I might be a bit paranoid, so let me know if I’m being overly anxious. I purchased an animal here on MM about 4 days ago. I asked for additional pictures besides the one they had for the listing. They said they would send it the next day. The next day rolls around, and I don’t hear anything. I follow up, and they apologize and say they’ve been sick and that they’ll get me pictures soon. This is really suspicious of me because it doesn’t seem like it would be very time-consuming to take a picture? The seller is also verified and has good reviews. Wondering if I should be worried or not.
2 Likes
I’d say you may be overly anxious in this case, but not necessarily unreasonably so. I understand wanting photos, but the animal can’t even be shipped until next week at the earliest. Not only that, but we’re also smack between two large holidays regardless of the seller’s health status. They may have other obligations keeping them from being able to get photos. Obviously I’m not saying they should have free reign to take another week to get back to you, but another day or two wouldn’t be concerning.
6 Likes
I agree with @noodlehaus. Do remember that these sellers are people, they have lives and families and often other jobs on top of breeding and selling reptiles, so there are hundreds of reasons that could delay taking and sending photos. We’re also smack in the middle of cold and flu season, so I find it more than plausible that this seller was sick. I’d give it at least another day or two.
That said, I do understand the worry. I remember buying my first snake off here, and having the realization that I just sent a total stranger hundreds of dollars and was taking it completely on faith that he would indeed send me a snake in return. It’s an uncomfortable feeling. But you said this seller had good reviews, so I’d at least let them get through the next holiday before getting too concerned. They’ll probably send you the pictures soon, I don’t see any obvious red flags from what you’ve described so far.
4 Likes
Thank you for your response! I guess I forgot to include that the seller also seemed kind of vague with the wording? When i asked for more pictures (original listing had two different morphs) they said that the one on left? was representative of what id be recieving. So it made me think that the listing might not even be the actual animal…
3 Likes
Thank you for reaplying! Yeaaaa I think I’m just very excited to get my new animal sooo I might just be converting that into anxiety.
3 Likes
Hrmm, did the ad say that it was a representative photo and not the exact animal being sold? I might be wrong, but I think sellers need to disclose when they use representative photos in ads. I do understand why that wording concerned you, you can certainly ask the seller for clarification.
4 Likes
The ad did not say it was not the exact animal being sold…
2 Likes
Then it probably is. Especially since you said it’s a morph, it would be pretty unusual for a captive bred morph animal to be sold with a representative photo (unless the seller is just outright dishonest, which the good reviews suggest they are not).
I’d try to relax and give them a day or two to send more photos. If they continue to give you the runaround on photos, then that could start to look like a red flag.
3 Likes
You have already purchased the snake so extra pics are moot at this point. I am positive you will get them eventually but if the money had not already changed hands, you would probably have gotten more pics sooner……
I am sure everything will be fine…
4 Likes
Sellers will sometimes post photos for an animal with a sibling to prove that they hatched a visual version of a recessive gene.
It is definitely important to look up as much info on the genetics you’re interested in to avoid situations where you may be confused about what you are receiving. Also the seller should have an individual photo of the animal in the ad as well or clearly state which animal of the two it is as a courtesy, but that’s not necessarily required.
6 Likes
This is actually for a leachie gecko. And I believe MM policy is that example photos arent allowed anymore.
3 Likes
Yes, but the difference is that the animal you are purchasing is still in the photo. It’s not a different animal entirely being used as a representative for your purchase.
They should ideally have an additional photo of just the animal you are purchasing, but some account subscriptions are limited to only one photo per listing.
@eaglereptiles or @brittni-admin Would only having the multi-animal photo as an individual animal’s listing be against representation guidelines? It is a bit of a grey area I think.
4 Likes
Yeaa totally except Im actually not sure if the actual animal is pictured. When I asked if the actual animal was the one in the picture
they said that the left one was representative of the anima I’d be receiving.
2 Likes
Was it a multi-animal listing?
Yes two animals
1 Like
Then as noted by the section you included a screenshot of above, the animal being sold to you must have been included in that photo. If not, the seller is in violation of MorphMarket rules. Have you paid in full for the gecko at this point, and has shipping been discussed or arranged?
3 Likes
Yes I have paid in full and talked about shipping. However shipping is on hold just because of the weather and mm shipping rules.
1 Like
I’d give them until early next week at the maximum to get back to you with the requested photos. At that point if they have not contacted you again, I would consider reaching out to customer support for guidance. While a seller isn’t required to respond immediately, MM rules do state that after a buyer has paid, the seller has a responsibility to keep open lines of communication.
4 Likes
Update on this. Should be receiving pictures tomorrow (hopefully). The seller admitted that I may or may not receive the gecko pictured on the listing. I’m kind of unsure what to do. I know this violates MM policies should I report the seller? I’m also kind of annoyed it’s taking more than a week to even get another picture or the first INITIAL picture of the gecko.
1 Like
If you are unhappy with the purchase and the animal has not yet shipped, I would consider contacting support@morphmarket.com for further guidance on what steps can be taken, for instance if you’d like to seek a refund since they misrepresented the animal for sale. Otherwise if you intend to continue with the purchase, after the sale is complete you can leave feedback for the seller expressing any problems you had and rate them accordingly.
4 Likes