FINCHforum

I just want to make others aware of this scam that is going on in the Houston area and I am certain in other areas as well. There is a craigslist ad that advertises 300+ gouldians for sale. The gouldians advertised are juveniles to breeder birds ranging from greens to blues.

I contacted the breeder to inquire more since I am looking for yellows. I get the response attached below which is full of it. Be careful out there guys! I am sure this person posted this ad in numerous city hoping to bait someone vulnerable. Do not pay in advance or via paypal from a sketchy ad like this because you will never receive your birds. Plus, $20 for a yellow or blue gouldian? Give me a break.

That does seem very phony. nothing he said made sense lol. SCAM ALERT.

SCAM!!!! Thanks for sharing.

Oooh, that's super sketchy.
The $20 price is a dead giveaway that it's a scam, along with the mention of "inexpensive" shipping.

What a jerk.

If you see this guy posting again, make sure you flag the post. Enough people do this and it gets pulled down off the site.

Thanks for sharing! It's important to be aware of this sort of thing.

I checked the Dallas area, and didn't see any such ad. When I checked Houston, it is not there, so it must have been removed already. It's the old adage, if it sounds too good to be true, then beware.

There is an ad in the Dallas craigslist that seems sketchy to me. Someone is rehoming their entire flock, quite an extensive collection. They want half of what they paid originally, but you have to buy all the birds in one lot, no individual sales. Don't ask for pictures (this is a biggie to me!). It could be for real, but I don't know why someone would state no pictures. I was tempted to email asking if I could come look at the birds, but don't know if I even want to bother. I certainly couldn't buy all the birds, wouldn't have space even if I had any money!

Members should always be careful when dealing with an unknown seller. Never ever send money in advance to someone on craigslist, Hoobly, etc. You almost always have to pay in advance for birds, which makes it imperative that you are very careful and check out the seller before giving them any cash.

Yeah, it's a slippery slope.

I think for sales that require an up-front payment, I'd opt for an established company rather than an individual. (That's not to say that all established companies are reputable, but there's a better chance of legitimacy than with an individual.)

I should note that Paypal does offer protection to buyers. So if you were to purchase a bird and you never received it, then you could file a complaint with Paypal. It's pretty easy and straightforward.

I always watch out for cases when there are no pictures or you can tell they're a professional photo taken off another person's website. Those always make me uncomfortable.

If they post another advertisement on craigslist, let me know and I will reply to it since I am in Connecticut and tell them it is a quick drive for me to come see them.

I completely agree with the above posters. If it is too good to be true, it probably is.

I will let you know if I see it up again Bobw.