“Never, ever under any circumstances pay money upfront to a cat breeder for a purebred cat.” – Michael
In fact never pay money upfront for anything because you may lose it all which is what happened to a woman living in Woodside, Palo Alto, California, USA. It is near San Francisco. Today, the world is full of scammers mainly online. The internet is made for scamming. Be ever vigilant.
We don’t know if this sale took place through online social media but it could have been. The intended purchase was carried out without meeting the breeder face-to-face which I think it a very and idea.
The woman found what she believed was a reputable Russian Blue cat breeder online and made contact by email early September of this year.
I guess the breeder asked for $2,300 up front. That was wrong and the price seems high anyway. Purebred cats usually cost less than $1,000. Once the money had been sent the woman never heard from the breeder again. A classic and simple scam.
Other people have been scammed in the same way by this person.
The police are involved but it would seem that the breeder had no real address. It was all a fiction. The money will be almost impossible to recover.
The moral for anyone buying a purebred cat is to visit the premises of the breeder. You can check the conditions and meet the cats. One cat will select you. You can discuss the contract and get one – a good one.
But you must never, ever, buy a purebred cat without meeting the breeder and her/his premises unless you are absolutely certain by other means that the breeder is completely bona fide and reputable. Even then, personally, I would not bypass a personal visit as it is an insurance policy.
You have to make sure that the cats are well socialised and healthy. You can’t do that at a distance on the internet. And $2,300 is too much money to risk losing.
The breeder may be too far away which is why buyers accept a sale online. The breeder then delivers the cat by air. I would still not do it this way; too risky and you need to see the cats first. You have to meet them.
Source: Daily Post.
SOME ARTICLES ON THE RUSSIAN BLUE CAT:
