How do you avoid timewasters?

Was really annoyed today.
I have had this woman "harassing" me for a bunny for FREE for her daughter. Sent me loads of messages trying to persuade me to give her a kit for free. I held firm & told her it was £20 a kit (standard price here). She reeled off this sob story about how her daughter really wanted a rabbit, basically trying to emotionally guilt me into offering a free one.
Later on she messaged me again, would I take £15?
I again told her no, it was £20.
So then she tells me they are on their way NOW to view the kits. I then went through the business of preparation, seperating the kits to be viewed from the others etc.
Then an hour later I get a text reading: The traffic was so bad we had to go back. Is it ok if we come up tomorrow?

This woman wasnt that far away either.
Needless to say, I sent her one last message saying that I reserved the right to judge a suitable owner & she had failed.
To be honest I'm not sorry, I don't think I would have let her leave with one anyway since she probably would have failed to impress.
The childish flattery she was trying to do over the phone was scary enough, I'm glad I didn't have to meet them both in person.
I don't sell to just anyone since I don't want to see my rabbits being resold or given away on sites. If they are sold as pets, then they are pets. If they are sold for meat then they are trade.

In the long run I have spent 2 days being messed about by 1 timewaster.
What's your record?

P.S we are now keeping the 2 remaining kits who were to be viewed. We are very happy with this decision & so are they.

Are your rabbits secured in a way that prevents her from stealing one or more from you? I'd be concerned, and it sounds like she knows where you live.

Godsgrl said:

Are your rabbits secured in a way that prevents her from stealing one or more from you? I'd be concerned, and it sounds like she knows where you live.

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I am new to raising rabbits but I have raised Miniature Schnauzers for the last 10yrs. I have heard it all! I have heard so many BS sob stories that honestly I dismiss all of them as lies unless otherwise proven true. Recently, I had a woman call wanting to buy an adult Schnauzer I was trying to place in a pet home. She wanted to have her trained to be a therapy dog for her two children, both disabled according to her. She wanted to know if I'd take less. No. If I would accept a check to cash on a later date. No cash only. She then said she would pick her up the following week. I don't hold without deposits but if she's available you can come meet her. She behaved like she really wanted her but I never heard back from her. I assume it's because I didn't go for her bouncy check. I've also had a licensed breeder call and tell me she was on a set income and supporting her grandson. She wanted to buy two puppies at a discounted price even though they were priced at dirt cheap for that size and color. I find out she's a breeder by searching her number on Google. (I do this to all potential buyers). Up pops her website with Maltese puppies listed for $1000 each. I call her back to tell her I know she's a breeder and refuse to sell to her. She picked two females that would mature at 5-8lbs. Not a safe size to breed and I told her that up front. She changes her story but still lies. Claims to not raise schnauzers just other breeds. Not true I saw her site with 5-6 breeds listed including M. Schnauzers. I've had 4 puppies stolen in the past. Never caught the culprit. Now, I meet in a public place and no longer allow buyers to come to my home. It's not worth putting my family or pets at risk. I also keep all my puppies in my home now.

Wow, that is bl#/dy awful!
Well, unless she wants to tackle our 6 stone Rottweiler & 3 stone bull terrier, I doubt very, very much she will get through our side gate.

I would have been raging in your shoes, I don't breed dogs, but I have 2 friends who do. One breeds akitas & the other breeds Rottweilers.
They never lost pups probably because the adult dogs looked & sounded intimidating. All big softies really, but strangers don't know that.
The Staffordshire bull terrier pups one lady bred were a different story....
She had to keep a close eye on them in the garden because they would run upto the fence to say hello to anyone passing.

GD91 said:

I would have been raging in your shoes, I don't breed dogs, but I have 2 friends who do. One breeds akitas & the other breeds Rottweilers.

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I still get upset about it and it's been nearly 8 years ago. We moved shortly after that happened. The new attendant had the little boy that lived across the road climb into his pitbull's pen and let him out. The father of the child shot the dog (didn't kill him) claiming he was behaving aggressively towards his child. They claimed the little boy never stepped foot on the pitbull owner's property but a officer found the little boy's shoe inside the pen. The little boy was only wearing one shoe at the time. I suspect the same neighbors were involved in my puppies' disappearance. The little boy was constantly trespassing as well as his teen sister. We lived WAY off the road. with a heavily wooded area between the house and road. They would ask if they could play with the puppies. They would frequently ride bicycles or a four-wheeler through our front yard. I don't think those parents even cared where their children were.

Sounds like you have great security guards! I have 2 yorkies that would possibly gnaw some ankles. One is obese and the other has 3 legs. Not sure how intimidating they'll look. LOL!

Now I have the image of a 3-legged yorkie running around in my head. ;-)

I think it's rather standard to have a few time wasters and crazies when you're selling animals. The worst experience I ever had was actually with a turkey. We let our birds completely free-range back then ... Anyway the turkey was out free-ranging and somebody driving by shot him, grabbed him, and took off.
I was not impressed. Not a customer or potential customer at least...

If some one can't afford to BUY an animal, then they can't afford to care for it either.