Gazumping?

[Mitch&I]

I'm not a new owner but this is regarding a new pony...

I paid a deposit on a pony this weekend. I am due to pay the remainder next weekend and she was to be dropped off with me at that time. I do have a hand written and signed receipt/ invoice detailing the agreement. I'm also waiting for a height confirmation.

Yesterday, I received a message from the seller, requesting that they drop the pony off tomorrow instead (because they are busy at the weekend). I had to decline, so we amicably made arrangements for next week. Her height is still unconfirmed (although it isn't necessarily a bar to me going ahead, I would like to know what she measures at!).

Today, the pony has been re-advertised with a near 50% increase upon our agreed price.

Maybe they are just covering themselves in case anything goes wrong but I'm now concerned that if they receive an offer at this price, they might choose to gazump.

Where do I stand? Is gazumping common in horse trading? Any advice/ experience would be appreciated.

 

[Shay]

It happens in competition ponies sometimes - I ended up in a bidding war for one of my daughter's. And lost a separate one too - I had forgotten that! I can't see why it wouldn't happen in other higher value / higher sought after animals too. Usually contracts / promissory notes are worded so that this is possible by the seller as long as the deposit is returned and by the purchaser either if certain conditions are not met - the height in your case I would expect - or on forfeit of the deposit.

However I suspect - unless this is a valuable animal - they are actually trying to lean on you a bit. The chances of selling - and completing a sale - before next week is relatively slim. If they say they have a buyer at a higher price just demand your deposit back and walk away. If you don't want that possibility then you will probably need to take her now. But don't let pressure tactics force your decision. Any more than you have to anyway!

Oh... edited to add... if they need to move her quickly might they actually accept a lower price simply to have her moved sooner? Not sure how much of a risk this might be in your situation.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

Personally I would expect the horse to be removed from the market once I've put a deposit down and would caveat any deposit as such. However it's unclear whether there's a chance you would pull out of the sale once her height is confirmed...so in this instance I can kinda understand the seller wanting to cover themselves...but at a 50% increase in value seems a bit odd. I would speak to the seller and get the height confirmed asap so everyone knows where they stand.

 

[Mitch&I]

Thank you for rationalising this for me Shay. I have to admit, I don't respond positively to pressure tactics but more worrying to me, was that the higher price would take her outside of my budget for her. I just couldn't justify spending more at this point - she's newly backed but has great breeding and potential. I might have considered raising my budget for a proven pony but not for one still undergoing education, in the hope they will be amazing in the future.

I'm sorry to hear it's happened to you. I suppose I'd prefer to live in a world where someone's word can be counted on and I'm always disappointed to find out that it often isn't the case!

It seems I've been fortunate in this occasion though - I bit the bullet and contacted the current owner. The ad has now been removed and I've received assurance that she is definitely coming to me. Phew!

Funnily enough, she is being sold as a prospective competition pony. I wonder if it's more unique to this sphere?

 

[Mitch&I]

Thanks Festive. The height is not a barr to me having her but I wonder if her seller thought it might be? Fortunately, everything seems to have settled for now - although I'm still not sure what her height stands at!