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How
to order
While we've visited a few
reptile sites that offered a conventional shopping cart system, we feel
that is a little too impersonal for our style of business. Most customers
want to ask questions about the specimen they have chosen, or seek
additional information before making a decision.
We've adopted a simple four-step order process which will assure a smooth
transaction.
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Step one:
To start the ordering process with us, simply select the specimen(s) you
are interested in and send us an e-mail asking about it. Be sure to
include the stock number from our web pages. We'll respond back with a
total including shipping and additional information. We
may also include any additional information we feel is relevant to that
particular specimen, and will also answer any questions.
Note: Colorado residents will be charged sales taxes and may qualify for
reduced shipping costs. Please provide a complete shipping address when
inquiring.
Contact
information
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Electronic mail
Sales, Customer Support & General Information:
sales@vmsherp.com
Postal address
VMS Professional Herpetoculture
PO Box 1951
Canon City, CO 81215-1951
Telephone
Please note that our business is
100% internet-based, and does not have telephones as they are simply not
needed. We prefer that contacts be made
via E-mail. All of our transactions are handled this way with no problems.
Odds are you would just get a recorder anyway - we're always off cleaning
cages or doing something.
Terms & payments
Payment can be made via cashiers' check, money order or
personal check. Please make all checks/money orders payable to:
VMS Professional Herpetoculture
PO Box 1951
Canon City, CO 81215-1951
Please do not send cash through the mail. Note that personal checks
which fail to clear are not considered payment and may result in removal from
the deposit/waiting list and loss of your deposit. Returned checks will be
charged a $22 NSF fee.
Once payment in full has been received, we will contact you via e-mail to arrange shipping to you. Failure
to accept shipments within 15 days (unless caused by weather or agreed to in
advance) will be considered abandonment, and all monies will be forfeited to us.
In the case of multiple species orders, we will hold animals until your order is
complete and all can be shipped together.
Customers wishing to pay by
credit card are encouraged to use PayPal. This service is free to the buyer, and
the merchant fees paid by us are minimal. This helps us keep prices low. PayPal will charge your credit card and immediately notify us
by e-mail so we can ship your animals right away.
Note that we do not process credit cards directly and will not take credit
card transactions over the phone. Such telephone transactions are the most
common source of credit card fraud. Paypal's security system is very tight, and
helps us to avoid these fraudulent transactions.
You will receive an invoice for all transactions with your shipment. Be sure to include
your full mailing address and e-mail address on all correspondence. You
would be amazed how many checks we receive that we cannot connect to an e-mail
address or earlier inquiry!!!
Colorado residents will be charged 5.6% sales tax.
Please read our guarantee and shipping policies before sending any
money. Exchange of money signifies acceptance of these policies.
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Deposits and Wait Lists
Please note that our business is highly seasonal, with most
offspring born in June and July. Often, second clutches hatch during August and
September. Please plan your purchases accordingly, because once they are sold we
can't make more until next year!
All specimens are offered on our website on a first-come, first-served basis
when ready for sale. This allows all customers equal opportunity to acquire
them. We simply recommend visiting our availability pages often, especially
during the periods we've stated the specie of interest will be hatching.
We no longer maintain waiting lists of any kind. While such inquiries are
well-intentioned, very few customers actually follow through on wait lists and
the process simply delays our ability to offer the specimens to the general
public.
However, we are currently offering a third party
monitoring system which will automatically notify customers by email when the
page or pages of their choice have been updated. Simply adding your email using
the link provided at lower left of each availability page will start
notifications. If any changes in availability or new specimen listings are made
to the page, you'll know within hours! It's easy, free, and you can unsubscribe
at any time.
We will no longer accept deposits of any kind. While deposits seem like a good
idea, they have problems in practice:
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The first is a sort of Murphy's Law effect, in
which placing a deposit on a female Ghost Ball virtually assures they will
all hatch male that year...
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The second is that we refuse to send out any
specimen before we are 100% confident in it's ability to thrive. This can
result in what impatient customers may view as "needless delays", although we simply
view it as the correct way to do business.
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Third, it's amazing how many customers place a
deposit and then lack the balance of funds when the order is ready to ship.
This creates an awkward and unpleasant situation in which either the
customer forfeits his deposit or we must refund his deposit.
Many customers wish to build an order consisting of
several specimens of different types. Often these may not all be available at
the same time. If paid for in full, we will delay shipping such orders until the
additional specimens become available or until we determine they will not be
available that year. In this manner, customers can assemble one sizable order,
taking advantage of our quantity discount pricing and saving on shipping costs,
simply paying for additional specimen as they are added.
We highly recommend making purchasing decisions in a timely manner. Each year we
receive dozens of emails along the lines of "I've been looking at this gecko for
several days and now I see someone else has purchased it. What can I do?" The
only answer I can give is to repeat that old saying "He who hesitates is lost."
