Puppies and Dogs for Sale .com tries our best to have only the highest quality dog breeders advertising on our website. However, with the increase of online fraud there is always the potential for that one bad breeder or scam on any advertising website. We want to inform our visitors and our advertisers, to the latest scams that are ripping off innocent dog lovers and breeders alike.

Most dog breeders are honest people who truly care about the dogs that they are breeding and selling to others. But there are some breeders out there that are only in it for the money and will find ways to take your money or misrepresent the puppy that they are trying to sell. Bad breeders such as this prey on uneducated customers so that they can make a quick buck. 

There are many dog breeders out there that are just pure and simple criminals out to steal your hard earned money. They will not send you the puppy that you paid for and make excuses and avoid you at all possible costs. Then there are others who advertise puppies and misrepresent what they actually are. These breeders may say that a puppy is trained and send you a regular everyday dog. They may also say that the puppy has been taken care of properly and then send you a sickly puppy that may not even survive. There are people that pay thousands of dollars for dogs and don’t receive the puppy that they asked for!

I am an honest and caring dog breeder myself (I breed and love American Pit Bull Terriers) and bad breeders such as those described above sicken me. I am writing this article hoping that I can save some innocent buyers from being taken. And hopefully in the process discourage criminals and bad breeders from lying and stealing from innocent consumers.

It is very important to interview the seller when buying a new puppy or dog. Please make sure that you get references and actually call the references that you receive. Of equal importance is paying with a method that is easily traceable. Paying with a U.S. Postal Money Order is a good choice because it is easily traceable for the customer and the breeder can be assured that the payment is authentic and not fraudulent. I am a dog breeder myself and I never accept any money orders except for U.S. Postal Money Orders. Also NEVER use Western Union or Money Gram to purchase a pet. Most scammers use Western Union to steal hundreds and even thousands of dollars from innocent people. Another safe method of payment is an escrow service. An escrow service guarantees that you are going to receive the puppy that you are expecting to receive. An escrow service will “hold” the money in a secured account until you have received your puppy. Once you have received the puppy and verified its health condition, then the money is sent to the dog breeder. If you do not receive your puppy the money will be returned to you. If you do receive the puppy and its health condition is unsatisfactory, your money will be returned to you once the puppy is returned to the breeder.

For dog breeders (such as myself) who don’t deal with escrow services and won’t send a puppy to its new home unless it is completely paid for, can receive their payments with the U.S. Postal Money Order mentioned above or through Paypal. Paying for the puppy through Paypal with a credit card may ensure that you can get a refund if there is a problem with the puppy. They have a great buyer’s policy and try to ensure that the buyer is protected against fraudulent purchases. Signing a contract with the seller offers additional protection when buying. A signed contract can help you immensely in the unfortunate incident where you do have to go to court.

Most internet transactions dealing with pets are legitimate and perfectly safe if you take the right precautions. There is no single way to identify an online thief, however we have made a list of some potential warning signs to look for below.

Warning Signs

1.  Sellers who insist that you use Western Union or other money transfer services.

2. Buyers in other countries who claim to be traveling abroad. They usually offer to have their "agent", "business associate", "friend", or "shipper" to complete the transaction for them. They may offer to pay by Cashiers Check with an amount that is higher than the payment for the dog. This 'buyer' will claim to be trusting you to return the overage of funds. Banks will often cash these checks thinking that they are legitimate. When the check is found to be fraudulent the bank will then hold you accountable for the funds when it fails to clear.

3. Sellers who reside in distant countries, especially those that are notorious for having a high quantity of online thieves. Some of these countries are Romania, Ukraine, Macedonia, Belarus, Pakistan, Russia, Lithuania, Egypt, Lagos, Nigeria, Colombia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Cameroon. Unless you have a lot of experience with international orders, you may want to pass on sending any money to these countries.

4. Sellers offering a dog or puppy that is significantly below market value for their breed. This is often a scam to engage many people to send money for a non-existent dog. In most cases, the buyer will never receive the dog that they pay for.

5. Sellers who state that you must send additional funds to get the dog or puppy through customs.

6. Sellers who request that a "shipper" be paid directly for the dog or sellers that state the dog or puppy will be delivered directly to your door or destination. All dogs shipped on an airplane should be picked up by you at the airport.

7. Sellers that insist that you use their online escrow service. Escrow services can be an excellent way to ensure that you receive your dog but it is best to verify the company with the Better Business Bureau to insure the business has a good record before sending any payments.

Once your money has been taken and the problem cannot be resolved with the breeder, there are a few other steps that you can take to make life harder on a bad dog breeder:

1. Contact your Better Business Bureau to file an official complaint.

2. Hire a detective to look further into the matter.

3. Contact others who have been ripped off by the breeder and get everyone together to file a lawsuit against the bad dog breeder.

4. Contact the website that the seller advertised on to inform them of the seller's unethical behavior and the FTC.
   
   FTC toll free hotline: 877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357)
   FTC online complaint form (www.ftc.gov)
   Internet Fraud Complaint Center (www.ifccfbi.gov)
   Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov)

None of these steps will guarantee that you will get your money back but they will make life harder on an unethical and irresponsible dog breeder. It is very important to get the word out so that others don’t fall into the bad breeder trap. I hope that this article helped someone out there. For those shopping for a new puppy, good luck in your search and PLEASE follow the precautions above!

About the Author:

Jennifer Bryant is a life-long lover of dogs. Jennifer loves and breeds American Pit Bull Terriers in her North Georgia home with her 2 young children. Her love of dogs has inspired her to create a website for herself (as well as other dog breeders) to advertise their occasional litter of puppies and to educate others with dog breed information and useful articles.

Bryant’s Red Devils
Red Nose American Pit Bull Terriers

Puppies and Dogs for Sale .com

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