Are you a Tarantula hobbyist? If so, we invite you to join our community! Once you join you'll be able to post messages, upload pictures of your pets and enclosures and chat with other Tarantula enthusiasts. Sign up today!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="PRTTYP" data-source="post: 242762" data-attributes="member: 51159">Vendor: Fear Not TarantulasOrder Delivery Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at 11:38 AMTotal Animals Received: 4 spiderlings (Phormingochilus hati-hati, 2x Psalmopoeus irminia, and 1 Tliltocatl albopilosus )I am posting this review to share my recent experience with an order from Fear Not Tarantulas regarding a non-viable spiderling and how customer support handled a latent health issue.While three of the four spiderlings arrived alive, settled in well, and are currently healthy, active, and feeding normally, one sling, a Phormingochilus hati-hati arrived with severe neurological distress (Dyskinetic Syndrome / DKS symptoms) that rendered it non-viable. Chronology of Events:Delivery & Unboxing (Aug 12, 11:38 AM): The package was received and unboxed immediately. As expected after shipping stress, the slings were still and lethargic. They were placed into clean, well-ventilated enclosures with standard organic substrate and sphagnum moss.Observation of Neurological Symptoms (Aug 13–14): Once the P. hati-hati attempted to move around, severe motor dysfunction became obvious. The sling displayed uncontrollable leg twitching/micro-spasms (especially in the rear legs), total loss of coordination, and an inability to right itself when flipping over. It remained tucked in a stress curl and refused pre-killed food.Emergency Measures & Reporting: I transferred the sling to a sterile paper-towel ICU set up with a water dish to rule out substrate contamination or dehydration. I recorded clear video footage of the involuntary muscle spasms and erratic movements and contacted Fear Not Tarantulas to report the condition.Vendor Support Response: Upon receiving the video evidence of DKS/spasms, customer support responded with the following:Environmental Blame: The vendor suggested daily misting or substrate issues were to blame. However, 3 out of 4 spiderlings from the exact same package are thriving in my care, proving that the husbandry and ambient conditions are safe. Severe DKS/neurological breakdown cannot be induced within 24–36 hours from clean substrate or ambient room humidity.Strict 2-Hour LAG Limit: The vendor stated that concerns must be reported within 2 hours of delivery (by 1:30 PM on Aug 12) for their Live Arrival Guarantee (LAG) to apply.Biological Impracticality: A 2-hour window works for Dead on Arrival (DOA) checks. However, latent neurological damage, transit overheating, or DKS cannot be diagnosed within 120 minutes while a sling is completely immobilized in a shipping vial due to transit shock. The symptoms only manifested when the sling attempted coordinated movement.Resolution Offered: The vendor refused a full refund or free replacement for the non-viable specimen, offering only a 50% discount on a replacement (requiring me to pay shipping and half the price of a defective animal again). When I respectfully declined to pay extra for an animal that arrived with pre-existing neurological damage, the vendor closed the inquiry.While I appreciate that 3 of my slings arrived healthy and well-packed, refusing to cover a specimen with video-documented neurological spasms because the symptoms became visible after the initial 2-hour unboxing window is extremely disappointing. Expecting a keeper to pay 50% for a replacement when an animal arrives non-viable with DKS is an unfair application of a Live Guarantee.Please see the attached video footage showing the P. hati-hati’s leg spasms and loss of coordination upon its first movements: <a href="https://streamable.com/0eoyy7" target="_blank">https://streamable.com/0eoyy7</a></blockquote>

Verification