A couple from Telford have become the latest victims of an internet puppy-selling scam after being conned out £450.
Graham Trickett and his wife Amanda, of Brookside, responded to an internet advert offering two pedigree puppies for £80.
However, after making the payment, the British bulldogs never turned up - and the pair were asked for three further payments.
Mother-of-four Mrs Trickett, 34, today said she was certain she had been conned. She had continued making the payments because she didn’t want to disappoint her children or husband.
“We wanted to buy two bulldogs - a boy and a girl that were brother and sister,” she said. “We’d seen them for sale on the internet.”
Mrs Trickett made contact with the dog-seller, who said another man, who owned a pet transportation company, would deliver them from Leeds.
She said: “This was on April 4 and I had a phone call saying I had to pay £80, which I did. They said they would turn up in four hours and 45 minutes.
“But they didn’t. Then we were told we had to pay another £100 for pet insurance, which had apparently just ran out.
“Then we had to pay a further £180. I kept asking but they wouldn’t tell me what is was for.
“I sent it due to the fact my children and my husband were looking forward to them.
“Then I paid another £90.”
On Thursday, Mr and Mrs Trickett were told the delivery man had died in a car accident in Leeds. There is still no sign of the dogs and the seller is no longer answering his phone.
Mr Trickett, 31, said: “We think they are advertising on the internet again under a different name. I think there are a lot of people being caught out by it. It’s just unbelievable. I feel numb.
“We want to let other people know these unscrupulous people are out there. We want to stop others from making the same mistake.”
Constable Pete Simmonds, of Telford police, said this type of incident was, unfortunately, not uncommon.
“If something looks too good to be true, then it probably is,” he said.
He urged people thinking of buying animals from the internet to carry out thorough research to ensure they knew who they were buying from.
22 Comments
The answer is always buy from a reputable breeder check with breed clubs or the kennel club for breeders in your area. Visit the kennels and see where possible one or both parents.
Check with the breeder if the breed is suitable for your situation and what the characteristics of the breed are.
If your happy then purchase a healthy pub with short term insurance in place and a feeding plan along with kennel club registration documents.
You can be sure that you get a fit and healthy pup that meets your needs.
Bulldog pups sell for 8 to 900 pounds anything less is suspect remember as always if it sounds too good to be true then it probably is. Buyer beware.
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If it sounds to good to be true it probably is..
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how silly. more fool them i say.
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“two pedigree puppies for £80″ - Well Duh!!!
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I’m glad that this was not a genuine offer as bulldog puppies would be wholly unsuitable for a household with children. Dogs are not playthings or status symbols and the rescue centres are full of unwanted dogs as it is.
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Go to Hilbrae dogs home, they have some beautiful dogs there.
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Im sorry but in today’s climate and with all the warnings, including the recent family who were ripped off in a similar incident, I fail to see how people get suckered into this.
As Andy says, buy from a local reputable breeder. If you are unsure of who to contact, get in touch with a vetinary surgery who may be able to help you.
Dont give your money over the internet until you can be absolutely 100% sure you know it is a secure and reputable site. Anyway, most breeders would probably ask for the money when you collect the dog!
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go to an animal shelter! I got an adorable daschund/jack russell cross puppy that was abandoned in a field over Christmas! If you go to the right places they will be able to tell you what dog is best suited to your lifestyle.
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Just how daft can people get!!! I can’t believe that she made THREE other payments after the initial £80:00 failed to result in any puppies arriving. Helloooooo….. wake up and smell the humous please.
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on 11 april my wife was nearly caught up in the same scam she was offered 2 puppies 4 250 pounds advertised on free ads claiming the sellers wife had recently passed awaY AND BECAUSE OF WORK COMMITMENTS HE COULD NO LONGER CARE 4 THE PUPPIES AS HE HAD SUPPOSEDLY BEEN TRANSFERRED TO SCOTLAND THE SELLER AT NO TIME ASKED 4 ANY MONEY ONLY TRANSPORTING FEE WHICH WAS 2 BE PAID ON DELIVERY OF PUPPIES.WE WERE EMAILED BY THE TRANSPORTER ASKING US 2 PAY 250 POUNDS UP FRONT IT WAS THEN WE REALISED IT WAS A SCAM BECAUSE THE TRANSPORTERS WERE BASED IN CAMEROON. THE AD IS NO LONGER ON WEB SITE .
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Here we go again, a British Bulldog, the ultimate Chav accessory,on the cheap, and where ? Telford !!
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Unbelievable how dumb some people can be. Whilst there are people with more money than sense, there will always be scammers.
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I wish you all knew this couple there so nice its really and truely unfair amanda that you and your family have gone through this, please dont do this again however amanda you would of learnt by that misstake
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Perhaps the dogs were ‘delivered’ by royal mail and got lost in the post
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Fools, If your stupid enough to buy a dog on the net then you deserve to be ripped off.
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You see it on the news, previously on the shropshire star, why do it theres no security online!
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I feel sorry for anyone who has fallen for a scam (haven’t we all at some time or another?), but it’s one thing buying an inanimate object, something completely different buying puppies over the internet.
As a previous poster commented, I’m glad the deal was a con, what sort of person buys a puppy unseen over the internet (or for that matter, from an advert in this paper with the famous “can deliver” line).
In the words of the old but true phrase “a dog is for life”. Someone buying a puppy should spend a long time choosing the breed (or crossbreed) that best fits in with their lifestyle, then spend TEN times as long thinking about whether they can really offer the dog a decent home.
Why do you think this paper carries so many articles about abandoned puppies and adult dogs/cruelty/dogs biting children/appeals for good homes for strays?
Every time an animal cruelty case comes up in the papers we’re told how it was the result of someone not being able to cope - if they’re that inadequate why don’t they avoid having pets (and preferably children as well - animal and child neglect seem to go hand in hand - the NSPCC was founded by members of the RSPCA) and stick to computer games - they can always leave them in the cupboard when they’re bored with them, after about five minutes?
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Steven, If you genuinely think that the only people stupid enough to fall for this sort of scam all come from Telford, then you really need to get out a little more.
There’s one born every minute as they say, and they’re certainly not all born in Telford!
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‘Caveat Emptor’..let the buyer beware,it’s nice to see for once a proper family where mum and dad are actually married,well done!
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Go to a rescue centre, there are far too many abandoned animals out there to be buying them from fraudulent dealers on the internet. I’m sure your children would be just as happy with a rescue pup or two.
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a dog is not just for the internet but for the whole wide web
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its just nearly happened again, but this time with parrots. a woman was claiming that it would only cost me £90 for delivery but they were based in Istanbul??? I dont get it either. Just in future watch out for the free advertising websites, and email adresses that are yahoo.com people will try anything for money nowadays
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