the reality is they get bored with an impulse buy pet and are tired of paying money to feed it..

As for heat rocks, they sure seem like a good idea to anyone who has never heard of them before. After all, it's pretty common for people to think that all reptiles seek out warm rocks to bask on. "And they wouldn't sell it if it was bad for my pet, right?"

Everyone is subject to impulsive decisions, and everyone has done something without thoroughly researching or understanding the implications or resources necessary.