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Really hope you can get it sorted, what a horrible situation to be in!
Buyer not collecting horse?!
- Thread starter jay2bee
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Trouper
Well-Known Member
I'm sorry but I think this is ridiculous. If she is well enough to ask a friend to contact you, she is well enough to speak to you herself - even if briefly - to explain the situation and ask for your help. Whether we are facing a health, emotional or a family crisis, some aspects of life just have to go on (but, then, may be I am old school).
I remain concerned for any horse being placed in this situation. If it can be resolved in a few weeks, then by all means keep the horse for her - but I would need a lot of convincing.
Renvers
Well-Known Member
Hope you can get a quick resolution. It is one thing to sympathise with ill health but what costs are they willing to meet for the upkeep of the horse during that time?
honetpot
Well-Known Member
Serve the abandonment notice, no money has been mentioned. Call me a cynic, but no contact, no money, and a few weeks will be until after Christmas if you are not careful, because people start looking for full livery for the Christmas holiday, or she has a buyer lined up.
My step father once boarded some ponies, they paid a month' money livery, and he never saw them a gain until spring, when they came they distracted him in the house, loaded them up and never paid. Unfortunately I have had the same done to me by someone who I thought I had checked out, it all sounds very plausible, you feel sorry for them, they have problems,blah,blah. I ended up with a lot of stress, the ponies were still in my care, and almost £600 out of pocket.
If she wanted to void the sale, I would deduct costs from any money returned.
GrassChop
Well-Known Member
I do find it extremely concerning that if her health/mental health is so bad she can't even send a text, what does this mean for the horse's care? Will it be the same?
Buying a horse should be really exciting and most people wouldn't be able wait to bring it home. I find this whole situation very weird. I wonder if perhaps there is a mental disorder going on instead. I only wonder this as my friend's sister with Aspergers and OCD I feel could do something like this on a whim for a new hobby, pay and then lose interest whilst not understanding the implications for everyone involved.
Buying a horse should be really exciting and most people wouldn't be able wait to bring it home. I find this whole situation very weird. I wonder if perhaps there is a mental disorder going on instead. I only wonder this as my friend's sister with Aspergers and OCD I feel could do something like this on a whim for a new hobby, pay and then lose interest whilst not understanding the implications for everyone involved.
paddy555
Well-Known Member
I would call a halt to it now. You could be stuck in this position for months paying for and looking after her horse.
I would advise them to either collect it within 7 days or you will refund their money now and void the sale. Their choice. If they don't collect it I would check with a solicitor what you can do. You may have legal cover on your house ins,, or horse ins or BHS cover. If you join the BHS now can you access their legal helpline fairly soon?
jay2bee
Active Member
She never called, so I have left a voicemail for the “owner” to say I’ll be returning the money on Monday and re-advertising.
Sossigpoker
Well-Known Member
Out of concern for the horse I'd be doing the same. If she can't deal with life , can she deal with looking after a horse?
Patterdale
Well-Known Member
This is bizarre!
What a stressful situation for you OP, hope it gets resolved soon.
What a stressful situation for you OP, hope it gets resolved soon.
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
Good move. I would readvertise now so that you have viewers lined up as soon as you have returned the money.
I doubt if this is strictly legal, because she is the owner. But the likelihood of her suing you (for what loss?) is minimal and I'm absolutely sure that the police will have no interest at all in the "theft" of a horse where possession was never taken and the purchase price refunded a few days after it was received.
Fwiw, it's what I would do.
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Winters100
Well-Known Member
IMO this is exactly the right thing to do. The right thing for the horse, because she does not sound as if she will be able to manage caring for him. I also think it is the right thing for you, since if the sale was subject to the vetting presumably she can anyway pull out and demand her money back or a large discount by citing some minor fault.
Good luck with it and I hope that you solve everything soon.
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
Sale wasn't subject to vetting, W, that was updated later in the thread.
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Trouper
Well-Known Member
Well done - hope you find a good buyer who will appreciate the horse.
Winters100
Well-Known Member
Thanks.
What a strange situation in this case. But really I think that OP has no option but to return the money. A text from a friend saying that the buyer is unable to cope is not enough to justify keeping the horse for weeks with no costs being covered. And since the horse is an OTTB I am guessing that the purchase price was not huge, so keeping the horse for free for 2 or 3 months is eating into that.
Roasted Chestnuts
Well-Known Member
what a load of tosh. I had covid and I’ll tell you I was very ill for many days and I’m still feeling the effects of it and I have a horse. He was looked after by my family and friends.
