$25 more for a feeder?

I've been seeing ads on kingsnake lately where folks are selling animals that are not eating F/T mice. The ads says they'll get them started for another $25/ per animal. Something about that doesn't sit right with me. Any thoughts?

I suppose as an unscrupulous seller it's worth a try. Maybe they'll sucker in someone inexperienced, who doesn't realise that a reputable seller would never sell a Corn that ate anything other than f/t.

Some reptiles do insist on live only, but I imagine either:
a) this would be a species-specific thing and nothing out-of-the-ordinary for some sorts of reptile, so the buyer will already be expecting it and it wouldnt affect the price.
or
b) the live preference is not normal and would usually result in the animal selling for less. In this case, I'd expect the seller to view it as a "problem animal" and bear the cost of conversion to f/t themselves.

IMHO the ad is an attempt to drill money out of people who don't know better. Shame on them.

I agree with Bitsy. I have seen animals advertised for sale with the "live only feeder" description, but at that point the buyer knows what he is getting and can make the choice whether or not to buy the animal.

Usually you see them advertised the other way around- less for a snake that demands live, or that requires lizard-scenting, or out-of-egg. No one thinks any less of a breeder for offering a price reduction for a live-feeder, especially an adult.

Nanci said:

Usually you see them advertised the other way around- less for a snake that demands live, or that requires lizard-scenting, or out-of-egg. No one thinks any less of a breeder for offering a price reduction for a live-feeder, especially an adult.

Click to expand...

Interesting the power of advertisement isn't it?!

bitsy said:

I suppose as an unscrupulous seller it's worth a try.

IMHO the ad is an attempt to drill money out of people who don't know better. Shame on them.

Click to expand...

What is unscrupulous about selling nonfeeders cheaper than feeders? You better check the for sale ads here because by your logic, Carol, Jeff Mohr, Susan and a bunch of others are unscrupulous . . . 50% out of egg specials, not guaranteed feeders? :shrugs: Same thing. Shoot, on a $100 snake you're paying $50 more for a feeder!

D80

I don't see anything unscrupulous about it! If you want them to put in extra time and work with a particular animal, they're offering to do it for a fee. Sounds 100% reasonable to me. LOTS of people sell non-feeders cheaper, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Well, if the ad has them priced $25 less to get you in the door, then you realize the actual price is higher, that's kinda a cheap gimmick in my mind. If they're more up front about it, it's odd but not that bad. It's when you get into false advertising that it's a problem.

So what kind of snakes were the snakes for sale on Kingsnake, anyway?? Something that is notoriously hard to start on FT mice, or something that you would expect to feed on FT with no problems, but the person just wants them out the door??

Nanci said:

So what kind of snakes were the snakes for sale on Kingsnake, anyway?? Something that is notoriously hard to start on FT mice, or something that you would expect to feed on FT with no problems, but the person just wants them out the door??

Click to expand...

Just what I was thinking...grayband hatchlings immediately comes to mind as one I would expect to see such an ad for.

seems fine with me. read the add... buy what the add says... or don't!

I sell nonfeeders from time to time... they are greatly discounted and PLAINLY labeled as nonfeeders.

No harm no foul!

Susan said:

Just what I was thinking...grayband hatchlings immediately comes to mind as one I would expect to see such an ad for.

Click to expand...

Or Eastern or Southern hoggies.

Yes it was a grayband ad. I see your point for discounting OOE snakes. Reading the ad, it just seemed they were selling "eating" as an accessory.

I can see where the labeling of the ad caused a little confusion. It does make it sound more shady when stated as though a good feeding snake is an extra charge, as opposed to a non-feeding snake being at a discounted price, even if it's basically the same thing. It just makes it sound as though their good feeding snakes are the exception, rather than the non-feeding, so it does make you think that it's a bit suspect.

It's all in the advertising, I suppose. I can definitely see where there would be an extra charge on starting gray-bands, though, as it's a lot more work to get the non-feeders to eat than most species. Mostly because of the scenting. More work, the higher the price. But on the flip-side, you might expect that effort to be done free of charge (or at least hidden in the full price), as these are supposed to be the experts that should have the most success getting the species that they've chosen to breed to eat.

All in all... not too strange, but wording is everything, and you're right, the wording could have been a little more appealing.

bitsy said:

I suppose as an unscrupulous seller it's worth a try. Maybe they'll sucker in someone inexperienced, who doesn't realise that a reputable seller would never sell a Corn that ate anything other than f/t.

Click to expand...

Drizzt80 said:

What is unscrupulous about selling nonfeeders cheaper than feeders? You better check the for sale ads here because by your logic, Carol, Jeff Mohr, Susan and a bunch of others are unscrupulous . . . 50% out of egg specials, not guaranteed feeders? :shrugs: Same thing. Shoot, on a $100 snake you're paying $50 more for a feeder!
D80

Click to expand...

You may want to ad Rich Z to the list as well....he was selling out of the egg animals way back in the day. :sidestep: