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BackwaterReptiles.com

backwaterreptiles.com

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1.2

Overall customer rating from reviews and complaints

BackwaterReptiles.com earns a 1.2-star rating from 0 reviews and 22 complaints, showing that the majority of reptile enthusiasts are dissatisfied with their purchases.

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Latest Reviews and Complaints

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5:00 pm UTC
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BackwaterReptiles.com Disappointing Experience with BackWaterReptiles: Poor Quality Control and Customer Service

I recently made a purchase from BackWaterReptiles and unfortunately, my experience was not a positive one. I ordered a goliath birdeater spider and to my dismay, it died just one day after it arrived. I contacted the company and they informed me that the spider was likely molting. I sent in a photo of the deceased spider as proof, and they agreed to send me a replacement.

However, when the replacement spider arrived, it was already dead on arrival (DOA). I once again contacted BackWaterReptiles and sent in a photo of the dead spider. They once again claimed that the spider was molting and requested that I provide both spiders in one photo as proof. I was frustrated and confused, as the first spider had already been thrown out due to its unpleasant odor after being kept over the weekend.

To make matters worse, the replacement spider arrived with a broken leg and its abdomen was partially unattached from its body. I was extremely disappointed with the quality of the product and the customer service I received from BackWaterReptiles.

I strongly advise against ordering from this company. Their lack of accountability and poor quality control make for a frustrating and disappointing experience.

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22 BackwaterReptiles.com Complaints

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3:55 pm UTC
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BackwaterReptiles.com Disappointing Experience with BackWaterReptiles: Sickly Pac-Man Frog and Poor Treatment of Animals

I recently had an experience with BackWaterReptiles that left me feeling extremely disappointed. I had ordered a Pac-Man frog for my husband's birthday, but when it arrived, it was in terrible condition. The packaging was shoddy and the frog looked sickly. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts to care for it, the frog passed away less than a month later.

As someone who rescues reptiles, I was shocked and saddened by the poor treatment of this animal. It's not the first time I've heard of people receiving sick or dead animals from BackWaterReptiles, and it's truly unacceptable. These are living creatures, not toys to be played with carelessly.

I hope that BackWaterReptiles takes responsibility for their actions and improves their practices. It's not fair to the animals or the customers who are expecting healthy pets. I urge anyone considering purchasing from this company to do their research and proceed with caution.

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2:16 pm UTC
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BackwaterReptiles.com Terrible Experience with BackWaterReptiles: Dead Tarantula and Poor Customer Service

I had a really bad experience with BackWaterReptiles. I ordered a Mexican Red Knee Tarantula from them, and I specifically requested an adult female. However, when the package arrived, I was shocked to find that they had sent me a baby female instead. To make matters worse, the poor little thing was already dead, with a ruptured abdomen. It was clear that the packaging job was really shoddy, and the tarantula had suffered as a result.

When I contacted BackWaterReptiles to complain, they did admit that they were responsible for the poor packaging job. However, they never issued me a refund, nor did they send me a replacement tarantula. They didn't even bother to apologize for what had happened. I felt like they had just taken my money and run, without any regard for the well-being of the animals they were selling.

To add insult to injury, BackWaterReptiles even blocked me on social media after I complained to them and called them out on their behavior. I was really disappointed by their lack of professionalism and customer service.

All in all, I would strongly advise anyone to avoid BackWaterReptiles at all costs. If you're looking to buy a pet reptile or arachnid, there are plenty of other reputable sellers out there who will treat you and the animals with the respect and care you deserve. Don't risk getting robbed, lied to, or ending up with a dead animal - take your business elsewhere.

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1:12 pm UTC
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BackwaterReptiles.com Disappointing Experience with BackWaterReptiles: Dead Snake and Poor Customer Service

Ordered a snake from BackWaterReptiles and spent a little over $300 with shipping. They told me to call a 1800 number for FedEx to have the animal sent to the nearest location for pick up. The FedEx auto system gave me a list and I picked the one closest to me. The package was signed for at the location at 333pm and I picked it up a little after 4pm. However, when I got home by 430pm, I was devastated to find out that the snake was dead.

I spent days emailing them because no one answered the phone. Finally, I was told that I wouldn't be reimbursed or given a new snake for free because I had picked an unacceptable location, even though it was the one that FedEx had given me. However, they did offer me a discount to send me a new snake, but I would have to pay an additional $250. I was extremely disappointed and frustrated with their customer service and their failure to honor their live arrival guarantee.

Despite this negative experience, I did purchase a blue iguana from them and it was amazing. However, I will be taking my business to an underground seller instead. It's a shame that BackWaterReptiles didn't live up to my expectations, but I'm glad that I was able to find a great pet from them nonetheless.

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Is BackwaterReptiles.com Legit?

