Deeply Disappointed – Poor Service and Lost Sentimental Item

Business Name: Field and Stream Taxidermy Deeply Disappointed – Poor Service and Lost Sentimental Item

On 21 July 2023, my father-in-law took his last eland skin to Field and Stream Taxidermy for processing. This was meant to be a sentimental gift for me, and 50% of the invoice was paid upfront.

After that, we received no updates or communication for months. When we followed up, we were eventually told the skin had been lost. Later, they contacted us to say it had been "found" and returned.

On that basis, we were asked to pay the outstanding balance. I immediately made the payment and sent proof to the email address on their official invoice — only to be insulted by staff for "not knowing how to spell," even though their own documentation had the incorrect address. The tone was rude, dismissive, and unprofessional.

When my mother went to collect the skin, she was given something completely incorrect — a much smaller hide, not an eland, possibly a bushbuck. This was not the skin we handed in.

I called to raise this serious issue and was told I was "carrying on like a child." At no point in this entire process — which has lasted nearly two years — have we received an apology or any sincere attempt to resolve the matter.

They now claim they are not liable because the tanning was outsourced — but they took our money, managed the process, and are responsible for the end result. They have failed to deliver, failed to communicate, and failed to take responsibility for something that held real sentimental value for our family.

This has been an incredibly disappointing, upsetting, and infuriating experience. I would never recommend Field and Stream Taxidermy to anyone, especially if what you are handing over has meaning or value to you.