BFF Puppies (Kennels) / Prayer Paw Puppies Dispute

Hello. I will attach a copy of my contract posted on our website which was available for Noreen when she purchased puppies. Noreen did not sign a contract - but she was very well aware of our policies. We also spoke on the phone about them... (This is Sheri Chapman, owner of Prayer Paw Puppies). I also will attach a response of my mom's - Jean Anderson of BFF Puppies.
Our puppies require a $200 hold deposit that is nonrefundable or nontransferable. Our customers know that this is what they are "buying". It goes TOWARD the purchase price - and all money (balance on puppy plus shipping, etc.) is due by the time the puppy (or puppies) are 10 weeks old – but since Noreen put a deposit on a 10 week old puppy, we gave her until 12 weeks. Noreen placed two puppies under our hold deposit (the second puppy was much younger – about a month younger). Noreen ran into a personal issue shortly after this and was very difficult to reach. Finally, my mom was able to get a hold of her. Noreen was not able to follow through with the purchase of two puppies. I told her that although she could not have back the $200 per pup for holding the puppies (which loses value daily after it reaches eight weeks of age), I would consider giving the money she’d paid toward MY puppy to mom, and we’d count it toward the total due on ONE puppy – the older, smaller puppy – IF she could make it happen – pay. We even extended her pay time – an additional month or so beyond our normal policy. Noreen was unable to comply and wanted us to send her the puppy and allow her to make payments at a later date. Unfortunately, no business gives merchandise without payment. Mom ended up keeping the puppy due to loss of value on the sales market. She'd invested too much money.
A HOLD DEPOSIT – a SERVICE purchased that guarantees the customer is going to pay in full by a set date, and it is a guarantee that the owner will not sell the puppy out from under the buyer – as long as moneys are received in full by the time the puppy is 10 (or in this case, 12 weeks old – which was extended to 15 weeks!!!)
I am contacting my lawyer for possible slander. These allegations should not be permissible. We are inspected by both Missouri State and USDA. We are nothing like a puppy mill and all honest people understand our policies when they send us money. We have a lot of satisfied customers. This is an immoral practice - that a person can slander a business because they are unable to follow through with the purchase – and this should never be allowed to go on. Noreen should go through legal channels like she threatened us with - if they decide then it wouldn't be slander. Destroying a business all because of personal issues is NOT the way to get money refunded that wasn't hers to take back when she defaulted on a business transaction.
Sincerely, Sheri Chapman
Here is what Jean Anderson (my mom) had to say:
Noreen purchased a puppy from me, and one from my daughter. Our website clearly states that all deposits are non-refundable. Noreen stated she wanted smaller dogs. When Tootsie looked like she was going to be a little large for her, Noreen was notified, and by choice gave up Tootsie prior to her being relisted for sale on the website. She said at the time of deposit on Jan. 10th (when the $500.00 (deposit of $200.00 for each dog plus $100.00) was sent) that she would make another $500.00 payment in two weeks. I emailed her back that at that time that I would ship Fanny to her around the first part of Feb. The monies did not get sent, and I tried several times to contact her over the next couple of weeks. ONLY when I text her on Feb. 4th telling her to contact me otherwise I was going to re-list the dog, did she finally call me and tell me was not able to at that time. She still wanted the puppy and wanted me to not sell her. I received another $96.00 from her a few days later. She also asked me if I would ship the puppy to her if she sent me a check to hold until her situation was better. I told her that I couldn't do that. I asked her to make some sort of arrangements to get the puppy paid for so I could ship her to her. I suggested a bank or friends or something. At this time, the puppy was almost 15 weeks old and starting to go through her "puppy uglies". (Pomeranian puppies do not sell well at that age). I told her that on our website as she knew from reading our policies and from our discussions that we are not set up to keep "sold" puppies past 10 weeks or with exceptions 12 weeks. At that time, there would be additional charges for us boarding their puppy. This is stated VERY clearly, and we have never had another person not understand the policies. I ended up keeping the puppy because at the time she would not have been very likely to sell, and I had invested quite a bit of money and time on her. I tried to help Noreen (I had held the puppy past 12 weeks to 15, then I gave her an additional two weeks to pay) I truly feel that Noreen is mad because I ended up keeping the dog, and she lost the deposits. I can understand that, but I feel she didn't bother to make arrangements to get the puppy to her in a timely fashion, and left me "holding the bag". The puppy was " hers " after she paid the deposit and I took it off of the sell site to wait for Noreen's final payment, but any business cannot and will not hold their products indefinitely with no idea of when it would be paid in full.
Noreen feels she has absolutely no responsibility for her actions, and wants all of her monies back. I did send the excess of the deposits ($200.00) back to her. She is lashing out and trying to destroy what she can't control. I would welcome legal input for this matter. I am not trying to make an enemy nor ruin my business. I just think we need to be responsible for our own actions regardless. I would have WELCOMED her to get the pup before the 12 weeks. She was two days from being 15 weeks when I finally got the extra $96.00 from Noreen. She was still not paid for (cost of dog was one price if she purchased two puppies, or $50.00 more if she didn't), and the shipping was not paid. We state VERY clearly on the website that after 12 weeks, there is a one time charge of $50.00 and $20.00 per week boarding. This would have almost eaten up the $200.00 I paid her back anyway.
(Sheri again) I have a LOT of files that I need to upload, but due to privacy reasons, I will not publically post them on the internet. However, I will post a picture of my contract. I also have a picture of paypal - when mom reimbursed Noreen $200 - which is NOT in our policy - we were TRYING to work with her. Also - we never transfer deposits but because we were TRYING TO HELP HER buy ONE of the TWO puppies, I let that nonrefundable/nontransferable deposit go TOWARD the purchase price that she couldn't pay - another way we TRIED to work WITH her.