BackwaterReptiles.com earns a trustworthiness rating of 91%

Highly recommended, but caution will not hurt.

Our conclusion: After a detailed review, ComplaintsBoard finds BackwaterReptiles.com to be a trustworthy company. Although there's a 4% resolution rate for customer complaints, which deserves attention, BackwaterReptiles.com is known for their high standards and safety. If you're thinking about dealing with BackwaterReptiles.com, it's wise to check how they handle complaints.

We found clear and detailed contact information for BackwaterReptiles.com. The company provides a physical address, 2 phone numbers, and email, as well as 3 social media accounts. This demonstrates a commitment to customer service and transparency, which is a positive sign for building trust with customers.

BackwaterReptiles.com has claimed the domain name for backwaterreptiles.com for a long time, which suggests that the website is established and has a history of being in operation. This is a positive sign, as it indicates that the website has been around for a while and may have a reputation to maintain.

Backwaterreptiles.com has a valid SSL certificate, which indicates that the website is secure and trustworthy. Look for the padlock icon in the browser and the "https" prefix in the URL to confirm that the website is using SSL.

Backwaterreptiles.com has been deemed safe to visit, as it is protected by a cloud-based cybersecurity solution that uses the Domain Name System (DNS) to help protect networks from online threats.

A trust mark has been identified for a backwaterreptiles.com, but it is important to verify the trust mark and its source to ensure that it is legitimate. Ensure that the trust mark is genuine by clicking on it and verifying its authenticity through the issuing organization's website.

Several positive reviews for BackwaterReptiles.com have been found on various review sites. While this may be a good sign, it is important to approach these reviews with caution and consider the possibility of fake or biased reviews.

We looked up BackwaterReptiles.com and found that the website is receiving a high amount of traffic. This could be a sign of a popular and trustworthy website, but it is still important to exercise caution and verify the legitimacy of the site before sharing any personal or financial information

Backwaterreptiles.com appears to have online shopping features, it's important to know that the platform supports an extensive range of payment methods, making it convenient and easy to complete your transaction. The payment procedure on the website is also relatively simple and straightforward, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free experience for buyers.

However ComplaintsBoard has detected that:

  • While BackwaterReptiles.com has a high level of trust, our investigation has revealed that the company's complaint resolution process is inadequate and ineffective. As a result, only 4% of 22 complaints are resolved. The support team may have poor customer service skills, lack of training, or not be well-equipped to handle customer complaints.
  • We conducted a search on social media and found several negative reviews related to BackwaterReptiles.com. These reviews may indicate issues with the company's products, services, or customer support. It is important to thoroughly research the company and its offerings before making any purchases to avoid any potential risks.
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12:07 pm UTC
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BackwaterReptiles.com BackWaterReptiles: A Total Ripoff for Sickly Lizards and Poor Customer Service

This place is a total ripoff! We spent a ton of cash at BackWaterReptiles and all we got were sickly lizards. We ordered some southern painted turtles and when they arrived, they were already dead or died within a week. We tried to contact them about it, but they didn't give a hoot. They asked us to provide evidence of the dead turtles, which we did, but they still didn't offer to make things right. So we decided to give them another chance and bought two more turtles, but guess what? They were also dead on arrival! And one of them died just two weeks later. We know how to take care of turtles, so it wasn't our fault. It's just that this place is a total scam. They don't know how to take care of their animals or their customers. Save yourself the trouble and go somewhere else to buy your pets. Otherwise, you'll just end up with a bunch of crying kids every time you get a package from these crooks.

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11:50 am UTC
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BackwaterReptiles.com Terrible Customer Service and Unreasonable Demands: My Experience with BackWaterReptiles

So, I had a pretty bad experience with BackWaterReptiles. I gave them my money, but they never sent me the product I ordered. They said they needed me to send them a photocopy of my ID or driver's license, a photocopy of my debit card, and my social security number because there was a problem with my billing and shipping addresses. I tried to explain to them that it wasn't possible for me to send them that information, but they just kept asking for it. I even emailed them a couple of times to try to sort things out, but they didn't seem to care.

Eventually, I got really frustrated with the whole process and told them that their customer service was terrible. That's when things really went downhill. Britney, who I assume works for BackWaterReptiles, accused me of throwing a tantrum and said that I was banned from ever buying anything from them again. I couldn't believe it! I was just trying to get the product I paid for, and they were treating me like I was the problem.

Overall, I would not recommend BackWaterReptiles to anyone. They clearly can't handle any kind of criticism or negative feedback, and their customer service is just plain bad. Save yourself the hassle and buy from somewhere else.

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10:10 am UTC
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BackwaterReptiles.com Terrible Experience with Backwater Reptiles: Do Not Buy From Them!

