I'm sorry to hear about the OP's loss and all they went through. Next time, I recommend buying a 100% solid animal from a reputable breeder (or a reputable dealer if you're buying something not bred in captivity). If you can see eye caps, then that's usually a sign you're dealing with someone who doesn't have a keen eye for health problems...meaning there are probably more problems you don't see.
I want to point out that I'd never buy anything from the Kick brothers as I've heard more than enough horror stories, but I would like to make a few points.
1. Most breeders do not have any sort of return/refund policy, contrary to what the OP stated in one of his/her posts. Almost every breeder I know of will issue credit, but does not offer cash refunds. The Kicks are not alone with this policy and this is not what makes them bad guys.
2. I'm not sure, but it looks to me like the seller is expecting to be reimbursed for vet expenses, which is not reasonable. Fred Kick offered the OP a full cash refund for the purchase price, which is as much responsibility as any seller has.
I'm not saying it's right to sell sick animals - I'm just saying that what you do with a reptile after you buy it is your decision, and the seller is no longer responsible. If you weren't happy with the animal, then return it and let the seller worry about the health issues. Chances are they would have either euthanized the animal or fixed whatever was wrong, without having to spend $500+ in vet bills.
3. I've seen more traditional dog/cat veterinarians do more harm to the animal, than I have actually seen fix animals. Most vets are trained for dogs, cats and the usual types of pets...they generally don't know much of anything about reptiles and in my personal experience, most veterinarians have no business treating reptiles. I've seen body parts (limbs, hemipenes) removed unnecessarily, and I've seen vets give antibiotics and appetite stimulants that ended up killing the animal in question. Bottom line, if you take a reptile to the vet, be sure it's a vet who specializes in reptiles. Otherwise, you'd be better off getting advice from someone knowledgeable who works with or breeds that species.
In my opinion, whether intentional or not, the vet screwed you out of a lot more money than the Kicks did. A good reptile breeder could have taken one look at that snake and known how to remedy the situation, or if it was too far gone to save.
And again, I'm not making any excuses for the Kicks. They have no business being in this industry. Guys like that just make my job harder by having to deal with the paranoid customers that they create.
