Breeder Won't Give Deposit Back - Page 3

Shelley, do you refund their money if you decide not to sell them a pup?

If I breed a black and red male and female (both carrying the LC recessive), will I accept a non-refundable deposite for a (1) black and red, (2) longcoat, (3) male pup for a specific litter? OTH, if I were a potential buyer, I would never specify that any puppy meet these limited restrictions.

No breeder or buyer in his right mind would ever agree in writing to these stipulations. This a "no brainer" on the parts of both the breeder and the potential buyer.

Dude,

I'll send $200 to the breeder to stop breeding for coats

OBVIOUSLY this wasn't a NONREFUNDABLE deposit. If it were the web site would not say : 

"if she can't supply you with the coat/colouring of a puppy from the litter you put money down for she will give you back your money"

So just as the customer is to live up to the agreement so too is the breeder. If she was unable to produce the desired pup the deposit needs to be returned. Simple business 101.

It is only determined by the contract between the buyer and seller...not us...just because we think it should be...a lot of breeders do not refund deposits......for any reason...it is put into the wait pile and the next litter  has this buyers  name at the top of list...If buyer declines a pup...he has lost his deposit......very few breeders refund deposits...

The attitude of the buyer , when a deposit is made,,,may make that breeder voluntaryily give the deposit back as she /he doesnt want to sell the buyer a pup or a dog,,,because of obviouse arguementive attitude and keeps calling and bugging the breeder with negatory finds and causes problems before the pup is even born.....I have recently heard of this happening,,again this is a breeder choice to not sell a pup to a buyer if they see trouble on the forefront.....this is usually the only reason a deposit is returned....then that buyer is on    THE  LIST>>>>> passed to all breeders in the network.....>>>>>>

YR, you know what you can do with your list.  And SS.......measley $200???  This is part of the reason  I'll either be breeding my own pup or taking up the offer of a very kind person on this list who offered me a free pup.

I don't really plan on taking her to small claims court. Thats a little ridiculous. And I do realize $200 isn't a lot of money especially considering what some of you (I'm sure) have paid for dogs. But either way it's money. And I just think its crooked practises especially when she stated that deposits were refundable if she wasn't able to produce a coat/colour.

I have been in contact with this breeder since May of 2007. Three "possible" litters later...and one year I finally got fed up with it.

After reading these posts I think I will e-mail her back and explain that she really wasn't able to "supply" me with the pup I was hoping for. If she still refuses to refund the deposit I will just cut my losses and move on.

Thanks for the advice everyone!

Sorry Shelley, but $200 is not a 'measly' amount. It's money alright.

If I were in this situation I, too, would want it back. S/he wants a red and black coated and three litters later the breeder hasn't been able to supply such a dog. Couch doesn't want a sable and shouldn't have to take one. That wasn't the deal. S/he has been patient long enough. Time to give the money back so Couch can go shopping elsewhere. Doing anything less is fraud.

They don't call me Judge Judy for nothing  :)

This is a good thread for me.  I recently had a dynamite female from a good line that didn't pass OFAs due to the genetic wildcard.  Broke my heart as well as the breeder's.  I am lucky, I don't have a problem with my breeder. My female was supposed to be my foundation breeding bitch as well as my Schutzhund dog (oh the dreams we dream). I have a great male but now am looking for new female (breeder promised me pick of next litter, mine not hers or money back and I won't go into boring explanations why I am not having problems with this breeder).  

Tigermouse, I have to admit, $200 to lose is an ouch to me. But then again, I only give deposits when I see the pup I want, I want to make sure everything is in order at home, vet visits, kenneling, etc is right for new addition and I am one of those annoying people who wants to see puppy and parents, meet the breeder and have the breeder meet me (it has to be a mutual descision, breeder has has much interest in making sure puppy is placed well as I am to meet breeder/puppies/parents and see the facility, I am strong on gut reactions so some of you may think I am nutts and I have to agree , but dogs are important to me, and I haven't been wrong on gut reactions yet "if it gives you a stomache then don't do it").

I won't bore all of you with the sometimes weird encounters I have had with breeders, but bottom line for me is (Firefighter/Paramedic saying) if you didn't write it, it didn't happen, you didn't see it. Always get in writing the specifics and I never pay or deposit for what I haven't seen and handled when it comes to dogs or horses.

4Pack, that was a good writing.....I have to keep that one in mind for down the road....

 I don't breed, but my mother in law breeds champion maltese that are very nice. She has many, many people who back out on a deposit, and it is nonrefundable. She has refunded deposits when people find out they have cancer, or their spouse dies or something horrible and unforseen happens, but it isn't SOP. Most of the time, people just change their mind, and it is a major inconvenience, especially after you have spent literally HOURS on the phone telling people what new baby fluffy did today (I think that must be a toy dog thing!) and sending another set of pictures to them. Why try to reserve puppies at all if the deposit in refundable? Why not just send an announcement and let the rush begin? The deposit system allows my MIL to look at puppies from the first day of birth evaluating them for the household that has put a deposit on them and maximizes her chances of placing the puppies in the *right* home. 

$200 was a lot to me too before I had a working dog who somehow manages to break his teeth, cut his paws open because he feels no pain, and has to have the highest quality food. My first dental bill was $3700. I got a new dentist for him, and we expect this next round to be ONLY $1400. So - at this point - $200 is no big thing :)

Yes it would be lovely to see that money back, and the breeder should give it back if they agreed to it, but it isn't unfair to ask for a deposit when you are giving a commitment of time and effort to try to help someone select the right puppy for them (or giving them the option to pick the right one for them).