Buying a BP from new seller. How to be safe?

[reptlife]

So I am looking at buying a new BP that is for sale on here. However the buyer is a new member with zero feed back. Is there a safe way to pull this off?

[ballpythons9]

I definitely understand your hesitation, it can be tough to gauge new people in the hobby. That said, there are plenty of lesser known breeders and breeders just getting started who are worth a shot.

My advice would be to shoot them a message, ask some questions, just get a general feel for their language and conduct. After that, maybe do a Google search for their name/business and see if anything comes up? Overall I think the most important thing would be to assess the animal in their photos, usually that can clue you in to how attentive they are to their collection, and how well everything is cared for. Good luck, wishing you the best!

[stewart_reptiles]

Contact him and ask the right questions get a feel for the person, do a search on social media look at their profile, ask if they have reference, people that can vouch for them, while there are more and more people selling all the time, people make connections online, forum, shows, and a lot of people know each others or have hear about one another.

[biologicalcanvas]

In addition to doing all you can to verify the seller I’d pay with standard paypal to utilize buyer protection. If the seller is an outright scammer you shouldn’t have any issues getting a quick refund from paypal.

[7snakes]

Here’s a good post on it. The link is a little outdated, since the FaunaClassifieds.com Board of Inquiry is now closed to non-paying members, but there are plenty of other places to get feedback and reviews. If there isn’t anything on MorphMarket you can try a google search. A lot of sellers also have accounts on Instagram or Facebook.

[ta-exotics]

I’m agreeing with everyone else on here.

I would contact them if you haven’t already about the animal in question.

You can ask general questions like how it is being kept…
Bedding, what it is currently eating, temps… just basic stuff. These are answers you should already expect before you ask.
This way, if they come back with an answer you don’t think is correct, then that gives you something to go on.
Then just go from there.

Not a lot else you can do really.

There are people who will screw you, sure.
But, most people are good as a majority.

[akmorphs]

I had to hunt down my original post, but I think a block of this could be very helpful for you!

@akirby91

I’ve given this a lot of thought in the past week or so, and I thought it might be some benefit to you. When I’m looking at a particular snake I like, I’ll save it to my wishlist (so I can come back to it if needed) and then immediately click on the breeds profile/store front - whatever you want to call it.

I’ll look first for the feedback. If they have more than 5 positive reviews within the last 3 months that’s a good sign you’re dealing with someone who knows what their doing. More than 5 positives and I’d have no issue purchasing a snake from them. Now when I see a breeder has 20+ reviews BUT has a 95% or lower reputation I’ll personally go look and see what the neutral/negative comments are.

I’ve come across a few snakes I really like, but the stores are brand new and have zero reputation. When that happens I’ll google the breeder. Sometimes it turns out they are new to morphmarket, but they’ve been in the business for years. If they have a Facebook page I’ll check out what others have reviewed about them. If I see the reviews are turned off or hidden on Facebook that’s my first red flag. However, if I still really like the snake I’ll reach out to the buyer and ask for a veterinarian reference from them. If they hesitate to give it to me, right off the bat, I walk away. It’s just like me asking a German Shepherd breeder for their vet reference and if they hesitate - then something is wrong. No one should be hesitant to give you their veterinarians reference. My mom is a Veterinarian and maybe once a month she’ll have someone call her for a reference on a breeder they plan on purchasing from.

I like to look at breeders social media as well. Do they have an active following? Do they post regularly? Are they posting different snakes, and not the same snake from just different angles. If it’s an active breeder you can tell from their content whether they are truly in the breeding business for profit OR because they have a passion for their animals and what they are doing.

[nikkip]

Check Instagram and Facebook. I believe in giving someone a chance.

[john]

I’m surprised no one has cited our “How to Research Sellers” article.

Also related, is our fraud article.

How Does MorphMarket Protect Buyers from Fraud?

At MorphMarket , we take fraud very seriously. We have gone to great lengths to help buyers avoid getting scammed, and yet it never fails that on the occasion that a scammer pops up, a few unexperienced buyers are quickly drawn in. The point of this post is to outline what MorphMarket does and does not do to protect against fraudulent sellers. UPDATE: Please also read our new article on how we moderate our marketplace, which explains how we handle disputes and other complaints and more. L…

It’s not clear if the seller you’re referring to is labeled a new seller, or they just have zero ratings. There’s a difference.

Someone who’s labeled a new seller has literally been selling on our site less than a month. These folks can sometimes sound nice and intelligent on the phone, and they still be a scammer. That chance is lessened once they’ve been selling for a while and that label goes away.