What is a timewaster exactly?

Aragon56

Aragon56

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I've recently started looking at horses for sale, and noticed that a lot of them seem to have a 'no timewasters' policy at the end of them. I'm not out for a free days ride, and I wouldn't waste anyones time if a horse wasn't right for me, but what do sellers mean by a timewaster? Its seriously off putting!

I saw this advert on Horsemart-

http://www.horsemart.co.uk/advert/4_yrs_14_2_hh_dun_connemara_leicestershire/71496

Looks a nice horse, but the bit at the end about timewasters not being tolerated seems a bit harsh and would make me think twice about ringing up. It looks like a dealer, though I haven't googled them so I don't know how reputable they are yet.

Do sellers expect people to buy the first horse they try?! I would expect to look at several horses before making a decision.
 
I would expect to look at many, many horses before buying too (and possibly trying horses out a couple of times too)... However, some people do seem to consider anybody who doesn't buy their horse a 'timewaster'!
 
you arent a time waster! Ive had my fair share of "tyre kickers". They make me mad as hell. sounds like this seller has had lots of dreamers or joyriders in the past. If you go and dont like the horse just say that he isnt for you. dont say ooo I will be in contact then never ring up. just be honest and they will be fine with that. advert sounds a bit aggresive but Im sure it isnt meant to be like that.
 
Have to say when I went to see my horse I went for a bit of a joy ride and to see what he looked like (advertised in the local paper) but I ended up getting him, so wasn't a timewaster after all
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I think sometimes it helps if you don't like a horse for whatever reason, if you can give the owners a reason for you not buying it. I wouldn't just say the horse isn't suitable for example, I would be more specific (without being nasty) about why, such as it being too strong, not forwards going enough etc
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Someone i know is a dealer and she had a women call at the yard on Sunday she was looking at an unbacked 3 year old WB stallion excellent blood lines beautiful movement and couldn’t half pop a fence, the horse was priced at £4500 and they knew this before coming they looked at him out in the ménage free schooled and then looked a few others then back to this one and eventually left. They called the next day and offered £1850 for the horse now i would call them either a chancer or a timewaster.......

Oh and very cheeky.
 
I've had timewasters come to see horses that I have sold - the most memorable was a woman who came to see one of my horses, and brought her instructor, her sister, her friend and her boyfriend. After being in the school for over an hour and a half, and every single person trying the horse, they then asked to take him for a hack. They took him down the road, round the block - he didn't put a foot wrong. They had him trotted up and down, lunged without tack etc - they asked me every question under the sun, and were there for about three hours. She said she would call me either way that night, and I never heard from her again. I tried to call her the next day, and the number she had given me was "not recognised".

A week later another lady came with her instructor, they both tried the horse, and left a deposit for him there and then.

I don't mind people coming and saying that they don't think the horse is for them. I don't mind people coming, saying they will think about it and let me know. What I don't like is spending hours with someone who can't be bothered to tell me there and then its not what they are looking for, or pick up the phone later and tell me the same.

In my book timewasters are people that really have no intention of buying the horse that they are looking at - they already know deep down before they get there its not for them, but spend ages trying to convince themselves, before leaving you hanging for a few days with the promise of "we'll call and let you know"
 
I can completely understand sellers not wanting to be messed around - people not turning up when arranged, people not reading the advert properly or 'hoping' the horse is different to the description is some way, etc. But going to test a horse out, see what it's like and whether it suits you is not timewasting IMO.

I do wonder what that advert means by "timewasters will not be tolarated (sic)".......what would they do, exactly?
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It does seem quite aggressive.
 
Here are some of the timewasters i have had in the past-

'Hes too small' (after reading the advert, speaking to me, seeing photos and riding him for 2 hours)

'Hes too young' (after reading the advert, speaking to me, seeing photos and riding him for 2 hours)

'Hes too expensive' (after reading the advert, speaking to me, seeing photos and riding him for 2 hours AND he jumped his socks off)

So a timewaster is someone who has no intention of buying, or someone who doesnt know what they actually want, or someone who cant actually cope with the horse because he is too much for them and they wont admit it, or someone who cant afford the horse but wanted to try it anyway.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Someone i know is a dealer and she had a women call at the yard on Sunday she was looking at an unbacked 3 year old WB stallion excellent blood lines beautiful movement and couldn’t half pop a fence, the horse was priced at £4500 and they knew this before coming they looked at him out in the ménage free schooled and then looked a few others then back to this one and eventually left. They called the next day and offered £1850 for the horse now i would call them either a chancer or a timewaster.......

Oh and very cheeky.

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Wow that is extremely cheeky! I don't know how people have the nerve to do that.

I've never sold a horse before, but can totally understand how frustrating it must be for sellers when people spend 3 hours with a horse, as per Zoeshiloh's story, and then never bother calling back, thats just rude.

And Pookie, I'm not sure what they would do about it, apart from kick you out of their yard!
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Have to say when I went to see my horse I went for a bit of a joy ride and to see what he looked like (advertised in the local paper) but I ended up getting him, so wasn't a timewaster after all
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My horse's previous owner did the same - she went to have a look as he sounded just like her old boy at home and ended up buying him.
 
The dealer in the ad you posted tends to have quite a high turnaround of low priced horses. She sells them cheaply to get rid of them quickly to make a small but quick profit. She regularly seems to have nice looking horses in and often puts on her ads something along the lines of '£1500 for quick sale, or £2500 if vetted' etc. I expect at the price she advertises them for she is likely to get quite a lot of timewasters.
 
