I need some help on holding fees

Hi guys! I bought a snake for $200 but I couldn't pick him up for a month due to me needing to find a new rack. I just got in contact with the seller because I'm finally about to buy the rack. I told him I could pick him up today but he wants to charge a $100 holding fee. Does that sound reasonable to you guys? I know most balls only eat once a week. This is my first experience with holding fees and I want your experienced advice!

Um... not at all. On a 200$ snake, charging 100$ just to hold it is insane. Considering a ball python eats maybe weekly (4 weeks, 10$, tops), and needs bedding changed a couple times a week to every couple weeks depending on the bedding (trivial to 2$), and requires about 6 watts of electricity (2-5$).

Anything more than 10% the animal's cost, in this case, is just profit for something that should already have made profit simply on its sale.

Thank you so much Oxylepy! I thought that was way too much but at the same time I had never come across this problem so I didn't know! I'll definitely keep the 10% rule in mind too!

This is ridiculous unless you agreed to it up front.

I could see charging $25-30 for something like an adult retic to cover food and maintenance, but not a ball python. The seller should have told you in advance that there would be a fee if delivery was delayed because of a problem on your end.

Is the seller asking for an additional $100 or are they asking for $100 to hold the snake and then you pay the balance when you pick it up?

Find another breeder, obviously neither reasonable or business savvy.

Over the years I have held snakes for people whether it was because they were buying an enclosure or they were being deployed I could have never imagine charging them not for an hatchling BP not even an adult.

What is he feeding gold plated rats??? :rofl:

Ask for your money back. A $100 holding fee is totally ridiculous. ANY holding fee, without a prior discussion and agreement is ridiculous. Breeders hold animals all the time for a variety of reasons and do not charge a fee. Get a refund and buy the snake from a reputable and reasonable breeder.

Thanks guys! I'll definitely do that Deborah! And on top of that I'm driving four hours to pick the snake up and then four hours back lol And the snake is payed off he didn't mention the holding fee until I told him I was going to pick up.


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I hope this all works out. I am smelling something stinky. Something is not right with this "breeder". You could get all the way there and no snake. Please take someone with you when you go (always good to have a witness) or just have him ship it.

This seems pretty crazy to me. I would want my money back and I would move on to another breeder. The only way this would be acceptable is if you agreed to it up front.

Something about this seems fishy though. I hope it works out for you and wasn't some scam. Good luck! Keep us posted.

Definitely guys! I'm going to take my boyfriend with me just in case! It's a really unique snake so I'm not giving up on the deal yet but there's no way I'm paying $100. I think he realized this and is now saying he'll give me a special deal of $50 which is still ridiculous.


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Originally Posted by Vithaxton

Definitely guys! I'm going to take my boyfriend with me just in case! It's a really unique snake so I'm not giving up on the deal yet but there's no way I'm paying $100. I think he realized this and is now saying he'll give me a special deal of $50 which is still ridiculous.

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That isn't a special deal at all. I would absolutely advise that you try to get a refund and move on from this person. The entire deal sounds super shady.

Ahh okay so the breeder did want the money in addition to the price of the snake. I agree with everyone else, that is ridiculous and totally out of the norm. Any and all fees should have been discussed and agreed upon before you paid.
Sorry you're having to deal with such a hassle.

Here is my problem with this breeder. most breeders will offer short term (30 day) payment plans on lower priced snakes. So what is the difference if you pay in full and pick it up 30 days later or do a 30 day plan? nothing, this has cost him nothing. and i would recomend (no matter how unique this animal is) to ask for a full refund and buy off someone else. And explain the only reason you want a full refund is because he is charging you a fee that was not disclosed at the time of purchase

Well here's the part where it gets even crazier lol I have a very good reputation in the reptile community in Houston and I absolutely love the reptile community! With breeders that I absolutely love I sometimes offer extra money! The snake was actually $150 but I gave him $200 because he was getting out of the business and he was so friendly and everything! So technically I'd say I already payed for my "holding fee" upfront lol


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Originally Posted by Vithaxton

Well here's the part where it gets even crazier lol I have a very good reputation in the reptile community in Houston and I absolutely love the reptile community! With breeders that I absolutely love I sometimes offer extra money! The snake was actually $150 but I gave him $200 because he was getting out of the business and he was so friendly and everything! So technically I'd say I already payed for my "holding fee" upfront lol


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The old saying applies ....

No good deed goes unpunished.

Wow, yeah, I'd say he's trying to milk ya.

(and usually it's the other way around from my experience: breeders you have a good rapport with will offer you discounts or bundle deals. Especially if they think you'll be a repeat customer.)

Agreed with everyone that this is outrageous - double check his policies and see if he mentions it at all. If not, ask him wtf?

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He didn't mention a policy. This was all he told me.


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The next reply should be I already overpaid you $50 so we can call it good or you can refund my $200.

