SCAMS

AVOID BEING SCAMMED!

BY SPENDING ALITTLE BIT OF EXTRA TIME RESEARCHING, YOU COULD AVOID BEING SCAMMED OUT OF YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY!

Please be advised that puppies.org.za will not be liable for any loss or damages caused by scammers.

  • Avoid scams by acting locally or paying with PayPal
  • Never pay with Western Union, Moneygram or other anonymous payment services
  • Don't buy or sell outside of your country. Don't accept cashier cheques from outside your country
  • This site is never involved in any transaction, and does not handle payments, shipping, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services, or offer "buyer protection" or "seller certification"

We are trying our best to spot scam ads, however if by chance you feel there are scam ads on our page, please let us know.

Looking for a new best friend? Looking for a new family member? Well congratulations on making the decision to welcome a new puppy into your home. It’s always exciting when looking at options of buying or adopting a puppy, however there any various scams out there that one needs to be aware of. Protect yourself from any scams that are out there by reading below:

Many scammers require deposits and disappear with the money, so when buying a puppy over the internet make sure you don’t have to pay a deposit, until you have actually gone to meet the breeder or seller. You also need to meet the little doggy to make sure that he or she will fit in with your family.

Avoid purchasing pups that are from other countries, many scammers send you details of their pet courier companies that they say they use, when in actual fact, the couriers probably don’t exist and many fake websites are created to look as if there is such a thing.

Never pay for pups on websites that require credit card details, no matter how convincing the breeder or seller sounds. The reason scammers get it right to scam people is because of their convincing stories.

Then there is the safety factor, don’t just meet up with anyone, ensure you take someone along and avoid dodgy areas. There are many types of criminals in the world and ones that sell puppies do so in order hoax women (Who love cute puppies) into meeting up and a crime could take place here. So be vigilant and cautious.

Some scammers post fake photo’s of puppies, that they steal from other websites, so feel free to ask the seller or breeder to send you pictures of the puppy at different angles. Never be afraid to ask the seller questions if you are in doubt and if you require additional information then ask for it. Remember at the end of the day, you are the customer and the breeder or seller is making money off of you and you are not doing them any favors by purchasing a doggy.

Some scammers also tend to steal information from sites that breeders use, so if you come across a website and want to make sure that it is legit, take a few sentences from the site and search it on the internet to make sure that only one site comes up with the same information. Also search breeder and puppy scams, as many people that are unfortunately fallen target to these scammers, tend to warn people and ensure others to avoid these scams.

Another tip, make sure that the seller or breeder has a telephone number available, or email them requesting one and if they are hesitant ask yourself why? Why not speak to you? Breeders and sellers that place ads usually have intent to sell their dogs, so of course they are going to want to speak to a potential client. A scammer won’t!

Scammers always tend to place ads saying that the puppies are pedigree and that they have been vet checked and have all their vaccinations. If you come across an advert like this, don’t hit the road running as breeders also state these facts, rather ask the seller or breeder for proof of this and possibly request the vet’s phone number in order to confirm this.

Rather take extra time to do your breeder research.

Please be advised that we would like to encourage families that are interested in purchasing puppies to also consider adopting puppies and rescue dogs, as there are many doggies out there that are in need of homes. However, we also support the choices made by people that want to buy doggies and for those looking for certain breeds.

Here are some things that you can request from the breeder or seller to confirm that they are legit:

1.) Ask for pictures of puppy in different angles
2.) If the puppy has had all the vaccinations, and if so from which vet
3.) Can one pay cash when picking up the puppy?
4.)Ask the breeder if you can collect the puppy yourself?
5.) Ask the breeder if they have a site and then research the site
6.) If you are buying from a breeder, ask for the breeders registration documents…. And then search it online
7.) Ask the breeder how long he has been breeding with dogs!

We trust that this information will assist you in the purchasing of your new friend, please always be vigilant and safe. One can never be too cautious. Once you have made the decision to welcome the doggy officially, please feel free to upload a picture via our facebook page so that the puppy team can officially welcome your pup.

If you have been scammed before, please do let us know so that we can share your stories with others to avoid these scammers from getting away with these crimes.

Best of Luck

Woof Woof Team @ puppies.org.za