Do you let people in your house or do you meet potential buyers

[Godins Chinchillas]

So this was kind of mentioned in another thread. The person was asking about a specific breeder and seeing his animals.

So all of the breeders out here-do you let people into your home to view your animals..or would you prefer to meet people.

I am on the fence. A big part of me tells me if I am going to sell animals then I should open my doors to customers.

However, I also worry about the safety of my family-especially my two toddlers. I worry about someone wanting a child of their own-worse yet-want to harm them. I worry about burgleries since we do have several nice things in plain site...etc. Hubby does NOT want anyone in the house when he is not home-for our safety.

I live near a neighborhood where there are murders and violence happening literally 5-10 miles from my house. Quite frank-my job is 6 miles from my home. I've been to the morgue for gunshot wound. And three traumas for knife/gun violence in the last 6 months. (that's just me and on the weekends-so you can imagine what they see during the week). I live in a good neighborhood-crime is very low. But not to long ago I did have someone questionable come to my house and I was just a nervous wreck.

So how do you all feel about it?
Jessica

 

[addictedtochins]

So all of the breeders out here-do you let people into your home to view your animals..or would you prefer to meet people.

What exactly is the alternative? Meet at their house, a petstore, in your car parked somewhere else?

 

[threewingedfury]

I've never had a problem letting people into my house to see my chins, even though I would much rather meet people somewhere else because my house is normally a disaster and my 3 chihuahuas are ankle biters. I've had one of my chihuahuas (the most protective of the crew) nip at potential customers and it really bothers me, I don't want to be sued. I've sent my chihuahuas to obedience school and nothing has changed their ways, I need Ceasar Milan. I'm not worried about violence or robbery or anything like that because theres so many people who live in my house and because of the dogs. One wrong move and the dogs attack. Most people who come to my house drive an hour or more because I live in the middle of nowhere, so I honestly dont see someone who is coming out of their way to rob my house or to kill me or anything. I don't have anything that people would really want to steal, as my house is the house of a pack rat due to my grandparents keeping every little thing they've found over the years and we just have to find space for it. Now that I have my chin room next to the back door, it's much easier for people just to come in the back and skip the dogs at the front door, but eventually I'm going to build my own chin building so that customers don't have to worry about my dogs.

 

[starleomach]

I allow people in my house. But then again My husband's buisness is in the house so there is always someone here. I never have any one here if I am alone.

 

[Godins Chinchillas]

What exactly is the alternative? Meet at their house, a petstore, in your car parked somewhere else?

Well of course not the first too. However, I have met people in a public place. For example, if I meet a customer off an exit I usually pick a gas station vs the side of the road.

I think it is more appropriate, as a breeder, to have someone come to my house. I just worry about my kids.

Jessica

 

[Cuddlebug]

I have people come here. I always schedule it so that my husband is home when someone comes. It also helps that both my sons are about 6 foot tall and 200 pounds and they usually are here , too.

 

[Chinniechantel]

I have people come here as well, it seems shady to do it elsewhere I think. But it is scary, all the sue-happy freaks, gosh forbid they trip on the front step or something, or stick their hands in my bird cage and he nips, etc. But at a hotel or gas station with the chins in the car is not safe either. I also worry about people coming back and trying to steal the animals and stuff, but not enough to completely change how I do things. Not to mention how annoying it would be to wait for people in your car...they are never on time it is bad enough sitting at home.

 

[Brightstarchins]

I also let people come to my house, I enjoy showing them my setup, the parents of the baby they are interested in and the rest of my chins.

But we live out in the country and have six dogs, four of them big ones, and I don`t think anyone in their right mind would even think about breaking in or try anything bad while they are here, lol.

Claudia

 

[tunes]

I'm in South Dakota. I've had only a handful of people come to my house because I live in waaaaay BFE. I always meet people to deliver chins, because I end up driving 4 or 5 hours away, or to shows to deliver them. I'm like Claudia. I have large dogs. My yard is fenced and in order to get to my chin barn, you have to go through my fenced in yard. If I'm even remotely worried about someone I don't know, I throw the dogs in the yard and make them walk through. By the time they walk the gauntlet, any thoughts of doing anything stupid would have fled their minds I'm sure.

As far as letting people in my barn, I don't mind doing that. Keeping in mind though, I live in SD so people seeing chins in runs is no more upsetting than cattle shoved in a field with no shelter. They hunt, they farm, animals are not looked at the same as in other areas because of where I live. I doubt anyone would be calling animal control on me because I use runs (which seems to be a huuuuge issue for pet only owners), and frankly, I'm not sure there even IS an animal control out here!

I know of several people who will bring out only the animals they want seen, i.e., the ones for sale. If a person expresses interest in a certain animal, and asks to see the parents, then they bring them out, providing the mother is not currently pregnant. It keeps strangers out of the chin room and makes them feel less nervous about people poking around where they don't want them. I also won't let anyone in who is sniffling or coughing, etc. I think it's ignorant for them to even want to come in when they are sick. Being exposed to shavings, dust, and fuzz is hardly comforting with a URI.

 

[Rickman]

I've done it both ways - anyone I'm leary about, I'll meet first, and bring them back if they're O.K.!
If I'm meeting on the road, we'll usually keep in touch by cell, and keep going towards each other, until we're close! To me, I'd rather drive 10 min. than sit 20!
Problem with meeting on the road, is it's hard for anyone to say "no", whether buying, selling, or trading! You're kinda commited!

 

[Megan]

After having animal control called on me, because I am "cruel, my cages are too small, and I pelt my chinchillas" I have since stopped allowing people in my home. My chins are kept in standard sized runs, I do not (and have never) pelted, and sure as heck don't have a pelting set up. I am cruel, as I handle them by the tail for shows and such.

These people played me. Acted like they were very interested in some kits, wanted to see them before placing a deposit on them--they lived 10 minutes away so I allowed them to come up, handle them and play with them. They decided they wanted a specific chin--one who was "big and fat". He was one I was keeping for show later that year, and I denied them him. They were almost an hour asking me questions, playing with the babies, and playing with some of my breeders.. They left, still as friendly as can be--saying they'll think about the kits I showed them, yaddah yaddah. Two days later I got a call from my contact at A/C saying I was reported... Since then no one is allowed in my home for the safety of my animals, and my family.

I meet people at a public location, and offer pictures.

 

[allchins]

I'm with Megan; I prefer to meet somewhere rather than let them come to my house. I'm not fond of giving strangers my address, maybe I watch too much Nancy Grace LOL!

 

[xcoronaangel]

Personally as a buyer I would want to either
A. see your set up
or
B. see photos. Photos are always hard because you can make a place look better then it is in real life Buuut you take what you can get.
I always get weird when someone wont show me a photo... in this day and age when almost everyone has a cell phone with a camera on is standard I wonder why someone wont show me pictures.

And with my German Shepherd rescue we post photos like crazy whatever you can get to make the right person fall head over heels in love.

 

[Chinniechantel]

[/QUOTE]I know of several people who will bring out only the animals they want seen, i.e., the ones for sale. If a person expresses interest in a certain animal, and asks to see the parents, then they bring them out, providing the mother is not currently pregnant. It keeps strangers out of the chin room and makes them feel less nervous about people poking around where they don't want them. I also won't let anyone in who is sniffling or coughing, etc. I think it's ignorant for them to even want to come in when they are sick. Being exposed to shavings, dust, and fuzz is hardly comforting with a URI.[/QUOTE]

This is what we started doing. I don't use runs, and my cages are very nice and have houses, toys, hammocks. My problem is when a family has 5 kids and they are all running around, picking up baby chinchillas, and then sometimes putting them back in the wrong cage! That could have ended very badly. I cannot possibly keep track of 5 kids.

So, now we have 2 huge playpens we put together, and then another one separate. We get the babies they are interested in, and let them sit in the playpen and find the right chin for them. If they want to see the mom and dad, I use the other playpen and bring them out. That way they get to see the animals, and also don't poke around sticking candy flavored fingers in my cages. If they really want to see them all, and I somewhat know them, I let them in. So far nothing has happened and they think it is a great set up and that the chins are very happy here. I should probably be more careful though.

 

[Chinniechantel]

I know of several people who will bring out only the animals they want seen, i.e., the ones for sale. If a person expresses interest in a certain animal, and asks to see the parents, then they bring them out, providing the mother is not currently pregnant. It keeps strangers out of the chin room and makes them feel less nervous about people poking around where they don't want them. I also won't let anyone in who is sniffling or coughing, etc. I think it's ignorant for them to even want to come in when they are sick. Being exposed to shavings, dust, and fuzz is hardly comforting with a URI.

