Backwater Reptiles Reviews 

559
TrustScore 3.5 out of 5

3.7

While we don't verify specific claims because reviewers' opinions are their own, we may label reviews as "Verified" when we can confirm a business interaction took place. Read more

To protect platform integrity, every review on our platform—verified or not—is screened by our 24/7 automated software. This technology is designed to identify and remove content that breaches our guidelines, including reviews that are not based on a genuine experience. We recognise we may not catch everything, and you can flag anything you think we may have missed. Read more

Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 69 reviews, most reviewers were somewhat happy with their experience overall. Consumers generally appreciate receiving animals in healthy and active condition, frequently noting that the pets arrive looking wonderful and safe inside secure packaging. Many people find the delivery service extremely fast and reliable, stating that their live shipments frequently arrive ahead of schedule without any transit issues. However, some customers also noted serious problems with animals arriving sick or dehydrated due to concerns about containers and packing choices. Reviewers additionally mentioned encountering unhelpful and dismissive customer service when trying to resolve order mistakes, incorrect species deliveries, or broken health guarantees.

What people talk about most

Product

Clients share positive opinions on product quality, frequently noting that animals arrive healthy, active,... See more

Quality

Reviewers mention ambiguous feedback about quality, revealing stark contrasts in their experiences. Many... See more

Order

Consumers find order experiences to be mixed, reflecting both satisfaction and frustration. While many... See more

Customer service

Customers had ambiguous experiences with customer_service, reflecting a wide range of opinions. Many... See more

Delivery service

People report positive experiences with delivery_service, noting that shipping is generally quick, easy, and... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I ordered 2 nile monitors about 2 weeks ago and they arrived in awesome condition. They started eating crickets about an hour after putting them in there enclosure. Already starting to calm down when... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

We are so happy and excited about our new family members. They arrived on time handled with such care. We got 2 Asian black forest scorpions and 1 emperor scorpion all juveniles as well as a cd hachli... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I've puchased from other companies that sell "feeder" lizards and Backwater is the only one that has consistantly shipped quality lizards. The packaging materials were clean and neatly done. They hav... See more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Although they didn’t have what I originally asked for they told me and gave me options. Then when I picked the price was more then what I originally paid for yet they didn’t add any additional charged... See more


Company details

  1. Pet Store
  2. Aquarium Shop
  3. Reptile Store

Information provided by various external sources

We have 600+ species of live reptiles for sale online, including lizards, snakes, frogs, turtles, tortoises, and more. Live arrival is guaranteed! A+ BBB rating.


Contact info

3.7

Average

TrustScore 3.5 out of 5

559 reviews

5-star
4-star
3-star
2-star
1-star

No history of asking for reviews

This company hasn't invited their customers, so reviews may not be representative

How this company uses Trustpilot

See how their reviews and ratings are sourced, scored, and moderated.

3.7

All reviews

(559)

65 reviews in the last 12 months

Write a review
Companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Reviews are the opinions of individual users and not of Trustpilot. Read more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

love em

omg. its like having a bestfriend thats good to you but all ur other friends hate her. and you know why. and they not wrong , but she haven't crossed you and always had ur back. lol!!!
I love backwater. I had great experience with shipping and with the animal. got an bearded dragon, came in great condition. I have a couple family members who have ordered and that's where i got the recommendation from. and they also had wonderful experiences and beautiful animals. still living years later. prices were fair and after i ordered, i sent a thank you message and received a message from them the same day. i loved my experience with them and so did my family.

November 5, 2024
Unprompted review
Advertisement
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This is the second russian tortoise…

This is the second russian tortoise I've ordered from Back Water Reptiles. The first guy arrived a little lethargic. I was worried so I called BWR and they told me exactly what to do. He quickly perked up. I had him for over two years. BUT. I built this great outdoor pen for him and the little rascal tunneled his way out and disappeared. It was the poor quality of my construction, not the quality of the tortoise that was the problem. The new tortoise arrived yesterday (10/10/24) No problems with lethargy on this one. He started booking around his indoor pen as soon as I lifted him out of his shipping containing. BWR will always be my go to source for reptiles!!

October 10, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

My Russian Tortoise

I just received my russian tortoise today and it came 10am perfectly packed when I picked him up! He was properly stored and comfortable for his journey! The price was awesome and I will definitely recommend this wonderful company to everyone! Thank you Backwater Reptiles!! Excellent service!! Customer for life! Joanne Villafane

September 10, 2024
Unprompted review
Advertisement
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Do not buy from this company!!

