Crooked seller, Gullable buyer, or both?

Friends of ours (Germans) have been looking for a horse for a while in the States. They don't speak much English, so my wife translates correspondence.
They find something on the internet, email my wife all questions they have, she translates and sends it back so they can email the owners.
This has been going on for almost 2 years and we have also been looking for ourselves and have contacted some of the same folks about a couple of the same horses. Anyway, we aren't looking for ourselves since we made a deal a few weeks ago. One person we contacted and weren't real crazy about the relationship between the pedigree, looks, and price of what they were offering emailed us an offer last week to buy 2 horses for about 1/3 what they originally offered us one for a month ago. We turned them down. 3 days ago, wife gets another mail to translate. She does, and yesterday gets an excited phone call from our friend about a deal they were getting on a horse. They sent pictures and the ad from the seller and an email to translate to seal the deal.
Same person that contacted us last week and offered 2 horses for 1100 bucks, offered and will get 2500 bucks + $200 for vaccines and Coggins test for one of the 2 horses that was in the package they offered us a week ago.
No real harm done, both parties are happy and our friends really think they are pulling something off. Kinda reminds me of Jerry Clower telling the story about a preacher selling horse blankets.

Only beef I have is that buying having to depend on pictures and someone's word, I wouldn't deal with a seller like that. Come to think of it, I wouldn't deal with a buyer like that either :roll:

Our friends can be a real PITA....

Just thought I'd share that.

Dave

If they were really your friends, you would tell them what is going on.

(quoted from post at 18:46:04 11/29/08) If they were really your friends, you would tell them what is going on.

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Thought about it, but they (the wife) can be difficult to put it polite, a freak to put it straight. Probably think we were jealous of the deal they made and trying to ruin it.
Even thought about buying the horse for the price offered to us and letting them have it for that, but a lot can happen between the time the contract is signed and the horse gets to Germany and we would be liable for anything that turns up (vices, lameness that traces back, etc) for two years after sale. Maybe aquintance would be a better word..............
If it was up to me, I'd have told them just for a laugh.

Why be polite, facts man ,if you are helping them then it also includes what you have been offered, maybe not too late to cancel??seems you are luke warm although you call them friends.

You have been helpig these folks and now you have information that is critical to the current planned sale. Tell them what you know - now. Clear your own involvement, or you have really betrayed their trust of you. What if their friend happens on YTMAG and prints all this out for them? How would you feel then? Tom

(quoted from post at 20:56:28 11/29/08) Why be polite.

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I'm always polite. Just don't know any other way :lol:

There are friends and unconditional friends, not many people make it to the second stage. Probably tell them. They'll either appreciate it or we'll save postage on a Christmas Card and not have to waste time with visits.
We'll see...

Dave

Sign seen in the order office of a factory: Cost is not related to price.

As long as your friends saw the same photos, pedigrees, etc ...where is the crookedness or guillibility? Two parties came to an agreement they were both comfortable with...that's how you set a price.

If the photo stayed the same and the pedigree changed, they heck yeah I'd be raising a red flag.

(quoted from post at 08:30:53 11/30/08) Sign seen in the order office of a factory: Cost is not related to price.

As long as your friends saw the same photos, pedigrees, etc ...where is the crookedness or guillibility? Two parties came to an agreement they were both comfortable with...that's how you set a price.

If the photo stayed the same and the pedigree changed, they heck yeah I'd be raising a red flag.

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Wife told the female half of the others just to get it off our chest. I expected the worst from them, but was surprised. Guess I shoulda gave them a little more credit. Even with the inflated price and transport over here, they'll have spent a third of what the bloodlines and color would cost them here, so they were still happy.

Life goes on.

Dave

Dave- What kind of horses? You mentioned color...Appaloosas? Paints?

(quoted from post at 16:04:37 11/30/08) Dave- What kind of horses? You mentioned color...Appaloosas? Paints?

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Quarter Horses. These folks have their heart set (for now) on Blue Roan. Mistake was showing their enthusiasm to the seller I guess. They'll get it over hear, move on to the next fad and sell it. People are funny.

Dave

Dave, are you saying in Germany if you sell a horse you have to give the buyer a 2 year warrenty ?

(quoted from post at 17:23:00 11/30/08) Dave, are you saying in Germany if you sell a horse you have to give the buyer a 2 year warrenty ?

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Almost.... There are some if's, and's, and but's, but: (for example)

If you advertise/sell a horse as a cutter, reiner, jumper, etc (or the potential), and the buyer, with reasonable training, can't get it to perform, you can be held liable for the initial price, feed and maintenance, and training costs.

If a vice, lameness, or sickness shows up that can be traced back to the seller not identifying it or a hereditary possibility that was not identified... Same thing.

Key is a good, witnessed sales contract and vet check/vaccines and records.

Same goes for dogs, cats, livestock, etc.

If you buy a used car from someone and they don't spell out on a BOS that it is a private sale with no gaurantee, they are stuck for 2 years. Good protection move to deter deadbeats.

Dave

Dave, that seems to put a lot of risk back on the seller. Is that why horses sre so expensive there ? I suppose there is no warrenty with a horse imported from the US.

It does adjust prices here and there.....
As far as buying in the States, you have to go with your gut and trust folks (needless to say, we'll never deal with the seller mentioned here). We've bought two and were lucky, hope it is as good with the one we just bought.

Dave