I will simply post our response to this ridiculous accusation. Thanks

Hello. I will attach a copy of my contract posted on our website which was available for Noreen when she purchased puppies. Noreen did not sign a contract - but she was very well aware of our policies. We also spoke on the phone about them... (This is Sheri Chapman, owner of Prayer Paw Puppies). I also will attach a response of my mom's - Jean Anderson of BFF Puppies.
Our puppies require a $200 hold deposit that is nonrefundable or nontransferable. Our customers know that this is what they are "buying". It goes TOWARD the purchase price - and all money (balance on puppy plus shipping, etc.) is due by the time the puppy (or puppies) are 10 weeks old – but since Noreen put a deposit on a 10 week old puppy, we gave her until 12 weeks. Noreen placed two puppies under our hold deposit (the second puppy was much younger – about a month younger). Noreen ran into a personal issue shortly after this and was very difficult to reach. Finally, my mom was able to get a hold of her. Noreen was not able to follow through with the purchase of two puppies. I told her that although she could not have back the $200 per pup for holding the puppies (which loses value daily after it reaches eight weeks of age), I would consider giving the money she’d paid toward MY puppy to mom, and we’d count it toward the total due on ONE puppy – the older, smaller puppy – IF she could make it happen – pay. We even extended her pay time – an additional month or so beyond our normal policy. Noreen was unable to comply and wanted us to send her the puppy and allow her to make payments at a later date. Unfortunately, no business gives merchandise without payment. Mom ended up keeping the puppy due to loss of value on the sales market. She'd invested too much money.
A HOLD DEPOSIT – a SERVICE purchased that guarantees the customer is going to pay in full by a set date, and it is a guarantee that the owner will not sell the puppy out from under the buyer – as long as moneys are received in full by the time the puppy is 10 (or in this case, 12 weeks old – which was extended to 15 weeks!!!)
I am contacting my lawyer for possible slander. These allegations should not be permissible. We are inspected by both Missouri State and USDA. We are nothing like a puppy mill and all honest people understand our policies when they send us money. We have a lot of satisfied customers. This is an immoral practice - that a person can slander a business because they are unable to follow through with the purchase – and this should never be allowed to go on. Noreen should go through legal channels like she threatened us with - if they decide then it wouldn't be slander. Destroying a business all because of personal issues is NOT the way to get money refunded that wasn't hers to take back when she defaulted on a business transaction.
Sincerely, Sheri Chapman
Here is what Jean Anderson (my mom) had to say:
Noreen purchased a puppy from me, and one from my daughter. Our website clearly states that all deposits are non-refundable. Noreen stated she wanted smaller dogs. When Tootsie looked like she was going to be a little large for her, Noreen was notified, and by choice gave up Tootsie prior to her being relisted for sale on the website. She said at the time of deposit on Jan. 10th (when the $500.00 (deposit of $200.00 for each dog plus $100.00) was sent) that she would make another $500.00 payment in two weeks. I emailed her back that at that time that I would ship Fanny to her around the first part of Feb. The monies did not get sent, and I tried several times to contact her over the next couple of weeks. ONLY when I text her on Feb. 4th telling her to contact me otherwise I was going to re-list the dog, did she finally call me and tell me was not able to at that time. She still wanted the puppy and wanted me to not sell her. I received another $96.00 from her a few days later. She also asked me if I would ship the puppy to her if she sent me a check to hold until her situation was better. I told her that I couldn't do that. I asked her to make some sort of arrangements to get the puppy paid for so I could ship her to her. I suggested a bank or friends or something. At this time, the puppy was almost 15 weeks old and starting to go through her "puppy uglies". (Pomeranian puppies do not sell well at that age). I told her that on our website as she knew from reading our policies and from our discussions that we are not set up to keep "sold" puppies past 10 weeks or with exceptions 12 weeks. At that time, there would be additional charges for us boarding their puppy. This is stated VERY clearly, and we have never had another person not understand the policies. I ended up keeping the puppy because at the time she would not have been very likely to sell, and I had invested quite a bit of money and time on her. I tried to help Noreen (I had held the puppy past 12 weeks to 15, then I gave her an additional two weeks to pay) I truly feel that Noreen is mad because I ended up keeping the dog, and she lost the deposits. I can understand that, but I feel she didn't bother to make arrangements to get the puppy to her in a timely fashion, and left me "holding the bag". The puppy was " hers " after she paid the deposit and I took it off of the sell site to wait for Noreen's final payment, but any business cannot and will not hold their products indefinitely with no idea of when it would be paid in full.
Noreen feels she has absolutely no responsibility for her actions, and wants all of her monies back. I did send the excess of the deposits ($200.00) back to her. She is lashing out and trying to destroy what she can't control. I would welcome legal input for this matter. I am not trying to make an enemy nor ruin my business. I just think we need to be responsible for our own actions regardless. I would have WELCOMED her to get the pup before the 12 weeks. She was two days from being 15 weeks when I finally got the extra $96.00 from Noreen. She was still not paid for (cost of dog was one price if she purchased two puppies, or $50.00 more if she didn't), and the shipping was not paid. We state VERY clearly on the website that after 12 weeks, there is a one time charge of $50.00 and $20.00 per week boarding. This would have almost eaten up the $200.00 I paid her back anyway.
(Sheri again) I have a LOT of files that I need to upload, but due to privacy reasons, I will not publically post them on the internet. However, I will post a picture of my contract. I also have a picture of paypal - when mom reimbursed Noreen $200 - which is NOT in our policy - we were TRYING to work with her. Also - we never transfer deposits but because we were TRYING TO HELP HER buy ONE of the TWO puppies, I let that nonrefundable/nontransferable deposit go TOWARD the purchase price that she couldn't pay - another way we TRIED to work WITH her.

