"Timewasters"

Pigeon

Pigeon

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Am I the only one completely put off going to view a horse that has "re-advertised due to timewasters" or "no timewasters" in the ad?

This might be something to do with one horse that I came very close to buying, but decided against, was then put up again with the standard "re-advertised due to timewasters". I wasn't a timewaster, it spectacularly failed the vet... :rolleyes3:

But quite aside from that, it makes me think that the seller will be funny about how much time I'm allowed to spend with the animal/how many times I can see it/how extensively I can try it out. Most of the people who are called timewasters started out with good intentions but it just wasn't the horse for them. If you're selling an animal, there are going to be people that don't click with it or whatever, even if they can't give a clear reason, that's part of the parcel, surely...
 
yep!


i viewed one a long time ago advertised as backed and broken....got there and it was "not broken but you can have a go if you want".... :o no............!

re-advertised "due to time wasters..." im not spending £1500 on a horse thats a complete lie!? lol


sellers eh!
 
Yes it would put me off.

Rightly or wrongly I would read into that that people had viewed the horse, decided it was not as advertised or had failed the vet, and rose-tinted specs owner was having a wobble at people declining the offer of buying their superstar.
 
How are some of these horses mentioned even needing to be readvertised? Do the vendors take down the previous ad because someone is just coming to view, lol! Surely the ad stays up till it's sold or expires? I can understand it if it's got to the stage where the vendor *thinks* it's sold and theres a last minute backout by the buyer, yes, *then* the ad would need redoing. But still, no, I'd not put it in an ad about timewasters, it's offputting to me.
 
OTOH I was selling a very genuine, schoolmistress mare for a not excessive price (£2800 inc tack about 6 years ago). She was tried out by some people looking for an entry level pony club eventer. Horse had just been round a BE90 course double clear, and I was asked during the trial to jump her over repeatedly higher and higher jumps, until she finally knocked one down around 1.20m. The trial lasted ages, but then they decided they didn't want her because she didn't have a careful enough jump and she didn't go as well for their daughter as for me. I sold her to my sharer. I'm not sure whether those people were timewasters or not, I think they were looking for a horse outside their budget certainly.

I also recently had someone try out a genuine high level showjumper, advertised for £6000, which was quite realistic. They tried to talk the price down to less than half of that by criticising the horse, which was very straightforward. While I wouldn't say no to coming down a few hundred on the price, no-ones going to give away a £6000 for £2000 or less.
 
It puts me off - but not because of the perceived time-wasting aspect - more do with the fact that I would be thinking there's a reason it hasn't sold, and it's unlikely the potential buyers were timewasters, but had seen something they didn't like in the horse.

If I liked the look of the horse, I'd go see it whether they said that in the advert or not - but I wouldn't really care about their opinion ;)
 
Mithras said:
OTOH I was selling a very genuine, schoolmistress mare for a not excessive price (£2800 inc tack about 6 years ago). She was tried out by some people looking for an entry level pony club eventer. Horse had just been round a BE90 course double clear, and I was asked during the trial to jump her over repeatedly higher and higher jumps, until she finally knocked one down around 1.20m. The trial lasted ages, but then they decided they didn't want her because she didn't have a careful enough jump and she didn't go as well for their daughter as for me. I sold her to my sharer. I'm not sure whether those people were timewasters or not, I think they were looking for a horse outside their budget certainly.

I also recently had someone try out a genuine high level showjumper, advertised for £6000, which was quite realistic. They tried to talk the price down to less than half of that by criticising the horse, which was very straightforward. While I wouldn't say no to coming down a few hundred on the price, no-ones going to give away a £6000 for £2000 or less.
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First one is not a timewaster. They just didn't like your horse / it didn't fit with their needs, even if their needs were unrealistic. I have seen plenty of horses that on paper & in the flesh would do the job I called about. I just didn't like the horse when I saw it. Although to be fair if I don't like the horse my viewing is very short!

The latter, if they never had the 6K or ever had any intention of paying in the ballpark, then they are a duel purpose timewaster. They wasted their own time as well as the sellers! That said, I still wouldn't loose any sleep over it, and wouldn't put 'timewasters' in the advert. That kind of thing is part and parcel of selling.
 
Capriole said:
Oh I've had some definite timewasters :D But I wouldn't put it in an ad.
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I'm not saying there's not timewasters out there - I'm pretty sure there are a fair few :p However, if you are re-advertising due to time-wasters, you are indicating that you have had someone about to buy your horse and then pulling out at the last minute...or that's my take on it anyway!
 
If the horse appeared to be what I was looking for, I might ring up about it but I would be very wary of the vendors - that phrase says more about them than the previous viewers imo.