Hold Policy
Upon receipt of an e-mail confirming that your payment
is being sent, we will mark the desired specimens 'ON HOLD'
on our website. Unless otherwise agreed to in advance, we expect payment in full
to be received within 7 days. Should this time period expire before payment is
received, we will automatically release the specimens for sale to the next interested party.
Customers are encouraged to pay by credit card via PayPal. This free service
will charge your credit card and immediately notify us by e-mail so we can ship
your animals right away. This method assures payment will be received in a
timely fashion and that you will get the specimens you want.
Our
guarantees
All our animals are captive born here at our facility and
will be feeding regularly unless otherwise stated at time of
sale. We go to great lengths to produce these animals and will ship out nothing
that is less than perfect.
As we cannot guarantee that
proper care is being provided once they leave our facility, we can only
guarantee live arrival. We provide a 48-hour return policy, this period
allows for inspection of your purchase. We will
replace any animal you are dissatisfied with during the 48-hour period with another of the same
type. Should we be unable to provide a replacement, credit or refund will
be provided. We reserve the right to issue a refund in lieu of replacement
solely at our discretion.
If you are unsure of how to
provide proper care for any specie we supply, feel free to ask. We have raised
many of these species through several generations.
We will gladly send photographs of the animals you are purchasing via
e-mail. We want you to be confident of your order. But, please understand
that our busy schedule may prohibit our ability to do this in a timely fashion.
Please read our shipping and deposits/payments policies. Exchange of
money signifies acceptance of these policies.
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Live Arrival Guarantee
Conditions of the live arrival guarantee are simple:
An adult must be present to receive the shipment
on the first delivery attempt (a signature will be required) and the
temperature must be in the 45°F to 95°F range. You will need to assist us in scheduling
your shipment during periods of extreme weather. While delays in
scheduling a shipment may seem intolerable, they are nothing compared to
opening a box containing a prized specimen only to find it dead. Our use
of extreme caution and proper packing has resulted in very very few DOA's in
the last five years - a remarkable success.
All
shipments are sent "signature required", no exceptions.
No guarantees for shipments exposed to weather
extremes. Weather extremes are defined as outside the 45°F to 95°F
range. Temperatures at our end must be acceptable or we will delay
shipment. Our current weather conditions are displayed below, enter your
zip code to check your conditions or display the 10-day forecast.
You MUST contact us within 24 hours of receipt of the shipment. Please
provide a description of the condition of the shipment.
FedEx Priority Overnight shipments are not guaranteed
by the carrier. VMS provides guarantee on these shipments, provided the
guaranteed arrival time is by 12:00PM. Shipments spending more time than
this on delivery trucks run a higher risk of
experiencing losses and will not be guaranteed by us. For areas where
later delivery times are the norm, we recommended that the shipment be
sent to be "held for pickup" at the nearest FedEx Hub. Shipments held for
pickup in this manner will be guaranteed live delivery by VMS.
Shipping costs are not refundable by us
(although the carrier may do so if
they are at fault). We must file claim on this and we will forward your
refund to you immediately upon receipt by us.
In the event of death, we reserve the right to request return
of the frozen carcass to us.
Guarantees apply only to the original purchaser
and destination
(named on the invoice) and are not transferable.
Failure to adhere to these policies will void all guarantees.
Exchange of money signifies acceptance of these
policies.
48 Hour Return Policy
Conditions of the 48-hour return policy are simple:
To receive a replacement, you must contact us within the 48 hour period
starting at time of receipt of the animals.
In the event of dissatisfaction, you will be responsible for shipping
costs to return the animals to us.
We do not guarantee that snakes will feed within the guarantee
period. In fact, we think it is foolish to even attempt it.
Please let them settle into their new homes for about a week before trying
to feed them. See our care page on acclimating your new pet.
Guarantees apply only to the original purchaser
and destination (named on the invoice) and are not transferable.
Failure to adhere to these policies will void all guarantees.
Exchange of money signifies acceptance of these
policies.
Sexing Guarantee
All snakes are guaranteed sexed correctly.
Geckos are
guaranteed for sex only if specifically listed "Visibly Sexed" at time of
sale. Simply put, this means if we say they are a particular sex, we will
stand behind it.
Many geckos are sold as "Temperature Sexed". This means the
eggs have been incubated at temperatures known to produce primarily a given sex
- but with all things natural, there can be exceptions and we cannot guarantee
sex for these specimens.
Claims for incorrectly sexed specimens must be
made to us within the 48 hour period starting at time of receipt of the
animals.
Failure to adhere to these policies will void all guarantees.
Exchange of money signifies acceptance of these
policies.
Shipping info
Please note that due to our remote location (approximately a 130 mile round trip
for shipping) we will only ship out on limited days each week. Please remember when accepting a ship date, that someone MUST be there to
sign for the package. Note that we will NOT ship your package unless you confirm
acceptance of the shipping date a full day in advance. Please plan for deliveries based on this schedule. We
understand that this will often require shipping to an office address, neighbor,
friend or relative in order for someone to be there to receive the package.
