Is it normal for breeders to ask for full price?

[nitemares]

In the search for my perfect GSD i have started contacting several local and european breeders.
They (euro breeders) all asked for full price of puppy and shipping before sending the pup. not even a mention of an escrew type of payment. why would i trust someone with over 1000 euros to send me the pup? is their something i'm missing?
In Egypt i go pick up the puppy and pay on delivery so to speak. but i've never done this shipping thing.

[WarrantsWifey]

Originally Posted by nitemares

why would i trust someone with over 1000 euros to send me the pup?

At the same time, the breeder is asking, why would I trust somebody with my dog without having the money down. There is no proof that a buyer won't take the pup and move and never end up paying for the dog.....

[GSDElsa]

Yes that is normal. Why would they put a dog on a plane that hasn't b een paid for? You at least have a chance of getting your money back. They have no chance of getting the dog back.

[gsd_newbie]

That's fair enough asking for upfront payment before shipping the dogs. Same if you buy something from amazon or ebay, and you can always get your money back if you don't receive things that you paid for. If you feel somehow not comfortable then your choice is buy from local breeder, which you can actually see the dogs and talk to them before process further.

[wolfstraum]

It is absolutely normal - if you pay them for shipping you have less fees to pay on your credit card as well....you don't get anything before you pay for it - or take a loan from a bank LOL - and the seller always gets money before giving up what he is selling.

Lee

[CelticGlory]

What types of payments are they asking for? Also, what is the purpose of getting an import puppy is this for sport, show, etc? A lot of the breeder's I've come across in the past week do get imports in, they even breed imported litters. So I would take a look in this country first. Some will even import for you, but you have to type it in the search engine to pull them up "Importing German Shepherds" or something like that. So it depends on what the purpose is because a lot of them are the working line litters.
A lot of them will say on the webpage what type of litter will be born or what to expect from the breeding.

I would never do a wire transfer into someone's bank account unless it was through pay pal where I knew I could get the money back from. You said a 1000 euro, what does that convert to in US dollars? For a first time buyer buying from overseas I would really recommend you go through a breeder who's had experience importing before OR is this through an import service?

[Chris Wild]

Celtic, the OP lives in Egypt so importing is probably the way he is going to have to go. Importing from Europe is the best choice in terms of selection, cost and distance.

To the OP, yes it is standard practice for breeders to expect payment for the pup and shipping costs before sending the pup.

I have to admit the question seems rather odd to me as I can't think of many things a person would purchase where they didn't have to pay for the item before they picked it up or had it shipped to them.

Make sure you go with a reputable kennel that has a proven track record and ideally experience shipping internationally and you will be fine.

[nitemares]

Thank you all for your replies, like i said it's not that i'm not gonna pay, but if i am importing stuff not animals, most of the time there's an escrew service involved. Some one hold your money for the buyer until you you confirm delivery.
but i guess this is normal practice then LOL I might look for local bred from imported parents, but they are few and most breeders here don't work their dogs and have no idea what the difference is between a working and a family pet. they show you the litter and you pick.
I was very lucky with my last GSD (BYB) but Egypt is just starting to get this whole working thing for dogs, but there's only one breeder that i know of who does that and we have our differences and i am not dealing with him again. (different issue has nothing to do with his breeding ethics) and until 10 days ago he was the only person i trusted to help me import a dog.
CelticGlory i do know they are working lines, but i contacted the breeder and he said he has one male left that would be a great family companion. We are an active family, beach trips everyday and walks twice a day at least. i am also considering buying an agility set and working it even if its just me and him. So he will be working sort of.
breeder asked 600euros (855$) +550 shipping and handling (Czech - Germany - Egypt) including crate, registration papers, export pedigree, microchip and tattoo. if you're interested i can post a link for this breeder.

[GSDElsa]

That is the importance of making sure the breeder is reputable and you both trust each other. It can be hard from another country, but screen them carefully and make sure their track record is stellar. There are definitely shady breeders who will scam you - you just have to take your time and make sure you are not getting a dog from one of them.

I'm sure if you can arrange to do escrow with a company that both you and the breeder are comfortable with and you offer to pay all associated fees they might be willing to do that.

Another option may be for you to fly to the Czech Republic or Germany to meet the breeder and take the dog back yourself. It might not be any more expensive to do that and just carry the puppy on on your return flight (or put him on as cargo).

[Liesje]

In short, yes as a buyer I would always expect to make full payment before the dog was sent. If not I would fly over and pick up the dog in person (or arrange with a friend/reputable broker).