Have any of you had issues with a puppy buyer that paid with a check (first mistake of mine) or a bank generated money order that was stopped payment? I am not a good one for reconciling my checking or savings account so I graciously accepted a deposit/down payment on the "pick male" from my litter...and then when she came to get the puppy she had mailed a bank generated money order. Well, lo and behold she stopped payment on the MO and then when I looked at my savings account a tad closer I see that the deposit had been taken out of my savings as insufficent funds. I called and she claimed it was all the banks error and now of course she is not answering my calls. She lives 4 states away but I think I may be reposessing a puppy this week end. Please give me some insight on this. I hate to call my attorney as that will gobble up the puppy price in a quick hurry.

Thanks much...

Knows Better Next Time

We had the same thing happen to us and never saw the pup again or the money. I now have a rule that we take NO checks and explain that one bad apple ruined it for the rest, sorry. Cask only!

Another time I had 2 men to the house and the pups were in the kitchen in an x pen and these guys asked me for more information and I walked to the back of the house to my office and upon my return they had left with 2 pups, my new camera and camcorder!!!

Called the police filed a report and never found my pups...another rule ..never show pups alone!

I hope you can get your money back.

The thing that has me so torqued about this is I visited with the gal via phone, via e-mail for a solid year. I trusted her and thought I could call her my friend. I have learned a valuable lesson but I will get that puppy back. I know where this gal works. I never dreamed she would pull this on me, but never again will I accept anything but good ole cold cash. CASH IS KING!!! I am as mad at myself as I am at her. My hubby says I trust to easily...and now I believe him.

The attorney who did our contract said never take personal checks or money orders, only cash or certified bank check. That's what I do and I tell folks they are not being singled out with this practice, it applies for all. I especially would never take an out of state personal check for anything... know that from working in wholesale/retail business for 35 years. It's hard enough to collect on a bad check locally... I know from experience here at work, court ordered that they pay back $5 a week in one instance, and the person never even kept up with that and calling probation office didn't bring any results. Good luck.

I'd stop asking for the money and just ask to see the puppy and take him or her back home with you and Val is right trying to get your money will be a lost cause.

You'd win in court but collecting would be a lost cause and so much stress.

I thought I knew my buyer too, had long conversations and even dined out with them.

In this day and age I'm sad to say I don't trust many at all.

I have luckily never had this happen and feel just awful for all of you.

I can't imagine the anger and the sorrow over the loss of your wonderful pups.

Perhaps contacting the Sheriffs department in her town or county and see if he will accompany you to her house to repossess the pup.

My brother did this once with a guy that tried to rip him off on a vehicle he sold him and he got his money with the help of the local Sheriff who threatened to lock down the guys business if he didn't pay up.

Good luck. I so hope you can get your pup back.

Oh me, this is scary. I would be so upset. I take checks all the time from all over. Have for years.
Hard to believe people are so bad. Hate it. Better rethink things. How do you take deposits out of town if not by checks?? Money order not good now ?

Ironically she works for law enforcement in her city. Won't that be fun. I am not calling her any more. I will just take a road trip. I am such a fool. Thanks so much..sorry it happened to you too but at least I know I am not alone. What was I thinking???

I too have had this happen. What made me really made is she worked for the vet I was going to at the time.

Did you all ready give her the AKC paperwork? If you did good luck.

I had sold a puppy to her and took a post dated check from her. I thought I could trust her since she worked for my vet. My mistake and something I will never do again. Anyway the check ended up bouncing. I asked a friend in the police force if I would get in trouble if I went and took the dog back. He told me that yes I could be arrested for stealing.

The only thing I could do was turn it over to the District Atty for check fraud. I really just wanted my puppy back. Which I could not do since I already signed the paperwork and transferred ownership too her.

I ended up going to my vet's office when she was there and confronted her about it. I told her I would turn the bad check over to the District Atty if she did not pay within one week. I made sure I talked loud enough for others to here. At that time she was very hateful to me. But I got what I wanted and that was for the vet's office to know what happened. What do you know I got a call from her a week later that I could pick the cash up at the vet clinic. I also learned later from the vet that she was told if she did not make good on the check she would be out of a job. My vet was the one who recommend her so she felt bad about the whole thing.

Now, I know that I might have gotten into trouble for taken a business matter to her place of employment and that the vet could have gotten into trouble for blackmailing her into paying or losing her job. But I took that risk because I knew she did not want to go to jail.

Lesson learned. I still will take a check but I do not release the puppy or the paperwork until the check has cleared my bank.

