For those of you that have sold or are selling....

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Loubiepoo

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What constitutes a time wasting buyer? I am currently searching and have been looking at some horses - so far none of them have been right, but I have always told the seller whn I will be coming, rung to confirm and told them straight away if I thought the horse wasn't for me, even if its been as soon as I've seen it. However, I spoke to one woman that said someone had been to look at her horse, rode it and then she has never heard from her again and she referred to her as a timewaster. I would hate to be thought of as a timewater, but you can only tell if the horse is right for you being going to see it / ride it etc.
Any thouughts please?
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Ok - ways to avoid being branded a 'timewaster'.

When you ring to enquire about a horse have some questions ready to ask the seller and be honest about your abilities. If you are looking for a horse suitable for a novice rider - ask the right questions to gauge the horses suitability - if the horse is clearly not right - thank the seller for their time and go back to the drawing board.
If you arrange to go and see a horse turn up at the time you say you will on the day you say you will - it is helpful to call as you are leaving to double check there will be someone to meet you and to check that the horse hasn't been sold from under your nose - it has happened to me so I know!
If when you ride the horse you know it is clearly not the one for you then get off - thank the seller for their time and go home. No point in wasting your time, the sellers time and riding round for hours on something you don't want.
If you would like some time to think about a horse - be honest - say so. Also call back when you say you would to let the seller know if you wish to proceed or not.
If you don't have the money to pay for the horse then don't muck people around pretending you have, or are waiting for the money to arrive etc.
It is quite acceptable to go back a second time or a third. To take a friend, trainer with you is also perfectly fine and advisable. To see the horse caught, groomed, hacked, loaded is again all perfectly reasonable. Of course to take it to the extreme whereby you are arranging daily visits with a whole crowd of people to ride for hours and generally get under everyones feet - well that might just be a bit annoying
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Once you decide on a horse to buy keep the seller informed of your plans - i.e vetting, collection and payment - keeps everyone informed of what is going on and when.
The key to all of this is COMMUNICATION and HONESTY!

Good luck with your search - and don't forget there are also sellers out there that are timewasters too. One minute they are selling, then they change their mind. One minute the price is £X then suddenly it has gone up. One minute there is a passport next minute there isn't.... so it is not just buyers that can be a nuisance!
 
I know some people are genuinely messed about by timewasters and therefore get a bit of a bee in their bonnet about them but I have to say I'm always put off even phoning about a horse if the ad says 'no timewasters'. I feel like they're rushing me already and I'm also suspicious that someone has spent alot of time trying the horse and then found out whats really wrong with it (a borderline pass/fail vetting for example). I know this is cynical and some sellers are just sick of people turning up for rides but it is my opinion and I think why buy off someone with this kind of attitude when lots of dealers are happy for you to take as long as you need to try out a horse.
 
You are definitely not a timewaster.
Timewasters:
- arrange to come and see horse and then don't turn up
- arrange to come and see horse which is advertised as 16.2 chestnut gelding, then come and ride horse, friend rides horse, they ride horse again and then say horse is lovely but they really don't want a 16.2 chestnut gelding
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- come and see horse and say they will buy it, so you take horse off the market and never hear from person again
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- come and see horse and ride, then bring experienced friend who rides horse, then want to see horse xc/sj/hunt/etc/etc, then bring mother/father/aunt/second cousin twice removed - who all want to ride horse. Then they offer half price!!!
- the list is endless...........
 
I had someone come and see a lovely horse I brought on to sell over the summer and I'd call her a timewaster..She phoned and came to see him.

She watched me ride him and kept wanting me to keep on jumping and jumping him until I had to say look that's enough. She then rode her himself, fair enough. After a bit she said I think he's a bit green for me.

She went away then phoned back, later and asked if she could come ride him again. She did so, and liked him more and asked if she could come for a hack. We said yeah fine, no problem, but then 10 minutes before she was meant to arrive she phoned to say she wasn't coming and had decided he was too expensive. You'd have thought she'd have decided he was too expensive the first/2nd time she saw him!

But you aren't a timewaster, we had 2 or 3 other people see him who rode him then decided he wasn't right but that was fine, and I didn't think of them as timewasters.
 
It'll probably be because the other woman came to ride the horse and then she didn't get back to her. I'd say that's rude because you always want to know the outcome, if they are interested or not.

I'm with JungleJangle on what makes a timewaster. The worst one Ive had have been someone who came to see my 16.2hh (knowing how big he was), riding etc. and then saying "he's a bit big, I think I need a 15.2hh", she should have worked that out BEFORE wasting about 3 hours of mine! Also had someone say they didnt like chestnuts AFTER they'd ridden... Basically exactly what JingleJangle has had as well!! (that's weird, maybe we had the same people!). Even had the last point of hers - the one who's come with the whole family and friends to ride the horse and then offer a stupid price!

As long as you treat people as you'd like to be treated then you should be fine. Make sure you know what you want BEFORE going to see that specific horse. Ask for a DVD if possible as that can really help before deciding if he's worth a look. And just make sure you're honest and polite
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Friend sold a horse in the summer, she said she had a lady come ride her and did so for nearly an hour. Then asked if she could loan her for a week, which was fine. Took horse to a show and then returned her saying that she changed her mind and didnt want a horse anymore.

