Victim Location 75087
Total money lost $650
Type of a scam Online Purchase
I inquired about a Labradoodle from Home Raised Labradoodles site and the person on the other end was very responsive by phone and email. I asked for video or FaceTime before purchasing and the "seller" send a video. I asked why the puppies were so cheap ($650 when the average price for these puppies is at least $2,500) I was told that they were expecting another litter of puppies soon and the husband and wife who both have other jobs, did not have the time to care for all the animals and were trying to sell the current puppies) They sent over a contact to purchase the dog. After reading over it carefully and reading online testimonials, I signed the contract and sent the money for the dog.
I have bought two out of three of my dogs this way, but lived close enough to meet the dog before purchasing. I didn’t see anything unusually different about this transaction since they offered a visitation.
On the day the dog was to be delivered. I received a notification from the shipping company, Happy Tails Logistics, asking for an "electronic crate" for the dog or the dog would not be delivered. The prices for the electronic crate ran between $1,500 – $3,500, they played on the heart strings of someone wanting their puppy to be safe and comfortable while traveling. The email stated that if I rented the crate, I would be refunded 99% of the money once the dog arrived. I told the "seller" that since shipping was supposed to be free, why won’t they pay it and be reimbursed. That’s what a reputable company would do!
It was in this moment that I gave into the skepticism that I had from the beginning and told them I was not sending any more money. A few hours after they quit responding to my calls and messages, I went back to the website and not only did they still have the puppy listed that I supposedly bought, but it is listed for $750, more than I paid originally.