Scammed by a buyer; what to do?

[Acre4Me]

Thanks for your thoughts, it’s interesting to hear about the differences. Unfortunately, TV or really much media, isn’t known for truthfulness in depiction, just whatever will get people to watch or click. So, the extremes of police depicted here are the exception, not the rule. Thankfully, my interaction with the police has been minimal, so I’m not an expert either.

Growing your own food is great, so I hope you can keep doing this!

 

[BarredRockMom]

No matter what you decide, good luck to you. If you do end up going over, perhaps consider taking a portable fire extinguisher to put out her flaming pants (there's an expression here "Liar, liar, pants on fire!')

Yes, that's (likely bad) humor.

 

[Mimi13]

I am terribly sorry you have been done this way. Unfortunately there are evil people everywhere and the saddest thing about your situation is not the money you lost or the ducks you lost. It is undeniably the children who are learning the evil ways of their mother. This cycle never ends. My heart breaks.

On a much lighter note, however is all that I’ve learned from reading your “off-topic” posts. I have thoroughly enjoyed every bit. It is honestly hard for me to fathom what your country or village wants to do, or has done, to ban owning livestock and possibly even growing a garden to furnish food for your own family. It is utterly preposterous. I guess every country has its own pitfalls.

I wish you all the best in recovering what is rightfully yours.

 

[blackandtan]

I feel bad for your situation, I have been there MANY TIMES with my own business.
The only thing that I have found to work is to send a polite phone call, AND text AND email, explaining that you understand that things happen, but there was an agreement and she must pay for the ducks or return them. If she needs more time to pay, you can take half now and half next week or arrange something else that works.
“Killing with kindness” has worked for me, Getting mad or rude will only make her get defensive and you’ll never see anything. And you do learn over time to pick out the bad people and make your own excuse not to sell to them!

Oh and I also have a list of bad customers..those are names I don’t want to forget!
Good luck

 

[aart]

they have my ring that is a personal as my social security number.

In this case I'd be glad they didn't have that info.
Do you have 'identity theft' over there?
Here keeping your social security number private is very important.

 

[ChicKat]

And you do learn over time to pick out the bad people and make your own excuse not to sell to them![/QUOTE]

One lesson would be, also, if ever a "customer" comes once again that lives near and "forgets" her wallet.....tell her to go home and get it, and the ducks will be right here waiting for her return.

Also, Loopeend, it is so interesting to hear about your life!

We are fortunate in the States to have so much -- and to have so much opportunity. Still that you have a farm at all is an accomplishment. Good for you. Speaking of governance, I suppose that when everyone lives close having cattle, barking dogs etc. May be ordinances that are required. Drat. Do the people who enforce the livestock ordinances have any say in a dispute? Does the town have a mayor or city council? ( Grabbing ideas out of thin air here).

There is a BYC member from Netherlands who is a genius. He is Henk Meijer --(I may have misspelled his surname). Henk is a genius, and he provided the world with the 'chicken calculator' -- but he also has genetic calculators for tons of other animals. Not only did I learn a LOT from his work, but I used it to help my project of deveoping a new variety of bird. Trouble is he isn't on BYC very often. I just sent him a Private Message to tell him I'm invoking his name.....maybe he will show up with an idea. He's a genetic genius and very smart and nice person.

Henk69
Songster, from Groesbeek Netherlands
That's his BYC name.

Here's a link to the chicken calculator -- using the tabs may take you to other parts of his work, and maybe you can find a way to contact him through the calculator -- and in the end it probably never hurts to ask for any advice that may be forthcoming.

ETA - OH, here's a thought. Your explanation is very clear about the rings....and -- what about cutting a little slit like some of the bands show, then bending it wide enough to encircle the leg -- and then bending it back so both cut sides are touching.
Notice I keep trying to think of ways to get the ducks ringed. :O)

 

[ChicKat]

It's so interesting too what the debates are in this country, and how they look to those of you in Europe. We cannot even discuss in "polite society" any longer because we are so polarized here.

