Re: [AlpacaTalk] shearing experience gone bad
Tina Travis
Elkhorn Alpacas
31655 Elkhorn Glen
Warrenton,MO.
636-359-0250 / 636-459-8930
traviselkhornalpaca
Alpacas are a rare treasure,
one that I like to share!!!!
From: "jelizabethfarms1@
To: AlpacaTalk@yahoogro
Sent: Sun, May 30, 2010 11:51:10 AM
Subject: [AlpacaTalk] shearing experience gone bad
I have had an experience that I don't even have words to describe and do
not know how to deal with, so I bring it here for any input any of you
may have.
I had the person that sheared for me last year return. She did not do
a super job last year and in fact I lost a baby (aborted) and 2 of my
alpacas nearly dropped dead from the stress. She was using a llama
chute and it was not adequate to contain them. It was a very stressful
experience. But I liked her, knew she was just getting started and she
went the extra mile to make everyone as comfortable as possible. She
was also willing to trim teeth which my former shearer was not. I made
arrangements with her back in Nov for this spring shearing and repeated
what I had said last spring, that this year she would have to be able to
shear these 2 high strung ones on the ground. She said that would not
be a problem. I wanted to support her business and so we made the appt.
The misunderstandings started immediately.
starting with her long delays in responding to my email requests for
confirmation of our appt (since it had been made long ago) and the fact
that she would be able to shear on the ground. She was very short and
curt in her eventual replies. In retrospect, I should have called a
halt right then and there. But again, I liked her and wanted to support
her, and appreciated her herd health approach; plus I consider her
sister a good friend who has been an invaluable support to me whenever I
have had an alpaca emergency the past few years. So I overlooked her
curtness.
But her curtness/rudeness continued upon her arrival at my farm. She
brought several people with her which added to the chaos and confusion
(one was her boyfriend who she said she never got to spend any time with
laugh laugh). She was non communicative with me and I tried on several
occasions to have a conversation with her about what cut, etc. But she
was too busy talking with her boyfriend and the person she brought along
to assist that had equipment for shearing on the ground. Everything
was a rush.
Long story short - instead of the least expensive cut, she gave the
"nudie", the most expensive cut. I tried during the first shear to
remind her that that was not the cut I desired. She continued. Again
in retrospect I should have been more assertive, but there was so much
going on, plus she cut that first boy really badly and there was so much
blood and nothing she did would stop it. She went thru a whole tube of
super glue or whatever she was using to try and close the skin and it
did not work. It was so bad that she told me to call a vet out to
stitch it up and she would pay the bill. I called my vet who was out of
town for the week-end and unable to come. Thanks to the calm and quick
thinking of the woman she brought with her, we got him up and the
gushing stopped.
So we moved on. She also cut the last one, but not as badly. It had
started to rain at that point and I was busy trying to help her by
getting her stuff out of the rain. She never mentioned that last cut to
me but I saw her trying to get more super glue out of the tube and saw
the bloody wipes. All was chaos.
The bill was much higher than I expected and I was shocked. But by that
time it was late, my 3yo was cranky and we were all hot, hungry, and
miserable. Again, my mistake, I did not go over the bill in detail. I
just wrote her a check. Part of that check was for fecals.
After going over the bill and the day in my mind, I wrote her a detailed
email describing what had happened and how I had been overcharged and
given a cut I had not requested and that I was due a refund. It has
now been over 2 weeks and not only has she not responded to that email
but she also has not sent me the results of the fecals. I am really
angry. I told her in my post that I liked her and wanted to continue
working with her but was upset about her demeanor and her not discussing
the cut with me before hand and in fact even ignoring me when I tried to
talk to her about it......and then charging me for it! I have spoken
with the other woman who has an alpaca farm and was a very calm and
appreciated presence that day. She confirmed that she heard what I
requested. I know these 2 women work together on occasion and I don't
want to drag her into the middle of unpleasantness. I also don't want
to drag the sister into this. But I am getting angrier by the day.
Not only did she rip me off, ignore me, injure my alpaca,but she moved
full steam ahead with the cut that was on *her* mind, giving no regard
whatsoever to my requests. And now it appears she is a thief and
vindictive as well. It is bad enough that I paid her for a cut I did
not request and in fact was in direct contradiction to what I *did*
request, but I have paid her $140 for fecals that she is not giving me
the results from. At this point I wouldn't even trust the results, not
knowing if she did them properly or in a timely manner.
So needless to say I have very negative thoughts about this woman and
her integrity and professionalism. She is on the board of a llama
rescue group and shears a lot of llamas in this area.
What can/should I do at this point? I am angry enough now that she is
compromising my animals health as I was waiting to worm everyone,
including the horses, until we got the fecal results back, that I feel I
want to expose her to the community she serves. It was bad enough that
I had to spend a week doctoring the cut boy and worrying about infection
and fly larvae getting in the wound. Her actions are despicable and
have cost me money I could ill afford and left me hanging not knowing
whether to worm or not. Is there a licensing board, or anyone
overseeing authority for shearing, for doing fecals, etc that I can
report her to?
If there is not I guess I will have to take her to small claims court.
I do have the other woman as a witness, but really would hate to have to
take it to that level. But I will if there is no other recourse.
What say you?
JaniceElizabeth in NW GA
posted by Chaddo at 10:44 AM
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