Trying to sell Jack...

[iLuvMyLilBuns]

Hey everyone!

So I'm still looking for a home for Jack. I posted an ad (with a picture of Jack)on craigslist and other sites online. This is what the ad says (This is my first time selling a rabbit so let me know if this ad is okay)

I have an adorable Holland Lop buck rabbit that is 8 weeks old. He is currently ready to sell.

Price is as follows: $35

About the breed: The Holland Lop is the smallest and the most popular of the lop-eared rabbits. They weigh only 3-4 pounds when they are full grown. They are very mellow & friendly smaller rabbits that are easy for beginners to handle and care for.

He has been handled from birth and is extremely socialized. He loves cuddling and hopping around. My friendly rabbit is pedigreed, show quality, and he comes from award winning lines. He would be great for show, breeding, 4-H, or pets. Included with the sale of the rabbit: three generation pedigreed papers, changeover rabbit pellets, and guaranteed support (email/phone) throughout the life time of the rabbit. For more information on him, his parents, pictures, or to secure the rabbit please contact me.

I've gotten 3emails that went in my spam folder. They sound weird lol. This is the first email.

Good Morning,


How are you doing today with your adorable pet for adoption hope great? I am responding to your advert placement on craigslist.com concerning your re homing of your pet for adoption am highly interested in adopting the pet to be part of my lovely family because we don't have any pet in the house we are rearing for now in the house i will urge you once again to kindly consider my family for the adoption especially for Nishia her birthday celebration is this December and i will really want to adopt a pet for her also I will need some vital information about the pet before adopting....


Are you the actual owner of the pet? when last did the pet visit the vet doctor for medical check up and shots and also i want you to kindly get back to me as soon as you can with your last asking price for your pet and what he or she likes eating most i will be looking forward to hear back from you i will also like some photos of the pet if it available.....


Hope to hear back from you soon and enjoy the rest of the day with your adorable pet...

Dana

I replied telling her that the "pet" is a rabbit and he is a Holland lop ect. I told her the price of the rabbit, answered her questions, and I asked her if she has ever cared for a rabbit before and if she knows anything about them. This is what she replied.



Good Morning,



i am glad and happy to read back from you concerning the re homing of your pet and really appreciate your brief descriptions of the adorable pet it's very okay by the family we live in our owned house at in Michigan and we have three lovely Daughters namely Nishia,Kathy and Rufina they cherished pet a lots they spent most of there leisure time with our neighbor's pet Gizmo down here, so i will want you to consider my family for the adoption.....


I am capable for the adoption fee for the pet we really love to have your pet to be part of my family because we don't have any pet at home that we are rearing for now in the house and our house was wood fence about 10.87ft high and we have a very large yard where pet can play and roam around comfortably if necessary i can assure you a safety and caring home for your adorable pet and i can as well assure you that we will be sending you the pictures of the pet to you after he or she gets down here and every two weeks so that you will know how caring we are for pet because we are not a pet abuser...


As regard the shipping arrangement for the pet by the Pet Courier service i will take proper good care of that because i have a competent and reliable Pet Moving company that will contact you at your location they shipped pets for my family in some years back they will be coming to your door step at your location for the pick up of the pet after you might have receive my payment,so you don't have to be bother about the shipping because the shipping company will handle all with care also i will be booking some pets accessories with them so that the pet can have some toys to play with round the house i will be sending you a Cashier check or Money Order as my mode of payment and i will like to proceed to payment for the pet as soon as we can i will need you to provide us with your full payment information such as:


Your full name to be written on the cashier check your Physical contact address Your area zip code Your Phone numbers for smooth communication . Hope to hear back from you as soon as possible with the required payment information so that we can proceed with the payment as soon as we can for the pet also attached pictures of Grandma and and the family below can you Nishia the celebrant putting on Glasses?


i think i told you in my previous emails that Nishia birthday celebration is this December and we really want to see the pet at home so that we can both celebrate together we promise to be sending you pictures immediately after the celebration so that you can be rest assured that we are a loving and Caring family for your adorable pet in Brown family....


Hope to hear from you soon and enjoy the rest of the day with your adorable pet...


Dana Brown


What do you guys think of this? Like I said it went in my spam folder. Would any of you sell your rabbit to this family??

I also got two more emails that went in my spam folderfrom people who saw my ad on craigslist and I'll put those below.

Dear Sir/Madam

I would love to make an inquiry about your pet that you posted on
Craigslist, do you still have the pet up for adoption? if yes i would
love to adopt your pet to be part of my lovely family, if you're
looking for a good family to re-home your pet, i can assure you that
my family is the best, also i will appreciate more picture if
available for more satisfaction and do let me know your last asking
price. Hope the pet is in good condition and up to date on shot? if
not we can take care of the shot we promise. thanks and Reply asap.

Best Regards
Julia and family


I came across your advert on craigslist.com about your adorable pet
for adoption and I'm willing to adopt your pet for my 10 years old
Daughter because she love pet so much and I'm a pet lover as well.i
will like to know if the pet is still available for sale and it
picture if available for more satisfaction..i wait your quick
response.