So, I gotta tell ya, I had a real bad experience with Backwater Reptiles. I was super excited to get my hands on an Amazon Tree Boa, so I placed an order with them. They sent me an email saying that my little guy was on his way and even gave me a UPS Tracking Number. I was so stoked to get my new pet, I could hardly contain myself!

But then, when I checked the UPS Tracking system, I saw that the package was still waiting to be shipped. I was like, "What the heck, man?!" I waited and waited, but the package never showed up. Then, at 4:30pm on the day it was supposed to be delivered, I got an email from Backwater saying that they didn't actually have the Amazon Tree Boa in stock and asked if I wanted to upgrade to something else.

I was so mad! I mean, why would they lie to me like that? It's just not cool, man. I immediately filed a claim for a refund through Paypal because I didn't want to deal with these jokers anymore. I mean, seriously, who does business like that?

So, let me just say this: DO NOT BUY FROM BACKWATER REPTILES. They are liars and scammers, and they will just waste your time and money. Save yourself the hassle and go somewhere else. Trust me, you'll thank me later.

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10:10 am UTC
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BackwaterReptiles.com Disappointing Experience with BackWaterReptiles: Sick and Injured Water Dragons, No Refund

So, I ordered two water dragons from BackWaterReptiles, but when I got the box, there was only one water dragon in there. And that one was sick and injured. I reached out to them, and they sent me two more water dragons, but they were also sick. All three of them ended up dying within a few weeks of me having them. I told BackWaterReptiles about it, but they won't do anything since I don't have a picture of all three of them together dead. I do have a picture of all three of them, just not in the same picture since they didn't die at the same time. I contacted them when the first dragon died, but they never emailed me back, and then a couple of days later, the other two passed away. It's really frustrating because I spent $150 on these lizards, and they all died. I don't think I'll use BackWaterReptiles again. I'll find someone else to buy from.

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9:50 am UTC
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BackwaterReptiles.com Disappointing Experience with BackWaterReptiles: Green Tree Frog Passed Away Within a Week

So, I got this green tree frog from BackWaterReptiles about a week ago. She was pretty small and not very active, but I took care of her like I should have. I misted her when she needed it and fed her, but she never ate the whole time I had her. I even put food out for her or near her, but she never touched it. She was always hiding and hardly ever moved or jumped around from one spot unless I moved her.

But then, this morning, I woke up to find her dead. I am so disappointed and depressed. I did everything I could to care for her and make sure she was healthy, but she still passed away. I'm going to assume she arrived sick because she was never active and never ate.

It's just so devastating. I don't know what to do. Losing a pet is really hard on people, and it hurts so much. I hope BackWaterReptiles realizes that and can help me from here.

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7:55 am UTC
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BackwaterReptiles.com Unacceptable Experience with BackWaterReptiles: Dead Cane Toad and Poor Customer Service

I recently made a purchase from BackWaterReptiles, and I must say, it was not a pleasant experience. I decided to buy a Cane Toad from their website, and the total cost came out to be a little over $80, including the shipping fee. The delivery was made by UPS, and it was supposed to arrive at my doorstep on time. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances, no one was home to sign for the package.

I immediately contacted UPS and instructed them to leave the package at a nearby facility for pickup. I went to the facility to collect my package, and upon unboxing it, I was horrified to find a dead Cane Toad. I was extremely upset and contacted BackWaterReptiles right away. They asked me to provide them with proof of the dead reptile, which I did. I requested a refund or a replacement, but to my surprise, they only offered me a discount for another Cane Toad.

I found this to be extremely unfair and explained my concerns to them. However, they ignored my concerns and only allowed a discount. The Cane Toad was packaged into a small cramped bag with no space or heater/cooler, which I found to be very concerning. I strongly advise against ordering from BackWaterReptiles as they do not seem to care about the well-being of their animals or their customers.

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1:25 pm UTC

BackwaterReptiles.com Sent me a terminal snake

They sent me a snake with IBD (stargazing). I have a copy of a vet assessment proving this. It died and they refuse to accept this as a reality.

I ordered a kenyan sand boa and READ their description of how the snake is not covered under the DOA warranty or 7 day guarantee. They told me the first shipping day it was not safe to ship the snake because of Temps which I was fine with. A few days later I got the notice for shipping and the email also outlined having the snake held at a center to not void the guarantee. I went on later that evening to schedule and fedex website said it was NOT and option in my area at all. At this point the snake was on its way. So someone stayed home to receive it and make sure it got warmed up.

At first it was barely moving which we knew was due to it being cold since it didn't have nearly enough heat packs in the box.

We warmed it up and when we put it in the tank we had all ready it started immediately showing signs of IBD, and corkscrewing repetitively as well. I contacted the seller and they said to just watch it a few days sometimes Temps cause strange behavior. No recommend to take it to a vet at all, I took it on my own accord.

