topic Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten? in Pet Lovers

Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

Katcat1 — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 17:34:56 GMT

A friend's daughter wanted to purchase a Devon Rex kitten. She looked at several websites and finally settled on one It was $700 and the money would go thru Zelle (I never heard of Zelle) but it does exist. She apparently sent the money by Zelle and that is when the communication ended. No kitten and blocked from calling.

Always use your Mastercard or Visa. Do not use these banking instruments. Your credit card will take care of any fraud and misrepresentation. How awful to lose all that money and not get your kitten.

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

Love my grandkids — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 17:37:16 GMT

@Katcat1 Zelle is a reputable and long established way to send money. Both myself and family members have used it for years.

The daughter got scammed. I doubt if she ever verified the seller's credentials or anything else.

Maybe next time she should find a reputable breeder if she doesn't want to adopt a kitten.

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

Venezia — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 17:45:32 GMT

They just did a story about this type of scam on the evening news a few days ago. A lot of people have lost money thinking they were buying a puppy or kitten, only to find their money gone and no new family member.

The only way I'd buy a new kitten, if I definitely wanted a particular breed, is to go to the breeder and see the kittens.

Two of my cats are from my local no-kill animal shelter and I adore them. My oldest cat is a Tonkinese that I got from a reputable breeder. I just love cats in all their variety.

I also sponsor an elderly cat that the shelter has deemed not adoptable. They've tried, but she's just happiest at the shelter, so that's her forever home.

@Katcat1 - Has she contacted Zelle to inform them of what happened? I thought some of these online money apps had some kind of guarantee, but perhaps not all. It wouldn't hurt to ask.

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

Tinkrbl44 — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 17:51:36 GMT

@Katcat1

Sorry, but I'm in the group that thinks people should never purchase an animal ... they should ADOPT from their local shelters.

$700 for a kitten? Yes, I know this sounds harsh, but I'm glad she lost her money. She could have adopted a beautiful kitten at her local shelter and had $600 left to donate to that shelter for all the good they do.

JMO, of course.

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

Sooner — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 18:00:13 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@Katcat1

Sorry, but I'm in the group that thinks people should never purchase an animal ... they should ADOPT from their local shelters.

$700 for a kitten? Yes, I know this sounds harsh, but I'm glad she lost her money. She could have adopted a beautiful kitten at her local shelter and had $600 left to donate to that shelter for all the good they do.

JMO, of course.

@Tinkrbl44 I respect your opinion, however I am someone who wants very much to preserve the wonderful animal breeds we have now.

I wouldn't look forward to the world without Collies, Cocker Spanials, St. Bernards, those crazy Terries, and many many other very special and unique animal breeds. I can't imagine the cat world without the Siamese.

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

Buffalogal47 — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 18:05:28 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 Purebred cats deserve a loving home too.

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

Venezia — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 18:09:16 GMT

I don't think anyone should be judged for preferring a particular breed of animal. No one has the right to impose his/her own views on another. Every person has the right to make that decision for him/herself.

I've had Siamese, Burmese and Tonkinese. I love Orientals and they have a personality all their own.

I believe you can love purebred and mixed breed equally. My money, my choice. No one else's business. That's JMO, of course.

(And saying you're glad someone lost her money is just plain mean. That's the same as saying you're glad there are crooks out there waiting to steal someone's money, as well as their joy. Just because they don't agree with your view of the "right" way to acquire a new family member? SMH.)

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

RespectLife — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 18:19:43 GMT

I found this info online:

Zelle is safe, as long as you know and trust the person you're sending money to.

Once you authorize a payment, it'll go through, and there's no form of fraud protection.

The biggest drawback of Zelle is that it doesn't offer fraud protection for authorized payments. In other words, if you purchase something online and use Zelle to pay for it, you have no recourse if you never receive the item you paid for.