Thanks
Selina

Are these real people who want a rabbit?? Like I said I'm new at this and not very comfortable with selling my rabbit to people I don't know lol. Any breeders have advice for me on what you would do?? Jack needs a home soon, but I want him to go to a loving family who knows how to care for him

 

[woahlookitsme]

For the first one I would definitely ask her how she is going to shelter the rabbit. It sounds like he will be in the backyard. I have a friend who was a vet tech for a very long time and her californian is housed this way and he is always so happy but she also has a hutch to lock him up or let him hide if he needs it. I would just make sure there would be some kind of other housing provided.

They sound legit. The second one doesnt sound like they have ever owned a rabbit lol. Shots? Really. I would ask her more questions.

For the third I always question the child and if they understand the responsibilities of getting a rabbit.

I actually get a lot of emails like that but yours were actually much longer lol. Let me see if I can find one that I gave a bun too. All the families we met from craigslist were wonderful people and the kids were actually really careful with the buns and the parents watched them like hawks. The parents knew what they were getting into and I was very happy when I left all of my visits.

"Hello I am very interested in your beautiful rabbit. Please let me know if your offer is still good. I am willing to offer $20" That was a lady that took one tan from me she even sent me updated pictures of candy

Lol gotta love the one word emails
"is lola still available? where are you located?"

Those are all the ones I can remember the names of people.

 

[woahlookitsme]

WHOA EDIT: lol nevermind about the first dont even try with her talking about a pet carrier service HAHA Go on to the other two and try to get more info maybe? Or at least try talking on the phone. That will give you a better idea because usually people fall through with emails. .

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Don't make a sale to those inquiries OR respond to the emails! They're all spam and things like that can give your computer a virus if you open or respond to them. Legitimate inquiries will sound like normal people, more conversational, and will mention the specifics of the ad. Not general terms like "pet," "satisfaction" and "quick reply," in many incomplete or foreign sounding sentences. Those are tell-tale signs of a generalized spam ad.

Overall, I think your ad is very good and informational. Though like I mentioned before, I wouldn't recommend advertising him as show quality or a breeding rabbit at just 8 weeks or so old. You could end up with a mad customer down the road if he matures to be pet quality. Instead of declaring show quality, brood quality, etc. at this point in time, you could just give an evaluation of his overall type. For example, "At this point in time, Name has heavy bone, a strong, wide shoulder, short ears and a bold head. I would fault him on a slipped crown and pinched hindquarter." Or whatever the case may be! That way, the buyers can determine for themselves whether his features will fit into their herds and won't be expecting promised show or breeding success.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

I am going to call this a scam. It sounds like one where they will send you a cheque to cover the cost of the rabbit and the transport, but it is more than what is needed and they want you to send the extra back. The cheque is fake and you are out the extra. Them saying 'pet' instead of rabbit is a big flag. Nothing in the e-mails say anything about a rabbit specifically. I would suggest you delete these messages and not reply to any future ones.

As far as I am concerned, if someone can't at least answer questions and know they are getting a rabbit, then they are not serious.

It is a good idea to meet the buyer in person and deal with cash. If you feel comfortable asking, see if you can drop off the rabbit so you can see where he will be living. Some people might not be comfortable with that, but good people should be willing to show you what they have. Offering 'delivery' can be a perk for some people.

If something in an e-mail seems off, then go with your gut and don't sell to those people. The scam people don't want a rabbit, they want your money.

 

[Imbrium]

those all sound odd, the way they never use the word "rabbit"... the responses I've gotten to my ads have all used the word "hamster". sounds like your local craigslist is full of weirdos, lol.

 

[JBun]

DO NOT respond to any of those! They are all con artists trying to trick you out of your money, or worse. These are some key things to look for in any responses to your ad - the phrasing of sentences just doesn't sound right, they want to pay with a cashiers check (if I were you I would state in the ad that you accept cash only) or they offer more than you are asking for or that phrase 'let me know your last asking price (when the price is obviously stated in the ad), they want to transport the 'pet' or say they will send someone to pick it up, they don't actually use the specifics from your ad like it being a rabbit, holland lop, the gender, instead they are using a general term like always using the phrase pet, in fact I would bet several other 'pet' owners trying to sell their pet, whether cat, dog, or rabbit, got the same exact email as you. Unfortunately with the internet, con artists and scammers can try and cheat you and steal your money from all over the world these days . Be suspicious of every email you get. If it doesn't sound quite right or off, then do not respond. Also make sure if you do have someone interested, never give your personal information out. DO NOT give an address and also your phone number if you really don't have to. Never invite them to come see your rabbit at your home. Meet in a neutral and safe place, preferrably when it's light, and if you can, have someone else with you. You just need to be cautious because there are a lot of predators and weirdos that also peruse craigslist as well.

I really hope you have success in finding Jack a good home. Have you tried posting in a local classifieds ad as well?

