lethal gene and hatch rates are often times low. I'd imagine shipping would add to a low hatch rate too. (just my 2 cents) LOL I went through several eggs to get a few rumpless.. never got tufted.
This message was edited May 13, 2010 7:24 PM
I just changed the bulb to a 125 infrared was only 86 degrees and they were staying right under it
Yes lethal gene kills 25% of the babies in the shell but the fact remains I paid for 15 live chicks and she only sent 8 and she won't respond or hasn't responded back yet to a phone call or 2 e-mails. There is only one thing I hate worse than a Thief & Liar and that is Child Abusers. I don't know if she has done that but she is a Thief & Liar in my book and I will put the word out far and wide
If you order from E-Bay there IS a way to get the word out!It's a very serious thing to do, and it might get her attention!
Baby is still alive but have not seen it eat or drink on its own. I just gave it a dropper feeding and am going to make up a soupy mash and see if it will go for that on its own
no responses from Ann to the e-mails or phone call so just sent her this
Ann
if you do not send the other 7 chicks or refund half my money immediately I am going to contact my Bank and Pay Pal about Fraud charges against you and file a complaint with the BBB.
I have posted all this last night, copies of e-mails and proof of payment on my part showing what I was supposed to receive, and pics of what I received to several websites so people know that you are a thief and a liar. I also sent a letter of complaint to the President of the Arkansas APA since you are a Representative for them and should not be based on your actions with me. As a business person if you are having fertility problems and can't deliver your product you should be giving refunds, not making excuses
Donna
the saga continues
Ms Bailey,
I refunded the money for the chicks 'not sent' yesterday through PayPal and told you to not have anymore contact with me.
I have NEVER run in to anyone like you before.
You have your chicks, you have your refund on the ones not sent, you are a completely unreasonable person and I want no further contact with you.
Ann Charles
SkyBlueEgg
Welcome, Donna Bailey
Last log in May 14, 2010 9:00 AM PDT
* Account Type: Premier
* Status: Verified
* PayPal balance: $0.00 USD
My Reply
Mrs. Charles
I have not received a e-mail from you, only replies to mine. I have not received a refund from you either you via Pay Pal. Might better check who you are sending to and refunded to.
Mrs. Bailey
I am unreasonable to expect to get what I paid for?????
I don't think it is unreasonable to ask for what you paid for or a refund if you didn't receive it......especially at those prices.
Either her email to you and refund is stuck in cyberspace or she is getting you mixed up with another unhappy customer.
You go, girl! Keep it up! The squeaky wheel gets the grease!
the baby just made a attempt to eat mash on its own. The others were making a commotion and eating so he tried and got a couple of bites yipee. he just got shoved away but went back again go baby go :-)
I e-mailed again about no refund and she finally answered. She sent to wrong addy per what she showed me as having paid on PP. I gave her the correct info again so we'll see. She had a letter attached to it that would not have not caused all these problems if she would have let me know from the start. She had a poor hatch but she just sent chicks with no note or e-mail explaining the situation nor did I know she was going to send the remainder of the chicks on next hatch. lack of Communication = poor Business relationships. I sent e-mail asking about the other chicks and she never responded so the PP note today may just be a lie anyway since she never did anything until I posted all this. I even tried to call her and left message with my phone number. She didn't return the call or answer the 2 e-mails I sent the day the chicks arrived
Sounds like she's trying to cover her rear and doing a very poor job :(
Good wishes to Baby chick! Grow chicky grow!
just watched baby drink water and now a bite of food. It is still a little unsteady on its feet but it is moving around. I am so happy :-)