Pet Store Woes

I stopped at a small pet store today. I have normally been pretty impressed with their store, they have a great selection of stuff, specially fish. When I looked at the ball python, they had a larger one, and a smaller one in the same tank. I asked one of the employees about the larger one and she said someone had dropped it off because they couldn't care for it. Well, it looks like the pet store cant care for it either. There were no hides and it had stuck shed all over it. It was about 90 degrees in the tank with no escape to a cold side. It had also been going through shed with stuck pieces all over it :(. I looked at the price and it was $200. I asked the employee if they would take any less and she said: "No, we can't afford to take any less." I was like :confused: Someone gave them the snake yesterday and they haven't even fed it, which by the way the person who dropped it off said it had been off feed for a while. I just wish they would take a lot less for it, since it was free, they dont have any money in it....It just makes me so mad its not being taken care of properly. Oh, they also had a baby albino bp, and wanted $900 for it...I lost a little respect for them then.

Seriously? wow...

That's a bit disheartening.

I would buy it in a second...but $200 for a normal who might be sick...I hate it.

Don't talk to the employee--talk to the manager.
It sounds like the store hasn't done much research on ball pythons. They got ripped off on the albino. You see, retail stores must do around a 50% markup to make money. So, someone sold them the albino at retail price, and they marked it up as usual. In reality, they should not have purchased the albino for any more than half that price, but it's clear they weren't aware of the current retail price for an albino ball python.
Someone took advantage of their lack of research, and made twice what they should have, selling to a pet store.

An employee doesn't necessarily have the authority to give you a break on the price for the large ball python, but the manager or owner does.

Right, I meant to say that I got the number and I am going to call back. The manager wasn't there when I went to the store. They also had a Red Tail that I was worried may have RI. I posted that in the RTB section though, with pics. I'm going to call the store and ask for the manager after lunch. I would love to give the guy a better home.

I can't even say how disgusted I am by that... it's as bad as the two local stores around here.. first let me say, BOTH buy from the same place.. one makes a 100% mark up. And the other, more reputable store does a 150% mark up!!!! Which is adding more or.less to the part of your mark ups..

But I agree, you should talk to the manager and keep us posted. I myself have two rescues so far and every day I feel better then the last knowing that they have a better home!

Please keep us posted!

That is why I can't stand pet stores. They always start with the best intentions and usually turn into a "business," Money becomes more important than the animals. I even see some of this with breeders. I know a few breeders that won't feed their normals regularly and house multiple ones together because they know they can't get a lot of money for them. It's sad. I plan on opening a reptile/exotic pet store in the distant future. And one of the things I vow is to never get in that mindset where profit > animal health.