Timewasters!!

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horsesatemymoney

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Recently, looking at various classified ads for horses, especially, I keep seeing 're-advertised due to complete timewaster,' or 'please, no timewasters' or 'serious offers only.' Even 'only contact me if you want to buy!'.

So, what is a timewaster? Is it somebody who asks for pictures etc, then doesn't want to view? Somebody who comes to view and decides not to buy? Or offers to buy then pulls out? I'm just interested as there seems to be a lot of them about!
 
Someone messaged me in the late hours/early hours (:p) last night about part loaning horsey. I rang them today at about 2pm. I asked if they'd like to come down in the next hour or so. They said yes, see you then.
I waited an hour.. I waited 2. I then sent another text asking if they could give me the time they expected to be arriving? No reply.
I then recieved a message about an hour ago online from them. They said that their contract had ran out, they have been ill the past few weeks and that this afternoon they must have fell asleep after speaking to me.

I want someone reliable - as stated in the advert and again over the phone.

Definitely not a good first impression :eek:

Timewaster :o
 
All of the above! :) usually when they say re advertised, it means a sale was going through and for whatever reason buyer pulled out so horse re advertised
 
Oh - I've also had sellers timewaste as well :mad:

One with a horse I was going to view an hour and a half away that texted me half an hour into my journey to say she was going out and could we do it another time!!!! She knew full well I was on my way.

Another was I was recently getting a kitten. Had spoken to the woman twice. Was due to go the next day and I rang the night before to confirm the time for the next day. She made an excuse about being in a rush for the vets and that she'd ring me back later. I texted her 4 hours later and got a reply saying actually her friend had decided to have the kitten instead!!! I'd even gone and bought all the stuff for kitten :( I'd even offered in the first conversation to send her a deposit but she'd said that now I said I'd wanted it that kitten was all mine.

I think some people enjoy wasting time :eek::rolleyes:
 
horsesatemychristmasmoney said:
So, what is a timewaster? Is it somebody who asks for pictures etc, then doesn't want to view? Somebody who comes to view and decides not to buy?
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These are not timewasters, they are people who were interested in the advert and looked into it further, then decided for whatever reason, that the horse was not for them, very often because the horse wasn't actually as described.
 
6 of one and half a dozen of the other.
Those that are a no show and those that have no intention of buying. On the other hand the seller may have a horse to sell but the one they've advertised on paper is a completely different animal hence labelling buyers 'timewasters'.
 
Those who arrange to come then say the car has broken down.
Those who never turn up at all.
Those who come numerous times, the horse jumps through hoops goes perfectly, they say they love it but never ring back.
Those who come to look at a competition horse and can clearly not ride one side of it.
I think there are a lot of joy riders out there!!
 
christine48 said:
Those who arrange to come then say the car has broken down.
Those who never turn up at all.
Those who come numerous times, the horse jumps through hoops goes perfectly, they say they love it but never ring back.
Those who come to look at a competition horse and can clearly not ride one side of it.
I think there are a lot of joy riders out there!!
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Yep, the multiple, free riders! :rolleyes:
 
horsesatemychristmasmoney said:
I think in a lot of the adverts, its almost as if somebody has the audacity not to buy, then they are a timewaster.
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Wait until you are selling, then you will know what time wasters are!!
When I have bought horses in the past I've tried it for 20 mins or so on its home ground then made the decision to buy. Too many people these days want to try it numerous times, go XC schooling etc etc.
 
christine48 said:
Wait until you are selling, then you will know what time wasters are!!
When I have bought horses in the past I've tried it for 20 mins or so on its home ground then made the decision to buy. Too many people these days want to try it numerous times, go XC schooling etc etc.
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As I said on your last post, previous, multiple dayriders I would class as timewasters. But where do you draw the line- if somebody is paying a few grand for a horse, that they want to XC with, for example, are they not entitled to try it there? But then how do you know they're not just joyriding?!
 
It took me over a month to find my new horse - wasn't looking for anything flash and there were plenty for sale. However so may of the sellers were a nightmare! All kinds, one was terribly surprised the horse was lame, that's never happened before - of course. Or selling horses two hands smaller than they're supposed to be. Another made arrangements to view/ride, went awol for a week, then the evening before the viewing says, oh sorry, I've literally just sold him sight unseen over the phone. But I have two more I'm selling, just like him (only £1000 more)....
 
