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Bad Guy Jeff Benfer (Gartersnakemorph.com) Buyer Beware

TOMMYTRADIX

Thamnophis
Joined
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Age
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Location
villas,New Jersey
I'm posting this as a buyer beware only and do not expect anything from Jeff. This is only to share my experience i had with him.

On 8-9-2015 Jeff posted up ads of a few adult garters for sale, one of which was a adult female blue axanthic plains garter (thamnophis radix) for $300. I was looking for a baby or adult blue axanthic to replace one that had passed away from impaction. Unfertilized eggs attached to her walls while she was gravid and she wasn't able to pass them. Jeff was aware of my intentions of breeding her and i told him my brumation date i had set and asked if she would be ready to breed in prior messages. we agreed on a ship date and he sent me tracking. She arrived and i checked her out and noticed she was very thin and her spine was showing. I palpated her as i do with all new adults. I felt 12+ slugs in her and immediately contacted him. She arrived around 10:45-11am and i contacted him at 11:15am.Llong story short, he fought with me and accused me of having mites, told me refunds and returns are non existent in the hobby and said "this isn't Wal-mart". He then told me i had a lot of growing up to do and after he refunds me my money he better not hear a peep out of me ever again. He claimed to not know she had slugs in her and stated she was eating pretty regularly all spring. Then when she wouldn't eat for me he said he has garters go on and off food all the time and she wasn't going to die.
Proceed with caution when buying an adult from him. I didn't realize it then but that female hasn't produced a litter in some time and is 6 years old now.none of which was stated in the ad. He claimed she was a rare offering and only parting with her to focus on other projects. Which was a lie.

Whatever i forgot are in the screenshots in the comments.
 
adult female blue axanthic
 

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Ouch. I have a lot of garter snakes. Not many people left with them since the main breeder closed up. This is an interesting exchange. It looks like buy at your own risk.
 
Wow, you can see clear as day that she has an egg or something worse near her cloaca. I would be furious if I had bought a breeding adult female and she arrived looking like that.

The mites comment from him is unwarranted and seems like he is just mad for being called out. He should refund your money and pay out of his pocket to have the snake shipped back to him. Good luck and thanks for posting!
 
Ouch. I have a lot of garter snakes. Not many people left with them since the main breeder closed up. This is an interesting exchange. It looks like buy at your own risk.

There are plenty of garters around. I have 189 garters at the moment. What garters do you have? I grabbed 2 pairs from scott when he left. He didnt have much that i didnt already have.
 
Wow, you can see clear as day that she has an egg or something worse near her cloaca. I would be furious if I had bought a breeding adult female and she arrived looking like that.

The mites comment from him is unwarranted and seems like he is just mad for being called out. He should refund your money and pay out of his pocket to have the snake shipped back to him. Good luck and thanks for posting!

TommyTRadix, did you ever actually get a refund?

yes i got almost $250 back. I shouldn't of had to pay to send her back to him. I'm almost certain she's dead. Its funny how he claimed she was eating small mice but said she took a worm. For the time i had her she was very lethargic and had no interest in anything. She barely even moved. She had very weak muscle tone and her spine was showing. He was selling all of his retired breeders and i should have asked the age of her but didnt cause he knew i wanted to breed her since mine passed shortly before he posted her. There was no mention of her being paired and not producing until i said something about the slugs. Also I've never heard or experienced a garter absorbing unfertilized eggs.it shicked me when he said he didn't monitor that type of thing either they produced or they didn't.
 
Wow....how can anyone breed snakes and not monitor for impacted eggs? I breed only live-bearing vipers, but I do keep a close eye on any breeding females so I notice if they seem sick or impacted or weak in any way.

I'm so sorry you had to go through that, but at least you got most of your money back. If I ever get into garter snakes, I'll come to you- you have some stunning snakes!
 
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