Turtle...Tortoise..which or what??

What is the best turtle or tortoise for someone with no reptile experience?

A woman I work with wanted a turtle very badly. So, I found some online, then the pet store got some red-eared sliders in. We had to get the glass tank there anyway, so she picked one of the turtles.

Less that 72 hrs later he died. We took him back and turns out he was clogged in the poop shoot. So, they offered to replace it, but she refused, saying she did not want to get another from the pet store, and wanted to go online.

So, I found two baby sliders online, same price as the one at the pet store with shipping. So, a week later, one died. Another week, the other died.

Then she askes me to contact the pet store to see if she can still get the replacement turtle. yeah right, it's been over a month.

She assures me she is doing everything right, but I don't know. I am not well knowleged in turtles or tortoises like I am other reptiles.

Can anyone suggest the best, least expensive shelled pet for her and a source of care information?? or is she doomed to get some fish...

Thank you for your time!

Redears are great, but what is "doing everything right?" Have her tell you exactly what she is doing and then we can see what might be causing the problem.

I agree with Brian, If she has no experience with reptiles how does she know she is doing everything right.

Another thing. Turtles are not the easy care for animals that most people think they are. Every person I know who has had long term success with turtles says they require much more care than they initially thought, and several of them have said that if they had known how difficult, and expensive, it would be they never would have gotten into turtles. I don't carry turtles any more because I found myself talking more people out of buying them because they had unrealistic expectations of them.

Steve Schindler