How long of a delay was there??
Horse bought over the internet and things going wrong?
Sounds like it could be some of those people that have ads in CA, CO, NC and a few such states, same people, same horses, you donât really even know where the horse may be and if it has already been sold a while ago and are still selling it.
Do watch for that kind of scammers also, as for references every place you may, fb, horse forums, the web site you bought the horse from.
First, before you do anything else, do consult with an attorney, so you donât make things harder for your side if you make the wrong legal move here.
If you have a shipper on the way and the Sheriff is willing to assist, go for it.
For clarity, your client did actually go and see the horse and try it out? Just clarifying that a real horse does exists so we can eliminate a scam artist seller.
If the seller is that flakey I would be wanting my money back and making darn sure it is in my bank and closing that loop hole. At this point I would be suspicious that the seller found another buyer willing to pay more, the horse injured himself while still in her care, or maybe she wasnât the owner in the first place, but selling a stolen horse? Her behavior and how she is dealing with is raising a lot of red flags.
If the seller is legitimate, she should be understanding about the weather delay and merely asking that the new owner pay board until such time the horse is picked up.
How far away are you and your client that you canât physically go and check on the horse?
If she is willing ( and does) return the money, move on. She is a creep but it is not worth it spending time and stress and $ fighting it out with lawyers. Your daughter will be disappointed but has not gotten attached to the horse yet so will recover quickly with excitement of getting another horse.
Unilateral altering a Bill of Sale after the fact might be another criminal offense. Itâs possibly Forgery, certainly Fraud.
The issue is how much are you willing to spend? If they will return the money then take it and move on down the road. If they are a commercial enterprise file a complaint with the BBB. There are also some equestrian âconsumerâ sites that handle these sorts of things.
Or just file with the sheriff and the DA.
G.
Tell her to send a bill for the extra days the horse was there. You can either pay the farrier bill or tell her since the horse was your property you did not approve of the work done in advance. Do all this with a lawyer.
If you can get $$ back - Iâd be thankful for that and stay away from this âgangâ of horse thieves !
If you can be more specific, where in South Carolina?
Iâm not a lawyer, etc. But, if thereâs an alteration of a contract after it has been signed, that alteration (I believe) must be initialed by both parties before it would be accepted as part of the contract. So the seller may not be as shrewd as she thinks she is.
I hate it when people are slimeballs.
Doesnât matter what the grounds are, who is right etc. Once attorneys enter the picture it becomes extremely expensive, stressful, drags on and on . And she canât expect to âwinâ anything unless she keeps the money with the sellerâŠre forgoes having her $ returned. Sounds like a big risk and by the time the lawyers soak her sheâll have spent more than what the horse cost ( assuming horse is below 50k )
Be happy if this seller returns the money. If she does not, then you have a true problem and need to involve law enforcement and attys. But if she gives the $ back just move on. Your daughter will get attached to whatever horse she ends up, itâs an amazing gift to have a horse when young. The sooner you get out of this situation the better imo.
You donât need an equine attorney. If you decide to go forward you need to read this:
http://www.charlestonlaw.net/corporate-law-attorneys-in-charleston/
Itâs a pretty good explanation of the SC Deceptive Trade Practices Act. It gives an aggrieved consumer a pretty big stick.
G.
[QUOTE=Kwill;8533737]
Get your money back and move on. Yep, itâs totally unfair and the seller is an ass. However, I think a clean break and a life lesson to the child is probably all you can hope for at this point.
Attorneys are costly, this wonât end in a matter of hours even if you do sue. I seem to recall that for some sales contracts, you have three days to back out. So they may be able to wiggle around a lawsuit, anyway.
I feel bad for you and your child.[/QUOTE]
This. How much is this worth to you?
I feel really badly - itâs a terrible thing to do. But is it worth the time and expense to get the horse back? I would try to get the horse. Get the sheriff there - maybe that will intimidate them sufficiently.
BUT - if they donât back down then you are retaining a lawyer, going to court, etc etc. This will very likely take months. What if the horse gets hurt or disappears during that time? Regardless of the ruling you could end up in the same spot as you are now - horseless.
Get your money back and find someone more reputable to deal with.
[QUOTE=TheJenners;8534057]
How long of a delay was there??[/QUOTE]
Sounds like there was only a 24 hour delay if I am reading the OP correctly.
If the seller is backing out at this point I would say you should demand the cost of your PPE and all that stuff back too.
From the sounds of it, itâs her clients not her daughter. So it may not be her call whether to get attorneyâs involved.
[QUOTE=Draftmare;8534482]
Sounds like there was only a 24 hour delay if I am reading the OP correctly.[/QUOTE]
Thatâs what I thought, but then the whole âpay another month of board and schedule the farrierâ thing, I was likeâŠ24 hours?
Could it have been a scam?
Was it a reputable seller & site?
Did you ever ride/ go try out the horse, PPE done, vet check, etc., etc. ?
Horse selling scams on the internet are so common these days.
Good luck OP!
[QUOTE=Altered39;8533683]
âŠShe was paid with cash deposited directly to her account, which we have the receipt of.
They are requesting bank info to return the moneyâŠ[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=TrailRides4Fun;8534673]Could it have been a scam?
Was it a reputable seller & site?
Did you ever ride/ go try out the horse, PPE done, vet check, etc., etc. ?
Horse selling scams on the internet are so common these days.
Good luck OP![/QUOTE]
Be sure itâs not a scam.
There may never have been a horse.
