Okay this is a pretty long winded but I think an appropriate story to tell.
2 days ago I saw an ad on the classifieds listing a 9 foot female coastal carpet python for sale, the ad was from march but since I have an interest in Mcdowelli (Especially larger specimens) and the fact that the seller was also located on the Central Coast I decided to PM them and ask if the snake was still available etc. In the original classified ad the seller claimed the snake wasn't pretty which was probably due to her size but that didn't bother me as I like all colour forms of coastals and saw it as an excellent way to add variety to my collection....no where in the ad did the seller mention the snake had issues or that there was anything which needed attention.
I called the seller at about lunch yesterday and I said I would give him a call back about pick up address and time at 7p.m sharp. 7p.m rolls around and the seller won't answer his phone, call back a few more times and finally get through to him at 7.40 when he proceeded to "ummm and ahhhh" about picking the snake up that night and asked if I was available tonight instead which I wasn't, anyways I got my partner to call him back at about 8ish as I really wanted this snake and he agreed to meet us out the front of his house to do a simple "trade and go" type deal which suited me down to the ground as I would be picking my children up from a family members house in the same area as he was located.
After picking our children up we went past the house and he came outside as we were pulling up with the snake in a bag, I asked my partner to jump out and grab it from him as I was wearing my dirty work uniform and no shoes and since it was just a simple give the money/details and go type deal I wasn't really fussed. Now this is the part I most regret while handing over the bag to my partner he asked if she wanted him to get it out, the street was pitch black so there was no real use. After the deal she gets back in to the car and we drive home.
Getting the snake out at home I notice that she has about 5 unhealed lesions on her as well as a massive "kink" in her tail not to mention an absolute tonne of healed scars.
I messaged the seller through PM to ask what the hell was going on as soon as I saw them when I got home, Woke up this morning to find he hadn't replied so I sms'ed him instead.
I was told there was nothing wrong with the snake and she was only thin because 6 months ago she got a "cold"
and went off her food. I then asked why he didn't mention these problems either in the original ad, when I first PM'ed him about the snake, when I called him twice about the snake or when we picked the snake up and he replied "Scars and a missing and kinked tail doesn't mean there is anything wrong with it, were you expecting a pedigree animal for $150?"
Don't get me wrong, I know I should have looked at the snake and I am partly to blame because I usually make a point to examine before buying but this time my "want" got the better of me and I bought her blind and it bit me in the ***. I think the seller should be absolutely ashamed of himself and I really hope he pulls his head out and starts looking after his animals properly. I'm just glad she has come to me where she will be cared for.
Here are some pics, There are a lot more scars etc but she is shedding and she was getting pretty pissy about be sticking my hand in the enclosure to take them. She is also nowhere near 9 feet long.
2 days ago I saw an ad on the classifieds listing a 9 foot female coastal carpet python for sale, the ad was from march but since I have an interest in Mcdowelli (Especially larger specimens) and the fact that the seller was also located on the Central Coast I decided to PM them and ask if the snake was still available etc. In the original classified ad the seller claimed the snake wasn't pretty which was probably due to her size but that didn't bother me as I like all colour forms of coastals and saw it as an excellent way to add variety to my collection....no where in the ad did the seller mention the snake had issues or that there was anything which needed attention.
I called the seller at about lunch yesterday and I said I would give him a call back about pick up address and time at 7p.m sharp. 7p.m rolls around and the seller won't answer his phone, call back a few more times and finally get through to him at 7.40 when he proceeded to "ummm and ahhhh" about picking the snake up that night and asked if I was available tonight instead which I wasn't, anyways I got my partner to call him back at about 8ish as I really wanted this snake and he agreed to meet us out the front of his house to do a simple "trade and go" type deal which suited me down to the ground as I would be picking my children up from a family members house in the same area as he was located.
After picking our children up we went past the house and he came outside as we were pulling up with the snake in a bag, I asked my partner to jump out and grab it from him as I was wearing my dirty work uniform and no shoes and since it was just a simple give the money/details and go type deal I wasn't really fussed. Now this is the part I most regret while handing over the bag to my partner he asked if she wanted him to get it out, the street was pitch black so there was no real use. After the deal she gets back in to the car and we drive home.
Getting the snake out at home I notice that she has about 5 unhealed lesions on her as well as a massive "kink" in her tail not to mention an absolute tonne of healed scars.
I messaged the seller through PM to ask what the hell was going on as soon as I saw them when I got home, Woke up this morning to find he hadn't replied so I sms'ed him instead.
I was told there was nothing wrong with the snake and she was only thin because 6 months ago she got a "cold"
and went off her food. I then asked why he didn't mention these problems either in the original ad, when I first PM'ed him about the snake, when I called him twice about the snake or when we picked the snake up and he replied "Scars and a missing and kinked tail doesn't mean there is anything wrong with it, were you expecting a pedigree animal for $150?"Don't get me wrong, I know I should have looked at the snake and I am partly to blame because I usually make a point to examine before buying but this time my "want" got the better of me and I bought her blind and it bit me in the ***. I think the seller should be absolutely ashamed of himself and I really hope he pulls his head out and starts looking after his animals properly. I'm just glad she has come to me where she will be cared for.
Here are some pics, There are a lot more scars etc but she is shedding and she was getting pretty pissy about be sticking my hand in the enclosure to take them. She is also nowhere near 9 feet long.
