Puppy deposit question
Discussion
We're in contact with a breeder who seems very respectable etc. However they want, it seems from their email, a non-refundable £300 deposit (fine in itself) but appear to want it to secure an initial viewing of the pups & parents (not so fine). Is this standard practice?
I have no problem viewing a puppy, liking it and paying a deposit there and then, but paying a deposit before even viewing on the assumption everything will be fine seems 4rse about face to me....
I have no problem viewing a puppy, liking it and paying a deposit there and then, but paying a deposit before even viewing on the assumption everything will be fine seems 4rse about face to me....
Edited by Mario149 on Tuesday 14th October 12:05
Cliftonite said:
.
All you need to know and much more besides can be found via:
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/services/public/fi...
I can't seem to find anything on there regarding deposits....unless I've missed something?All you need to know and much more besides can be found via:
http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/services/public/fi...
AdiT said:
Non-refundable? So you look at the puppies and either agree to buy one or loose your money?
Personally I'd... RUN!
If they're registered breeders, it might be worth checking with the KC to see if this is normal/accepable practice. Never heard of it before though.
Apologies, I've just realised my initial post was not 100% clear:Personally I'd... RUN!
If they're registered breeders, it might be worth checking with the KC to see if this is normal/accepable practice. Never heard of it before though.
1) My assumption is that it is non-refundable since all other material I've seen on the internet relating to deposits for puppies indicates that they are non-refundable.
2) I have not specifically asked when the deposit is due, I am just inferring from the email I received from them.
Basically, I'm trying to work out how to phrase my reply i.e. I don't want to go in "guns blazing" and end up offending them if I've misunderstood their email, equally if they are asking for a deposit before we've even seen them, I want to make it clear that that is not acceptable to us.
Okay, here's the pertinent part of the email chain, caps are my words to protect privacy etc.
Hi BREEDER,
Thanks for all the info!
DATE works for us, can we book in to come then please?
Best,
MARIO149
Hi MARIO149,
I will need a deposit to secure like everyone else did please.
DATE is fine but cannot spend any more time than up to Midday because I have feed AND CLEAN OTHER DOGS ETC.
OTHER UNRELATED STUFF
I will need your address and phone details for the file and to send the deposit receipt out.
Thanks
BREEDER
Hi BREEDER,
A deposit should not be a problem. This is our first puppy purchase so apologies if this is a obvious question: I understand from your website that the deposit is non-refundable, so presumably the deposit is payable once we have come to see the puppy (and mother) and are happy? e.g. we would bring a cash deposit with us when viewing or arrange a bank transfer shortly after etc at which point you would confirm the puppy is reserved for us?
Thanks,
MARIO149
Everyone pays the deposit before viewing as secures the pup usually. I do not want to be wasting my time for over 2 hours if you or anyone is not 100%. I do not choose the pups til 7 weeks old because I know them individually etc and the puppy test the Assessors do backs up what I know about each puppy and they do a sheet for each puppy which a copy of goes in the puppy pack. I then send photos of the pups out to the owners. In all my years I have *never* allowed anyone to choose because you just see a cute puppy you do not see who it is in the litter, dominant, submissive etc.
You can bring the cash deposit with you.
BREEDER
Thoughts? Deposit is payable prior to seeing them from my understanding of it, which I don't like. To me the breeder seems legitimately concerned for puppies' welfare and sending them to a good home. But it also seems that you don't get to choose a specific pup (beyond gender) which to be honest I'm not massively fussed about so long as I can see all the pups together and can see that they're all happy etc. But it still seems weird to me....
Hi BREEDER,
Thanks for all the info!
DATE works for us, can we book in to come then please?
Best,
MARIO149
Hi MARIO149,
I will need a deposit to secure like everyone else did please.
DATE is fine but cannot spend any more time than up to Midday because I have feed AND CLEAN OTHER DOGS ETC.
OTHER UNRELATED STUFF
I will need your address and phone details for the file and to send the deposit receipt out.