Do not buy from this company!!! Not only do they not send you what you ordered. No one picks up the phone,mail box is full. So you can only email them and they are not helpful at all. They shipped me half my order, admitted that is was their fault and refused to send me the rest of my order unless I paid an additional $55 shipping. Zero customer service. Go to your local pet store, don't support this place.

August 30, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

AVOID!

AVOID!! Submitted a 5min video digging up the dead animal as our 3RD attempt to provide proof of dead animal - refund DENIED. Clearly they don’t back their shipments as promised.

September 4, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great Buying Experience, Beautiful Tortoise!

Just received a Russian tortoise from Backwater Reptiles and he is absolutely beautiful! He arrived today via UPS overnight and seemed to do great during his travels. The packaging was great and kept him healthy and safe. He has already started to explore his new enclosure and is eating as well!

As an experienced tortoise owner, I would highly recommend Backwater Reptiles! They have some of the best prices and an awesome health guarantee for their animals. You can tell they take pride in the reps they produce! Will definitely purchase from here again!

September 4, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I ordered a red knee tarantula

I ordered a red knee tarantula, and she came exactly on time, packaged well and she is adorable. This is my first time purchasing a spider, so I really had no idea what to expect, no disappointments here. I have had her for four days now and I am very happy with her. I would defiantly recommend and use them for future purchases.

August 20, 2024
Unprompted review
Advertisement
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Awful looking

Arrived quickly but the gecko appears sickly and possibly blind. He walks around with his eyes closed and bangs into the glass walls, as if he can’t see. His bones appear deformed as if lacking good calcium. His skin is hanging, as if dehydrated. Feel so bad for him. White eyes with red rims.

August 12, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Do not order from them

Do not order from them, they have a terrible way of tracking orders.
I payed almost 100 dollars for an iguana and i even showed prof it got taken out of my bank account from there site, they said sorry we cant find your order.
Still won’t give me a number to refund me or anything

August 6, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

In years of keeping tarantulas and…

In years of keeping tarantulas and scorpions I've never received better service!! After many internet orders and disappointment I've finally found an EXCELLENT company!! Great service and product!! Helpful staff and very secure shipping. The healthiest metallic pink toe and striped knee tarantulas I've ever seen!! I'll be a return shopper and promoter of this company!!!!!

August 7, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Expedited shipment

Needed an emergency shipment of feeder geckos to be shipped on a Thursday for delivery on Friday. They were very responsive and were able to get my shipment out same day. All 12 geckos arrived safely and healthy. No complaints whatsoever.

August 1, 2024
Unprompted review
Advertisement
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great experience !

I highly recommend Back Water Reptiles. I ordered a Blue Tail Skink and it arrived alive, well packaged and completely comfortable. They were quick to respond to my emails with questions and were very appreciative of my business.

July 30, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Just got a new family member :3

Just got an Egg Eating Snake from them and they're lovely :D. They came in a well ventilated box with some paper and a soft thin bag the snake stayed in. The snake is very friendly and kind and a perfect pet, highly recommend :3

July 10, 2024
Unprompted review
Advertisement
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

GREAT Service & Price Robust Reptiles

Was notified promptly when a heat wave in the West prevented Backwater Reptiles from shipping my kingsnakes. BR identified my closest location for pick up & kept me informed. Promptly answered the 5 emails that I sent during the process. My reptiles arrived healthy, happy, and active. I ordered 4 kingsnakes and all of them were very robust. The careful packaging insured that the reptiles arrived without damage or trauma.

June 20, 2024
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Love this company and couldn't be…

Love this company and couldn't be happier. They were quick to respond to my email about adding a 3 whites tree frog to my order. When my order showed up they were happy and healthy, and they had even included TWO free whites tree frogs. Will definitely use them again. Be aware tho of another website that is similar to theirs but is fraudulent. The fraudulent website has less choices of Reptiles.

May 28, 2024
Unprompted review

Is this your company?

Claim your profile to access Trustpilot’s free business tools and connect with customers.

Get free account

The Trustpilot Experience

Anyone can write a Trustpilot review. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they’ll be displayed as long as an account is active.

We use dedicated people and clever technology to safeguard our platform. Find out how we combat fake reviews.

Learn about Trustpilot’s review process.

Here are 8 tips for writing great reviews.

Verification can help ensure real people are writing the reviews you read on Trustpilot.

Offering incentives for reviews or asking for them selectively can bias the TrustScore, which goes against our guidelines.

Take a closer look