Shortly after the heartbreaking loss of my almost 30-year-old Sun Conure in Feb, 2023, I decided to get another young bird that I could offer a good home to. I am not an all-around bird expert but I was a expert with my Chico. I got him when he was 3 months old and these birds do not sexually mature until they are at least one year old. I did not want to go with another sunny so I went with a Green Cheeked Conure out of a breeder near my home in Miller Place, New York, After speaking with him on the phone, I went there to see if there was a bird I could choose. He had many and several in one cage. These birds may have been hand fed but they were absolutely not hand raised because they were afraid of human hands. That's one point right there. He told me he clips the wings and they cannot fly. If these birds were handled at all on a regular basis then he would know that yes they can fly which I did not find out until I brought her home. The ad said 500 but when I got there he told me 600 and when I told him that that's not what the ad said, he said well I guess I put the wrong price with the wrong bird. Not my fault!
Anyway, I met him halfway and paid $550 for her. I was also given a certificate for her. Breeders in New York state must band, as in a little bracket, all their birds. Very important feature missing from the certificate was her hatch date if I bought her in April and he told me she was 3 months old then she should have been hatched in January. This was lacking from the certificate and when I questioned him he got extremely defensive. Are you calling me a liar? He asked me? This adorable bird was full-blown hormonal which again does not happen until between a year and a year and a half. When I told him about this he said... I don't know I'm not a bird psychiatrist. He knew exactly what he was doing he sold an older bird into a woman who was distraught over the loss of her best buddy of 30 years. I do not plan on giving up on her and unless I find her the proper home I will keep her. For anyone who has no knowledge or experience with birds, they can be easily fooled into thinking they got a baby. BUYER BEWARE! On his website, he has sooo many birds, which means he is breeding more than he can sell and this is being done at both his home and his father's home. There are cages everywhere. This is so not fair to the birds and to the future buyers. Also, beware of any breeder who ships their Birds. It is extremely stressful for the poor little bird to be in a box overnight or 2 days and travel to another state with a wet sponge in the dark box. Any reputable seller of birds does not and will not EVER ship their birds. Plus, the fee he tacks on for shipping is phenomenal. Check him out on Birds Now, Frank, in Miller Place & Sound Beach, NY! Overbreeding, mixed breeding and too many birds that are not babies. Again, BUTERY EWARE! I'm sure he's not the only one like this. Do your homework and buy a bird out of YOUR area, whether it's in the store or a local breeder. SHAME ON HIM AND TO ALL THE OTHER BREEDERS LIKE HIM. FOR THEM, IT'S JUST A BUSINES$. Oh, I never even got a receipt for the money that I paid him. Just a certificate lacking the most important detail - her hatch date! Photo shown is of her. Adorable and pretty healthy looking, but she has her full colors that have not changed, 10 months later. 3 month old birds do NOT have their full colors and it's biologically impossible for them to get hormonal! I have her certificate and will attach it when I locate it. I'm disabled, so bare with me I am an honest person and would never make up anything untrue about anybody.

Wow, they got one over on me! I wanted a Blue and Gold Macaw.
Seller at first started out why he needed to "sell" his Blue and Gold...wife died three weeks ago.
Son died of heart failure three years ago...bird just reminded him too much of his deceased wife and son. He said with shipping total would be $900.00 his name was "Diego" later it became Yuri Yovshove Diego...I should have said screw this then, but...NOPE!
So we talked on the phone a few times, he wanted to be sure I would make a good owner, wanted to know if I had a nice cage...So I said hey listen, we don't know eachother, so I would be taking all the risk to just send $900.00 to you...he said...I am a Christian, do not worry...the South African accent should have told me otherwise...but...NOPE IT DIDN'T!
Then he agreed to my terms...he said we will trust eachother then...so he gave me his CashApp info, that should have been another RED FLAG...this is when I saw the Yuri Yovshove Diego name for the first time...so I sent half payment $450.00 eager to get my Blue and Gold Macaw So we talked on the phone some more, he wanted to me show him where his beloved "Boomer" would be living...he even sent me a video...of Boomer, where he asked Boomer to say hello to me...and he was using my name! Not the bird, the bird just kept saying "Hello...Hello" But Diego was using my name...which furthered my belief that this was legit...when the CashApp wire went though he said he is taking the bird to the shipping right then, and how sad he was...
Then an hour later, the "shipping" company called me...they were called Sonatrach Livestock Relocators...this guy had a heavy Middle Eastern accent...I should have ran then but...NOPE! I didn't.

