Reese T.

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