If you did not give her the AKC paperwork, you can probably take her to small claims court and get the puppy back. If you win she has to pay court cost.

You can also turn her over for fraud on the stop payment of the money order. I really hope you can get this all taken care and get your puppy back. No one wants one of there puppy to go to someone who will do things like this.

Good Luck

I always accept a check for a deposit because there's plenty of time for the check to clear but on pick up day it's CASH only no exceptions!

Most people pay me with a check when they give me a deposit to hold puppy and also when they pay the remaining balance upon pick up of their puppy.

I have to have these talks with myself on if I trust each family or person enough to adopt one of my babies then I should give them the benefit of the doubt that they will honor a check they have written out to me.

I sure would like to get cash every time but until I get burned, I guess I will keep on accepting checks. I do make copies of all their checks and get as much personal information about them as I can to keep on record. I ALWAYS MICROCHIP my puppies at around 7 weeks of age and I make sure they know I have microchipped each puppy and the reasons why I microchip my puppies.

I also rarely give the person or families their puppie's akc papers until their checks have cleared and I explain why. If someone really wanted to take one of my puppies on a bad check, I'm sure the AKC papers don't mean a hoot to them. They just want a nice puppy for a pet the dishonest way.

If someone wrote me out a bad check or cancelled a check after they picked up their puppy, my tendancy would be to UNLEASH THE MOTHER HEN IN ME and go after that person. No one takes one of my babies dishonestly and gets by with it. I'd hunt them down or else I'd hire http://www.dogthebountyhunter.com/ after them (-;

I do wish you the best of luck getting your baby back. There has to be a way for you to get your puppy back and if you have proof that this person stopped payment on you, I would think this is all the proof you need. Take it to small claims court if you have to.

"Ironically she works for law enforcement in her city. Won't that be fun"

Oh boy.............

I'd make an appointment with and have a nice little chat with her superior officer or chief of the department. Telling him/her that you would like your puppy back but want to handle this in a legal manner -asking for advice, and letting it be known that the person lives in town (give her name) and pretend you don't even know she is an officer on the force.

You are innocently asking for help and may be nailing her butt at the same time.

Good luck. Please come back and let us know how it goes.

The only time that I received a bad check was from someone that I thought I could trust. I accepted payments as well, (now that's really dumb), and on top of that, this person was pressuring me to sell the puppy at a reduced price, which unfortunately, I did. I thought she was a friend and also asked if I would mentor her as well.
What a nightmare....Checks that were suppose to be sent, weren't. Requests that I don't cash a check after I received it, the person stating that she wrote it from the wrong bank account, etc. I was finally paid off after about 6 months. I co-own the dog and should have guessed at the person's character when all of this happened. Later on I found out that the dog, a male, was bred at a very young age. A horrible experience that I will NEVER let happen again. Hopefully I never have to deal with that individual again. CASH only from now on!

This has happen to me and I have to say that the only way that I received compensation of the funds was to physically drive to their home. When this occurred I took my brother with me in uniform, he is a corrections officer, and just advised them that since they were not answering my calls or emails that I was here to take the puppy home. I belive they were so suprised that I showed up at their frontdoor, and they assumed my brother was a police officer, paid me in cash right away. The husband did leave and run to the bank, but it was the only way I received my balance owed.

It was not a fun experience, and since that time do not accept anything but cash on pick up day when releasing a puppy. I have actually added it to my puppy deposit contract, so they are advised weeks ahead of time, and it is sent out on my final emails when scheduling pick up times.

Good luck and I hope everything works out for you.

The really sad part about those of you who managed to get the money back on the puppy you sold to these people is that you are left with the horrible knowledge of just what kind of individal one of your puppies is stuck with for the rest of it's life. What kind of person steals a puppy and or cancels a check or deliberately writes a bad check ? What kind of dog owners will they make ? Yet, what an impossible situation for the breeder. I'd like to know what the laws are on people who write bad checks or cancel checks for akc pets ? It should be made that the breeder can have the option of taking their puppy back if the person writes a bad check or cancels it. I would want my puppy back. Let them keep their dirty money at this point, I don't want one of my puppies living it's life out with a theif.

Maybe put a statement in your contract that transfer of ownership of said dog is not final until payment has been made in full? You'd still have to go the legal route for repossessing the dog though.

