Dear Parrots magazine,
Don't do it
I have read many times how people are duped when they buy a bird from an unknown source on the Internet and how upsetting it can be.
A long term friend of mine did just that when she met a man at a well known fast food outlet to buy a conure that she had wanted for some time. It was clear to me that she was drawn by the low price and that this man had suggested to meet half way to reduce journey time.
Well, she would not take any advice from me and bought this little bird. But within three weeks it was dead and when she tried to contact the seller, all she got was a recorded message.
Apart from the upset of all this, what is worse is that it has affected our friendship as we have had a number of heated discussions about it. I passionately urge anyone not to meet strangers in car parks, as it often ends up in not just a loss of money, but much upset too.
Sally Evans, Surrey