Seller Rant!

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Shoei

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Morning everyone,

I just wanted to have a little rant!

I am currently horse hunting and the amount of people I have contacted in response to their adverts and not received any response from them is really getting to me. And not just private sellers either, I emailed a dealer twice about one horse that had been advertised, was told they would call me and never received a call back. One I emailed last week has been relisted yesterday on another site despite me contacting them last week and recieving no reply!

On top of the horse that I went to see last week by a dealer posing as private sellar who's listing was a pack of lies!

Grrrrr

Is this the experience everyone gets or is it just me!
 
If you are looking online it's pretty common not to get a call back .
I suspect a lot of them are sold and people just dont bother to call you which is a pest if you're trying to sort seeing more than one a trip as you can't finalise plans .
I always just the mobile to a mobile number it would not take much effort to send a quick text just to say the horse is sold.
My pet hate is people selling horses who then have all sorts of difficulties about when you go and see it you are tring to sell it or your not if you are get your finger out and be clear about when the horse can be seen , if people are difficult I just move on life's to short .
 
Surely if you were really interested in a horse you'd just pick up the phone and ring to enquire about it?

I remember spotting H's advert late one Sunday night and barely sleeping a wink as I he was exactly what I was looking for. As soon as it reached an acceptable hour of morning I sent a text asking if he was still available and when would be the most convenient time to call to discuss him further. By 11am I'd spoken to them and the following evening I'd viewed him and agreed to have him. I've never really understood those who want to do it all via email.
 
Texting or emailing a seller is a waste of time. People who are really interested in buying a horse will speak face to face with the seller & have a conversation. Many texts & emails are just timewasters.
 
I agree, if you are interested in the horse I would ring, or at least text to ask when is a good time to ring.

Emails are all to easily forgotten about, not everyone has a chance to check them. Lots of people I know who have sold horses have mostly had time wasters email them. It can be quite time-consuming to write a nice essay about what your horse is like, and then never get a reply. It seems to be people that are generally interested in the horse will normally ring.
 
I arranged to view both my current horses via email so I don't agree that everyone who emails isn't serious. Email was better for us, I like to write down my list of preliminary questions and get answers to them and then consider those answers first so I know whether I am wasting my time or not before calling/viewing.

To add, by doing this in both cases when I viewed the horse I bought it as they had been honest with their answers and I had asked (and researched) anything I needed to know beforehand.
 
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SuperH said:
I arranged to view both my current horses via email so I don't agree that everyone who emails isn't serious. Email was better for us, I like to write down my list of preliminary questions and get answers to them and then consider those answers first so I know whether I am wasting my time or not before calling/viewing.
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That's fair enough but what do you do if they don't email back?
 
If they don't email back then I don't buy it.

I enquired about one who did answer my initial questions but then never replied to me when I asked them what days/times would be suitable to view. The horse in question was advertised for several more months but I never asked again as instead I viewed the one I did buy.
 
GG2B said:
Surely if you were really interested in a horse you'd just pick up the phone and ring to enquire about it?

I remember spotting H's advert late one Sunday night and barely sleeping a wink as I he was exactly what I was looking for. As soon as it reached an acceptable hour of morning I sent a text asking if he was still available and when would be the most convenient time to call to discuss him further. By 11am I'd spoken to them and the following evening I'd viewed him and agreed to have him. I've never really understood those who want to do it all via email.
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I do ring I would never text or email .
But after repeated calls with no answer you just have to leave a message and hope they get back to you .
And if the horse is sold I think it's good manners to ring someone and say he's sold or text if you prefer .
 
I specifically asked people to email in response to my ad - for the simple reason I can't take phone calls at work or while I'm driving. I could then email back at a convenient time (often 4am!)

Eventually arranged a phone call with a serious buyer not a time waster and arranged a visit.
 
I will ring to arrange a viewing, but I always make initial enquiries by e-mail/text/private message. I prefer to know the asking price, whether the horse is still available and that it has a passport etc prior to speaking in person. Saves wasting anyone's time that way, as I tend to have a set budget that I will not go above. I then give the seller my name and number before I ring them so that they know who it is if they miss the call, or are uncomfortable answering unknown numbers, etc. I also try to arrange a suitable time to call so that they are not busy.

Now, if all adverts stated price, whether horse had passport, and what time suits to call, then I could go straight to telephoning! As opposed to weeding through the unpassported, over budget, nope still not gelded at aged ten, can only talk between two and three on a Sunday sorts of details...

And of course the sellers who, when you ring to ask about the horse they have advertised, then try to sell you a different horse, generally three times the price of the one you enquired about! And a different height/build/age to boot.

Sorry. Bad memories.
 
I, too, insist on emails first.

That eliminates all those who cannot read and write.

Also, I'm a bit deaf and not happy on the phone. I can answer emails when convenient and I have all the details in writing and don't have to rely on the sometimes human selective memory!

Frankly, I do not understand those who only buy on price and I am not happy to sell to someone who is primarily money orientated. I would hope anything I sell would be good for at least a decade so the price spread over 10+ years should not be the primary consideration.
 
