Why is there a Time Limit to Leave a Rating?

I bought from a seller on this site. I was sold something as a “pair”. Something I can’t just run out and purchase another fix to this. I paid VERY good money considering what it was. They were youngish. Now - going into breeding season - I’ve discovered they are NOT a pair. So I contacted the seller. No response. Contacted again. No response. At all. It’s been over a month. Then I went to MM. They will not allow me to amend or add to the previous kind rating I left for this seller before I knew what I know now. My point with MM was that they’re protecting unethical sellers. I hate drama too. But when someone is sold something and it is not that. Potential buyers have every right to know the kind of seller that person is. Is that not what the rating system is for??? If not, then why have it? Buyers depend on feedback. Blocking that from buyers is plain wrong.

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My point with MM was that they’re protecting unethical sellers

That could not be further from the truth and @John will chime on this as well since he handles the MM part.

Based on my experience sadly regardless of the platform some scammers will manage to find their way in, it is inevitable however MM has a lot less issues in that regard than any other platform, even sellers deal with scammers and in that regard it’s a lot more complicated.

So what should you do

First do your homework and research the seller Safe Purchasing - MorphMarket Support Center

Do not leave a feedback before the transaction is fully completed Ratings - MorphMarket Support Center

What if something goes wrong and the seller becomes unresponsive?

Contact MorphMarket support through email

Contact the company used to make your payment

Contact the authority and press charges

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I’ve been corresponding with MM. I’m now making my statement based on it. I left feedback after the transaction. However I’m not experienced enough nor was the pair old enough for me to be sure. Now months later and here I am. And how do you research when MM will not allow you to add to your review ??

I personally think a way to edit reviews would be nice, especially since every online shop I have bought stuff on has that option. Like if you review a product on amazon, steam, eBay, even online herp stores like Underground Reptiles lets you edit your review whenever you want.

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Potential buyers rely on reviews. How can you have a site that won’t allow it simply bc you realize you’ve been duped a few months after purchase? Let’s be honest - with reptiles - not everything is evident upon immediate purchase. I’m also very shocked that MM will allow this policy, but will make no effort then to at least contact the seller.

Not sure what you mean by this. This is the point I think. MM is not supporting accurate feedback. If they were I wouldn’t be commenting here. I hate drama. I have zero time out of my day to be on social media and commenting on things. But I am honestly very very shocked that you cannot leave a review or comment when you’ve been sold something that it turns out isn’t what was sold as and then that seller refuses to answer any emails or inquiries. It’s just plain wrong. Considering they are selling on MM.

Also want to add - I agree with @eaglereptiles tho. Which is why I agree with the forum support of not taking it up in that fashion. However it’s important to have a buyer review system that can accurately reflect the seller. This just isn’t the case with MM as I’m sadly finding out. As a buyer who is being outright avoided by a seller I paid very good money to bc they sold me a pair - that is not a pair - it’s not right. Plain and simple. Other potential buyers should know.

This is something that should not be overlooked.

If you can prove what you bought wasn’t what you paid for then make sure to take legal action. It may take a while to come to a conclusion or for action to be taken but you are taking another scammer out of the system.

When people get away with things, they will keep doing it.

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While it is unfortunate that one of the animal was mis-sexed (it happens), you have 120 days before leaving a feedback giving you plenty of time to have the animal sex, I know I would not be leaving a feedback before I sex the animal, and I have bought animals that were mis-sexed in the past at a time when there was no recourse whatsoever on other platforms (no ratings, no feedback)

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@stewart_reptiles legal action??? Seriously? Pay a lawyer, spend months, etc. That’s an awful response. And far over the top considering simpler less drastic alternatives. Considering all I’m asking is to leave an accurate review of a seller MM is protecting. I don’t think it wrong to say MM should have a responsibility to buyers to keep it as ethical as possible.

You misread what I posted, I said pressing charges nowhere did I say hire a lawyer, if you believe that you were defrauded you may press charges with your local PD which will follow up with the local PD of the person that defrauded you, obviously you would need proof and it does not cost anything.

What if something goes wrong and the seller becomes unresponsive?

Contact MorphMarket support through email

Contact the company used to make your payment

Contact the authority and press charges

And sure mis-sexing can happen. But you’d at least respond to the buyer no?? Maybe offer some sort of something ?? But to sell a definite sexed pair. And not allow the buyer to leave a review after being avoided repeatedly by the seller isn’t right. And I’m busy. I travel. I’m not looking at the back end of these animals as they grow suspecting I was duped. I had to go to an experienced breeder to confirm yeah they’re the same sex. Regardless. I should be able to say this seller could care less about responding to the issue.

I’m not local. Like the police will care?? That’s not a fair response. And again rather than allowing a fair honest review of this seller you think it better to say get police involved? :exploding_head: I have proof. I was sold an advertised pair. They are not. I cannot just go out a grab another of these. They aren’t common. And the seller - supported by MM - is refusing to respond. Let alone anything else. At the very least my review of dealing with this seller should be allowed. And is very valid to anyone thinking of trusting this person.

I would but I guarantee the sex of my animals regardless of the time that has went by however some breeders do not and only guarantee sex for a certain amount of time after the sale expecting their buyer to sex their animal upon reception.

