How We Are Different
We are NOT your TYPICAL Horse Auction/Sale site. SERIOUSLY, this is important stuff!
Online auctions and classified ad sales are the only practical way that Buyers can be in many places at once when looking for their new, special horse. Their fear in an auction is the “unseen” purchase of a misrepresented horse. There are too many factors one looks for in their new horse to limit their purchase to a small geographic area. It is just too impractical and unreasonable to expect the average Buyer to travel thousands of miles, spend weeks or months, and a lot of money in this search. The rules are too ONE-SIDED against Buyers and most Sellers are intimidated by the process.
Our goal is to make ONLINE horse buying and selling as close to an In-Person/Private Sale experience as possible with less risk, travel, and time spent for Buyers and without the high costs and hassle of dealing with tire-kickers for Sellers. This means there is a little bit of a learning curve to make both parties comfortable with this process. We have CHANGED THE RULES of the horse auction process. The changes benefit BOTH the Buyer and the Seller. We can make it BETTER than any Auction or Private (IN-PERSON) sale! Our Flat Fee Horse Auction system will attract more qualified Buyers and Sellers. That’s great for Everyone!
BUYERS
Buyers have the right to Refusal of Purchase(RoP) if the horse is misrepresented in the Ad description (including: lameness, blindness, tumors, severe muscle atrophy, major wounds). This is accomplished with our Post-Sale Exam (PSE) provision just as it would be for an In-Person sale.**BE CONSIDERATE of the Seller’s time. While not grounds for Refusal of Purchase (RoP) in the rest of the auction world, Appearance and Major Cosmetic issues are important to some and should be addressed before a horse is taken off the market just as it would be for an In-Person sale. (Buyers have this cosmetic RoP if requested BEFORE the auction closes, not after the auction unless asked by the Buyer and not disclosed or misrepresented by the Seller).
Buyers MUST ASK for (if not already provided) disclosure and description (with satisfactory, close-up videos/photos) of any subjective issues that are important to you such as cuts, scars, brands, or non-health related visual abnormalities that will come to light at the PSE.
Buyers set the market price without having anxiety about insulting someone with a low offer. If a Buyer’s offer is too low, other Buyers will leave them in the dust. Auctions are BETTER than the In-Person sale.
Buyers no longer must fear the unseen and have their search limited to their local area. You know you are dealing with a motivated Seller at auction, not someone who might change their mind or sell the horse before you can get out to see it as in a Classified Sales Ad. Just more reasons why Auctions are BETTER than the In-Person sale.
Our Free HABO option allows Buyers to save time waiting for the auction to end and privately offer your HIGHEST and BEST OFFER (HABO) anytime while the auction is running. This allows a Buyer to know if you need to move on to another horse and save time if your high bid wouldn’t have been accepted.
SELLERS
Sellers pay ZERO commission and are not required to have a PPE up front. They ARE required to allow the Winning Bidder (Buyer) to perform a PSE (Post Sale Exam) directly after the auction is closed. Sellers only pay a Flat Fee just as it would be for an In-Person sale using a Classified Sales Advertisement.
Benefits: Eliminates up-front costs for Sellers. Removes some responsibility for having an Exam that missed something. Gives Buyers confidence the Exam is current and performed by a professional of the Buyer’s choosing just as it would be for an In-Person sale.
Sellers are encouraged to provide a description and good, close-up videos/photos of any cuts, scars, brands, or abnormalities, and disclose any issues that will come to light at the PSE. These disclosures are required upon request during the auction or can be Grounds for RoP after the auction. You will benefit by BEING HONEST! It will avoid conflicts and save everyone time and aggravation to give a Buyer the same view just as it would be for an In-Person sale.
Sellers don’t have to answer Classified Ad calls and emails asking, “Is this still available?” or other time-wasting questions and then get ghosted. They will no longer wait at home all day for the person who said, “I’m on my way” and never shows up. Nor do they have to be subjected to a low-ball offer after changing their day’s plans just to meet the potential buyer or tire-kicker. Auctions are BETTER than the In-Person sale.
Our HABO option (Highest And Best Offer) lets a Buyer Privately offer you their HABO before your auction ends. This Huge benefit for Sellers means you don’t lose out on a Bidder who sees another horse for sale somewhere TODAY and doesn’t want to wait another week to find out IF they are the high Bidder on your horse! Really good videos showing your horse’s performance will get Buyers excited to believe YOURS is the horse for them. It’s a WIN-WIN option at no extra cost!
Enjoy listing in the Classified For Sale Ads? Then keep an ad there as well! Just point Buyers to the Auction Dates your horse is with FlatFeeHorseAuction.com and get awesome Bonus Marketing Exposure for your horse’s sale!
It makes no difference if your horse sells privately while in our auction. That’s the same as another bidder coming in or utilizing the HABO option. The reason other auctions restrict you from selling outside the auction time is because they want their commission. We don’t take commissions, so we are happy for you wherever you sell your horse!
