Lakewood Rodgers taxidermy scam

[duckmen1]

This is why I use a reputable taxidermy for all my stuff. I tried to go to a new taxidermy due to cheap rates and took a gamble 2 years ago. We brought in two deer hides, an elk hide, and a coyote hide. Said it would take 6 months to get back. Kept going in weekly after six months because he kept saying it would be the next week and the next week. He said the hide were shipped back to the bears den in Olympia that he just had to pay the remainder of the 500 he owed to pick up the shipment. So waited and waited. Already having a 50% down payment and not wanting to get scammed I told him I would pay the other amount left over in person at the bears den because he says he had no money to pick them up. He refused. So I contacted the bears den and took an hour drive and he showed me the hides in the shipment. Ours were not there. None of them. He was really cool though. So went back pissed at Rodger and he said oh wait there is a coyote hide in back that they were going to tan. Ended up mine. Got that back which looked like crap because they tanned it and did not send it to tannery like said. Then he told me the other hides must be in freezer. Several trips later he is now saying there was never any hides in freezer and the tannery lost them. Lie I say the paper work mine were not shipped. Then he told me that they had screwed up hides had the hair slipped on a bunch.So no he is just trying to take the money I gave him and say we're out of luck. He won't get away with it.
Also all the other hides in the shipment were sent back to tannery because he refused to pick them up. He took everyone's money and they are out the hides.
He does nothing but make up excuses and lies. And half the time I saw him he was drunk with a bottle of turkey on his desk.
What should I do.

[duckmen1]

There was a lot more to this that I didn't even say because my post was so long as it was.
Be warned he is a lying crook who will take you money and your hides and you won't get anything. Even the other taxi I talk to says the same thing about him.

[duckmen1]

The remainder I owed would have paid for the pick up of the hides and him refusing to pick up just shows he new none of our hides were in the shipment.

[MLBowhunting]

Sorry to hear about this stuff 

[duckmen1]

My buddy also lost a deer hide to him unfortunately just prior to us.

[duckmen1]

One more thing I like is when I asked for the log book to see the stamp number on our hides prior to going down to the other taxi he said he didn't have one anymore that some kid in collage would be making a log for him on a computer. So he had no records of any animals taken from any customers. Which I believe he is required to have present in the shop.

[littlemac]

Sorry to hear this.  It is a trust game and seems we are often led to a referral that doesn't work out.

[huntnphool]

Sorry for your misfortune but these threads always amaze me why members continue to go elsewhere, when we are fortunate to have as many reputable/honest/great work taxi's right here that could be used.

[SquirrelHunter]

I lost 3 ducks to this guy and my buddy lost 3 as well, kept making promises that he couldnt live up to.  Finally got one duck back and looks like crap and had bugs crawling out of it when we brought it home.  There should be an older thread in the waterfowl section on this guy.

[duckmen1]

I saw that thread. I new his mounts didn't look great but I didn't think I would have a problem with just simple tanned hides.

[gasman]

yeah, threads come up on hum from time to time.

Do a google search on him and you find other issues too 


Personally, he did some work for me in past, the deer mount is OK at best but the two euros and fish mount he did are 
Guess I was lucky but with hearing all the things that went bad after that, I would not take any thing to him again 


Sorry about you hides and good luck figuring it all out 


Have you called the WDFW?

[duckmen1]

No haven't called wdfw. Debating what to do on the situation.

[buckreaper]

I wasn't gonna pig-pile on Roger's but I've been pretty pissed at him and finally have to vent.  Took my Whitetail I killed in 2011 to him on the recommendation from a friend.  Told me it would be ready about April/May of 2012.  Well, I finally got it back in August of 2013.  He kept telling me that the "squeaky wheel" and the "repeat customers" get put to the top of the list.  Several times I said I wanted my horns and cape back but each time I was promised I was next.  I had put down half the cost as down payment.  After several attempts to get my stuff back he said that he hadn't done it yet because he didn't have enough money to order the form and asked for more money to get him through the weekend!!!  REALLY?  One day he calls and tells me it's ready.  So, I stop by and he says "What do you think?".  I see a head on the wall but glanced right over it for a second.  Well, it was my whitetail antlers on a mule deer cape and the wrong pose.  On top of that it looked like it had just seen a ghost with it's eyes bugged out.  He stood there smiling all proud of himself until he realized I wasn't fooled and definitely found out how unhappy I was.  Well, after I chewed some ass for almost an hour, we came to an agreement.  I got my mount two weeks later.  It's not bad but definitely could be better.  I'm so glad I took my bull from this year to Nature's Way.  I know I will get top quality and not get the run-around.