Serious Inquiries only... Do you feel this statement off putting?

[HGFarm]

The reason I think people put that on an ad, and I am a guilty party at times, is that someone will inquire, then drop off the face of the earth. They never even respond with a 'thanks for sending the info but not what I am looking for' email. It makes the seller, who has taken the time to send tons of pics, pics of offspring or pedigree info, etc.... feel like they have wasted their time. I dont know about you all, but my time is stretched and valuable to me too, and just a simple 'thank you but no', goes a long way. Otherwise, you dont even know if they got the info you sent, if it was too much info, not enough info, or whatever.... It appears to the seller that the person inquiring is just not really interested or had no intention of buying anyhow- tire kickers, looky lous, oh I wish maybe I had a pony, type of buyer.

It takes a lot of time and effort to put together a video, find help to get requested pics, etc.... I answer ALL my inquiries & many times the people just disappear with no response at all.

 

[PaintsRule]

That statement is okay ONLY if the price is listed! Because is not listed, how do you know if you are serious or not? If the horse in question is a very nice horse for the money if its priced at $2,500, then I might be serious about it, but if the horse is priced at $25,000 then I might not be a seriously interested person!

 

[susanne]

Has anyone found that "serious inquiries only" actually keeps the fruit bats away? Anyone nervy enough to make the seller jump through such hoops will likely be nervy enough to think that their inquiry is worthy, no more how ridiculous it may truly be.

The only people it is certain to deter are actual potential buyers who are put off by those words.

Perhaps not that many are actually offended, but that one that you offend could be someone like Kim with $1500 burning a hole in their pocket. It's the marketing equivalent to shooting oneself in the foot.

In a buyer's market, every single customer is precious.

.

 

[shorthorsemom]

If I really wanted or was very interested in a specific horse..and i had money and a place to put the horse and the owner had a good reputation..I wouldnt give a hoot how the ad was worded..i wouldn't really care about the writing style. Plenty of ads out there saying herd reduction when they should really say "I bred too many"..lol dont fry me.. the wording on lots of ads can be odd but still wouldn't keep me from looking further into a horse I really wanted badly.. have a great day... what I really mean is..I better stop playing on the computer and get to work..thanks forum for being such a great place to chat!

 

[LindaL]

As a seller who HAS put that statement in her ads, it has nothing to do with "time" or "price"...It has to do with getting emails from people who inquire when they KNOW they can't afford the shipping or want to offer a LOT less than the horse is being listed at...THAT I don't have time for. I will make time for people who already know they can seriously afford the horse and shipping...After literally 100 emails/PMs on a certain mare, it is frustrating to me...and if I come off sounding like a bitch because I do want SERIOUS inquiries, so be it. But, thats just me........

 

[joylee123]

I can't begin to count the number of times someone has contacted me about a horse I have for sale

( pictures and price included in the ad) , telling me how interested they are and how badly they want the horse. Then after youanswer all their questions and tell them all about the animal, spend time sending extra pictures and copies of pedigrees ect... they either ask you to drop the price 500.00

(approx half the listed price) on an already very reasonable(already posted) price or they don't write back.ect..So no I don't find that offensive, I believe I will begin to incorporate it in my ads LOL! Or "no tire kickers please" LOL!

Joy

 

[Lizzie]

I suspect giving the price and then adding 'Firm' after it, might discourage may from wasting a seller's time, joylee. There again, when a price is already very low and a buyer says they cannot afford that much, it would make one wonder how they could afford feed, tack, vet bills, farrier work etc., even if they did purchase a horse.

Lizzie

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

Having sold a few horses, to me, it means either A) the seller doesnt want to get jerked around or B) they have something they need to say about the horse they dont want to put in the add; which could simply be the price. On every sale ad I've ever done, i have always said "serious adult inquiries only." Anyone under the age of 18? needed a parent to do the deaing. I never minded if someone said they were interested and wanted more info, then to say "eh, no." I did have one lady pretty much try to buy the horse sight unseen, wanted a 2 month "trial," scheduled (and canceled) to come out 3 times - all of which i had to take time off of work for - then after about a month, said "oops, hubby said no." THAT bothered me. The 14 yr old emailing me in chat speak? That bothered me. People interested in actually buying the horse? not in the least bit!

