Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This is a follow-up to my Butters posts I suppose.... For those of you who didn't read I wouldn't bother reading So ANYWAY, Got Butters in Springfield MO which is 75 miles away from where I live. The pet store is a chain of 5 stores all working very closely together. One of these stores is in my hometown. So Butters died. and after 2 weeks of negotiating/yelling/pestering their general manager they say "we will give you store cedit for the snake" But they make me drive 75 miles to drop off the dead snake and wouldn't let me take it to my local store. If I can use my store credit in the local one, why drive an hour to drop off a corpse? Just my rant for the day. I suppose the good news is that they are letting me order whatever I want off of their "list" which is basically their vendor log.... bad news is that I would still be getting it from them!
-----
0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"

well here is a guggestion..... do you know any thing about the vendor? are they reputable?
if so, i would drop the snake corspe off to the store... find out what day they get their snakes, and order the snake you want but pick it up the same day it is delivered, maybe then the snake will go from the vendor straight to you with out ever going in the actual care of the pet shop????

n/p

Actually, that is exactly what I was planning and what I am doing. I will order it tomorrow and pick it up friday. They get there truck on friday so at most it will only be there a few hours. Also, this should avoid stress because it will only have to "move" once instead of twice. I know they CAN have good snakes because I got my first corn from them. They only have amels and okeetees on the list now. So I think I may get a tangerine hondo or a mexican black king. I was thinking about the okeetee but when I get one I will get an abott's line from either Kathy or Don. Thanks for listening!
-----
0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"

That's 150 miles round trip, @ about $15 in gas. Is that worth it for you? You can go to a reptile show and get a quality snake for about $20-$30. There's one in St. Louis on Dec 4th. It's a more worthwhile trip and you can actually get it from a breeder. I recommend Tina Carpenter (I think it's Shawnee Reptiles).

Walt

n/t

I know for a fact my car wouldn't have made the trip so I gave a friend $10 to take me But my 85 camarro will be finished in about 3 weeks so I will have a new car. If I could make it to the big shows I would! And yes, I was very persistant about getting my money back! It was more about the morals than the money. But getting $75 is a little important to me.
-----
0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"

Good job phiber, LoL I wasn't about to hold my breath for you becuase I was thinking you'd get there and the guys would be holding semi automatic machine guns to your face telling you to scadoodle, But good job. LoL If I were you I'd just buy one from kathy/don..... I mean I'f you had a friend drive you and stuff 75 miles and back then I guess you didn't loose anything and actually gain 75bucks store credit. But was it really worth it man? I mean at the end of the day your still ordering from them and there still cashing your money. It's your money though.

You can also haggle at the reptile shows.

I'm guessing you could get a butter for $40-50 at most. They are competitive, because you can go a table over and get a different snake. You can get some smokin' deals. I only paid $20 for my Jalisco milk and $25 for a GORGEOUS Okeetee corn.

Walt

They're not "Still" getting my money, they are fixing a wrong that was done. Or Butters just died as some snakes do. Either way I am not losing anything, I am being reimbersed(sp?) But from what I see of their list so far I don't want any of their corns. All they have are amels and anerys. So I was thinking about a tangerine hondo or a mexican black king which are both on the list. Any Ideas? I am not paying $75 for an amel or anery
-----
0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"

Ship their dead snake back to them, have them send you the credit, use it for supplies at your local store (rather than animals) and get your driving friend to agree to take you to the closest reptile show instead of the pet shop.

You get a snake you like from a breeder and can blow $75.00 on goodies for your critters!

Already made the trip before I made the original post. My snakes have everything they need and I will be building their custom cages probably during/right after this winter. I understand everyones comments/suggestions but honestly, all I want is a replacement snake that is in good health. I know this may be a lot to ask from a petshop but maybe they can manage. All I really want is them to make it right.
-----
0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"

>>Already made the trip before I made the original post. My snakes have everything they need and I will be building their custom cages probably during/right after this winter. I understand everyones comments/suggestions but honestly, all I want is a replacement snake that is in good health. I know this may be a lot to ask from a petshop but maybe they can manage. All I really want is them to make it right.
>>-----

