Craigslist Successes and Disappointments

[Skeptiball]

I recently communicated with two people attempting to "rehome" their ball pythons through my local Craigslist and both times the people turned out to be really hostile and seemed to lack even a very base level of knowledge about their animals. Both people got annoyed when I would ask basic questions about their snake (feeding, shedding, overall health, etc.) and both wanted an immediate yes or no answer as to whether I would buy the snake. Needless to say, I turned down both parties - not because of the snakes, but because of the people.

After what I went though I was wondering if any of you have had any good or bad experiences buying ball pythons/snakes via Craigslist.

[AbsoluteApril]

I have both bought and sold via craigslist over the years and have had both good and bad experiences.
Find most people don't have or don't want to give info, either they don't care and think it's a waste of time, don't care and just want the money, don't care and just want it gone, that type of thing. Also found people that are super nice and passionate. For instance, a CBB ATB I bought from a lady through CL (she produced the ATB) provided me tons of info, photos of the parents, we ended up chatting a bit after I bought the ATB and even went to a local reptile show together. I've sold snakes where the buyer asks tons of questions and wants as much info as possible, buyer that believes they know enough and just want to buy and don't care for history or what it's feeding on. Get lots of low ballers "I'll give you $20 for all 3 snakes" and to those I just laugh and say 'no thanks, good luck'. Most of those last types, but they are usually easy to weed out.

[Sonny1318]

I got a box of forty watt red bulbs and a half dozen hides I don’t have use for anymore. Craigslist, here I come, lmao. Yeah, you never know in the great unknown of Craigslist. Scary.

[67temp]

I've bought a couple from Craigslist with OKish results. First one I bought, the guy was actually the one that produced the snake and knew the hets, what it was feeding on, and was very informative. He's not a large production breeder. I've seen him once since when we were both working a repticon.

My second experience the owners barely knew anything about their snake. They had him over 2 years, in an enclosure way to big for him, no heat at all provided, and was still feeding him the same thing as when they bought him (a fuzzy mouse). He didn't even have a name, they just called him "the snake". His tank was clean and well kept but very clueless owners. He's been a great little guy.

I hate inquiring about an ad that is older and the seller gets pissy that you are inquiring about it because "that snake sold along time ago". Well take your ad down if it sold and you don't want people still contacting you.

[Godzilla78]

Mixed experiences. I have had mostly good experiences by weeding out the bad before interacting too much.

As mentioned by another, Its a big peeve of mine that idiots don’t take down their ad after selling something. It takes a few seconds...


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[tttaylorrr]

i haven't gotten an animal through Craigslist (as i am v apprehensive lol), but i have bought 2 racks off there. both purchases were great and i met very passionate people.

the first rack i bought off a woman who bred geckos. she was a delight, and my dad was like BFF with her dad by the time we left! they bonded over hunting.

when i bought my 10-shelf rack, the guy was older and had been in the hobby almost all his life. he said he knew the first Banana/CG morph in the US!!! what does he gain from lying?? of course i believed him! he was moving to OR to breed feeders with his son.

[Skeptiball]

I've bought a couple from Craigslist with OKish results. First one I bought, the guy was actually the one that produced the snake and knew the hets, what it was feeding on, and was very informative. He's not a large production breeder. I've seen him once since when we were both working a repticon.

My second experience the owners barely knew anything about their snake. They had him over 2 years, in an enclosure way to big for him, no heat at all provided, and was still feeding him the same thing as when they bought him (a fuzzy mouse). He didn't even have a name, they just called him "the snake". His tank was clean and well kept but very clueless owners. He's been a great little guy.

I hate inquiring about an ad that is older and the seller gets pissy that you are inquiring about it because "that snake sold along time ago". Well take your ad down if it sold and you don't want people still contacting you.

Your second experience reminds me of a local gun retailer in my area. The shop owner is keeping a ball python in a glass merchandise case, with a thin layer of wood shavings as a substrate, no heat, no hide and a very small water bowl that was empty the two times I visited the shop. I asked one of the employees about the snake and it's living conditions and the guy said the owner use to sell Colt Python guns in that case with the snake. I guess the snake was considered to be nothing more than a sales prop. I asked an employee about the snake and he said the owner does feed it and gives it water but he didn't know how often.

[bcr229]

I found a local breeder who was advertising normals and single-gene BP's on CL. I ended up getting some nice two-gene females from him a few years back.

I've found some great deals on used caging and racks, including a Boaphile enclosure.

[NJ Balls]

I bought an enchi bumblebee and a bumblebee, both females, for $150 off craigslist and two months later the bumblebee played 6 eggs. I got 2 spiders, 1 pastel, 1 kingpin, and 2 queen spins.

8 snakes for $150, I'm thinking that was a pretty good deal.

[Reinz]

I have 6 CL purchases for 7 of my snakes. Only one had misinformed me on specifics about the snake, but I didn’t care and bought the snake anyway.

One seller has been a texting and phone friend about snakes. He even turned me on to a great deal on a stunning Jungle Carpet. And then that owner of the Jungle came to my house months later to look at my collection.

I have also bought 6-7 other items on CL which were pleasant transactions.

Obviously I am very comfortable with buying off of CL. Now if I ever do sell something that me be a different story.


My sweet boy, Butch from CL.