I've heard plenty of bad about Reptiles by Mack within the hobby. The PETA investigation didn't surprise me, but I also it wouldn't surprise me if it was staged some how as PETA members have been caught doing that. However if there are a few places you hear bad about from multiple sources, I don't think there is a conspiracy against them.
Also remember even the worst people/stores have to make a majority of people happy or they will go out of business instantly. So you can hear great things about the worst people/stores also. When it comes to big box stores they can be polar opposites under the same name. One store hires a reptile enthusist who takes care of the animals as if it was their own animals, another hires someone who thinks snakes are icky but needs a pay check and all they know about the animal is the cooperate care sheet they were handed and barely memorized.
Personally I wouldn't support the big box store anyways, do you feel you can't find a breeder that has the quality you are looking for, for the same price or more than likely cheaper even with shipping?
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