question timewasters

[Luci07]

thanks for all your replies, yes i agree there can be timewasters on both sides, and yes to me some of them are complete timewasters, my horse in question is up for loan to stay at present yard, which is hard enough in itself because the majority want to move him, but why i posted this thread is because of being at the yard for 5 hrs one day for a viewing ( due to me having to be dropped off and picked up due to car issues) this particular person having ridden him, loved him, me going into every possible detail, her saying just what im looking for, promising because i have been messed around to be in touch, then nothing! but i suppose best not to lower my own manners in the same way i guess, i have never not gotten back to somebody about a horse or said there and then if not suitable, i guess i have to expect these things!!

Now that is just plain rude. I too will not respond to an ad saying "no dreamers or timewasters". I do appreciate the sentiment and it could well be justified but I then think I will have to deal with a rather cross person who someone else annoyed!

I am no confrontantional at all but have had no problems in stopping a viewing when something has just clicked and it has been a "no" for me. IMO it means I am not messing the owner about. I have also called back when agreed as well - its not hard.

I do hate though on the buying side - having conversations and being really clear about my riding ability and what I want and then turning upto find a horse that is massively over the height discussed or found that the name I was given to check the BE record happens to be wrong..

 

[Luci07]

I disagree - it is simply common courtesy to let the seller know if you're no longer interested - even an email or a text will do. It is just so frustrating to just be left hanging. It's fine not to want the horse, but the seller has probably spent a considerable amount of time and effort rearranging their schedule and giving up a decent part of their day for the buyer to see the horse - it is plain rude not to give them an answer one way or the other.

In answer to the OP - yes I have been very tempted to do that! Never more so than in the case of the girl who came to view the horse FOUR times over the period of a month - the horse behaved impeccably each time - she brought her instructor with her the first time, and again on the fourth time - and on the fourth occasion the instructor said that the horse was desperately underweight and would need months off to regain condition - was lame, and had a knackered back (despite a recent clean bill from the physio). They then proceeded to make a silly offer on the basis of all these things, and then tried to force me to skive off work the next day so they could have him vetted - and THEN when I bent over backwards to make it happen, complained to me that it was a complete palaver for them, and the owner should just have accepted their offer to begin with.

This is a picture of the horse in question, taken the day before their fourth visit...

I must admit I spent a considerable amount of time planning what to say to the girl about it all - still wish I'd said something!

Just to say I like your boy!! probably cos he is the spitting image of my old boy. Demon XC and great fun!

 

[christine48]

Sometimes by 'no time wasters' you can mean unsuitable people who turn up. For instance when selling a competition horse you get absolute numpties who can't get it on the bit in walk, people who haven't ridden for 15 years or complete novices. Those people who have unrealistic ideas about their own ability and come and look at totally unsuitable horses are what I'd term as time wasters.

 

[Natch]

Just standing on the other side of the fence for a bit, i think people use the term 'timewaster' far too loosely. Just because someone views your horse then feels too uncomfortable to get into a difficult conversation with someone they don't know but they don't want the horse - I do not term as a timewaster - that is just selling!
Someone who deliberately uses your horse time and time again or promises a deposit, or begs you take the horse off the market then doesn't come up with the goods, now that I term as a timewaster.

I can't stand to see the term 'readvertised due to timewasters', always outs me off seller.

This, entirely. To me "I'll call you" type answers are generally the same as they would be on the dating, or the business scene; they come with the implicit understanding ...but don't hold your breath.

No deposit = no promise of a sale, and keep on accepting viewings. To me timewasters are only people who promise to show up and don't, or who agree to a sale then procrastinate or disappear, or who come to a viewing and then don't buy the horse based on something which was made clear in the advert or initial phone conversation.

My own example of a time waster is as a buyer, going to view a horse who was 16 and apparently "sound, with mild arthritis which does not affect her" and turning up to a mare who bless her was absolutely crippled, and whose teeth gave away the age lie. The owner was actually far too pushy and scary, so I wussed out of my normal matter of fact straight talking to her face, and sent a text on the way home instead Next day she had posted on a forum (not here) about having had "yet another time waster" to view her mare

because of being at the yard for 5 hrs one day for a viewing ( due to me having to be dropped off and picked up due to car issues) this particular person having ridden him, loved him, me going into every possible detail, her saying just what im looking for, promising because i have been messed around to be in touch, then nothing! but i suppose best not to lower my own manners in the same way i guess

