# Vent-The Nerve of Some People!



## badnewsboers (May 9, 2008)

I am just livid right now. You see, back in May a man had emailed me to see if I had any goats for sale. At the time I only had one doe left to kid and was planning on keeping a doe kid. I replied letting him know I would not know if I could sell anything for a few more weeks. We talked some more and I learned he wanted to get his young daughters involved in showing goats. Well I love to see kids involved and he was new to the goat world so I gave him some advice, including recommending his daughters join the circuit I show on. I even went so far as to help him track down other breeders to find what he needed. He said he was going to buy a wether from me but I would have helped out anyways. One of the people I recommended was my partner Ken. This man came out one day to look at the herd and he struck a fancy to a doe and a buck Ken wanted to sell. They agreed on a price and he was supposed to come back to two weeks to come get them. He never did. I emailed about the wether he was supposed to buy and didn't get a reply.

Then a few weeks ago he called Ken, still interested in the buck and doe (who were still available.) He had a longwinded excuse about selling his home and having to move, ect. Oddly enough though he had bought some goats in the meanwhile and his girls had been showing on my circuit all along. Ken was skeptical but decided to give him another chance, giving him a week to make up his mind and call back. The man did not call.

I go to check my email tonight and find an email from this man. He wanted to know if I had any does for sale. No apology or explanation for bailing on the wether. He had even been willing to put down a deposit on him, but I said to wait till my doe kidded so I'd be certain I had what he was looking for. I don't want to do business with someone who is going to give me the run around like that and even if I was willing, Ken would never forgive me. :angry:


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## nancy d (Oct 5, 2007)

Let it go. Just let it go hon.


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## rebelshope (Sep 21, 2008)

Sounds very scattered brained. 
I agree take a deep breath, count to ten, and let it out. 

Just write back and say you have nothing you are willing to part with at this time.


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Yeh, I'd tell him you don't have anything for sale. Do you like the children? Do you have to have contact with him much?


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## HollowbeadRanch (Oct 5, 2007)

You get all sorts of people out when you are selling animals. And most of them don't care if they are using up all of your time or not... after a while you start to grow a thick skin for people like that. I really hate it that he gave you such a run around.

On our farm, we will not hold a goat without a 50% NON-REFUNDABLE Deposit. If they want the goats then they place the deposit and we set a general time for them to come pick them up (that is convenient for them of course). When it is getting close to time for the goats to be picked up then I contact them (via email or phone or both). If they do not respond within a couple of days then I email or call again stating that if I don't hear from them within 1 week then their deposit will be forfitted and the goats will be back up for sale. We make sure and explain up front that it is a NON-REFUNDABLE Deposit, because #1 you have your time invested in this arrangement and #2 you will be telling other people that the goat is no longer for sale which means if the person getting the goat backs out on you then you could have missed a potential sale with someone else (I hope I am not getting to wordy and confusing). Anyways, I just thought I would meantion that incase you or Ken wanted to make some sort of policy like that :shrug: (but of course this is just a suggestion, and is by no means the way you have to do it... I was just trying to help :greengrin: ).

And once I have people back out on a sale I write all of their contact information down in my records with a short note about what happened (so that my forgetful self can remember what happened :roll: ), and then if that person contacts me again I just tell them that if they want to come purchase a goat that the goat has to be paid for in full and picked up at the time of sale. We also make it clear on our site that we opporate on a first come, first served basis... meaning if there is no deposit on the goat then the first person to either pay for the goat or place a deposit on the goat, gets the goat.

Once again I am very sorry that you had to deal with a customer like that one... some people just don't have good sense. :worried:


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## kelebek (Oct 5, 2007)

I delt with that alot last kidding year. I ended up putting up on my website that there is a $25.00 reservation fee for a kid, and then 1/2 of the payment is due after the kid is born or to "hold" a goat. Hopefully that will help.

I know that it is frustrating (oh how I know) and personally, if he wants a goat he needs to pay for the whole thing up front due to his undecisive behavior with a comment that he has so many days to pick up - after that there is a boarding fee - and then if he doesn't pick up within a certain time and no arrangements are made - that the fees collected are non refundable and the goat is kept by the farm / ranch to do with as pleased.

