Need help with store chin

[Euphoric]

So my local mom and pop place got a beautiful chinchilla as a customer drop off.

He is like a beige mosaic..white with brown coloring, freckled ears, and a brown tail.

The problem is, he is skinny and his fur is chewed..just from the neck down.

They are selling him, which I find sad, but offerd me a discount because I am a good customer and they know I know a lot about chinchillas.

I don't mind putting weight on him; I have good food, critical care, and plenty of hay and love.

His fur doesnt have bald spots, but is really sparse and not thick. He has had 1 dust bath since he got to the store, I guess he never got them before.

But they are asking $100 from me.

I just don't know if I should do it; first off they are selling him which I think is wrong, but I also am afraid he will go to another naive home.

I just need some guidance on what to do. I do have a cage, food, supplies, ect. The only money is the cost to buy him.

 

[Rickman]

I'd offer $50 since he's technically a rescue, and ask what the 'warrantee' is, since you don't know how mistreated he was!
Bet their license doesn't qualify them as a rescue - could be big problems for them, if the state heard about it!

 

[Carol~Anne]

We just talked about this yesterday and some of us are very torn about purchasing pet shop chins b/c you know they will just restock after they sell one but still, pet shop chins need homes too. I personally have not bought a chinchilla from a pet shop but that's b/c I've taken in other chins from elsewhere. I'm yet to actually 'buy' a chinchilla. That said, if I weren't maxed out right now I'd be awfully tempted to buy a chin from a pet shop so obviously I've very torn on this particular matter.

$100 isn't outrageous like some prices I've seen but maybe in your area it is? I'd be very tempted to ask the owners if they'd consider coming down a bit in price, explaining to them that you have experience with chins and have a nice cage, good quality food and hay etc. and see what they say. You know they're not going to give him/her away b/c they are in business to make money and do have their own expenses to cover.

Sounds like you'd make a good home for him/her and you need to negotiate with mom and pop.

 

[Nervousings]

i would go along the the same lines as carolanne said.
but i would also bring a picture of your current chins and their living conditions/feed/supplies. basically just PROOVE that you, in fact will provide exceedingly better care than they, or anyone else can.

 

[Carol~Anne]

^^ Yes, that's what I did when I wanted to adopt a chin from the mainland. I sent them lots of pics of my chin room/setup and they were quite impressed. I'd also bring it to their attention that there are so many clueless people out there that have no idea about chinchillas and how to care for them properly and of course you do have the experience. I'd also draw attention to the fact that he/she is chewing herself and is probably really stressed out and needs a stable home.

 

[Riven]

I would tell them that it's not normal for him to look like that, and offer them a lower price. They'll probably take it, they should be able to see he's "defective".

 

[Euphoric]

Well, I tried telling him that he was really skinny and badly chewed...

But how do I go about asking a lower price? I guess I am not an aggressive buyer.
What do I say?

 

[Carol~Anne]

$50 is always a good starting place.

 

[Spoof]

I'm pretty cold hearted, I take in exactly what I think the chin is worth in cash (in this case, $50). I offer that to them, tell them it's all I've got, and if they don't sell, walk away. Of course, you have to be prepared to walk away. I find those ones don't go very fast. In a few weeks, if he's still there, they may offer him to you for $50. Offer them $40.

Yea I'm bad, but hey, they didn't pay a thing for him, so every day they hold him they lose money. It's a business.

 

[Riven]

I agree with Spoof. Just say he's skinny, and he's fur chewed. Tell them that you could get a perfectly healthy, not skinny, not chewed chin for $100 but you'll give them $50 because you feel bad for it. Having a chin in there looking like that certainly can't be good for business!

If they say no, just say okay thanks, let me know if you change your mind. Try again in a week or so. I doubt anyone else will pay $100 for it, and if you're a good customer and they're giving you a "discount" I really doubt anyone would pay MORE than that.

 

[Euphoric]

He said the chinchilla was there only a week, and he didn't feel comfortable letting him go for that price.
I said, okay no problem just keep me in mind.
I don't know who would pay $100..he really needs some weight on him and his fur is pretty bad.
But he is a beige mosaic..pretty rare..so I think he might get snatched up for that reason.

:/

 

[tunes]

A beige mosaic is not rare, and unfortunately, a fur chewer is certainly not rare either. It never ceases to amaze me that people are so concerned about turning a buck. He wouldn't feel comfortable for selling a chin for less than $100 that he was given free as a surrender. What an altruistic guy this is, huh? Idiot.

