Warning on dealers in Kent from Police....

I know exactly who these dealers are.They continue to reinvent themselves and tend to capitalize on the very novice buyers who usually have no experience,and are thus very easy prey.I wonder why Kent police do not name and shame as i worry that purchasers may not have heard of their poor reputation.Also a certain show centre still allows these dealers to rent boxes at their yard in order to sell poor unfortunate equines to the poor unknowing first time buyers who simply want a nice safe pony for their child.
 
I wonder if the equestrian press, who have already produced an article on the matter, will now do the decent thing and stop running their advertisements!
 
cronkmooar said:
I wonder if the equestrian press, who have already produced an article on the matter, will now do the decent thing and stop running their advertisements!
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Totally agree with you.Ethics should come before profit.If anyone is interested just look up eponastars,there is plenty of information there thanks to the initiative of the originator.My worry is how to inform prospective buyers who are not privy to the background of these dealers.
 
You have to feel sorry for any genuine Kent horse dealers!
I have a horse 'rescued' from a novice who bought him from a Kent horse dealer. He is 10 years old and has more medical problems than you could poke a stick at. The sellers must have made thousands and thousands over the years, it is a huge operation.
 
Its about time something happened to these people. Why is it there has been investigations into them for 4 years through the Police, but they are still allowed to deal. especially after being arrested and let out on bail, they are still doing it!! makes my blood boil!!
 
Full details of who was arrested is on Epona Stars (and thanks for the shout out). The man in his 30's has now put his location as Sussex as well as Kent on ads placed on Horsemart, as the Police have revealed Kent is not the place to seemingly buy a horse!

It seems the net is finally closing in... but what I cannot fathom and makes my wee boil is that they are still allowed to trade. No matter how many times they try to reinvent themselves, the truth will out ;)
 
Until there is positive proof all goes on as normal The bail runs out shortly I believe,and unless a sure case is built it will all be dropped.
It is a bad situation for anyone decent selling horses in Kent,reinvention is an artform! We had another shark dealing in Labrador dogs ..again in Kent...he reinvented himself and moved premises more than most people change their knickers, so many heartbroken dog owners were the result.Trading Standards and the Council Licencing people in Ashford did do him for £14000.....you know what? He BOUGHT the two middle pages of the local paper as a kind of interview/advert. Bloody amazing neck Eh? The very same week he got done too!!:eek::eek:
 
I'm just still amazed the show centre allows them to deal since the police became involved,although the centre also deals itself.The rogue dealers also rent another nearby yard which makes their operation quite big.Funny how its invariably these particular dealers who get mentioned most on this forum.The two women have a bad reputation as individuals (very unpleasant people) in addition to the stuff related to their dealing.
 
Unpleasant indeed - I've received nasty threats from one of them, not to mention the other one setting up a 'hate' page dedicated to me; all of which forwarded onto the Police and got them absolutely nowhere other than to make themselves look totally ridiculous ;)

Let's not forget the other 2 men who were arrested, one of whom I believe EAST KENT knows personally? And surely you'd know if Smartcobs were a reputable dealer ;) The other one is trying to extract himself from Kent by advertising his location as Sussex as well as Kent now...
 
EAST KENT said:
Until there is positive proof all goes on as normal The bail runs out shortly I believe,and unless a sure case is built it will all be dropped.
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So, you seem to be insinuating that there is no positive proof? You think that the many many (many!!) people that have been done by these people are all making it up? none of them have met, but all the things being said are the same things happening to person after person after person?
 
I seem to remember that East Kent is friends with the dealers concerned and knows the vet involved and is sure there are no problems with the operation.
Disclaimer...this is not my view!
 
I have witnessed these women trying to sell lame horses,and worse, to very novice people at the show centre mentioned (while we have been competing there)I also have some personal experience of them,when they were children,and by then both were showing unpleasant personality traits.A big shame as with much better parental guidance things could have been very different. Both women were allowed free rein when they were teenagers,with no clear boundaries etc.One of them stole money from my home when she lived nearby.She was at primary school with my eldest daughter.This girl was always a bully at school.
 
Clodagh said:
I seem to remember that East Kent is friends with the dealers concerned and knows the vet involved and is sure there are no problems with the operation.
Disclaimer...this is not my view!
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Hmmm indeedy! She also made a gaff last year when she said what might/might not be on the shelves :eek: loose lips sink ships, love ;)

As for the other women - lower than a snake's belly and nothing surprises me about either of them, in fact all of them thought they were untouchable... just goes to show nobody (not even horse dealers) are above the law ;)
 
Simply because you assume I know the dealers,which I do not,except to avoid at all costs!The vet ,yes,use his practice ...and it is a very good one.Saw the bail date ran out ON THE LINK TO THE POLICE NOTICE....real rocket science that!. You assume too much, FACT...if insufficent proof to build a prosecution case is the end result..then rightly or wrongly it will be dropped.
Same goes for the ever name changing Lab dealer,he caused immense misery to buyers and suffering to dogs,but it is building concrete facts to make a case for prosecution.
I bought my present horse from Val May,no doubt there are disgruntled buyers from her in times past,but I bought a good one
Time will tell.;)
 
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But nobody's talking about dogs, only you ;)

The only thing I will assume, is that the police don't issue statements like they did unless there are plenty of complaints and cases to be heard. Three dealers arrested and one vet; FACT.

:)
 
So, do you really think the Police would of released all of this information if they then thought the case would be dropped?
 
I sincerely hope that everyone, and I do mean everyone, who has ever had a bad experience with these people, have formally complained to the police. It is no good moaning about something if you are not prepared to take action and back it up. Apathy is the friend of the bully. I can't understand why it has taken so long for these people to be brought to justice and how they are allowed to continue trading, when so many people have had wicked experiences. If they were rogue car traders, they would surely have been shut down by now????
 
Superhot said:
I sincerely hope that everyone, and I do mean everyone, who has ever had a bad experience with these people, have formally complained to the police.
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I most definately have!! It was all a bit of a cerfuful, but its been done!! It started off about 4 years ago with a complaint to RCVS, who then passed it on to the Police, and with the envolvement of Epona Stars, many more people have done the same!
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Well you know,talking about dogs again,similar sort of thing though;that dealer got done for £14000 by the trading standards people..you know what,he just carried on trading!Wrong,very wrong,but it happened.
I have no doubt there are cases to answer,probably every dealer has,but it is actually proving it is`nt it?Buying horses is an absolute minefield,it should`nt be,but it is.
 
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