# Are you polite to tire-kickers?



## malinda (May 12, 2002)

As in, when selling a horse and someone emails you "whats your lowest price" no other questions, no info about themselves or what type of horse they're looking for. No punctuation even!

Do you reply politely, ignore, or be snarky?

BTW, my horse is priced high enough to keep most tire-kickers at bay. I've had a dozen or so intelligent, potentially serious inquiries which I promptly reply and politely answer all questions, even if they are a little odd.


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

When I was selling my pony I did respond to those types of emails, but I did it by replying only "$XXX".... and I gave them the same figure that I had her advertized for.

A few replied back asking if I was willing to lower her price/bargain, and I just replied "No. Her price is $XXX." and left it at that.

Granted I was asking $750 for a dead-broke awesome kid pony, when other ponies with similar training were going for that much or more in the same area. I wasn't going to take less than $750 for her :shrug:


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

I respond as well ... very brief, but I do respond.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Some people are poor communicators so unless I get something totally out there, I will respond but anytime I've had someone ask me nothing more than my bottom price, I'll respond with something like, 'Roany is a terrific buy at $4,000.00 but I would be willing to consider $3,925.00.'


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

I would probably say that I was open to negotiations to serious buyers and just leave it at that.


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## Marshloft (Mar 24, 2008)

This isn't my forum,, but dickering is dickering.
If I was asking $2,000. and I got an e-mail as the OP described,, I'd e-mail back
that I was wrong in my judgment,, or some such thing,,, The price is now $4,000.


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## malinda (May 12, 2002)

In the past I've always responded with a polite but very brief answer.

I was just feeling incredibly snarky last night and wasn't amused with someone wanting to dicker on price without even seeing or riding the horse.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

this spring we decided to sell all three horses. The one thing we didn't want was to have two go and be left with one. Without consulting me, DH put some not so great pictures on craigslist and about no discriptions (he didn't know any better, and got tired of waiting for me to put a decent add together). 

Had someone ask about price - DH sent the reply - buy all three at $500, only two the price is $1000 and if you want only one the price is $2,000.

Right after that, our add got flagged as possible spam. 

Dh ignored the requests that were obvious tire kickers. Like the ones that asked for more pictures or if we would ship, but asked nothing more about the horses. He passed along the few that had serious questions to me so I could answer them. We did sell them, all three for $500.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

I try not to make 'judgements' particularly since one series of rather odd emails ended up being a child doing the 'preliminaries' ... and her mother turned into a serious buyer.

Not the usual result, but did teach me that I probably shouldn't make judgements except in the case of obvious scam emails.


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## malinda (May 12, 2002)

I had a phone call from a 13yo girl about this horse just the other day. She obviously was reading to me a list of (intelligent and appropriate) questions, so I answered all politely. She seemed a bit shy and awkward on the phone and I tried to get her to open up and talk about horses a bit (asked her who/what she rides now, how long she's been riding, what her plans are, etc.). I discovered her trainer had found my horse online and suggested she call me - always a good sign! I'm not holding my breath that it will turn into a sale, but at least her parents/trainer had her do the appropriate thing - not just email asking what my bottom dollar would be!

I don't find anything wrong with a child shopping for a horse, especially if they have a trainer or parent who pre-selected some horses for them to inquire about. Most kids who have emailed in the past at least tell me a bit about themselves and their riding ability and goals, and ask if I think the horse would be a good fit.


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

I normally don't reply back to things like that. Many are spammers looking for a reply to get your e-mail address to put on their spam list.

Even if it is someone looking to buy, it's just rude to start talking about money before you've even taken a look in person at what is for sale.


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## yoopermom (Feb 9, 2009)

malinda said:


> I had a phone call from a 13yo girl about this horse just the other day. She obviously was reading to me a list of (intelligent and appropriate) questions, so I answered all politely. She seemed a bit shy and awkward on the phone and I tried to get her to open up and talk about horses a bit (asked her who/what she rides now, how long she's been riding, what her plans are, etc.). I discovered her trainer had found my horse online and suggested she call me - always a good sign! I'm not holding my breath that it will turn into a sale, but at least her parents/trainer had her do the appropriate thing - not just email asking what my bottom dollar would be!
> 
> I don't find anything wrong with a child shopping for a horse, especially if they have a trainer or parent who pre-selected some horses for them to inquire about. Most kids who have emailed in the past at least tell me a bit about themselves and their riding ability and goals, and ask if I think the horse would be a good fit.


That was so sweet of you to be patient and tactful with her! A hundred years ago (ok, precomputer...) my parents let me buy my first horse "of my own" at about that same age, and it's one of my favorite memories of childhood: looking at ads, thinking up questions, making phone calls, setting up appointments to see them, etc. It really made me feel like a grownup!

Terri


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## BoldViolet (Feb 5, 2009)

malinda said:


> I had a phone call from a 13yo girl about this horse just the other day. She obviously was reading to me a list of (intelligent and appropriate) questions, so I answered all politely. She seemed a bit shy and awkward on the phone and I tried to get her to open up and talk about horses a bit (asked her who/what she rides now, how long she's been riding, what her plans are, etc.).


I actually "Awwww!"ed out loud at this.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

First, I never answer generic type of emails. They must refer specifically to my ad in a way that I know they have read the ad and are not a machine sending out spam. "What is your lowest price?" could be an email sent to every ad on Craigslist that day, from horses to sofas.

