Scam or just a youth??? UPDATED w/ more emails

[MindyLee]

Message:

"do you think she will mack a good diveing porspecket and comforation and ostical porspecket"

"i was woundering if she is done wening and if she is too young to ship all the way to clodan in canada and can you tell me what she eats because my farm has never had a baby soo youngi and i have whated a mini fo 2 yearsand if you cant ship her here can you tell me when you can and can you send me some pics"

"is ther any why to get her here by thusday because i need here bythen because i love your lil horse she is beutifal"

"my name is alyx my email is xxxi have a farm it has 21 stallsit is in xxx i am turning 10 on janary 7 2010 i have whanted my own mini for 2 years but i whanted to know more so i whated for two years"

"my phone number is xxx"

"do you have a phone number my mom can contackt you at"

I was at first answering all this persons questions and sending lots of photos of my mini that is for sale. Than I got the last response as I already told them that my horse would'nt be ready to go until about a month. I started thinking that maybe I was talking to a youth but also told this person I need all and any info about them with no response. So now after responding back, I said no more info till I get some from them. Also not getting personal emails, but through Equine Now only. What do you think? I now personally am smelling a scam.

UPDATE: This person just emailed me back and told me she is 10 yrs old. What should I do with out hurting her feelings? I never had a young youth contact me about a horse before.

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

You need to tell her you need to have her parents email or preferably call you. Most of the time Mummy and Dada don't even KNOW Junior is emailing about stufff like this!

Lucy

 

[Maple Hollow Farm]

You need to tell her you need to have her parents email or preferably call you. Most of the time Mummy and Dada don't even KNOW Junior is emailing about stufff like this!

Lucy

I agree with this

!

 

[Versatility Farm & Training]

Yep you need to tell them that their parents need to contact you. You can not legally do business with a minor. So if she wants the horse her parents need to contact you. I still am inclined to belive it is a scame though. I know 10 yr olds aren't the best at spelling, but those messages have mistakes way below a 10 year olds abilities... "mack" instead of "make" "ostical" instead of "obstical" "whated" instead of "wanted" "why" instead of "way". Also the fact that they want the horse there by Thursday. Someone actually looking to buy don't tend to have a deadline to get the horse home by, especially that short notice.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

... "mack" instead of "make" "ostical" instead of "obstical"

You mean "obstacle?"

Seriously, I agree. Just tell her you need to talk to her parents and leave it at that. I bet you'll never hear from her again.

Leia

 

[HorseMom]

I believe it's a kid. My sister used to to that stuff all the time and still spells like that at 19. Then she wonders why people think that she's younger then she is.

 

[Miniv]

I suspect she's a youngster too. Brianna is 12 and while she doesn't spell quite that badly, she has friends who do. Which part of Canada is the girl from? That may also explain things.

Either way......If you tell her that legally you need to also correspond with a parent or guardian.......that should help to clear things up.

 

[minimomNC]

I had something like this several years ago, a young lady contacted me about a gelding I had for sale and after a few emails I realized she was under age. I asked her to please have one of her parents contact me thinking this was put an end to it all. Well surprise to me, within an hour her mother called me, we made arrangements and I sold the gelding to a wonderful home. So yes it might just be a child but it could still be legitimate.

 

[Katiean]

As a kid I did contact people about horses and other livestock. In fact at age 12 I had my own dairy goat heard. I delt with people all the time. But because we didn't have the internet back then I was limited to my home town. At age 14 I was buying and selling at the local livestock auction. However, I can see being concerned about your horses and I would not sell to her with out meeting her and her parents.

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

I too believe this is a youth wanting to get into Miniatures. When I was the ripe ole age of 10 - I got to see upclose my first "real live horse" in my neighbors backyard. He later was bought by my father as a gift to me at 14 years old. . .and his name is Pistol 

Anyways, I had to work at my neighbors ranch for a WHOLE YEAR before my parents would even think about getting my own horse ((well thought out, dad)) and sure enough I stuck with it and my father let me pursue finding my own horse. At age 11 I was contacting local sellers about their horses to get information about them, but anything concerning plans, exhange of monies, etc. was done via my parents. I did however, introduce myself and tell them that I was a local 10 year old girl looking for her first horse, with the permission of my parents and that anything monetary would have to be discussed with my parents.

I would give her a shot and see how it goes - I never though at age 11 I would be where I am now at almost 20 years old. If those people I had contacted hadn't worked with me, I doubt I would be here. 

 

[MindyLee]

Well I talked to the little gal and told her that I needed to speak to either one of her parents. I told her that I had no problem telling her anything she wanted to know and send as many photos as she wanted BUT I had to talk to her folks. She emailed back and said thats fine and that her mom wanted my phone # so she could talk to me in person about my filly for her 1st mini and learn to show with. She also said that her mom has be overwatching her while she emails me as well. I personally think that would be great if my little one went to a little one.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Miniv]

GREAT! Good Call!

Keep us posted!

 

[T'sMinis]

I got the exact same email yesterday!!!

 

[Joanne]

Mindy Lee we just sold three horses to a family with a 12 year old daughter that is horse crazy.

When I asked her how she found us she said she did a Google search for "Miniature Horses California"!

This young generation is far more savvy then their parents about the internet and how to get what they want.

Unfortunately the use of computers and, perhaps, our current school systems seem to be lacking courses in spelling. I do not think I have had many young people that I have been in contact with in the last few years that were great spellers. But they were great on using a spell checker on their computer!

But If they wrote me a note I had to stretch my imagination to figure out what they meant.

The exceptions have been those that were great readers. Those kids knew how to spell.

 

[LAZY J MINIS]

MY INSTINCTS TELL ME TO CUT AND RUN. IF MY 10 YR CHILD SPOKE AND SPELLED LIKE THAT, I'D HAVE A HEART ATTACK. I HAVE FRIENDS FROM CANADA AND THEIR KIDS DON'T SOUND LIKE THAT. THATS MY TWO CENTS.

 

[kaykay]

A few weeks back I got emails exactly like this. I also asked to talk to the parents and was given a phone number. I called the number 2 times and it was generic voice mail. I never received a call back. I then asked her to please have her parents call me and I got an email back that she changed her mind and no longer wanted the horse

I suspect it was a young girl that really wanted a horse but probably her parents knew nothing about it.

Kay

 

[Miniv]

Either Way........By asking for the parents to correspond.........You'll find out.........

 

[minimom1]

I would say SCAM and proceed with CAUTION !

 

[Rocky1]

Since others have said that they recieved the exact same messages..its probably a scam...but you also have to realize if it is legit, Canada has 2 offical languages, English and French. SHe could very well be a 10 yr old girl...from Quebec and English could be her 2nd language and therefore her spelling would be that of a 5 yr old...

 

[Littleum]

She also said that her mom has be overwatching her while she emails me as well. I personally think that would be great if my little one went to a little one.

Thanks everyone!

If her mother is watching, why is the spelling so terrible? Logic would dictate that IF Mum really WAS watching, Mum would at least tell DD it's a good idea to proof read stuff!

All kinds of things run through my head at this point. It's entirely possible that Mom really IS watching but Mom speaks virtually no English and won't pick up on the terrible spelling. It's also possible for it to be quite a few other things, none of which you probably want to run with.