I viewed a 4 yr old recently whose temperament did seem to be as advertised but since the photos were taken, she had grown bum high and developed a very dipped back, she really wasn't the height she was advertised at and imo unlikely to make that height. I did eventually ask for a 2nd viewing (we would have had to take our own saddle to ride her) but in the meantime put a deposit on a different youngster and cancelled the viewing. She was later advertised as a shorter height but 'no more timewasters please'. Not sure whether that referred to me or not.
 
It would and does put me off .
I want to feel comfortable about spending time as much time as is necessary to be really sure. last one we bought my daughter went and rode him out, then went for a lesson on him . We realised after that that he would be too much for her, my son then went up and hacked him out and we then bought him a couple of days later. If my son hadnt enjoyed him we could perhaps have looked like timewasters but I would prefer people were sure before parting with any of mine.
 
That would be my take on it generally Jennbags, but as someone said above, they were branded a timewaster for not getting on an unbroken horse that was advertised as broken. Mental!

JennBags said:
I'm not saying there's not timewasters out there - I'm pretty sure there are a fair few :p !
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But thats not really what I'm saying. I think we would all agree there are plenty of timewasters out there. I'm saying I wouldn't put in an ad re timewasters, I think it is counter productive.
 
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ihatework said:
First one is not a timewaster. They just didn't like your horse / it didn't fit with their needs, even if their needs were unrealistic. I have seen plenty of horses that on paper & in the flesh would do the job I called about. I just didn't like the horse when I saw it. Although to be fair if I don't like the horse my viewing is very short!
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I'm still not convinced. I've never been asked to jump a horse higher and higher in a trial before like that. I advised them previously that the horse wasn't careful enough to make a showjumper and that's why I was selling her as a safe all rounder. Whereas they seemed to be looking for a high performance schoolmaster for a 14 year old child but with the budget for what I was selling. There was something odd about it.
 
It would put me off, but as a good friend of mine pointed out when I was looking last year, unless your lucky enough to find your dream horse at your first viewing someone at some point will call you a timewaster simply because you didn't fall in love with their horse and buy it there and then!
 
I always think it sounds a bit stroppy, and it would put me off. Trying to find a horse is stressful without stroppy sellers!
 
Mithras said:
I'm still not convinced. I've never been asked to jump a horse higher and higher in a trial before like that. I advised them previously that the horse wasn't careful enough to make a showjumper and that's why I was selling her as a safe all rounder. Whereas they seemed to be looking for a high performance schoolmaster for a 14 year old child but with the budget for what I was selling. There was something odd about it.
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C'est la vie. You didn't have to let the viewing continue. You could have called a halt to it.
 
Don't think I've ever contacted a seller who puts no timewasters on the ad. It just seems ill mannered.
Viewing a horse and deciding it's not what you're looking for is reasonable, otherwise to sell a horse all you'd need to put on an advert would be ' Horse for sale. Has 4 legs.'

Only people without the money to buy are timewasters.
 
Pigeon said:
Am I the only one completely put off going to view a horse that has "re-advertised due to timewasters" or "no timewasters" in the ad?

This might be something to do with one horse that I came very close to buying, but decided against, was then put up again with the standard "re-advertised due to timewasters". I wasn't a timewaster, it spectacularly failed the vet... :rolleyes3:

But quite aside from that, it makes me think that the seller will be funny about how much time I'm allowed to spend with the animal/how many times I can see it/how extensively I can try it out. Most of the people who are called timewasters started out with good intentions but it just wasn't the horse for them. If you're selling an animal, there are going to be people that don't click with it or whatever, even if they can't give a clear reason, that's part of the parcel, surely...
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Im reluctant to call about any horse after last week, I have been looking for a good natured cob youngster to break and bring on for my daughter after she comes of the small sassy tiny one. There was an ad for a suitable looking filly on Preloved, local and in my small budget. I am looking for something to make 13.2 to 14.0hh max. The advert did not state the height of the filly now, what she was to make or the height of her parents so I emailed to ask and I was told she was 13.2 to make 15hh, I replied immediately thanking them for their time but explained about my daughter and the height we were looking for. IMMEDIATELY the ad was updated with "no more timewasters" I emailed her and asked her if she was referring to me and advised her to avoid wasting my time she should have stated the height in the ad, suffice to say she did not write back or change the advert!
 
ihatework said:
C'est la vie. You didn't have to let the viewing continue. You could have called a halt to it.
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Yes, I should have done. The mare was covered in sweat, and in fact I said to the father that he had seen enough. The people in the yard couldn't believe the heights he was asking me to jump repeatedly on her and seemed convinced they would buy her after she jumped so well.

I didn't put anything about timewasters in the advert, in fact I didn't need to advertise her again as she was almost immediately snapped up by my sharer, who realised she couldn't bear her to be sold.

