[octagons]

I’ve also experienced this using GAN. Be wary and use common sense. I never bothered reporting it but I’d be willing to bet we’re talking about the same person. They listed the same advertisement in basically every state with a different Google Voice number so as to appear local.

I was under the impression that we would be meeting because they were local, which is how GAN is intended to operate.?Instead, they shipped the queen to me without any USDA permits. The queen also died within a few weeks of arriving. They started a web store not longer afterwards.

That said, I’ve had plenty of good experiences with GAN. This was one bad actor out of many good ones.

[throw310822]

So there is someone that is running a shady operation selling ants?

> They started a web store not longer afterwards.

At this point I'm not sure if it's a store online or one that sells spider-related stuff.

[octagons]

The shadiness largely comes from the fact that transporting insects can be a risk to the environment. Permits to ship live ant queens are not hard to obtain, but there are laws that prohibit certain species from being shipped to certain areas.

The permit also covers obligations for the recipient, such as ensuring that no pathogens are left on the packing materials and that you dispose of the insects properly, if necessary.

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/subtitle-B/chapter-III/...

[ses1984]

I’m guessing it started as a hobby for this guy then became a shady business when he realized there are a bunch of easy marks out there in an underserved market.