Thanks
BREEDER
Hi BREEDER,
A deposit should not be a problem. This is our first puppy purchase so apologies if this is a obvious question: I understand from your website that the deposit is non-refundable, so presumably the deposit is payable once we have come to see the puppy (and mother) and are happy? e.g. we would bring a cash deposit with us when viewing or arrange a bank transfer shortly after etc at which point you would confirm the puppy is reserved for us?
Thanks,
MARIO149
Everyone pays the deposit before viewing as secures the pup usually. I do not want to be wasting my time for over 2 hours if you or anyone is not 100%. I do not choose the pups til 7 weeks old because I know them individually etc and the puppy test the Assessors do backs up what I know about each puppy and they do a sheet for each puppy which a copy of goes in the puppy pack. I then send photos of the pups out to the owners. In all my years I have *never* allowed anyone to choose because you just see a cute puppy you do not see who it is in the litter, dominant, submissive etc.
You can bring the cash deposit with you.
BREEDER
Thoughts? Deposit is payable prior to seeing them from my understanding of it, which I don't like. To me the breeder seems legitimately concerned for puppies' welfare and sending them to a good home. But it also seems that you don't get to choose a specific pup (beyond gender) which to be honest I'm not massively fussed about so long as I can see all the pups together and can see that they're all happy etc. But it still seems weird to me....
Liszt said:
What breed?
I'd walk. You need to be happy with the breeder, the parents and the puppy. You need to see the puppy in the litter and how it acts. It's not a 2 minute "I'll take the one with the wet nose."
The breeder will want to make sure that the pup is going to a good home too, so be prepared for questions on you, your jobs, house, lifestyle etc.
Then when you're both happy you agree which pup and pay the deposit. When they are old enough you pay the balance and get the pup.
This is a commercial breeder so think of it abit like buying a specialist car. Are you going to put a deposit down and then let the salesman tell you which one you are going to have? You put up with that if you wanted a Bristol, but for a BMW?
Rottie (I grew up with one and adore them)I'd walk. You need to be happy with the breeder, the parents and the puppy. You need to see the puppy in the litter and how it acts. It's not a 2 minute "I'll take the one with the wet nose."
The breeder will want to make sure that the pup is going to a good home too, so be prepared for questions on you, your jobs, house, lifestyle etc.
Then when you're both happy you agree which pup and pay the deposit. When they are old enough you pay the balance and get the pup.
This is a commercial breeder so think of it abit like buying a specialist car. Are you going to put a deposit down and then let the salesman tell you which one you are going to have? You put up with that if you wanted a Bristol, but for a BMW?
Thanks for the info, I thought that's how it should go
Thanks for everyone's input. I've emailed the breeder to politely explain that under those conditions we're unfortunately not interested. Bizarre, I keep thinking it's all some massive misreading of the emails, but given that all you lot have sanity checked them, I guess it can't be really!
For your education and edification, starting with my polite "thanks but no thanks"....
Hi BREEDER,
Thanks for the clarification. Just to confirm that I have understood correctly:
1) the non-refundable deposit is payable before viewing the pups/mum
2) there is no "choosing" as such of a particular puppy, we would just be allocated one boy from the litter
If my understanding of those points is correct, unfortunately we'll have to cancel our visit and look elsewhere. I fully understand that you have the best interests of the pups to look out for, but unfortunately we were hoping to be able to make the final choice of which pup we will have ourselves. We are also not able to commit to paying a non-refundable deposit before even seeing the pups and particularly if we are not exactly certain of which one we would receive.
Thank you for taking the time to speak to me earlier and also for providing so much information in your emails, it was very helpful.
