Do people not read adverts anymore?

[gallopingby]

I’ve a friend selling a horse, and the advert is fairly detailed. As an experienced older person looking for the best home for their horse but not into texts they’ve have specifically included a No Texts in the ad. This doesn’t appear to have registered and the texts keep coming. So can people not read anymore? Is it just a random act to fire off a text every time you see an ad? Fortunately there have been a number of calls from people who sound suitable and the horse is likely to be sold quickly, but surely if you are genuinely interested you’ll read the ad and respond appropriately?

 

[Barton Bounty]

I’ve a friend selling a horse, and the advert is fairly detailed. As an experienced older person looking for the best home for their horse but not into texts they’ve have specifically included a No Texts in the ad. This doesn’t appear to have registered and the texts keep coming. So can people not read anymore? Is it just a random act to fire off a text every time you see an ad? Fortunately there have been a number of calls from people who sound suitable and the horse is likely to be sold quickly, but surely if you are genuinely interested you’ll read the ad and respond appropriately?

Same with No Timewaster or tyre kickers, think that just encourages them lol ?

 

[Smoky 2022]

I saw a Facebook post of there horses photos was stolen, they were warning people that scammer was using these photos to scam people and they also said the horse wasn’t for sale. A person replied and said they didn’t believe her and they were paying the deposit .??? clearly a novice because you don’t pay deposit without seeing a horse and you certainly wouldn’t get a conny for cheap.

 

[twobearsarthur]

I’ve found when sending any info out at work. If the important message isn’t in the first two lines it doesn’t get read. Probably the same with ads. People skim read.

 

[spacefaer]

Typical ad - for sale 16.2hh 8 yr old bay gelding
First question.... How old is she?

It has always been so. People either gist read, or read what they want the ad to say, not what it actually does

 

[rabatsa]

I once put an ad in H&H magazine with a photo which had two horses in it. The ad said Bay mare, the other was a grey gelding. I got a phone call wanting to know which horse was the one for sale in the picture.

Failing to read adverts is not a new thing.

 

[AdorableAlice]

People don't read anything. I have just had time off work. My out of office clearly said I am not in and no return date set, followed by capital letters of 'my emails will NOT be read, followed by REDIRECT to xxxxx for your query to be dealt with.

The vast majority of people totally ignored the out of office and kept emailing, getting more and more irate. There are several saying 'I know you are a busy person but not answering me is not acceptable' I so want to put 'Read the xxxing out of office message, you muppet' but sadly can't. Well not if I want to keep my job !

 

[J&S]

People do not read anything properly, neither do they listen to messages properly, always in such a hurry, always know better any way. If sending messages/emails out to a committee I have to preface them with Urgent - Important- please read - in bold capitals, then I might at least get a 40 % response!!!

 

[Equi]

Im a texter unfortunately. I will read an ad that says no texts and i will not respond to it. I hate being on the phone in general ( is it possible to have phone ptsd?) so being on the phone to a stranger is mega anxiety inducing.

 

[Sossigpoker]

People have always been too thick to read and understand anything much really ?
Only half joking !

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

People read nothing! Not even the first couple of lines!

When advertising the racehorses I say whereabouts in the country we are, you sort your own transport, we do not reply to comments and we won't take hundreds of videos and pics.

So we get dozens and dozens of comments asking for pics and videos ? then you get some ask where you are. Some message, ask a load of questions, then ask where we are before saying we are too far away.

You even out a price tag on a horse and people ask if it's for loan ...

 

[sunnyone]

Im a texter unfortunately. I will read an ad that says no texts and i will not respond to it. I hate being on the phone in general ( is it possible to have phone ptsd?) so being on the phone to a stranger is mega anxiety inducing.

Equi, I'm with you on this. Firstly calls always come at the most inopportune moments, secondly if it's in a text or email I've got written proof!
I don't understand why somebody would genuinely want to refuse texts unless they'd got broken arms/fingers or were illiterate. I think I'd just steer clear of replying to such an ad.?

 

[Bernster]

I’m also one that will text first, get some basic info and then call. Calling straight off seems odd to me, you don’t know if it’s a good time or if the horse is even still for sale. You could have one text reply ready to copy and send, then ask for calls only from then on. With a text you can read it when you are free to.