Just a thought.


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

Yeah, that's annoying. If he changed his mind about the wether he should have atleast had the courtesy to responded to your e-mail and tell you that....and to thank you for the time you spent trying to help him. How rude...

Be sure to tell him that you will not be insulted/angry if ends up not purchasing a goat from you--sometimes people don't like to say no because they are afraid you might think they insulting the quality of your animals when it's really just not what they're looking for. It is not right, however, for him to lead you to believe he's interested when he really has no intention of buying a goat from you. 

If he still claims to want one of your goats I would definitely ask for a non-refundable deposit. If he balks at this, he is not committed to purchasing...


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## Sonrise Farm (Sep 18, 2008)

Had that happen with dogs and my horse---- i went down to 250 from 500 for my old gelding, and she lied that she didn't have the remaining fifty bucks on her, and said she'd send it in the mail. Weeks passed nothing. My Dad called her and said icily, "WHERE'S MY LITTLE GIRL'S MONEY." I could hear her stuttering into the phone from half-way across the room. She sent the check, saying she'll send 'extra' so that the word wouldn't get out and ruin her 'other business.' still haven't received the extra and it's been months. I wish i hadn't sold my horse to her. But, sigh . . .


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## toth boer goats (Jul 20, 2008)

We have had bad customers such as that in the past............. and got so fed up with it .....and put on our website ..WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO REFUSE SERVICE TO ANYONE.''

Sounds like he is playing head games with the both of you........


you are the boss and you own those goats and have the right to say sorry............ they have been sold ,to get him off of your back........................ if you do not want to deal with him.. ...............or even ignore him. :shrug:


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## liz (Oct 5, 2007)

I know it's easier said than done, but let it go....and remember this...they are YOUR goats until they leave your farm, regardless of how much was put down on them...you have the choice to not deal with this guy at all...if I ever feel un easy about a prospective sale or even feel that I'm being strung along, I make contact once and if I don't hear back from the person, the said goat stays and another has the option to buy.


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## badnewsboers (May 9, 2008)

You guys have given some good advice. Thanks. I guess I'm not always so great at the business side of things since I tend to be too trusting of people. I guess that's why Ken makes a good partner, since he is overly skeptical.  

I doubt he felt pressured to buy anything from me or risk offending me. I told him I would help him find goats and help with whatever information he needed regardless since I wanted his girls to be able to show. 

It still boggles my mind that this: "I could not ask anybody to be more helpful than you already have been to me. I would very much like to buy a couple of wethers, and also a couple of kids from the pregnant goats that you have now. My oldest daughter is 4 1/2 and will be 5 in September, I would love to be able to work with her this summer to help her for this show this fall at the State Fair. I want to be involved with them as much as I can, and I also want to take the opportunity to keep them involved with as much fun stuff to do as possible.

What date do you expect to have "KIDS" and also, do you have any buddies that could also help us out with supplying a few goats.?" could turn out to be someone who strings you along.

In any case I don't have anything does for sale at the moment so I can be honest with him about that. I know a local breeder who needs money to cover his flushes and desperately needs to sell some goats. I may send this guy his way, after warning him about his previous flaking.


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## goatnutty (Oct 9, 2007)

It happens but you have to get over it.


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## heathersboers (Sep 5, 2008)

i think he is stringing everyone along to get them to lower the price on the goats he is interested in. I had this happen to me and I wrote back about a certain reg. doe about 20 times, sent pics,pedigree,kid pics, video and all of that-then they called my in-laws A&J boer goats to see if they had anything cheaper. It makes me mad when people make you go through all that trouble to try to sell a goat, when they aren't really that interested to start with. Needless to say, after all of this he still called me back and I told him that she was already sold- in fact-she is about to kid- Its Emily on my post about who will pop first. he was mad because he said I was supposed to hold her-I think 3 months is long enough to hold a goat and that is why I have a sale policy on my site. I would just forget about the whole ordeal- If he really wanted some wethers,he would have bought yours. :wink:


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