Suspicious bird seller?

Hi. First post on this website I'm from the UK looking to buy a conure and was scrolling on gumtree and seen a lovely yellow sided conure. The seller claims her child is frightened etc. I was talking to her through what seems as her partners email and she seemed nice. However, this person has 3 other adverts, one is a bird that looks exactly like the other (pictures from internet by the way, but requested pictures through email) with just a different name and 2 other birds from about a month ago.

What aroused my suspicion is the fact she wants to deliver it to me. I told her I could come to her mothers to get it but she said her mother has COPD and can't be around animals so she can deliver him.

What should I do? seems very suspicious...

Hi there, and welcome to the forum.

I'd say listen to your inner voice. If you have suspicions, then tread VERY carefully.

So are you saying, that the pictures this person is using for her advertisements are pictures she found randomly on the internet, and not pictures of the bird(s) she's trying to sell? If that's the case - then don't walk away.... RUN away.

JerseyWendy said:

Hi there, and welcome to the forum.

I'd say listen to your inner voice. If you have suspicions, then tread VERY carefully.

So are you saying, that the pictures this person is using for her advertisements are pictures she found randomly on the internet, and not pictures of the bird(s) she's trying to sell? If that's the case - then don't walk away.... RUN away.

Click to expand...

Hi thank you and thanks again for your reply!

Yes from what I can see these are pictures from the web. She provided me with additional pictures online which do look like they have been taken normally. (kissing and cuddling with her daughter)
I told her I was suspicious and she said she understood and she could take the bird to her sisters. I still think it's too risky to proceed however.

I'm assuming the lady who's doing the advertising lives too far, and therefore you had offered to pick up the conure from her mother's house?

It still sounds as if she's trying to hide something, but then again, I'm quite paranoid when dealing with completely strangers.

Would it be possible for you to see the bird you're interested in at her sister's house? Can the lady provide you with accurate information about the bird? (Hatch date)

IF you decide to go check the bird out, please do NOT go alone.

JerseyWendy said:

I'm assuming the lady who's doing the advertising lives too far, and therefore you had offered to pick up the conure from her mother's house?

It still sounds as if she's trying to hide something, but then again, I'm quite paranoid when dealing with completely strangers.

Would it be possible for you to see the bird you're interested in at her sister's house? Can the lady provide you with accurate information about the bird? (Hatch date)

IF you decide to go check the bird out, please do NOT go alone.

Click to expand...

Not at all. She told me her father posted it and he lives in a city 30 mins away but that she lives in berwick (around an hour orso away) and her mother lives in my city. on gumtree it says the birds DOB is 28/02/2014 and that she got it from a friend who breeds them for shows.

You can always meet them in a public area that has lots of surveillance cameras-gas station or a store. Birds must already be in a transport cage, though, for safety reasons.

i'd be more worried about internet pictures then i would be of meeting elsewhere than her home. if she offers to have them posted/freighted etc to you i'd cease communication.

i've recently been to some breders houses who have an absolute fortune sitting in cages in their backyard. i would never rob anyone but all it takes is one dodgy bastard to come in and clean you out, so maybe thats her fear? if i was a breeder i personally wouldnt want strangers coming to my place to case the joint.

then again i think you need to listen to your instinct if it doesnt seem right then it probably isnt. and as lovely as any pictures she sends you are, there'll always be another bird

xhexk said:

JerseyWendy said:

Hi there, and welcome to the forum.

I'd say listen to your inner voice. If you have suspicions, then tread VERY carefully.

So are you saying, that the pictures this person is using for her advertisements are pictures she found randomly on the internet, and not pictures of the bird(s) she's trying to sell? If that's the case - then don't walk away.... RUN away.

Click to expand...

Hi thank you and thanks again for your reply!

Yes from what I can see these are pictures from the web. She provided me with additional pictures online which do look like they have been taken normally. (kissing and cuddling with her daughter)
I told her I was suspicious and she said she understood and she could take the bird to her sisters. I still think it's too risky to proceed however.

Click to expand...

You can try to drag and drop the pic into google image search and it will show you where else the pics pop up on the net, you may find something suspicious...