Timewasters work both ways, sellers and buyers!
I've had far more time wasting sellers, very frustrating! I got my new boy just before Christmas, so I guess if those sellers hasn't been timewasters maybe I wouldn't have found him.
 
Basically people who waste time for no good reason. Eg if I start calling ads now for ponies when I have no intentions of buying for at least 18mnths. Or if when I am ready to buy I don't turn up for viewings. Or viewing, then not buying for a reason that should have been clear at first contact. Eg viewing an up to height 12.2 then saying I won't buy because I want a 14.2. Or different breed, or I can't afford it etc.
 
Had someone look at my boy who couldn't afford him :( was so frustrating as she rode him very well and would have been a lovely home.

It's annoying because I spent over a couple of hours cleaning him, got lots of photos and passport printed off borrowed some jumps for the viewing and they had no intention of buying him :(
 
As mentioned above, it works both ways.
I had people turning up to try my 15hh pony, only to tell me she was too big and they were actually looking for a 13.2.
However when I was buying, I travelled for over an hour once to a yard to try a horse, having spoken to the owner two days before. We arrived to find that the owner wasn't there, but her staff informed us the horse had been sold the day before, so wasn't there anymore. :rolleyes:
 
I think these days anyone who doesnt buy your horse is labelled a timewaster, particularly so if you point out it is not actually remotely as advertised.... ;-)
 
I've had those that come, try & then say that he's no good because he's too white/too old/too small! All things they knew about before they came to look!!
 
The seller who lets you drive a 4 hr trip down the country for the perfect 14.2, only to find on arrival that it may be perfect but is only 13 hands. Even the yard owner where it was agreed only 13 hands

When I got home and looked again at the ad she had amended it, but only to put the price up, not the height down. How many other people did she have waste time/money going to see it?
 
I've had it both ways!

When selling my bog 17.2hh chestnut gelding out of about 6 people that tried him, one decided he was too big?!?!? And another just didnt bother showing up, needless to say after catching, grooming & wasting most of my day hanging around had a bit of a dressing down via email when I got in.

At the moment, I'm after a youngster. Found one which I think is near on perfect but the owner seems incapable of supplying proper photos! Right from the first email I sent start of December I asked for a decent confo pic as its near on a 4hr drive for me & theres only one of its mother, headshot & one of him rather poor quality behind a fence. After having to nag a few time she took one ..... another headshot saying the weather was too bad. Now last Friday she said she'd do some on the weekend, still waiting!!!!! So I'm a bit gutted really :( He seems lovely & I could have viewed him by now!
 
Sellers can be timewasters just as much as buyers. First horse I went to look at the woman told me he was living out naked but had blatent rug marks all over his front and hardly any winter coat. She said she was selling the horse for her auntie - I later found out she was a dealer

The lady I finally bought Merry off was great, she asked me a LOT of questions over the phone and I asked her a lot too. She was very honest about her past and the scars on her legs and what she could and couldnt do so that when I went to see her I knew what I was viewing and she was very much as described
 
When selling don't forget that when you get the he's too big/small/white etc it might just be a way of getting out of the awkward conversation that after trying your horse, even if it went perfectly, they just *don't like it* ;)

I went to try a youngster. It was physically exactly as advertised. She went perfectly nicely for me, her schooling was good & correct for the level she was at. She popped a fence sweetly.
She would've made someone a fabulous horse....just not me. I honestly tried to like her but she just didn't do it for me.
Afterwards this lead to a very difficult conversation with the owner where I tried to explain the horse was lovely but I just didn't want her :(
I've no doubt the owner thought I was a time waster.
I liken it to clothes shopping. You can pick up a dress, it's your size, it's a colour you like & you try it on but there is something about the fit that means it doesn't quite look right or you don't feel nice in it. So you don't buy it. That doesn't make you a time waster does it?
 