WOW how depressing to think there are people out there who would do a thing like this. I don't take deposits by mail, I require that the prospective owner fill out the questionaire then come for a visit with the whole family, the $200. deposit is not refundable after the pups are born and I have pup visiting days. On Saturday from 10 till 2 when pups are 5 - 6 - 7 weeks and if people cannot make at least 2 of these visiting times then they don't get a pup. I have never been burned by a bad check but I do get to know my pup people pretty well by the time the pups go home. I would be a freak show if someone ever stole a pup, but I never leave pups alone with visitors. It is very scary though to know the rotten side of life is out there

I have not read all the posts, I apologize if this has been suggested.

One of the things I would do immediately is go on line and register that puppy IN YOUR NAME as the breeder to prevent anything more from happening. If you get the puppy back, you can always transfer ownership to the new owner.

I am so sorry this happened to you. As another did suggest, we too have been told ONLY cash or certified bank check.

Best of luck... one bad pit sure does ruin it for all the wonderful cherries.

"She works for Law enforcement."

If she does, believe me, the last thing she would want is for you todo is call the chief of police or the sheriff or whoemever her boss would be. You might mention this option if she gives you a hard time about returning your pup (or paying you iin cash on the spot...your call). She in all probability would be in hot water with her department unless she had a really good excuse as to why she stopped payment.

"Working for law enforcement" does not necessarily mean she is an officer. There are many, many civilian jobs within departments, too. Still, it wouldn't hurt to inform her superior of her antics. It might just be the kick in the pants she needs to right this whole ugly matter. Good luck!

The problem is that people can be anyone they want to be behind a keyboard or over the phone.
I question the wisdom of selling to someone four states away. A show puppy to someone you know maybe, but a pet? Were there no good breeders nearer to them that you could send them to? There was a reason they bought from you. You couldn't verify who they were and it's harder to prosecute them criminally. Little comfort now and little help for your puppy, but something better learned than taking cash next time.

This hasn't happened to me, thank heaven. But if it did I would have no interest in getting the money. I want the puppy back! If someone will pull these kind of shenanigans can you really trust them to give a puppy a loving, responsible home?

Just an idea, to avoid this ever happening to anyone again print this thread and show it to anyone who wants to pay by check. After reading this if they don't understand why you can't then there's something wrong.

I never had it happen and never will trust anyone again (although I usually do ask for cash at pick up, not on a deposit at over 3 weeks of age)

So sorry this happened to all of you I guess we live and learn unfortunately.

Pups from my last litter went to upstate New York, Washington state, Colorado, Texas and IL. All came to pick up their pups (two are repeat customers with current dogs from me).

I have never had a bad check situation. Everyone paid deposits by check and balance in cash (except IL who paid by check--they have a 2-yr old dog of mine).

I can't recall a litter in the past few years when more than one or two pups were "local," meaning somewhere in the midwest.

MK

This happens to stud dog owners too! I've just been stiffed by a man that used one of my boys. I shipped semen (2 shipments) using my kits and that was the last I heard from him. This guy is in New Jersey and breeds only chocolates. I have emailed and called him repeatedly with no results. He hasn't paid me a dime. Of course his bitch didn't take. I like to try and trust everyone. I guess I got what I deserve. I will probably start requiring monies up front before I send anything. Hate to do it but it seems my only option. Of course he advertises everywhere. I am happy to get the word out as to who this is if you would like to email me privately. Others need to know about him so they don't get burned.

Gosh, don't people know the Lab world is a small one! Pretty low of the guy, must not care about his reputation.

Whoa, this is terrible. Who could actually stop payment on a check for a puppy? That is as low as it gets.

I haven't had a litter yet, but I am really thankful that "Taken For A FOOL" has posted/shared their experience.
A check, cashed after the litter is on the ground, for a deposit, and cash only on pick up day. Got it, and duly noted.
My husband and I also thought that it would be OK to accept a check for final payment for the puppy, as long as it cleared before pick up day. What an awful thing to be worring about as you hand over your 4 months of planning and hard work, love, sweat and tears.

Things are resolving themselves and this lovely 12 week old chocolate male puppy will be returning to me. He was the pick of the litter and so deserves to be where he can reach his full potential. I am thankful he will be returned without issue. Thank you everyone for your thoughts and insight, it has helped me immesnsely and I hope there is a lesson in this for everyone.

Wonderful news indeed!

Good luck with your boy. So glad he will be home with you soon.

Much better to have him back than any amount of money.

Get the paperwork with him since she already registered him. I hope you get him back without issue.

Just wanted to update everyone that the puppy is home here with us safe and sound. He is healthy and happy...and all went off without a hitch. This is a sad situation that has luckily been resolved. Thank you everyone for all your support. I truly appreciate it!

Puppy is home and healthy... paperwork is in my file. Thanks for everyone's input.