potential member buying

[matt2310]

hey guys just had a quick question about buying from members.... im interested in a panther but sorta would rather buy from a member than a retail store but i was wondering how you know someone is trustworthy and wont take my money or something like that? kinda silly question but....

 

[studio2eight]

There are many reputable breeders/members on this forum. I don't think anyone would be willing to hurt their reputation by cheating someone out of their money. I've purchased two chameleons from two separate members, and the transactions have been great. If you want some peace of mind, pay through Paypal - because they have a money back guarantee if you don't get what you bought.

 

[DABRUTE]

There are many reputable breeders/members on this forum. I don't think anyone would be willing to hurt their reputation by cheating someone out of their money. I've purchased two chameleons from two separate members, and the transactions have been great. If you want some peace of mind, pay through Paypal - because they have a money back guarantee if you don't get what you bought.

who did you get yours from?

 

[Provancha65]

To be completely blunt, you will generally never know for certain whether or not a member maintains proper professional integrity until you do business with them yourself. Just because someone possess a reputation, or lacks one, does not necessarily mean that they will be completely honest, or dishonest, during a transaction. That being said, I have purchased roughly 15-16 chams from forum members exclusively, and while that alone is not a large enough sample to make any sweeping generalizations regarding trustworthiness, most of my transactions have been rather painless if not completely satisfactory. If you do not wish to purchase directly from a large chain, then I would recommend reviewing some of the site sponsors regarding their current availability depending on the species you are searching for. If you don't find what you are looking for feel free to pm me and I will provide with a couple names of trusted private/casual breeders that you may take an interest in.

 

[Provancha65]

Not to negate what you have stated regarding peace of mind, but from my understanding paypal does not ensure live animals under any circumstance, along with several other things that might surprise you. A lot of individuals that I have purchased from started using other billing methods such as amazon and direct billing mediums. I feel like there is room for a company that literally handles nothing but the transaction and sales of animals and animal affiliated products in the US, but that is just me.

 

[sandrachameleon]

hey guys just had a quick question about buying from members.... im interested in a panther but sorta would rather buy from a member than a retail store but i was wondering how you know someone is trustworthy and wont take my money or something like that? kinda silly question but....

You can never know for sure, no matter where you buy from.

if the person has been a member for a long time, has decent rep rating, has threads where others have thanked them for their new chameleons, you're likely safe. You can ask what other members have bought from them, to check references
Also consider a site sponsor

You can check the fauna classifieds board of inquiry

 

[Olimpia]

The great thing about buying from someone who is actively participating in a forum is that you have access to their entire posting history. So you can see everything they've ever said, and that gives you a pretty decent picture of someone's character, I believe. Are they helpful to other members? Friendly? They're probably going to be friendly and helpful to you as a customer. Or are they sort of rude or antagonistic when talking to others? Hmm... maybe not so much. Are they sharing photos of great looking cages and chameleons or are they asking questions on how to cut corners in care and sharing less than perfect set-ups?

Additionally, I highly recommend you check out the reviews in the BOI here: http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13
I would run a search on someone's screen name and real name before committing to a purchase, to see if anything comes up. People use this site to write positive or negative reviews on people who deal with exotics, and they have to present evidence when writing a negative review so it lets you read through it all and make up your mind for yourself.

And then our sponsors are all people we trust. We don't let someone become a sponsor without having a good reputation, so you can buy with confidence from them as well.

Good luck!

 

[Dez]

Ask a bunch of questions. A good breeder won't mind taking the time to answer all your questions and will be very knowledgeable about the animal they are selling.

Ask if they have a health guarantee

Don't feel bad about looking back through the persons thread like Olimpia said to get a feel for the person you are considering buying from.

Fauna BOI is also a good place to check for good rep (as Olympia already said)

 

[deerharvester]

Use Paypal, I haven't been ripped off On here for Chams, all of my Cham buying experiences have been good. I did get ripped off for a pro mist system On here, used western union. Hope it helps.

 

[Olimpia]

Deerharvester brings up a good point (but I'm sorry you went through that!)

Especially when buying animals online you have to be careful of how you pay or get paid. I think anytime anyone wants to transfer funds via a method that isn't trackable or that doesn't protect you (such as Western Union, cashier's check, etc.) raises a red flag for me. Thankfully Paypal is the norm among a good 99% of people in the hobby, so I don't come across anything weird often.

Paypal is a great tool, they usually do a good job of standing behind you if something goes wrong.

 

[Brad]

We use paypal in the bookstore and it's very convenient. Will they get involved and attempt to resolve problems when the item is a live animal? I think I recall there being issues in the past.

 

[Olimpia]

We use paypal in the bookstore and it's very convenient. Will they get involved and attempt to resolve problems when the item is a live animal? I think I recall there being issues in the past.

I've never had to do it personally but I believe they do. I think I've had a handful of friends work successfully with Paypal.

 

[Tatertot]

I've found out the hard way that unfortunately paypal only covers issues animal related if it's intended for human consumption and usda. Every once in a great while if the seller has a track record of bad transaction paypal will side with the buyer but more often than not, they'll just say that you should've read their terms of service & buyer protection terms.