How do I tell a scam from the real deal?

Courtney: How do I tell a scam from the real deal?
I am trying to get a puppy. How do I tell a scam from the real deal when searching online?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Katie
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Answer by heaglesnaggles
The dog will be shipped from a different location other than listed. The dog is registered with Continental Kennel Club. The dog is registered, yet its a mixed breed. Only purebreds are registered with reputable kennel clubs like the American (AKC) and Canadian (CKC)<– please verify which CKC. The dog is ready to go before 8 weeks old. Just to name a few.

Answer by Rayven ~ Life’s a B
Heres the best way to avoid scams – Pet finder, your local shelter or rescues direct websites, your local breed club websites, THATS IT.

No craigslist no kijiji no oodle, no nothing.

Answer by ♥Love♥ is a German Shepherd Dog
Common sense.

If it sounds to good to be true, it probably IS too good to be true.

If it’s coming from Africa, it IS a scam.

Why would you even need to look for most breeds overseas is beyond me. I can understand a breed that is rare and no breeders in your state. If you are looking for a WORKING breed, contact your local schutzhund club and ask for breeder referrals.

If it’s not a working breed, google the breed’s parent club. Most websites for the parent clubs contain breeder referrals. You can also attend UKC or AKC dog shows, and speak to handlers and owners there. They can refer you to a breeder, as they obviously purchased their dog from somewhere.

Answer by Ashera
You should be able to see the dogs in person, never have a puppy shipped to you. The parents and the litter should be registered to a legitimate kennel club. The parents should have had genetic testing and health screenings before breeding. And the breeder should have you sign a contract stating that you will spay/neuter your pet and the terms by which you can return the animal if necessary. The breeder should also be able to provide you with references.

If something seems too good to be true, assume it’s a scam. Or, you can avoid the possibility of being scammed all together and adopt from a shelter. www.petfinder.com lists dogs in your area.

Answer by Truth Hurts, Doesn’t It?
Simple: no good breeder sells their puppies online.

If you can use paypal, you’re dealing with a crook. If the breeder ships, nine times out of ten you’re dealing with a crook. If the breeder uses designer dog names (fancy names for mutts like “labradoodle”) or otherwise butchers the breed name (such as adding “teacup” or “micro”), you’re dealing with a crook.

The most a good breeder will do would be have a site with pictures of their dogs, information about the dogs, and so forth. They will NEVER sell over the internet and will ALWAYS want to meet with a potential owner in person.

Look for genetic testing, age of parent dogs (over two under six), genetic guarantee (four year minimum with life being preferable), spay/neuter contract for all pets, return to breeder, and check out number of litters per year (most good breeders only have a few.)

Answer by phantomfalls
The best dogs I’ve had, in terms of health and personality, have all been mix breeds from rescues.

If you want a purebred, be prepared to ask the breeder lots of questions. You should be able to see both parents, see the facility where they are bred. The puppies should be raised in or near the house, and have lots of contact with people. Ask the breeder what food they feed the parents. Good breeders will feed a good quality food, with real meat as the first ingredient, and they will keep vet records on the parents as well. The puppies should be vet checked, and have a health guarantee. The facility should be clean, and the dogs should be fairly clean and healthy looking. A good breeder will ask you lots of questions too, like where you will be keeping them, if you have a fenced yard, how often you’ll walk them, and what you’ll feed them. We found a good breeder through recommendations from other breeders and owners at our local kennel club.

I don’t agree that you can’t find good puppies online. Some of the better breeders have websites now, but you should still visit their place before you buy.

If they won’t let you see the place, or the parents, they won’t tell you what they feed their dogs, and/or they don’t have health records for their dogs, it’s a scam.

Answer by Ghana Banana
never send money or agree to anything if you cant see the puppy before paying, anyone talking about shipping the puppy especially from overseas is a scam. Anyone asking you to pay their shipper is a scam. even if you arent looking for a purebread see the puppy in person before you agree to anything. Craigslist seems to be the worst for scammers, id guess 90% of the free puppies listed are african scams

Answer by Connie
What I would suggest you to do is, post your question + website you are going to buy from on Fraud Watchers’ Forum at .

Besides, do some research on how to prevent fraud online or read the fraud prevention tips for online buyers .