Buyers and Sellers Beware!

I never thought I'd see a website with such a heading, but unfortunately due to the nature of the Internet we feel obligated to help educate. Within our first month of business we were subjected to a few different fraud attempts. Here are some things both buyers and sellers should be aware of:

Non-specific e-mails: These are buyer e-mails that are extremely general. Why? So they can send the same e-mail out to as many sellers as possible. We've even had an e-mail asking about our item for sale and its present condition. Sellers should look for details in the messages that are answered in their ad, or don't apply to the ad at all (item? As if I'm going to sell a precious pup to someone who refers to it as an item...) Also, the actual e-mail address can be a big hint. Scammers almost always use a free e-mail provider like Yahoo or Hotmail.

Money transfer: What method, and do they involve another party? For example, one guy said his client gave him a cheque for about $5,000. He asked us to cash it for payment of the puppy and give the remainder to a charity in Africa (that he specified, of course). We told him that we would only accept a PayPal transaction to avoid fraud attempts. He didn't reply.

Urgency: The same guy as above stated that the puppy was for his devastated little boy that had his pet hit by a car and needed a replacement immediately. The more anxious they can make you feel about the decision, the more pressure you will feel to comply, thus leaving you thinking about it less logically.

Crazy!: One lady e-mailed us saying that someone used a picture of OUR CHIN to sell her a dog online. She sent and lost the money. End of story. However, the story itself could have been another lie to tug on our heartstrings to get a deal.

My best advice for a buyer is obvious; the most informed decision is the best decision.

Here is an ACTUAL e-mail example we've received. Play detective and see what seems fishy to you!

Hello Seller, As Regarding your advert (dog)for sale, A client of mine is interested in purchasing it.I would like to know the actual price you are offering to sell it and also it's present condition.Also the mode of payment which he would be using would be by a Certified Check and also shipping arrangment would be made with a reliable and capable shipping company who can handle the shippment. Best Of Regards..

See our Black List here.

Should Be Buyer FAQ's

It's important that when you adopt a new family member into your home that you're comfortable with your decision. Here's a general list of questions and thoughts...

Does the person you're buying a puppy from:

  • raise in a home, kennel, cubicle, or barn?
  • sell to petstores?
  • take into consideration home of adoptees before sale?
  • spend a lot of time with the dogs?
  • have a contract fair to all parties, prioritizing each decision to the welfare of the animal?
  • feed the animals high-quality dog food?
  • keep in contact after the sale?

For example, two people have told us personally that their small breed puppies bought from the pet store had accidents every day for over a year everywhere. Ask the question: Where do your puppies go potty? Unfortunately in pet stores they are in their cubicles and go at will through the cage. Our puppies are introduced to potty pads when they're very young. They naturally don't want to do their business where they sleep, so it doesn't take long for them to crawl away to do so (to the potty pad). Our puppies are paper-trained when they go to their new homes.