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Originally Posted by Bmocken

The next reply should be I already overpaid you $50 so we can call it good or you can refund my $200.

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agreed

Definitely that^^ why was he getting out? Wouldn't be surprised that he failed as a breeder with those business ethics. I don't think that combo is something so crazy you'll never find again if it's one you want.

Because I'm killing time, there's a 600g. Male on morph market for 250 and "price negotiable"

How did you pay for it? Cash, credit, PayPal ?


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I'm hoping you paid "goods and services" or a cc because then you have a possible remedy. Cash or paypal's "friends and family," and you're at his mercy.

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Originally Posted by HannahLou

Because I'm killing time, there's a 600g. Male on morph market for 250 and "price negotiable"

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Awww thanks so much for going through the trouble of looking them up! I would totally buy it if it looked like this one snake lol It's a cool double gene animal but I'm so stuck on this triple gene guy! I would totally just buy the same morph if I could find one but I haven't seen any that look like this guy! This guy had enough sense to hold this snake back I just wish everything had run so much smoother without this big hassle [emoji24]


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Originally Posted by DLena

I'm hoping you paid "goods and services" or a cc because then you have a possible remedy. Cash or paypal's "friends and family," and you're at his mercy.

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Ironically I just learned about how you can't get your money back if you pay through friends and family from a previous post last week! I think it was through MrytlHerps I read about it. I was so relieved I learned about that before I started paying for some really expensive animals! Unfortunately I was oblivious to this when I payed for this snake [emoji24]


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My only question is: Was he made aware that you were not going to take delivery at the time of sale and have you communicated with him in the laat month?

Yes he did know that I had to take some time to find a snake rack! But 100% honest I didn't communicate that much to him after that! I did supply him with an update once I was close to finally buying the snake rack! And then I told him I would pick up!


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But I am driving to meet him tonight and hopefully we can get everything taken care of and everyone can walk away happy! 99% of the time that's how it goes! I'm very confident that once we meet face to face we can get it sorted out!


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If you insist on getting this snake, just don't pay the breeder any extra money when you get there to pick it up. As has been mentioned, you already paid an extra $50 which should more than cover it. Don't get taken advantage of. This guy is getting out of the business so he doesn't care if this deal tarnishes his reputation.

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Originally Posted by mlededee

If you insist on getting this snake, just don't pay the breeder any extra money when you get there to pick it up. As has been mentioned, you already paid an extra $50 which should more than cover it. Don't get taken advantage of. This guy is getting out of the business so he doesn't care if this deal tarnishes his reputation.

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Thanks! I definitely will! And I'm thankful for all of the support, information, and experience everyone of you has provided! I hope this post helps with anyone who doesn't know about holding fees or how much they should be charged if at all in the future! I originally searched for holding fees on here and couldn't find anything so at least we now have a thread for it! Furthermore I think Oxylepy's rule of thumb on holding fees being 10% of the total price sounds very fair and I'll always keep that in mind!


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Is he at least guaranteeing the health of the animal? Holding fee should be the responsibility of the owner/ seller since the animal is still in his care. Totally unacceptable and not customer friendly no matter how much he smiles at you. :colbert:

I got him guys! He's definitely healthy! But he surprised me because he told me it was a young juvenile but it's an adult snake! He still has a bit of growing to do but he's definitely breeder size and weight! As well as age. It got all worked out in the end and he said yes that true that you did pay the $50. So he let it go! And gosh he's an absolute stunner and was worth the hassle! I'm glad the guy is getting out of business though. All he talked about was how you can't make money off of balls anymore. [emoji35]


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Pffft, yeah, so he tries to make a little extra off of you for one last go, I guess. What a real charmer. :rolleyes:

Omg! How are you still awake Lizardlicks lol And yes the worst part was he said he was done with the trick since it had already locked with two of his females! (So much for him getting out of the market) I'm just glad he's going to a better home honestly! I hate it when people treat animals like objects. He acted like a completely different person. But its all in the past now! I took a quick pit stop and I should get home at 2 a.m! I'll send you guys a picture of him tomorrow when I wake up!


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And with these last update pictures I think we can put this thread to rest! Lol Thank you again to all of you guys and your posts! The pastave trick was worth the hassle but I'm never doing that again! I'm also very grateful that I now know about holding fees and how they work! Plus you guys made me grow a spine and stand up for myself against a ridiculous snake breeder. I hope you all have a wonderful day and I'm very grateful for all your help!


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Originally Posted by Vithaxton

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And with these last update pictures I think we can put this thread to rest! Lol Thank you again to all of you guys and your posts! The pastave trick was worth the hassle but I'm never doing that again! I'm also very grateful that I now know about holding fees and how they work! Plus you guys made me grow a spine and stand up for myself against a ridiculous snake breeder. I hope you all have a wonderful day and I'm very grateful for all your help!


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Beautiful animal. I understand why you wanted it so bad. Glad things worked out.