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 Midget Lover
     
Location: Kentucky | dianeguinn - 2014-02-07 12:16 AM motherof2 - 2014-02-06 8:14 PM I sell quite a few and I have come to realize that when a person emails or texts with questions that are stated clearly in the ad, they are just rying to engage in a conversation. I do not respond anymore to them. They usually are not serious buyers. Serious buyers will call. I also won't waist my time making videos for a person that asks through an email. Like I said if they are serious they will call. Really?? I would just as soon have someone email because then I can remember what was asked and gone over. Unfortunately, on a phone call (especially if I'm talking to several different people ) I can't remember what I've gone over and what I haven't. If I have emails, I can go back and check. I've sold more than one horse w/o ever talking to the person....the deal was done entirely over email. If I didn't deal with anyone unless they called, I'd miss out on a lot of sales, I think.
I agree. I bought a mare off RockinAS two years ago and we never spoke on the phone. We didn't need to. I didn't need to remember any information that she gave me because it was all typed out on email. Plus I think better when I can type/text.... sometimes I can't think of all my questions on the phone, and hate to call people back because I know everyone is busy.
With the new age of the internet and social media, online horse buying is normal for me. |
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Expert
Posts: 1642
Location: Kansas | wyoming barrel racer - 2014-02-06 9:08 AM Fun2Run - 2014-02-05 10:25 PM I had to sell a bunch a couple years ago when I went thru a divorce. To some, that translated into "I'm gonna offer her $300 for her $5,000 horse". Or, "will you send a video of your broodmare?" What do they want to see the broodmare do? Walk and graze?
I did deal with some good people too, but the fruit loops got the better of me. That's sad some of the offers. My worst case was a $4500 horse that some woman called about and offered $1500 because that was all she had to spend. She said I should be happy that she was upfront with what she had available and when I said we wouldn't sell him for that she was very upset. I was supposed to take her offer because she was upfront????
She also said her trainer said this horse would be perfect for her and that was another reason I should sell him. I held out and a local young girl bought him for a jumper. My husband about croaked though because he had 60 days ranch riding as a 3yr old and she shows up with her flat saddle and hops on. He was a gentle giant and they were a match made in heaven, but still!
I have been helping my neighbor advertise his horses and I have had 1 lady email me several times over a 4 month time period with a sob story of wanting a buckskin mare well broke for $500 because that is all she has to spend and she hasn't rode in several years and wants to get back into it and wants to know if any of his 3 BRED broodmares would be suited for her and if he would come down from $2000- $3000 asking prices to the $500 she has. I politely emailed her back the first several times explaing that no he would not come down that much and they haven't been rode in X amount of years. Finally I thought she may be a scammer so I turned her in to the site that she kept emailing from because I just thought that was weird that a person would keep emailing about the same horses all the time. Well apparently it made her mad and she sent me some nasty emails back about it. Finally in the end she appologized for it but still, the headache.    |
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Location: Philly | everyone is different. a couple of texts or an email or two and that is about it. a phone call can find out additional good/bad things email/texting won't. that way you know who and the situation that you are dealing with |
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 Night Watchman
Posts: 5516
Location: Central Montana | kscanchsnglaziergal - 2014-02-07 9:33 AM Well I will say as a potential buyer here is something I have ran into that is a peeve of mine. I inquired about a horse listed on a site via email. Ad had one photo, said horse had been used for roping and running barrels. There was no phone number to call. So again I emailed, requesting more info on said horse and asked for video of the horse working the pattern or video period. Response was no video but can text you photos. Ok, give my number received photos of the horse running barrels....... ok.. text back any conf shots? The response was only what is in the ad.... the ad had one photo several feet back and horse looked to either have a scar on it's side or a shadow.... She sends another message saying she could take some this week but ONLY if I was serious about the horse.... Seriously? I know I am seriously looking but how do I know your current photo's arent going to show that your horse has a knee the size of a basketball etc.? I really wanted to respond with something snarky because it really ticked me off but I chose to just not respond because the person isnt obviously serious about selling. Or another one... again inquired about horse for sale via email, no phone number was listed and the person sends me the wrong registered name, sends correct name and offers to get current video of horse riding that weekend and send photos.... never got anything have emailed several times now with no response. Ad is still on. What is the point of listing a horse for sale if your not going to put a phone number, your not going to respond to inquiries and your not going to follow up with your offer of photos/ video. I would think that one would already have current video and cof pics put together before listing a horse for sale, but again what do I know. Done ranting... prospective buying is just as frustrating lol
True, buying is frustrating as well. I swear some people really don't want to sell their horses. Ok, well, maybe they think their horses should sell without putting any work into it.
I was in the market for a trained reiner last fall. It took me a long time to find one that was within my budget and was further along than the mare I have been showing the last couple of years. I emailed first, got photos, video, then called. The previous owner usually calls about once a month or so to see how the horses is doing and I send photos and video when I get some so he knows the gelding he sold me is in good hands and doing well. I weeded through a lot of horses in my search, some people not getting back to me, some people not having good photos or good video, heck some that had NO video.
I bought a mare from 1Left2Right several years ago. I told her if I ever sold her I would guarantee that that if I sold her I would find as good of or a better home than the mare had with me. I had her for sale off and on for over 2 years before the perfect people came along. A single mom and her now teenage daughter. Who would have know that in the off season my former barrel and pole horse is one h$ll of a skijorring horse (she'd never done it before.) They are also a tough barrel duo, and would be in poles if they could leave them all up more often. They are doing great, I get photos and videos of them all year long and made some great new friends in the deal. |
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 Total Germophobe
Posts: 6443
Location: Montana | I personally like to deal in email as much as I can when asking questions because I know I will forget to ask something important, then I have to call back or whatever. And I get tongue tied when talking on the phone. But if I can at least start through email, then I can get a general idea and ask questions. Then if the answers are what I'm looking for, then I'll try calling. I also feel that when I email I don't interrupt that person's day by calling because they can look at their email whenever they have time.
