Has anyone sold anything via classifieds lately?(rudeness!)

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I'm selling a horse and have posted on a local bulliten board and run an ad in the big city and state wide papers. Shes priced to sell (7 year old 1/4 mare, broke and sound, bred to TB stallion with champion bloodlines for $975, this years filly is at the farm and stunning!) I've had 3 people out, the first group was 2 1/2 hours late and never called even though they were ony an hour away, they had no large horse experience so I steered them away from buying her, she wasn't big enough for the second woman (no problem there). The third goup called on a Sat afternoon when I was at work. Apparently they decided to locate me by by phone number and cam out early SUnday AM when I wasn't home. Then they left a rude message saying that they had called me MANY times and why didn't I return their call (guess I could have at 3a when I got home). I called and we set a time for 2 days later and when they were 45 min late I called and they informed me that they decided not to come. Now I had a number of calls on her and I was waiting to confirm appointments until after they looked at her since they seemed so gung ho. I just can't believe folks don't have the decency to call if they are going to be late or want to cancel. Is this the norm?

-- Dianne (yankeeterrier@hotmail.com), July 25, 2001

Answers

There's never an excuse for bad manners and rudeness should never be the "norm". Best to get their number and call before the appointment time to confirm that they are still coming. If they don't show up, writr them off as rude and go on to the next one.

-- Marci in Germany (marci_tomlinson@hotmail.com), July 25, 2001.

guess thats the price for advertising on a large area. You could try a local horse group/club, post some a your feed store, ect. Some people just havnt a clue as to what a horse needs.

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), July 25, 2001.

We use our local board often. Have met some of the nicest people and some not so nice. We raise peafowl and have excess birds. Have had the same thing happen and also had people come early just in case someone would come before they would get here. Have kept birds home when we go to pet swap and then they don't come for the ones we saved for them. Have hatched for people and have them change their minds. Just learn to 'roll with the punches' I think is the expression. That's just the way people are.

-- Barb (bralsteen@ez-net.com), July 25, 2001.

I had two listings in our small, local paper ( it comes out three times a week). I sold both items w/ in 2 days of the first printing! Everyone was on time or early.. GL w/ selling her. She sounds like a steal!

-- Debbie T in N.C. (rdtyner@mindspring.com), July 25, 2001.

Dianne, this seems to be the norm. I advertised some horses we are trying to sell this past week-end. We are selling our Shires and a buckskin mare broke to work cattle.

I got lots of calls on the Shires (4 y/o geldings halter broke, asking $3000 ea) and people started giving me grief over the fact that they are not broke and how dare I ask so much. I would reply that broke Shire geldings are going for $6000 ea. It is easy enough to check out the internet for those prices.

I had lot of calls on the buckskin as well, including a group that said they would be here at 4pm Mon. Well, by 5pm we had unsaddled her and put her back in her stall. I really felt like calling these people and giving them a piece of my mind, but I also knew that it wouldn't do any good. It royally irritates me that people can be so rude. Several people wanted papers on her, which she is not papered and I put her in the unpapered column of the newspaper.

I have also had this work the other way. I was looking for a horse for my daughter and I had called about one that was for sale over an hour away. I couldn't get there for a few days, so I asked the guy to call me if he sold it in the meantime. I get there with my daughter and he had sold the horse a couple of days earlier.

-- beckie (sunshine_horses@yahoo.com), July 25, 2001.



We, too, have met some very nice people, and some inconsiderate. Had a very nice couple come and get some kid goats. Made me promise to keep two more for them(specific ones). When the time came for them to pick them up, they still wanted them, but were too busy, and even knowing I was moving in two weeks and had saved these two kids for them, they never could make the time to come out. I finally gave them away--like on move day, because I couldn't take them with me.

-- mary (marylgarcia@aol.com), July 25, 2001.

We've sold all kinds of critters off the farm, and I can assure you, most callers are @#$%&*@#$ (fill in your favorite expletive here).

One of my favorite (expletive) was a woman who wanted a purebred collie puppy which we were selling. We talked about eye-health, shots, bloodline, etc, and she was cuddling the pup like a newborn baby -- the pup was as cute and charming as could be. We happened to mention that the pups had just been dewormed (usually a desirable feature!). The woman literally pushed the puppy to arm's length, and in a horrified voice gasped, "THEY HAVE WORMS??????" Well, that was the end of THAT sale! Turned out she had never owned a pet in her life. Duh. She probably would have been REALLY surprized the first time the puppy pooped on her carpet!

Another favorite (expletive) memory was the (expletive) who came over to "buy a sheep". We had listed prices in the ad, which were extremely reasonable for our rare breed ($60-85 per head) to move extras out. This (expletive) arrived 2 hours late, proceeded to tell us how crummy our stock was, and then offered to buy ALL THIRTY sheep for $300 ($10 per head). We stood there with our mouths open in disbelief....and then said "no". He then started telling us how stupid, irresponsible, and ignorant we were about the real prices of livestock....and I walked away, my blood pressure rising to astronomical levels, while he followed me, spewing this (expletive)! I mean, did he actually think his "sales pitch" was going to work????

Anyway, after much anguish, we've set a policy -- and we tell this to all callers: FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED. The critter is advertised in the paper. Whoever gets here first with CASH in hand, gets to buy or turn down -- we don't take checks unless we already have dealt with you and yours have been good. If you miss your appointment, you lose your place in line. We do not give our address or directions to the farm until we have an appointment committment -- not "I'll be by on Thursday", but, "I am coming over right now."

