I actually just bought my first BP from a Petco.... However I did my homework ( mainly by reading these forums ) and knew what I was looking for. A few weeks before I bought her it was my b-day and everyone gets me Petco giftcards ( because of the my aquariums and cats they are practical ) so I figured I would put them to good use and since this was my first snake I wasn't fully comfortable buying one online and would much rather handle an individual before I committed. I have to say the guy who worked there in the reptile department actually knew his stuff, he wasn't just some punk 16yo kid trying to sell me a UVB lamp. I actually threw a few questions out to test him such as substrate he said Aspen, asked if I needed heat lamp/UVB he said absolutely not and asked if I should get a heat rock and he said HELL NO! UTH all the way and he even told me to get a thermostat but I should buy it on Amazon because they ones they had were better quality and cheaper than in the store. He also told me her feeding schedule demeanor and let me handle her for a good 10 minutes while answering questions I had about her. He even went as far as to give me his work schedule so if I had any issues/concerns I could call him or come see him at the store!

Of coarse I already had her setup ready to go before I bought her and I didn't go to the store with the mind set of " I'm buying one today" I was going to check and see how they looked and if they were healthy I would pick one out. But the guy really knew his stuff and she is actually a very healthy snake and since I have had her ( about 5 weeks now) Has had a good clean shed and has not even hesitated on the four meals I've given her ( F/T Mice). I need to post some pics of her ( but I'm always posting from work lol ). But I agree that most chain pet places suck. I have a 155 gallon aquarium and sometimes i hear employees giving other customers some of the worst advice I have ever heard ( yeah a 29 gallon will be perfect for that Oscar ) lol WTF?! I guess it really comes down to the individuals, we can't slam everyone that works there just because the vast majority of them are idiots.