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When is it time to tell a customer that enough is enough? *bit of a rant*
- Thread starter medusacoils
- Start date
medusacoils
Mr. Enigma!
I don't know what condition the snake is kept in. Nor do I know how good his husbandry is. The only thing I know for sure is that that snake ate four times before it left here. I keep good records so that I can look back on any snake if a customer calls.
As far as cohabbing goes, that would be a direct violation of my TOS and would negate any warranty I put on the animal. He signed a copy of that when he took the animals.
You make a good point, Nanci! This is the only reason why I am soliciting opinions. I care about the wellbeing of that snake. There isn't a guarantee that I can get it eating again but if I can, then that is a good thing.
I don't know what I am going to do?!?!
I do know I like this idea:
:rofl:
Thanks everyone!
Wayne
As far as cohabbing goes, that would be a direct violation of my TOS and would negate any warranty I put on the animal. He signed a copy of that when he took the animals.
You make a good point, Nanci! This is the only reason why I am soliciting opinions. I care about the wellbeing of that snake. There isn't a guarantee that I can get it eating again but if I can, then that is a good thing.
I don't know what I am going to do?!?!
I do know I like this idea:
:rofl:
Thanks everyone!
Wayne
DeadMouse
Hungry, hungry Hognose!
Well, that's actually the entire point, is it the "factor" or is it merely just a claim made by the buyer for reasons yet unknown? If in fact the snake was not eating and this was/is a major concern, then why has the buyer been blowing off all of the appointments he's made to get a replacement? It really makes no sense. Maybe perhaps the snake did refuse a meal or two in the beginning which caused some concern for the buyer but then ate again. That would explain his lack of persistence in trying to remedy the situation. Or perhaps he could have intermittent buyers remorse... Who really knows? :shrugs: But I have to raise the question again, if the snake were truly in peril, granted that it's even still alive, then why has the buyer kept reneging on his own scheduled appointments? It's almost as if the buyer were trying to weigh down Wayne with enough grief that Wayne might just offer him a free snake in the hopes that the buyer will be content and just go away. It might sound ridiculous at first until you read about all the games that people play on the BOI, then it doesn't seem to sound so far fetched.
medusacoils
Mr. Enigma!
This is the other side of the coin that I am weighing! What if he does have buyers remorse or the animal isn't in as much peril as he claims? :shrugs:
I don't know?!?!?!
Wayne
Nanci
Alien Lover
Well, it doesn't hurt anything to see and evaluate the snake. If the guy ever shows up. People can have horrible luck with things happening to them in their lives. I'm sure Wayne can sympathize. Maybe the guy thinks babies are like adults and can go months without much danger. _Maybe_ Wayne has an available/extra adult/sub-adult that would be more suitable/hardy. If he wants.
DeadMouse
Hungry, hungry Hognose!
Ask yourself this question, what does your gut feeling/intuition tell you to do? Put all logical reasoning aside and listen to that inner voice. Intuition knows more than we ever give it credit for.
Susan
Go Ahead, Make My Day!
I know you care about the hatchling, but since you know it was healthy and eating before you sold it, and this guy has had it in his collection with other reptiles since July, you have no idea what you might end up bring back into your own collection. You have gone above and beyond. You owe the guy nothing.
Blue Apple Herps
aka Matthew, PhD
It is a tough call. Straight up you don't owe him anything. You have a TOS, way outside of it. But at the same time, I fully appreciate wanting to make a customer happy. But at the same time, you have gone above and beyond what is expected. He dropped the ball.
I would politely tell him that you rearranged your schedule to accommodate his and that he left you hanging. He had four opportunities and he blew every one.
Even if he goes psycho and posts a BOI thread or something like that, if things happened as you said they did then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. The community will go to bat for you.
I would politely tell him that you rearranged your schedule to accommodate his and that he left you hanging. He had four opportunities and he blew every one.
Even if he goes psycho and posts a BOI thread or something like that, if things happened as you said they did then you have absolutely nothing to worry about. The community will go to bat for you.
kathylove
Pragmatic & Logical
I agree - you have gone above and beyond already...