The exotic vet said and documented it was displaying signs of IBD and also had a head tilt like it had been hurt during shipping. He gave me recommendations and I followed them. That evening it acted like he was trying to regurgitate a meal which also the breeder never even told me the last time it ate.

I have all of this on videos and sadly it declined quickly and died Friday morning.

I contacted the seller and they got back to me on Sunday and to send them a pic of the snake on the shipping box as per their policy. I said I was sorry I had thrown it out as I thought that only was for DOA reptiles. So we went ahead and dug it out of the trash and sent it along with the vet assessment and pics and I offered videos.

The next day they said as per their policy that I didn't have it held they would not refund it. I let them know that was not an option and I did what I could and that they should have made sure that was an option for my area before shipping.

The snake would have been displaying signs of IBD before shipping and it seems they knew they wouldn't have to take any loss shipping it out and either they knew I wouldn't be able to hold it and knew they'd give me a terminal snake or they just didn't care.

They offered me a discount on another reptile which of course I declined saying I did not want another sick snake nor their inadequate and reckless shipping.

Another note is that their website says they're based out of Cali and Idaho which is why I picked them, they were close to me and I wanted as little stress on the snake as possible. It shipped from Florida instead which is dishonest to say the least. Their actions are incredibly careless to the animals as IBD would make any reputable breeder very concerned.

So all in all they sent me a sick snake, either knew I couldn't have a refund because I couldn't hold it in my area at a center or didn't do their research to see if it was available but know the snake would die and are refusing to refund anything.

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7:16 pm UTC

BackwaterReptiles.com Baby tomato frog

I received a baby tomato frog Tuesday this week. It arrived alive but was a dark brown color rather than the yellow it’s supposed to be. It refused to eat anything and was mostly sedentary. I kept the humidity at a constant 60% or higher and the heat at 74 degrees. Today (Friday) I woke up to find it dead in its tank. I’m very upset and can’t find any contact info for backwater reptiles.

Desired outcome: I want a full refund including shipping cost

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10:49 pm UTC

BackwaterReptiles.com The condition of nile monitor

They sent me some emancipated nile moitor I have never seen a lizard in my life eyes have been closed since I got it ie hasnot eaten anything barely moves is hours away from death im sure its the saddest thing ive seen as far as pets go I don't have [censored] else but that you guys have a horrible trsack record of this and I should of done my research better

Desired outcome: help me save its life

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Lizardwerner
Pickens, US
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Sep 11, 2021 1:56 pm UTC
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ALSO!
I'm trying to find if there is any correlation/relationship between Backwater and Ben Siegel Reptiles. A reptile breeder/distributer who was arrested for animal cruelty in Florida a while back.
I saw somewhere that HE was the owner of Backwater, but can't find anything clear.

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Lizardwerner
Pickens, US
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Sep 11, 2021 1:54 pm UTC
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I'm in the same situation with my Blue-Tongue. It's a longer story than just that, but bottom line is I am out for these people now. I'm beginning to understand that they have no qualms about causing animals to suffer, and that's the part that really pisses me off.
They are morally corrupt, and now I'm out to end their business.

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6:34 am UTC

BackwaterReptiles.com Extremely poor customer service states attorney should investigate

California location does not have reptiles and gets them from other companies. The have the worst customer service and refuse to address customer concerns. They refuse to answer the phone or return emails. Potential customers BEWARE

Desired outcome: There people should not be in business

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5:40 pm UTC

BackwaterReptiles.com cumberland turtles

These people sold me 2 turtles under 4 inches as pets even though they are prohibited to do so. They kept insisting that we signed the term about turtles under 4 inches are sold for scientific or educational purposes only. They didn't even give us that choice knowingly putting our health at risk. This regulation was put i place to prevent the spreading of salmonella. Had they told us up front about the size, we wouldn't have moved forward with the purchase. On the website when we were adding the items to cart, it did t give us a choice if this was being purchased as a pet or other purposes. They automatically send whatever they felt like.

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6:58 pm UTC
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BackwaterReptiles.com where is my camel spider?

