Cordelia's neck - very upset!

[Valentine Pirate]

Keep us updated on how this goes, really seems underhanded to sell you an animal like that and just hope you think it's pretty enough to make up for the kink or something

[BoaFreak]

The BOI is the Board of Inquiry on Fauna Classifieds. This is where you go to post a thread saying a seller or buyer was a good guy or bad guy. Most of the threads are good guy threads, but a fair amount are bad guy threads. If your looking to purchase a snake from a breeder, search for their name on the BOI and see if people have had good or bad expieriences with them. Heres the link...

http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/foru...splay.php?f=13

AWESOME!!! Thanks abunch

[JLC]

Guess I'll wait a few more days for a response, then send a follow-up, and THEN take it to the BOI if I still haven't heard back... it is a holiday week, so hopefully that explains the delay in his reply. I am very upset about the whole situation, since I waited MONTHS for this girl and was extremely excited about her. I'd hate to send her back, but obviously I can't do much with a kinked breeder.

^^^ This. ^^^

It's a valid concern about going to the BOI and getting stomped for doing so. Not only do you need to have all your proof set up...you also need to have given the seller a chance to make it right first. If you jump onto the BOI and smear them before they have a chance to do right by you, then you 1.) make yourself look bad and 2.) reduce the chances that they'll be willing to work with you in the first place.

It IS a long holiday weekend, and there's a good chance that no one is checking e-mails right now. I'd wait until Monday...and e-mail again on Monday saying something along the lines of, "I know it's been a holiday weekend, and I've been as patient as I can be. But everyone should be back to work now and I need to hear back from you right away so we can work on a resolution to this problem. If I don't hear back from you by _____ then I will have to take this to the BOI."

I'd give them til Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on how patient you feel. And THEN go to the BOI.

It's true that the longer you wait to report the issue, the harder it is to get a fair resolution....but that would apply if you procrastinated and waited weeks and weeks or months....not just a few days to give the seller a chance to do right by you.

The biggest question you can expect BOI members to ask you...and the seller to bring up if he's being stubborn about fixing the issue...is "Can you prove the snake did not get injured while in your care???"

You can do some prep work here in this thread if you like...post up the pictures of the snake that the seller sent you before you bought it. And post up the pics you took as soon as you received the snake....and we can help you scour the pics for any evidence that the problem was there all along or if it might have developed after shipment.

It's quite possible that it's an injury and not a genetic defect at all. If you find yourself "stuck" with this animal....later in the year or next year...whenever your finances sort themselves out...have it x-rayed (if it hasn't resolved itself through the natural healing process). They might be able to tell you if it was/is broken bones or if there is a true defect in the bone structure. Might be worth the gamble if the animal is an important part of future breeding plans.

OH...and one last thought about taking this to the BOI. I totally understand where you're coming from regarding the financial sacrifice you made to buy this beauty...but it is completely irrelevant to a BOI claim and folks can be a bit harsh on someone who plays the "Woe is me, I have financial burdens" card when it was their own choices that put them in that position to begin with. I am NOT saying that's what you've done here, or how I see it....I'm just saying that is a likely scenario to play out on the BOI if you mention that personal side of this business problem.

I wish you all the best. Hopefully the seller will get back with you soon and make it all right without having to jump through any BOI hoops at all.

[Lolo76]

Thanks again, everyone... I'll give him through the weekend to respond, follow up, and then it's off to the BOI. I'm just really sad about the whole situation, since I have started to become attached - so it would be hard to just send her back like a piece of clothing. These are living creatures, ya know?

Btw, here are the photos he originally sent me - do you see any evidence of a kink? All I noticed was the dirty tub, but she looked beautiful & perfect to me.



This one almost looks weird, but her tail is just wrapped near her neck...

[steveboos]

No I can't see any kinks in those pictures, if he actually took her out of the tub, it would be a lot easier. Heck i'm willing to take 1 minute and take the snake out of the tub to take a picture, especially for a $400 animal. Either this guy is so busy this is not possible, or he just doesn't care. Sellers make me wonder.

Keep up up to date on what you decide to do.

[Lolo76]

Thanks for the response JLC, and I found your advice to be very useful... don't worry, I wasn't planning to mention my personal financial/employment situation on the BOI! I've already become familiar with the attitudes on there, and would keep it as "sterile" and professional as possible.

I posted the seller's photos above, and here are a few from the day she arrived at my house - you can see some evidence of the kink in these, so clearly it didn't happen in my care. And as I said, it did occur to me upon arrival, but I tried to convince myself it was just her squished position - was in denial, I suppose.

[JLC]

Unfortunately, the pre-sale pictures aren't conclusive at all. But, they don't rule it out, either. Both pics show the neck being held in the same position...which could indicate an existing problem...or it could just be a natural serpentine curve. They're more help than harm to your case, I believe...but not as much help as one would wish for.

[Lolo76]

No I can't see any kinks in those pictures, if he actually took her out of the tub, it would be a lot easier. Heck i'm willing to take 1 minute and take the snake out of the tub to take a picture, especially for a $400 animal. Either this guy is so busy this is not possible, or he just doesn't care. Sellers make me wonder.

Yeah, I thought that was odd too... I was only selling normal babies, and took photos out of the tub & from various angles. But once again, I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt! I'm really NOT that trusting of a person, to be honest, just fairly "wet behind the ears" in the snake hobby. I'm a fast learner and a fairly tough broad, however, so this will be dealt with somehow - that I promise.

[JLC]

The second "arrival" picture seems to show the best evidence. But if the seller had sent that exact same picture of her, would you have noticed the kink? I don't think I would have. It's easy to see how you would dismiss it as nothing, and put the animal away for a proper settling-in period.

I really do hope the seller is a good guy and is willing to work with you on this to reach a reasonable and fair solution.

[Lolo76]

Here's one more post-arrival photo, which shows it a little better... still not obvious as a defect, though, as JLC just stated above.