For example, if you use Zelle to purchase an item from Craigslist, and it turns out you were scammed, Zelle won't refund you. Thus, they advise that you only use the service to pay people you absolutely know and trust.

That is a total shame. I would never use Zelle, Venmo or any of these services and appreciate you sharing this sad story....it is a warning I appreciate!!

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

Tinkrbl44 — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 18:25:04 GMT

@Venezia wrote:
I don't think anyone should be judged for preferring a particular breed of animal. No one has the right to impose his/her own views on another. Every person has the right to make that decision for him/herself.

I've had Siamese, Burmese and Tonkinese. I love Orientals and they have a personality all their own.

I believe you can love purebred and mixed breed equally. My money, my choice. No one else's business. That's JMO, of course.

(And saying you're glad someone lost her money is just plain mean. That's the same as saying you're glad there are crooks out there waiting to steal someone's money, as well as their joy. Just because they don't agree with your view of the "right" way to acquire a new family member? SMH.)

@Venezia

I prefaced that comment by saying my opinion might seem harsh, but I guess you missed that. I donate regularly to no-kill shelters and feel strongly about the good work they do.

I don't know how old that person is, but buying one very, very expensive kitten without seeing it in person, just off a website, is asking for trouble. Just my opinion, of course.

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

Tinkrbl44 — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 18:26:52 GMT

@RespectLife wrote:
I found this info online:

Zelle is safe, as long as you know and trust the person you're sending money to.

Once you authorize a payment, it'll go through, and there's no form of fraud protection.

The biggest drawback of Zelle is that it doesn't offer fraud protection for authorized payments. In other words, if you purchase something online and use Zelle to pay for it, you have no recourse if you never receive the item you paid for.

For example, if you use Zelle to purchase an item from Craigslist, and it turns out you were scammed, Zelle won't refund you. Thus, they advise that you only use the service to pay people you absolutely know and trust.

That is a total shame. I would never use Zelle, Venmo or any of these services and appreciate you sharing this sad story....it is a warning I appreciate!!

@RespectLife

Huh .... I wonder why she didn't use Paypal which is much more reliable.

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

Kachina624 — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 18:35:14 GMT

@Sooner wrote:
@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@Katcat1

Sorry, but I'm in the group that thinks people should never purchase an animal ... they should ADOPT from their local shelters.

$700 for a kitten? Yes, I know this sounds harsh, but I'm glad she lost her money. She could have adopted a beautiful kitten at her local shelter and had $600 left to donate to that shelter for all the good they do.

JMO, of course.
@Tinkrbl44 I respect your opinion, however I am someone who wants very much to preserve the wonderful animal breeds we have now.

I wouldn't look forward to the world without Collies, Cocker Spanials, St. Bernards, those crazy Terries, and many many other very special and unique animal breeds. I can't imagine the cat world without the Siamese.

@Sooner Exactly! If everyone only adopted dogs from shelters, we'd soon have nothing but pitbull mixes. That's not the type of dog I want! I believe everyone should be able to buy a purebred animal with a predictable disposition and appearance without guilt.

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

Jk9 — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 18:35:18 GMT

Obviously the scammer knew about Zelle giving the buyer no recourse and that is why it was used for the transaction. I know a lot of people who use Zelle and I have used it but only with a trusted vendor that I knew was legit. There are so many scams out there and it is the buyer's responsibility to investigate their source.

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

beach-mom — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 18:42:57 GMT

I agree with those of you who say there is definitely a place for purebred dogs and cats.

One of my closest friends recently lost her beloved Westie prematurely. She wanted another, and her DH found a reputable breeder in another state. They drove to pick him up.

BUT - you can also find purebred kittens and puppies, young and older, at animal shelters. My late brother's girlfriend gave him two older kittens from a shelter. One was black Persian and one was Himalayan. The Persian outlived him and went to live with my mom. When my mom died she came to our crazy home with other kitties.

