Communication between breeder and buyer
 

I just made an enemy yesterday. I have had a male for sale for several months. twice I have thought I had him sold and my clients left me sitting high and dry with after stating they wanted him. Both times I held him with out a deposit and a verbal promise. Both times they did not get back with me- I had to email them and ask intentions. Comments to "oh I found another male or I can't afford him at this time"


Well folks contact me all the time. Don't count on anything till they show up at the door, they like the puppy, and I like them.


Well had someone who liked this puppyy- said they kept coming back to him.
They did not have the funds at this time to pay for him and shipping was involved another cost. I was asked to include shipping, crate, health certificate and all in the price of $1,100.00. Puppy is 6 months old and I have a lot invested in him at this time. ( I do not do any of my own vaccinations or wormings all done by the Vet.) Told client could not do this .

Client states that will have to talk with hubby but no time frame of when she will get back with me or no hold him, I want him. I am still up in the air.

The next day I get a phone call. Some folks from Florida are on their way back from a wedding in Michigan and had stopped in my town. I had emailed them info on this puppy a week ago. Had never heard back from them- did not think anything of it- happens all the time. They called and asked if the puppy was still available- I said yes- they asked if they could come out and see him. They did and they liked him and bought him.


The Contacted this client right away and explained that dog is no longer available.

Well today I am blasted by this client. Thinks that it was unprofessional of me to have sold the puppy. Stated I should have said you need a deposit
in a rush.

To help others from this mess please help breeders out.

You have to give breeders a time frame to work under. You would be amazed at the number of people who state they want your puppy- and they never show up or never have the money. If you want the puppy make a verbal commitment with dates and times. Don't say I will get with my husband/wife and see if we can afford the puppy without addding I will get back within a certain time frame. Don't say I have some money coming not sure when it will be here. Breeders are not going to hpld a puppy for you when you sound uncertain.

I will get 25 plus hits a week from my website by people who want more information on puppies/adults many are just looking- you will never hear from them again after you send information, some you will talk to several times and they still are unsure. It is the nature of the breeding program. I do not take insult when you buy from another breeder or do not respond back- it is just the way things are. I also do not nag folks to buy my dogs- if they are really interested they will get back with me.


Communication goes a long way on both sides


I never tell a client your deposit has to be here asap/rush- that is a selling technique that I do not use. Some breeders use this sense of emergency to help sell the puppies. My feeling is when the time is right- the right person always comes along. God has always taken care of me. I put my faith and trust in him

Okay i'm kinda confused..was the "client" the one who was giving you the run around??

Selling/buying a puppy is a legal transaction..a contract, and it is always best to have contracts in writing. There is nothing wrong with requiring a deposit and having a written policy or contract regarding a deposit outlining under what circumstances a deposit will be refunded, etc. This can all be done easily by fax or email when there is distance involved. For the protection of buyer and seller in a long distance sale I would recommmend a Puppy Escrow. As much as we want to trust people we are all adults here and know that this is not possible.

Kathy what a mess huh!

you have to change your policy, tell them it is was it is, deposit (once received) secures your puppy for a certain amount of time and is non refundable unless there are special circumstances. Youve been having nothing but issues and the nicer you are and more giving your are the more some take advantage! I am so glad your little man finally found a forever home.

I think you did the right thing with your male that was for sale.... At 6 months of age he really needed to be in a forever home and get settled down where he is to live. If you felt the ones you sold him to were going to give him the home you desire for your puppies, then so be it. I don't know the time frame of the last time you had heard from the last client. If a couple of days had passed, I totally understand. But the others had contacted on the pup as well, so both clients had there chance. Now if you had promised the one client you would hold the pup until she had work out her financial problem that of course would have been another whole issue. And I didn't read anything to make me believe that was the case. So rest easy... you found a good home for you baby. :)

Try not to worry, Kathy - I think you did the right thing. I am not a salesperson, and do not like to be pushy. You just gave me another reason I don't want to be a breeder. I am sorry for the other girl, but when I found the pups I wanted - I had my hubby there with the credit card. When a person is ready for such an investment, they need to be READY! Maybe she will get everything settled before she puts another breeder through the same thing.

I put a deposit on both of my pups. My second pup was $1200 and the breeder let me make two payments ont he pup. I thought she was very nice to work with. She only asked for a $25 deposit. If the deposit would have been more I would have put it.