I had people phoning up about Mia, she was advertised as a 13hh coloured 6yo mare. Had ones asking me what size she was and then others asking me what age she is.
 
I had one come to see a 5 year old 16.1 RID gelding - three times! Once on her own, once with her instructor, once to hack out. He behaved perfectly, she was keen and going to arrange vetting (she WAS a vet - but not an equine one!) - THEN decided he MIGHT make 17 hh when mature and would then be too big for her. I found a perfect home for him!
 
I had a lovely lady who bought our ex pointer, few idiots in between but I spent the time with this particular lady as she was genuine, had been out of horses for a few years and was so spot on for freddie. Not a timewaster, just needed a few bits of help, she came and met him (he had lost a shoe) then hacked him out, and made her mind up then, the offer was there to loan him first but she was lovely and he has a fantastic new home.

Timewasters to me are those that dont turn up, or those that just want free rides, or dont tell you what they think.
 
Ok thanks, I have made a checklist (which is very long!) and have been going through that with people on the phone first to try eliminate any that might not be suitable, have also been asking for any extra photos they can email to me. Glad I seem to be doing eveything ok, some of the horses I've seen just haven't felt right, nothing particularly wrong with them I just haven't liked them, even on first viewing - in those cases I've said they're not for me, too chunky or too fine etc before I've ridden. Not come across a bad seller yet though so hopefully my pleasant experiences will continue! Thanks for your comments and views on this.
 
i tried out loads of horses when i was searching last spring. some i saw a couple of times, once on my own and again with an experienced friend (for a 2nd unbiased opinion) but for 1 reason or another, decided against that particular horse, but always phoned to let the seller know what was going on. when i tried the horse i ended up buying, i saw him 3 times! i tried him on my own, in a lesson, then went for a hack then took my experienced friend. the seller turned out to be a timewaster, only i didn't know until after money exchanged hands - he was mis-sold and turns out he's extremely nappy and rears. tried to sell back, but seller was having none of it. lying cow! never buy from dealers!!! oh well
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Its very dodge who you buy from, trouble is dealers dont know the history, and private people are often selling because of a problem! its a mine field.... i am always completely honest when selling a horse, i would never want it coming back on me and i would worry that my horse was in the wrong home too.
 
Thought you had more come back from dealers if horses are sold that are not as described? I know the reality is often different but more likelihood of some comeback than when the sale is a private one?
 
Although i am not selling i am trying to loan out my mare, have had a couple of timewasters in that - one who came tried out mare loved her wanted to bring her daughter back to have a try arraned a time until i found out they actually had no intention of turning up as had another friend who knew of them.

Also had one who even though i had said all her faults and had mentioned she was green and would need work before being ready to compete came to try her turned up an hour late, said she'd ring back that day emailed the next day after i was chasing her and said she wanted something who was ready to go compete at XC straight away.

Its very infurtiating when people come along for a joy ride, i am more than happy for someone to try her as many times as they need to be sure of them making the right decision, but just wish some people wouldnt waste m time when i have been so honest about what she is capable of now.
 
I think the seller often puts the 'readvertised due to timewasters' on the ad as an excuse. The horse hasn't sold because no ones interested blah-de-blah, so I'll say about the timewasters and then suspicious people won't think there's something wrong with the horse.
 
no ur right- even when i was selling my horse i didnt want loads of people riding him... one person told me almost straight away they didnt want to ride him- yes i thought 'oh how nice' but it was very helpful of them really... and i was pleased they were honest...

as for that woman she knows nothing of time wasters... i had one woman come to see my horse 4 times... including 5 stage vetting which he passed. the second time she came he'd only been at new livery yard one day-i moved to college and she then had sum pro dressage lady ride/beat him round the school bought a friend and all in all came 4 times... she paid for the vetting aswell then decided she wanted to do dressage... so she didnt buy him

that took about 2 weeks.... TIMEWASTER OR WHAT!!
 
It is worth saying, that to some sellers, anyone who doesn't buy their horse on first glance, or for any reason, is a 'timewaster'.
And to all of you sellers who complained that potential buyers said it was the 'wrong colour' or the 'wrong size', did it ever occur to you that they were trying to be polite?
I've been to see horses for sale which were clearly lame...the sellers were either pretending they were sound or oblivious...my standard opt out was 'It's a little heavier/finer/older/younger than we were looking for'.
What they may really want to say is 'Your horse is badly schooled, I hated riding it, it feels unlevel behind, you must have hands of concrete to match his mouth, if you think this has potential to do dressage, then you're deranged...this will indeed get noticed as it's so fugly....I haven't seen conformation that reminded me of a lama cross walrus before...etc...etc'
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How do you ever manage to sell a horse, being a satanist, how could you possibly tell the truth?
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You think horse dealers/sellers are truthful?
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I have to fight off the offers...for my three....the salami makers are keen...
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