This has made on-farm sales sssoooo much simpler. A few (expletives) still get through, but they are fewer and further between.

We also have started to screen callers, a little: have you owned a goat before? What kind of dogs have you owned? Do you have a barn? I don't do this to stop first-time buyers or new animal owners, but to find out how much additional information I need to give them. I even have written up a 3 page "how to take care of your new puppy" sheet, for all buyers.

It's a pity that so many people out there are unable to figure out animal care -- or simple good manners -- on their own, but that's the way it is.

-- Anita Evangelista (ale368s@smsu.edu), July 25, 2001.


When I have stock for sale I usually make a day of it, then I explain to folks that this Saturday everyone is going to come out and see the stock for sale. I have firm prices for single animals, and groups. That I don't hold stock for anybody without a deposit, that an animal is considered for sale until she is paid for. The only really scarry time was pre-Boer where we quite literally had bidding wars going on over the hood of pickup trucks. Got to be where we wouldn't let anyone out to the barn, until the previous person had departed. I do think some folks have very unreasonable attitudes, especiallly when you get the phone call for the doe who was for sale last spring, like she is still going to be here and for sale? And though I know I have folks who think I am rude, I do tell folks upfront that the last 50$ goat was sold about 10 years ago. :) Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), July 25, 2001.

Yes, people are people--some are nice and some are...well, you know. We were just selling a trailer that had been my parents' and you wouldn't believe some of the people. Most were good, it just wasn't what they were looking for, or too much, etc. One couple, called 5 times, finally came out, and went over it with a fine tooth comb, complaining or commenting on every tiny imperfection, then left, telling us they would let us know. They didn't, and at that point, we were ready to raise the price for them. The couple that finally bought it has been great. Had similar experiences selling horses. Even if you put all the specifics in your advertisement, and go over them again on the phone, people act like they never knew what you told them when they come out. I'm with Vicki--I think setting one time to come out is great. If they want it badly enough, they will find a way to come when it is convenient for you. Jan

-- Jan in CO (Janice12@aol.com), July 25, 2001.

My favorite response to people who come to "appraise" what I'm selling and tell me it's only worth half what I'm asking is this; "Would you like a job? I can pay you $100,000 a year and you get two weeks off. All you have to do is buy one like this each day, M-F for that price and bring it to me. I'll pay you $400 more on each of them and there's your $100,000. Of course, I'll make close to a million so the job won't last many years before I'll retire." You would be amazed at the looks you get. You can see the wheels turning in their heads sometimes, too. It really doesn't do much good, but it's entertaining.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), July 25, 2001.


I have discovered that maybe half of the calls or responses that I get to things I advertise to sell are worthless--primarily people that never show up when they say they are going to. I am glad that someone is almost always home, because I have told these folks how to find our place.

On the other hand, when I call a number to try to buy something, I really hate it when I reach a machine or voice mail, becuase 75% of the time they never call me back, and I have wasted a phone call (usually long distance) on the matter. I was pleasantly surprised once or twice when I called about buying something, and the folks had included mentioning that it was already sold, in their answering machine message.

I thnk that most people are just inconsiderate.

Jim

-- Jim (jiminwis@yahoo.com), July 25, 2001.


We get an awful lot of 'tire kickers' in the horse business. Advertise a horse for sale and you are almost guaranteed 6 phone calls from kids who desperately want a horse (any horse) and are trying to wangle their folks into it. You'll get a lot of strange phone calls from ones who know nothing about them ("Is your horse a chestnut, or is it an Arabian?" "I want a horse with a white face"). If you get a tip-off on those, best to just say that the horse is sold, unless you like wasting your time.

We also get the ones who come back repeatedly (3 times and more) to test ride the horse supposedly. By that point it's clear that they are either there for a free ride or that they have a terminal case of inability to make up their mind. They won't be opening their wallets.

If you're not making a habit of selling horses, you can handle a one- time sale any way that you want (be rude in return, etc.), but if it's your business, it really helps to practice pasting on a smile in front of the mirror for when you have to deal with people that you KNOW aren't going to be a sale.

As for the folks who simply never show up, if I'm in a charitable mood I think maybe they had to make an emergency trip to the hospital....otherwise, I figure they're the same people at the supermarkets who just throw items onto shelves wherever they are when they decide they don't want them after all. I get an number of calls on my machine that aren't for me with an injunction for,say, Dave or Sue "Call me back" no number. Dave doesn't live here. (no Sues either) I wonder where the calls go when people tell me that they called and left a message, and what Dave or Sue did about it.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), July 25, 2001.


Dianne 90% are just curious. 9% are possibilities. 1% with the money gets the horse. Be patient with people. if they are rude, be kind..nice....till it hurts. The quailty of your animals is what will sell them. Most people who are rude don't have the cash any way. Just looking for a way out and making an @@@ of themselves doing so. We always tell people to come on and look. lookin' don't cost anything. If we don't trade today, then maybe some day. Talk to people about their jobs, their families, their animals or just anything. Answer questions. Don't just be a seller, be trader. Trading is art. A Homesteading ART. nathan

-- Nathan Harris Sr. (barnyard_mini@yahoo.com), July 26, 2001.

We have a board at our Vet's to post wanted, for sale and for stud, but only for animals. It works well in this rural area. We also have this kind of listing in a paper called the horse trader. It has all the local auctions so adds in it do well also. I like that idea of setting aside a Sat. for people to come out. You only waise one day and don't have the people hageling over the price you want if someone else is there and wanting it to.

-- Teresa (c3ranch@socket.net), July 26, 2001.

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