I bought my female pastel off of CL. She was extremely healthy, if a tad bit underfed for her age. She was a little boy's pet, and other than living on mice, and a little bit of stuck shed, she was as right as rain. Breeding for me even as we speak.

I also bought a pair of het albinos a few weeks ago. They were underfed and possibly have mites, (PAM on it's way...I have only seen 2, and am still not convinced they're snake mites, but not taking chances.) but I'm still perfectly happy with my purchase. The guy was a well meaning college student, and going into it I'm already 100% okay, even if they are a pair of male normals.

Use common sense, ask questions. For a first snake, I really recommend buying from a trusted source. Having a snake with any sort of health issues is ridiculously stressful, and probably not something you want to embark on so new in the hobby. (That said, I'm still a noob myself....just a well-educated one. )