No one said anything about not caring about the animal's welfare. They will be better off with you. They have a better chance at survival. But take a step back and take a good hard look at your "friend". They sold you snakes illegally, and only told you they were wild caught snakes (which are illegal to sell in your area) AFTER the transaction. When you called him about problems, he even said "You got a great deal on some snakes." (or something like that) as if you shouldn't be complaining just because you paid less for them. Sounds to me like he's not that great of a friend if this is how he treats his animals, conducts business, and treats his "friends". I would not hesitate to report him.