NOTICE: Due to increasing fuel costs, and our increasingly busy work schedule
caring for all of our animals, we will be sending out all shipments on Tuesdays
ONLY each week for next day delivery beginning the week of September 13th, 2005.
We understand this may not fit well with some schedules, but we simply cannot
spend four hours each day packing orders and delivering them to the shipping
centers (a 130 mile round trip). We must make this change to be able to continue
to provide our customers with specimens that are well-cared for and reasonably
priced. Thank you for your cooperation!
There will be a $7 packing charge added to all shipments under $250. This covers the cost of boxes, bags, cups, heat packs,
cold packs, etc. All shipments will be packed in new cardboard boxes,
insulated with styrofoam. All bags, deli cups, etc will be new, no old
recycled junk. Chemical heat packs or cold packs will be used where
appropriate. All shipments will require that you be present to sign for
them, please arrange to be there when the shipment arrives.
We are no longer using this service, due to
inconsistent and often lengthy delivery times. We simply feel the extra stress placed upon our
animals in transit does not justify the savings of a few dollars, which is the
only reason anyone would consider using this service.
While not our first choice, USPS Express is probably the most economical
shipping method available. Cost for this service is $25 and must be prepaid by us.
Therefore, it needs to be paid to us in advance, with payment for the animals.
USPS will not accept shipments containing
snakes. While some breeders will do so, VMS will not ship snakes via the
USPS under any conditions.
This service,
while inexpensive and convenient, is the source of perhaps more shipping horror
stories than any other. We recommend that this service be used
only during periods of fair weather (March-October). USPS express delivery frequently runs
late, and you should plan for this possibility in your schedule. On a positive note, we have
not experienced any losses when shipping in this manner. We believe
our
careful attention to packing details and weather conditions are responsible for
this successful record.
The biggest problem with USPS is the inability to determine your packages'
expected arrival time. Regardless of location, their website will always return
an estimated time of arrival as "Next day by noon" yet once at the counter, a
different "Arrival guaranteed by time" will be given. Usually this will be
second day by 3:00pm. However, this is not when your package will arrive, it
simply means if it arrives after this time, your shipment will be considered
late. Your package may arrive as soon as next day by noon, or as late as second
day by 3:00PM, there's no way to know until it's well on its' way! By checking
the tracking number, you can determine if the package is with the delivery
driver if it's status is "out for delivery" and then you know it will come that
day at least.
United States Postal Service 'Express' shipments may be tracked online at:
http://www.usps.com/shipping/trackandconfirm.htm
Exports
International shipments exiting the United States
are very complicated, expensive and time-consuming to process. Generally,
unless you are planning to make a very substantial purchase you will find
the time and expense involved will not justify the purchase.
The following steps must be arranged in advance by a licensed import/export
broker for your country located within the United States. You must make
arrangements with a licensed import/export broker in the United States. VMS
is not licensed to handle exportation. VMS will simply be sending your
shipment to a licensed broker within the United States.
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An International Health Certificate must be
issued by a USDA accredited veterinarian.
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Application for export must be filed and
approved with the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
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Scheduling for a US Fish and Wildlife Official
to inspect the shipment at one of these airports: Los Angeles
(California), Miami (Florida), Newburgh (New York). This requires at
least 48 hour advance notice.
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Additional federal requirements exist for all
CITES listed species (includes all boas and pythons we sell)
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Any and all requirements for importation into
your country must be arranged. We are unable to provide assistance with
this, such regulations vary from country to country and change often. It
is advisable to contact a licensed import/export broker in your country
for assistance and advice.
If any of the above requirements are not properly
met, your shipment will be stopped and held by authorities until corrected.
This can take weeks and may cause loss of life. We recommend using an
experienced and licensed import/export broker.
Violation of these procedures is punishable by law, and is a federal felony
under United States statutes. Many reptile vendors violate these statues,
either knowingly or unknowingly and dealing with such vendors may be the
single biggest mistake you will ever make. Getting the package there is
simple, but doing so legally can be complicated. Buying from such vendors
not only places your personal freedom and finances at risk, it jeopardizes
the future of our hobby.
Please realize also the following policies VMS has in effect regarding
international shipments:
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All international orders must be paid in
advance. No exceptions.
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We will not place specimens on hold awaiting
completion of paperwork without payment in full.
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Failure to arrange shipping within 30 days from
receipt of funds will result in forfeiture of 50% of funds paid for
specimens. There will be no refunds for expenses incurred by VMS on your
behalf, such as obtaining International Health Certificates.
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VMS is responsible only for shipping and
guaranteeing your items
to your designated broker's address within the United States. VMS will
not be held responsible for any losses in transit for international
shipments, or violations of law once your shipment has been received by
your import/export broker.
Typically, VMS is unwilling to pursue international
orders of less than $2000.00US for export.
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