So I ordered my camel spider Sunday night it's now Wednesday night and hasn't come yet and after reading everyone else's reviews I have a feeling if we do get it, it will probly be dead. I have sent several emails and no response and on top of it never received my confirmation number in the email they sent Sunday night after I ordered it. I think it's funny that in almost every good review, the word STELLAR is used every time ... Same person writing them? I will NEVER use this website again I will stick to the reptile expo I go to every month and wait for them to have a camel spider

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11:46 am UTC

BackwaterReptiles.com successfully canceled an order, but never received a refund

On Friday, April 27 I made a purchase through Backwater Reptiles. The purchase was an error and I immediately (within the hour) cancel the purchase. I attempted to contact the company by phone, this was unsuccessful. I then sent an email explaining the situation. I continue to send emails on Saturday, April 28 through Sunday, April 29. I did not receive an email back. So I filed a complaint through PayPal. I received my first email from backwater reptiles on Monday, April 30. They informed me that they would not be issuing a refund because I had filed a complaint through PayPal, and that I would need to cancel the complaint to receive my refund. After contacting PayPal I was informed by them that this was not the case, backwater reptiles was completely capable of issuing a refund. Furthermore, PayPal suggested that I not close the case as this would prevent them from covering me with the payment protection program. Backwater reptiles has absolutely no reason to withhold this refund. There was nothing sent out, neither is there anything preventing them on PayPal's and from issuing the refund. Each email I get from backwater reptiles is intended to encourage me to drop the case with Paypal. I am filing this complaint because something needs to be done about business practices such as this that intend to intimidate their buyers when a refund is requested.

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3:50 pm UTC

BackwaterReptiles.com Reptile purchase

I placed an order of $65 of gecko and they miss the delivery date
The package ends up get sending back to them
They refuse to give me even partial refund!

See below for evidence

See Below:

Hello Shui,

Unfortunately, there is an unforeseen delay with FedEx at their main hub in Memphis, TN and most of our packages are being effected. Please be assured that even with the delay on FedEx's end, you are still covered under our Live Arrival Guarantee, however Geckos are generally pretty hardy and your little ones should be just fine :) We are completely at the mercy of FedEx for delivery and I would recommend to contact them at 1-800-GO-FEDEX for any status updates or to request to have your package held for customer pick up.

Please keep us updated on your arrival status and let me know if you have any other questions! :)

Thank you,

Meg
Backwater Reptiles, Inc.
Fax: [protected]
Like us on Facebook

========= GENERAL INFORMATION =========

Merchant: Backwater Reptiles, LLC
Date/Time: Thu Oct 27 11:08pm GMT-0400 2016
Transaction ID: [protected]

========= ORDER INFORMATION =========

Invoice Number: [protected]
Description: Backwater Reptiles Order
Sales Tax: $1.80
Discount: $0.00
Shipping: $39.99
Grand Total: $65.75

========= CART INFORMATION =========

House Gecko( Med-Large ) ( 0044 )
Options:No Pref
4 x $5.99 = $23.96

Please note, this inbox is not monitored so do not reply to this email.

Thank you for your order, we sincerely appreciate your business!

Q: When will my animal order ship?
A: Please reference the below shipping schedule for reptile, amphibian, tarantula, scorpion, cricket and fruit fly orders:

Ordered On Ships On Delivers On
Sunday Monday Tuesday morning
Monday Tuesday Wednesday morning
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday morning
Wednesday Thursday Friday morning
Thursday Monday Tuesday morning
Friday Monday Tuesday morning
Satruday Monday Tuesday morning

Q: When will my feeder order ship?
A: Roach, reptiworm, mealworm, giant mealworm, superworm, waxworm, hornworm and silkworm orders are shipped via 2-3 day Priority USPS delivery.

Q: When will I receive my tracking number?
A: You can expect to receive your tracking number via e-mail by 8:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the day your order ships (please reference the shipping schedule above). If you do not see the tracking e-mail in your inbox, please check your spam folder.

Q: Do you have a Frequently Asked Question section?
A: Yes, you can find our frequently asked question section here: http://backwaterreptiles.com/FAQ/reptile-faq.html

Thank you,
The Backwater Reptiles Team
[protected]@backwaterreptiles.com

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10:36 am UTC

BackwaterReptiles.com Pets/live animals

Horrible company! Our class ordered water dragons from this company for class room pets and they came in barely alive. We looked around and they seemed to have decent reviews. Boy were we wrong. Our lizards came in skin and bones skinny. We took them to the vet, they had bone disease from poor calcium diet, they had mouth rot, and we paid hundreds of dollars to save their lives. And we still had one die on us. Very traumatic. Very angry people here.

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10:51 pm UTC
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BackwaterReptiles.com Leopard Gecko

I paid Backwater Reptile LLC $364 for one adult male ordinary gecko and 2 Super Giant Hatchling. Unfortunately when it was delivered, FEDEX claim that there is nobody at the house. I went to Fedex main office here in Odessa, Texas and got the package at 6:45 Pm of the same date promised. When I open the package, the geckos were all dead. Instead of receiving a sorry note or a possible way to resolve this issue, they just said its due to the weather in Texas and it was my fault that it got delayed. I am a first time buyer and owner of a Leopard gecko and this is the sad experience I received from Backwater Reptile LLC . I just wasted my hard earned money for nothing.