If you still want to do more, and if he calls again, maybe this will work.
Tell him you can't afford to change your schedule any more times while waiting for him. IF he wants to drop the snake off sometime, he should call when he is ready to come, and if you happen to be available, he can drop it off. IF you have a quarantine area available, you can try to get the snake feeding for him. Explain to him that by waiting, he might have already sealed the fate of the little guy. If he has other herps, he should already know this. But since he has waited so long and not kept any appointments (or bothered to call ahead when he wasn't going to be able to make them), getting a replacement is obviously not all that important to him. Why should it be more important to you than it is to him?
If you are able (and willing) to do the above (assuming you can avoid keeping the returned snake near your own snakes), then that would help the hatchling (if it even needs help) and also help the customer more than he deserves to be helped, since he doesn't seem too concerned about it himself.
But if that is more than you can offer, I feel you are justified in telling him you have already done everything you could by making yourself available on 4 different occasions without any results.
If you still want to do more, and if he calls again, maybe this will work.
Tell him you can't afford to change your schedule any more times while waiting for him. IF he wants to drop the snake off sometime, he should call when he is ready to come, and if you happen to be available, he can drop it off. IF you have a quarantine area available, you can try to get the snake feeding for him. Explain to him that by waiting, he might have already sealed the fate of the little guy. If he has other herps, he should already know this. But since he has waited so long and not kept any appointments (or bothered to call ahead when he wasn't going to be able to make them), getting a replacement is obviously not all that important to him. Why should it be more important to you than it is to him?
If you are able (and willing) to do the above (assuming you can avoid keeping the returned snake near your own snakes), then that would help the hatchling (if it even needs help) and also help the customer more than he deserves to be helped, since he doesn't seem too concerned about it himself.
But if that is more than you can offer, I feel you are justified in telling him you have already done everything you could by making yourself available on 4 different occasions without any results.
medusacoils
Mr. Enigma!
Thanks Everyone!!
I care about the wellbeing of that snake and that is what is concerning me. I care a lot more about the wellbeing of the members of my collection. I do know that this snake was eating before it left. It ate four good meals voluntarily while it was here. Now I am hearing that it isn't eating at all and who knows why.
I'm really thinking its not worth the risk of bringing that snake back. I have given this guy a few chances. I wanted to make this right because I felt I had to, even though I didn't have to based on my TOS. If he was seriously concerned about this snake, then he would have showed up when he said he was going to.
I have done enough and I am going to have to accept that I am not responsible for that snake, any longer. If he is as concerned as he says he is, then he can take it to the Vet.
It's a tough stance but I think I have done enough to try and help him. He didn't hold up his end.
Wayne
I care about the wellbeing of that snake and that is what is concerning me. I care a lot more about the wellbeing of the members of my collection. I do know that this snake was eating before it left. It ate four good meals voluntarily while it was here. Now I am hearing that it isn't eating at all and who knows why.
I'm really thinking its not worth the risk of bringing that snake back. I have given this guy a few chances. I wanted to make this right because I felt I had to, even though I didn't have to based on my TOS. If he was seriously concerned about this snake, then he would have showed up when he said he was going to.
I have done enough and I am going to have to accept that I am not responsible for that snake, any longer. If he is as concerned as he says he is, then he can take it to the Vet.
It's a tough stance but I think I have done enough to try and help him. He didn't hold up his end.
Wayne
kathylove
Pragmatic & Logical
Yes, there comes a time to draw a line, but where?
A week, a month, a year, the rest of the snake's natural life? I think everyone here thinks you already went "above and beyond", and at some point the customer has to take responsibility and do what needs to be done. It is not feasible for the seller to be responsible "forever", so you need to decide if this is the time to "draw the line".
Believe it or not, about 2 or 3 years after we sold out our share of Glades Herp back in 1996, a Glades customer called me and said that he bought a snake from Glades just before we left, and just found out it was sexed incorrectly. He wanted to know if I would replace it! I suggested that he call Glades instead of me, but that it would have been much better had he called 2 - 3 years earlier! After that much time, there would have been no way to verify if it was even the same snake!