It was one of the more odd experiences of my horsy life. I still don't know quite what to make of it.

I also had a friend selling a perfect kid's pony. Family came along and tried pony 3 times, kid on pony and everything. I said to my friend there was something odd about them, but she didn't see anything odd. They went as far as arranging times to collect her and asking for bank details, then pulled out, saying they had a shortage of cash. It was really odd. I feel sorry for the kid but perhaps she was told she was getting riding lessons and not her own pony.
 
Would totally put me off.

Gives me a not so nice impression of the seller.
As you said you will feel pressured into making a quick decision and not be able to fully try out the horse, test it in different situations and have a second viewing.
 
I can't see the point of putting it at all unless its a pointed dig at someone who has annoyed the seller. After all it goes without saying that the sellers don't want their time wasted. No one would put in "Time wasters welcome - please come and have a ride!"

The horse I bought the sellers spent ages complaining about others who had tried her deciding she was too tall/too small/too this or that etc. I tried her twice - one in the school and once out hacking but they were pretty clear they thought this was excessive. It did intimidate me - they then put a lot of pressure on me to decide then and there or they'd sell her to someone else (after moaning about how no one thus far had liked her). Probably they didn't want me dwelling too long on the fact a lot of what they claimed was total rubbish! anyway I bought her and she is a very nice horse
 
I don't think it makes a difference, time wasters (even the really odd ones!) don't actually know they are time wasters so it's not like they think "ooh says no time wasters so best not ring that one, I'll find someone else who doesn't mind!"
 
Buying a horse is so difficult, I have viewed and tried a couple of lovely horses that went well for my daughter but didn't buy because they were to good for us. We have very basic facilities, no schooling area and they have to live out 24/7 apart for severe weather and illness. I know that people who would have been selling them would have been perplexed even though I have explained, it just sound like a load of c**p. If we had nice flat fields, a school, the time to stable them or they would cope in a herd situation I probably would of bought them. I do not go view very many and have a clear idea what I am looking for, so usually end up buying them.
Unfortunately horses vary so much, some ones 15 hand cob, to some else's is more of a 14.2 middleweight pony, I think as long as someone is honest about the viewing you must not take a offence about their opinion. I once had a viewing where I was told the pony was too much money, I sold it to the next person for what I wanted.
 
I saw an ad recently with 'no timewasters' on it, so as with all ads we asked for a video first to make sure it was worth the trip. They said no they didn't have anyone to film them. Surely making a video available cuts out a huge amount of wasted time!
 
LynH said:
I saw an ad recently with 'no timewasters' on it, so as with all ads we asked for a video first to make sure it was worth the trip. They said no they didn't have anyone to film them. Surely making a video available cuts out a huge amount of wasted time!
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Oh I've had that. Asked for video or at least some DECENT pictures and it was too much trouble. Was rude enough to message me and insinuate that I was timewasting and she'd been caught out like that before (whatever that means). Yet me driving for hours to see a horse the owner cba photographing properly isn't timewasting.
Thought stuff your horse love.
 
It wouldn't bother me at all. If I responded to the ad, its because I liked what I saw in the photo or the pedigree.

"No time wasters", or re-advertised with that wording, sends me the message that the sellers are probably not very experienced but if they are treated politely and respectfully, I might get a nice horse at a decent price.

Basically, people prefer to sell to (and buy off!) people they like, so despite enormous temptations to do something different, I usually try to bite the bullet and smile through it all! I'm not a dealer, just learnt the hard way over a long lifetime.

I think all these reasons for not responding to adverts or not making further enquiries a bit silly. If everyone else is being so picky, that makes it easier for me as there is less competition.
 
People who turn up when they say they will and those that phone and talk to you are certainly not time wasters, Sadly there are those that want hundreds of photos from every angle, keep texting and messaging and never actually face to face talk to sellers and of course those that just come for a free ride and have no intention of looking to buy anything. all these are to me time wasters. the internet has done horses no favours if you like the look or sound of something for god sake go and meet it in the flesh it may well be your friend of a lifetime. Had I seen photos of my Hanoverian I would have never even looked at him but I didnt I went by his breeding went to see him hummed and haad for half an hour as he looked awful and bought him anyway He is the most magnificent animal I have seen for a very long time now.
When selling as I am now I hate the never ending text but still wouldnt call anyone a time waster as they may just if they can be bothered to view actually love the pony to bits as I do
 
Yeah i wasn't driving to Scotland on the basis of a headshot and a dodgy front on ridden shot :wink3: The horse sounded ok, if I'd have had a couple of decent photos I'd have happily gone and seen it, but if the owner cba taking a photo I think well maybe it's not that great. I wouldn't waste my time going to look at a horse with no photos at all but I'm quite particular.
 
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