Buyer wanting to return a lamb

[blessedfarmgirl]

I just sold a lamb yesterday, the buyer said she wanted a companion for her pet ram lamb and goats. The lamb I was selling is a bottle baby, so very friendly, and I figured it would be a good fit. But I got these messages last night.

Like I told her, all the animals in the pen the lamb was in are free of fleas. I double checked this morning. No signs of any type of external parasite or any itching.

What would you do? I've never had this happen before. Would you take the animal back and give her a refund? I don't want to take her back since I need the feed $$ but I also don't want her to be in a bad home. Any advice would be helpful.

 

[Mini Horses]

From someone who "knows" it takes time to add animals?? She's complaining? Day one? No!! It's buyer remorse or another found for less $. OR a partner said no after the fact.

How did she transport? In a car/van? Dogs had been in same? Sheep can get fleas, it's unusual unless exposed.

IF you take her back, no refund. Plus overcheck her for those "fleas" right in front of her! Explain that now -- you have to quarantine before she can re- enter your flock....and treat if she's been infected.

 

[Ridgetop]

From someone who "knows" it takes time to add animals?? She's complaining? Day one? No!! It's buyer remorse or another found for less $. OR a partner said no after the fact.

How did she transport? In a car/van? Dogs had been in same? Sheep can get fleas, it's unusual unless exposed.

IF you take her back, no refund. Plus overcheck her for those "fleas" right in front of her! Explain that now -- you have to quarantine before she can re- enter your flock....and treat if she's been infected.

Absolutely what Mini Horses said! and definitely NO REFUND!
If you do take her back, take her straight to the auction since you never know what she could have picked up from the buyer's premises. You don't want to introduce anything onto yours. The buyer could have parasites or coccidiosis on her property which will be brought back to you. Been there, done that, regretted it.

I won't take any animals back on the property after sale EVER because you don't know what disease or parasites could be on the new premises. Since she turned the baby ewe lamb in with her ram immediately instead of keeping them separately side by side for at least a week or so to let them acclimate to each other, this is a self made problem. She should separate them for a couple weeks and then try again introducing them.

I have ever seen a sheep with "fleas" in over 30 years. I suppose it is possible for them to get fleas, but doubtful. They can get keds so maybe her ram had a skin problem or keds before. Or if he sheds he may be scratching to remove old wool. What does she mean by she "cleaned her up"?

After years of selling "pet" livestock I stopped, preferring a quick trip to auction for slaughter. I have had people try to return animals that they have mistreated, no hoof timming, no vet care, starved, let their dogs get after, etc. The last straw was when I sold a ewe to a woman that wanted her to graze down the weeds in her half yard (fire maintenane). I was clear with the woman that during the winter she would have to feed hay. The ewe was a nice halter trained ewe I had kept as a replacement breeder but I needed the money so went ahead and sold her. 6 months later the woman called and wanted to sell her back to me She also wanted me to pay for the hay she had fed her, the feed she had spent money on and the feed pails, as well as a halter and lead rope. When I refused to take her back she got very nasty.

When we had our rabbitry I had a good business breeding and seling Holland Lop bunnies from Christmas through Mother's Day. I made cages and sold them complete with cage and feeders. I bred twice or each holiday - why? The loving homes the first bunnies went to came back for replacements after their toddlers had squeezed them to death, the dogs "played" with them, they fell in the ool and drowned, etc. I made money but knowing that 80% of the bunnies I sold were going to die in less than a month went against the grain. I finally sold off my Holland Lop breeders and went full time into meat rabbits.

Establish the no return policy, no refund policy and move on.

 

[blessedfarmgirl]

Thank you both. I think I'm a little too nice, and need to be more firm, so this gives me the nudge to do what's best for me and my farm. I will check back in with her if she doesn't message and see what's happening. Hopefully things will resolve. I haven't had any issues selling the mini goats as pets so far, they are usually spoiled rotten by sweet people, but this was my first time selling a sheep as a pet. I think I'll avoid doing that in the future, even though selling direct usually gets me twice the $$ I would get at the auction. She was a really nice lamb, I would have kept her if I could. She was already 60 lbs at weaning and would have made a good breeder. But you live and learn I guess. Hopefully the lady can figure out what to do and why they are itching.

 

[Ridgetop]

Also, unless she plans to wether that ram she needs to keep the ewe and ram separate.

 

[SageHill]

Just got in and saw this 100% what @Ridgetop said, I was going to say the very same thing.
Sounds like you've got a flake for a buyer. Fleas on sheep?? Never heard of that before.
If you take her back, like @Ridgetop said - straight to the auction. Given all that the buyer has said, it sounds like her place is probably either not set up well or is a nightmare, sadly it is something that I would no longer want the lamb back no matter how nice.
For what it's worth I just brought in three new sheep - a ewe and a lamb (not related) from the same flock - they stayed together for two weeks in a 12x12 stall with a gate in the opening to the outside where they could see the rest of the flock. After they were in the flock I brought in a ram lamb. Got the same treatment. Letting them all together was uneventful in both cases.

 

[Baymule]

Pet ram? That’s your first indication that you are dealing with an idiot.
You sold a healthy lamb, now it is not.
Super mean? Maybe she is butting the ram, normal behavior, they just met.
Fleas? Since you don’t have fleas in your flock, it had to be her problem.
No refund. All sales are final.

 

[blessedfarmgirl]

I've been trying to get ahold of her to get an update and give her some tips but she's now ghosting me. No surprise there. Lesson learned for me I think. I hope the lamb ends up being ok.

 

[Ridgetop]

Don't try to contact her. Be glad she is cutting off contact. Now you won't have to listen to any complaints or problems. Like Mini Horses said she probably found a freebie and wanted to return your healthy lamb to get her money back. Chalk it up to experience. We have all been there at one time or another. Be glad it was now instead of later so you can plan to take future sale lambs to the auction. Their $$ is good as a pet buyer and you don't get any complaints later.

 

[SteepedInSheep]

Sounds like her mentioning fleas was her fishing to see how quick you'd be to offer a discount or refund. The sale is done... I would leave it at that. You did good.