Richardson's Family Puppies Ripped me Off, Scam Wantagh New York

I found this dog breeder on puppyfind.com, I emailed him and asked if he had a website.  He gave me his website and I looked it over.  I googled him and came up with nothing.  I called and asked what kind of training the puppy was getting.  He said the puppy was being crate trained in his garage and that his children took the dog out every day after school. The puppy was supossed to be up to date on all shots. 

I drove a long way to get the dog and when I got there the first thing I noticed was a huge barn.  Coming from the barn was a lot of barking,  it sounded like there was a lot of puppies in the barn.  The puppy I was supposed to get was really 6 months old.  When I reached out to touch the puppy, he reared back and wouldnt let me. I have young children so I told the guy I couldnt take the puppy.  He seemed very upset and offered to take money off. I asked if there were any other puppies avalable and he went into the barn and brought back another puppy.

This puppy was a litte younger and didnt seem as skittish so I bought him.  He was very dirty and had feces in his fur. (The other puppy was all bathed and brushed)  The only reason I hadent bailed was because at that point I was feeling very bad for the puppies and thought at least I would be able to save one and then I would work on saving the rest from home.

When I brought him to the vet a couple days later she told me he needed a hernia repair.  She also asked what kind of toys I was giving him.  I told her I had just brought the puppy home and she said his teeth were cracked and chipped.  His teeth were supposed to be pointed and sharp and they are flat and worn down.

Well I learned my lesson. Next time I need to do a little reseacrh before buying puppies online. Here are some info I found that may help you before you by puppies online:

Most internet transactions are perfectly legitimate yet there are occassional reports of fraud or scams. Read the information below to help ensure do not become a victim of fraud.

We've listed some tips on how to buy safely with a step-by-step guide to follow along the way. Please note that these signs are not the only definitive indicator of a fraudulent seller. They are factors to help you identify high-risk transactions. Likewise, there is no guarantee that if a seller does not meet any of these criteria, it's a legitimate seller. If you are suspicious, it's a good idea to do some research. It is very important to remember that if something doesn't seem right, it probably isn't.

Step 1: Educate yourself

1000's of quality breeders buy pets online. There are at times a few bad apples that can be easily pointed out by reviewing good dog breeder guides.

Step 2: Protect yourself when buying online

The common internet scams and warning signs is a great resource for educating yourself on typical internet scams. The scams are used on internet sites across the world and are easily identified if you educate yourself.

Request Personalized Photos: Require the seller to send additional pictures of the dog you are interested in. Require a specific item to be in the photo. Make sure this item is something you request (not the seller suggest) such as your name on a piece of paper, or anything creative you can think of to ensure the puppy exists. If the seller refuses to send additional pictures or state their camera is broken, or they do not have a digital camera, or are unable to for some reason to send the photos, then report the seller to NextDayPets.com and discontinue communication.

Do NOT trust a seller whom:

1. Uses any techniques as noted in the Common Internet Scams and Warning Signs link below.
2. States they are from Africa, Lagos, Nigeria, Cameroon or London.
3. Insists you use Western Union or other money transfer services. This type of payment offers ZERO protection.
4. Speaks of missionary work or AIDS relief work to build trust.
5. Cannot provide additional 'personalized' photos.

Step 3: Initiate communication with the seller

Contact the seller via email or phone. Only use email as the initial form of contact. Do NOT use email as the only means of communication. Speak to the seller on the phone more than once.

Step 4: Interview the seller

The seller should interview you as outlined in step 1 above (over the phone). You should interview the seller with questions regarding their breeding practices as outlined in step 1 above (over the phone).

Step 5: Purchase safely

Never send Western Union or Money Gram when buying online as there is no way to protect your money if a problem should arise.