newbie question when buying online

[nighttrain_1991]

Just curious what types of questions people typically ask the seller when buying online. What types of things/documentation/"guarantees" if any do you look for from the breeder. Considering taking the real plunge here and spending 800-900 for a snake and what to make sure i'm as many precautions as I can. All advice will be greatly appreciated

btw this is the snake i'm looking at: male jigsaw blast

[Webley]

I always ask if they guarantee health, sex and genetics. Those are the big three. I would probably ask what the snake is currently eating as well as weight. I ALWAYS check the breeder's BOI on fauna too.

[I-KandyReptiles]

1). Check the BOI, and try to find reviews of the seller. If needed, post an inquiry thread on the BOI.

2). Ask about guarantees. What their terms of service are. What protocols they take if an animal arrives DOA, missexed, sick, etc.

3). Ask for a picture of the snake on the scale. I've seen a lot of people get ripped off on weight.

4). If paying through PayPal, use a credit card. It's easier to dispute with a credit card if something was to go wrong.

5). Ask what the snake is eating, how often, and if feeding charts will be provided.

I can't think of anything else right now. I've never bought online yet.

[nighttrain_1991]

1). Check the BOI, and try to find reviews of the seller. If needed, post an inquiry thread on the BOI.

2). Ask about guarantees. What their terms of service are. What protocols they take if an animal arrives DOA, missexed, sick, etc.

3). Ask for a picture of the snake on the scale. I've seen a lot of people get ripped off on weight.

4). If paying through PayPal, use a credit card. It's easier to dispute with a credit card if something was to go wrong.

5). Ask what the snake is eating, how often, and if feeding charts will be provided.

I can't think of anything else right now. I've never bought online yet.

That is great. Thanks alot for the quick response. I've got some of that: The breeder is Bob Futo, and from what I saw on the BOI he has a great reputation. Eating f/t raw pups hatched in december and is 185 g. Does that seem reasonable? Will definitely ask about the feeding chart and the protocols for arrival condition

[nighttrain_1991]

I always ask if they guarantee health, sex and genetics. Those are the big three. I would probably ask what the snake is currently eating as well as weight. I ALWAYS check the breeder's BOI on fauna too.

How do they guarantee genetics? He did send me pics of the sire and dam (separate not locked) There's no het gene here so everything should be visible right?

[LLLReptile]

How do they guarantee genetics? He did send me pics of the sire and dam (separate not locked) There's no het gene here so everything should be visible right?

Yeah, the codominant and dominant genes should be pretty easy. It's more for hets, or if you're looking for a particularly awesome looking snake that comes from great looking parents.

-Jen

[nighttrain_1991]

Yeah, the codominant and dominant genes should be pretty easy. It's more for hets, or if you're looking for a particularly awesome looking snake that comes from great looking parents.

-Jen

Well I definitely want an awesome looking snake. The parents looked very clean to me, although not really sure the difference between a pastel and blonde pastel. Since the sire was a jigsaw blast I'm not sure on the quality of the base morphs involved, but he seems very bright. The dorsal stripe on the offspring is actually more complete and imo better looking than the sire.