Selling / sellers - odd behaviour - don't they want to sell their horses?

[Andiamo]

I've been searching the for sale ads, and have found a few I want to know more about, ad request videos etc...I ring the ads, no one answers, I leave a voicemail, they don't call me back. I try again, no answer. I then send a text - I'm interested in your horse for sale....and send an email, stating I would like to know more, and I provide my contact details. There is one horse I have been trying to get info about since Sunday (it's Thursday night now) - I tried every day...but I won't try again, if they can't be bothered, then I'm not bothered and will look something. They sent me a text on Tues to say they would call me on Wed, but never did.

Doesn't anyone want to actually sell their horse? I am a serious buyer with a healthy budget, but the sellers out there do not seem interested in actually responding to potential buyers. I find this very odd. Especially, when you read threads sometimes from sellers saying "isn't anyone buying at the moment?..."

I'm not going to chase after people more than about 2-3 times to try to get them to speak to me about the horse they have advertised for sale...

I find the whole thing quite bizarre. If you want to sell a horse - RING PEOPLE BACK!!! - the same day! Make an effort. A bad first impression is hard to shift once you've made it....

 

[measles]

I think that this definitely happens and completely agree that both parties need to meet half way. Best of luck

 

[Cortez]

At the risk of being buried under a wall of criticism, why don't you contact a professional - by this I mean a *whisper it*..............dealer.

 

[spacefaer]

At the risk of being buried under a wall of criticism, why don't you contact a professional - by this I mean a *whisper it*..............dealer.

Friend of mine was horse shopping before Christmas and saw a horse she really fancied. Advertised on one of the bigger websites and on the dealer's own website. She rang them 6 times over the course of a week, I rang them on her behalf about 4 times. Left messages, sent emails. ..... never heard from them and the horse vanished from the website.

Bizarre!

 

[Cortez]

Come over here! You'll be welcomed with open arms and about a 1,000 horses!

 

[Topaz Tiger]

Same happened to me today, rang 2 people, both pros, one said they'd call me back in 10 mins when stopped driving, left message for other one, heard nothing back from either of them.... Same situation, healthy budget, serious buyer, not a numpty.... I used to be in sales and this sort of behaviour is unheard of, but apparently its commonplace in the horseworld

 

[Cortez]

Horseworld = not professional

 

[Topaz Tiger]

Funnily enough Cortez, I am looking for an Irish mare, prob should come over instead on trying to find one here..... Hmmmm

 

[Cortez]

You know you wanna; Dangles tempting Irish horsies............

 

[spacefaer]

Andiamo am I right thinking you are looking for a dressage horse? What are your specs? (Pm me if you would rather! )

 

[Andiamo]

I'm glad to hear it's not just me then!!!

But these same people are probably complaining that they haven't been able to sell their horse....

@Cortez, only problem with dealers is that they double the price of a completely unimpressive horse....when you buy from a private seller, it seems you get more for your money. It's a bit like buying a car from the main dealer versus buying from a small independent or privately....usually a few thousand pounds difference in price. I'm glad you've hooked up with someone wanting an Irish horse!

@Spacefaer, thanks

 

[ldlp111]

I know what you mean, I've contacted a few asking for more pictures to be emailed as they are quite a way away but after receiving a message am still waiting on the email with pics.

I've just sold my pony and managed to return calls/txts straightaway and she was up for little money, it's not hard

 

[starryeyed]

We're experiencing exactly the same but with horseboxes!!

 

[Albertus H]

I'm the other side and was a seller, just recently sold a horse and a horsebox for decent money, had a lot of calls and interest and every email/phone call/text I replied to. Its not hard just to phone back a missed call or answer a text/email. Takes 2mins! I know theres the other argument of timewasters but at the end of the day everyone is one until they buy it!

 

[cundlegreen]

As a small breeder who gets the odd enquiry, I reply straight away, send them every pic from when it was born to present day, and then go and take an up to date video as well. Why would you not???

 

[harveysmom]

The problem is the lack of manners with a lot of people these days.
Its very rude to ignore someone

 

[Dry Rot]

As a small breeder who gets the odd enquiry, I reply straight away, send them every pic from when it was born to present day, and then go and take an up to date video as well. Why would you not???

Pretty much the same here. If it isn't in the advert, it will be on my web page or on YouTube and if there is no direct llnk in the advert, it doesn't take a genius to work it out. (Do a search on the horse's name?).

Some people phone at odd times, like 11am or 3pm. Farming related jobs are not usually done indoors during office hours! I'll probably be in the hay field, under a tractor or inside a baler, and can be located from the muffled swearing.

But I'd love to get your call in the evening, say 8pm, when I've got pedigrees and passports to hand and can answer your questions without worrying about that thunder cloud on the horizon or the mechanic I'm paying £50 an hour just to tell me I should have read the manuall!

