ExecutiveReptiles said:
I am sorry to hear about your situation, but trying to drag someones name threw the mud (which weither your trying to or not...your doing so) becuase of possibly something you have done...ie are you feeding live, where do you get your rodents, has it been house with other ball pythons...there are so many unanswered questions
.....And I don't think I would respond to this thread if it was about me either...its insane...Again Sorry your snake has parasites, maybe you should take it to the vet, instead of trying to blame the person you bought it from almost a year ago...
These questions were asked and they were not left unanswered. The buyer has stated numerous times that she does feed live, breeds her own feeder rats and practices quarantining new arrivals. She also has taken her snakes to the vet and posted the fecal float tests. The only one in her care to test positive was one that she acquired from Ed. The other two she purchased from him will be tested as soon as she can obtain a fecal sample to be brought in. Given they probably should have been tested much earlier, there is nothing that can be done about that now.
I know it's her word against his, but Ed hasn't even come here to address this issue one way or another. Remaining silent only makes it seem like he has something worth hiding which peaks many people's suspicion. He has claimed that his collection is frequently tested and all tests have been negative for parasites, yet he refuses to offer this proof to anyone.
I'm not a snake person myself, but Ed Clark has had some other beautiful, probably healthy animals posted for sale that I probably would have purchased before this thread came to light. I for one refuse to do business with anyone who could show such a blatant disregard for one of their customers or an animal that was once in their care. I also don't want to deal with anyone who just turns tail and runs at the slightest sign of a problem. It's not even so much the health of his animals that are being called into question but the way he has conducted himself through this ordeal that should make people think twice about ordering from him.
Emily didn't ask for any kind of reimbursement and I believe she honestly did post here to warn others about a possible parasite infestation obtained from his snakes. If months down the road another customer comes along with the same problem it gives us a past history, instead of her just saying "Oh, I knew about that all along, I just never said anything until now." This isn't some huge conspiracy theory "assassination attempt" against his name, and if so it would have surely been one against her own business as well.
This isn't to say that parasites absolutely, without a doubt, came from his collection, but this is something he should at least have tried to talk through and work out with her, on this board or off it. He doesn't owe her anything but his time. If an animal I sold ended up getting sick down the road, I'd sure as hell want to know about it whether it was my fault or not because I care about my animals even after they leave my possession. (Maybe that's just me.)
All this shows is who the seller is really looking out for: himself. If he had addressed this issue earlier on, this thread wouldn't be the spectacle it has become in the past few days. All it has allowed people to do is speculate and jump to conclusions about both parties because we are only hearing one side.
I've been reading this thread from the beginning, and I think it's something that should have been brought to this board's attention. I didn't know much of anything about these parasites before this issue was brought here, and it's definitely been an eye opener for me at least. If not for the knowledge of the parasites and how to treat/prevent them, than a warning of someone I may not want to deal with in the future.