Even a small deposit is a committment. A good faith gesture that you want the puppy.

totally agree about the good faith...most breeders work on good faith as does the buyer. Most breeders will allow payments within reason, but there are those buyers that ask for more and more and more and may still walk away.

good example: friends story
little male - buyer says I have to have him!!! he is mine!!
calls every day all day for weights, measurements of everything but his butt, pictures of everything including his butt:) emails constantly! a week goes by with every day all day phone calls or emails - asks for babys teeth to be cleaned, bile acid test, LP test before shipping - agrees on price - agrees on shipping - agrees on ship date - two days before shipping buyer calls and cancels, saying something has come up financially and she would have to back out of the purchase, yet the breeder as met all her conditions and terms also paying for additional vet charges. No deposits were taken what can the breeder do .... nothing!!!

Yea Kathy, I agree with Sue. I think you handled that the way it should have been. Yes 6 months it's time to go home to loving parents, and I'm sure if you thought that they weren't right you wouldn't have let him go, plus you got to meet them that's a plus! As far as the first caller was concerned, she should have gotten back to you, especially if she was interested. What else were you to think, except that she didn't want the pup? Maybe just ask for a small deposit from now on, that way your covered and they can't get mad and you know they are serious, and there's nothing wrong with that...

But that is true with any money exchange. I have renters who always have a good/great reason they HAD to spend MY money before it got to me. Again, collecting money is not my thing. But, I don't have the heart to sell it out from under them either.

Kathy I bred pit bulls for years, and the more I dealt with people the more I finally realized I had to have written contracts with deposits. I was burned so many times, and denied people who really wanted one of my dogs, and that I really would have liked to sell the dog to, because some Bozo said they were going to take the dog, and then never got back to me. It's a shame you have to be like that, but people are just weird.

Totally Agree
 

:D Hi, I'm newer to YT and am not currently an owner (searching now) but I am a Sales professional I guess you'd say...I totally agree w/ what you did, 1st come 1st served...as a potential buyer, until I say "I want him, I will contact you tomorrow about payment" then I take that chance.
I manage an apt complex in a college town...spaces are limited and demand is high. I was always told to be a high pressure saleswoman, but I just don't have it in me to feed someone full of fluff, whether or not its truth. But, if I only have 1 apt and someone is looking at it and says they will get back w/ me, sometimes they do, more often not. I just simply tell them that I cannot take the unit off the market w/o a deposit. I will also state that I can work w/ them on postdating a check for a couple days or something. It is always best policy to be honest, of course, and until someone has made a monetary commitment they haven't made up their minds.
:confused: Sorry that you had to deal w/ this, but I beleive that you made the right decision and that precious baby will be happy in his home for years to come!

I think you did the right thing with selling your pup to the couple who came by to see the pup. If the lady wanted the pup and had to go talk to her hubby she should have given a time frame. Really if she knew the asking price the talk with hubby should of happen before she called you.

Thanks for your comments- I was feeling really bad. I went so far as to offer this person another puppy that I was holding for myself. I felt so bad and I hate to hurt another persons feelings.

I had just thought it was time for Reggie to find a home and this older couple seemed perfect and he liked them.

If I had been told save him for me or I want him I never would have sold him to the other couple but I never heard those words. I am too much of a push over and get yelled at for it all the time by my hubby. I do send/ or do a contract when a deposit is made on the kids. We just never got to that point.

I had a mishap with a breeder before getting Gus. As you all may remember, I was and still am searching for a red Yorkie. I did find one local through my vet and went to go see her. She was just what I wanted but they were asking way too much. The breeder knew now in love i was with her and Knew I wanted her but also knew I was NOT able to pay the price they were asking. And I told her that. About 2 weeks later she called and told me that she was not able to hold the puppy any longer and I have better make a decision before she sold her to someone else. I told her that although I really wanted her, i could not then nor now pay that much. She was so upset with me and told me that I never did tell her that,,, She then said that she could have had her sold and was waiting on hearing from me.

She called me about 4 months later to tell me that she had a new litter and although there was not any red ones she was wondering if I was still looking for a yorkie. I was more then happy to tell her that I had already found one and paid ALOT less then what she was asking. Needless to say I have never heard from her again.

I should have added that I am not pointed this post at you. I just wanted everyone to know that it goes both ways. I can totally ralate with breeders and what they have to go though. It is hard to find someone who is commited to what they say.

Surprise......... I am that "potential" buyer
 

Hi, Kathy.

I think you did the exact right thing. And your little guy went to the best home.

I was in a similar situation when I got my tiny Kia, 6+ years ago. A lady had called Kia's breeder, interested in the puppy, but time had passed and she heard nothing. I called, Kia sounded like the puppy of my dreams, we drove up, fell in love, paid the money, and lucky me, got the sweetest little girl in the world!

Everything happens for a reason.....

Sheila

Kathy,
I think you did what was best for your little guy. I know is hard but since you didn't have a promise you really didn't had to hold the pup, and being that he is already 6 months it was best to find him a forever home.

