Just wondering how to handle it? Don’t want to go into too much detail, but how do you handle a low ball offer? I don’t really need to sell, but have been considering it for a while for various reasons. Nicely bred, good brain, solid citizen, could go farther with better training than what I can do, sound as a bell, under ten, but hasn’t worked a lot, so no wear and tear from heavy training. With advice from trainer and wanna be pros, was advised to ask a certain price. Was offered less than 1/3 the asking price. Don’t want to be rude, this could be a nice landing place for horse, but I am kind of insulted at the same time. As I said, no problem keeping horse for my own use, but could go much further with someone more ambitious.
You can say, oh, no thank you. He’s worth more than that to me.
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I would just say I won’t accept that offer, and then–because you think it would be a good situation–give them the lowest price you are willing to over them as best and final.
Dont be insulted, it’s business.
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A lot of horses have gotten very negotiable due to the pandemic. It’s just business. You can just say, “no, I will not accept that.” If you want to counter, say “His asking price is X, the lowest I’ll take is y.”
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What a waste of energy to be insulted or agonize over how to respond. Just say somethign simple and do not give it another minute’s thought.
"Thanks for considering Dobbin, but I’m willing to wait for an offer that reflects his market value. Best of luck in your search.
Sincerely, "
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I agree, it’s just a part of selling. I’d just say, “No, I think he’s worth more than that.” Perhaps they’ll make a higher offer and perhaps not. You never know unless you ask is the theory I’m sure.
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A low ball offer is just a starting point to negotiation. You can either respond with a counter offer or say no thanks. Don’t be insulted though, it’s a waste of time and energy.
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Thanks all!!! Back to reality! for me
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Some people make a career of lo-ball offers, whether real estate, cars, or horses.
We call em “bottom feeders”.
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Good advice from all, though I do understand the impulse to be annoyed. I haven’t sold a ton of horses but I know when I list something on Craigslist for $400 and someone sends an ungrammatical unsigned email like “bookshelv Ill give you 20 for it today” I do roll my eyes. :lol: I’ve sold several cars on Craigslist, up to $18k, and got some ridiculous lowball offers. But they do it because it costs them nothing and sometimes it works! Happy selling, OP!
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It is not personal, it is business.
Just decide if you are interested in moving the horse…then entertain whether to make a counter-offer.
If you are not interested (whether by price or general vibe), then just say you are firm with the asking price.
Then…move on.
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Horse prices are very impressionistic. Adult horses that are behind the curve in their training and accomplishments drop alot in value compared to what they were sold for as young stock. Also many sellers overpriced their horses so that they can bargain down for a deal and buyer is happy plus seller can continue believing their horses are “really” worth more. The ads persist on the sales site with asking price but never selling price, which is good publicity for the seller but tends to skew observers analysis of the market. How many horses sell for asking price?
Early on in my return to riding watched a nice young jumper that I knew, a striking palomino WB/QH cross just gorgeous, go over 4 months from asking $15,000 to 10,000 to $5,000 to free lease for the winter when trainer was getting out of the business. He did eventually get new owners and several years later I saw him for sale as a 12’year old confirmed lower level jumper for $10,000 which was about right for our market.
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Anyhow I live at the low end of nice horses and all I see is people looking for bargains, meaning nice adult horses that have fallen through the cracks, are green broke at ten, lived on a field for 5 years, etc.
I’ve also known the owners of such horses and they can be very barn blind about the value of their horses until they come to a reckoning with reality and have to liquidate. They will point to ten year old pasture puff and say " that horse is worth $$$$$ when I get him going." I have learned not to argue but my silent response is “He might have been worth that if you started riding him 6 years ago and he had a decent show record. He might even be worth $$$$ after someone buys him and puts a year’s good training on him. But as is, sorry, he’s worth $.”
Anyhow, without knowing your market it’s impossible for me to say if your horse is priced realistically. I will say that like other luxury or art markets, the cash value of a horse is worth exactly what someone will offer you in a reasonable time frame after listing for sale. If you have had the ad up for a few weeks and had no other interest then I would say he is significantly overpriced for your particular market at this time.
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Just respond with your counter offer.
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This times a zillion. Without knowing the details it’s impossible to say if the offer was comically low for the value of the horse or more on target than the asking price. Either way if you’re happy to have him on your feed bill then wait for the price you want or until vet and feed bills make a low ball offer more appealing to you. If you love this home tell them the lowest you will reasonably accept.
I will say the “could go farther with better training than what I can do” and “hasn’t worked a lot, so no wear and tear from heavy training” both sound like horse broker spin for “behind in training for age group/advertised discipline” and I think would be a red flag for many and make them think the price is likely negotiable.
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I will also say that horse prices right now reflect that a buyer cannot really try a horse in a lot of places at the moment and may have difficulty getting a vet out.
The same horse, sold sight unseen and sold with two trial rides and an extensive vetting likely has two different market values.
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This
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Definitely just politely say “no thank you”. If you think they might come up a little, then counter back with your minimum price to see where it goes.
All this is great advice. I totally get the insult, been there. But, as has been said many times, don’t take it personally, it’s business.
I once sold a horse that was priced in the low five figures. But one of the first calls I got on my ads after she saw the video offered me $5,000. Sight unseen, save for the video! Seriously. I said, no, I can’t go that low. I was pretty insulted. Then, she responded with “Do you know who I am?!” She told me her name and believe me, it was a name all of you would know. I was gobsmacked. This was someone who swam with the big fish, and here she was low-balling me on a horse neither she nor her client had ridden. I thanked her again and said I would be unable to accept that offer. I got my price for him not long after. But yeah, there are always those who will try to get a good horse cheap.
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Now it’s changed back! That was REALLY weird.
Whoa! Something is really wrong here. Why does my screen name say “World?” It’s Mondo! Always has been and I didn’t change it!
You’ve just seen through the Matrix, @Mondo :lol: For the record, it says Mondo on my screen.
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