TL, DR: this store sold me a sick snake that died within a week despite following all their guidelines and would offer no exchanges and instead blamed me. DO NOT SUPPORT THIS BUSINESS
In preparation for my first snake I came in to this store after having read the rave reviews. After doing much research I showed staff the photos of my enclosure and purchased a few items. After ensuring my enclosure was the right temperatures and humidity, I returned to the store to purchase a corn snake hatchling I had viewed the week prior. I was enormously excited to bring home my first corn snake. The staff there even dissuaded me from buying unnecessary things so I felt they were trustworthy.
I purchased a lavender corn snake from them and noticed when I brought her home that she had a dark spot on her underbelly. Considering I live in Brooklyn, I figured I would keep an eye on it as perhaps it was feces or a recent meal. I sparsely handled her or bothered the enclosure, except to change her filtered water to allow her to adjust. I gave her her first feeding of the thawed out mice i had purchased at the store on their Sunday schedule. I fed her midday to insure she would have enough heat left to digest. She regurgitated the mouse about 12 hours later. I cleaned it up and disposed of it and figured she must still be adjusting to her new space. She was not underweight decided to continue to leave her alone for the next few days and attempt to feed her again on Thursday.
When I went to feed her Thursday she was dead. In shock and despair, I reached out to the store for some reprieve - thinking of course they would apologize and tell me to come in to exchange her. Instead, the staff member on the phone relayed between me and the owner who asked detailed questions about every aspect of my set up. He stopped to question the type of bulb I had, which was sold to me by their employee and recommended by them for my enclosure. In addition, he said it was because I did not have a heat mat the snake was unable to digest the food properly. I did have one, even though I was actually dissuaded by their employees from purchasing one! My friend had given me one. I explained this was a splurge gift from a friend, as I have wanted a snake my whole life and am currently undergoing treatment for brain cancer. I even explained the dark spot on the underbelly of the snake that postmortem looks like it has eaten her from the inside out. He told me this is how dead snakes always look. Snakes can go much longer than a week without eating and considering how quickly she died she was definitely ill when I got her a week prior, its just hard to tell in snakes as they do a lot of laying about.
The owner blamed me despite having been under their guidance and her enclosures being in optimal conditions, I check the temperature on both sides of the enclosure and the humidity multiple times a day. The owner said the best he could do was offer a FIFTEEN percent discount on another snake as if I would give them any more money - after buying all my supplies from them and spending over $200 on a snake!!! Management trying to shirk accountability and blame me when I'm already devastated is nothing other than cruel and reckless. DO NOT SUPPORT THIS CORRUPT BUSINESS!!!!
Follow up: just spoke with a exotic vet on the phone that said the dark spot on the snake was likely the intestines shutting down and the store lied to me about the snake eating. The fact this store *lied* to me and took advantage of me knowing I'm a novice snake owner is disgusting. Euthanize your sick animals or get them care before they get deathly ill!! Most of all, do not blame your clients for your poor care! read more