Avoid Scams

Scams

Buyers and sellers will very likely receive offers that are scams. Horsefinders receives emails every week from vigilant buyers and sellers asking us questions about inquiries or transactions that are suspicious. However, despite the frequency of the inquiries Horsefinders has not had any contact from any buyer or seller who has lost money through a scam. However the danger is real and steps should be taken to protect your self from the possibility of fraud.

Internet horse scams, so far have take several forms. There may be others, there will be others, and scams will change and as the scams become well knows.

Buyer Overpayment

The buyer sends some form of payment to the seller that is in excess of the price of the horse. The payment is a counterfeited check, cashiers check or money order. Before the bad check clears the sellers bank, the buyer requests that the seller send the over payment to a third party. This is often to a shipping company or agent. The payment turns out to be no good and the seller is out the overpayment.

How to prevent Buyer Overpayment

1. Allow all forms of checks to clear your bank before you allow the horse to leave your control.
2. Never accept any payment over the price of the horse and never send money to any third party.

Horses for sale that the seller does not own or do not exist.

There are endless variations of this but basically someone is representing themselves as a horse seller. The buyer may have difficulty actually seeing the horse. The seller usually can not show the horse to the buyer for any number of reasons. The seller asks the buyer to pay for pay for the horse or just pay for shipping. When the buyer pays for shipping or for the horse, the horse is not shipped and the seller can not be found. Often the horses are very inexpensive or are free to a good home.

How to prevent this scam. Never pay for shipping or for the price of a horse until it is under your control, i.e. it is standing in your trailer. Never buy a horse sight unseen unless it is from an unimpeachable, reputable, seller you personally know.

The Switch

There have been reports of buyers inspecting one horse and are shipped a different horse. Be sure that you take possession of the same horse you rode or inspected. Make sure that you have recourse against the seller if you are shipped a different horse; meaning don't pay for a horse until it is in your possession.

Scam Guidelines

• Be very suspicious of buyers or seller who not forthright about their names, address, phone numbers or the location of the horse.
• Be very suspicious of any buyers or sellers outside the country.
• Be wary of anyone you can't talk to over the phone.
• Never accept overpayment.
• Never release a horse to the buyer before you have verified funds in your possession. Check with your bank.
• Never buy a horse you have not seen unless it is from someone you know personally.
• Remember everything can be easily forged like: checks, papers, vet reports, ownership, registrations. Verify everything!
• Do not send money outside the county.
• There are scams within the country to be cautions.
• While some people do buy horses that they have not personally inspected, be cautious of those that don't inspect the horse and don't ask lots of questions about the horse.
• Never let the horse out of your control until you have converted any type of payment into cash.
• Cashiers Checks, money orders, Western Union, travelers checks, purchase orders, personal or business checks or all just paper until they are converted into cash. Do not let the horse out of your control until the issuing institution has released funds to your bank with no further recourse on the funds by either your bank or the issuing institution.
• Don't let the buyer rush you for any reason.
• Neither accept overpayment nor send overpayment to a third party for any reason.
• Foreign buyers must be suspected as scams.
• Don't let your enthusiasm in buying or selling a horse cloud your judgment.
• When you take delivery of a horse make sure it is the same horse you inspected.
• Trust your instincts; if you are suspicious there is probably a good reason.
• Be suspicious of horses listed on Horsefinders that do not list a phone number.

Horsefinders Disclaimer

We would hope that this page is helpful however scams mutate like viruses. There are more variations than we have outlined on this page. We may have omitted important warnings. You may read this page and still get scammed. Horsefinders is not responsible for your sale or purchase. We only intend this page to be informative and get you thinking about how to make a good sale for purchase.

Stay in Touch

If you encounter more scams let Horsefinders know about them. Contact Us here

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