Dani,
I understand also that your feeling got a bit hurt but like you said you never really said to hold the pup for you. Like someone said things happens for a reason. Probably the best home for Kathy's pup was the other couple, and your pup is somewhere in your area and the price closer to what you can afford. I know Kathy didn't intended to hurt your feelings, she was just thinking on the well being of the pup. And I know you also wanted what is best for him.

You guys are both being so civil about this. I hope there are no hard feelings. It is a tricky thing at best. After all, they are precious cargo, not like a car or belonging.

Kathy you did the right thing -- that potential buyer was flaky (at the least) and very trifling! What did she think you were -- a mind reader???

I am in the market for two baby boys; on Tuesday spoke with a breeder that had 2 males for sale. When I called one was sold. I knew that I couldn't get them until after Labor Day because I'd be out of town. I was very upfront with her and offered a deposit. She said she didn't want to wait 2 weeks; she wanted to "get rid of" the remaining puppy now. I said no problem -- see ya. At least we were both honest.

But honey, my motto is "In God I trust, all others I check out thoroughly"

I think you should put a "disclaimer" on your website and in writing so that the terms are spelled out, including how long you'll hold a puppy and the amount of a non-refundable deposit.

Everybody can have a "story". This will keep honest folks honest and the shady ones can keep "steppin'!

I just am NEVER amazed at how rude and self-involved people can be these days. What happened to just picking up a phone (it takes less than 1 minute) and saying, I'm sorry, I've found a better situation for me, etc., etc.

People are just rude and ill-mannered and the scary thing is that they are passing it on to their children! :thumbdown

I have to agreed with you. I really hope there are not hard feelings.

I like that Puppy Escrow! I'll have to remember that! I don't hold puppies any more woth money down! Got stuck to many times! I got one that 14 weeks now that I held with a deposit! No more! The only way I refund is if I back out! I feel if don't have money then you don't have money to take care of one my babies! You have 8/10 weks to save for them!I take payments and they don't leave tell they are payed in full! lily

Kathy, I wouldn't feel bad at all about it. You have to go with your gut on things like this and you made no promises. If the couple hundred bucks for shipping, crate etc. was a big decision for them, what happens when a vet bill comes up? Can't take him 'cause it's too expensive?...

I have yet to take a deposit to hold a pup, I don't like dealing with it. If you want it and I decide it's yours, it's yours...If something comes up in the meantime(on their end), well then we need to communicate. I don't want anyone to feel obligated to take a pup they changed their mind about, just to avoid losing a deposit. I have held pups for people before with stipulations such as...if it's a long while they need to wait, and I get another contact for a pup in between, then I will contact the original adopter to give them 1st refusal.

The hardest thing about doing this is choosing the right place, especially when you have a wonderful bunch of people on a wait list and not enough pups to please all. I try to always pick what seems to be the best place for the pup and, I think you did that.

I also agree. I hope the two of you can get past this and move forward.

Both of you have impressed me with your honesty in this situation. Thank you DaniBelle for coming forward with your side of the story, as well as your understanding of the sellers point. My hat goes off to the both of you, for acting like the adults we all are. :D

Well said. I type too slow and missed DaniBelle's post, It is a difficult thing to communicate well so everyone is understanding each other, and very noble to forgive misunderstandings so readily.

I have learned a lot here and I think others have as well. There are always two sides to every story and I can see how both were under different impressions of the agreement. Again, I feel this is a good reason for having something in writing as soon as possible.

You also do not have to have a completely non-refundable deposit. It can be stipulated in the deposit agreement under what circumstances the deposit or a portion of it will be refunded.

For example, I really wanted a little girl out of a particular set of parents and so I gave the breeder a $300 deposit for pick of the litter before the litter was even born with the stipulation of the basic description of the puppy I wanted, i.e., female, smallish, healthy, etc. Well, the litter dlievered only boys so I got my deposit back.

[QUOTE=tartisst]Kathy you did the right thing -- that potential buyer was flaky (at the least) and very trifling! What did she think you were -- a mind reader???

hola everyone, new to the boards, i have been reading lots and lots tonight and came to this thread as i am looking for a yorkie also.

first let me say i dont think this is a fair comment. especially after seeing both sides. . i have been on both sides of this type of issue myself as a breeder and a buyer. its very difficult when dealing long distance. many questions to be asked and answered. i wouldnt, nor expect anyone. to commit to buying a puppy before a final price is made. or make a deposit before final price including all extras is agree'd upon. especially when all you have to go off of is someones word and pictures. (not questioning anyones integrity) i myself might have handled the situation differently but that is me and we all have our own way of doing things. i commend both parties for being adult about this matter. but before making personal assumptions about someone maybe one should take into account both sides of the issue