But its not their fault you had car issues Promising to be in touch is frustrating yes, but it isn't a waste of your time in this day and age of mobile phones, there was no reason not to have gone ahead with your normal activities in waiting for a phone call. You're doing well by not sending a message, you never quite know whats going on that you don't know about. I can understand your frustration though and wish you a successful sale soon

 

[honetpot]

Not sold one for a while but I do loan on a regular basis. I do not change my plans for viewings and I do not bring horses in brush them off, wash them etc.
I like people to see them as they are, to be honest if all they care about is the animal clean they are not the people I would want to sell to. Also I like them to see them caught and handled normally and not produced.
When buying apart from the colour I never take much notice of what the seller says, I am not bothered wether its clean, I would like to buy one with all its jabs up to date though, feet trimmed or a new set of shoes.
Unless I am mad for a pony I always go away and think about it then ring either way. If I really think its not for us I tell them straight away but always try to say something nice as its their pride and joy.
When someone makes me an offer I give them a date to complete the sale and any reduction in price is dependant on them not messing about. I buy with cash and I expect to be paid in cash.

 

[5horses2dogsandacat]

Wow, can't believe people really are so rude!!
From a buyers point I will phone and say I don't want the horse, once I had a big full up 15.3 vested, they passed him however he had had lami and abses in the foot on several after a few days I decided against buying him and had the lady speak quite rudely to me. I don't believe I was a time waster at all. There was one time I didn't call back I went to view a horse and the lady was blatantly lying through her teeth to me, and thinking I was a total numpty... on that occasion I felt I didn't want to waste my credit on her.

From a sellers point of view, I'm unfussed. I don't really sell anyway, I am honest and once a lady came to see my horse, I rode him round for a bit and she didn't even want to try riding and just said he wasn't right, that time I felt like I had been the timewaster, seeing as she had come quite far and didn't even want to ride him. There has been other times when people turn up and I see them ride, one couldn't even remember how to mount, on those occasions as a seller/loaner I will tell the person that my horse won't be right, better to find the right person than have the horse sold on in a couple of months


Think I might have wandered from the thread and waffled on... I apologise lol. Xxx

 

[HighFive]

I hate selling horses, it's like a full time job!! I had a young teenager and her mum come to look at a lovely lower level eventer for her to make the step in open levels on. The mother had called and called me trying to organize a time because they were desperately interested, I dropped everything to be able to show the horse the next day, and had to truck him to a local riding club for the daughter to be able to jump him. Long story short, the horse was impeccable, couldn't wipe the smile off the kids face, and the mother offered me a deposit then and there. Me being me (stupid?) I said not to worry about the deposit, as we could organize for a vet check in the next few days. They left saying they would call me as soon as they got back to organize vet check details. Never heard from them again, even after me leaving a message saying I just wanted the courtesy to be informed they were no longer interested. It's not hard to message and say thanks but no thanks, he's not what we are after.

 

[Vicki_Krystal]

I dont agree that texting is rude if there is a reason.

I live in a poor reception area - so will text to ask if the horse is still for sale and what time is suitable for me to call - i always state that im only texting due to my bad reception.

I can then call when im in town or down the yard - and by agreeing a time to call im not wasting my time by calling and not getting answered.

 

[irish_only]

as I'm sick to death of getting into protracted text message conversations with people who when politely asked to phone if they want to discuss horse then never take it further. JUST RING ME FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!! Call me old-fashioned but how can you buy a horse by text message?!!!!!

Hear hear

It's good to talk.........

 

[Kat]

I dont agree that texting is rude if there is a reason.

I live in a poor reception area - so will text to ask if the horse is still for sale and what time is suitable for me to call - i always state that im only texting due to my bad reception.

I can then call when im in town or down the yard - and by agreeing a time to call im not wasting my time by calling and not getting answered.

I agree, texting is not rude in itself, I don't understand why people have such a problem with it.

Personally I think it is far less intrusive to send a text asking whether the horse is still for sale and asking when would be convenient to call. I don't know what people's circumstances are, I don't want to interrupt kiddies bedtime or call them when they are at work or sleeping off a nightshift.

People may text for other reasons too, bad reception, difficulty in using the phone at certain times of day, because they get free messages but not free calls, a speech impediment or physical/psychological difficulty with using the phone.

Also from a buyer's perspective if something is communicated by text or email then there is a written record of it for the future to avoid confusion.

I agree that it is rude to text if you are asked to call unless you offer an explanation.