Payment logistics buying unseen...

FlyingCircus

FlyingCircus

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I've "bought" unseen but then picked up the horse myself, so been there to hand over the money, in the past...but I haven't bought one from further afield where I won't be able to view and don't really want to drive 5+ hours to transport home...

So what are the logistics in this case? Handing over multiple K to a random stranger on promise of a horse seems a little suspect. Equally they aren't going to send their horse off into the sunset without being paid...

Also as an aside, anyone in Yorkshire area or someone that can be recommended that I could pay to get eyes on the horse in question, and some vids?
 
FlyingCircus said:
I've "bought" unseen but then picked up the horse myself, so been there to hand over the money, in the past...but I haven't bought one from further afield where I won't be able to view and don't really want to drive 5+ hours to transport home...

So what are the logistics in this case? Handing over multiple K to a random stranger on promise of a horse seems a little suspect. Equally they aren't going to send their horse off into the sunset without being paid...

Also as an aside, anyone in Yorkshire area or someone that can be recommended that I could pay to get eyes on the horse in question, and some vids?
Click to expand...
I've often wondered that particuarly if using a transport company and not collecting yourself. Does the driver only take the horse away if the passport has been handed over?

How does he/she adjudicate?

Be interesting to hear people's thoughts FC
 
My friend has bought unseen, had a mare transported from Ireland. I'm not sure on how the money transfer was done but assume around the time transporter was due to arrive (was a busy day despite not leaving our yard) lots of updates on travel, transporter messaged to say mare and passport secured.
Transporter handed over passport and signed sale contract when he arrived and dropped mare

I think I'd have to see in person and hand over money (even if sale already agreed subject to checks on the day) but unseen sales happen pretty regularly.
 
I have paid a deposit when a date for pickup has been arranged, booked the transporter, then the day before, or the morning of collection, have transferred the funds. The transporter has sent photos when on board and passport in their hand. I get photos of passport prior so the transporter knows what to expect.
Admittedly these are only low end of the market so not worth thousands.
 
FlyingCircus said:
I've "bought" unseen but then picked up the horse myself, so been there to hand over the money, in the past...but I haven't bought one from further afield where I won't be able to view and don't really want to drive 5+ hours to transport home...

So what are the logistics in this case? Handing over multiple K to a random stranger on promise of a horse seems a little suspect. Equally they aren't going to send their horse off into the sunset without being paid...

Also as an aside, anyone in Yorkshire area or someone that can be recommended that I could pay to get eyes on the horse in question, and some vids?
Click to expand...
Where in Yorkshire? It's a big place!
 
I was buying from a known stud that I'd been in contact with for >10yrs.

I'd already paid a deposit for a previous filly that I had to back out of and breeder offered to use that against Chip. I agreed transport dates with breeder and I'm sure I transfered the money a week before.

Gillies collected and breeder didn't have passport - despite arranging collection date. She left it with her vet 😏 Gillies still lifted the horse then Jane in th4 office phoned and shouted at me for there not being a passport and how it was illegal for them to lift the horse but had anyway. No one called me at the time and they had the right to refuse. But anyway...

This was 2014 and no hope of getting photos of videos. I also got shouted st for the poor condition of the horse that I bought unseen. I believe she's retired now so there may be a friendly and helpful customer service these days. Thr drivers and Eric have always been excellent to deal with.

But back to your question. I felt safer transferring the money because it was a known stud and not a random individual. I felt safer buying the horse but he turned up a bag of bones, mud fever and rain scald so...

I've done >16hr round trips to view horses (2x) so honestly I'd go the day of collection and pay cash (with receipt) then, see the horse loaded then drive home ahead of transporter. I'd be pretty nervous buying totally unseen and transferring money to a stranger. I am a wimp!
 
Thanks all, hadn't thought of the transporter giving me "the nod" that the horse does indeed have 4 legs and matches passport.

To be honest, if it was only a 10hr round trip once then that's fine, but where do I draw the line at how many of those trips I'm willing to do 🙈

I have a couple I'm interested in at the moment, and there is one closer who is more of a project to resell that I will probably look at first before I go rogue.
 
Get on the dodgy dealer Facebook sites and ask on there about potential horses. Someone might have already been to see the horses you are interested in, before you waste a journey.
 
I have this year purchased a 2 year old from a stud in scotland unseen for transport to east sussex. Due to work and transport issues I didn't view before hand. Deposit paid after pictures/ videos. Payment made once happy with vetting. Transporter happy so long as full payment had been made before collection.
Quick check of passport to confirm matching passport. As unknown by myself and transporter, I agreed before travel that should anything arise during travel, they had my permission to stop at a vets for anything like sedation.

I think for a ridden horse I would view in person, but as a youngster from a known stud I was happy to take the risk.
 
There are a large number of scammers around now who steal other peoples adverts and collect either the deposit or full price for the horse which they don't even own. Some have cloned the fb accounts of reputable businesses to make them look more genuine. Yet more don't disclose sarcoids, mud fever, cpl, rain scald, lumps, bumps, scars, lameness, copd etc etc. It's not really the job of the transporter to check the horse over other than it's well enough to travel. I've personally been sent videos of a horse which were taken a year previously and at viewing the horse was not right in the SI/hindquarters.

If you're buying unseen/unvetted I would at least make sure that a third party has seen the horse and checked it has a passport which matches the animal before sending £1000's and it's not obviously sick, injured, hopping lame. If you send money to a random stranger you don't even know where they live if you want to take them to court if there's no horse.

When I bought my horse, I sent a trial payment of £5 the night before to ensure that I had set up the details correctly then went to the yard on the day of collection and sent the remainder by bank transfer 10 min prior to loading the horse. Owner checked bank account for the money and then the horse was loaded.

I viewed 2 which were over 5 hour round trips, one was a little off on a hind leg and one was very weak and thin, a lot of time wasted but not nearly as much as buying the wrong horse.

Even if the purchase price of the horse is low, the vet bills can still be £1000's.
 
I transferred half first and then after vetting the second half the day before pick up. I was sent a video of her loading from seller.

I would hate to do it again. 😂 but my horse was so worth it.
 
This may not be possible but when I buy yearlings from France I go through the breed society and then do research on the breeders I like, plus research lines on IFCE website follow them on Facebook etc translate every post about them personal and business going back over three years in some cases. Yes a bit odd but it gives me an idea of their horses, the things that others also say about them and also when line tracing some of the horses how cousins, uncles and other offspring have turned out. I then usually pay with wise money transfer and get the transporter to help with the never ending paperwork. So far I have bought four in the last 9 years and all have been lovely mares, whose owners I keep in contact with even though none of us speak each others language.
 
Thanks all :)

I appreciate the slight insanity of it, but to be honest I'm not seeing what I want down here and I only spend what I can afford to write off (although obviously I would prefer not to..!). If I don't like the horse, I can always sell it or it will be a lawn mower 😂🙈
 
I've bought unseen and if the horse "passes" the vetting (after in country vet completes exam and "home" vet reviews) I transfer the money (there is a bill of sale) and arrange transport. Horse is picked up within a few days, and then with me shortly after. It's always been simple and straight forward.
 
I’ve sold unseen. Both sent me money the night before. I have also bought unseen - but sent deposit only and then went to collect myself, paying on arrival.
 
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