When selling a horse...

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Flatbroke Farms

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When you are selling one of your horses, and someone calls or e-mails to inquire more about the horse and that person -- without seeing the horse or perhaps having just seen one or two pictures -- wants to negotiate on price... Do you negotiate? Personally, this drives me batty. It makes me feel like my horse is all about the bottom line. I find myself unwilling to negotiate online or via the phone unless the person has either seen more horse in person, or has seen enough of the horse to really seem like an interested and committed buyer. However, nearly everyone that contacts me wants to negotiate in this manner. So am I being unreasonable?

How do you handle it?
 
I had this happen quite a bit when I was trying to sell my mare. They would flat out ask what the bottom price was for her. Annoyed me since it was one of the first questions they would ask. But I think from a buyer's point of view, they are looking for an investment. And/or looking into what the total cost would be if the horse would have to be shipped too. Most of us are on a limited budget to buy and therefore, have to make the best of our money.

I would approach it as this: incentive for the right home. I wanted my mare to go to a show home/family home. Found someone and they were coming out of state. I dropped the price almost $1000 for this. I priced her high becuase I knew people would talk me down, but I was only going to barter close to $500. But since this family was driving a long way to get her and after seeing pics of their horses, I knew this was the right home. And I was right in my choice in the long run.

Find out more what they have to offer to your mare. Then barter if they are the right people. Its your horse, but you're not obligated to sell. Simply tell them I won't sell her for less just becuase.

But as a buyer, they try and get the best horse for the cheapest price. I have bartered for a couple, but I stated the reasons as to why I was going to pay less. It was their choice to accept/reject the offer.

Good luck!
 
Oh, absolutely. For the right home, I'd practically give them away! I sooo want them to go to a good home. And I always say something like, "For the right home to a truly interested buyer, I'll be glad to really negotiate." but then no one offers up why they could/would be the *right* home.

:DOH!
 
As a buyer and a seller, I want to have in mind the best bottom dollar price. I have negotitated with people for a lesser price when buying and also when selling. My husband is the world champ at this. I don't mind negotiating a price on a horse they seem interested in. Everyone wants to think they got a "bargain".
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If I don't want to take any less, I just e-mail back, sorry price is firm. No harm done!
 
If a person does not want to deal with buyers who want to negotiate price I think the best thing to do is to put in the ad that "price is firm" or "no negotiating" This whould save both your time and the buyers time. Mary
 
I've had a couple individuals email "what is the minimum you'll accept". And that does rub me wrong, because they haven't even asked any questions regarding the horse. Sorry, this isn't Big Lots.
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Now, don't get me wrong, I want my horses to go to a show home and I'll drop my asking price significantly if I know it's going to be shown (especially to the National level). But don't let your first question be "What's your lowest price?" because lately, I'm in the mood to not even reply. I work hard to breed quality animals that will do well at the national level and I'd rather keep them than be conned into a cheap sale with no promotion of the horse.
 
My favorite way of handling this is too have them to make us an offer if they are truly interested. After I explain why I feel the horse is worth what I am asking for it.
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That puts them in the next move position and then gives me a starting point from which I can ask questions I need answered. :DOH!

Seems to work well for us anyway.
 
Great advice!

It isn't that I am unwilling or don't want to negotiate. But I, too, am rubbed the wrong way when that is the first question asked. Personally, when I am interested in a horse, I want to either see more photos, or I want to come see the horse in person. Then if I am *really* interested, I'll start the negotiation process. I would never try to bargain for a horse I wasn't certain I was interested in. It just seems rude.
 
Over the phone I probably would not negotiate until I've seen the interested person, learn their plans for the horse and try to picture in my mind what kind of a home the horse would be going to and then I'd probably negotiate in person to a degree.

Joyce L
 
Buyers should be aware that that is not the best way to

start a conversatiion. If you think at some point most

buyers are sellers, too, they'd probably not appreciate

that approach when the situation was reversed.

I think selling our horses is like developing a relationship

with people to be sure we are comfortable with where and

to whom they are going. That being the first question doesn't

put the conversation at a good starting point.

I was selling my lake front home back 15 years ago, by owner.

I had three people call in a short matter of time asking what

the least I would take for it? I just asked them to come and

see the house, to determine it's value to them, before they

started trying to negotiate a price on it sight unseen.

That got rid of them quickly.
 
