I was wondering if anyone has had troubles before with a Taxidermist? Currently, I am having a load of fun with a guy I took my 9pt to last November ('09). I won't name names, because I'm not that way, but if my friends/family ask me about this guy I am going to stear them clear of him.
When I took my caped buck to him on the 15th of November '09, he told me that one reason why he gets so much business is that he has a quick turn around time. He was charging $350 for a full shoulder mount. I thought this was a good price, and it was my first experience with mounting a buck. On the 15 of Nov that year, he told me that it will take him anywhere between 5-7 months to finish it. So, being patient, I waited until the first part of June to contact him about my mount. He then told me that he was not even close to finishing it because he stops doing mounts before spring turkey season starts because he makes turkey decoys during that season. I said, ok, and I asked to give me a time line of when it would be done. He didn't comply. I then waited until the beginning of July and called again. This time, he had just "moved" his shop and he had been spending all his time for the past month moving all his taxidermy gear to this new shop. I asked him where the new shop was, and found out it was literally 2 shops down the SAME block from his old shop. I waited again. This time it was the beginning of August when I called. I was told that mine was the last of 3 that he had to do and that it shouldn't be long. This time I went to the shop and saw my rack on a plastic form of a buck mount. This got me a little excited that he was actually working on it. So I decided to wait a while longer this time, and it was the beginning of October (this year) when I called again. I was told that my mount was done but another guy came in and wanted his mount right then and right there, so the taxidermist took my rack off my mount and put this other guy's rack on MY MOUNT! I know this because the taxidermist himself told me this. I then replied, "how is that supposed to make me feel when you tell me, the customer that?" Mid-November I called again (almost gave up hope) it had been exactly 1 year since I took him the caped buck. I realize many mounts take this long, but mind you, this guy is fairly new at being on his own with taxidermy and he didn't have that many mounts to do this year. I was told on this phone call that the glue was drying on my mount as we spoke and that he was working on it RIGHT NOW. All he had to do was let the glue dry and do the cosmetic work to the mount. I asked him finally "Will my mount be done by the end of November?" He told me "yes, absolutely!" I knew better. Two days ago (december 13) I still had not recieved another phone call from this guy. I last called on Nov 15. This time the guy didn't answer. I had to leave a message I don't like leaving. I had to give him an ultimatum. The mount done by this friday or my rack back + the down payment I already made. If neither was done, I was going to take him to small claims court. I had enough! He finally calls back, and says to come pick my mount up at 5 o'clock on friday. I will NEVER take another buck to this guy. I'm seriously thinking about writing a letter to the editor about this whole situation. People in the community need to know that this business is not a good one. My buck was not a monster. He was not a 160in class buck. He was probably a 140's class and he is a buck that means something to me. This guy though, has chosen to put my buck dead last and obviously put other customers first. I can tell this guy is going to try something on Friday when I go pick the mount up. I have my reciepts and copies made of them too in case he denies that I paid anything. I can just tell things about people. If there is anything that he does that makes this situation worse, I will be replying to this post with his business name and warning people to stay away from doing business with this guy.
What do you all think? Have I done the right thing? I am a Christian guy and I am very forgiving person. But I also realize and recognize when I'm getting the run around. I don't like to be taken advantage of. Some people in this world, feel like they can walk all over you because you're a nice person.
When I took my caped buck to him on the 15th of November '09, he told me that one reason why he gets so much business is that he has a quick turn around time. He was charging $350 for a full shoulder mount. I thought this was a good price, and it was my first experience with mounting a buck. On the 15 of Nov that year, he told me that it will take him anywhere between 5-7 months to finish it. So, being patient, I waited until the first part of June to contact him about my mount. He then told me that he was not even close to finishing it because he stops doing mounts before spring turkey season starts because he makes turkey decoys during that season. I said, ok, and I asked to give me a time line of when it would be done. He didn't comply. I then waited until the beginning of July and called again. This time, he had just "moved" his shop and he had been spending all his time for the past month moving all his taxidermy gear to this new shop. I asked him where the new shop was, and found out it was literally 2 shops down the SAME block from his old shop. I waited again. This time it was the beginning of August when I called. I was told that mine was the last of 3 that he had to do and that it shouldn't be long. This time I went to the shop and saw my rack on a plastic form of a buck mount. This got me a little excited that he was actually working on it. So I decided to wait a while longer this time, and it was the beginning of October (this year) when I called again. I was told that my mount was done but another guy came in and wanted his mount right then and right there, so the taxidermist took my rack off my mount and put this other guy's rack on MY MOUNT! I know this because the taxidermist himself told me this. I then replied, "how is that supposed to make me feel when you tell me, the customer that?" Mid-November I called again (almost gave up hope) it had been exactly 1 year since I took him the caped buck. I realize many mounts take this long, but mind you, this guy is fairly new at being on his own with taxidermy and he didn't have that many mounts to do this year. I was told on this phone call that the glue was drying on my mount as we spoke and that he was working on it RIGHT NOW. All he had to do was let the glue dry and do the cosmetic work to the mount. I asked him finally "Will my mount be done by the end of November?" He told me "yes, absolutely!" I knew better. Two days ago (december 13) I still had not recieved another phone call from this guy. I last called on Nov 15. This time the guy didn't answer. I had to leave a message I don't like leaving. I had to give him an ultimatum. The mount done by this friday or my rack back + the down payment I already made. If neither was done, I was going to take him to small claims court. I had enough! He finally calls back, and says to come pick my mount up at 5 o'clock on friday. I will NEVER take another buck to this guy. I'm seriously thinking about writing a letter to the editor about this whole situation. People in the community need to know that this business is not a good one. My buck was not a monster. He was not a 160in class buck. He was probably a 140's class and he is a buck that means something to me. This guy though, has chosen to put my buck dead last and obviously put other customers first. I can tell this guy is going to try something on Friday when I go pick the mount up. I have my reciepts and copies made of them too in case he denies that I paid anything. I can just tell things about people. If there is anything that he does that makes this situation worse, I will be replying to this post with his business name and warning people to stay away from doing business with this guy.
What do you all think? Have I done the right thing? I am a Christian guy and I am very forgiving person. But I also realize and recognize when I'm getting the run around. I don't like to be taken advantage of. Some people in this world, feel like they can walk all over you because you're a nice person.
