i have a question about buying parrots online

[cockatielfan17]

can someone plz show me how to buy a parrot online?? do i pay them when i get the birds?? or before they arrive and also shipping can some plz help i found a really good deal im thinking its a scam but im not sure

Male And Female Bonded Sun Conure Pair in Hollywood, Florida
i emailed them and asked if they shipped and she asked me how do u ship kind of weir but i wont think its a scam until I actually talk to her
i really dont want to get scammed and its my first time so i will be easy pickings for a scammer

 

[suncon97]

I found Pearl online on the breeders website.They wanted to do online paying and to ship her to us.Although it was a long way away,we drove to get her and paid cash just to be safe. If that's no possible for you maybe do it a safe way such as Paypal.

 

[cockatielfan17]

ok thanks but for shipping do i pay it with shipping or is that seperate?

 

[roxynoodle]

Well, it's the breeder/seller who is going to have to pay for the shipping when he/she drops the birds off at the airport so I would think they will want to collect that fee from you at the same time you pay for the birds.

 

[cockatielfan17]

thanks now all i have to do is find someone to buy them from

 

[IcyWolf]

Normally when buying a bird online, you will pay using something like paypal, and if they need to be shipped, that will be done at the purchaser's(you) expense. You will also be responsible for promptly picking the birds up at the airport. Some people will want you to pay for their gas to drive to the airport as well, which is reasonable considering how expensive gas is and that some people may live well over an hour from the nearest airport that allows animal shipping. I'd be very wary, $125 for a breeding pair of sun conures is very cheap, I would be afraid that it is a scam altogether(meaning there are no birds) or that they are a pair that doesn't produce anymore or for other reasons do not make good breeders. Unfortunately, this is really only something you can know by chance, and that's where it helps to go to a trusted, reliable breeder, it also insures that you are getting an unrelated pair. I know I probably sound like a bit of a hypocrite because of the way we got our amazons, but honestly, I'm not even 100% sure if they are a male and a female, I was told they were but wasn't given any proof, we bought them more to give them a good home that they desperately needed and we were just going to take any babies we may get as a happy bonus. Even if they never produce, we will still love them and care for them the same

I also noticed that they only other listings the seller has is for "rare geodes" which seems kind of fishy. I would recommend talking to them via email and phone. Do your research, ask for multiple pictures and make sure that you can't find those same pictures listed somewhere else(google image search is good for this, but sometimes that's not enough). Ask a lot of questions and try asking the same questions, worded a little differently and make sure you get the same answers. It may also help to call back later from a different phone and act like an entirely different person. If you call once and act like a caring bird owner you may get a response that makes the seller sound like she took really good care of these birds, if you call again and sound like you are what I will call an "unethical breeder", and they give you different answers to the same questions, it's pretty obvious that the seller is just trying to tell you what you want to hear. I hope that makes sense, I know the last part seems kind of deceitful but when in a situation where you don't know the seller, cannot meet them in person and can't get any references, you have to do what you have to do to protect yourself. Otherwise, go to a good reputable breeder, most of the time you really do get what you pay for.

Forget to clarify on the payment details, you will have to pay for the birds and shipping before the seller will ship the bird. You can pay using paypal or a money order(I wouldn't suggest using a credit card directly, and you never send cash or a personal check to someone you don't know). Once the seller receives payment they will set up an arrangement to ship the birds which will depend on both of your schedules and the weather.

 

[cockatielfan17]

ok thanks alot. I contacted them they said they could not ship and if i would drive to get them, but im across the us away from them so that wont be happening. Anyway i found this place in arizona rated 5 stars big aviary and really good ffrom what i hear and they are selling pairs of sun conures so i will check that out.

 

[IcyWolf]

Sorry they won't ship, it's understandable though, if they really have a pair for only $125 I'm sure they won't have any problem selling them locally and not having to deal with the hassle of shipping. You're probably better off going to a breeder anyway, just ask a lot of questions, find out why they are selling them. Like I said, sometimes pairs just don't breed, don't produce fertile eggs, or are just too old and their breeding has slowed down. There are numerous reasons for people to sell breeding pairs for cheap so just keep your guard up. I'm not saying you can't find them for a great price, it just takes some more effort to make sure you're not getting screwed in the deal. Try talking to some local breeders, I have had more luck finding good deals on food, supplies and birds just by talking to others that have been doing it much longer, you'd be surprised at how helpful some people can be and they will be in the know on where and who to buy certain things from.