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12:23 am UTC
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BackwaterReptiles.com Unethical Business Practices

I emailed backwater reptiles inquirying about a snake I wanted. They cost over $400 so I asked for some more info then just the name and stock photo. What I received was nothing short of bazarre! Right away some guy named "Sam" accusses me of being a "spy" for another company and that no reptile company would ever waste time emailing photos. He could have just said, "NO"! The next day I get another email containing a link to this website: www.complaintsboard.com. Sam tells me, "I know you work for Florida Herps, and every single time I get an email asking for proof I have what I am selling I will create a bad review for your company". For the record, I do not work for Florida Herps and have never been a customer of that company. I work for Verizon. After I read the review started by Sam on this website here I thought it only prudent to start one of my own. I also emailed Florida Herps letting them know about Backwater Reptiles. Florida Herps replied with a series of links showing this same person Sam has been doing this for weeks and has even been caught via IP addresses and still hasn't stopped. www.reptilewebsitereviews.com has links prooving the owner of Backwater Reptiles is a liar. At any rate I just wanted to let everyone know what a ridiculous "company" this Backwoods, I mean Dumpwater, I mean Black... Backwater Reptiles was. Thank you.

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Tgrey35
Carpentersville, US
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Jan 08, 2018 11:52 pm UTC
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My bad experience with Backwater Reptiles.
My anniversary with my boyfriend of two years was coming up and I decided to get him two frogs, I ordered a male African Bullfrog and a female Clown tree frog. I did not read reviews, as the company (from their website) seemed like they were good to buy from, and their prices were good. I ordered them on a Wednesday and the company from their website said it would be here on Friday. Well, Friday came and my two frogs were not here. Upon calling FedEx, I found out that my frogs were still in shipping and they did not know where my package really was. I emailed Backwater reptiles, telling them that they were not here and that I am in contact with FedEx to try to get them here on time, as I very much wanted them to be alive when they got here. They did nothing to help me and said to “wait until they get here as they have faith in their packaging team”. Well, after all of my time on the phone with FedEx I did not get my frogs for 5 days. As I had expected from being in shipping for so long, they arrived dead. I was devastated and frustrated about the conditions the poor little ones had to endure to get to my house. I emailed the company and they said that my live arrival guarantee was voided and that they would not refund me. I told them that I had requested that they would get their refund from FedEx as it was FedEx’s fault that my babies did not come in time, but since they were getting their refund that I would like my refund as well. They then told me that they would not be getting a refund because of a contract through FedEx. I was very doubtful of this answer as I had never heard of it before, and so I contacted FedEx only to find out that they did in fact get their refund, and on top of the refund for shipping, that the package was ensured for 100 dollars since it was shipped overnight. They got all of their money back, plus what I originally paid them and still, would not refund me or even ship me two new frogs, as I tried to have them at least do that as I did inform them that they were a gift and all of the circumstances that came with me ordering the two frogs. They said I would have to repurchase them at a “discount” which was only 20 dollars from what I originally paid since I would still have to pay shipping charges again. Not only that, but I did my research later and found out that they charge 40 dollars for shipping when they only pay between 6 and 15 dollars to have them shipping from Florida when they say they are based in California. I went through the better business bureau and through them, Backwater Reptiles changed their story on why they were not getting their refund. They want to double dip and blame the customer for the animals being dead. This company lies and steals from people who shop there and I would not recommend this company to anyone.

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kellyt1962
Lehigh Acres, US
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Aug 05, 2017 4:27 pm UTC

I ordered from Backwater Reptiles for the first time last week. I ordered feeder roaches and crickets. The crickets arrived first, on Wednesday morning after ordering Sunday night. Not exactly the timeframe I was supposed to get them in, but OK. Then I opened the box and dumped out 500 crickets. At least half of them fell into a dead pile, directly underneath where I'd upended the shipping box into the nice cricket 'home' I had prepped and ready for them. I immediately took a photo of the dead pile (with a ruler next to it to judge size), emailed BackWater and attached the photo. They could tell from the time of delivery by Fed Ex, the time of my opening the box & taking the picture (within 15 mins of delivery) that the poor things didn't sit on my porch all day waiting for me. I work from home, so watching for deliveries is easy for me. I received a response within a couple of hours with an apology & a promise that a new shipment was being sent overnight delivery. True to their word, the next shipment arrived the next morning & upon opening, were mostly healthy and living. There will always be some attrition when shipping a box of 500 bugs...that I can handle. My feeder roaches arrived the next day. I'd ordered 25 of those as a trial to see what my beardie & crestie thought of 'em as food (they LIKE!). Most of them were alive & well on arrival and, per the special ad on the website, arrived with food & crystal water gunk. I've read many of the stories here and I am so sorry that your animals suffered as they did. NOTHING living on this earth should be mistreated and allowed to linger and suffer, then die. That's just wrong. While I despise any action that leads to that kind of experience, I can only report mine - while not perfect, it was overall positive. I received a speedy and cheerful remedy when the first shipment went wrong. I've yet to figure out how 500 crickets could go in a box living, and 2 days later arrive with half of 'em dead. Regardless, I'm a satisfied customer at the moment & will like order feeder bugs from them again. More to come, based on new orders!

