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Unsatisfactory shipping from a breeder

M

midnightline

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Hey guys... I received a snake in shipment today.
The snake is an absolutely gorgeous hypo motley male,
who's a very sweet temperment as well...
So what's wrong?  He was shipped inside a SOCK instead
of a snake bag.  No padding in the sock either.  As a result
he suffered quite a bit of scale damage...

What bothers me is that the breeder was a guy who
came highly recommended and had no bad post about him
previously.  I don't want to send the snake back, as the
damage will eventually heal, and I have breeding plans for him.

What do you guys think I should do?

Here are the pictures of the snake and shipping materials.

deathrull.jpg

sock.jpg
 
Here's pics of the damage...

I'm unsure if the damage in pic #3 is due to shipping
or whether it existed prior.  It's actually a chip out of
the belly scale, with belly skin exposed.  There's another
bit of belly scale damage, but I couldn't get a good pic of it.

drscale.jpg

drscale2.jpg

drchip.jpg
 
Well for one thing, you need to use your full name in the post otherwise it will get deleted.
As far as the condition on your snake you received, well I can sey the sock is not the best container for a snake to be in but it is just about the same thing as a snake bag. I don't know about the no cushion in the sock but it appears there is plenty in the box.  Unfortunately sometimes scale lifting like what happened to your snake happens in shipping. It is not a life threatning thing, they will go back to normal without a problem. as far as the scale in pic#3 it does look like an old wound and the pic does not show any belly skin exposed.  
If you look at pic #3 there is another cut scute to the left and up a little. That kind of damage does not come from shipping and I think you might be looking to far into this snake almost like your trying to find more things wrong with it. I understand wanting a perfect snake but there is nothing wrong with that snake that will no go away in a short period of time. If you want to discuss with the shipper some kind of possible refund on the scale lifting ok I can understand that, but also if your not happy with the snake return it for a refund.
 
The pic doesn't show the chipped scale area very well (and yes the belly skin DOES show if you look at the snake in person), however if you think I'm being overly concerned with that part, then I'll drop it... my main concern (as the title stated) was the way the animal had been shipped... in a sock.  I've received adults before, in snake bags, and none had any scale damage that I noticed.  This guy has extensive scale damage along the neck area.

As the title states, I'm not unhappy with the snake, just unhappy with the damage he received during shipping.

Kat Hall
 
Ok Understood.  Then discuss it with the seller about your unhappiness with his shipping method. I am sure this person will make it better by you. If they do not then I would come back on her and discuss it more.
 
I would have to agree with Rob if your happy with the snake and it's just the shipping that is bothering you I would talk to the shipper on it. Other than that it looks like a nice snake and the scale lifting will go away.
 
*nods*  Well, it looks like I'm overreacting a bit then, and I'll let it go...  I just felt very sorry for the poor snake when he came out of his sock, and it probably went to my head. :/

-Kat Hall
 
I'm not posting to intentionally make waves, but really - how intelligent do you need to be to know that a snake will be injured like that inside a tube-sock? The lose weave of the threads on the inside BEGS for this damage to occur.  A reasonable snake bag is made from a high-thread count fabric, not tubesock, for crying out loud.

Even if you asses this to be "temporary" damage I think it is entirely out of line to EVER keep a snake in a tube sock, let alone ship it that way. A needle and a yard of fabric can be had for a couple bucks. A suitable deli container for pennies. You can ship a pretty large snake in the right sized plastic container if you are too lazy or hard-up to use a proper snake bag.

Contact the seller? Sure, be a good samaratin and try to educate them a little, but by all means, post their name and/or site so we know who not to buy from. Thanks!

^Curtis Brown
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I'm not posting to intentionally make waves, but really - how intelligent do you need to be to know that a snake will be injured like that inside a tube-sock? </td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

Well I would have had absolutley no clue.....
But thanks to this post now I know.

Luckily I do not use socks...But come on...
how many people out there actually kneew this would happen?
 
