Deposit Refunds - Page 2

I think the "nonrefundable deposits under any conditions whatsoever" idea is a dubious policy, at best.

If you put a deposit on a car but the car was in an accident before you took delivery, you'd expect a refund--I can think of few situations where a deposit wouldn't be refunded in a case where the seller is unable to supply the buyer with the item (car/house/apartment/puppy) that the deposit was placed on--within some timeframe.

I tell people that I will refund if I can't supply a mutually satisfactory puppy within a reasonable timeframe (this should be pre-d, but if they just decide they don't want one of my puppies, then there is no refund. At the very least, this should be said/repeated via email.

As far as waiting until the pups are on the ground, that is certainly the least confusing, but what if you have 12 people wanting to send you deposits as soon as the litter is planned? How do you determine priority among those people if you wait until they're born to say, "OK, go!" to them about sending in the deposit?

Hutchins--would you mind privately sending the name of this person so that I know who to avoid? Thanks!

Christine

http://vonhartwin.com/Inside/deposit.html
This is a copy of my deposit contract. (feel free to use it as a guideline if you wish)
I have a no refund policy if they change their mind, be it sex or color or any other reason.

I do refund deposit if puppy is not provided or if their chossen sex is not produced. My thoughts are why would I want to keep someones money for something I can not deliver?

Good choice on the refund- Im sure you saved a lot of heart ache for you and your pup down the road. Totally worth it!

My deposits are not refundable unless there are not enough puppies to fulfill the waiting list for each sex, they are always transferrable to another litter if I am told by the time the litter is two weeks old that the deposit is on. That said I have had two clients that were not able to take a puppy at an even later age for personal financial reasons and one time I told them I would refund it as soon as the puppy sold, which I did, and the other I just sent it back to them right away. I figure it is best to keep a good reputation and possibly have them come back in the future. I keep my deposits low though at $250 which I think helps. This situation is a bit different than I've ever dealt with though, he sounds like a troublemaker for sure. I'd definitely refund with the certified signature receipt and write deposit refund paid in full on the memo of the check. Good luck, sounds like your puppy is better off anyways LOL!

I have sent an email to him stating I will refund his deposit as soon as I sell the puppy he would have bought had he not changed his mind at the last minute.  He requested a specific time to be set as to when he will get it. I told him when I sell "his" male puppy, it wil be sent. That is the best I can tell him and that was my finale offer, take it or leave it.   This email was sent last night.  As of this afternoon, I still haven't heard from him again. 

Well let you all know how it goes.

Generally my deposits are non-refundable, but I will give exceptions.

Once someone gave me a deposit and he was killed in a car accident. When I contacted the family and asked which puppy they wanted, I was told the horrible news....I wrote the check and mailed it that day.

I accepted payment for a puppy, puppy went to new home, youngest child came down with hives......I accepted the puppy back and gave all but deposit back. Put the puppy back up for sale and charged client 25$ a week boarding and feed until the puppy was sold and refunded the rest of the deposit. Selling a 10 week puppy is much harder then a 6 week puppy..

The most important thing for me is to be as fair as possible. I don't want my puppies to be in a situation where it will not have a loving home or not be taken care of.

why would people buy a dog/puppy with a non refundable deposit?  poeple always say do your homework, check pedigrees, siblings of parents, health checks etc. etc.  After all the work must now start all over again and except what the seller is offering?

Buyer gives deposit to salesman(breeder) for a red sports car(puppy) from a specific manufacturer(Dog x Dam).  Why should the buyer now be forced to take a white SUV from a different Manufacturer because the salesman cant supply the specific product? 

Just give the money back if you cant give the buyer what he wanted in the 1st place. 

That is just my take on things.

Now here's where you want to be careful ,remember all e-mails can be used as evidence, this from a lawyers mouth (family) Like I said limit your contact with this person, and find a contract that spells everything out.. they sign when they send deposit. As another poster said write refund on your check this also is evidence. Photo copy said check if your bank does not keep paper anymore..

I personally would not wait, I'd cut the check,
make certified copies, and send it with a tracking
number and signature request. Wash your hands
of the headache ASAP.

agreed - wash your hand of this mess.


 

The bottom line is that the buyer put a deposit down on a litter and you didnt produce what he wanted. To me its irrelevant that he may have done this in the past because it doesn't change the fact that you didnt have what he wanted. Now he is stuck to buy through you on a "future" litter. I agree with someone else who said your asking him to change to fit "YOU" not the other way around.

He could have been nicer in asking for the money back but I would like to see something like this stand up in a court of law when the plaintiff states that he paid for a dog through a deposit and didnt get what he paid for......actually in this case he didnt get anything at all

barb