I have reported no end of adverts on sites like Preloved and Pets4Homes. I always state that the add is Fraudulent for it's claims but all the owners/moderators do is say that they will pass on my concerns to the OP.
I think they should have a duty to ensure that adverts making fraudulet claims should be removed. I tend only to look at posts for Bengals and Tonkinese. there are hardly ever any BYB of Tonkinese. The problems with the BYB and Bengals is the popularity of the breed. YOu often get this with something that is really popular but expensive (almost designer)... soon there are lots of cheap (or not so cheap) knock-offs!!!!
With regards to doing research before buying pets. I think the vast majority of pet owners do very little research. Pedigree pet owners do a little more, but on the whole i think they find more information out once they have their cat/dog etc. I found the BCF after i got my Bengal. I actually found it whilst researching about wee'ing issues and Bengals after my problems with my boy
I knew nothing of HCM in cats (know about it in babies as i was a paediatric cardiac nurse). I consider myself to be a well educated person and yet it never occured to me that a 'perceived responsible breeder' would 'mislead me' or not tell me the whole story. I did look on those sites such as preloved and Pets4Homes. I even messaged a few people but stories just seemed off to me. I then decided that it was pretty stupid to pay £200-300 for an unregistered cat that may not even be what i was paying for when i could spend £350-450 on a papered cat from a responsible breeder. I decided for myself that if it was too good to be true, it probably was.
I recently wasted an afternoon replying to lots of adds. One 'breeder' responded with a lot of technical information about HCM but didn't really tell me anything. She tried to blind me with science so that i thought she knew what she was talking about. SHe just kept saying that she was not registering the kittens to keep funds down in the present climate and that her vet wasn't concerned about HCM. I also responded to someone asking for a Blue Eyed Snow Bengal max 8-10 weeks. I wrote a long message explaining why it was important to wait until 13 weeks. After a few messages back and fourth she has now reserved a snow from a proper breeder and will wait 13 weeks for it. So a great result!!!!
I have only had 1 litter so far and ALL my enquiries came from my website and the Tonk breed club. Since that litter, i have had several enquiries from the breed club, from my website and from 1 advert in Your Cat. I also had an advert on Pets4Homes when i had kittens and i just changed the wording but kept in active. I still get the odd message from there but i either keep the name on file for my next litter or pass the enquiry on. I agree with Taylorbaby about those sites, i believe there needs to be a balance for kitten purchasers. I was thinking of putting a couple of spoof bengal kittens for sale adverts but in the text will be a list of why you should not by unregistered kittens for lots of money.
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I wouldnt use the very dodgy sites though the ones that are 99.9scams like gumtree and kittenads etc