Not sure where the attitude towards me comes from it’s ok I know getting scammed is frustrating however I am trying to help you and give you valid options on what to do in the event you get scammed and how to prevent it in the future.

Additionally keep in mind that you posted in a thread that was about a forum feature not MM (the Market Place) which as explained before would be challenging implement and maintain not to mention the possible liability of allowing such a feature on the FORUM.

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I don’t find this to be a fair statement. MorphMarket is not responsible for a seller not contacting you back months after the intail purchase. MorphMarket is only a platform for buying and selling much like any other retail platform and not responsible for a sellers lack of communication skills. @stewart_reptiles listed some of the options you have in taking action towards the seller for misrepresenting the animals you purchased, which are all good options to persue.
You have 120 days to leave a review of the animals and the seller you purchased from which i think is a very fair time period. Any issues or problems with the animal would have been apparent by that time and plenty of time to have the animals properly sexed.

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Well I’ve said my thoughts. I’m not looking to make this ugly by involving police etc. I’m dumb founded that I cannot leave an honest review of a seller that is less than honest. And that is an MM choice. And it’s a choice that protects unsound selling practices over giving honest reviews to potential buyers. That’s all.

They will do absolutely nothing. You think a local PD will even sniff this? No way. 0% chance. That’s a joke. If I called my local PD and told them there were 20 Reptiles left to die in an abandoned house they wouldn’t even get to it unless there was nothing else on the docket. We need to do better.

I love MM but this specifically is a very valid concern and needs to be taken more seriously. We want to grow the hobby or just have experience breeders selling to other experienced breeders? MM should provide an avenue to provide ACCURATE seller AND buyer ratings. Protect your base.

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You have 60 days after your initial review to dispute or change your review, on top of the initial 120 days (~ 4 months) to leave the initial review. How much more time should be given for someone to leave an ACCURATE and HONEST review? If someone decides to leave a review after only one day or 3 weeks after intial purchase and then waits 3 more months to check the sex of the animal they purchased that is really on them by that point.

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Animal abuse and fraud are two different things believe me, being defrauded and pressing charges is something that make the bad guys think twice but nobody ever does buyers or breeders the excuses are I don’t have time they, won’t care etc, if there are no incentive people who con others out of money will continue, in this case it’s different but in some cases it does work.

Again at this point on the forum (this is what the original thread is about) this is not something that is being offered, for again the same reasons,

Drama, it’s been proven with the BOI and FBI who have both shut down BTW that this ALWAYS turns into a drama fest having people with no clue post. And trust me running a forum without that has already is challenges that can go beyond this forum.

Legal liability, libel and defamation lawsuits are now being a thing especially since the anti bullying campaign most of the time it does not go anywhere but never say never and in those cases they would turn toward the forum not the individual.

Proof how would YOU feel if someone came on a forum and called you a scammer simply because they did not like you or called you a bad guy because you refused to sell them a snake?

Now as far as MM itself there are rating which BTW this is the only platform that offers this and will investigate if there is a scam and ban the seller or buyer’s account, no one else does and I have been doing this long enough to know does that. Now ratings can be posted for up to 120 days which gives enough time for any buyer to make sure their animal is healthy and properly sexed.

What if you could give a rating for an unlimited amount of time and/or allow to update your rating anytime? This is a particular market where you deal with live animals, so let say somone buys a snake post their rating and is very happy, a year later the snake dies and they add on their original review saying “bad breeder the snake was just a year old and died”, would that be fair?

Never underestimate what people will do so it is always a fine line between protecting buyers but also breeders (who all have their own TOS) trust me it’s a great improvement over what was available as far as platforms just 5 years ago.

BTW if you buy a snake from a breeder on facebook do you hold facebook liable if something happens?

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Thanks for clarifying. That seems very reasonable and like it should be plenty of time, so the issue with the original comment here is they did not find out for longer than that? I understand ppl being new but if you wait that long to sex animals I don’t see that being MM’s problem. Agreed

I admit I have not tried or had to try calling a local PD to report this but I can’t imagine them taking seriously a report of this nature. If they would, good on them. Seemed like a bit of a cop out no (pun intended)

Yeah that would be bad. Agreed. And that’s what the original post was about. That would be opening Pandora’s box I completely see what you’re saying.

Of course not, but this isn’t Facebook. Like you said this is the best platform out there so I think there is and should be a different standard, and I don’t think it’s quite an apples to apples comparison this is a specialized platform as well. But that’s definitely just my opinion.

Appreciate the responses, I still don’t really think just telling someone to go to the cops is going to do a damn thing (I could be wrong) but you both made some good points as well, it’s definitely a fine line you have to walk.

At the end of the day I think it was a mistake to not get the animals sexed before months went by. That should be something that gets done in hours not months.

The thing here is that buyers need to be held to a standard as well the sellers. If you choose to leave a review day 1 after receiving an animal it is then up to the buyer to make sure that there is no issues and the animal(s) are the correct sex within the time frame set forth. Now i admit i am not familiar with every single species of snake but i can’t believe that 6 months is not a long enough time frame to have the animal(s) properly sexed.

Main thing to take from this is take the time to do your do diligence, take the allowed time to leave your initial review which is 120 days/4 months, and then you have another 60 days to change it if an issue does come up. A seller shouldn’t be held responsible for a buyer taking longer than 6 months to verify sex on an animal.

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