Whaddya think of this deal?

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Originally Posted by wRobio

Just checked out this ad. I saw a picture of the same snake posted in March when I was in the bay area. It was a different ad, worded entirely differently, but definitely the same snake. Seems unlikely that a deal that good on a cinnamon would have lasted this long... IMO

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Huh... I wonder what that means? :cool: Maybe they were going to keep him/her, and changed their mind? I'll definitely mention that when I talk to her next.

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Originally Posted by Lolo76

Huh... I wonder what that means? :cool: Maybe they were going to keep him/her, and changed their mind? I'll definitely mention that when I talk to her next.

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I thought you were getting the snake on Saturday? (yesterday) If it were me, I wouldn't spend the money on the snake -- I'm a moron, I can't tell the difference between normals and some of these morphs. The cinny looks just like a normal to me. I think they are too similiar to spend the extra $

If I ever get a morph (which I probably won't), I'd like an albino. Although I really do like mojaves too...(but it has to be a good one, otherwise just looks like a normal to me :)

George

Sorry, just looked at a previous post -- I see you rescheduled for Tuesday...sounds kind of fishy (with the reschedule and the questionable ad). Good luck!

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Originally Posted by chapskis1

Sorry, just looked at a previous post -- I see you rescheduled for Tuesday...sounds kind of fishy (with the reschedule and the questionable ad). Good luck!

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She was actually really cool about rescheduling, and offered to squeeze me in if I couldn't do Tuesday. But since I was already concerned about leaving him/her in the car, I figured next week is better anyway. Not sure what to think about the ad, but I'm generally a good judge of character - and she seems legitimate. Of course I'll assess the situation when we meet, and won't take the snake if anything feels "off."

As for the cinnamons looking like normals, the difference is mostly in the pattern and brown head... I'm also looking ahead, and hoping to make pewters with my pastel. You can't say this looks like a normal! :D http://www.ballpythonaddiction.com/w...6/pewter05.jpg

P.S. She also mentioned a few prospective buyers flaked, and caused her to waste the drive... they live out in the boonies, so that plus flaky buyers could explain the slow sale. Not to mention, snake keeping isn't such a popular hobby around here. :cool:

I would never reply to an ad that said "pay me before I travel." They're either willing to travel or not, that just screams scam. They can't even tell if its a cinny or a black pastel, or the gender. Did you bother to find out where they acquired it from, how long they've had it, etc? I hope you asked for more pictures of the animal at least. Ask them to take a picture of it on a piece of paper with the date written on it. See if they run.

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Originally Posted by HerpKeeperVA

I would never reply to an ad that said "pay me before I travel." They're either willing to travel or not, that just screams scam.

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She didn't ask me to pay first, and I never would do that! Since she's already heading this way on Tuesday, we're just planning to meet halfway.

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They can't even tell if its a cinny or a black pastel, or the gender. Did you bother to find out where they acquired it from, how long they've had it, etc?

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They do know it's a cinnamon, and bred it themselves last year - the ad was just worded that way to make it sound like an adoption. ;) I don't mean to defend them, since you are definitely causing me to think twice! But it's not quite as sketchy as it first appears...

I agree, it sounds kind of fishy or shady. I would be wary of any "professional" breeder selling snakes on Craigslist, one cause there are better sites to sell snakes on and two, its against their policy to "sell" animals. I would ask for more pictures and if your still interested and have a good feeling about the seller see if they will take half upfront and half after you see the animal. I'm sure they will understand you are protecting yourself from a bad deal. Or, go to their house, save them the drive and then they have nothing to worry about if you don't buy it. Plus if you tell them you want to go pick it up from them and they act strange about it that might be a sign that its a scam.

Did you already pay for the animal?

Good Luck!

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Originally Posted by Lolo76

She didn't ask me to pay first

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Her ad says it though.

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They do know it's a cinnamon, and bred it themselves last year - the ad was just worded that way to make it sound like an adoption. ;)

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I see... Hey, I've got a great deal on some beach front property in Kansas, you want in? ;)

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I don't mean to defend them, since you are definitely causing me to think twice! But it's not quite as sketchy as it first appears...

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Do you know how many people think that very same thing right before they cash bogus checks? We're just telling you to be careful as you seem to be taking everything they say to be 100% true. Not every snake breeder is worth dealing with. There are scams in every trade, so you need to be on your toes and ask as many questions as you can think of. If they are in fact genuine people then it's no wonder they haven't sold the snake yet, because they are coming off as scam artists. No reputable breeder would list a snake on CL and say "hey, I don't know what this is, so you can have it dirt cheap!" just to get around CL's policies. If they aren't cons they're incredibly stupid.

I appreciate all of the responses, but I'm not a moron... I've been dealing with CL for YEARS, and have never been victim of a scam. I have enough common sense to wait until seeing the product to pay, and would run fast if anything didn't seem kosher. I agree there are some sketchy things about this deal, but I figured it wouldn't help to check it out. She hasn't asked me for a dime, even if we meet halfway, and I haven't offered anything either. We're both heading the same direction on Tuesday, and will meet with no obligations on either end... if the snake looks good I'll give her money, if not I'll say "thanks but no thanks" and head home. :gj: