Selling a horse, and multiple viewers. What's the protocol?

fuze

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Help :(

Imagine you're selling a 4yo. He's been advertised for around 3wks, you've had 2 viewers thus far. One was a dreamer, the other was a timewaster. You've had another lady booked in for around 2 weeks, who is coming to view next week. She sounds lovely, and very serious, but has been very busy hence the delay in viewing. You're suddenly bombarded with an influx of emails / phonecalls, and you've now got 3 others requesting to view this weekend (along with 2 more requesting next week). One of the 3 called yesterday, pleaded to be the first to view him (and explained reasons), and sounds absolutely perfect. Of the other two, one sounds lovely, the other is potentially another timewaster.

So... what do you do? Do you honour the first "booked" viewing and give her priority, but risk losing two other very serious-sounding viewers, or do you go with "first come, first served" basis? They're all travelling a fair distance (closest is probably a 3hr drive, one way).

Thoughts appreciated!
 

Capriole

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Until someone puts their money on the table the horse is there to be looked at, I wouldn't hold off other viewers coming and seeing the horse. Don't make the mistake of putting people off to accommodate someone you haven't met and who hasn't seen the horse. They may not even turn up or may not like your horse and then you are left a few weeks down the line with your horse still unsold.
Of course, the viewers that come first may not want to buy the horse or you may not want to sell to them once you've met them, but I wouldn't be putting people off and giving others priority.
 

trakehnersrock!

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Maybe contact the first lady and explain situation? She may drop everything and come this weekend if she's that serious. If not, she takes her chances that someone may get the horse first. I certainly wouldn't risk losing a sale for someone who may not like the horse when she does finally manage to get to you.
 

LovesCobs

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I'd go with the viewings, they may want to think about it or may be viewing more than yours. you may also get a feel for who you think will suit him. as long as you don't sell him to someone as someone is in the middle of a three hour drive.
I'd also let the first on know, she may become free to view and explain that you would be stuck if she decided he wasn't right for her and you'd missed out on others who may want him.
 

shmoo

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A friend of mine has been looking for one for her daughter. She couldn't believe the amount of calls she's received 'on the day' she's been setting out to say the horse was already sold. She changed her approach and started going immediately to view and has now bought one - yay !

Absolutley first come first served & deposit. You may miss 2 or 3 genuinely interested people whilst holding out for the 1 who decides your horse is either too big/small/fat/thin/fast/sharp/lazy/spooky etc...

However, I am a polite person and I would let the pre-arranged viewer know - to give them the opportunity to bring forward their viewing. :O)
 

criso

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I wouldn't put off the other viewers as person 1 may decide the horse is not for her and by then the other viewers may have moved on.

However as somebody who had arranged to go a long way to see and horse and bought train tickets only to be messaged the day before and told it had been sold; I would call the first viewer and give her the chance to drop everything or take a chance.
 

fuze

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Point taken, thanks guys. First lady has already told me she can't physically get here any earlier, I'll drop her a message just to be sure though. Selling is such a headache.
 

Goldenstar

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The early bird catches the worm let people try the horse , as I buyer I would never expect you not to show the horse to others if I delayed coming .
However I never ring unless I am aviable to view so if I ring one day I will usually view the next.
 

MagicMelon

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I wouldn't agree with "first person to buy has him". I personally would only sell IF I really liked the person and the home they offered. You don't have to sell to the first person through the door, there's no rule about that IMO.
 

noodle_

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Maybe contact the first lady and explain situation? She may drop everything and come this weekend if she's that serious. If not, she takes her chances that someone may get the horse first. I certainly wouldn't risk losing a sale for someone who may not like the horse when she does finally manage to get to you.


this

horse isnt sold until money is on the table!!

i went to view my horse (of a lifetime)!, and she kindly put me a day before them - she knew that was the horse for me, i put the money on the table 10 minutes after viewing her - i bought her off paper and just viewed as a formality.... but id ring the woman and explain - like me she might drop everything to go view??

good luck :)
 

Goldenstar

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While I was viewing Fatty on a Friday (he was in H and H on the Thursday )his owner was taking calls from people and saying she would contact them at the end of our viewing to let them know what had happened I knew he would generate a lot of interest from the ad so I rang OH who was flying home that day picked him up at the airport we drove to York stayed onernight and drove on to view fatty first thing in the morning .
Funny thing was the first person who called while we where there was a friend from up here .
If you have a strong feeling the horse is right you have to go for it fast .
 

