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Is this normal practice?

B

Bama77

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I contacted a local breeder about possibly purchasing a snake from them... I asked since they're local if I could come and look at what they have and possibly buy.... I was told that they weren't set up for that, that I could order online and then come pick the snake up... I don't quite understand that, so I wanted to ask if that was standard in the reptile business.... I kinda like to see what I am buying before I pay for it.
 
If a hobbyist breeder sells you an animal on his/her property, they are then considered to be a pet store and must follow much more strict USDA regulations. Private hobbyists that are not registered businesses can be fined heavily for selling you animals on their own property. This is why I always meet people in a public place (such as a mall or actual pet shop parking lot) if they would like to buy my animals.
 
There are some substantially good reasons why someone wouldn't want to allow someone into their home or have it considered as a local retail place of business.

(1) People DO get robbed in this business and having someone pretend to be a customer is an excellent way for a thief or thieves to case the joint to check out the security preparations they will have to circumvent.

(2) In order to have public over the counter sales, their "facility" would have to comply with the Citizens with Disabilities act, which could cost a substantial amount of money to comply with. For instance, the home would have to be wheelchair accessible, and a portion of their property allocated as a "handicapped only" parking spot. There may be a LOT of other local laws concerning retail establishments that they would have to comply with.

(3) Many people think nothing of making appointments and not keeping them, regardless of how much it might inconvenience YOU. Would you want to be at the beck and call of anyone who decided they wanted to drop on in to look over your animals? Ask to come by at noon time, but not showing up till dinner time? Or actually anyone who could pull up at any time? Yes, you could set hours, but then that means you (or someone you have to pay) has to be there and available during that time.

(4) Many people think nothing of spending all day at your facility, ask you (or doing it on their own) to pull out EVERY thing you have so they can look at it. Meanwhile, the work you really need to be doing caring for the animals is spent baby sitting a "looky lou" who will then, more often then not, not buy a thing. So every hour you wind up wasting in that manner, you have to work harder after they leave to try to make up for it. It's either that or you hire someone full time to handle either the retail sales, or do the work with the animals while you do that.

So there are some tangible negative benefits of running a business in that manner, and quite honestly can be a real pain in the ass. So I believe that anyone who decides to NOT engage in that practice is well within their rights of looking out for their own best interests. If you HAVE to buy your animals by seeing them and laying hands on them first, then perhaps local pet shops and any local reptile shows available would be better suited for what you need.
 
Oh and since I can't edit my post... I just saw the part about hiring someone, I have been speaking to a sales person.
 
Bama77 said:
I just didn't understand why I have to order online but then could come pick up in person.
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It's entirely possible that you will be met at the door and your animal handed to you rather than have you come into the actual facility so you can browse around. This sort of arrangement would bypass some of my earlier mentioned issues.
 
This is true, just made me wonder if they actually bred them there or are like a middle man supplier... Just wanting to be cautious.
 
Honestly, unless someone has pictures of a baby hatching, you have no proof of birthplace no matter who you purchase from. Even then, most newborns look alike. Your best bet is to ask for more photos of the animal you're interested in, and check the person out on the BOI. It's pretty surprising that they'll let you into their home at all, for all the reasons stated above. You have to be at a pet store or expo to simply shop around without paying.

Noelle
 
Like I have said I don't think this is a home business... Are pet stores as good as breeders? I saw a couple of ball pythons at a small local pet store and they were at a good price.
 
Bama77 said:
Like I have said I don't think this is a home business... Are pet stores as good as breeders? I saw a couple of ball pythons at a small local pet store and they were at a good price.
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On the whole, the chain stores are not the best. Of course, there are exceptions. Sometimes they get an employee who knows a lot about reptiles, but even then they are limited by store policies. (I'm a gecko person, not a snake person, but I'm assuming it's across the board). Mom-and-pop stores are usually much better; run by breeders. Exceptions there, too.

Do some research on this site. Find a breeder and look for them on the Board of Inquiry. Check out their Facebook. Bad things happen, but you can certainly turn the odds in your favor by doing your research. There are plenty of great breeders here. Sometimes the exact animal you want requires shipping; not a big deal. But if you found a healthy one locally, and you're just looking for a pet (as opposed to breeder), I'd say buy it.

Noelle
 
I don't feel comfortable letting anyone come to my house to see my animals, and I know many other people are the same way. I just don't like the idea of giving my address out to someone I don't know. I do let people pick animals up, but I usually require at least a deposit if it is someone I don't know, especially if I'm driving very far to meet them. I have taken time off work, packed critters up, and headed off to meet a buyer only to have them not show up. I've also had people ask me to drive to meet them so that they could see an animal and decide if they were interested. I said no (I had already sent about 10 high quality pictures).

I would suggest researching the seller on the BOI. If they have good feedback, then I wouldn't be worried. I don't think the fact that they want payment before meeting you is a red flag, if everything else checks out.
 
Well it is only about a 20 mile drive, I fully understand what you guys have said, you can't really trust anyone these days....in the same sense, I don't any to get a snake that the breeder has no idea of the specific animal and it's habits.
 
My husband and I run a home-based business and have people over every day. Legally we can not conduct business off the premises except in very limited circumstances. We operate by appointment only so as to coordinate driveway parking, running our own errands, etc.

It does get to be a hassle when customers show up unannounced, especially on holidays like this past New Year's Day when we were supposed to be closed... but at least he brought wine. There are also security concerns, though I've noted it's a more common problem in the reptile biz than mine.

Something else I haven't seen touched on is contamination. This breeder knows that you probably own other snakes, and they don't know if you have mites in your collection. The risk of a customer bringing along a mite with them is admittedly small, but there's a reason many of us head straight for the shower when we get home from an expo - because the risk exists.
 
No I don't own other snakes and have told him, this will be my second time buying a ball... The first time I got screwed and bought a sick animal... That died a week after I bought it... Hence me being cautious now
 
I think the biggest reason I've gotten so cautious is that my collection has grown to the point that it is irreplaceable. It is difficult to insure (I'd guess that it could be done, through Lloyds of London, but it would cost a fortune) so I don't have insurance. If I lost my collection, either because they were stolen or because of some sort of pathogen that was brought in, I would be done in this hobby. It has taken me years to build my collection and I could never replace them. So I'm not willing to take chances.

Have you searched the BOI for feedback on the person you are buying from? It is a good idea, even if you are buying in person. There are plenty of wonderful breeders out there, so there is no reason to buy from someone you are not comfortable with.
 
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