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What should the protocol be here?!

ndballpythons

ndballpythons

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So in late Febuary this year I started taking 20% non refundable deposits on the snakes I had for sale. The temps needed to heat up so I assumed by mid April all would be well and good to ship.

The first snake that went on deposit was a mojave female.
So at the beginning of April the temps looked good on both sides. I messaged him on April 5th and he said he needed to prolong this another few weeks. I said thats no problem and that I'd keep feeding her until hes ready in a few weeks. Well I texted him on April 15th seeing if things were looking better on his end and was just seeing if he would have an idea when he wanted to complete the transaction, I got no response.
Its been almost a month (April 5th) now since I've actually heard from him. I've sent him multiple texts, called and left him a voicemail and sent him an email. Im just trying to get a ballpark answer on when he thinks he'd be ready to pay off the snake and get her shipped.

I'm thinking maybe hes changed his mind and maybe hes kind of embarrassed to tell me he's backed out? I dont know, but I was wondering what your guys' protocol is when deciding when to put a snake up for sale again.

I would definetly let him know how many days he has to contact me before I sold the snake to another person. I just want to do right by him, I dont want people mad at me, customer service is number one to me. Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thanks
 
I had a similar situation at one time because the buyer dragged it out for so long. Every week was another reason or excuse he couldn't pay. And I just kept on raising his animal for free.

In the end, I had to alter my TOS to reflect a 14 day time limit to pay off the remainder of the purchase. Exceptions are made of course depending on the animal, situation, etc but there is always a time limit set up in advance.

Honestly, in your situation I think you are entitled to give him an official cut off date. Whatever you feel is fair since you don't want to feel guilty after the fact. That's always been a struggle for me. Business is business, but I still want to give the buyer every opportunity to get the animal they want. It's never been about the money, but at the same time I can't afford to be everybody's best friend if they are going to take advantage of me.

You are well within your rights at this point to keep the deposit (as he agreed to originally, anyway) and sell the snake elsewhere. Make sure it's in writing somewhere so you have recourse if he suddenly turns into a jerk about it. Best of luck!
 
Thanks Rachel,
You made all great points.
I will be sure to email him when I do give him the date cut-off, easier to keep track of than text message.
I appreciate your input.
 
Yes I agree, email the customer a cut off date so it's very clear and in writing.

My TOS stipulates:
"Short-term payment plans can be arranged with a 20% non-refundable down payment. Payments must be made on agreed upon date/s and in the amount agreed upon. Buyers will be allowed a 15-day grace period for late payments. If the scheduled payment is not received after the grace period, the animal will once again be listed for sale and the buyer will forfeit the deposit."
 
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