Happy Friday the 13th everyone!
If you've ended up on this post then you're interested in learning more about importing ball pythons. This article will be about importing ball pythons from Europe (not Asia or Africa) using Dutch Dragon Imports.
So, you've been spending a lot of time on the European side of MorphMarket and finally decided to take the plunge. You saw something you just HAD to have, but now you're a bit confused on how to get it over to the States, right? Well fear not - Anna is here.
The first thing you need to do before you send ANY money as a deposit or a full payment to the seller is ask them the following questions: 1. Have they exported before 2. Do they use DDI or another exporter 3. Are they able to have the snake delivered to exporter (courier or hand deliver)
If they haven't used DDI before that doesn't automatically take them off the 'do not buy from' list. I've been the first buyer for a few sellers overseas that had never used DDI before (and neither had I at the time) so it was a crash course for everyone involved.
The real contender you have is having the seller be able to get the snake over to the exporter. In this case, you may have some tell you they can't do it simply because they've missed a courier window or simply because they don't want to drive the animal to deliver (Unlike here in the States, Europeans will rarely drive anywhere over 30 minutes and that's pushing it). Most couriers have a deadline about 4/5 weeks out from the major shows (Hamm/Houten) and so you can very easily miss the courier deadline and have to wait several months for the next shipment window.
Let's say you've got it all figured out. Your seller has shipped with DDI before and can get the snake delivered to them. Your next step is to find out if the seller will be paying for shipping or if you will (if you're purchasing from the UK the seller will more than likely charge you a courier fee to have your animal delivered and that's normal). Usually the buyer pays for shipping - and you will pay DIRECTLY to Dutch Dragon Imports.
When you're the one paying for shipping there's a form you'll need to fill out and send to Sander, the owner of Dutch Dragon Imports. The form is attached to the right, but I'll give you a snippet of an example form filled out down below.
Example Form Filled Out:
Since we're exporting to the United States you'll need to check 'Export Europe'
Next you'll fill out all of your senders information. I'm always confused on the addresses, so I Google map the address to make sure I fill them out correctly ha-ha.
Next you'll put in ALL of your information. You will need to mark FedEx since UPS does not deliver live animals, and for the love of god - click Hub address. DO NOT have a snake shipped to your private residence that you're importing.
Then you fill out the quantity, scientific name, and common name. If I'm purchasing more than one ball python from a breeder I just update the quantity amount. You will then list the country of origin for the animals (seller's country) and click 'yes' for the captivity question. Then you sign and date the form. You can do a wet signature, or just fill it out like I did.
You will need to fill out this form for EVERY seller you purchase an animal form. This helps keep track of your overall order that Sander will have for you, and all of the animals that will be shipped to you. Sander also needs to the form for his own business since he also has to have corrected paperwork for his importing/exporting shipments.
Once you have the form filled out you'll email Sander at: info@dutchdragonimport.com
For the Subject line you can either put your name or the sellers name, and then in the body of the message you can tell him that you're wanting to import an animal to the USA and you've filled out the form attached. Sander usually responds within 24 hours, but you have to give him time and not bombard him if you do not hear back within 12 hours. He is 8 hours ahead of us (Eastern time), and he gets a TON of emails every day. He does respond back though in a timely manner, and will tell you how much shipping will cost. You can get a discount if you have a large shipment of 8+ animals.
You pay Dutch Dragon Imports via PayPal.
I have used Sander now for I believe 6 shipments overall, and have never had an issue. The snakes are usually shipped out Monday. They arrive in California and are disbursed by his contact in California, and then shipped overnight to your HUB address on Wednesday/Thursday.
If you ever have any questions about importing with Dutch Dragon Imports please don't hesitate to reach out to me on Instagram @akmorphs. I know it can seem like a lot, and overly difficult - but I promise you it's not.
I hope you enjoyed this post about importing with Dutch Dragon Imports!
- Anna