You reserve the right to end the auction EARLY if you sell your horse through contact from a Bidder or Privately. Feel free to keep your horse listed in Classifieds or Privately during your auction period (if your auction ends, you MUST HONOR the Highest Bidder over any private sale or be subject to PENALTIES). We suggest you amend your outside Ads to mention your Auction Dates and LINK to your Ad on FlatFeeHorseAuction.com to drive Even More potential Buyers and add to the excitement of Bidding on your horse!
Sellers can see the real market value during the auction with the excitement of LIVE online bidders who are Buyers with CASH IN HAND and want to buy a horse NOW! If you don’t get what you want, you don’t have to sell. There is no charge to a Seller who sets a Reserve Price higher than the market is willing to pay that month. We suggest that you extend your current auction end date OR wait a month and try again (we allow a second auction for FREE for any horse that did not meet the reserve price, or maybe your horse got sick and needs time to heal). New Buyers are always popping up and market prices fluctuate. Just more reasons why Auctions are BETTER than the In-Person sale.
The Problem
Lack of trust in Seller’s PPE (Pre-Purchase Exam) if it’s even offered. Do you know the doctor who did the exam? Was he thorough? Was he friends with the Seller?
No real guarantee that the horse is as represented in ad claims of training, behavior, or health. You have to wonder how old are the pictures and videos you are watching. Is that even the same horse for sale or one that just looks like it from a distance?
There’s little realistic chance to ride or examine a horse before the auction ends. It is unreasonable to expect Buyers to travel around the country to look at every horse they MIGHT bid on and MIGHT win at auction. How much time and money on travel and exams are you willing to spend on a horse on which you may not be the high bidder?
No recourse After the Sale. You are stuck with whatever you bought and you usually don’t find the problems until a day or two later. What is scarier than the “As-Is” horse when you’ve spent thousands of dollars?
If you think the Classified Ad/Private/In-Person sales option is the only alternative to auctions, remember how much fun it is missing out on a horse that “just sold” when you call on the ad. How frustrating is it when the good deals are gone before you even get a chance to visit the Seller?
I have worked at and attended many live auctions on the East Coast and around Texas over the years and the BIGGEST inequity is that the Buyer has very little chance to determine how sound a horse is based on seeing it standing in a pen or parading back and forth in a 15’ x 25’ area. And then the Buyer is STUCK with whatever they bought with little or no recourse. It’s even harder to judge a horse online! THAT is the BIGGEST CHANGE we are making to the industry in a NEW WAY that benefits BOTH the Buyer AND the Seller!
As for horse prices, while they rise and fall over months, the horse market is generally steady and somewhat predictable. There are always outliers that go surprisingly low or high and that’s because you never know the motivation or experience of a bidder who showed up that day. And, obviously, the market in higher income regions will often be higher than out in the country.
Take it from someone who has bought healthy horses at auction and ones that turned out were not sound: I believe that Newer Buyers MUST be forewarned of some obvious pitfalls when buying a horse and EDUCATE themselves! Link to Horse Buying Tips But MOST of all, Buyers need the option to examine a horse AFTER the auction is complete and BEFORE the sale is final. This can not happen at ONLINE or LIVE Auctions, but it DOES happen at FlatFeeHorseAuction.com
OUR Solution
“The POST-SALE EXAM” (PSE) and Greater Transparency.
Eliminate the controversy surrounding the standard PPE (Pre-Purchase Exam)
We insist ALL of our Sellers agree to a PSE (Post-Sale Exam). It actually has benefits for BOTH the Seller and the Buyer!
The PSE occurs during a Four (4) Business-Day period that begins the day after the auction ends in which time the Buyer will have the Veterinarian or horse professional of the Buyer’s choosing come to the Seller’s site (wherever the horse is located) and perform and exam for SOUNDNESS*(see below) Horse MUST be Available and Accessible.
If the horse fails the exam for the specific criteria of UNDISCLOSED or MISREPRESENTED issues, then the Purchase can be Refused at the Buyer’s discretion and the full sale price money of the horse is returned to the Buyer.
If a Seller has honestly represented known issues of Soundness, Cosmetic, Behavioral, or Performance AND answered all inquiries of importance to Buyer, then there are NO Grounds for a Buyer’s Refusal of Purchase on those issues.
The sale money after the auction is held by Flat Fee Horse Auctions.
This PSE and related travel costs are non-refundable expenses of the Buyer.
Any Seller intentionally misrepresenting unsound horses will be BANNED from FlatFeeHorseAuction.com auction site at our discretion, their business name will be listed as BANNED on our site, and they may face legal action or fines.
