Ethical Question

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cowboy43

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Saturday I found 20 home raised six month old hereford heifers on craigs list with pictures all weaned and worked with meds wt about 400 lbs for $375 a head . I called, a lady answered we discussed the cattle and I told it would be Sunday about 3:00 pm before I could get there because wife wanted to go to church Sunday morning . I told her if they were as she represented them and by the way they looked in the pictures I wanted them. We discusssed if someone in the area could haul them all at one time because they were 80 miles from me and I would have to make 2 trips , she said yes, then we discussed the method of payment. I told her would see her about 3:00 pm Sunday she said fine. Sunday morning 10:00 am she called ,wife answered, she told wife she just sold them. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF THIS HAPPENED TO YOU?
 
cowboy43":h51i8d49 said:
Saturday I found 20 home raised six month old hereford heifers on craigs list with pictures all weaned and worked with meds wt about 400 lbs for $375 a head . I called, a lady answered we discussed the cattle and I told it would be Sunday about 3:00 pm before I could get there because wife wanted to go to church Sunday morning . I told her if they were as she represented them and by the way they looked in the pictures I wanted them. We discusssed if someone in the area could haul them all at one time because they were 80 miles from me and I would have to make 2 trips , she said yes, then we discussed the method of payment. I told her would see her about 3:00 pm Sunday she said fine. Sunday morning 10:00 am she called ,wife answered, she told wife she just sold them. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF THIS HAPPENED TO YOU?

I'd be sorry that I didn't go ahead and get them when they were available. As a seller, money in the hand is worth more than a phone conversation. Apparently you left things hanging with her "if they were as she represented." At least she called and saved you the trip for nothing.
 
money talks real fast.an those heifers might not of been what you wanted in person.besides hauling wouldve cost you $120 to $160 a load.
 
I agree with everyone else. This is not an ethics issue. You found them on Saturday. Pay for them and they would have been yours to pick up in however many trips it took.

Every single year someone tells me to hold hay for them, some never come to get it or pay for it. I now tell them if they want it, buy it. I am not giving my word to hold hay for them unless they are indeed regulars who keep their word.

If someone pays for the hay, it is their's. People want to buy it later and I tell them it is sold - paid for - it is not mine.

It is just business. Someone wanted them and was willing to commit. A bird on hand. Sure thing. They were willing to pay the asking price and not try to negotiate. You were not a sure thing.

Half the people who show up offer less than the asking price. It is time to lock the gate and go home when that happens.
 
I had a milk cow with her calf for sale in the local paper. Guy called and said he wanted them. That guy strung me along for a week waiting on him to come see them. I sold them to the person that called next. That person came and got them the next day.

Next time pay for them quick.
 
It's not like it was the best deal in the world. You should be able to find plenty of similar deals look around, get some farm want adds. Yes the seller of the calves was in the right completely. It's the money in the hand. If you wanted to make a deal, you should have got the money to her.
 
Her selling was probably for the best, you could have got there and they could have been junk. It still makes you mad though, I understand that. Awhile ago I had looked at a horse, decided I wanted him, called the lady, drove there cash in hand, and then she told me she decided to keep him. Turned out about 3 months later (heard this through some friends) the horse had to be put down because he was running in her pasture and broke his leg (something along the lines of brittle bones). Good thing I didn't get him.
 
Not a question of ethics at all. Everything is always still for sale until someone comes along with the money to buy it. Be grateful that she called and saved you a trip.

As they say - You snooze, you loose!
 
Frankie":2uq61mtw said:
cowboy43":2uq61mtw said:
Saturday I found 20 home raised six month old hereford heifers on craigs list with pictures all weaned and worked with meds wt about 400 lbs for $375 a head . I called, a lady answered we discussed the cattle and I told it would be Sunday about 3:00 pm before I could get there because wife wanted to go to church Sunday morning . I told her if they were as she represented them and by the way they looked in the pictures I wanted them. We discusssed if someone in the area could haul them all at one time because they were 80 miles from me and I would have to make 2 trips , she said yes, then we discussed the method of payment. I told her would see her about 3:00 pm Sunday she said fine. Sunday morning 10:00 am she called ,wife answered, she told wife she just sold them. HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF THIS HAPPENED TO YOU?

I'd be sorry that I didn't go ahead and get them when they were available. As a seller, money in the hand is worth more than a phone conversation. Apparently you left things hanging with her "if they were as she represented." At least she called and saved you the trip for nothing.


Id blame it on the wife and get pissed off. I would tell her it was all her fault for wanting to go to church. Nothing unethical about what the lady did. She probably sold em for more money than she would have gotten out of you. Now had you put a down payment on em and she did that then I would be steaming mad.
 

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