SCAM-ALERT (Please Read)

EXQUISITE PUPS BY CHRISTINE

1032 S. Lake Mariam Drive

Winter Haven, FL 33884

SCAM ALERT

In the world today, unfortunately, people are being scammed on a daily basis. It has become a major problem in most businesses. The same is true for the breeding profession, both from breeders and consumers as well. Consumers need to be careful which breeder they choose. There are good ones and then there are bad ones. When looking for a puppy, make sure you can go to the breeders home. Do not meet someone in a parking lot or different location. If a breeder does not want you to see where the puppies are raised then walk away. If you are not comfortable when you do go to a breeders home, then again, walk away. There is a reason for it. Make sure you are allowed to see the parents of the puppy that you are interested in. Puppy mill puppies are being sold by dishonest people. If a breeder doesn't have the parents then ask yourself, where did the puppy come from? Make sure you receive a health certificate for the puppy from a licensed veterinarian. There are many red flags to look for. I will be happy to share more tips on what look for.

On the other side, Breeders need to be careful who they sell their puppies to. This, for a couple of reasons. First to ensure that the puppy is going to a safe and loving home and is going to be well cared for. Second, to try and ensure that the buyer does not have ulterior motives. Such as scamming for a free puppy, money or to discredit a breeder. Possibly because they are a breeder themselves or connected with one. We have been scammed by a consumer and want to share our story. Other breeders have shared similar stories with me after reading this. Often, in the breeding world, when you have something as special and beautiful as our puppies, you will spark jealousy or just have someone try to get one of your precious babies for nothing. We have been breeding for over 25 years. We have extensive knowledge in the breeds we handle and we know are babies are special. Our puppies are happy, healthy and beautiful. This you will see the minute you walk through our door and meet them. The following is a condensed version of how we were scammed. We will be happy to share all additional details and documentation if requested. We hope it will help consumers understand how fraudulent claims can be made.

We recently sold a female maltese puppy by the name of Lacey to a husband & wife from Bocoa Raton, Florida. Their names are Shari and Marc Roberts. Lacey is a beautiful, happy and most importantly, healthy puppy. Lacey had several full exams done by a licensed veterinarian, with a five star rating. She had her vaccinations and fecal testing done. She had 2 health certificates done prior to leaving our care. Everything was perfect. But, the day after the Roberts picked Lacey up, Mrs. Roberts sent a text to me stating that her vet claimed Lacey had earmites. Mrs. Roberts demeanor was very different from the day before. She was very angry. We immediately offered Mrs. Roberts a full cash refund and we would take the puppy back. She refused. Over the next several days, Mrs. Roberts continued to send text messages stating that her vet claimed Lacey had other issues. We again offered a full cash refund, and Mrs. Roberts refused. We offered to take Lacey to our vet at no charge to her, and Mrs. Roberts refused. She would not let our vet examine Lacey and address the accusations she was making. We requested that Mrs. Roberts send us copies of her vet reports. After that, all communication from Mrs. Roberts stopped and we were never provided any vet bills or reports.

We could not figure out what the Roberts wanted from us until we were informed that they filed a complaint with the BBB. We are accredited with the Better Business Bureau, with an A rating.

In her complaint, Mrs. Roberts states that the only resolution she will accept is: To get a full cash refund, plus keep Lacey, plus be reimbursed for vet bills, that she states are $667.81. We were never provided any vet bills, but the Roberts sent copies of bills to the BBB to try and establish a claim. I was able to obtain those copies. The Roberts made vet visits on separate days. The birth date on the vet bills for the puppy they took in was different for each visit (meaning 2 different puppies) and neither of the birth dates matched Lacey's birth date. Also, there was a charge for pre-op tests. Lacey was not having any surgery. It is amazing the lengths people will take in order to extort money.

Mr. & Mrs. Roberts paid $2,500.00 for Lacey.

They want us to give them $3,167.81 plus keep Lacey.

Anyone reading this can see the irrationality of their demands. If the Roberts thought that they had anything less then a perfect puppy, they would return Lacey and take the full refund. It is clear that the Roberts set out to scam us from the beginning in order to receive a free puppy and extort over $3000.00.

Sadly, consumers can file false complaints and get away with it. Mr. & Mrs. Roberts have continued to file fraudulent complaints with other agencies. Consumers Affairs was one of them. Once Consumer Affairs received our response and documentation, they immediately removed the complaint from the site and discredited the Roberts. The BBB informed us that they can not remove consumer complaints, but informed us that once our response is read, anyone reading it , will see what the Roberts tried to do. Another site that the Roberts used, is called "Rip Off Report". (How can someone by ripped off when offered a full cash refund? Obviously for ulterior motives) After receiving the documentation that I sent to them, "Rip Off Report" called the Roberts claim," fraudulent", but like the BBB, they do not remove complaints. The Roberts also put a dispute into the credit card company that they used to pay for Lacey. After receiving our documentation, their card company sided with us and returned the money. The Roberts also placed a negative review on google. We have come to find out that they have placed numerous negative reviews about people and services. Perhaps this is their way of life.

It is shameful that dishonest people like the Roberts can get away with causing innocent people heartache just for the almighty dollar or whatever ulterior motive they have.

Below are pictures of our beautiful little girl Lacey while she was at the vet getting her health certificate.

She is pictured with one of the fabulous staff members at Lake Wales Veterinarian Hospital.

I would like to add that our vet, Doctor Mike Matthews, is happy to answer any questions about our puppies and our breeding program. You can see more pictures of our puppies at the vet, on our "Puppies at the Vet" Page. Feel free to contact us anytime for additional information or to come visit our beautiful babies. Thank You!