 

[dominobrown]

I have 4 to sell and I am dreading it. I have had all the idiots in the past… one person asked for videos, sent them videos of the horse doing a dressage test, jumping a course etc, still asked for more videos…. So I asked what specific do you want a video of… she got arsey and said she was in Essex so probably would never buy it anyways. Grrrrr
If you write a detailed advert you always get asked for more details so now I just repost the advert in full sentences, not sure why people ask, maybe trying to catch you out?
If you are looking for a horse and don’t want to be annoying, read the advert and I don’t mind people asking specific questions, have questions you want to know written down or prepped. This makes me think a buyer is serious and not a timewaster so they will be treated like a serious buyer.

 

[Trouper]

In some ways I think it is quite useful that these idiots "self-deselect" themselves - saves the bother of trying to find a polite way to reply or to spend any energy on deciding if they might (only might) be a suitable buyer.

 

[Cloball]

People don't read anything. I have just had time off work. My out of office clearly said I am not in and no return date set, followed by capital letters of 'my emails will NOT be read, followed by REDIRECT to xxxxx for your query to be dealt with.

The vast majority of people totally ignored the out of office and kept emailing, getting more and more irate. There are several saying 'I know you are a busy person but not answering me is not acceptable' I so want to put 'Read the xxxing out of office message, you muppet' but sadly can't. Well not if I want to keep my job !

This happened to me twice! I was literally on a mountain in Nepal and in a remote national park in outer Mongolia. I left many messages saying everything must be completed by X date. Put my out of office on with 'i will not be able to answer my phone as there will be no phone signal'. Come back to multiple voicemails saying you.must return the call by several days ago etc. Honestly I just don't think people understand there are places or times when people can't reply to an email or a voicemail.

 

[AntiPuck]

It's handy when people do this, it means you can filter out the numpties.

I did always text first to verify basic suitability and to try and arrange a good time to call, though - calling straight off feels odd, especially if you work full-time so need to call in the late evening, which some people wouldn't appreciate it. However, if the ad specifically said "no texts" I would try calling anyway and leave a voicemail.

 

[Birker2020]

I’ve found when sending any info out at work. If the important message isn’t in the first two lines it doesn’t get read. Probably the same with ads. People skim read.

Yes I agree.

Also if you ask two questions in a text or email you only EVER get one answered, never both which I have always found is really weird too.

 

[LeneHorse]

Im a texter unfortunately. I will read an ad that says no texts and i will not respond to it. I hate being on the phone in general ( is it possible to have phone ptsd?) so being on the phone to a stranger is mega anxiety inducing.

If there is phone PTSD I've got it too. You're not alone. The thought of lots of strangers phoning me about buying a horse fills me with horror.
However I can also sympathise with people who can't cope with technology. I can cope fine with emails texts etc - it's the online help desks for big organisations I struggle with. Sometimes you really do need to speak to a person not a bot.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Im a texter unfortunately. I will read an ad that says no texts and i will not respond to it. I hate being on the phone in general ( is it possible to have phone ptsd?) so being on the phone to a stranger is mega anxiety inducing.

If there is phone PTSD I've got it too. You're not alone. The thought of lots of strangers phoning me about buying a horse fills me with horror.
However I can also sympathise with people who can't cope with technology. I can cope fine with emails texts etc - it's the online help desks for big organisations I struggle with. Sometimes you really do need to speak to a person not a bot.

Equi, I'm with you on this. Firstly calls always come at the most inopportune moments, secondly if it's in a text or email I've got written proof!
I don't understand why somebody would genuinely want to refuse texts unless they'd got broken arms/fingers or were illiterate. I think I'd just steer clear of replying to such an ad.?

I wouldn’t sell or buy from someone that I could not speak to on the phone.

I want to be able to listen to their descriptions, unprepared. I want to ask questions and receive instinctive and unregulated responses. I’d like to understand their relationship with the horse they are selling or how they view horses that they are buying. Tone of voice, choice of descriptive language, inflections and cadence give a far better illustration of these things than texts ever could.

I don’t mind texting to set up a time to call but I wouldn’t set up a viewing without a call.

Also you can get more information in a two min conversation than in a day of texting, so there is an efficiency element too.

Eta, if I feel like a need written evidence then I’d follow up with a text, thanking them for their time and summarizing the conversation.

 

[milliepops]

I got over 200 messages for a horse i sold earlier this year, 99% of them didn't reply when i sent them the info they were asking (all in the ad). Some replied a zillion times, arranged viewings and then were no shows.

