Payment

SHIPPING (within the U.S.) : Within the U.S., I can send reptiles directly to any business address (a home business is allowed, but not recommended because FedEx may drop parcels at the door, leaving them sitting in the sun), or you can pick up at your local FedEx office. My FedEx live reptile contract does not allow delivery to a residence unless it is a home business. Live arrival is guaranteed only if the shipment is signed for when it arrives, and if your local temperatures are between 20 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit; otherwise, my guarantees can only apply if we discuss the local variables and agree upon the safest time and method for you to pick up your animal(s) at your nearest FedEx office. I'll be happy to discuss the details and costs. Generally, for 1 - 6 babies in the same box, the shipping charge will be $48 ($35 within the state of Florida) for FedEx overnight express service. Larger shipments of 9 - 20 snakes will usually add only an additional $12 per box to those basic charges, so shipping savings (per animal) are considerable when larger shipments are purchased. I normally ship every Tuesday for arrival on Wednesday. I will need your full address and phone number to check shipping options, and to comply with FedEx rules.

Click for SHIPPING to CANADA and WORLDWIDE

ADVANCE RESERVATION POLICY FOR OUR BABIES : I take pre-hatching reservations for my rarest, in-high-demand babies. I will record reservations in the order in which I receive them, except that orders for male / female pairs take precedence over odd number orders. Your exact place in line is held once I receive your 25% deposit (up to a maximum of 100.00 deposit per animal).

You may also get in line for animals by simply leaving your name and complete contact numbers with the list of the animals you'd like. I'll then fill your request, if I can, after all deposit customers' orders have been filled first. Those people leaving their money on deposit with me in advance have first priority on choices.

When your animals are ready to ship, I will contact you and ask for the balance of payment within 10 days. Please leave the best telephone numbers for reaching you (unless you've paid in full in advance, in which case I'll hold your animals if you're away on vacation or otherwise distracted when shipping time arrives). Email and / or fax numbers are even better than phone numbers.

I fully expect to produce the animals listed this season. Nothing ever goes 100% as planned. Deposits left with me are non-refundable if you change your mind. PLEASE don't send money unless you're sure about what you want, or are at least willing to take other animals or drygoods I sell instead of a cash refund. I will return your deposit if I fail to produce the animals you wanted originally, but not if you change your mind. I also occasionally sell off adults and sub-adults raised as future breeders - CALL to inquire. I’ll try to keep an inventory of those larger animals on my website, but it may not always be up-to-date.

PAYMENTS : I accept payment by money orders / cashier's checks ( make them payable to 'Kathy Love' ) , or cash, or credit cards using PayPal only. Personal or business checks are also acceptable, but I can’t release any animal or product until at least 10 days have passed after receipt. I only accept VISA & MASTERCARD credit cards for purchases if you go through PayPal on the Internet. Click the banner just below to sign up to use it with me and many other web merchants.

Since I don’t yet have a shopping cart feature (we’re working on that!), just go to www.paypal.com and log onto your account (or open a new, free account if you don’t have one already) and follow the directions below.

Once logged on, choose “send money”. When it asks to whom, type in kathy@cornutopia.com . Be sure there are no misspellings! Then enter in the total cost of the items desired, plus postage, for the grand total to be sent. There are a few choices of postage listed on my site. Choose the one you want (Priority gets there a little more quickly, but costs more, etc. Or, choose the correct international postage if you are not in the U.S.). Once you have added the postage to the cost of the books or other goods, just enter the total amount into your paypal screen, and send it on to me. I will mail the order out just as quickly as I can once I receive it. If you don’t get an email from me within a couple of business days (I am sometimes out of town on weekends), be sure to contact me to make sure the payment went through ok.

IF YOU WANT TO ORDER LIVE ANIMALS, please call or email first, so I can check availability and shipping options for you.

* Please note that PayPal knows me as 'Blue Chameleon Ventures', not 'CornUtopia'.

First off, there is NO guarantee that a corn snake, or any snake, will always be tame and never bite. Corn snakes can and do bite sometimes! It's a harmless scratch like you'd get from a kitten or rose bush, and it can bleed a little. If you want a pet that will never bite, no matter how much you tease, scare or abuse it, click HERE.

Please understand that I work very hard trying to develop "pure" strains of many of my snakes. It takes careful attention to detail, raising large numbers of hatchlings, ruthless culling and a little luck. I get better at predicting appearance each season, but it's still not a 100 % accurate science. In other words, I can't absolutely guarantee that every neonate will be exactly like the parents (or a picture you saw published). I honestly expect them to fit my descriptions, but every year a few don't quite grow up to be perfect "10's". On the other hand, some exceed my highest hopes and get sold off before I see them blossom out fully. That's just my tough luck. Buying babies is always a slight gamble in this respect. As a breeder, I accept this reality when I acquire new stock. That's why I usually buy a group -- to assure that some turn out as nice or nicer than expected. Conversely, I also know that most people expect nothing less than perfection when they order a specimen "sight-unseen", so I offer this additional guarantee: If, after a year, a non-discounted animal that you've purchased from me just doesn't live up to my list description, but is otherwise healthy, I'll buy it back or replace it with a hatchling of the same type from the next year's progeny - your choice! For discounted or wholesale orders, I offer individually tailored guarantees based on order size & discount, shipping method, and other factors.