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Hector Velar
Orlando, US
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May 25, 2017 2:57 pm UTC

Black water reptiles charges high shipping premiums yet they do not ship right away. I ordered 25 feeder lizards in Thursday and they got shipped on Thursday the next week with signature required so I could not pick them up right away. Their customer support was no better, they argued with me and tried to prove me wrong. Needless to say out of the 25 reptiles I ordered only 5 made it alive. 100$ for 20 dead lizards and 5 half dead!

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scooba
Boston, US
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Jan 18, 2017 2:11 pm UTC
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

My baby kingsnake died about 9 days or so after i received her from backwaterreptiles. It was a very sad experience. Ive had snakes before and i know how to care for them. She died in the night after showing some obvious signs of illness the night before. She couldn't keep her balance while her head was in the air... Like she kept bobbing back and forth, it was not right and kept opening and closing her little mouth, and emitting a "popping" sound. Also not normal. I just know she already had a problem.
Do not waste your time and money here! The owner, sam is very gruff with his customers. He accuses people and call them liars. Why on earth would a customer lie about a dead animal? They are very unfair.
This company sucks! One of the absolute worst companys' ive had the displeasure of buying from.
You can find much better than backwater-reptiles, and without a headache. I had a bad experience, my baby snake died a week later, and am out $140.
I hope this company goes out of business, and i really feel like wherever the animals do come from, do not get the care they require. Its so sad! : (
Reptile expos however are a great place to purchase many different kinds of reptiles. An expo can come to different states once a year or so, just research one. And you can ask the breeder questions right there! :) much better option..
Also shipping an animal in a box long distances where they could get knocked around (And probably do get knocked around because it doesnt say "live animal", like it should). You just really never know how a business operates when they are far away.
Also if a reptile company catches wild animals, there is a very good chance they will die shortly after being in captivity, as it is not natural for that particular animal. Wild animals do not like to be in the same spot all the time, so what will happen when they are put in a cage?

Good luck to those looking for a healthy reptile! :)

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Richard Knarr
Belleview, US
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Dec 23, 2016 12:12 pm UTC

My son ordered a Mexican Fireleg tarantula and the package arrived on 12-23-16 after opening the box and removing a container that looked like something KFC puts there sides in with a wad of toilet paper inside. The lid was tightly secured and I opened the container inside of the aquarium and gently unraveled the toilet paper and found NOTHING, the pos who returned the email said they had video of them putting the spider in the box and that it probably got out of the sealed container and is hiding in a corner of the box. A bunch of bs, cowardly punks who know there is know way to get to them and teach them a lesson, ! Do not get scammed by these lowlife individuals by placing an order on their website.

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rsrsrs
Kissimmee, US
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Jun 15, 2016 4:56 pm UTC
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I have a negative experience with these guys too. my order arrived dead. They say they are not liable, but their website clearly states they fully guarantee everything live on delivery or money back. All i got back from them was a reply saying i am irresponsible and doing this to hurt there company. And if i try to get my money back by filing a chargeback they will report me to collections

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Stinkysmom12
Chesapeake, US
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Dec 22, 2015 5:33 pm UTC

I just want to go on record as saying this...I am truly sorry for the negative, even downright despicable experiences that the folks here have had with Backwater! However, I have recently ordered from them and have had a stellar experience both with the animals I received (who have all been in perfect health) and with the amazing customer service I have received from Meg, Amanda, Chelsey and Mr. Sam! It's like we are talking about two different businesses altogether here and I really do wish that everyone on this forum would have had as good an experience with Backwater as I have! Even when I had a little mix up with my first order, they have gone above and beyond to correct their mistake and have issued me refunds. I will not say that anyone is lying or that you all shouldn't have had better treatment, but maybe there's more to your story than you are letting on here. I don't know and gosh...I don't mean to offend anyone. I just can't accept that we are talking about the same people! All I can say is that if anyone is looking to buy from them in the near future and is using this forum to decide if you want to give Backwater your business, please remember that more times than not, the people who do the reviews on any company are those who have had bad experiences. Rarely, those who have very positive transactions think to go show a little gratitude and post something that shows the flipside of the company's service. People deserve to hear about the good stuff as well. Go to the Better Business Bureau website to see more information and reviews on Backwater for yourself before taking everything said here as biblical. Anyone who has been a reptile enthusiast in the last 25 years or so should know that they are taking a big risk as it is when ordering any live animal online, especially a reptile and/or amphibian! There's so much stress put on that animal who may have recently been scooped out of the wild and brought to the retailer just to be uprooted again to be shipped out to a new home. A lizard can look like it is in near perfect health one day and can deteriorate so quickly that it can look like a totally different animal within just a few days of that. Granted, some of these complaints seem valid if they in fact happened EXACTLY as stated here and I'm not excusing these incidents. However, there are two sides to every story and please keep that in mind if you are using this forum to make a decision of whether or not to order from Backwater. I have been in the customer service industry for 25 years and one statement I absolutely despise more than any other is, "the customer is always right" which cannot be farther from the truth! Truth is, 9 times out of 10, the customer is so very wrong and is probably trying to get something free out of his or her complaint. That way of thinking may make more money for a business, in some cases, but it surely does not do any justice to the situation, especially when we are discussing living things.

