Do i REALLY need a thermostat?

[reptile0mad]

nice post, the guy at the shop said i wouldn't need a thermostat for my ball python, i better get one...

[Morgoth]

Most shops say the same thing. Doesn't it tell anyone something pretty odd is going on if all these shops, who are out to make money, who also have kept very large numbers of reptiles themselves, are telling people that thermostats are not needed with these lethal heatmats?

Surely they would try and sell as much as poss to genereate more profit? Surely they don't want the heatmat they have just sold to kill the reptile so the person will bring it back in a couple of days demanding a refund? Surely their vast experience with a variety of reptiles would have told them that heatmats are lethal without a stat?

[New Hoggy Owner]

Originally Posted by nellyman89

www.reptilica.co.uk is a good one, theyve always got some interesting livestock too its a good site to keep tabs on. Personally I find that my snakes are fine without a stat, i regulate my corn and garter by having more or less of the mat under the tank. And my wall lizards are even sharing a mat with my garter at the mo (seperate tanks of course). Saying that, im looking after a pair of green tree pythons for a mate at the moment, and i can safely say theyd be doomed without a stat. It all boils down to the species ur keeping and the equipment you use.

that place is a bit pricey, even our local shops who arent cheap are half there prices........!!!

[Ssthisto]

Originally Posted by Morgoth

Most shops say the same thing. ...
Surely they would try and sell as much as poss to genereate more profit? Surely they don't want the heatmat they have just sold to kill the reptile so the person will bring it back in a couple of days demanding a refund?

Surely the shop that doesn't sell thermostats with heating equipment knows they can sell an £80 starter kit including snake to a new keeper almost every time - but not a £100 starter kit including snake and thermostat. They'll sell kits for what the buyer's willing to spend. Whack an extra £20-£40 on it, they know that fewer buyers will go for it.

And it may well take more than two or three days for a temperature-sensitive snake to die due to the unregulated heat mat... after which point the shop can say "did you set it up exactly as we said, you must have used spray deodorants or something around it, sorry your animal was only guaranteed for 48 hours after purchase, after that it could be a problem with your care, would you like to buy a replacement?"

Best shop I know won't sell a starter kit without a thermostat - and if that means he turns down sales so be it. Oddly enough, thermostats still go off his shelves regularly - quite often to go with starter kits that other shops have supplied without them. Good on the new owners for doing more research.

[Onissarle]

Originally Posted by Morgoth

Most shops say the same thing. Doesn't it tell anyone something pretty odd is going on if all these shops, who are out to make money, who also have kept very large numbers of reptiles themselves, are telling people that thermostats are not needed with these lethal heatmats?

Surely they would try and sell as much as poss to genereate more profit? Surely they don't want the heatmat they have just sold to kill the reptile so the person will bring it back in a couple of days demanding a refund? Surely their vast experience with a variety of reptiles would have told them that heatmats are lethal without a stat?

That used to puzzle me too, it just made no sense for a shop to NOT try to sell a thermostat with a starter kit as it was more money in the bank. I've even known shops who have stats in stock say they aren't needed.

The answer is really quite simple though... it really is all about money. I've seen various kinds of stats priced anywhere from £15 to £80 and a stat can add a fair whack on to the total price of the starter kit for some animals. Especially the lower end animals like corns and leos where people don't want to spend a lot of money on the setup because the animal costs so little.

If a shop can sell ten sets without stats at £80 a time but only five at £105 a time because people are put off by the higher price (and going over the magical £100 has an amazing effect), that means they 'lose' £275 of turnover they could have had in their eyes, plus they lose repeat custom from that person when they go elsewhere to get what they want. Even if they only lost out on one sale in four to someone going where they can get a 'cheaper' setup, the numbers wouldn't balance.

I know that my favourite shop turns away more people wanting to buy animals than it actually sells to because a lot of people aren't prepared to do the research and spend the money for the proper equipment for reptiles. A lot of the ones they turn away go to the shop the other side of town that will sell anything to anyone as long as they have the cash. I know which makes more money and I know which I'd rather shop at.

At the end of the day some shops will cut corners if it means getting more sales and some will stick by their standards even if it costs them a sale. Others just don't know any better as I've been in plenty of 'reptile specialists' that don't know their arse from their elbow and don't even know what the animals they're selling are, much less how to take care of them properly. They still act like they do though because that gets sales.

As for the animals being harmed or dying, it may well never happen. They might keep a corn without a stat and all they have is a slightly hyperactive or slightly sluggish corn. If/when it does go wrong, as long as it doesn't happen in the first couple of weeks the shop can just deny any responsibility or even better, convince the inexperienced customer it's their fault or 'just one of those things' and sell them another animal to replace the one they lost.

[reptile0mad]

i know if i owned a shop selling reptiles i'd definitely tell people they needed a thermostat along with all the other stuff..
its a shame some shops don't..

[Onissarle]

Damn posting while at work taking me twice as long, ssthisto got there first.

[mjthekings]

i hope not lol

[Morgoth]

Stranger still though is why many shop owners seem to say 'thermostats aren't needed for heatmats' when people are actually asking them if they should buy one.

Clearly things aren't all as black and white and clear cut as some would like to make out regarding mats and stats. But I'll refrain from going too far back down that dead end road

[cooljules]

Originally Posted by Morgoth

Stranger still though is why many shop owners seem to say 'thermostats aren't needed for heatmats' when people are actually asking them if they should buy one.

Clearly things aren't all as black and white and clear cut as some would like to make out regarding mats and stats. But I'll refrain from going too far back down that dead end road

as many said before.....the cost.