Boarding Prices - Why so secretive?

[fordtraktor]

It depends. Grandfathering is probably part of it. I also have a couple of field boarders/retirees and they pay less than stall boarders who use the riding facilities, but I wouldn’t want to advertise field board as I want future clients to be stall board only (even though I like to keep everyone out as much as possible because it is healthiest for horses.). Stall board = you have a stall for inclement weather instead of a run in.

honestly, if you have enough quality options to be picky about this, you are lucky! I don’t even have a website, and have a waiting list for stalls that aren’t even completed yet. Really good care is hard to find most places. Even sort of halfway decent care is not a given at many barns, even expensive ones.

i will make a FB page when I ever want or need to. At this point, not there yet. Plus, with the construction ongoing, I want to wait until the pics will be prettiest!

[candyappy]

Maybe they are not charging everyone the same price or so when prices change they don’t have to change the ad.

[Jealoushe]

I think it might have to do with FB though, a lot of people leave prices out now because the posts get deleted.

[Texarkana]

@Beck

Have to agree with the no updates idea.

My favourite is when they do not include a location, anywhere on their ad or website. Not even what state/province or a nearby city. I’m not sure what that achieves.

But maybe “if you have to ask how much, you can’t afford it” ?

I was recently ranting about the lack of locations given! I can’t tell you how many boarding ads I see with no location whatsoever. It drives me bonkers!

[mvp]

@tabula rashah

I hate it to- people are so freaking weird about money. If you don’t list a price on something- board, horse, hay, anything. You’ve lost your sale to me right there.

Indeed. True professionals are professional about giving service and getting paid. They aren’t weird about money/

One of my favorite pros always had a full price list up in her barn (before the interwebz) and then up on her website. She was an absolute straight-shooter when it came to the business side of things. And the same was true for the care and training you got. She set the bar for me. I always am transparent about pricing. I would not do any “grandfathering” of and old/good/favorite boarders. When others find out, there will be some butt-hurt. But I think I have been on both sides of that.

But my point is that people who show you they are immediately up front about the business side of the relationship can usually are “what you see is what you get” about the rest of it, too. I think you can really trust this, too, if the prices are at least middle-of-the-market for the area. That way, you know the person has done their costing and expects to be happy enough with the rate of pay asked.

[Scribbler]

My observation has been that when barns have an actual vacancy they advertise on FB with actual rates. I expect they don’t want to update their website or expect most inquiries to come from folks associayed with the barn already.

[dotneko]

Unfortunately, my website designer went MIA and I have no way to update it since she has the passwords. My board was $800 on the web page and has since risen to $820. Drives me nuts when I have to explain it.
I post my board in every ad. Horse prices are the same - stop making me waste my time asking. Just put it out there fer crying out loud. People will pay it or not, but don’t make me beg you to tell me how much.