I might be purchasing a horse that is being sold for a few thousand dollars. I’ve always paid for a horse with a bank check. The cash thing feels weird to me. What do I do? Go to the bank teller and take out a few thousand dollars, in hundred bills, and put them in my gym bag? 
I would feel so paranoid driving out to meet the seller with a knapsack, gym bag, or whatever, filled with hundred dollar bills. Whats the best way to go about it? thanks!
If its only a few thousand, cash is reasonable. It protects the seller from you giving them a bad check. And there is no greater “risk” to you if you hand over cash or a check that they can go cash right away. The bank will give you the cash in an envelope, so you can just hand it to the seller in the envelope. It will be a disappointingly thin stack of bills. I was thinking I was going to get a wrapped bundle of hundo’s when I took out a few grand, it was a let down :lol:
I used to NEVER use cash for anything. But then I got a horse, and everything is in cash! Hay, farrier, lessons, boarding, all cash. And we are getting our property ready to bring her home, so the 5 figure fence and the run in shed which was a few grand were just paid for in cash. That hurt my poor bank account. I can still hear it crying :lol:
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I don’t buy or sell horses very often, but I’ve always dealt with cash from either end (buying or selling)
As a seller, I would never accept a blank check. There’s too many dishonest people and it doesn’t do me any good to have a bounced check and horse gone.
Nor would I expect a seller to “believe me” that the money is in my checking account. I completely understand if they want cash.
Yup, go to your bank and get some cash. And keep it safe until your transaction is complete. 
Of course, make sure you have a bill of sale from seller that says you paid cash for horse, as that is your receipt proof.
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Yeah, they’ll give you an envelope at the bank. It will work out fine.
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I few thousand dollars in hundreds is barely an inch thick. I was paid once in cash for a $9000 horse and it doesn’t look as impressive in an envelope as you wish it did. lol
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Cash is fine, but require a bill of sale/receipt for the purchase.
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I would go online and find a bill of sale form and print two copies. Make sure the seller fills out and signs both copies and you do the same.
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BANK check, not blank check.
I am assuming she means a cashier’s check, which are pay-to-the-bearer and by definition, the funds have already been transferred out of your bank account to buy the cashier’s check.
I am assuming that you have seen/tried the horse already, met the seller, etc.
I wouldn’t bring a big chunk of cash into an unknown situation; that’s too risky.
I have sold a horse where the buyer paid cash (about $5K, if I remember right) and bought a different one once for $1K in cash. No big deal.
I bought my diesel pickup (used) a few years back off Craigslist, more in the $25K range. We had seller talk to his banker- his banker called our banker to verify funds in our account, and we had a check from our bank pre-printed at the bank, made out to the seller. At the time of transaction, the seller’s banker verified our drivers’ licenses/IDs and called our bank to verify funds again, then made the deposit to seller’s account immediately. Then, seller signed the title and we left with our new pickup.
We had called on another pickup, for which the seller would accept only cash. Nope, I don’t know you. I’m not meeting you at your house in the boonies, when you know I have $25K in cash on me. Might be different if the seller was friend-of-a-friend, and/or I had already gone out to test drive the vehicle.
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[B]No ! No bills / paper $ …
Cashier’s check !
Same as cash to seller • your bank takes the $ from your account.[/B]
The bank makes the check out for you!
The check is made out to seller.
You give the cashier check to the seller WHEN AND ONLY WHEN SELLER GIVES YOU A BILL OF SALE AND SIGNED TRANSFER /for new Registry papers ! AND A RECEIPT FOR YOUR $ !
If you get there and the seller does not have his paperwork for you …YOU DON’T GIVE THE CASHIER’S CHECK UNTIL… seller has his part ready•
- If the sale falls through ( the cashier’s check can be deposited back into YOUR bank account) very easy & safe.
CASHIER’S Check is cash … and a safer better way to handle this … better than a bank transfer in my opinion
because
you have the cash UNTIL seller provides you with the necesssry paper work …
Quite easy …
Congratulations on your new horse !
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Cashier’s checks can be faked. Cash is King.
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These days, I would ask for cash, too. Cashiers checks that look entirely authentic are easy print these days and even bank tellers can’t tell. If it’s too much money to feel comfortable carrying cash, then you need to work out some kind of arrangement like Fillabeana described.
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Why not ask the seller if a bank certified check would be okay, other wise cash, just take it in bigger bills, like $50’s or $100’s.
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apparently both a cashier and a certified check can be faked ?!
i was unaware … sorry
I have always paid with personal checks.
Good Luck … please let us know how you end up making this transaction …TIA
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The last horses I have bought and sold we did a wire transfer between banks. Easy to do and the safest way to go
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When I sold my last horse for $3500, the buyer paid me in cash. Hundred dollar bills. Wasn’t as big a pile as you might think!
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and I am hearing you can stop payment on these so I won’t take one
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For large amounts, I get something called a Bank Draft. Basically it’s a check that you buy directly from a bank teller. It costs about $10 and they withdraw the funds directly from the account, put them in holding and create the check and sign it. There’s no way I’d be carrying around thousands in cash.
That said… if the seller is so worried, can’t they meet you right at the bank while you get this bank draft so they can see it’s legit?
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Bank draft is just another name for Cashier’s Check. These days they are easily counterfeited by anybody with a good printer. That’s why they are no longer safe to rely on.
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With how easy it is to fake documents these days and how common it is for fake cashier’s checks to be used in scams, I also would only accept cash for most transactions. (I also accept Paypal for online purchases.) I’ve taken out thousands in cash before and although you feel weirdly exposed while you have that much money on you, the reality is that nobody aside from the seller and maybe people in the bank is going to know you have it. It’s not like masked men with guns are going to come running up and grab it.
If you are uncomfortable taking it to the seller’s home/barn, have them meet you somewhere safe like a police station or the bank itself to sign bill of sale paperwork and exchange the money. However, assuming you have to then go to their place to pick up the horse anyway, it might be better just to go and take another person along with you.
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A few thousand in cash isn’t that much. Just make sure that you have a bill of sale, to prevent any scamming or anything like that.
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