One thing that gets me is when it says serious inquiries only, and they don't put very much info about the horse (or car or whatever I'm looking at). How would I know if I was serious by a two sentence description? |
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Rad Dork
Posts: 5218
Location: Oklahoma | I'm loving this thread!! I'm hopefully (!!) going to be able to buy something within next few weeks/month and I love seeing all the input on communication styles. I'm glad to see e-mail is widely acceptable.
I have a question for the sellers. I have found a gelding I really like and went to go see. The seller has some good conformation pictures and about 3-4 videos of the horse. I would essentially be tire kicking if I was to inquire about any other information or to say "I love your gelding, but I'm trying to work the financials out with my husband.. hope to try him soon"..etc.
Is email still preferred to a phone call if you're asking about trying the horse out and not just to gather more pictures and videos? |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | motherof2 - 2014-02-06 8:14 PM
I sell quite a few and I have come to realize that when a person emails or texts with questions that are stated clearly in the ad, they are just rying to engage in a conversation. I do not respond anymore to them. They usually are not serious buyers. Serious buyers will call. I also won't waist my time making videos for a person that asks through an email. Like I said if they are serious they will call.
I ALWAYS deal in emails and rarely call until I'm sending money. I'm not tire kicking it is simply that I'm usually looking at two or three horses of similar training, talent, and value and keeping them straight is sometimes confusing. I can always go back to the email and refresh my memory on what the owner said. Then when I get the videos I can refer from the videos to what the owner stated and if I have further questions go from there. If the ad answers all of my questions and includes good videos then maybe I'll call first but most times I still have questions after reading the ad so I email.
To add to this I live in Canada and buy 95% of the horses from the US (all over the US) so when it's a good time for me to call it may not be a good time for the owner due to time differences so email works best for me.
Then if the horse isn't what I'm looking for I simply send them a thank you email letting them know that it's not what I'm looking for and thanking them for their time. |
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  Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | RunNitroRun - 2014-02-08 5:07 PM motherof2 - 2014-02-06 8:14 PM I sell quite a few and I have come to realize that when a person emails or texts with questions that are stated clearly in the ad, they are just rying to engage in a conversation. I do not respond anymore to them. They usually are not serious buyers. Serious buyers will call. I also won't waist my time making videos for a person that asks through an email. Like I said if they are serious they will call. I ALWAYS deal in emails and rarely call until I'm sending money. I'm not tire kicking it is simply that I'm usually looking at two or three horses of similar training, talent, and value and keeping them straight is sometimes confusing. I can always go back to the email and refresh my memory on what the owner said. Then when I get the videos I can refer from the videos to what the owner stated and if I have further questions go from there. If the ad answers all of my questions and includes good videos then maybe I'll call first but most times I still have questions after reading the ad so I email. To add to this I live in Canada and buy 95% of the horses from the US (all over the US ) so when it's a good time for me to call it may not be a good time for the owner due to time differences so email works best for me. Then if the horse isn't what I'm looking for I simply send them a thank you email letting them know that it's not what I'm looking for and thanking them for their time.
I know as a seller, I sure appreciate this. Especially if I have several people inquiring on a horse. |
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Veteran
Posts: 264
| I am currently in the process of selling my gelding. I have never sold a horse before so I wasn't sure what to expect. Now I never want to do it again.
A family from across the country decided they wanted him, said they would put a down payment on him and have a shipper out there in 2 weeks. Sent the contract out right away. About a week later when I still hadn't received it back I contacted them, apparently they had a family emergency and weren't able to pay the full deposit. They offered me a little less than half of the deposit which I accepted.
Few weeks later than he was supposed to be shipped (because of weather) I still hadn't received any payment. Fast forward 2 more months and dragging this on. I finally confronted them and said they need to come up with the money or he is going to be listed again. They decided they didn't want him after my "pushy" attitude.
Almost 11 weeks of being dragged along they walk away. Blocked and deleted so I couldn't make contact. No thank you for being understanding and holding him for us. Nothing.
So now he is back up for sale....yippee I get to deal with this all over. But now I have learned my lesson, this is business, there are no favors. |
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 A Somebody to Everybody
Posts: 41354
Location: Under The Big Sky Of Texas | turnedout - 2014-02-08 9:02 PM I am currently in the process of selling my gelding. I have never sold a horse before so I wasn't sure what to expect. Now I never want to do it again. A family from across the country decided they wanted him, said they would put a down payment on him and have a shipper out there in 2 weeks. Sent the contract out right away. About a week later when I still hadn't received it back I contacted them, apparently they had a family emergency and weren't able to pay the full deposit. They offered me a little less than half of the deposit which I accepted. Few weeks later than he was supposed to be shipped (because of weather ) I still hadn't received any payment. Fast forward 2 more months and dragging this on. I finally confronted them and said they need to come up with the money or he is going to be listed again. They decided they didn't want him after my "pushy" attitude. Almost 11 weeks of being dragged along they walk away. Blocked and deleted so I couldn't make contact. No thank you for being understanding and holding him for us. Nothing. So now he is back up for sale....yippee I get to deal with this all over. But now I have learned my lesson, this is business, there are no favors.
I hope that you kept the deposit.  |
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 Strong Willed Woman
Posts: 6577
Location: Prosser, WA | It always so interesting to me to read these threads. Some people seem to think that anyone that contacts them should end up buying their horse. That would be like a car salesman expecting every person that walks in to the dealership to buy a car. I also think if more people treated selling a horse like a business transaction things would probably go much more smoothly. Not pointing this post at anyone just something I've noticed. |
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