For the right home to a truly interested buyer, I'll be glad to really negotiate." but then no one offers up why they could/would be the *right* home.
The thing is, they probably don't know if they're the right home, or interested enough for you to negotiate with...they're likely wondering just how interested is "truly interested".
If someone asks me if my price is negotiable, if it's not, I just say so. If it is negotiable, I'll say yes, it may be a little, and then I'll ask what were they thinking. If they ask me my bottom price, I don't give a direct answer--I'll ask what they are prepared to offer. I'm not going to underprice myself by naming an amount that is $500 less than they were prepared to offer!

As a buyer I have asked sellers if the price is negotiable--it's not the first question I ask though. If the seller says no, then I have to decide if I want the horse badly enough to buy at the quoted price, or if the horse isn't worth that to me.
 
I've done very little selling, but I won't talk about a lower price until I'm convinced their home is one I'd agree to sell my horse to. The more perfect the home, the lower the price may go. It'd also depend on how long I've had the horse for sale, and how motivated I am to sell. It's tough to get a horse from me. The buyer I've worked with said she's never been asked the questions I ask (I didn't think any were unusual). My husband says no one I sell to will take as good of care of them as me--so I just have to wait for those people.
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It is a catch 22. If buyer has x amount of dollars to spend but is interested in your horse why waste sellers time if seller is totally firm on the price. Your horse may be just a few hundred dollars above buyers budget and they figure might as well ask rather then pass on by?
 
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From a buyer's point of view, I think that asking if the price is negotiable first is perfectly acceptable and actually saves time on both ends. I definitely think that a buyer can use more tact than saying, "what is the lowest price you'll take?" That's a little tacky.... BUT, if you have a horse advertised for $4000, and my budget is only $3000, why do I want to spend time talking back and forth only to find out that the price is firm? If it is negotiable, then I know the option to buy is there, and I'll ask my questions. I agree with the poster who said that if you don't want people to ask this, then you should disclaim your ad with "price is firm" otherwise not only will that question be asked, but you should expect it. If you aren't willing to budge on your price wouldn't you rather know that the buyer can't afford it BEFORE you go to the barn and take fancy pictures and share your horse's life story?
 
Totally agree, that from a buyers point of view, why waste a sellers time. To give a great example, I looked for 6 months until I committed to another mare/filly. I posted more than a few ads on the board. You get TONS of responses. Nothing is worse than thinking you found what you want, then when you ask for detailed photos, you see their bite is off, after you spent a week corresponding. After awhile, you just scrap the small talk and cut to the chase. I have already appologized right off the bat for poor social niceties (sp?). It gets tiresome after the first 60+ websites you have browsed, not to mention the 30-40 reponses you get each time you run your ad, and the multiple horse sites wih ads that you have combed through.

You also get those reponses to ads, pure example here , you state you are willing to spend say $3000 get reponses to check out horses on a sellers site. All the horses are $3500-$7000. Okay, you clearly stated what you could spend, is this an invitation for you to browse and ask if the price is neg. or are nthe sellers seeing if you are holding out and can afford more?
 
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I have a mare I'm trying to sell, she's not breeding quality so I had her priced kinda low, and then made the mistake of going even lower, to 300, well I got an email that freaked me out so bad I pulled all her ads, and will just try to find her a home through word of mouth. All they said was "Will you take $250 for her", No can I see pictures, No what's her personality like, nothing. Now I would be willing to let her go for that to someone I know will take good care of her, but for someone that's just looking for a dang near free horse that doesn't care about anything but the bottom dollar, I don't think so. I wrote back that I'd have to think about it, and I would want to come check your place out first, well needless to say I never heard back from them.
 
Just got done with this. Someone emailed me looking for a baby mini, which I stated baby minis are just being born and you'd have to wait until summer. Well, they didn't want to wait that long and said money wasn't a problem. So I told her about a yearling I have. My show string is full and I wanted to see her shown. So on and on with pics and details and such. She writes back and says she can only spend $500. I'm just thinking, Are you kidding me??? This baby I have over $1200 invested in her in buying her back, shipping costs, and the vet bill to get her healthy again (which I told her). I told her sorry, but I'm not going to give her away. Quite frustrating after going through that. It would've been nice for her to tell me her budget first instead of money is no object. :DOH!
 
I haven't had that with minis so much but I did have it with models! Someone wanted 4 models I had, asked for a deal, she then said how much for three, I counteroffered with a lower price, then she offered an even LOWER price.... and someone else came along with FULL price for those models. Sheesh....... :DOH!

I'm game for bargaining, but you can only go so far....

Lucy
 

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