Guarantees

[Minja777]

Hi everyone

So I have been looking at KS and breeders websites and I have noticed a good portion never seem to write out any guarantees , terms, etc or at least aren't exactly clear on them.

I hate being a pest and asking a million questions so that I am clear on what's going on , but I feel it's necessary.

It seems with some breeders though that the more questions you ask the less interested they are in talking to you. I'm not pushy,pompous or aggressive when asking either.


Am I being unreasonable here? I thought you were supposed to ask these things and such.

What exactly protects buyers/sellers in these sort of deals?

I was burned pretty bad with my last purchase , granted it was not a breeder, but reputable breeder or some knucklehead off a classified ad I would like a guarantee that the animal being purchased is as advertised and above all else healthy.

And if it's not,then they are going to fix the situation somehow.


Do I need a written guarantee? Is it wrong to ask for one?

If a breeder is unwilling to provide such , should you pass on the deal?

Or am I being overly paranoid? I am newer to the hobby , so I still have much to learn how things work.

What are some of your (breeders) terms,conditions,guarantees? Would you give a written guarantee? Why or why not?

What are things buyers need to ask and request?


Thanks.

[KMS]

Most breeders that have websites do state there guarantee's..
Kevin

[Freakie_frog]

Am I being unreasonable here? I thought you were supposed to ask these things and such.

No any breeder worth your time should answer questions..

What exactly protects buyers/sellers in these sort of deals?

Honesty and a desire to please the customer and protect and build a good reputation

I would like a guarantee that the animal being purchased is as advertised and above all else healthy.

Not to much to ask most wont have something you receive but rather on their web site or invoice..then again many don't

Do I need a written guarantee? Is it wrong to ask for one?

If you feel more secure having a guarantee then you need one..Is it wrong to ask for one..not in my mind..but remember it is just a piece of paper and might have very restrictive language

If a breeder is unwilling to provide such , should you pass on the deal?

Depends on how big of an issue it is for you..are you willing to compromise?

Or am I being overly paranoid? I am newer to the hobby , so I still have much to learn how things work.

We all have these worry's wil it be healthy, will it feed ect..paranoid no. Not sure what to expect from a good transaction is more like it.

What are some of your (breeders) terms,conditions,guarantees? Would you give a written guarantee? Why or why not?

http://wildmorphs.com/payment.html

Sure I'm confidant that my animals are healthy..if packaged right, shipped properly and everything goes smoothly the animal you get should be in exactly the same shape as it left in..barring any un-controllable events.

What are things buyers need to ask and request?

How do you ship?
What are your shipping requirements? (temp, receiving, ect.)
Do you guarantee live delivery?
Do you provide feeding and genetics records?
Can I contact you should any problems arise?

[Darkice]

That's why i only buy from reputable breeders with a guarantee. You can check the board of inquiry on fauna classifieds to see if others have dealt with the seller and their experience good or bad. Its a good place to start.
The guarantee means they care about their animals. I wouldn't buy from someone who doesn't care.

[Minja777]

Thanks for replying everyone!

WildMorphs , great terms page , it's to me very clear, I would not have thought about who signs for a package would matter, maybe a big duh to some but newbies like myself might not think twice about something like that...
Good stuff to know!

Thanks again everyone

[ColinWeaver]

This really is a very touchy subject in the reptile world. You are going to find that there are a lot of different opinions on the topic.

Here are the terms from my web site: http://ballpythonbreeder.com/terms-etc/terms-of-sale/.

One of the biggest sticking points you are going to find is whether or not animal health is guaranteed for any length of time AFTER the sale. That really is the toughest part of the live animal business. Some reptile breeders offer "30-day guarantees" or something similar. Most, however, do not. I am guaranteed to have detractors for it but I am one of the latter. I, like most breeders, guarantee live and healthy arrival. I do not guarantee that the animal will thrive under a buyer's care. Once a healthy animal is in the care of its new owner it must become their responsibility. This is true because the seller has no way to to account for the care the animal is given past the point of sale/delivery. As a breeder I only offer animals for sale after they are well established and obviously thriving. Fickle feeder and slow-starting animals are held back until they come around. Unfortunately, not all breeders do it this way. Caveat emptor. This is part of the reason why people are going to tell you to only buy from people you trust or people who have a good reputation.

Sometimes people say that a reputable reptile breeder should provide guarantees similar to those provided by dog breeders. I suggest that dogs are much more tolerant of (though certainly not impervious to) inappropriate environments than reptiles. Snakes kept in sub-optimal conditions will deteriorate very quickly. Dogs do great in a 68 degree (F) room while snakes do not. This applies not only to things like respiratory infections but also to more subtle issues like cage size. A ball python who starts his life in the safe confines of a 6 quart Sterilite tub (which baby ball pythons "love") is likely to be freaked out to the point of not feeding when suddenly placed in the massive real estate provided by a 20-long aquarium. This illustrates the importance of buying from a breeder/seller who will act as a source of advice both before and after the sale.

I invite everyone to also consider the "guarantee" speech that Chris Farley's character gives in the movie Tommy Boy. In addition to being hilarious, it's also filled with truth. It is plausible that a reptile seller will offer a long-term guarantee on an animal in order to give you a warm and fuzzy feeling and complete the sale. But what happens if you need to take them up on their guarantee? Are they really going to be able to give you a refund or a replacement snake? Consider it. Living hand-to-mouth is not uncommon, especially for snake-rich, cash-poor snake breeders. As soon as you give the breeder $1,000 for your new snake you can rest assured that the money will be spent. If, a month later, the snake dies and you expect to get your money back you may find that the seller is not able to back up their so-called guarantee.

The reptile industry contains an amazingly diverse array of characters. Some of the coolest people I have ever met are here ...and so are some of the worst. Do your homework before you buy.

Cheers,

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

I agree completely. I believe the only way it should be extended beyond the live healthy arrival TOS, is for breeders who insist on shipping in the winter. Even then I think if it a reputable breeder with great feedback, they should offer a week to allow for signs of illness due to shipping. At the same time I dont believe any reputable breeder such as this should be shippping in cold weather, but if they do, they should back it up 100%.

[waltah!]

I think one reason that you don't find as many people guaranteeing much after arrival is that buyers can simply change their mind. They see a better deal or decide that they want a different morph and all of a sudden the purchased animal is "unhealthy" or not eating....even if it really is perfectly fine. Buyer's remorse is often the motivating factor in any type of return.
Do your homework is the best advice I could give. People don't know me from a hole in the ground, but I can easily be found here. The last thing I'd want is a bad rep in this hobby. If I send you a snake and it's not tip top I'd take care of it or I'd have to answer to everyone here not to mention the BOI.

[Minja777]

Thanks everyone ..

All very good points I didn't really think about..

I think Im just going to save my money and see what comes around in the spring/summer and buy from someone that I know I can trust and comes highly recommended.

Colin , great terms page , I really like when breeders take that sort of time to write out a detailed well explained terms page. I also love your collection! lol .That pastel lesser 50%. gorgeous.


Great replies everyone and thank you!

[jjmitchell]

I have not produced any animals but should have some things next season.... I dont think anyone should offer up an animal that is not well started and had several meals. I agree that breeders that are shipping animals in the cold should have to back it up, but I understand that you can not account for the care that a new owner is providing, but the breeder should offer help and assistance In my opinion there are to many people that are just producing animals and trying to get rid of them for a profit, or act like they are above talking to some of us. After all the animals are the reason why we are doing this, and first time buyers or established breeders alike is what allows this hobby/ business to work in the first place.