 

[Nervousings]

you could always go in again, with pictures of healthy chins, like i mentioned.... and if he says no again.. take a picture of the store chin. maybe he will think twice when he realizes how badly it is cared for, and embarrassed that you might spread the picture.

im like spoof... i would be very firm with him. let him know this is certainly not right. i would even throw a tiny fit... not towards him, just make it clear how sorry you feel for this poor animal.

 

[Brittany_Lynn]

The other day I went into Petco and there was a Gerbil there that was clearly injured; his nose had been bitten and was bleeding. I pointed it out to the two store clerks, and they shrugged it off because animals fight all the time. Then I noticed he was standing up staring in one direction, and would slowly tip over onto his right side. I asked the clerk who was watching me watch him what he was doing, and he responded that it was staring at me. I then repeated, "No, not that...that. He keeps tipping over." Finally he said something about me being right and got another person to come over and take the gerbil into the back...they knew I was listening to someone said something about vet care, but I doubt it...I think he had an ear infection and his equilibrium was off.

Anyway, the point of that story was that if you repeat yourself enough times and make yourself a certain amount of annoying, you will get the animal some sort of help. Perhaps they would take him in the back of the store and take care of him until he stopped fur biting, which would ensure that he didn't go to a bad home in the mean time...or maybe you'll get him for $50 like you said.

I do second the suggestion to take in pictures of healthy chinchillas, and then pull out your camera to take a picture of the chin they have, and ask what the local ASPCA would think when they saw the pictures side by side. Bring someone with you, though, they might not be happy if you threaten them...

 

[Spoof]

im like spoof... i would be very firm with him. let him know this is certainly not right. i would even throw a tiny fit... not towards him, just make it clear how sorry you feel for this poor animal.

Absolutely do not throw a fit - be professional! You did the right thing by walking away. Give him a few weeks, let a few other people throw fits.

 

[AZChins]

I have rescue mosaics...they're $45 for the adoption fee with a giant bag of supplies in their care package. This person is trying to make money for doing absolutely nothing. I have to work my butt off keeping the chins happy and healthy here. If I raised the cost of my adoption fee for rescues to $100, I would get screamed at and told that I am soooo horrible and that I'm all about the money. In fact, I already get that...

A pink white fur chewed chin is not at all rare, I have to agree with that.

 

[Carol~Anne]

Absolutely do not throw a fit - be professional! You did the right thing by walking away. Give him a few weeks, let a few other people throw fits.

This is when you need to get a few friends and maybe your mother to visit the pet shop and say: "Oh my, what's wrong with that chinchilla, it looks so skinny and its fur is horrible! $100 is a ridiculous price to ask for that pathetic looking thing, that's outrageous."

 

[Nervousings]

Absolutely do not throw a fit - be professional! You did the right thing by walking away. Give him a few weeks, let a few other people throw fits.

you are absolutely correct. i meant more along the lines of how horrible you feel, guilt... etc. not so much 'freaking out.'

 

[Lynn & The Chins]

Carol Anne is right. I would stoop to sending in a couple of friends or relatives a few days apart to ask the manager what is wrong with that poor chinchilla. It might guilt him into accepting your $50 (or LESS) offer. :thumbsup:

 

[tams]

Anyway, the point of that story was that if you repeat yourself enough times and make yourself a certain amount of annoying, you will get the animal some sort of help. Perhaps they would take him in the back of the store and take care of him until he stopped fur biting, which would ensure that he didn't go to a bad home in the mean time...or maybe you'll get him for $50 like you said.

Squeaky wheel gets the oil!

I would also agree about taking in pics of a healthy happy chin, and the living enviroment, and maybe even bring in one of your chins to show and compare. Maybe this guy knows NOTHING about chins and doesn't know what size it should be, and you can't always tell by pics. and also by bringing one in, he can see what the fur should look like as well! If he still doesn't budge on price, ask him if he would concider taking it to the back til he got better. Maybe even on your free time, go in there and check on him, take him some fresh hay and maybe even some things to chew. Yes, it would cost you a little money, but maybe by showing this man how well you care for him, he will lower the price, all the while, letting him know that you don't think his price is fare, and tho you do care about the chin, you can't afford to pay the $100 for him, and don't think the $100 is a fare price, again, concidering he got it for free and not knowing if there is possibly something wrong with him, that the $50 you would save, would go towards a vet check.