Complaint Review: Puppyfind.com

Tracey,

First off let me start by saying yes, I'm sure there are scammers on puppyfind.com.

That is a direct quote from my first posting. I have no doubt there are scammers on puppyfind and I think its great that you are warning folks to beware. All I attempted to do was point out that there are good breeders on there too and suggest a few things that might help someone if they do choose to buy a puppy via the internet.

I apologize if you took offense, that was not my intent. But while it is helpful to point out the bad, it is also helpful to point out the good too.

I never said that there were not GOOD BREEDERS on puppyfind HOWEVER there are many many more scammers on puppyfind then on other sites. They charge you to list the puppy then they delete listings refering to any information that good breeders warn potential new buyers on what to beware of and granted it is a far fetch that some peole would fall for the scam in the first place but they do.

More sites other than puppyfind list directly on the page when you display the page of a puppy for sale thier disclamer puppyfind you have to search for it it is listed in the terms of service and again under the buyers hints, most peole though just really sign on and look for a puppy and if the breeder is already a subscriber the potential new owner does not read the terms of service you agree to the terms of service when you sign up. How often on any site you list or look for a puppy are you going to go under a tab labled buyers hints or what ever they call it most people looking for a puppy just look under the listing.

Beside in their terms of service they state that they will delete listings of "false advertising" they do not do this. I am glad that you had a good experience the purpose of this post is not to discourage a new potential owner to not buy a puppy however I am a breeder I am not looking for a puppy nor do i any longer use puppy find because they do not protect the good breeders they protect the scammers often to little to late.

I know there are good breeders out there and many of them are listed on puppyfind but there are also alot of scammers the purpose of this post is to INFORM a potential new puppy buyer what happens in a scam not to say that all listings are scams but to look for those things that dont seem quite normal. I am aware that there are many good transactions that occur but there are also alot of terrible transactions of people getting ripped off and puppyfind was notified of alot of those listings and did not remove them.

Good breeders are out there and they have beautiful puppies don't think I am not saying that I believe in my first post I stated that there are good breeders listed on puppyfind just watch out for scammers and if you have never incountered a scammer or have never bought a puppy on line then how do you know any different? What we may think is absurd someone else may be convinced it is a normal transaction. I would like to one day see an end to scammers but if people do not know how they operate how are they to know they are getting scammed?

Tracey,

First off let me start by saying yes, I'm sure there are scammers on puppyfind.com. However, there ARE good breeders on that site as well. I just recently bought a beautiful puppy that I found on puppyfind.com. BUT - this is how I approached it.

1. I emailed the breeder after seeing a pic of the puppy and asked if she was still available.

2. Once determining that the pup we wanted was still available I set up a time to GO TO the breeder's facility and see the pup BEFORE putting down a deposit. Any breeder that will not let you physically see the puppy, the parents or the facility is most likely not a reputable breeder. Also, any breeder that insists on having money immediately to hold a puppy without you seeing the dog again is a problem (in my opinion). While I may have fallen in love with the picture, if the puppy isn't still available when I go to see it then another pup will come along.

3. I insisted that at the time of the transfer we would receive the pup's AKC papers, shot record, vet certification and health guarantee. I would not have turned over the rest of the money and taken the pup without this information.

While this certainly is not foolproof, it does help your chances of getting a good healthy dog. Even if I have to drive 12 hours, I'm not going to bring home the new member of our family unless I know where he/she comes from. This has always been my policy for years when it comes to buying a pet for our family. I know it probably sounds harsh to look at it this way but after working at a vet years ago and seeing the awful situations people would be in with ill-bred pups I just had to rethink how I bought an animal.

Another thing to consider when getting a pup is to go to a rescue facility for the breed you are interested in. I have a beautiful girl I got years ago from dauschund rescue and while she isn't registered, I don't really care. She's as much a part of our family without papers as she would be with them. To me, the papers don't really matter unless you're breeding.

Best of luck to you, Tracey on finding the perfect new member of your family. There are good breeders out there - it just takes some effort and work to find them.