MiniMilton

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I would do a combination of first come first served and whether or not I liked the sound of the person. If someone I didnt particularly like the sound of I would hold them off (possibly indefinitely!). If there were a number of people I liked it would be first come first served amongst them. Someone who sounds really keen on the phone may just be generally an enthusiastic sounding person! I've had people call me who didnt sound that keen on the phone and when I met them in person they were lovely and fell in love with my horse. I've also had an unbelievably keen person, who called me to say they wanted to see the horse asap. I gave them directions, they then called and said they would be there in 20 mins. I never heard from them again.
good luck
 
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dogatemysalad

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Serious buyers get there quickly. Let everyone see the horse and sell to the one that produces the money, as long as it's the right home.

It would be utter madness to hold a horse for someone who hasn't put a deposit down.
 

kezz86

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I'm afraid first to put a deposit down would get the horse. (edit to say of course this is supposing you like the person and the home they are offering, of course you still have the right to turn someone down even if the have the money, it's your horse after all!).

TBH with the number of day-trippers/ dreamers/ and people who wouldn't actually like the horse you may as well just let as many people view the horse as possible.

BUT out of courtesy make the viewers aware of the situation, and state that only a non-refundable deposit will hold the horse for them.

The last horse I sold I had 10 viewers all said they wanted him but none actually gave me a deposit! I ended up selling to my sharer thankfully!

I never want to have to sell a horse again it's such a painful and time-consuming process.

Good luck with the sale.
 
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smellsofhorse

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I'd let the other people come.
They could offer the perfect home.
If you don't like them or then you have only "wasted" time.
Just prewarn booked in lady you have others coming.
 

honetpot

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Never turn away viewers, I have only once taken a deposit but they offered. I do set a time limit until completion of sale though, if its being vetted that week and collection after. I once let a pony go on trial for 2 weeks, they said they wanted the pony but strangely had not arranged the vet so I got it back the next day.
 

fuze

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Thanks for the replies. Turns out we only had one view anyway, as she left a deposit there and then :)

Fingers crossed on the vetting, because it sounds perfect.
 

Honey08

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No, it was the lady that requested to be the first to see him. She viewed within days of first contact. The one that couldn't come for a couple of weeks couldn't move the viewing any further forward.



Thank you :) First time having a horse vetted, so fingers crossed!

Funnily enough I thought it wouldn't be the lady that was taking forever to come. Good luck with the vetting, I'm sure it will be ok.
 

FestiveFuzz

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Aww good luck with the vetting.

I couldn't sleep the night I saw H's ad as he was everything I was looking for and I was terrified I'd call and find he'd already sold.

Rang and left a voicemail as soon as acceptable the next morning and then text to reiterate my interest. Finally after a bit if phone tennis I managed to speak to the seller who said they had quite a few people already booked in to view him that week but to call the YO and see if I could still view him. Ended up viewing him the very next day and knew instantly I wanted him. Thankfully their YO was friends with our YO so it was a done deal there and then and all other viewings were cancelled.

So if they genuinely think the horse is the one for them they'll do anything to view first.
 

Marydoll

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I wouldn't agree with "first person to buy has him". I personally would only sell IF I really liked the person and the home they offered. You don't have to sell to the first person through the door, there's no rule about that IMO.

This is bang on for me, if i liked the last person and the home more than the first even if the first met or topped the price, id want to feel comfy knowing a good home was being provided.
 

Millie-Rose

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When we bought my mare the seller was very fair. I rang up on a wed a couple of hours after ad went up and he already had a viewing booked for Sat. We could have come the next day but he wouldn't let us view until first person had been so we booked for the next weekend which was the next time seller could do. On Fri we had a phone call to say did we want to go as first person had decided to go to RIHS instead she asked seller to put us off as well until she had seen her! He decided at that point she had had her chance. We viewed on Sun had her vetted Mon morning and she was delivered Mon eve. He told me he preferred us anyway as other lady wanted him to guarantee my mare would go at least int BE but she was an unbroken 4 year old with a nice loose jump. As seller pointed out to me some can loose jump lovely but it never translates under saddle and then its down to the quality of the training and he was unsure about selling a youngster to someone who didn't understand this. I've often wondered who missed out on my wonderful mare to go out for the day instead.
 
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