... well if the sock was clean it would have surely looked better in the package ...  but as stated however unprofessional" it may have been shipped when regarding the use of a dirty old sock ... i highly dobt the snake will suffer longlasting problems  other then maybe having a sock fetish after all this  i would just send the breeder a email and explain you un happiness  not with the animal but the practice he uses in shipping them .. i mean i could ( almost understand) if it was just due to th fact the day your snake was to be shipped he was ALL OUT OF BAGS due to selling so many he took the time to give you the sock off his foot to make it to you on time .....lol are those sports socks ? ( they have padded toes n heels lol )
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">he took the time to give you the sock off his foot to make it to you on time</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
I have been known to give folks the shirt off my back, but my socks are another story.

The snake should be fine.  I had a burm do that to himself by rubbing on a log in the cage.  It's really nothing to worry about.  It will go away in the next shed.  

As for the belly scale, unless it gets infected or is really some sort of present disease process (i.e. scale rot or something), It's a very minor flaw that in actuality no one is going to see or impair the health of the snake.  I mean really, c'mon.  Its not like he is missing an eye.

But by all means, contact the guy and tell him you are disappointed in his chosen shipping method.  Some guys are likely to surprise you with a deal on the next purchase or even some cash back to make you happy again.

IMHO, you should have contacted him first before coming here to post.  Give the dealer a chance to make things right before you go casting shadows of negativity on them.
 
Tim, once again, excellent points. But, I have to disagree with you to a point. I see something very wrong with this. It is the responsibility of the dealer to get the product to the consumer in the best possible condition. Shipped in the best possible means. I understand not everyone is a shipping afficianado. But that is no excuse. The buyer should NOT have to settle for a damage item. Even if it will go away after the next shed. Would you buy a new car with a scratch across the hood that will possibly go away after you buff it out? Would you buy something that was damaged even if the damage could be concealed and no one would see it. No. The snake was not represented as an "as-is" or "damaged" animal. I would be willing to bet that it was advertised as a healthy and flawless specimen. That is what the customer payed for, that is what the customer should get. Period. Too many dealers are willing to take too many shortcuts to make a sale these days. And they know that 90% of the buyers aren't willing or do not want to make a big deal out of the minor flaws in an animal. So they keep taking shortcuts and the customer keeps getting less than quality animals.

Common sense is not so common.
 
I agree with you John.  What if this was an albino boa that costs in the thousand dollar range and arrived in that condition?  Would this be something to over look then? Just a thought!
 
Good points John...

That was what really irked me about this one -- Asking the seller to "make it right"? Why not respect the animal and the customer and (maybe lay off the booze?) if you do that none of this would happen in the first place.

^Curtis Brown
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">It is the responsibility of the dealer to get the product to the consumer in the best possible condition...The buyer should NOT have to settle for a damage item.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
My point exactly John.  Maybe I didn't express it well enough.  That's why we should contact the seller ASAP if there is a problem of any sort.  

It's not rocket science here, call them.  By "making it right" they should do whatever the customer and the seller deem appropriate for the situation.  If that means a 100% return/refund than so be it.  

I still stand behind this statement, period.
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">IMHO, you should have contacted him first before coming here to post.</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
Maybe you guys should reread the point of this thread.
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">As the title states, I'm not unhappy with the snake, just unhappy with the damage he received during shipping.
</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>
So in a nut shell the shipper sent what he said he would, just not the way it should have been sent.  
Soooooooo, CALL HIM ON IT.
 
Tim,

I agree with your assessment on the need to call the shipper on his practices.  However, I got the impression from Kat's posts that she was simply wanting to get everyone's imput on the acceptability of using the sock before she spoke to the seller.  Sort of a "get your ducks in a row" mentality, I think.  

That's why she never has posted who it was from whom she received the snake.  She wasn't trying to come on here to bad mouth whoever this is, she was just seeing if she was over reacting in any way first.

Just what I got from the thread . . .
 
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">lol are those sports socks ? ( they have padded toes n heels lol )</td></tr></table><span id='postcolor'>

It is a happy sock
 
Since it looks like she might get lynched for saying, Cartman, don't hold your breathe.

^Curtis Brown
 
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