mojave or not?

[wolfy-hound]

The only reason people will telly ou to return it is because you said you wanted a mojave. That snake has no genes for mojave, so we would advise returning it. Since you said you want to keep it as a pet, then fine. You should be glad she is offering you a partial refund, since if she REALLY thought it was a mojave, she would not offer a partial refund at all. She knows it's a normal, and none of us want to see you deal with someone who is selling normals as mojaves.
For simple terms, a mojave ball python shows it's genetics in the colors and patterns of it's skin. It's a co-dom gene. If it has the mojave gene, it shows the mojave pattern and coloration. If it does not have the mojave gene, it looks like a normal, because it has NO mojave genes.
If you have a snake with TWO mojave genes, then it will show as a all white snake called a luetistic.
If you get a pastel from this same person, I would be very leery, and be sure to look for green eyes, and the pastel colors and blushing. Feel free to ask what signs to specifically look for, so you get a pastel, and not another normal. There is also no het for pastel, just like there is no het for mojave.
I hope this explains it, and I hope you enjoy your pet, as much as later on you may enjoy your morphs.