?about deposits
 

I have decided to let my puppy buyers come and pick out there puppy when they are about 5 weeks old.I was just wandering if I should have them put down a deposit on that puppy?What do you all do?Thanks!

Faith

Yes i would ask them to give you a deposit, i think in most cases its normal :confused: not sure, but i think its best for both parties :)

I think that is reasonble, since at that point they have picked out there puppy, I would just not make it an iron-clad, no way they could get their money back if something (other than they found another puppy in the meantime) came up. But that's just my opinion. :D

when i bought my puppy i had to put a deposit down. i think that is a good idea. i had to put down 1/2.

When I went to look at Cali at 6 weeks I had to put down 1/2 of the price and sign a contract. I was happy to do that as I wanted to make sure she was mine! I would have put 100% down if asked to make sure she was mine. After I put the deposit down the breeder told me two other people were really interested in her and they told them that I was coming on Friday to see her and they wouldnt show her to them until I had decided. I thought that was very nice as I had not even seen a picture of Cali.

puppy deposits are a normal practice and should not be refundable. That being said there are few exceptions to that rule where a family can't complete the agreement because of unforseen financial problems or personal family health issues that may arise during the wait.

Also asking for a non-refundable deposit weeds out the ify buyers (not devoted) tire kickers so to speak. If one is not commited to the purchase (upon placing the deposit) some continue their search (while having a deposit on a pup) in the chance they find a less expensive pup, older (puppy at age for release) or a pup without restrictions during the breeders wait period then change their mind, but with a deposit, they tend to think twice about giving up the security, either way the breeder is safeguarded, it's time consuming re-homing an already spoken for pup.

:yeahthat:
I agree 100%. :)

Thanks everyone!I have already updated my website about deposits and have sent it out to all my potential puppy buyers.

Faith

I agree :thumbup:

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When people picked out one of our pups, they got a signed agreement of the deposit and put 25% down. The deposit was ONLY refundable if the pup died or if a vet screening showed something wrong with the pup. Everyone was well aware of the terms in advance. If they'd had a problem with it, they could have gone elsewhere. I felt the deposit being non-refundable was fair...what if they had decided they just didn't want it and I had already turned away several that were genuinely interested? Like I said, if they had disapproved of my conditions, they could have gone elsewhere. Didn't have any complaints or problems with placing them. :)

I would EXPECT to pay a deposit....Who's to stop the breeder from just making a promise and not keeping it to someone who has money in their hand. And IF I put a deposit down on a puppy - I wouldn't expect it back because that same breeder would not have been showing that puppy to a potential client.

I think deposits protect both buyer and seller.

except on Puppyfind.com where chances are ....once you send in a deposit....you'll never see a puppy ;) Can we say www.ScamYou.com ?

My post is about ETHICAL Breeders only.

Dont Like To Take Deposits
 

I don't like to take deposits. My practice is to have all puppies check by my vet for any health problems I have not seen. Then when they have a clean bill of health and are old enough to go to new homes (12wks min.) Potential Buyers can them visit them and take them home if it fits everyone's (including the puppy) needs.
In my experience a lot of things can happen between the time they leave a deposit and the time the puppy is old enough to go home.
I don't want any broken hearts. :unlove:
Don't get me wrong, once the potential buyers are approved they can come over and take a peek. And then I contact them when the pups are ready to go.JMO

I agree with the deposit but only after the first vet check.

It is my belief that a deposit is a buyer's promise that they do intend to purchase a paticular puppy, and a breeder's promise that they will not sell the puppy to anyone else. Plain and simple.

My breeder just has you put a $25 deposit. That seems like way too little but thats how she does it. I didnt have to pu any deposit down on Jewels she just held her for me.

I completly agree. Why should a buyer be forced to buy "your" puppy. I think the breeder should wait till 12 weeks old and sell the puppy to whom they think is the best home. The breeder may find things out after a deposit is made and may not want that buyer to have one of their puppies afterall. This is my opinion. I have been on both sides of that fence. Then on the side of the buyer, maybe after looking at several different breeders, they may want more than a companion puppy. They may want to show later and after learning what is out there should be allowed to buy a puppy that has or at least the potential of show quality. If the breeder is breeding for quality and not quantity or just experimenting, hopefully, they will try harder to produce quality or as perfect as one can do. JMO

I am not sure about the deposit thing as I usually don't let anyone know I even have pups till they are 8 to 10 weeks old and I don't let them go till 12 weeks and sometimes longer. But maybe a deposit will work good for you. You just never know about a buyer and if they are for real or not so in that aspect a deposit would weed out the ones that are for real.

Well I have decided to have a deposit but have also decided to wait until they are 8 weeks old to let the people pick which puppy they want.That way they have had a shot and been to the vet.

Faith

I agree But I know as a buyer I would not want to put a deposit down on such a young pup not knowing if it has any unknown health problems . I would hope the it had been checked by a vet first. Mickey and Minnie both had been checked out by a vet before any money was put down.

