Now I see you have healthy amount of responses on this issue all whom agree with you. However I have to disagree to a certain degree here. If you put up "an item" up for sale, be it a snake, a dog or a motorbike you will for sure have potential buyers who will ask questions left right and centre. If you are serious about selling your "items" I am sure you will answer most those questions to the best of your knowledge. Ie one of those questions being "does the snake handle OK? " with an answer like this "it handles OK with me, but I can`t promise anything". OK. Well as a potential buyer I would ask if I can see what I am about to buy, but wont promise anything either.
Now I saw someone that said a serious IT tech would`nt need turn on the PC to see if it`s good, ofcourse you will turn it on (unless you are in the shops where a warranty is given). Same goes for serious buyers at this forum. You would like to know what you are buying.
I have been selling wine for a long time and I cant`t tell my customers that what`s in the bottle is good just because the bottle has a cool design. I will actually open the bottle to let them have a taste. Now I am not saying you have to let customers handle your snakes, but to have a look before deciding to buy should not be too difficult. Most people who`s looking to buy a snake does not believe they are going to the zoo for "free" as someone here said, but if they take the step to come around to where ever you keep your reptiles they are actually there to buy stuff. I too understand it`s not from a shop, but you would think "power sellers" like solar 17 who looks like he has this as a business don`t give you access to his whole house, but perhaps he has a small home office where he sells his stuff from. Many people have an office at home where thay take care of their customers and want to sell their stuff from. Offcourse you can refuse a buyer if you feel like they are not the right one, but just on the basis of a inconsis PM I am not sure?
Now, I am the person who solar 17 talks about. I was however not the one to PM him the message he got upset about, that was my 9 year old daugther who got excited before school this morning. She knows she`s not to give her name on the internet to anyone, thats why the name lacked in her message. I read the message later on, and it does not say anything about handling the snake, JUST have a look (if it attacks me thru the glass we would know it`s not a placid one for sure)In our initial message (before the "rude" one) we also stated that it was for a young girl( which possibly leaves the potential of lunies out) In all fairness, she has macked me around a bit on this forum, with messages left right and centre, but this time I said we could get some new ones, she did her research and found these ones.
Anyways, I believe as a buyer you should be able to have a look, check out how the sellers snakes are kept and if you do not like what you see you can refuse to buy aswell. I do not want to be in "contract" if I dont like what I see, and for a buyer it`s not any easier.
He puts up his scenarios, what about this scenario
The seller knew it was a little girl involved, mum and daughter comes to sellers house, he is some kind of a nuttercase and you write the rest of this story. We are all taking precautions online, and I am very glad my daugther did the same thing. Even if it means she`s not getting what she wants for birthday (4 years she`s been waiting for this moment) now I am gonna have to tell her she was too "rude"....oh wait I will not tell her that just that he was sold out after all
shun me