Purchasing Birds Guidelines and Principles

HEAVEN ON EARTH AVIAN ACRES by Cherane Pefley | home

Author: Cherane Pefley is an Avianitarian, not an attorney. Published 2003 and © Copyright Cherane Pefley All rights reserved. Reproduction without written request and permission is strictly prohibited.

Purchasing Birds Guidelines and Principles

We Avianitarians, Aviculturist's and Professionals need to conduct ourselves with integrity and incorrupt options/actions to exclude such behavior as VIGILANTISM into our bird community and avoid at all cost to wallow in the pits of vigilantism.

How to avoid such loss would be more helpful to all of us then 'getting even for something that we do not know all the facts and if we did know the facts it is not up to organize groups to take the law into their own hands.

I have found a few shady bird breeders on the Internet. One must be thoughtful while purchasing to avoid stolen, smuggled or lost birds as well, scammed. If your seeking to purchase birds ,you must ask the questions.

Here is something a buyer can read to ask the questions and know how an ethical Avianitarian/Aviculturist will conduct their business on a daily routine.

BUYER

Questions to ask the seller

1. Are the birds from your aviary?

a. offspring from your pairs of birds you own and in your possession?

b. Do you give the names of the parents or their ID on your hatch certificate?

c. Are you a broker or selling birds that you do not own for the past year? (give date that suits you)

2. Do you have an occupational license in BIRD SALES? Does your STATE WILDLIFE require you to have a license. Do you have the state required permits? Get their address so you can check their ownership on their county's tax rolls online. It is up to you if you want to purchase from someone who doesn't own their aviary. This would stir me away as a scam.

3. Get the invoice faxed to you. The invoice should have Birds ID (closed band or the microchip number), DNA sexing certificate number, date of hatch, parent birds names or ID, AS IS OR MAKE CONTRACT, weaned if baby, species, price, name of aviary where the bird hatched, picture of the bird, and the copy of drivers license on that invoice.

3. If your buying an unweaned baby ask if pictures are sent while waiting for baby to wean?

I have been known to make up a baby collage for my buyers for their baby from day one through weaning?

4. Is there a guarantee in writing?

Guarantee Policy

5. Has the bird of interest (PUT ID )ever been treated or seen by a vet?

6. Is the bird closed banded with a traceable band # and or microchip?

Ask for the microchip number so you can make the request to the manufacture if the bird has ever been REGISTERED. Prevent stolen or smuggled birds from being in your possession

call number below and check microchip number.

800-336-2843 ex 2003

7. After purchase be sure to REGISTER your birds microchip number.

8. When you make an appointment with the qualified avian veterinarian make sure you ask

the birds ID chip # be included on all records and the veterinarian scans for the microchip number and verify with you that number as the number on your receipt.

9. Focus on purchase of bird only?

I'm an Avianitarian and not a cage seller. I count on the buyer to accommodate their feather heads. If I do not trust the buyer to put the bird in the proper environment I have no business selling to that person.

Environments are different for each situation or home and it is up to the buyer to accommodate for the needs that best suits them not what I say as a cage salesman/woman ...

Stay focused on solutions to enhance your bird purchase and show others we do practice ethical responsibility by using our brains and not war among us.

10. Sending funds.

After you get your invoice/contract with all information needed I practice the following.

I have found wiring money to the seller is best and safe using my bank for the transaction. Banks take this procedure very seriously for a safe transaction.

Get the name of the person you are wiring the money to, their bank's routing number and their account number. You will also want their bank's address and phone number. In memo, I put the band numbers or the microchip numbers of the bird/s.

a.Request a call from the receiving bank for complete transfer of funds verification.

b. I make sure I know the bank employee of which I'm processing the wire.

c. Make sure you get a confirmation letter faxed back to your bank of funds transferred received by sellers bank and into the account of which you wired.

If a buyer doesn't get birds according to the invoice/contract and has no valid reason from the seller.

One who sells to the public ongoing are more then likely under the UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE of implied warranty of merchantability unless stated in the invoice or contract AS IS, avoiding the implied warranty of merchant.

a.Contact the proper authorities

1. In Florida, the state wildlife and fish conservation does not like sales made by unlicensed advertisers of exotic birds and take this offence very seriously, call them.

2. Make a report at the police in sellers city/county

3. Seek an attorney

4. the city where the seller obtained their license to sale birds, if unlicensed, file complaint with city planner.

5. File small claims court in your county.

6. Join American Federation of Aviculture and make a report to AFA regarding the seller.

I use my banks as my third party and have already found this to save me a couple of times. The bank institutions have an escrow account that money wire money goes into till both parties sign OFF the receipt of 'ok' and release the funds, check your national banking institution for information.

This procedure is worth looking into by the buyer and seller.

Above all with a little practice of buying safely you will enjoy a happy outcome and the seller just might have client retention relationship with you.

Have fun

We have found more then a couple of scams for parrots. To avolid such scams in FLORIDA ask right up front for a copy of their license no matter what State your from,a Floirda advertiser must have a license by the FWC.

DO GO TO THE FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE to Validate their license.

In FLORIDA the honest and trustworthy seller will be HAPPY to furnish you their FWC permit. While you at it ask for their county tax license to sell birds.

AND CALL TO FIND WHO YOUR TALKING ABOUT PURCHASING A BIRD.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING. IF YOU THINK IT IS A

GOOD DEAL TO BE TRUE.... OUCH...WATCH OUT AND TAKE CARE.

Also, ask the FWC authorities if the person must have the address on the permit of where the birds ARE BREEDING/FORSALE, ALL MUST BE THE SAME Unless, the person has a BROKERS LICENSE then you'll know up front who or what your purchasing.

WARMLY, CHERANE

IN FLORIDA

ASK FOR THEIR FLORIDA LICENSE RIGHT OFF THE BAT..

ONE MUST HAVE A PERMIT..ALL INFORMATION IS PUBLIC ON THAT

PERMIT.

ONE MUST SELL FROM THE ADDRESS ON THE FWC PERMIT

ONE MUST SELL UNDER THE OWNERS NAME AND NAME OF BUSINESS

ON LICENSE (FROM THE SAME ADDRESS ON THE PERMIT)

RED FLAGS NEED TO GO OFF WHEN

AN OUT OF STATE PHONE NUMBER IS ON THE WEB SITE (i HAVE

PUT UP ON MY WEB SITE AND 808 HI NUMBER TO DEMONSTRATE HOW

AN UNKNOWN PERSON CAN GET BY. PLEASE ALSO NOTE MY OTHER

IN STATE NUMBERS

REMEMBER: IT IS NOT A CRIME TO CALL FLORIDA FISH AND

WILDLIFE TO VERIFY ANY BIRD SELLERS ID AND LICENSE IN

FLORIDA.

305.280.9567

561.791.4828

last updated 11-2010

Design and Published by Cherane Pefley 1991-11-8-2010

will be prosecuted.