East coast colubrids Peter Jolles

I get stupid emails like this all the time.

I really don't have time to haggle with people that make offers like this.

Other breeders --- Let me throw something out to you and tell me if I am right or not:

People that BUY almost never haggle. They ask how much and how do I pay. The deal is usually done within a few emails or calls (like with Allison - who got good customer service from me because she treated me and my time with respect from the start).

People that DON'T BUY always ask for more pictures and a lower price. I have something to say to all of you: Leave me alone you losers.

Some people above posted that they will not buy from me because I was rude. GOOD. Stay away from me. I am in this for the snakes - not to deal with people that want to haggle with me. My email was direct and to the point. LEAVE ME ALONE AND DON'T CONTACT ME AGAIN.

WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY. I MEANT IT.

Go to my website and take a look. I posted about 5 awesome pic's of each Blood Python. WHERE ELSE can you go and pick your specific Blood Python like that? And you want to haggle on price?

To the guy who sent me the original email that started this: Leave me alone you peasant.

Peter Jolles

P.S. I will be at Hamburg roaming around if you want to meet me and see how much of a jerk I am not. Allison (posted as Lillyorchid above) met me and is very happy.

I think his response was totally too strong and rude. Bottom line. I had heard from several people about how he was a good person to do business with. Why do you need to be rude just say no I can sell you a pair for this much and be done with it. Not be like you can never buy from me never contact me again and you don't care about the animals. The price I pay doesn't mean I don't care about the animals it means I want to get them as cheap as possible isn't that everyones goal. I mean wouldn't you be more than happy to get an albino ball for $50 does that mean you don't care about it and won't take care of it I dont' think so. I just thought I would throw this post out there because I have never gotten a response like that and I don't think haggling is wrong and to the person who said if you can get them cheaper somewhere else go ahead well the price I offered him was still more than the other people wanted but I was willing to pay a little more to buy from someone reputable and I probably would have paid the asking price if he would have just said no I can't go any lower not go off the deep end like he was crazy or something.

Originally Posted by redrott

I just thought I would throw this post out there because I have never gotten a response like that and I don't think haggling is wrong and to the person who said if you can get them cheaper somewhere else go ahead well the price I offered him was still more than the other people wanted but I was willing to pay a little more to buy from someone reputable and I probably would have paid the asking price if he would have just said no I can't go any lower not go off the deep end like he was crazy or something.

That my friend is a very, very long run-on sentence.

- Peter Jolles

Kevin - Remember you get what you pay for. If I ever saw someone selling a Albino Ball Python for $50. I'd laugh and wonder what was wrong with it. Nor would I even consider taking the time to look or ask about it. I'd rather much pay more money for an animal that I know is from a good, well known, responsible breeder and not just any "Joe Schmo". I think a lot of people in this business, hobby, who have a love for these beautiful creature would say the same thing.

Having sat back and had a bit of time to think this over, I have changed my position a bit. Those of us who choose to post ads and sell to the general public have made a conscious decision to enter the scariest segment of the business world.....RETAIL!!!

By making that decision, we have also made the decision to offer the one thing that can set us apart from the others in this arena....CUSTOMER SERVICE.

While I agree that getting lowball offers thrown at you can be annoying and tiresome, it is part of the business.

One particular statement by the original poster made an impression:

I don't think haggling is wrong and to the person who said if you can get them cheaper somewhere else go ahead well the price I offered him was still more than the other people wanted but I was willing to pay a little more to buy from someone reputable and I probably would have paid the asking price if he would have just said no I can't go any lower

Peter, you may not have liked Kevin's initial offer but it was not impolite and simply asked a question. Your response was over the top and rude. To those that are applauding the directness of his response, let me pose a hypothetical.

Would not a response of "Sorry, that would be well below market. The best i could do would be $240 shipped. Let me know" Not have accomplished the same thing and not alienated a potential customer? i appreciate directness more than most. I place it one step below civility.

Sometimes it is not what you say but how you say it that causes the problems.

.....but what many people do have to understand is that breeders do get haggled with all the time on prices. Every breeder I know that advertises on the internet or sells at shows, they go through this very thing. Haggling is not bad but HOW you do it and HOW low you go can make a big difference. AND, also, how you respond is also just as important.

While it is part of the business and to be expected to a point, it can be very annoying from the breeder's viewpoint, especially, when over and over they get emails from buyers wanting their animals but never seem to want to pay what they are asking. That I do see and understand.

However, I do know of the good rep that Peter has, and as irritated as he may have been ( maybe he was just having a bad day ), his name calling was immature and surprising to say the least. Every breeder I know that is successful and has a good name for himself in this business would NEVER act like that in an email or personal sale. His emails to the buyer were derogatory. A simple, " no thanks " would have worked wonders.

It's possible he had a bad day or answering 50 billion emails of "Can you go lower?" And "I don't have much money but..." and "Can you get me a shot of the front of his head from slightly above horizon, with natural lighting and an eggplant in the background?"
I haven't sold many snakes at all, only a few that were extras. But... I've gotten frustrated with people already, and I cannot imagine how bad it must be when you do loads of animals.
I wouldn't count it against him.
Wolfy

Guys,

Please understand something: I DON'T CARE. Call me rude or whatever you want ---I DON'T CARE if people think I am rude.

I AM RUDE. I am also extremely generous - both with my time and with the snakes I breed and sell. I give away far too many snakes.

John - you know, from 1st-hand experience, that I am very fair and accommodating.

To anyone who thinks I am rude and would not consider doing business with me:

Really, it is very fine with me and really - I don't need you and I would rather not have you bother me.

As stated before in other ways by me -
I am not here to walk around with a bluetooth in my ear bragging about the different morphs of this or that I will have for sale. Get it in your heads --- I could CARE LESS what anyone thinks about me.

Don't like it? Come find me at Hamburg and talk snakes with me - you will see why I am in this and it is not to haggle over a $95 for a frigging snake!

Peter,

I like your willingness to not care what others think. I do the same in many areas of my life and in this world, you do have to have that type of attitude to attain some goals.

I always love your posts on the Kingsnake forums and always pretty much agree with what you say, and I like your animals on your site, and I do agree that you are probably a very cool guy to talk to about snakes. I also love the fact that you sell locality animals as well.

Just take my comments, from a guy that would buy from you despite this and thinks you are a good guy, that being me, and give it some thought. That is all I ask.

Take care!

Peter I stated earlier that our transaction went well. I, personally, have no complaints at all. But given your attitude on this thread, I think I can state unequivocally that you cannot survive in retail with that mindset. Too many people in this industry have tried and failed. There is a great example running at the moment. It is called MG Reptiles.