Issue with Deposit--What is Standard Practice - Page 2

I'm not sure what difference it makes what everyone's opinion is on this issue? If the contract says "non-refundable under any circumstances", and you signed it, I don't think there is much you can do. I doubt that airing grievances on public forums is going to help you much. You're not going to hurt this breeder's successful business, but you can burn a lot of bridges pretty easily. JMO.

I absolutely disagree that you shouldn't air your grievances on a public forum and if you're ready to eat the deposit anyway, name the breeder while you're at it!

I had a similar situation with one of the top showline kennels in the country several years ago that went something like this: I had seen a particular multiple-times VA male at a show I was at and really liked the look of the dog but wasn't in the market for a puppy at that time.  Several months later, my only dog died very suddenly and I contacted the breeder about getting a puppy out of this dog.  He said everything right all of the way up until the time he had my $1,500.00 deposit which put me on a long waiting list.  Six months later when my name finally rose to the top of the list, I was offered puppies out of everything except the dog we had discussed (and was specifically mentioned in the contract).  When I asked about the price difference between puppies out of the multiple VA male and a puppy he was trying to talk me into out of a male who had been run off of the field at the BSZS and he told me that they were the same price because he only bred high quality dogs, it raised a big red flag.  When I asked him if any of the puppies from that litter were showing extraordinary promise for the work and he told me that they all were, I knew that we weren't even close to speaking the same language and I would never get the puppy from him he had promised. Keeping in mind that this breeder had a waiting list of at least 6 months, he stood to lose nothing by refunding my deposit but I still offered to let him keep $500.00 for his trouble (not a bad payday for a few phone calls and a couple of dozen emails).  He refused to refund any of the money...that was fine if that's how he wanted to play it...I know what I signed (I was conveniently never sent a copy of the contract that he had also signed) and fully understand what non-refundable means.  Life is long and revenge is a dish best served cold.  I saved all of our correspondence for that day, should it come, but in the meantime, he is doing a perfectly fine job all by himself of becoming a reviled figure in the dog world who has revealed himself as someone with no integrity and I'm getting at least $1,500.00 worth of entertainment watching it happen.

As for burning bridges, a) I don't see myself ever being in the market for a showline dog again; b) he has absolutely nothing to offer me (or anyone else for that matter) from a working or training perspective, and; c) why would I want to cross a bridge that didn't get me to my destination the first time anyway?

I can t understand why, other than the greed factor, why a breeder would even accept a deposit before the pups were born...

Have to agree with both Kieth and kitkat.

My preference has always been to buy rather than breed. Over the years, I have bought dogs from several different countries. Dogs that became AKC Champions, obedience title holders, sch. titled, KKL, etc and have never made a "non refundable deposit under any circumstances". Nor do I have any plans to.

It's a suckers bet and there is always another dog.

There are just too many life altering events that can happen suddenly., death, divorce, health issues that cannot be foreseen. Do you really want to trust a breeder who is more concerned about the check than the situation their dog is going into. I understand that a deposit helps weed out flaky shoppers, but dogs can be found without taking the risk.

Playing devil's advocate, how many people should breeder promise a puppy to? If pups are four or five weeks old, and someone wants to be certain to get one, how else should that be done. The breeder can promise a pup t someone who is likely a stranger, then when its time to ship the pup, the person can't be found, meanwhile six other people have been turned away, saying no pups available.
I had a lady come and see my pups, to buy one, who lived six hours away. It was going to be a couple weeks till she would be able to get the pup, she insisted on giving me a check for the full price, that's how certain she was of having the pup. A couple weeks later, the lady contacted me, told me she had a heart attack and have to have heart surgery. I sent All her money back to her.

it's standard practice for these type puppy sellers to shift the deposit to the next available breeding. this is a scam and not many experienced dog folks fall for it.

joan, the breeder who does what's best for the dog, sadly, is the exception. you took a hit but in the end you have a clear conscience and I'm sure the dog ended up in a better situation.

Thank you, yes, and the lady wasn't stressed. She had enough on her plate without a hassle from me.
I understand what you're talking about, now, with scam switching to a different litter over and over.

I will take a deposit after my pups make it to three days old, NEVER before born, thats not to say my buyers are not lined up long before that.....i like all pups spoken for before they ready to go.
It simply don t mean i have to get money before that...

I will take a deposit after my pups make it to three days old, NEVER before born, thats not to say my buyers are not lined up long before that.....i like all pups spoken for before they ready to go.
It simply don t mean i have to get money before that...

just for the record, I'm not opposed to deposits, the breeder needs some protection from impulse shoppers. I've just never found it necessary or beneficial to make "non refundable under any circumstance" deposits.

99.9% of people making these deposits are looking for a pet/companion or they are in the loop and assured of a top pick. I have specific purposes for dogs I share my life with and any breeder "guaranteeing" me that I will get that dog making a pre breeding deposit or even before the pup has been evaluated is bogus and to be avoided. jmo and what works for me.