Also interesting to think of our views of what you all are facing in Europe. And the news slat that we get from our news media.

It's also best to not put things that become 'arguments' in threads...but I'm going to send you a PM about some of the USA's political stuff. (hahaha -- take your mind off duck issues for a moment) Then if many others in this thread do the same, you may get a deluge of messages, but at least there won't be controversy in the thread.
Have a great day.

 

[chickens really]

I'm sorry if this is in the wrong sub-forum; could not decide what the right place was to post this.

I need some moral guidance.

I have sold Indian runners. I work with a waiting list. They are high quality. I came in contact with a woman with 3 children that lived really nearby, that requested ducklings. We were talking so much I did something I would normally never do; I wanted to give her the ducklings before ringing because it is so much more fun and good for the bond with the ducks when raised from young at home. Since she lives nearby I can come ring them later on; she could lend duckling-stuff..she would keep me up to date, etc. She was really enthousiatic. I gave her an reduced price (70 euro's instead of 140; the ones she selected were 3 from 20 euro range and 2 from 40 euro range; due to cosmetic faults) because the children were so enthousiastic for them and she kept messaging me they counted the day when they came etc.
She came to pick them up; it was weird. Not like the japping online she did; fast; and she had forgotten her wallet. Since she lives so close; brought her children, I have her phone number, and she told so much personal stuff; I agreed on her offer she would pay this money when I would come ring the ducklings.

A day later I messaged her; How are the ducklings setteling? No response.
A week later; Hey; how do you guys manage with the ducklings? No response.
And again.
And again.
And calling and whatsapp.
The day of ringing has gone by; the could not even be ringed anymore.
So I messaged; I feel scammed. You did not hold yourself on the agreements we made. I really want this 70 euro on this bank-account, if I don't see this in a week I will take further steps.
She suddenly replied; Sorry. I have cancer.

I truely feel that this is an awfull excuse. My partners mom is at that moment dieing of cancer; and really; replying with "I have cancer" take the same amount of time then an finger-exercise of making over 70 euro's. I don't know. I have had myself an deathly disease and the first thing after not being able to reply suddenly in sales due to being admitted in the hospital was saying Sorry; pay inmedeatly; or when low energy pay it without even contacting them and apolagies.. I want for myself my contious cleared and don't leave people hanging or thinking I'm a scammer.

Anyway;
I know where she lives. Maybe she does have cancer. But it sounds like an excuse. Ask someone else to set it right and pay for the ducks if your energy levels are so low. Something. I can also see she weekly still does her voluntairy work at the local scouts. Maybe she is sick and hence does not have money.. but she also activaly breed rabbits, pigs, dogs, peacocks and horses; surely you can get 70 euro's somewhere? If your so poor because you are sick and can't work; how on earth can you clean all these animals and pay for their feed?
Some friends say; you need to get over, ring the bell, and politely ask for your money OR the ducks. This is clearly a scam; and she will scam more if you let her get away.
I am more soft-hearted; maybe she does have cancer, I don't want to disturb her anymore then neccesairy; and what is 70 euro's?

I really want to make a choice; but I need other people opinions on what to do to make one.
Would you help please?

Well I went through something similar with a person I have known for a few years. She works at a rescue shelter for livestock and pets. Anyways I let her take my entire flock of chickens I didn't want anymore. She also came with no money but being I have dealt with her in different situations in the past I let her take my Chickens. As your story I couldn't get ahold of her either. I'm out my money and my Birds. Lesson learned the hard way..

 

[Loopeend]

a quote from ChicKat]

Ahl! Yes I know him; not his name untill now; but his chicken calculator is really well known. It's how I learned my genetics! haha! Love what he did for de Dutch (and all over the world) community; by simply making a calculator and keeping it online!

The rings you show; they are not the rings that go on ducks. Or chicken. Or any bird. The rings we need to use are from hard plastic. Personally made for you with your info. They are plastic because it annoy's the birds less then some iron-stuff. The ones you show are still used; but more for you personally so you can tell the difference between certain birds. They do not have legal purposes. It happeneds sometime that someone has put one of those plastic rings on another bird; cut it and glued it together; and this is a big no-no. The whole purpose of the closed ring is to prevent identy theft.

