purchasing a buckling problem

All country, let us know what happens. Also, you have your phone number on your checks, don't you? If so, you have another proof that she had your valid phone number available to her. Watch out though, she's almost certainly going to claim that YOU gave her the wrong phone number, and that's why she got recordings. People like this are experts at lying...since you seem like a nice, honest person, you're probably not going to be able to anticipate her next lie...

What she was/is doing is trying to intimidate you by saying insulting stuff like she "heard you'd filed bankruptcy". She is trying to make it seem that there are other people "against you" by claiming that people are gossiping about you in this manner, and by doing this she is trying to escape responsibility for doing something she knows is wrong. She wants you to think that you are isolated and she's right in there with "all the rest of the people". Also, she might just be an extreme jerk that enjoys hurting people by taking advantage of them and hurting them. Her claiming that she got a disconnect recording on your phone number sounds like the same attack from a different angle, she's trying to make you feel poor and inferior. People like this tend to pick on people they think can't/won't defend themselves. I use to be a real mark for these, but I'm working on it...

Are you a member of a minority race or culture? You might be able to really sue the socks off her if she makes comments like this where someone else can hear them. Bigots sometimes do stuff like this to cheat those who are of the "wrong" type.

Get some advice about legal measures. You might want to check out her court records to see if she hasn't been in court for similar issues.

Also, while people are being critical about you're not having a contract, let me tell you I've been burned twice by buying purebred dogs with a contract. Two different problems, two different breeders, two different contracts. In both cases they knew the loopholes in the contract and used them. I never saw it coming. No more contracts for me; even if the animal is gold plated! I give them the money; they give me the animal, the registration papers and a receipt. I might still get burned, but at least it will be because I didn't pick a good puppy, not because the breeder knowingly cheated me in writing.

The other side of this is that if you don't have a contract, then she doesn't have a contract either. If you have a note on your check (I really hope you do) that you are to pick up the kids in May and she cashed the check, then I would think you have an excellent basis for getting your money back. I agree with the others, I wouldn't do any kind of business with anyone like this...you just might be getting off easy, you're better off losing money up front than bringing home sick animals that may pass on diseases to your does. Come to think of it, this also might be why she's acting so nasty; she might have something bad going through her herd and is trying to hide it: your buckling and wether may have died, or had to be put down.

One piece of advice: I strongly suggest you handle all further contact through the mail, keep copies, use registered mail if you can afford it. I think it is very probable that she will insult you again if you call her or go in person. She just might be evil enough to claim you attacked her if you go there in person. Some people succeed in insulting people so badly that they give up and let them get away with cheating them...and she's already found a weak spot with you; that you're sensitive about your financial status (I used to be, I lost a lot a money several years ago, but I got to feeling better when I could just come out and say "I'm too poor to afford that." Funny thing, if you come right out and say it, people don't seem as likely to believe it!)

Good luck; God bless.