Proceed with caution.
Common scams
Does the puppy exist
There’s a myriad of choices online these days for sites where you can buy a puppy. While most of these sites do their utmost to ensure that advertisers are genuine, they aren’t infallible. Sometimes the unscrupulous are more devious than the honest give them credit for. Puppy farmers and fraudsters alike are flocking to the internet to get money. We’ve encountered numerous people who’ve been enticed to buy Labrador puppies from an Eastern states (supposedly) registered breeder. They’ve seen photos of their puppy, have paid a lot of money for this puppy and for transportation, only to have nothing arrive. Their money is lost, with little chance of ever getting it back, and still they have no puppy to love.
The most callous one we heard of was a family who paid for their puppy, received photos and updates of their puppy, paid for the flight, were told the day and time of the puppy’s arrival… the whole family travelled to the airport to collect their bundle of joy… to find the puppy had never existed. These frauds are difficult to trace and even harder to prosecute, as they often originate overseas where the laws are different or non-existent when it comes to internet fraud.
Take time investigating
The clues
Those scams that do originate overseas, there will always be clues. You’ll notice things aren’t quite right, you just have to know what to look for, and to listen to your head when it tells you something doesn’t add up. Read carefully through the language used in the advert, is the grammar and spelling all correct? If it’s been translated through a program often something won’t be right; they’ll sound a little like Yoda at times, or their spelling mistakes will be just a bit… odd. Ask questions about the parents, their weights, ages, how the pregnancy went, and so on. Often overseas people will use pounds instead of kilos, or will get simple things wrong about puppies or whelping.
If the seller says they’re a registered breeder, do they have a website or Facebook page? Do they supply you with updated photos upon request, or do all the photos look the same? Is their e-mail address a local “.au” location, or are they using a Hotmail or Yahoo account? Can they be contacted by phone? Is it an Australian mobile number or landline? Avoid Skype or other internet based programs, as you can’t guarantee where the call comes from. Do they ask you to pay via Western Union or other money transfer agencies? Please, if any of these things happen, listen to your instincts. Don’t be ruled by your heart, and your desire for a puppy, and be cautious. A true breeder will understand and will work with you. A scammer will get impatient and move on, or will try to make you feel guilty for not buying the puppy, or begin threatening either you or the life of the puppy (e.g. “I’ll have to put the puppy down if you don’t buy it”).
Get in touch
Contact us
Address
A. 82 Peters Road, Muchea, 6501
(Prideland Kennels and Cattery)
M. PO Box 237, Muchea, 6501
Phone or email
P. (08) 9571 0677
M. +61 414 898 236