I think that the term time waster does sound very aggressive in an advert and would never use it. However I do understand why some people feel the need to air this. In the last year we have bought two horses and sold one and there are, as others have said, timewasters on both sides. Buying - 7 hour round trip, agreed to buy the horse, was arranging vetting and three days in, withdrawn from sale (didn't need the money anymore). This happened twice. Selling - horse was tried on 3 occasions in different settings over a period of 3 weeks, was completely as described in the ad, did not put a foot wrong and buyer offered half the asking price, at which point you have then lost the original enquirers. However have since learned that you should probably not put others off even if someone seems to be clearly interested. You live and learn.

On the other hand, there are also some very genuine people out there too but an awful lot who just do not have good manners.
 
Well I have been a time waster. Unfortunately. Found a horse I really really liked, owner had been severely messed around and we did get on very well on the phone. He ticked all my boxes and even my "nice to have" list. All about to go through and then circumstances for me changed rather drastically and I couldn't have him. I did call and actually did follow up later as felt so bad, felt even worse than I couldn't have had this lovely boy as well. Poor owner had been really messed around with other people as well which compounded this for me.
 
glamourpuss said:
When selling don't forget that when you get the he's too big/small/white etc it might just be a way of getting out of the awkward conversation that after trying your horse, even if it went perfectly, they just *don't like it* ;)

I went to try a youngster. It was physically exactly as advertised. She went perfectly nicely for me, her schooling was good & correct for the level she was at. She popped a fence sweetly.
She would've made someone a fabulous horse....just not me. I honestly tried to like her but she just didn't do it for me.
Afterwards this lead to a very difficult conversation with the owner where I tried to explain the horse was lovely but I just didn't want her :(
I've no doubt the owner thought I was a time waster.
I liken it to clothes shopping. You can pick up a dress, it's your size, it's a colour you like & you try it on but there is something about the fit that means it doesn't quite look right or you don't feel nice in it. So you don't buy it. That doesn't make you a time waster does it?
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I've had this, I went to see a horse who was exactly as described, the man selling her rode her first & she went nicely for him, so I got on thinking I'd found the perfect horse but despite going well for me I didn't like riding her at all.

I only sat on her for a few minutes & didn't even jump her, when I said "sorry but not for me" he was surprised but was understanding when I said I was sorry for wasting his time but I didn't like riding her.

He had another one which I tried & loved but unfortunately failed the vet, I felt bad as I wasted quite a lot of his time, riding 2 of his horses, getting a vet out & not buying either of them.
 
I agree with a lot of the previous comments. As a seller I appreciate when viewers are open and honest if they dont like my horse then fine. As a seller I dont like the people who say they are experienced, give lots of examples on the phone, come out and cant put a bridle on!! Or come out to view an 18.1 then say he is too big!! The list goes on.
As a buyer I must admit to not coming across many at all. I see what I like (and I am very choosy) I have viewed only a few as if there are any doubts at all I dont go and I dont waste there time.
 
horsesatemychristmasmoney said:
Recently, looking at various classified ads for horses, especially, I keep seeing 're-advertised due to complete timewaster,' or 'please, no timewasters' or 'serious offers only.' Even 'only contact me if you want to buy!'.

So, what is a timewaster? Is it somebody who asks for pictures etc, then doesn't want to view? Somebody who comes to view and decides not to buy? Or offers to buy then pulls out? I'm just interested as there seems to be a lot of them about!
Click to expand...

I've got an advert online that says re-advertised due to timewasters.

My boyfriends mom wants to loan her pony out but only from our yard so I advertised, a girl (well she's 19) came to view him, rode him and said she would like to take him on. Drew the contract up and everything was fine.

Until myself, my boyfriend and the girl who part loans one of his horses were at a show. The girl with my boyfriends moms pony had been the yard that day and text me to say she was bringing him in for the night (which is apparently what his owner wanted her to do) so all was fine, until we got back to the yard and noticed his bed was still banked up and he'd got a block of horse hage on the floor. I contacted her to find out why his bed was banked up and she said she thought thats how it stayed so she spinkled some clean straw on the banks and thought he would just pull it down his self!

Needless to say his owner wasn't happy and she no longer had him on loan. It may sound harsh but after his attack last May he isn't supposed to be standing on concrete for long periods of time (which she knew) and he'd been standing there for at least 2 hours
 
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