Best regards,
MARIO149
MARIO149,
In over A LOT OF years now this is always how I and many other reputable breeders do things with our pups and we always choose the pups for the new homes because we know them individually. There are only NUMBER males AND ALL BAR ONE others have reserved before you, the SMALLER NUMBER show potential males are chosen first before the pet males. When I collected my first Rottie she was chosen for me because back then I did not have the experience and as much knowledge to know what I was looking at in the litter. The Assessors will tell you themselves they support breeders like myself choosing the pups for the homes because it cuts down on the amount of Rotties that end up on Welfare and Rescue who are damaged by inexperienced owners and so called trainers who have no clue when it comes to Rotties and some breeds.
You definitely wont find anyone else who does all the health screens like I do and who cares for them like I do etc.
I already said you can bring the cash with you on the first visit for the deposit. They are way too young to choose and we do not choose til they are 7 weeks old when they are PAT tested and evaluated.
Suppose you chose a very dominant puppy, strong willed, high chase and prey drives which I doubt you really know much about, then you started having problems? I have seen this and many other things happen to inexperienced owners especially ones with children who have gone to one off pet home breedings and some breeders that I would never recommend, allowed to choose because the breeder has chosen what they want and don’t care about the others just wants the money, no lifetime support and advice and certainly no help when there are problems etc.
You knew you were the last home when you first contacted me and this litter are lovely, confident and outgoing and no one so far has had any concerns or anything totally happy with them and can’t wait to collect them in early November.
I had two calls yesterday for a male pup and I told them the last male was not available because a couple from London were coming next Monday to see the litter. One of those might well have been a great home!
Regards,
BREEDER
I actually don't know what to make of this....
Hi BREEDER,
Thanks for the clarification. Just to confirm that I have understood correctly:
1) the non-refundable deposit is payable before viewing the pups/mum
2) there is no "choosing" as such of a particular puppy, we would just be allocated one boy from the litter
If my understanding of those points is correct, unfortunately we'll have to cancel our visit and look elsewhere. I fully understand that you have the best interests of the pups to look out for, but unfortunately we were hoping to be able to make the final choice of which pup we will have ourselves. We are also not able to commit to paying a non-refundable deposit before even seeing the pups and particularly if we are not exactly certain of which one we would receive.
Thank you for taking the time to speak to me earlier and also for providing so much information in your emails, it was very helpful.
Best regards,
MARIO149
MARIO149,
In over A LOT OF years now this is always how I and many other reputable breeders do things with our pups and we always choose the pups for the new homes because we know them individually. There are only NUMBER males AND ALL BAR ONE others have reserved before you, the SMALLER NUMBER show potential males are chosen first before the pet males. When I collected my first Rottie she was chosen for me because back then I did not have the experience and as much knowledge to know what I was looking at in the litter. The Assessors will tell you themselves they support breeders like myself choosing the pups for the homes because it cuts down on the amount of Rotties that end up on Welfare and Rescue who are damaged by inexperienced owners and so called trainers who have no clue when it comes to Rotties and some breeds.
You definitely wont find anyone else who does all the health screens like I do and who cares for them like I do etc.
I already said you can bring the cash with you on the first visit for the deposit. They are way too young to choose and we do not choose til they are 7 weeks old when they are PAT tested and evaluated.
Suppose you chose a very dominant puppy, strong willed, high chase and prey drives which I doubt you really know much about, then you started having problems? I have seen this and many other things happen to inexperienced owners especially ones with children who have gone to one off pet home breedings and some breeders that I would never recommend, allowed to choose because the breeder has chosen what they want and don’t care about the others just wants the money, no lifetime support and advice and certainly no help when there are problems etc.
You knew you were the last home when you first contacted me and this litter are lovely, confident and outgoing and no one so far has had any concerns or anything totally happy with them and can’t wait to collect them in early November.
I had two calls yesterday for a male pup and I told them the last male was not available because a couple from London were coming next Monday to see the litter. One of those might well have been a great home!
Regards,
BREEDER
I actually don't know what to make of this....