This is what we started doing. I don't use runs, and my cages are very nice and have houses, toys, hammocks. My problem is when a family has 5 kids and they are all running around, picking up baby chinchillas, and then sometimes putting them back in the wrong cage! That could have ended very badly. I cannot possibly keep track of 5 kids.

So, now we have 2 huge playpens we put together, and then another one separate. We get the babies they are interested in, and let them sit in the playpen and find the right chin for them. If they want to see the mom and dad, I use the other playpen and bring them out. That way they get to see the animals, and also don't poke around sticking candy flavored fingers in my cages. If they really want to see them all, and I somewhat know them, I let them in. So far nothing has happened and they think it is a great set up and that the chins are very happy here. I should probably be more careful though.
__________________

 

[nicky]

I prefer to meet outside the home. For the same reasons Jessica has given. People are crazy and you really just don't know.In the past, I have always allowed people to come to the house if they really feel uncomfortable with purchasing a chin without holding it and seeing it in person first, but always try to arrange to meet outside the home first. I kind of feel that they should have the right to spend a little in person time with the potential adoptee to make sure they're getting what they want. I, myself, even prefer to see a chin in person, rather than just handing off my money and looking at the chin when I get home. But it's scary having people you don't know come to your house. I have always made sure that my husband was here, but in the back of my mind I wonder "what if they come back and broke in while he's gone? What if they have a gun...." I too have dogs, but if they're really nuts than they'll just shoot your dogs and continue on with their mission. It's funny that this post has come up because I just sold a guy a chin last week who insisted on meeting at the house rather than walmart. So, to make a long story short, he wanted to see my chins and see the one that he was getting first and... so I agreed to allow him to come here. Yikes! I'm sooo glad that Sean was home because he was a FREAK! Just something odd about him, can't pinpoint it, but definitely different. I had talked back and forth for a while with him and he seemed to be normal, but he wasn't. As a women he gave you that rapist, murderer type feeling if you know what I mean. After he left, Sean even said "Why would you let that guy come here? What's wrong with you?" But, he seemed completely normal through conversation. I think that's the last time I will allow someone into my home to purchase a chin from me. It's not that I have anything to hide, but I can't get the picture of that guy out of my head. I have kids to worry about. If they want pics that's fine. But, Walmart parking lot from here on out for me.

 

[jags]

We do deliver lots of animals along the way to shows or other times when we travel but I prefer people to come to our barn as they can see our set up and ask questions they may have never thought of without seeing what we do. We have nothing to hide and they can also see more of the selection we have as with as many as we have you do not take pic's of every animal that’s available. As far as being turned in to animal control I see it as no problem with that if things are done right. Here it also helps that the director of our animal control lives right across the street and is a good friend of ours. He has seen our operation and knows how we do things. Any unfounded complaints to him would never even make it to our ears. If you have animal control in your area then I think it is a good idea to invite them by, show them what you do and how your animals are taken care of up front before an issue comes up. If you are doing things right you gain an alli and if not then they can help you get on the right track. Also being USDA certified and inspected helps a lot along with complying with the Ranch Certification program.

 

[Snickers]

I never have chins for sale. I do have people come by if they are looking at my chins, setup, or sometimes if they are in a bind so I'll give them feed, dust, etc for free. I only had 1 person come by and purchased a used carrier just this past Wednesday. I usually believe people are honest.

 

[rcr]

I've done both. I like people to see my set up and that my chins are well cared for, that way they understand what expectations I have of them when they become owners. I haven't run into any wierdos yet, but I have 4 kids, a husband on the county SWAT team, a large schutzhund trained german shepherd, ADT alarm system, plus I live in a cul-de-sac so hopefully I have a few deterrents.

 

[ABBY W.]

I always meet buyers in my home at least once before the actual adoption. But, I agree, there could be dangers associated with this, so I always make sure my hubby is home during the meeting. My brother-in-law also lives with us, so I am almost never home alone anyway. Plus, my parents live literally around the corner (my backyard touches their backyard), and my father was a cop and has LOTS of guns.

I think you get a better feel for the potential buyer when they visit you. It's hard to spend time chatting when you are meeting in a parking lot or something. But I totally understand your concerns. Perhaps you could get a security system (assuming you don't already have one). I guess it really comes down to personal comfort. You ahve to be able to feel safe in your home, and if bringing buyers in to visit is going to compromise that, then it's not worth it.