I haven't actually SOLD any ducklings to bad purchasers (thank goodness!), but I've had a few very annoying and potentially dangerous responses to my craigslist ads. Anyone else? Most recently, about a month ago someone responded to my ad (which is very detailed and requests very specific information of potential purchasers) with a very brief message saying he wanted 8 ducks and could I send him my address so he could "mapquest" it. I wrote back, giving him further detailed information, a nearby street for him to mapquest for the general area, and a polite re-request for the information originally requested in the ad (and which most folks have no problem providing). He wrote back with his phone number and a demand that I call him "asap!" Looked like fishing for personal data to me, so I ignored it. Besides, I am not at the beck and call of just anyone who happens to want ducks and "needs" me to call them right this minute. I do love my hobby, and I spend A LOT of time on the phone with folks educating them and answering questions and so on. But not with people who are being rude and/or stupid. So I moved it to my archives, marked him on my craigslist "blacklist" and forgot about it. Well, just now I posted three ducklings that happen to be left from my most recent hatch, and guess who I got an email from? This time the dude tells me we had "talked" before and that I had told him I would save some ducks for him! He asked this time if I had 6 ducks for him, even though A) he had requested 8 previously and B) my ad clearly states that I have only three currently available. Okay. Am I being an idiot and ought to give the guy a chance? Am I overreacting? Or does it sound like personal data mining to you too? And furthermore, am I wrong to think I really don't want to deal with this creep anyway, even if he really does want to buy ducks? Lucky me, they are in such demand that I don't really have to go begging for buyers. And, by the way, these ducks are already reserved by someone who very politely provided all their information in their FIRST email to me. So, let me hear *your* duck buyer horror stories. Or general craigslist horror stories. I hope no one on here has had *really* awful things happen through craigslist or buyers, but maybe talking about the experiences we *have* had will help others avoid them.
I don't have any experience selling, but I just wanted to say that you shouldn't even entertain the thought of dealing with this guy if he is giving you the creeps. Trust your gut and advoid him like the plauge! I don't know what his deal is, but it sounds really fishy to me. I wouldn't contact him.
No you are not overreacting, if you get a weird vibe from someone, dont engage with them!!! Only give your ducks (and home address) to non-creepy people!!! I have also had some wierd craigslist experiences with people who refuse to give me any personal information about themselves or their purpose for purchasing my poultry. I was fostering some roosters for the local tsc and I had a craigslist add for some roosters, I specifically mentioned that they must go to a forever home and must be pets, not food. I got a phone call from a guy who wanted them and he seemed normal enough. I asked him if it would be okay if I came out to his place and dropped off the roosters, he said it would be better if he came to get them. I insisted on seeing his place (I am not about to give chickens to a bad place) and he kept making up excuses. I finally gathered, after about 10 minutes or arguing about pick up/drop off with the guy, that he was planning on keeping them for meat. I then said never mind and hung up. You have got to be careful who you sell your poultry to!!!
I had a women contact me about my BEI ducklings. I always try to get a feel for what their intentions are with them. She proceded to tell me how she gets ducklings every year and lets them live on the river behind her house, but they disappear every year but doesn't know what happens to them. DUH!! Thank god I had sold them all five minutes before she called. I have even talk people out of wanting mine because I didn't feel they would make a responsible owner. Some people just shouldn't own animals.
I can top all that, Lol!! Once a little Chinese guy came to my farm to buy ducklings (he saw my ad in the paper). When he got here he was surprised how small they were and only wanted the $2 ducks! So okay, I picked out the ugliest males I had (I was overrun with them or would not have sold to him). So, he pays me cash, takes the 6 or 7 ducklings (2-4 months old) and throws them in deep round (picture 50 gallon drum) of water in the back of his mini pickup and drives away. Soup? Was he making the soup on the way home?? OK, second one- this really rich guy comes to buy some Calls, Runners & Swedish ducks from me. He picks, he pays, then tosses each of about 8 or 10 ducks (adults) into the trunk of his tiny little car and drives away. He lives 2 hours away. What?? People R strange....
I had a lady come out to buy ducks, she got a male, female and an extra duckling i had. She put them (in boxes) in her trunk but she wasn't 2 hours away!! She even put the seat down to let them get more air. I don't think i would have let someone 2hrs away drive home with ducks in their trunk unless i knew it was well ventilated. I always think of those people that brought ducks to the auction with no holes in the box and when they came up there was dead babies inside i worry a lot, i mean, i love all my ducks, even the mean ones and i HATE seeing anyone be even sort of mean to them or any other ducks.
I had an ad on Craigslist for some puppies I had (I don't remember exactly what I was asking for them but it was anywhere from $100-150) and this guy called asked how much they weighed because he wanted to feed them to his snake. I couldn't believe it. I told him to go to H*LL.
Quote:OMG I spit lemonade all over my monitor from this post! Duck soup in his pickup. If we don't laugh at the foolishness we'll cry or go insane. No bad duck stories here, thank goodness, except for the fact that I now have 20 ducklings and 40 eggs in the incubator and no one's buying. UGH! Laurie
no bad luck duck selling stories here, i just started the bizz lol. but uhh, he comes off creepy to me and i wouldn't sell him duckies. i'd keep him in your craigslist "blacklist" lol i like it.
I dont do business with people who act like that period. Sounds very wrong-something isnt right, acts like he is doing you a favor or something. I dont care what the end purpose is, all animals should be treated well-I know some people on here eat their ducks and some love them as much as their cats and dogs like me. When I was with a dog and cat rescue group every time we had an adopt a pet someone would pull up with a dog, cat or puppies and kittens in their trunk when it was hot out and then threaten us if we didnt take it they were going to dump it or kill it-we were a small group and fostered out of our homes and no one had acreage so all of us had way too many animals to take care of and try to place in homes-thank god most of the shelters around here are no kill now so I dont have to feel guilty that I cant help all of the animals anymore, really makes you start to hate people and love animals more and more.
