Wow! I am amazed and saddened by these stories....
I have only dealt with two breeders for balls and they were both timely with their responses and completely willing to spend with me as much time as I needed. Sometimes, if I emailed them and it felt like I ought to have received a response back, I would just email again. Do you guys believe that simply emailing one time is all you are responsible for doing in order to get a snake that you really want??? Boy, not me; I'm much more proactive than that and sometimes emails get overlooked or lost in the ether!!
I also have 2 boas coming from two different breeders and they were right on top of it too! Maybe it's a Kingsnake problem.....
At any rate, I do know that there are good and conscientious breeders out there who understand and implement a business model and do it well. I also understand that it is sometimes the responsibility of the consumer to inquire more than once...don't cha think?!