 

[MiniNHF]

I usually put it in ads for higher priced items/things (havent yet with horses) to keep people from jerking me around or to keep scam artists away. I had to do that when selling my motorcycle, I got tired of people dropping off the face of the earth after weeks of talking back and forth, people throwing out offers not even half the price i was asking and every thing else under the sun.

 

[Margo_C-T]

Gosh, I am reminded of how glad I am that I am not selling horses any more! It was just the sort of issues mentioned by several here that made me realize that I NEVER wanted to do that ever again. I am plain to say, I do not 'suffer fools' well...am not willing to put up with these sorts of behavior, which in my span of life, have gotten only more extreme, in my observation.

The phrase mentioned wouldn't bother me at all, because I can appreciate the probable reasons behind it. One thing I DON'T care for, though, is not including the price in an ad. I believe that it is best to put all pertinent information in an ad, in order to help potential buyers decide if indeed this is a horse they'd be interested in...and certainly the price is a big part of that!

Margo

 

[Tapestry Minis]

I think if you are willing to put ALL information regarding the horse. PRICE, Height, Registrations, Full pedigree, Registered name, any color testing, show record, photos of offspring (if breeding horse), etc etc etc And there still might be something that someone wants to ask about the horse to see if it fits what they are looking for. I agree that if the horse does not fit then the person asking needs to at least afford the seller an email letting them know this and to Thank them for their time. But unless the price is firm it may turn off someone that is a great home that you would be flexible on the price to.

I know I'm starting to ramble but there are so many situations and ideas that the seller may be open to and to certain people and same on the buyer side. The buyer may be serious but it's hard to know what exactly the seller is considering a "serious buyer". So I guess it could be off putting in the sense that the buyer doesn't want to feel like they are wasting the sellers time to ask for more information that is not provided to help them make a choice.

Been there done that with tire kickers but I don't think the label weeds out those that like to just window shop, but you may turn away someone that, after talking with the seller and getting a little more info could be the perfect fit for everyone.

 

[Marty]

It wouldn't put me off. I think that is a sellers way of trying to weed out the kids and other people who are not ready to "buy right now" and are just browsing. How's that?

 

[minimomNC]

I think what some people are missing is that sellers want to do anything to help someone decide that they want to buy their horse. Thats a serious buyer. The people that make this phrase so common are the ones that ask for the moon with no intention or ability to buy no matter what the price. I am sure if a horse were listed for $2500 and I was interested and could buy at that price, I would still ask for a lower price, thats horse trading. What the problem is that someone that can't affored a $100 horse much less transportation wanting your time and information knowing they can't even come close to buying the horse. I hear it all the time, you give everything to a potiental buyer just to find out they don't have more than $200 to spend. And with that $200 they want a national champion broodmare in foal and delivered. Its just not happening but you have spent your time and energy sending everything to this person. Or you get the "I am buying your horse, its perfect for me" and never hear from them again. Sellers are only asking that if you contact them, you have at least the resources to actually buy a horse and if its not the horse for you, just say that. Don't leave them hanging.

 

[Debby - LB]

No not really, as long as the seller has extensive information in the ad. for the horse being offered AND the price. If the price isn't there it makes no sense to add "serious inquiries only".

 

I read a few of these replies, sadly I've been down most all those roads! I had more than my fair share of jumping through hoops only to be told "we have only this total amount to spend"....when in fact the amount would not even come close to covering the shipping. What REALLY used to P me off were the people who Totally low balled me But their own horses for sale were over twice the asking price of mine and Not double registered and DNA'd.

 

[Jill]

Like I said before, it seriously doesn't bother me nor discourage me. I don't waste sellers' time unless I'm serious AND I realize that others often do.

Those who opted to be offended, it could be worse... I bet there are lots of sellers who have wished they'd made a notation along the lines of "please only respond if you're an adult, knowledable about horses and have a bank account"

 

[mshasta88]

I posted an ad today with this phase in it. Honestly I don’t want much for the horse, just a good home but I have been insulted and my time has been wasted time after time because the horse doesn’t drive. If were to say free horse, that would change everything but I can’t lose that much off the horse, I need something and almost anything would suffice if someone was serious about giving him a good home.