Best Way to Replace My Dead Pin?

[akaangela]

In concept, I agree with everything you are saying - however:

The buyer is a teenager. There is no way in h*ll I would sell a non-feeding animal to a teenager. No knock on Tiffany, but even keepers with a lot more experience under their belts have issues getting non-feeding young balls to eat.

What good is a 48 hour warranty on an animal that can take months to starve itself to death? That animal was apparently a problem eater and they sold it on the cheap to a kid.

I'm loathe to sell animals to kids period. If one comes along that appears to have a pretty level head, I'll gladly make an exception on some species - but I would make damn sure that the snake had no known issues.

However, I would not sell an animal - especially a baby with known eating issues- to a minor. No way, no how.

I sorta disagree with you. I have met some very very experienced teen keepers. The OP said she had had experience with non feeding snakes. She (what sounded like to me) implied she had a high level of experience with balls. At what point do you trust a person to know their level of skill? IMHO it was her parents duty to know what she is getting into. Yes the seller SHOULD have warned her. But, again IMHO, to not sell something to a person just because they are a teen is wrong. How do you know that the next person, an adult, saying the same thing is any better? When do you trust their word about their level of experience? Is a teen that has had 4 years experience any worse than an adult (and at what age do you consider a person a responsible adult) that has had the same amount of experience? How long do you have to have snakes to be experienced?

If it where me I would never had had this animal up for sale to the general public, for the simple reason I don't trust people (no matter how old they are). I would have either sold or given it away to someone I absoultly KNEW could help a snake that was a non feeder.

At one time or another most of us overestimate what we think we know. Who's fault is it? The OP learned 2 very important lessons. First thats she was not nearly experienced as she thought she was. Second that when you over estimate yourself bad things happen. The saddest part is a poor snake had to die for her to learn this.

This could have just as easily happened to an "adult" as to a teen.