But, for me, the best way to communicate, initially at any rate, is by email though I appreciate others will disagree. What I do hate is telephonic ping-pong. You know, someone phones me and gets logged as a missed call. I phone back and get answered by a machine. They call back and that call is answered by my machine, I reply....and so on.

 

[TableDancer]

It does work both ways though: when I am selling I try to ring people back promptly and reply to emails etc - don't always reply to texts as often I feel people are just fishing - but when I have sent people long emails with loads of photos, or spent ages with them on the phone, or both, and they have expressed strong interest I can't understand why in general they don't have the manners to respond if they decide not to come and view - a simple "thanks but too far away/too small/decided not to buy at present/whatever" by text or email takes no time and just reduces the uncertainty. I agree with whoever said it is just a reflection of a a general trend towards poor manners in society at large

 

[onemoretime]

Totally agree Cortez in more ways than one!!!

 

[FreyaB]

It does work both ways though: when I am selling I try to ring people back promptly and reply to emails etc - don't always reply to texts as often I feel people are just fishing - but when I have sent people long emails with loads of photos, or spent ages with them on the phone, or both, and they have expressed strong interest I can't understand why in general they don't have the manners to respond if they decide not to come and view - a simple "thanks but too far away/too small/decided not to buy at present/whatever" by text or email takes no time and just reduces the uncertainty. I agree with whoever said it is just a reflection of a a general trend towards poor manners in society at large

Totally agree, I try never send texts but still would happily reply to anyone texting me about my boy who's for sale. I must admit it did take me 24hrs to respond to one email, still feeling guilty about that but have answered all calls first time etc and when we were looking before one women didn't reply for days then told us that we couldn't view the horse for 3 weeks, we bought from a stud in the end and they were very quick to respond!

 

[MagicMelon]

At the risk of being buried under a wall of criticism, why don't you contact a professional - by this I mean a *whisper it*..............dealer.

Probably the last thing I'd do...

 

[flirtygerty]

It infuriates me when sellers don't respond to a voice mail, mind neither does my farrier, I've been looking for a pony for a while, finally got through to a lady, who was most upset as pony had been sold and she was in Europe, the calls were costing her a fortune, good, she should have removed/updated the ad.
It took 3 voice mails and 4 calls to reach the owner of the pony I've just bought, my time is precious too

 

[christine48]

That's frustrating if they won't answer the phone or return your calls, it does make you wonder how serious they are. We have just sold a horse for decent money with no problem without video etc
I do hate it when people text or communicate via endless e mails wanting photos and videos etc. the people that came to see ours travelled over 200 mile and arrived at 8 in the evening.

 

[lannerch]

Probably the last thing I'd do...

All fool you !

 

[bugsysmum]

Me too Andiamo! I posted on here a while ago about a similar thing - and I'm still looking too! I don't understand why people don't respond - even the sport horse dealers and studs are just as bad. And I'm not just sending general queries, I'm asking about horses they have advertised for sale.
Having been looking now since March, I am losing the will!

 

[Andiamo]

It's quite sad that people don't have the common courtesy to respond - whether to say they've changed their minds about selling, or someone has put a deposit and it's now sold. I just want to know, so I don't waste time continuing to ring them.
The one from last weekend still hasn't contacted me - I sent facebook messages, texts and left voicemails (I started with voicemails) - but when I didn't get a response, I just texted to ask "when is a convenient time to talk"...the next day I got a text saying "really busy, will call you tonight and send video"...she didn't. I kept trying all week to reach her. By yesterday though, Saturday, I decided even if she was to offer me the horse for free now, I want nothing to do with her. My time, like another poster said, is also precious - I work from 8:30am-6pm, then at yard until 9:30pm, come home fall into bed, and do it all again the next day. I have no time. So, this seller is now officially a "timewaster" in my books.

Oh well, as of today, I started lining up some others that look interesting. I think I will just go to Germany in the next week or so - at least they ring you back!!! and are pleased to sell you a horse, very enthusiastic in most cases. Bugsysmum, wanna go horseshopping? ) I found a stud that has about 5 very scrummy looking horses for sale...

 

[bugsysmum]

Hi A
I'm with you on the plane!! I'm struggling to find anything to look at here, let alone go through the hassle of trying to get in touch with them. So far I've found the Germans have much better manners!! Have you tried any of the agents in Germany? I was planning a trip in the next couple of weeks, but just need to line up enough to view to make it worthwhile. BM

 

[Andiamo]

Get your flight booked - we're going )
I have PM'ed you.

Hi A
I'm with you on the plane!! I'm struggling to find anything to look at here, let alone go through the hassle of trying to get in touch with them. So far I've found the Germans have much better manners!! Have you tried any of the agents in Germany? I was planning a trip in the next couple of weeks, but just need to line up enough to view to make it worthwhile. BM