Update:
After breaking comms with the slightly er, unusual, first breeder, we've just come back from a weekend away seeing some pups from another breeder
We found them via someone with a litter we found on the KC website who'd passed us their details as had no pups left but recommended them. Have to say the overall experience was very good, great pups, lovely mum, breeder and her partner were very open, showed us all the paperwork etc, let us spend as long as we wanted with the pups, lots of advice etc etc. Deposit was £100 and although in theory non-refundable, since neither us or previous visitors had been able to choose a specific pup (they were all just as fab as each other) but the other visitors have first pick, if for some reason we return in 2 weeks time and the remaining pups are not to our liking somehow, they'll refund the deposit for us.
Overall, a very pleasant experience and we're really looking forward to collecting the little critter in 2 weeks
Plus we had a Sat night out in Manchester which was, errr, amusing to see from a fashion/clothing (lack of quantity thereof) PoV 
You guys up there really do it different from London don't you?! Either that, or I'm reeeeeally behind the times, old and crusty at 32 and need to get out more!
After breaking comms with the slightly er, unusual, first breeder, we've just come back from a weekend away seeing some pups from another breeder
We found them via someone with a litter we found on the KC website who'd passed us their details as had no pups left but recommended them. Have to say the overall experience was very good, great pups, lovely mum, breeder and her partner were very open, showed us all the paperwork etc, let us spend as long as we wanted with the pups, lots of advice etc etc. Deposit was £100 and although in theory non-refundable, since neither us or previous visitors had been able to choose a specific pup (they were all just as fab as each other) but the other visitors have first pick, if for some reason we return in 2 weeks time and the remaining pups are not to our liking somehow, they'll refund the deposit for us. Overall, a very pleasant experience and we're really looking forward to collecting the little critter in 2 weeks
Plus we had a Sat night out in Manchester which was, errr, amusing to see from a fashion/clothing (lack of quantity thereof) PoV You guys up there really do it different from London don't you?! Either that, or I'm reeeeeally behind the times, old and crusty at 32 and need to get out more!Thread resurrection!
Thought I'd gratuitously post a few pics of the little guy now that we've had him 3 weeks or so He's good as gold, almost vaccinated to go outside, only poops etc on the newspaper we put out, now sleeps fine on his own in the puppy pen in the lounge, LOVES meeting new people and never really chews anything he's not supposed to....all going well so far! In 3.5 weeks he's gone from about 6kg to 11kg, greedy little bar-steward
Pup and mum on collection day
In the 993 on the way home!
Outside "walk" for the first time, very scared!
"No wanna mummy!"
A *very* big hit with the girls at the vet's!
He likes going to the vet's!
Little man sleeping on daddy sleeping on mummy
Very useful working from home companion....!
Back at the vet's again 10 days later rather bigger!
Thought I'd gratuitously post a few pics of the little guy now that we've had him 3 weeks or so
He's good as gold, almost vaccinated to go outside, only poops etc on the newspaper we put out, now sleeps fine on his own in the puppy pen in the lounge, LOVES meeting new people and never really chews anything he's not supposed to....all going well so far! In 3.5 weeks he's gone from about 6kg to 11kg, greedy little bar-steward Pup and mum on collection day
In the 993 on the way home!
Outside "walk" for the first time, very scared!
"No wanna mummy!"
A *very* big hit with the girls at the vet's!
He likes going to the vet's!
Little man sleeping on daddy sleeping on mummy
Very useful working from home companion....!
Back at the vet's again 10 days later rather bigger!
CAPP0 said:
Jasandjules said:
Looks adorable.
I still can't quite get used to the tails. But soon it will be the norm.
Is it illegal now to dock tails? I only ask as I saw a very young dog recently with a docked tail, which made me wonder.I still can't quite get used to the tails. But soon it will be the norm.
Butter Face said:
He looks ace, but why have you blocked out your eyes?? Lol
Public forum and ladies can't resist a man with a cute puppy AND and awesome Movember 'tache so I block my eyes out SAS style so they don't find out who I am and come knocking at all hours, my gf doesn't like it.
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