With that exception, I see no reason to not ask about price. There is no reason to go any further if the horse is out of their price range. "Horse trading" is pretty much industry standard and most sellers expect to come down a bit. I've never paid full asking price for a horse in my entire life. Nor have I ever paid sticker price for a new car, or asking price for a house. Some things are almost always negotiable, and horses are one of those items.


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## malinda (May 12, 2002)

This inquiry wasn't from Craigslist, I got the message through Equine.com's message center.

I have the price of this horse listed in her ad. Yes, it is negotiable, but if the asking price is WAY out of someone's budget, they should know that most people aren't going to give a 75% discount just from one email.

Like simi-steading said, I also think it's rude to send a one-liner email about price before you even see the horse. If a buyer thinks the price is too high, or the price is simply out of their budget, they shouldn't need to inquire. If a potential buyer takes the time to come out to my farm, see and/or ride the horse, and seems like a good match for the horse, I am much more likely to drop the price a bit.

BTW, I replied a couple of days ago to the person telling her the price might be negotiable to serious buyers. Haven't heard anything back. *surprise, surprise


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

malinda said:


> As in, when selling a horse and someone emails you "whats your lowest price" no other questions, no info about themselves or what type of horse they're looking for. No punctuation even!
> 
> Do you reply politely, ignore, or be snarky?


When I get questions like that... they have always been scammers.
And it depends on my mood to what I send back to them.....
IF they won't leave off... I tell them the new price is 1 million dollars... once I get that.. I "Might" send them the item.

Sadly.. in this day and age, I mostly get scammers. sigh ~~ 
Or people that want what I have... for free. Gets annoying after awhile.

For horses, if they ask me good questions, then I figure they are real people and will answer politely.
Am very picky about who I sell my animals too. And I have turned many people down.


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## bluebird2o2 (Feb 14, 2007)

I havent gotten any of those yet.im suprised how crappy the horse market is.I havent even gotten anyone too look at my mare yet.i told three people i dont think shes beginner safe.my idea of beginner safe is 20 or older and preferably arthritc.


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## cnvh (Jun 11, 2008)

My reply to "what's the lowest you'll take?" whether I'm selling a horse or a car or a coffee pot, is always, "the ad said 'or best offer,' that means you need to make me an offer."


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## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

I have a better (worse) "tire kicker" story. 

First the gal asked what my lowest price was over my CL add.... second she arranged a time to come out and look... then she showed up and it was pretty clear it was a saturday afternoon lookie loo call-- 

She talked about how she "used to" train/breed/whatever more than she talked about/asked about/looked at the horse--- then she picked apart the mare's faults and said with a parting smile... "well, you'll be lucky to get 200$. Thanks for having me over."



....What? 

Frankly I was surprised after the fact she didn't hand me a bill for her "professional" appraisal, and too stunned to be anything but polite.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

Well I will sure be polite to tire kickers . You can't be ofended by someone offering to dicker on the price .this is common and expected when buying and selling livestock .evenmoreso in used cars ,hunting dogs ,and horses.but kidding aside i'd lower the price on an animal if I knew it was going to a good home just as the man who sold me my cow seeing as she was going to a good home . He had the higher price to keep the resale profitters away.


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## CaliannG (Apr 29, 2005)

I always add 25% to my listed price when I place the ad for "dickerers". And I do get people that e-mail me or call me, asking only, "What is the lowest you'll take?"

I always state that I only dicker ONCE. They can dicker over the phone/e-mail, and that is THE lowest price they'll get, OR they can dicker in person once they have seen the animal/item I am selling and smooze me up with small talk. However, they only get ONE opportunity to dicker, and if they chose to do it over the phone/in e-mail, then they have lost any opportunity to do so once they have seen what I am selling. 

Then, I simply say, sweetly, "Which do you wish to do?"

Once I have seen them and talked with them in person, I might decide to drop my price even more. But why should I give a "deal" to someone who only asks "What's your lowest price?' That's not dickering! Dickering is an art form! They are being a bull in a china shop and just stampeding on through.

Besides, I have noticed that people who ask that up front on the phone/e-mail NEVER take that for a bottom line....they want to dicker more when they get here too. :/


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## Dusky Beauty (Jan 4, 2012)

I've experienced in cars anyway that when they ask your "lowest price" over email, they think THAT'S where the price starts when then arrive to look, and THEN then try to dicker BELOW even that, subtracting every flaw from your "rock bottom price"... beyond irritating.


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## Lauri (Sep 20, 2008)

Whenever we had something for sale $xxx obo, and the potential buyer would say something like "what's the least you will take" before they made an offer, my DH would respond......."Do I have to do the selling and the buying too?"


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## unregistered168043 (Sep 9, 2011)

Just tell him/her your lowest price and let them make the next move. Not sure why you would be snarky or act insulted. Its called doing business.


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## malinda (May 12, 2002)

I'm snarky because the person who asks "what's your bottom dollar" as the first and only question, is almost never a serious buyer.

Like I mentioned before, I replied politely to the person who asked - and...

crickets...crickets...

Just like I suspected.


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## 2horses (Jul 19, 2004)

You can almost always tell the scammers, looks like your gut was right.


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## malinda (May 12, 2002)

Actually, I don't think it was a scammer. More likely someone hoping to get a $5000 horse for a few hundred bucks.


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## Joshie (Dec 8, 2008)

Did you ever hear back from the young girl?


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## malinda (May 12, 2002)

Joshie said:


> Did you ever hear back from the young girl?


No, but I have another 11 year old girl interested. Her mother said they want to come and look at my mare, but due to Thanksgiving, other commitments, and they live several hours away, she said they can't get her until the first week of Dec.


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