Our kitties have always "found" us! But one time we did kind of look for one. About 10 years ago We had lost our sweet Tonkinese boy (21 years) and were kind of hoping somehow to get another. We were at PetsMart when a local rescue was doing a weekend only adoption event. There in the middle of mostly cute kittens was an older Siamese. He was just chilling, seeming to ignore all the commotion around him. That night we decided to go back and adopt him. We went back Sunday, only to find out he had already been adopted. They did tell us the family had adopted on the condition that "he worked out." If they decided it wouldn't they would call DH. I called two weeks later and they hadn't heard from the family. So I hope he is still living happily in his new home!

@Katcat1 - I'm sorry your friend's DD went through this. I hope she opens her heart to the kitty who was meant to be hers!

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

Love my grandkids — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 18:46:04 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 The so-called "seller" only used Zelle because the buyer has no fraud protection.

With Paypal, she would have and the scammer wouldn't get to keep their ill-gotten gain.

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

Sooner — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 18:47:13 GMT

@beach-mom wrote:
I agree with those of you who say there is definitely a place for purebred dogs and cats.

One of my closest friends recently lost her beloved Westie prematurely. She wanted another, and her DH found a reputable breeder in another state. They drove to pick him up.

BUT - you can also find purebred kittens and puppies, young and older, at animal shelters. My late brother's girlfriend gave him two older kittens from a shelter. One was black Persian and one was Himalayan. The Persian outlived him and went to live with my mom. When my mom died she came to our crazy home with other kitties.

Our kitties have always "found" us! But one time we did kind of look for one. About 10 years ago We had lost our sweet Tonkinese boy (21 years) and were kind of hoping somehow to get another. We were at PetsMart when a local rescue was doing a weekend only adoption event. There in the middle of mostly cute kittens was an older Siamese. He was just chilling, seeming to ignore all the commotion around him. That night we decided to go back and adopt him. We went back Sunday, only to find out he had already been adopted. They did tell us the family had adopted on the condition that "he worked out." If they decided it wouldn't they would call DH. I called two weeks later and they hadn't heard from the family. So I hope he is still living happily in his new home!

@Katcat1 - I'm sorry your friend's DD went through this. I hope she opens her heart to the kitty who was meant to be hers!

@beach-mom Loved your post! And yes, I can understand a Siamese being adopted "on approval!" WOW!

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

kristina1 — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 19:05:49 GMT

I only adopt rescues, however a few of them happen to have been purebred from the shelter.

It really doesn't matter to me, I love them just the same.

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

FancyPhillyshopper — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 19:12:58 GMT

Many young people like those easy payment methods. However, they are no different (better or worse) from anything else in terms of scams.

I have bought several kittens from breeders, and I ALWAYS check out the breeder's reputation and hold the balance of the payment until I go in person to pick up the kitten.

Your friend's daughter needs to research who put up the ad and try to contact law enforcement, state and federal agencies, etc. to report the incident. She should also report the website scam to whoever hosted it.

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

Love4cats — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 21:06:22 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@Katcat1

Sorry, but I'm in the group that thinks people should never purchase an animal ... they should ADOPT from their local shelters.

$700 for a kitten? Yes, I know this sounds harsh, but I'm glad she lost her money. She could have adopted a beautiful kitten at her local shelter and had $600 left to donate to that shelter for all the good they do.

JMO, of course.

I am with you, with hundred's of beautiful kitten's and cat's that need forever home's, why buy one when you can go to a local shelter and get one.

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

Katcat1 — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 21:07:40 GMT

@beach-mom Apparently her reasoning for this kitten is because she has allergies and the kitten is hypoallergic.

Re: Attn: Are Looking to purchase a kitten?

Katcat1 — Fri, 15 Apr 2022 21:11:58 GMT

@Love4cats What a terrible thing for you to say that you are glad she lost her money. Shame on you. People have choices and if they want a purebred they should purchase one. How ridiculous for you to say everyone should adopt pets.