Once again, I have not signed a sales contract, and nor am I trying to create enemies here. But, keeping monies, and switching stories around is not acceptable. Putting the total monies towards only Fanny in the beginning, and then later on refusing to refund the remaining $400 by stating they are for two puppies is contradicting. Also, continuously stating and requesting additional funds for boarding them is wheeling out funds at a different level from a consumer, especially when you decided to keep Fanny to youself and to started breed her. You have refunded back $200 of the $600. However, the remaining $400 needs to be given back, as the reasons stated above. I can careless how many weeks the dog was or what could happen if they are above 15 weeks. I came into the picture when they were already old and above 10 weeks, so that being said, what you stated is irrelevant entirely. I have a right to voice my opinion any way possible. You may call it slander or you may speak to an attorney, but I am trying to resolve this. By keeping Fannie for breedig purposes, and refusing to give her to a loving home when you had $600, when I reached out to you for her the last time, and i was willing to pay, but you refused, and denied refunding me my entire funds, stating they were deposits for 2 dog....but, earlier you agreed they were for only Fannie because Tootsie was too big.......again contadicting!!!! Seems like you are trying to hold on as much as you can moneywise unjustly. I am entitled to express my opinion on any service transaction and/or customer service publicly as a review. I am disatisfied entirely, and blown away by your ethics. As I said earlier, refund the remaining $400 in reference to Fannie, knowing you kept her for yourself to breed/and to make profit, and also "no sales contract" in place, and I never agreed to any non-refundable policy of yours nor seen it on your website. If you kindly comply, I will withdraw my complaint/negative review.

Paypal has already given Jean Anderson nderson@hughes.net (BFF puppies / Prayer Paw Puppies a sellers negative rating, and Jean Anderson is refusing to respond to their messages. Also, my BBB case# 131699. I will alert them as well on Paypal's response to them.

After contacting Wright County Sheriff's Office, and speaking with the Deputy in details, I have filed a police report (CASE # 14001026) against Prayer Paw Puppies / BFF Puppies (Kennels).