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...What's a tyre kicker?
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The sort of person who goes to a used car showroom and wanders around trying to look like they know what they're about by kicking the vehicles tyres, which tells them absolutely b*gger all about the car but lets the salespeople know they are a numpty!
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Just to add though, there are plenty of timewasting sellers out there, esp the ones who try to run you for more money because they have created a phantom person who really wants their horse
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Have to say i went to see a youngster (think hewa about 2) more because I really liked the look of him even though I actually didn't have the money (£2500) they wanted for him. Travelled a fair way to see him and he was very sweet but was by no means (in my opinion) worth £2500 as they hadn't doen anything with him. Think they'd put that price on as he was a nice enough lookng coloured althoughh his breeding was rather unknown!

I offered them £1800 for him, but they turned it down. I saw him advertised a few month later (would have been 3yo) and they'd stuck another £1K on his asking price!!! I don't think I was being a time waster at all but i do think they were dreaming as to what they could sell him for!
 
Timewasting sellers:

1)Having driven 175 miles to view horse, seller will only let daughter trot it up and down the road, not ride it in the field or pop a jump or god forbid try a canter! And it was supposed to be 'First horse suitable for Nervous Novice'!

2)Viewing an obviously lame 'nodding' horse that seller says isn't lame and always trots like that!

3)Viewing, then having vetted a horse that turns out to be nearer 18 than 12, is also lame and has a dodgy eye! Not to mention the fact that seller didn't know it had to be ridden for a 5 stage vetting - she thought you only rode the horse on a 6 stage vetting! (A 6 stage whaaaat?)

Oh I could go on.......
 
I have had a terrible experience with a 'Timewaster' seller!! I had been to view a horse, in the ad, the seller made a huge song & dance about no more timewasters'.... I loved the horse and I made a deal with the seller there & then, on the Friday afternoon... Was excited all weekend, as the seller said that he was mine and recommended some vets in the area...

Booked the vet on the Monday, they tried all day to get hold of the seller with no joy.. She called me that night to tell me the horse had been injured in the field & may have to be put down... I was devastated!! To cut a long story short I found out a week later that she had in fact sold the horse & it was all lies!!!!
 
See they're just dreamers and they'll either be stuck with the horse for ages or they'll get extremely lucky.
We did have a theory about pricing though - at one point you could sell anything under £3k - people would take the gamble, or anything over £10k - people would think it must be good.
But anything in between - i.e. nice level horse, not a world beater but safe and easy to do, and you'd struggle to get people to look at it as they'd think it must have a dodge
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The dealer i was talking about had 6 of the young un backed 3 year olds all about the same price and all had good blood lines and 4 had sold no problem at all so i think in this case the price is spot on.

I do believe that some people have and inflated idea of what there pride and joy is worth though.
 
Friend tried a horse twice, had it vetted and it failed - big time
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- Sellers changed the advert the following day (horsemart) to read - "still for sale due to total timewaster"
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Sellers have an interesting view of what timewasting constitutes
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Never done it myself - all my horse have come to me oddly enough. Had it done to me when selling daughters JC pony. Had parents with their kids spending all afternoon at the yard, promising to come back and never doing so. I bumped into one of the mums at our local tack shop and casually enquired why she didnt get backwhen she promise to - she ran out of the shop!

Know all about tyre kickers! I run an estate/letting agency and the b*****ds waste our time most weekends - apparently some people view looking at houses but not buying/renting as a leisure occupation!!!!!!
 
I think a lot of sellers add the line "still for sale due to timewasters" when the horse may have failed the vetting or they say no timewasters just because the people who have viewed it so far havent bought it. I went to view a horse with a friend who is wanting to buy one at the weekend and I totally didnt trust how genuine the seller was. I wouldnt be surprised if we were classed as timewasters by her.

I also hate how difficult some sellers are to get hold of. My friend saw an ad for a horse that she really likes and thinks may be "the one". She called up about it and the seller's partner answered so said he would get the guy to call her back. Three days later no call so she tried again and same thing happened, partner confirmed horse is still for sale but the seller still hasnt called her back! Theres nothing more she can do if seller doesnt return her calls.
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I have sold a few horses in the past. It was a very hard decision in each case to sell, and while none of them were perfect all of them had given us hours of pleasure. It really upset me when people made really negative comments, especially when they accompanied these comments with a silly offer. I have to say we picked the best possible owners for ours, and the decision was not based solely on price. One of our purchasers could not afford the full price of a three year old welshie but the family were lovely and so dedicated to their ponies we let her go for slightly less. We have stayed in touch for the last four years and regularly receive updates and photos. In each case though, both my daughter and I cried buckets when the trailers rolled out of the yard.
 
I would classify timewasters as people who try out horses they have no intention of buying for the price advertised, who then make up reasons for rejection on spurious grounds, such as the horse being too big or too expensive. I know a person like this who will reject horses on their temperament and who still hasn't bought one after 9 or 10 years of regularly trying!

Pony club parents seem particularly bad for it. Do they ever buy horses? They seem only to want to loan, even when the horse in question is newly advertised for sale. I had it when I was advertising my mare, they would only reveal it after asking countless questions, could they have her on loan with view to a sale? Possibly for at least 6 months because they had to try and loan out their own ponies etc etc. I can see the point with small outgrown ponies but not over 16hh county level working hunters!

Timewasters in general I would describe as people who promise things but don't follow through. I seem to attract male "admirers" who are timewasters. They send me unsolicited messages, arrange to join me in sports, even taking up new ones, then never ask me out on an actual date. Then you find out they already have a girlfriend!
 
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