I tend to email as the times I can phone people,often is unsociable as I can't phone at work. Usually if there is an email address to the advert then the seller must be happy to get responses that way surely? If there is only a landline number, then you have to ring!

In the first email, I usually explain a little about what I am looking for and ask a few basic queries of things that were maybe omitted in the advert or re-iterating the important things from the advert to confirm them. I also ask what is a good time to call for a conversation re horse and explain that I can be difficult to get hold off and give the seller my contact details as well. Emails give you thinking time but at the same a phone call, you get a feel for the person on the other end of the conversation as well as saving a 101 text messages getting the same info.

Some people are good with texts and emails, some folks aren't and basically that is it.
 
Agree with most others, I called to enquire about mine. I was far too impatient to wait for an email or text reply that may never come.
 
The best way to get a response is to call.
Emails and texts are easy to ignore but also get lost!
Losts of emails go to spam folder and texts get deleted.
If someone says they will call you back but don't call them back instead.
 
9tails said:
Agree with most others, I called to enquire about mine. I was far too impatient to wait for an email or text reply that may never come.
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I'm exactly the same! When I saw H I knew he was perfect and wanted to make sure I got in there before anyone else had a chance. As it happened by calling I got preference over two others who had emailed to enquire about him as the seller felt after our chat that I was just the sort of home they wanted for him.

I'd also feel awkward calling someone if they hadn't emailed or text me back, so try to avoid putting myself in that situation to start with.
 
If I was selling, I'd write my preferred way of contact.

When I advertised my field (had a bit of a mix up, she said to advertise for people to share, but then decided not to, which actually worked better for me!) I asked people to text, as I couldn't answer the phone a lot and my internet was down. It worked well!
 
Dry Rot said:
I, too, insist on emails first.

That eliminates all those who cannot read and write.

Also, I'm a bit deaf and not happy on the phone. I can answer emails when convenient and I have all the details in writing and don't have to rely on the sometimes human selective memory!

Frankly, I do not understand those who only buy on price and I am not happy to sell to someone who is primarily money orientated. I would hope anything I sell would be good for at least a decade so the price spread over 10+ years should not be the primary consideration.
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I like to have a budget so that I can be sure of being able to afford everything else the horse needs right from the get go, including all tack, rugs and at least one year of insurance with full veterinary cover. I refuse to get into debt ever again. I did that once, and hated it. So I tend to save up for a while before even looking. My animals just love giving me scary vet bills, so I am paranoid! And so I like to know the price so that I don't end up going to view one that turns out to be too expensive for me. That would be wasting the seller's time and mine.

Current pony was well under my budget, but he will still be with me for life, and so what I had left over went into an emergency vet fund just for him. He has already used half of what I put in, but as I add a bit each month this is not a problem.

Just being practical in order to care for them properly! Sorry if that makes me unsuitable, but it works for me :)
 
Did you ring or email. As I got 2 emails sent with wrong email for me to reply to. Didn't leave a phone number.
 
I'm another who insists on emails in the first instance. I don't have time to be chatting to all and sundry (generally at an inconvenient time) about a horse which may or may not be suitable for them. I sell all my horses and youngstock this way. Works for me, works for my buyers.

OP, some sellers reply, some are tardy about responding to either emails or telephone calls.
 
If it sells the horse I don't mind e mails or phone calls Texts can be hard work as you can't get enough info in them, and if someone texts more than to ask if a horse is for sale I reply asking them to ring for more info. Emails are good, you can put a lot in them and its easier to put off someone who doesn't seem suitable when they're not on the phone!
 
I emailed first when I bought my horse. It was my preferred method of contact. There is a written record of sellers answers with an email. I think this is useful as it is easy to forget details of what has been said on the phone, and also you have written evidence if the horse turns out to be mis-sold.

I bought the second horse I went to see, and both viewings were arranged by email.
 
When I went looking I e-mailed first as we have no mobile signal here text wouldn't work. Nobody got back to me and it was infuriating. Mind you sometimes I rang and left messages and they still didn't get back to me. I think half the time I feel people just don't really want to sell.
 
A lot of people don't want to buy either though! I've had 2 people booked to see my horse - the first one was late so I texted her (she didn't answer when I called) and she said "oh my babysitter stood me up so I dont think I can come", that was 30 mins after she was due! Had a guy due yesterday who I had spoken to numerous times on the phone, I texted him 30 mins before he was due just to confirm he was still coming and he then says no he wasn't because he's just got a big bill and couldn't afford a horse now! Was he just not going to tell me and not turn up?! I dont care if people cancel but christ, at least make it the night before or a couple of hours prior - I have to drive 20 mins to get to the horse, make sure my mum is around to babysit and then spend half and hour grooming it nicely for them! AGH.
 
It's appalling bad manners not to contact the seller if you've made an appointment to view, and then change your mind. If you haven't got the guts to speak directly to a potentially irate seller, then a brief text (and request a reply so you know the text got through) is perfectly acceptable, assuming of course that reasonable notice is given.
 
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