Furthermore, all of my captive-bred herps purchased at these list prices are guaranteed to arrive alive and in perfect health. Should any kind of problem arise, please speak to me in person on or before 9:00 p.m. on the 7th day after receiving the animal(s) in question to discuss it. After then, I will assume that you are satisfied, that the deal is consummated, and my responsibility for adjustments has ended.

My business is run from my home; it’s not open to the public like a retail shop. I do, however, have guests over only if they call at least a few days in advance and made arrangements with me by telephone.

VERY IMPORTANT, PLEASE TAKE NOTE >>>>> Shipping via any method is a long, bumpy ride, and a turbulent and somewhat traumatic experience for animals, especially babies. The best thing you can do upon receiving some is set them up in their new home and leave them alone for a minimum of 3 full days and nights! Sounds a little crazy, right? You want to check them out. You want to show them to friends. You want to see them eat something -- immediately! Try to resist the temptation and instead let them settle down in their new surroundings. Their whole universe has just been changed, and they're nervous. True, they may grab a pinkie without hesitation the moment they arrive, but the stress of it all often catches up with them and may result in regurgitation a day or two later "for no apparent reason". Don't forget, I guarantee them to be voluntary feeders, so you can allow them a 3-day "settling-in period". Many years in the business as a reptile breeder backs this valuable and not-always contemplated piece of advice.

If you've enjoyed my website, please help spread the good word and put a link to me on your website. Use this banner too if you wish. THANKS!

<<< I answer all emails, if I can. If you do not receive an answer, please check your spam filters and make sure my reply can get through. Several emails have been returned as undeliverable recently and I usually have no other way to contact you. Please feel free to call if you would like to discuss your question or email.

SHIPPING TO CANADA : Canadian shipments are almost as expensive as shipping to Europe. But people living within a reasonable driving distance of the border have found that it is often worthwhile to pick up their shipment at any major U.S. city ( Cost: less than U.S. $ 50 ) and drive it across yourself, saving the cost of the U. S. broker fees. In the past, my corns (which are all non-C.I.T.E.S. & non- endangered species, thus not requiring any special permits like boas, iguanas and chameleons) have not been a problem to clear Canadian Customs when accompanied by my invoice. However, you should check with the appropriate government office before making plans, in case there have been any changes since the last shipment.

SHIPPING WORLDWIDE : Since the changes brought on by Sept. 11, 2001, export has become more complicated and expensive for "occasional shippers" such as myself. I have to use a broker, and this costs extra. EXPORT SHIPMENTS WILL COST A MINIMUM OF U.S. $600 - $700 IN ADDITION TO THE COST OF THE ANIMALS. It doesn't matter whether you buy one baby, or 100 babies - the cost will be very similar in most cases. Because of government red tape, small shipments are not worthwhile. If you are planning a large enough shipment to make these costs feasible, please call or email to discuss so I can give you the latest information. Airline conditions and prices are changing constantly, so each export must be investigated separately. It is not always an easy or fast process. Each country has unique laws, and YOU must check to see what local regulations / permits are required in YOUR country, and be responsible to comply with them. My responsibility is to comply with the U.S. regulations. I only start the whole exportation process once I’ve received payment in full, and you have assured me that you have whatever permits are needed on your side. I can’t hold animals until I have been paid for them, except that I’ll hold them for up to 7 days pending receipt of your money.

IF your country requires a veterinary health certificate for incoming animals, I can provide this for an additional $100.00 fee. You must tell me if this is necessary, and pay for it in advance.

Customers whose shipment will pass through any country of the European Union en route to them must currently add the additional expense of $51.00 (< the price last time I did it) to cover specific European Union charges for “storage fee”: this = ($17.00) plus “veterinarian fee” ($34.00).

I will ship with freight charges collect to you whenever possible, although this is rarely the case anymore. If I discover that, when I investigate how to ship to you, that I must prepay these charges (<<<probably), I will need to receive that amount in advance from you also.

I recommend bank wire transfers for moving money fast. Please contact me for my bank information so you can use that payment method.

If you prefer, you may send an international POSTAL money order, valued in U.S. dollars, via airmail or an even faster method. Please do not use slower postal methods since they are unreliable and take too long.

You must also tell me the name, city, and country of your nearest major airport where you’d like to receive your animals – this is very important! Also, please PRINT your complete name, address, telephone, fax, and email numbers clearly on all papers to me so there will be no confusion here.

For more details, CALL me at telephone # 239-691-4414 between 9:00 in the morning and 9:00 pm (21:00 hours) in the evening in my time zone (Eastern Standard Time, the same as for New York City), or use email, not faxes, please!