Many people have chronic illnesses and people have had and fought cancer and sometimes their horse is their only reason for going on, getting up in the morning or leaving the house.
Don’t be so callous
Roasted Chestnuts
Well-Known Member
Op you are doing the right thing refunding and read errors if. No one really loses from that, yes it’s a hassle for you but I’m sure you will have other buyers soon. It’s a sellers market for horses at the moment
Trouper
Well-Known Member
I think you may have misunderstood the point of my comment. I was not implying that the buyer may not - ultimately - be a suitable owner but, in this day and age, communication is a very simple thing and the total lack of it from the buyer is concerning on several levels. At the very least, it is poor manners.
I also think you have made my point for me - despite being so ill yourself, you obviously took great care to ensure that your animals were looked after by others and I am sure you kept good communication going between you all. The excitement of acquiring a new horse would also have had me off my sick-bed to at least have a conversation with the buyer about what was happening. In the absence of that communication, we can only be judged on our actions.
I do hope you are well on the way now to a full recovery from this dreadful virus.
Northern Hare
Well-Known Member
Just a thought, but is there any chance that this is some sort of convoluted money laundering scam, that is forcing you into transferring money back into the account it supposedly came from, but that could then put you in a tricky position with the bank? Perhaps the money has come from an account that is under suspicion or monitoring?
The reason I say this is that I was selling something on eBay (around £1k), and I somehow very nearly got scammed, and it was in such a complex way that I couldn't really believe it when eBay explained it to me. Fortunately something made me suspicious so I contacted eBay and they sorted it all out and I didn't lose anything, but it could have worked out badly for me.
So just to be safe, it might be worth the OP speaking to the buyer's bank before transferring the money back to the originating account, just to check there's no potential pitfalls?
The reason I say this is that I was selling something on eBay (around £1k), and I somehow very nearly got scammed, and it was in such a complex way that I couldn't really believe it when eBay explained it to me. Fortunately something made me suspicious so I contacted eBay and they sorted it all out and I didn't lose anything, but it could have worked out badly for me.
So just to be safe, it might be worth the OP speaking to the buyer's bank before transferring the money back to the originating account, just to check there's no potential pitfalls?
WelshD
Well-Known Member
If my friend was ill and in the same situation I would be on to the seller begging them to bear with me and keeping them informed. Not trying to dodge the seller.
[153312]
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How on earth would that work? Aware I'm probably being VERY stupid, but I just can't really fathom it?
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pistolpete
Well-Known Member
No idea what’s going on but agree you’re best off refunding if a good sensible solution including covering livery costs can’t be reached. Feel for you.
nutjob
Well-Known Member
This. Except you need to get your bank to talk to the buyers bank as their bank won't talk to you. You would be surprised how sophisticated scams are these days. I tried to do a bank charge back after a dodgy dealer sold a horse I put a deposit on to someone else only to find their account was specifically set up for scamming people. That account is now frozen as the bank recognised it was being used for scamming. It's now in small claims, trading standards and action fraud, but I doubt I will get any money back. How likely is it that someone was fit and well enough to buy a horse then days later become so ill that they cannot communicate at all and have no friends or family members who can talk on the phone, by email or text?
tda
Well-Known Member
Does sound like some kind of scam, maybe the 'buyer' has advertised it elsewhere at a higher price and will finally collect it when she's sold it!
jay2bee
Active Member
Had a call today from the 'owner' - she was dreadfully apologetic and says she was really not herself for a week being ill with covid. She says she will collect him tomorrow morning! So, all of that drama over nothing, sorry guys!! Thanks for the help though
jay2bee
Active Member
Although as I wrote that my partner read over my shoulder and said "providing she turns up, of course" 
exracehorse
Well-Known Member
I’m
Not sure either. I thought it was cash that you money laundered. But I guess we are both stupid ?
nagblagger
Well-Known Member
Hi, my first time on writing - been a secret stalker.! But slightly concerned that if she has had covid less than 10 days ago she is still potentially infectious! Be careful.
teddy_
Well-Known Member
Laundered 'cash' can very easily end up in a bank account unfortunately.
GreyDot
Well-Known Member
Good point! Plus, if she had just been to view the horse and then came down with it, why weren't you notified as a close contact? Hope she turns up and collects the horse, but I would definitely be keeping my distance.
jay2bee
Active Member
Is close contacts even still a thing? I've had covid before and two vaccinations, I've more chance of catching the flu from her lol. Plus we will be outside in a yard, I'm not worried.
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