All this junk aside, I am truly sorry for those of you who lost animals due to your experience with Backwater. Some of that is to be expected, no matter how much it may bite, when you order a live animal online. However, it doesn't make the situation any better or easier to swallow when you lose an animal and if things were handled by this company exactly as you stated, then you definitely deserved better treatment! I wish you all could've had experiences more like those I've had with Backwater Reptiles so far! Better luck to all of you here in the future with your online reptile shopping! I hope those of you who have lost animals never have to go through such a terrible experience again and my heart goes out to you! Merry Christmas to everyone here!

Written by someone who is an authentic customer and who is NOT Sam, the owner of Backwater Reptiles!

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Chase Dekker
Tacoma, US
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Dec 18, 2015 1:56 pm UTC

The first Ball Python I ordered from this website was perfect. I still have her, she's now two years old, gorgeous, and has never once gone off feed. With her in mind, I decided to order my Leopard Gecko from them this time. A mistake.
First they delayed the order by two days because 'they just got a fresh shipment in and would like to send me one of the new ones'. Then the poor creature arrived dead in a badly secured package. When I emailed them with pictures and questions, I got a response saying I would need to pay another 40$ in shipping, or if I wanted a refund, they would ONLY refund the cost of the dead animal, not the shipping cost, and I would need to include all of my credit card information in the email itself so they could process the new shipping charge. So not only do they want my private card information because they 'dont have access to Purchase records', they want me to pay a total of 80$ in shipping + the original animal's cost just for a leopard gecko... which may or may not arrive alive the second time either.

Every email they sent me was also covered in emojis. Utterly inappropriate and unprofessional after I just explained how distraught I was over the unnecessary death of an animal they'd sent me.
Horrible.

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respectreptileownerspix
Freeport, US
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Jul 03, 2015 11:25 am UTC
Verified customer This complaint was posted by a verified customer. Learn more

I recently found an old photo I took of my Mali Uromastyx at Backwaterreptiles.com and they use it without my permission to publicize their uro sales.
This is the link where my photo appears. http://www.backwaterreptiles.com/uromastyx/mali-uromastyx-for-sale.html
They most likely stole my photo from my Flickr album or Yahoogroups. I did not purchase my lizard from them and don't have a relationship at all with Backwaterreptiles.com
My Mali's photo also appears here with other photos of uros. http://www.backwaterreptiles.com/uromastyx-for-sale.html
If you see a photo of yours or someone you know there, and did not give permission for the photos to be used, I would encourage you to try sending a DMCA Notice. http://www.whoishostingthis.com/dmca/
I will send one, and so far it looks like Facebook is the best way to reach them and get a quick response. There is no customer service hotline or a proper mailing address on their website.
All the best!

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Southeastant
US
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Jul 01, 2015 7:11 pm UTC

Unfortunately I did not do my due diligence before ordering from these clowns. The first red flag was not listing a phone number. They would obviously be taking calls from dissatisfied customers that received dead animals on a daily basis. This operation needs to shut down or at least not be able ship animals anymore.

BackwaterReptiles.com complaints: history and resolution overview

BackwaterReptiles.com has received 22 complaints on ComplaintsBoard. The first reported case, Scam website, was published on Oct 31, 2011, and the most recent complaint, Disappointing Experience with BackWaterReptiles: Poor Quality Control and Customer Service, was posted on Jun 18, 2023.

Out of all reported cases, 1 complaints (4%) have been marked as resolved, while 21 complaints (96%) remain unresolved. The most recent resolved complaint, Unethical Business Practices, provides additional insight into how customer issues have been handled.

Customer feedback spans multiple years and reflects a range of user experiences. A majority of complaints remain unresolved, which may be important to consider when evaluating the company.

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