These are the ones from 2019. It's EE (europe), NL (Netherlands), a number (what institution did a job intervieuw with me and granted me to being able to buy them; they have all my information and can be held responsible if I turn out to be a shady breeder) year, and then the number of the duck.

It's a closed ring; so to be sure it is not "meddled" with. It's the birds personal ID; without it; it would make traveling hard. Like we have a passport. You need to put it on a certain leg and upside-down. I say "cartain" because in the Netherlands it is right; in Germany left.. I have ducks from Germany so kept the German way. I put them on left. If you do not put them on upside down; you can have trouble. It makes you seem as a shady breeder. It works well to prevent shady breeding; everyone that actually cares for their birds; knows about ringing.. if you don't and are someone that tries to sell an unringed one; you know enough as potentional buyer. Chances are high that you are dealing with a shady breeder. Rings are 0,09 cents.. there is no reason to not ring them; unless you know you probably won't be accepted during the intervieuw because you are a shady breeder.. That does not really care about inbreeding etc. Spread of disceases (I can NOT drive to Belgium, which is 10 minutes away; with an unringed duck; every duck that comes in and out needs to be registered; so when birdflue makes another outbreak; patient 0 can be found and the outbreak can be stopped). But; yeah it also has an side-effect; it has become really important to at an right age to ring a duck; otherwise it is worthless. It feels sometimes silly; especially when you just want a duck/chicken for eggs.. and they need to walk around their whole life with this plastic thing around their feet; but in the end it is better for the whole species. Shady breeders áre stopped. Well; not stopped offcourse; shady breeders gonna be shady breeders; but it is made more hard for them to make a living of animals.

Good news by the way; also not on topic; I learned yesterday that the Indian runner fad is over! They are now sold eveywhere for free! They became popular 2 years ago because we had an outbreak of a moth-species and they were the solution to that; everyone wanted one. That's over, poor fellas are getting rid of now like garbage. Not "hip" anymore. Like Dalmations after 101 damatians, saint bernards after "beethoven".. For me this means that the nasty breeders that only bred them to make a quick buck; will go away. Probably selling another animal/product soon. Evenly bad; but atleast I don't have to deal with them on the Indian runner market anymore.. and back to the ring/band; thanks to that system I could called them more out easily; they sold me some "pure breed indian runners" that obviously were 50 runner/50 wild duck when they grew up; I told them that; got all defensive that they absolutely only raise pure bred indian runners blahblah; yeah who is actually the father and the mother.. hard to tell innit if you don't band them :')

 

[Loopeend]

I feel bad for your situation, I have been there MANY TIMES with my own business.
The only thing that I have found to work is to send a polite phone call, AND text AND email, explaining that you understand that things happen, but there was an agreement and she must pay for the ducks or return them. If she needs more time to pay, you can take half now and half next week or arrange something else that works.
“Killing with kindness” has worked for me, Getting mad or rude will only make her get defensive and you’ll never see anything. And you do learn over time to pick out the bad people and make your own excuse not to sell to them!

Oh and I also have a list of bad customers..those are names I don’t want to forget!
Good luck

I'm afraid I only learned one thing; a thing I don't want to learn. Don't be nice to people and innitialy distrust everyone :'( I don't want that. I want everyone to help each other out and dance and sing and pick flowers and end up singing kumbaya around the campfire.. Well not actually; I'm way to pessemistic and a-musical to actually enjoy that..I exaggerated it on purpose, but I want to believe in kindness and helping each other out. It often works. I don't want to stop my kindness because some people abuse it. But on the other hand; if I don't want to be abused I should raise a fence. I'm not sure how to feel about that. If everyone just raises fences. The world would be so hostile. I want to be able to give away ducklings to a person that is not a scammer. My intentions were good and true and from a good heart. I want to stick by them. But I don't know how to keep them out; but I do not like the option of "don't trust noone".