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Am I walking into a completely stupid scam with this puppy?

8 replies

itchyandscratchy · 28/09/2009 15:19

We're looking for a puppy and last night I thought I'd found the ideal one through an ads site: in my home town and only £150 for a particular breed.

so I emailed via the website and received an email in not-very-good english and grammar - almost sounding foreign (but don't know of this is relevant really) saying she is currently not actually in my home town and is instead in Scotland. Says her grandad was breeder and now dead and she needs to rehome puppies. Puppies are free to good home but will need to pay the £150 for puppy to be delivered, in its own crate, pedigree and book included. OR she said if we want we can come and collect it for nowt.

Am I right to be a bit very wary?? Why would you be doing a scam if the puppy is actually free? It's a nice breed, so she could potentially get much more money for it. says it will come chipped and with health certificate as well.

don't know if I am walking into a scam - thought MN posters would know, hopefully!

replies very much appreciated asap!

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mankymummymoo · 28/09/2009 15:25

Beware, my friend runs a pet transportation business and there is currently a scam going on about puppies which come from Asia. It may not be the same one though.

I'll try and find the link for you.

Here you go... link on the top right of page.

www.ipata.com

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itchyandscratchy · 28/09/2009 15:31

Thanks very much manky.

am positive it's a scam now.
am gutted!

bastards!

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Drusilla · 28/09/2009 15:39

Almost def a scam - never buy a puppy you haven't seen with it's mother. No reputable breeder would be giving them away to strangers free of charge!

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JeminTheDungeon · 28/09/2009 15:41

Don't do it.

It sounds bloody ludicrous tbh.

I'd report them to ..(dunno, some sort of body)

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thesunshinesbrightly · 28/09/2009 17:53

no dont do it.

as they say "if it sounds to good to be true, then it probley is".

can i ask what breed it is, not that it makes any difference, im just nosey

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tootiredtothink · 28/09/2009 17:55

Definitely a scam - I remember one a while ago with Chihuahuas.

Funnily enough they also had to be sent from Scotland.

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spugs · 28/09/2009 18:44

Scam, lots of them doing it. They take money for delivery (usually through western union) then the pup never arrives.
Only buy a puppy if you v'e seen the mother (father is a plus) and seen where its been brought up. You very rarely get pups for free now. Have you thought about a shelter

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itchyandscratchy · 28/09/2009 18:55

Yes, been registered with a number of shelters for a while. The woman that runs the puppy shelter that we got our old dog from has told us she's much quieter these days as many more people try to sell unwanted pups on the internet now at a profit rather than give them to shelters.

Tis defo a scam and have reported them and the free ads site to Trading Standards.