 

[majorv]

I agree with the others...these all sound fishy.Referring to your rabbit as "pet"? You might lookat a website called hoobly (www.hoobly.com). They have an area for pets and the few times I've used it, most of the responses sounded more legit than what you got. As someone else said, consider a classified ad in the local paperif it doesn't cost too much. Online listings are usually free though.

 

[missyscove]

The first one in particular sounds very much to me like what Kate said, where they'll send a check for more than the cost of the service, ask you to pay the difference and it turns out the check is fraudulent.

 

[KittyKatMe]

:yeahthat: That's creepy... I've never gotten any like that. Once I got one that said:
"I'll buy some if u pay 4 shipping"
Obviously I didn't reply. But when I posted on 2 sites, I got 1-2 real answers per day. The "perfect home" that I found said this:
"Hi,
My name is Lisa and I live with my 14 year old daughter. We raise chinchillas and own cavies, but I'd like to have a bunny. I've done my research and I already set up an xpen setup: (link to pic). I think this is appropriate. I am interested in your female and one of her brothers. I plan to fix them and have them live together. If you don't mind, I would prefer to come visit them to see their parents, siblings, etc.
Thank you for your time,
Lisa
It seemed a little personal, but it ended up being a fabulous home. I just got a picture update today and they're doing great!

 

[Imbrium]

majorv wrote:

I agree with the others...these all sound fishy.Referring to your rabbit as "pet"? You might lookat a website called hoobly (http://www.hoobly.com). They have an area for pets and the few times I've used it, most of the responses sounded more legit than what you got. As someone else said, consider a classified ad in the local paperif it doesn't cost too much. Online listings are usually free though.

ooh, thanks! missed that one when looking for places to advertise my baby hammies/starter kits.

 

[fuzz16]

they are scammers! They will sell your email as well, so dont reply to them

 

[Toady]

Sounds like Nigerian scammers to me, they tend to use language like that and want to send you a check (which is always fake) that's way too much and want you to take out your amount and send the rest forward to them.

There was a website set up where a lady (who owned horses) would scam the scammers and often would say things like 'the horse lost a leg in an accident' or 'the gelding is pregnant' which got answered with 'that's alright'

Good luck finding a good home for Jack

 

[luvthempigs]

A pregnant gelding, huh? Now thats too funny! :biggrin2:

I would be very careful about going to someone's home. If you really feel you need to do so atleast make sure someone goes with you and someone else knows your going. Too many weirdos out there.

 

[lauratunes12]

Yeah, I wouldn't trust any of those people. Also, pregnant gelding?! Try maybe doing something like that Kylie, that weeds people out real quickly. But the fact that none of them said "rabbit" or "bunny" even after you correcting them concerns me.

I really wish we could have taken him, but right after convincing my dad to buy Sherwood Forest instead of cheap Walmart pellets, he started yelling that this bunny is too much work and we're not getting another, so... (He loved her when she was a baby, but he's all cranky now that she's getting hormonal. )

 

[KittyKatMe]

Lol Laura my parents thought it was ridiculous that I never get a manicure but I buy Oxbow pellets. I've gotten many replies to ads on Craigslist and none of them have been scams like that. Hmm... Maybe it's the area? But I was just curious... If your cousin wants Jack, then why don't you sell him to them?

 

[pamnock]

In these cases, a very large money order is sent that appears legit. The money order is to cover the cost of the purchases as well as third party shipping. By the time the money order is cashed and found to be fake, you will be out a LOT of $$$. (The buyer demands that you pay the "shipper" ASAP). You can play it through and have them send the fake checks - but don't cash them!

 

[agnesthelion]

Ditto to every post. don't trust ANY od them. All spam

 

[lauratunes12]

KittyKatMe wrote:

Lol Laura my parents thought it was ridiculous that I never get a manicure but I buy Oxbow pellets. I've gotten many replies to ads on Craigslist and none of them have been scams like that. Hmm... Maybe it's the area? But I was just curious... If your cousin wants Jack, then why don't you sell him to them?

Wait, are you talking about my cousin? If so, I never said anything about a cousin. I might have mentioned my stepsister...

 

[iLuvMyLilBuns]

Thanks everyone for all the replies I agree with you all that these messages are spam

Laura: I think Kat was asking me about my cousin, I might have mentioned that she is interested.

Kat: The reason I don't really want to sell him to my cousin is because she is 7 years old, her dad raises meat rabbits, the rabbits live in small wire cages and they feed them cheap pellets and nothing else, they arn't clean with the rabbits, and the rabbits sit in the cages all day. I don't think they even pet them lol. If that's how you raise meat rabbits that's fine but I don't want Jack to live in that environment. I was thinking, I could teach my cousin how to care for a "pet" rabbit like how to feed him and care for him and whatever and then Iwouldbe more comfortable selling him to her....Maybe I'm being too picky? lol.But IfIdon't find a home within the next 2weeks he probably will be going to her because I have no where to keep himI already have 3 large hutches in my tiny backyard along with large playpens and my parents reminded me that we don't live on a farm soo 3 bunnies is the maximum I'm not very happy lol.