do genuine people ever buy unseen?

Potato!

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I bought a Connie unseen as he was advertised as a project and he was up country. I had always wanted a Connie was happy to work with him. When he came off the lorry he was about a hand smaller than I was expecting and had major trust issues. I spent the summer working with him and would have kept him as loved him. However my car was written off and needed the money to buy another car so found the best possible home for him. I did regret selling him but I know he is doing well. I would say I was genuine as had it not been my car situation I would have kept him.
 

4faults

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I bought my new 4yo unseen, off just one photo and a short video clip. Tbf I did buy him from an old friend who bred him and I was there the day he was born but had not seen him since he was 6 months old. This is him when he arrived in June an untouched baby
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And him in October
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He's just what I hoped for and I have no intentions of selling him
 

hnmisty

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It's been interesting reading everyone's stories, thanks for all the replies!

My dilemma has been solved as they are now coming to see him tomorrow :) so fingers crossed they get on with each other!
 

Dry Rot

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Bought my stallion unseen for rather a large price, but only after a lot of research, a vetting, seeing his showing records, and after just missing his son by a whisker!

One of the better deals I have done in my life. Sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and go with it. I've never regretted it for one moment and I think if I'd waited to view (600 mile round trip) I'd have missed him.

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scrunchie

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I bought one unseen and he made a cracking kids 1st pony. He was elderly and the seller was very honest. He's now retired and living with a friend who adores him.
 

rowan666

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Yes! I bought my mare unseen/untried from one photo (far from recent!!!) and a 15min phone call to owner, arranged transport and collected her 3 days later! Wasnt the best move i ever made in this case but i love her and i would buy unseen again.
A friend just bought a lovely expensive little sec A unseen but did have him vetted, hes fab and has an excellent long term show home.
 

cambrica

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Dry Rot - your Stallion is gorgeous!

For me its a case of 'Do as I say and not as I do!'
So yes I have, no I wouldn't advise it and I probably wouldn't sell one that way.

When I first saw Roberto I wasn't even really looking to buy and he was a 10 hr round trip away. From the moment I saw the photo's of him I said to my OH I've found a horse I want to buy. It wasn't a case of my heart over ruling my head but an instant gut feeling that I knew I had to go with. Knowing a bit about the stud that bred him I phoned the owner, spent ages on the phone and I had no doubt that I had nothing to worry about.
That was two years ago and anyone on here that read my posts will know that Roberto means the world to me. He is one in a million so my gut instinct was right again! This was one of the photos that grabbed my attention and thats him now in my signiture.
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lisa_dundee

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I bought mine unseen, from auction! just saw him having a walk and trot and that was it! Spur of the moment decision, sometimes its worth taking a risk

I've also done this, bought my little girls pony from Builth off some photos and videos, one of our liveries was there and had me on the phone telling me about the pony and I took the risk, paid good money for her and what a good pony, 3 years later and she's still with us and will be until the day she dies.
 

Inthesticks

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I bought a yearling filly unseen, just got the transporter to pay for her and pick her up. I would not sell one this way though, unless I knew the person.
 

lisa_dundee

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I bought a yearling filly unseen, just got the transporter to pay for her and pick her up. I would not sell one this way though, unless I knew the person.

Because I buy unseen I would sell unseen simply because I know what a good home I provide my horses with and I wouldn't want any I sell to possibly miss out on a good home, even if you meet buyers and they come back a couple of times sadly you can never guarantee A good home, circumstances change, people's priorities change and this can have a major impact on the poor horse.
 

Dry Rot

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Dry Rot - your Stallion is gorgeous!

For me its a case of 'Do as I say and not as I do!'
So yes I have, no I wouldn't advise it and I probably wouldn't sell one that way.

When I first saw Roberto I wasn't even really looking to buy and he was a 10 hr round trip away. From the moment I saw the photo's of him I said to my OH I've found a horse I want to buy. It wasn't a case of my heart over ruling my head but an instant gut feeling that I knew I had to go with. Knowing a bit about the stud that bred him I phoned the owner, spent ages on the phone and I had no doubt that I had nothing to worry about.
That was two years ago and anyone on here that read my posts will know that Roberto means the world to me. He is one in a million so my gut instinct was right again! This was one of the photos that grabbed my attention and thats him now in my signiture.
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I think we both did alright, didn't we? Your blind purchase is a smasher too!

For me, a chat on the phone is very important. I think you can tell a lot from a conversation. Because of my remote location ( I used to live on the Scottish Outer Isles), I do quite a lot of buying and selling unseen. One thing though, if the seller says such-and-such I will usually mention that in the covering letter with my cheque. So, "I am sending you my cheque for £x for xyz on your assurance that…blah…blah…blah and that there are no significant faults or vices that I should be aware of…."

I don't know if that is legally significant but when ever I have had to chase a seller because of some problem, they have always put it right! But that is mostly secondhand farm machinery. In fact, I think I prefer to do this in writing as the spoken word is subject to human memory which can be quite selective under pressure!
 

pennyturner

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I was craning my neck to see over the shoulder of a couple of huge meat-men at the Beaulieu Road sale, when just for a moment I caught a half-glance of the head of the frightened yearling in the ring. No-one was bidding, and something made me stick my arm up. I took him home for 36 guineas.

What a messed up little fellow he turned out to be. Went over backwards between the lorry and the stable, and would not be touched for anything. Took years, literally years, to get his trust.

He became D1's project as a young teenager. He came right in the end, and is now a handsome, if somewhat vertically challenged (12.3hh) 6yo; a cracking little pony. D1 is hopelessly too big for him at 16, but loves him, and he's such a nice ride she chooses to ride him even though she looks silly.
 

FfionWinnie

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I bought these three unseen. Although the wee guy was free.

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Two wee ones were unbroken so not much of a risk. All were cheap/far away. All have exceeded expectations by an outstanding amount.
 

moana

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I bought one unseen and he was absolutely superb, exactly as described. I also sold one unseen and the new owner was thrilled with him.

Does not always work of course.
 

cptrayes

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I've just done the deal on one and I'm on tenterhooks until we swap him over in a motorway services next Monday !
 

dianchi

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I sold one this weekend unseen! She had seen a video of him and wanted him end of!
She came to collect him and I made her get on-not that she had wanted to- she was happy to take him as seen in pics and video!
 

gillianfleming

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My sister tried to. It was the first foal of my sisters mare, she'd had her just before we got her. SIster understandably wanted the pony vetted as she couldn't get down to see her but wanted to make sure she had a good home.
Unfortunately the woman selling told her to book the vetting for a certain day and then had someone else see her the day before and they bought without a vetting. Sister had offered to pay a deposit but the seller wouldn't take one.
We were both gutted
 

Cortez

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I have often bought unseen, or from a picture or video, and sold that way too. I've never bought a wrong 'un that way (nor sold one, I hasten to add!).
 

Happytohack

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I've bought unseen. Paid quite a lot of money too. First time I saw her was when she stepped off the lorry after a 300+ trip. That was nearly 3 years ago and I would never sell her. Definitely the best decision I ever made.
 
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