Although it took some effort, the fact that the store is willing to give you $75.00 store credit is a lot better then most.
Not only that you even said earlier that the previous snake you got from the store has turned out to be just great.
As you know there could have been quite a few reasons the snake died some of which may have had nothing to do with the store.
So, check out their snakes, if you see something you like, Mexican black or whatever, get it.
If they don't have anything you want at this time wait for the next shipment and pick something then.
I wouldn't completely give up on the store. They have provided you with quality animals or a quality animal in the past and they have worked with you this time.
Everyone keeps singing the praises of shows.
Remember. Not everyone at shows is trustworty or ethical.
Not only that, the store will be there the next day. There is definitely no guarantee the vendor will show up the following month for the next show.
-----
Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Draybars Snakes

_____

n/p
-----
1.0 Albino Corn "Lucky"
1.0 Snow Corn "Snow"
0.0.4 Southern Ringneck "Collar", "Bc", "Lazy", "Biggie"
1.0 Green Amevia "Gizard"

you made a good point, here in nc where i am the shows are only in april(i think) and laborday weekend........ thats it, and then its an hour drive to get to it... so here it is some times more sensible to either order a snake or pick one up at a shop.

First, let me say that I am sorry that you got your snake from that chain of stores. They used to be much more knowledgeable in the past, and I even supplied them with most, if not all, if their corns for a few years, but I haven't produced anything for them the last two seasons.

I don't know who their supplier is now, or at least, I don't know where the butter came from, but I do know that they get their snakes two different ways. They buy from local vendors like me, and I know most of them. But they also order from their central headquarters, and those snakes can be from anyone. Since the people I know around here, who sell to that chain, don't breed butters, I suspect your animal came from another region of the country. I could be wrong, and there could be someone breeding butters that I don't know, but I doubt it.

That chain store has its ups and downs like any other. Right now, they have a lot of people in there that don't know what they're doing. The other day I went in for some crickets, and I noticed that they were having trouble getting a cornsnake to eat for them. I also noticed that it had two kingsnakes next to it, one on each side. I told them that kings were natural predators of corns, and that if they moved the corn out from between them, the stress reduction might be enough for it to eat. They had no clue, but when they moved the snake, everything was fine.

I do recall one of the stores (I believe it was the one on Kansas Expressway and Kearney) that had a butter for sale, but I was suspicious that it even was a butter, so I asked to see it. Turns out, it wasn't eating for them at all, so I told them that butters are notorious lizard eaters, and maybe they should try scenting the pinkies for a while. Again...clueless, but I thought it was going well for them. Maybe that was a clutchmate of yours?

If you want, I can ask around to see if anyone knows anything, and perhaps get you in touch with the breeder, if it IS someone around here I don't know. Otherwise, the best I can do is try to get you in touch someone who might be able to make you a deal on a new HEALTHY snake.
-----
Darin Chappell
Hillbilly Herps
PO Box 254
Rogersville, MO 65742

Thanks Darrin, Do you know if any of the local breeders supply them with mexican black kings or tangerine hondos? That may be my next choice. Also, Maybe you could get ahold of me about some local breeders sometime anyway, It is always nice to have someone trustworthy around. Also, I think the one on kansas and kearney was the one I went to. I know it was on the kansas expressway but don't remember the adjacent street. (that that good with Springfield area ) Thanks again!
-----
0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Redtail "Kilo"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"

If it was the store just a little south of I-44, then that's the one. The only other store near Kansas Expressway is on the other side of town on Battlefield and Kansas Expwy.

I'd be happy to put you in touch with some of the other breeders around here. I don't known anyone breeding the other snakes you wanted, but there are a few corn breeders to be found.

I generally have the higher end stuff, but there are lots of others breeding the more readily available morphs. In the spring, I should have some VERY interesting animals on the way, and I'll talk to you about that through email, if you like.

Even though it wasn't one of my snakes you got at the pet store, I just hate that yu had any trouble at all. I'll help any way I can to make it better for ya!

-----
Darin Chappell
Hillbilly Herps
PO Box 254
Rogersville, MO 65742

>>But they make me drive 75 miles to drop off the dead snake and wouldn't let me take it to my local store.

2 reasons would be my guess: (1) hoping that you would NOT bother due to thew cost of fuel, time, etc. and (2) because only the selling store could confirm that you were returning a snake they actually sold to you (they could supposedly identify it).

Sorry and glad something decent (almost) came from it.
KJ