HUGE PROBLEM WITH SPONSORED LINKS

[pntrnurse]

It is a shame when a loyal ebay seller/buyer is scammed by following a sponsored link to purchase a pet. We did this, paid for a puppy through moneygram - not thinking it would be a scam because after all, the link was on Ebay. Now Ebay will not stand behind their allowing these scammers to advertise on Ebay. Ebay says because we did not pay through Paypal, we are not covered. Well, that is a real shame after all these years. We followed a sponsored link from Ebay who has to pay Ebay to advertise, and we got scammed. Unfair to the Ebay community and their followers. After 20 years of being on Ebay, you would think that would account for something. 

[mudshark61369]

@pntrnurse,

While it is a shame that this happened to you.  eBay has never had the ability to vet all of their vendors, and scammers are usually good at hiding behind legitimate sounding ads. Those types of ads can be found anywhere in newspapers, on CL, and even in magazines dedicated to pet ownership. 

When it comes to searching for a pet, why would you do that and pay online, without seeing the animal in person and being sure you are satisfied? ?  There are really bad puppy mills out there, and chances of getting a diseased or mistreated animal from one are high. Besides, actually seeing a puppy or rescue dog in person can tell you a lot about the animal's personality and health. After all anyone can post a photo of any animal, but that doesn't mean it is the one you would receive.

There are several ways breaders can be checked out, and that should be done. If the puppy in question was a pure bread animal, the breader should be registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC) or other organisations. The same applies to rescue organisations.