Horse Trader

When selling your horse, there is always a risk of being scammed. It is vital that you recognise the signs of an untrustworthy buyer. Here are a few tips to help you avoid being scammed when selling your horse:

Look out for email scams

Many untrustworthy buyers will contact horse owners via email stating that they are interested in purchasing horses for sale and promising payment. These buyers will often ask for your personal details so that they can contact you or send you payment. Many email scams are often sent from web-based email addresses, such as yahoo.com or gmail.com, so look out for this when receiving emails from buyers. Emails that are littered with spelling or grammar mistakes are often signs of a scam. If you are suspicious, then avoid the email. You can also report suspicious emails to the email provider.

Avoid giving out your personal details

Untrustworthy buyers will ask for your personal details or financial information. Never give out this information until you are sure that the buyer can be trusted. Always avoid sending out your home address or any other personal details over email. Get to know the buyer before you go through with the sale and avoid any buyers that seem hesitant when it comes to making the transaction.

Avoid offers that seem too good to be true

If an offer seems too good to be true then it usually is. Avoid buyers that promise more money than your asking price. Buyers that offer more money will usually end up not sending you the payment, so it is vital that you avoid being tempted by the promise of higher payments.

Avoid buyers that have not viewed your horse

Buyers that offer to purchase your horse without having viewed it should be avoided. When selling or buying horses, the horse involved should always be viewed so that the seller can get a good idea of who the horse will be sold to and the buyer can decide whether or not the horse is right for them.

Avoid buyers that ask for money

Even though you are the one selling, some untrustworthy buyers may try to get money out of you. Avoid any emails from buyers requesting money. The only person that should receive any payments is yourself, not the person you are selling your horse to.

Avoid buyers that you are suspicious of

Whether it’s via email or face to face, if a buyer gives you reason to be suspicious then you should avoid them. Only deal with buyers that you feel that you can trust. Get to know the buyer and find out what their background is with horses. If you have any friends or family that are interested in horses, then consider selling to them instead, as you will feel more comfortable when it comes to making the sale. Looking out for scams will not only protect yourself but also your horse. Making sure that you are dealing with a trustworthy buyer will help you to feel at ease when it comes to receiving payment and sending your horse to its new home.