So i said phone calls only on the next ad and ignored any messages. That's why people do it, it's a full time job keeping up with it otherwise. People who are motivated will pick up the phone. I hate phoning people too but for something as big as a horse purchase i agree with LG that you get a lot more out of a short conversation than a load of texts which is helpful for both buyer and seller.

I also don't think this is a new thing, you see it everywhere, people skim read, don't read or can't understand what they are reading

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Feeling everyone's pain; you only have to write out a livery ad to realise that people just DO NOT read!! e.g. you say "sorry no stallions" and then get everyone who's got a stallion enquiring, saying "oh but it's ever sooh well behaved". Yep right, well there are mares on the yard so nope, no thank-you!! Just READ the flipping advert, right???

Then you put up an ad for yours when you're putting it on loan; THEN you'll get all the wannabees and their Harpies who've had two lessons at the local RS rocking-up to look-see - fags in gobs on a "no smoking" yard, with their screaming brats & dogs poo'ing everywhere - this is AFTER you've said horse is "not a novice ride".

Then there's eBay; and don't even let me get going on that....... have just sold an item of garden furniture which the ad clearly said was "for dismantling & removal" - additionally that the seller is wholely responsible for this. Guess what. We've got some woman up in Sussex (we're in Devon) who's just bought it - at £200 plus - and she's said she's hired a removal firm to come and they'll pick it up "in one piece". Only it won't be possible - it HAS to be dismantled to move it as there's a narrow gap. FFS!!! You couldn't make it up. She obviously didn't read the ad properly; OR needs to go to Specsavers. God-knows how they're gonna move the damn thing.

You just couldn't make it up.

 

[Goldie's mum]

I used to be in a job that involved getting people to fill in paperwork. When I started I was surprised how many of them asked me to do it because they "had forgotten their glasses". I soon realized how many people can't read well & spend their whole life trying to hide it.

Edited to add, I looked it up - approximately one in seven UK adults are not functionally literate.

 

[Annagain]

A lot of neurodivergent people find speaking on the phone really difficult. I'm happy with either so would phone if it said no texts but do like having something in writing.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I used to be in a job that involved getting people to fill in paperwork. When I started I was surprised how many of them asked me to do it because they "had forgotten their glasses". I soon realized how many people can't read well & spend their whole life trying to hide it.

Edited to add, I looked it up - approximately one in seven UK adults are not functionally literate.

^^^^ Actually, sadly, this is VERY true. I work at an agricultural college with students in their late teens, and we are in the position of trying to help them with basic skills like literacy and numeracy.

Have had a lad with us who is a farm-lad, has a brain between his ears for sure and knows a great deal about stock-keeping and farming, but struggles with even the most basic literacy; he is wanting to pass his driving test so he can drive on the public highway, but is floundering, sadly ..... with all the frustrations that this is bringing.

 

[hairycob]

When my son was selling his 3/4 TB irish sport horse, who looked very TBish, he put 9 photos in the ad plus 3 generations of breeding and offered more photos & videos on request. Potential buyer requested more photos plus videos so he sent about a dozen more photos plus several videos of jumping coloured poles, XC fences and flatwork, Vids were from competitions and schooling, there were about 8. Potential buyer travelled 2.5 hours to see him, took one look and said "I thought he'd be a cob, he can't be irish" and didn't even get on.

 

[Leandy]

People don't read anything anymore and seem particularly unable to follow specific requests and instructions I find. Not restricted to horse adverts. If the specific request ie "not texts" is important (and presume it is or the request wouldn't be made in the first place) then simply ignore anyone who doesn't comply. I completely agree that it is important (for both buyer and seller) to actually speak to each other and I won't allow a viewing unless I have actually spoken to someone. I imagine I exclude no end of timewasters and day trippers out for a free ride this way as well.

 

[Lady Tinseltime]

Phone calls are fine. I am looking for a horse at the moment. HOWEVER I am getting fed up with leaving voicemail messages and getting no reply so I do send a text if there is no response. One particular horse I have left 3 voicemail messages and emailed the seller Still no response and the horse has been readvertised. ???

 

[MissTyc]

Also sharing everyone's pain.
I was trying to loan out my mare recently. She can't be ridden but she had a lot to give on the ground. I would retain responsibility as I understand people don't want an oversized companion but was hoping maybe one of those people who don't want to ride would come along as she's great at in hand le trec, liberty work, etc .... Advert was carefully phrased. Horse can stay on my yard at my cost and essentially be a "free loan" or can move yards to the right person, etc etc ... Got a swarm of "I'll take it"; "I'll sort it out for you" .... euh.