The point is, some customers will take advantage if you let them, and really will expect you (instead of themselves) to take responsibility for THEIR pets "forever".
A week, a month, a year, the rest of the snake's natural life? I think everyone here thinks you already went "above and beyond", and at some point the customer has to take responsibility and do what needs to be done. It is not feasible for the seller to be responsible "forever", so you need to decide if this is the time to "draw the line".
Believe it or not, about 2 or 3 years after we sold out our share of Glades Herp back in 1996, a Glades customer called me and said that he bought a snake from Glades just before we left, and just found out it was sexed incorrectly. He wanted to know if I would replace it! I suggested that he call Glades instead of me, but that it would have been much better had he called 2 - 3 years earlier! After that much time, there would have been no way to verify if it was even the same snake!
The point is, some customers will take advantage if you let them, and really will expect you (instead of themselves) to take responsibility for THEIR pets "forever".
Chip
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒ&
That's MADDENING, Kathy! I occasionally get calls from people I sold an animal to so long ago, I not only don't remember them, I barely remember working with the species! It's usually fun, though, and the majority of the buying public at least have their hearts in the right place. My biggest gripe are those that refuse to educate themselves. Or in a few cases, even read the caresheets that come with the purchase!
Ditto. I used to be a lot more open about having people over, but after the first group that looked like extras from Mad Max showed up at my door, I began meeting people out.
Ditto. I used to be a lot more open about having people over, but after the first group that looked like extras from Mad Max showed up at my door, I began meeting people out.
Tavia
Elemental Exotics
It's sad but true that is a good policy to have. My mom worked at a want ads paper for about 5 years. A few times she heard from some of the people that put ads in that they'd have someone over to look at the stuff they were selling & a few days later get broke into. Figured that they were cased by some of the people answering the ad. Even had one guy get the whole collection of guns he was selling stolen, he's pretty sure by the people he had showed them to the day before.
medusacoils
Mr. Enigma!
Well maybe I should change my policy! LOL!! No more visitors unless I know you!
Kathy & Chip, you are both right. Enough is enough. I sent him an email telling him that I will no longer be willing to exchange the snake. I included a scan of the TOS that he signed and I explained that I cannot put my family on hold any longer. I, again, sent him some instructions on getting stubborn hatchlings to eat and told him to keep me posted.
Lets see if I get a reply.
Wayne
Kathy & Chip, you are both right. Enough is enough. I sent him an email telling him that I will no longer be willing to exchange the snake. I included a scan of the TOS that he signed and I explained that I cannot put my family on hold any longer. I, again, sent him some instructions on getting stubborn hatchlings to eat and told him to keep me posted.
Lets see if I get a reply.
Wayne
RavenSpirit360
Mitakuye Oyasin
I agree, you went well and beyond in your responsibility to this person. You cannot be responsible for all of the babies that go out into the world from your collection, unfortunately. So many will not get the care they deserve, but that is the risk we take when we take on breeding snakes. We do the best we can to educate those on the proper way to care for them and that is all we can really do. It is great that you care so much though. But I agree, it is time to let go now. You did all you could and went well out of your way. Your a good person for that
Susan
Go Ahead, Make My Day!
All transactions dealing with my snakes that aren't done over the internet are done someplace off my property. No one is allowed at my home and especially not in my snake room. If I have friends over that want to see my snakes, I bring selected snakes out to them in the living area. The sole reason for this policy is the liability. My insurance will not cover me if someone were to get bitten or "catch something" from my snakes and the courts tend to favor the "victim" in these cases.
medusacoils
Mr. Enigma!
My snakes are in my living room. I wish I had a seperate room for them but sadly they are occupied by children. :shrugs:
My wife and I have been working with animals for years. Snakes the last 4. We haven't had an issue, so it hasn't been an issue. You guys make some good points though and for now on I will meet outside the home.
Lesson Learned!
Thanks
Wayne
My wife and I have been working with animals for years. Snakes the last 4. We haven't had an issue, so it hasn't been an issue. You guys make some good points though and for now on I will meet outside the home.
Lesson Learned!
Thanks
Wayne