He told me that the cage that the seller used to drop off the bird, was not suitable for shipping, that this type of bird needs a climate controlled cage...AND that it needed to have a MANDATORY Vaccine shot before the airline would allow travel...BUT! NO WORRIES! I will be refunded as soon as I sign the transfer of ownership when the bird was delivered...HA! I sent $800.00
I contacted the seller...(you should realize by now that both of these people...the seller/shipper are in this together) he said 'man they better be taking care of Boomer,' acting like he was getting upset...he also said, 'please just send the money to them...you will get this back...I promise'
My mind was saying this is a scam, this is a scam...but the seller kept texting me asking me what was going on, what is happening...meanwhile the shipping company is texting me saying that the seller is getting very upset, calling them and yelling about nothing better happen to his bird or else...man they masterminded this scam.
So I agree, the shipper gives me some new name to CashApp the money to, but it didn't go through, so they wanted me to try Venmo. That didn't work...next Paypal...even asked me not to use the business transaction, to use family and friends...which is unprotected...I asked why?!? He said that it holds the funds too long. So I sent it. What a dumbass I am, it gets worse...YAY!
The bird was supposed to arrive the next morning, went in to work, told my boss I'll have to go home and sign for my shiny new bird at lunch...he was like "You're probably getting scammed...' This is probably why he's the boss and I'm not...YAY ME!
But, after an hour or so into the day, I get a text from the shippers saying, 'We have sent you an email, please check your email now..." I'm expecting a new time or confirmation...WRONG!
What the email said was that the bird was now in Utah...but the Utah law states that an exotic bird of this type needs Insurance to be shipped across Utah. This amount was $1250...this should have made me run...but NOPE!
The seller called me and acted as though he was furious about this, but his concern now was that his bird was just sitting there in a cage in Utah,at this point I said I was done, and that I was not going to send another dime...many calls from the shippers, telling me that it would be totally refundable, when the bird was delivered. I kept refusing, and eventually the seller called me and said, "If isend them $750, can you please send them the remaining $500.00. I called the shippers and asked them straight up, "If I send you the $500.00 will this be the LAST THING, I have to spend?" The shipper told me over and over again, yes, I promise you that this is it, and you will receive your bird tomorrow.
The next morning, I received a text from the shipper...it said, "we have sent you an email, please check your email..."
It said the bird was not in Texas, and that Texas requires a permit and they needed me or someone to fax them a Ministry of Livestock permit and that if it was not done in 24frs, the bird would be destroyed! Also, that if not taken care of I would be subject to a $30,000.00 fine.
I text the shipper and said, I'm done. In total I was out $1750.00
Last remaining part of this story is that a couple days later...the seller text me again, saying he had received his bird back. I said of course you did...he then said, "I will ship you Boomer by USPS. I said ok, but I don't think you will, you said you were a Christian...so if you send the bird, great...but if not, which I don't think you will, give him a pet under the wing for me.

Morale of the story, don't buy online, buy in person. ONLY! Total nightmare, lesson learned

SCAMMM FRAUDDD
POLICE REPORT FILED!
Man states hes a Pastor wife died and hyacinth macaws
Remind him of her! Numbers are *******452 and his buddy the shipper *******069! Both have middle eastern accent, transport company is called welco welco
Names are John Anderson, billy Williams. Using email *******@gmail.com
*******@gmail.com
Extremely harassing people!
Using Ad ******* and *******, *******,*******,*******
www.birdsnow.com
WILL NOT REFUND DEPOSIT AFTER CURSING AT POLICE!
They continue to call and demand more money, using emotional tactics the birds are suffering because of you!
I kept saying no and to return my money, they proceeded to send pictures of their private parts and sexually harass me. Police has been updated.
BIRDSNOW took DOWN approximately 20 advertising by this number.
UPDATE: November 20,2017
David Stivers
Bandwidth Network Fraud Investigations
Emailed me, company is the company they use for their numbers
*******452.
Wanting more information, on Saturday November 18,2017
I unblocked the number, *******452 approximately 9pm thats number first texted hello they began to call.
I answered and he stated his business is low because I called the police. And he demanded that I make a advertisement for him under this number and he would return my money. He said just put a puppy on Craigslist, in your area and forward the link.! Police updated!

http://www.thezenparrot.com/2014/09/if-it-sounds-too-good-to-be-true-case.html?m=1

http://us.mypetscloud.com/pet/cat/we-have-a-stunning-litter-of-maine-coon-kittens-for-sale-ad-*******
http://www.zumthing.com/FreeClassifiedAds/itemforsale-sale+pet+bird-usa:ca:losangeles-color_blue,pet_breed_macaw,poicephalus*******365--.aspx#.WiYRemJMHYU