Restrictive return policies

asixtwo posted this on a BOI thread:

1) I don't sell them to ANYONE I don't know.
2) I only sell 100% guaranteed hets. Anything that would be a 50% or 66% het as sold strictly as whatever it's visible traits are.
3) I microchip them all.
4) If at any time a customer decides they don't want the animal, I'll buy it back for the original price, plus a feeding allowance.

Payment to be made after the snake has fed, and proved out healthy after a 30 day quarantine.

I didn't want to derail that thread with my thoughts on that, so I started my own.

More and more I'm seeing new or relatively unknown sellers with these increasingly elaborate and restrictive policies for customers who are unsatisfied with their purchase. One lady even had a TOS that flat-out refused any returns out of fear of what could be introduced to her collection. I feel like policies like this likely drive away good customers who feel like their money would be better spent somewhere that didn't require them to jump through hoops just to send back an animal that, for whatever reason, may not be to their liking.

For example, for the above seller, if you receive an animal that's, say, $450, and it comes to you with an RI (I am not saying this seller sends out sick snakes, this is only an example), you cannot get that $450 back for an entire month. I understand that sellers do not want people impulse buying and then having buyers remorse and sending things back all the time, but there is a line between preventing wishy-washy people from wasting time and deterring good buyers from your animals.

I guess I'm just wondering when selling an animal became a game of covering your butt to the point of alienating customers?

I think you may have misinterpreted that (or I did)....that isn't about returns because of problems noticed upon receipt, it is saying that he will buy back his animals later.
I understand wanting to be sure that any returns are healthy and feeding; but that payment policy seems to cater to the desperate. Most people would just sell outright, IMO.

I love it when I read, "if their is a problem, all details must be kept confidential and discussing said problem on a public forum (BOI) will void any and all health and return guarantees."

Originally Posted by Alex G

asixtwo posted this on a BOI thread:

I didn't want to derail that thread with my thoughts on that, so I started my own.

More and more I'm seeing new or relatively unknown sellers with these increasingly elaborate and restrictive policies for customers who are unsatisfied with their purchase. One lady even had a TOS that flat-out refused any returns out of fear of what could be introduced to her collection. I feel like policies like this likely drive away good customers who feel like their money would be better spent somewhere that didn't require them to jump through hoops just to send back an animal that, for whatever reason, may not be to their liking.

For example, for the above seller, if you receive an animal that's, say, $450, and it comes to you with an RI (I am not saying this seller sends out sick snakes, this is only an example), you cannot get that $450 back for an entire month. I understand that sellers do not want people impulse buying and then having buyers remorse and sending things back all the time, but there is a line between preventing wishy-washy people from wasting time and deterring good buyers from your animals.

I guess I'm just wondering when selling an animal became a game of covering your butt to the point of alienating customers?

It would have been nice if you actually took the time to read my post.
That policy is basically a LIFETIME GUARANTEE on the genetics of any HET I sell.

Another point you missed in my post is that I DO NOT SHIP SNAKES to the general public.

All my animals healthy and documented at the time of sale.
Prospective buyers always have the opportunity to examine the animal, and see it feed before they make the decision to buy it or not!

And with IBD, crypto and protozoan infections running rampant in some collections, I can completely understand why some breeders won't take back anything.

And while I stated that I'll buy back any HET that passes a 30 day quarantine, no animal that has been in another collection get's reintroduced to mine until after 180 days of quarantine.

Originally Posted by hhmoore

but that payment policy seems to cater to the desperate. Most people would just sell outright, IMO.

What payment policy?

This must be the day to pick on Andy's posts. But if I was going to chose one it would have been this one.

If you want to be in this hobby here are a few guidelines for you....

1) Avoid shopping online.
All the best animals are sold/traded amongst friends long before they ever become available to the general public.
The animals that are left after all the insider trading happens go to the reptile shows. Everything that's left get's sold online.
I'm not saying you still can't buy decent animals online, but the truly stellar examples are almost always long gone before the ads go online.

That's a heck of a thing to tell someone new to this site. You know a classified website.

Originally Posted by Dennis Hultman

That's a heck of a thing to tell someone new to this site. You know a classified website.

The truth is a "heck of thing" to tell a newbie?

Originally Posted by asixtwo

The truth is a "heck of thing" to tell a newbie?

No telling them to not shop online when this is an online marketplace.

More and more I'm seeing new or relatively unknown sellers with these increasingly elaborate and restrictive policies for customers who are unsatisfied with their purchase. One lady even had a TOS that flat-out refused any returns out of fear of what could be introduced to her collection. I feel like policies like this likely drive away good customers who feel like their money would be better spent somewhere that didn't require them to jump through hoops just to send back an animal that, for whatever reason, may not be to their liking.

I was toying around with this idea as well. People are so picky as to who they buy animals from, but don't give a second thought to their own animals that come back to them from random people around the country. Forget that nonsense.

What difference is it to you if this makes me lose potential sales? I could provide a current and clear video of the animal eating, being sexed, and looking healthy, as well as possibly a health certificate from the vet prior to posting it for sale. Don't want to buy from someone with no return policy? Great. I don't mind holding on to an animal until the right buyer is found.

There are many benefits to this policy. Primarily, I wouldn't have to introduce your (potentially) contaminated collection to mine. I don't even want it sitting in my QT room. And as an added bonus, this would get rid of the pests who think that it is okay to send animals back for "whatever reason". Those people can take that buyer's remorse elsewhere and waste someone else's time.

Will this work out? Maybe not, but I think I'm going to give it a shot. I might end up altering the TOS on a case-by-case basis for those very reputable people that I wouldn't mind buying from. Who knows. In any case, again, what do you care what other peoples' TOS looks like?

Originally Posted by asixtwo

truth

What you posted was your opinion, not...the *truth*.
It is MY opinion, from seeing some truly beautiful critters for sale on this site, that it is in fact NOT true that there is an absolute, tiered quality system with the online sales coming in last. These days many top quality breeders are advertising their critters online.

And another thing: If you have a good history and a good rep, many people will respectfully listen to what you have to say. But if you waltz in saying your view is the 'truth' and we better sit up and take notice, well good luck with that.