For those that take deposits...if they are refundable, then why take deposits to begin with. :confused: You take a deposit and then they change their mind, you refund their money and miss out on others that wanted the dog. JMO

Hi Susan...your new website www.rasberrycharm.com shows that you have non-refundable deposits on your contract, a 200.00 refundable deposit on your questionnaire and at the bottom of your pricing page you reserve the right to refund a deposit if you so choose. so which is it?

If a breeder backs out on the sale "finds things out after a deposit is made and may not want that buyer to have one of their puppies afterall" THEN OF COURSE THEY SHOULD REFUND THE DEPOSIT TO THAT PERSON. If the buyer backs out, "maybe after looking at several different breeders" then they shouldn't have been so quick to put a deposit down on the first pup they came across. It's called research. The majority of my puppy buyers have been in contact with me long before my puppies are even born, or the parents were even bred for that matter. I find it very easy to weed out the one's who aren't serious. The one's who are, are willing to wait. I don't think anyone should be forced to buy a puppy, but when we enter into contracts, we understand that we are obligating ourselves to these hard working breeders who may have lost alot of their valuable time working with someone who backed out at the last minute. It is only fair IMO for the buyer to expect to not get their money back (deposit) if that were to happen. If I speak with a potential buyer over a period of time, they come to my home at different times, and they commit to purchasing a puppy by giving me money to hold this puppy for them, then they will get their puppy. If they back out at the last minute, IMO they are owed nothing as I have spent many long hours trying to help this person and turned down other people who would have loved to have had that paticular puppy, and probably found another one by the time the buyer backed out. Sorry, I've been raising babies for a very long time and I know how people can be. Breeders must protect themselves concerning the general public.

Interesting...

I think most reputable breeders do have their puppies checked very OFTEN by their vets. That is why the buyer should ask questions. Lots of questions. Ask for vet refs. Ask ask ask prior to putting down money if this is a concern. Very good point Debbie :thumbup:

First of all I wanted to edit my post because the way I worded it I made it seem like I put a deposit down. and I didnt they never asked for one But I paid the cost in full paymeant the same day. but with a vet check.

And I agree with what your saying.believe me I understand. we have never asked for a deposit on our Boxer puppies But I know there was this one time when I lost out on a good buyer because I thought someone else was getting it and I had allready told them they could. But they they didnt get the money and had to back out and by the time I got a hold of the other people they had allready found them a puppy. I did end up finding a good home for him. But I know some breeders that I have ran into when looking for my two never even had their puppie to a vet before sending them to a new home. I think they should all be vet checked and first shots. :thumbup:

This was my take on things too. If the deposit is refundable, why take one to begin with...it doesn't mean anything. :confused: IMO, by having one that is non-refundable, you will only have those who are really serious considering putting one down. I don't really 'advertise' that I have pups until they are about 6-8 wks old. (I really don't want just anyone coming in to see them when they are that young anyway.) The exception was a close friend of my neighbor's that INSISTED on putting down a deposit on one for her and one for her mother when they were a week old. The agreement was to refund the deposit up until the pups were 6 wks old. Again, this was a special circumstance.
I don't "force" anyone to put a deposit down. I don't "force" anyone to get one of our pups. Potential owners know the requirements ahead of time--it it thier decision whether or not to put money down.

Here is a thread that I had started on deposits a while back...

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/sho...light=deposits

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Call me crazy as a loon!!! That would be me. Pretty unorthidox I guess.
I take deposits and while they used to be nonrefundable they are completely refundable now. For any reason.
I take deposits for assurance someone is truly interested and I will hold the puppy. But they can change their mind at anytime, even if they simply find a puppy less expensive. Why do I do this? Because I feel if they are still looking then they truly dont want this puppy and they arent special to them, so I give the deposit back. It hasnt happened yet but it probably will.
I know alot of you feel a puppy should be checked several times before they leave at the vet. ALot of my puppies leave with one check up only. I talk with potential owners and they are aware of this. They only get bloodwork if a problem is suspected. So after putting a deposit down they find someone with a policy they like better, then they can go with them, no hard feelings. Ill just give the deposit back.
Some people want to put a deposit down at a very early age. I just tell them if the puppy doesnt mature to your liking then you can have your deposit back. I just want people to be happy with the puppy they are getting.
I guess if it was routinely happening that people wanted their deposit back, I would keep a small percentage of it to help with advertising. But Im not doing that now.
The drawback to early deposits is the risk of heart break talked about by bugaboosmom. I did have puppy die that had a deposit on him, he did have a blood panel but died before a bile acid test. His tissue from his heart and liver are being sent to Purdue university for further studies. Of course I gave the deposit back to the future owners, but telling them was horrible. They had waited weeks.
Right now I like this policy, people seem comfortable with it. Of course if they change their mind I dont gain a thing, actually losing out on potential homes. But it seems to give people peace of mind. When my puppies leave that have had a refundable deposit at anytime on them, I feel they are truly wanted. I dont feel the owners feel obligated to buy THIS PUPPY because if I dont Ill lose my deposit.
So those of you who thought I was crazy, know for sure now :rolleyes: