Free Classified Scams

[admin]

When you see an ad for savannah cats on any website that allows FREE classifieds, run for the hills.

For the most part, they are scams...take this one for example: http://www.universelisting.com/clas...nd-african-serval-kittens-for-sale-ad-504497/

This person has scammer ads all over the Internet for F1 Savannahs and Servals...if you type his email address into Google, you will see ads as far away as Seoul, Korea.

You may find a legit breeder on some sites, such as Hoobly, but for the most part, scams abound on those sites.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

Agreed! I am sure there are legit breeders that advertise, but you just need to be wary of scams when searching on the free classified sites for a kitten. A good breeder will not push you to immediately send money via Western Union, or to a pet shipping service. Even if a breeder used a delivery service (and maybe there are some) they wouldn't take it amiss that you wanted to check out the credentials of someone that would have the care of your new kitten... so would give you the details so you could check those out. And DO check them out. As Paige says, just googling the email address of the person you are contacting can tell you a lot!

 

[Trish Allearz]

Be leery regardless of where you see animals advertised... Just because someone pays to have an ad hosted on a site does not mean they are reputable or worth using. Buyer beware- always.

BUT then- I do use Kijiji and the Facebook marketplace to advertise and they are free. I have always went back and forth on paying for ads in Savannahs Illustrated or Cat Fancy because- well, I bet I'd have no kittens as soon as the ad hit print! LOL!

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

I know, and when you pay for an ad in a magazine and then people contact you and you don't have any kittens available, they can get very nasty! It's like they expect you to have kittens if you have placed that ad, with no concept that you would have placed that ad months ago and might have been expecting to have something available but either that litter didn't eventuate or is sold already, etc.

 

[Pam Flachs]

I agree! The few times I have splurged and paid for an ad in Cat Fancy, by the time the magazine hit the shelf or mailbox I had NO kittens available or even waiting to be born!

I've had the most responses with people contacting me via Savannahcat.com, or through pics I post on my FB page.

 

[Trish Allearz]

I know, and when you pay for an ad in a magazine and then people contact you and you don't have any kittens available, they can get very nasty! It's like they expect you to have kittens if you have placed that ad, with no concept that you would have placed that ad months ago and might have been expecting to have something available but either that litter didn't eventuate or is sold already, etc.

I ALWAYS think about it and have almost convinced myself from time to time, but yeah- it seems like a lot more work. Instead of answering emails/calls mostly when I have babies available, it'd be moreso 24-7. Then again, advertising is a good thing- probably Savannahs Illustrated is one of the better paid ones, I'd think, hitting a more specific audience.