Holds

So, perfect example of people being asses and delaying.  Ok, so number one, I hate when I have to deal with the kids, because it's kids parroting what the parents say, and it's never 15 year olds, it's like here, deal with the 10 year old, who doesn't understand half of what I say.

But regardless. 

This one person emailed mid June asking about adopting guinea pigs.  It was on the 23rd that I sent them the adoption form and care packet.  They had a problem with it, couldn't open it, couldn't send it, just problems one on top of another, so they just sent the answers in an email.  But forgot to answer a few questions.  And now I see why some rescues specify that if the application is not complete, they won't even look at it, because I spend more time asking people to fill in the blanks they've left than anything.

So, then they tell me, they have the cage and everything, but they need a month to get a table to put the cage on.  To me, that sounds like an excuse, but ok.  So I tell em the policy, I can't hold the pigs for more than 2 weeks without a deposit.  So at the time they say ok, well they'll try to make it there in two weeks.  They don't, of course, and keep pushing it back.  So finally the kid says, ok my dad wants to send the check can you explain it to him.

So I email him the info about how the deposit works and where to send it and all.  On the 4th, I get an email from the father saying that he sent the check.

So I'm waiting and waiting and waiting, and when I'm waiting for a deposit, I watch the mail cause I can sometimes pile up the paperwork, so I'm watching for it and watching for it and I'm not getting it.  Til today, I get this email:

The my dad can not send the check.dose next Saturday work to come and adopt them if so where should we go sorry I nay no longer text.if they get adopted before then just please let me know before hand.

...which, to the best of my comprehension, says the dad can't send the check and wants to know bout Saturday.  I emailed back asking if she meant Saturday like 2 days from now or Saturday the 20th.  Cause the 13th I'll be around, the 20th I won't be (cause we'll be at the expo).  I told her, since it's already been at least 14 days (since the 23rd -- and I was talking with her before that, that's just the date the forms got emailed out), I can't hold them any longer.  Cause people are taking advantage.  I say, hey, the 30 day hold (with deposit) doesn't go into effect until I get the check.... so what do they do?  Not send it, which, in my mind, is to delay the 30 days from starting.  But, no deposit, and it's just 14 days, which has already passed.  So, the hold's done.  They don't like it?  Tough shit.  The humane societies don't hold animals for anyone, many rescues and breeders won't hold animals at all without a deposit, but I feel like I should be the one who's more different and trusting.  And what happens?  Shit like this, where the people drag it out and drag it out and more than half the time, do not end up getting the animal.  I told someone, that rat person a bit ago, if the people don't show up within 2 weeks of emailing about the animal, it's unlikely they ever will.  That is TRUE.  I didn't make that up, but it is the truth.  The people who really want to adopt find the time to make it here and adopt, they don't tell me, oh, it'll be 4 weeks for us to get a table for the pigs. 

I did say, nicely, in the email, something to the effect of, your dad said he sent the check, but since he didn't really, that is why they're no longer on hold, because your hold ran out without the deposit.  I mean, let the kid know, if her dad can't manage to send the check, that's why someone else may adopt the guinea pigs.  Not my fault.