I thought I'd ask here because I'm a tad confused and would appreciate some opinions. There is a very nice sized banana ball python at my local petsmart for $350. This price seems to be on the high end, but as I said, the snake is also a good size and has some beautiful blushing and coloration. I called them, and they said that the supplier for their ball pythons would be Reptiles by Mack. I've heard both bad and good things about them, both on opposite ends of the spectrum. I also saw an article about PETA doing an investigation on Reptiles by Mack with very poor findings, but the information across the board that I seem to be finding is very inconsistent. It's either high praise or extreme criticism. The snakes they keep at this location are very healthy looking. They appear to be very well-fed and plump, no missing scales or blemishes, are extremely clean, and have absolutely zero indication of mites or others health issues. My vanilla cream boy is from a good reputable breeder and I'm aware of the stigma around purchasing animals from PetSmart, but I'm a little confused as to why this is, if they seem quite healthy and the supplier for the pet store has had good things said about them from members here?

Thoughts? Thanks in advance.