PSE Soundness Check (and grounds for Refusal of Purchase):
STANDARD / OBJECTIVE criteria for Soundness whether claimed by Seller or not are still GROUNDS for ROP after the auction ends at the Buyer’s discretion.
These Objective criteria include: Laminitis, Founder, Osteoarthritis, Gastrointestinal Ulcers, Vision and Hearing deficiencies, Faulty Wind, Nerving, Cribbing, Weaving, Parrot Mouth, Testicular Issues, and Bone Disorders.
IN ADDITION to these, significant weight loss or the major Atrophy of muscle as compared to Auction Ad photo/video will be Objective GROUNDS for ROP based on photographic/video comparison.
Normal weight fluctuations are not considered Grounds for RoP.
SUBJECTIVE criteria can be grounds for Refusal of Purchase after the auction ends only IF Misrepresented by Seller in their ad OR after Buyer specifically requested proof and didn’t receive it or it wasn’t clear.
These Subjective criteria include: Blemishes, Scars, Brands, Mane/Tail length, Disposition, Unwilling to walk/trot/lope, Response to riding cues, Undisclosed successful surgical procedures, Non-existent Registration Papers (if horse is marketed as “Registered”.
These are ONLY GROUNDS for ROP if the Seller provided that info in their Auction Ad and/or the Bidder/Buyer ASKED for visual, verbal, or written proof of these conditions and the Seller’s response do NOT match up ON THE DAY of the PSE.
Reasonable judgement for cosmetic issues needs to be understood by both parties.
While most backyard/trail/ranch riders don’t care much about some blemishes, these issues are DEAL BREAKERS for those who compete in Shows, Parades, and such and this should be understood by all parties involved.
Sellers must provide Timely and Convenient ACCESS to horse and property for Veterinarian PSE exam, certs, X-rays, round pen/arena, lunge area, etc.
Our unique solution is fair and benefits both parties.
There has always been a TRUST issue with Sellers who provide a PPE or X-rays before the sale. Buyers doubt the veracity of the exam and often the exam ages out and is not current. With our system, the Seller doesn’t have to waste money or even think about the Buyer’s doubts. AND, the Buyer KNOWS the evaluation is ACCURATE and CURRENT!
Note: When the auction starts, It is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for the Buyer to consider the travel arrangements and time to the horse’s location and to call Veterinarians or horse professionals in that area to ask about the lead time for a Purchase Examination, blood work, optional X-rays, and if there is a round pen or arena to run the horse. If you do win the auction, you will be ready to go during that Four (4) Business-Day Inspection Period! Of course, the Buyer doesn’t have to go the horse’s location if they trust the Vet or local horse professional to be there in their place.
HOWEVER, at the will of the Buyer, a Buyer and Seller have the right to communicate and come to another agreement regarding the terms of the PSE or the 4-Day Inspection timeframe BEFORE that Four (4) Business-Day Inspection Period is up. Examples: A Waiver of the PSE by the Buyer, Extension of the 4-Day Period agreed to by BOTH Buyer and Seller.
It will be understood that the Sale Price funds will not transfer until the PSE has been satisfied or declined by the Buyer. Flat Fee Horse Auction MUST BE NOTIFIED of any changes to the original agreement before the Four (4) Business-Day Inspection Period is up.
The Seller also has the right to waive the PSE entirely and assume all health risks.
Benefits for Buyers
How our auction is Better than an In-Person Sale
Unlike any other auction, you now have an opportunity AFTER the auction ends to REFUSE THE SALE* link for a wider range of reasons link similar to what you would have with an In-Person Sale. Sellers must honestly disclose subjective cosmetic or temperament issues link when asked by the Buyer and Buyers that consider certain issues to be Deal Breakers are encouraged to ask for proof of claims (more or better video/pictures, if necessary) BEFORE the auction ends as a COURTESY to the Seller and to prevent issues that could cause a Refusal of the Sale. If you don’t ASK for clarification on subjective, cosmetic, behavioral or performance issues, you lose out on the benefits of our PSE option.
Full criteria link of medical/physical causes for REFUSAL OF SALE* link are known by BOTH Buyer and Seller.
Incredibly transparent, fair, and honest horse sale transaction unlike other auctions.
NO Commissions for Buyers (for that matter, there’s no Commissions for Seller’s either!)
Our HABO option allows you to save time waiting for the auction to end and privately offer the Seller your HIGHEST and BEST OFFER right NOW! This is a great option if you are looking to buy other horses and need to know today if you can get this horse for what it is worth to you. THIS is a Win-Win option!
No more anxiety after you get home wondering if your new horse is actually as it was represented in the sale.
Opportunity in the PSE to have Blood test for health issues and to visually check for drugs that may be masking limps or serious/chronic lameness.
Opportunity in the PSE to have X-rays taken.
An area will be provided by the Seller to lunge test the horse’s gaits and temperament.
Buyer’s sale money is held in escrow until deal is finalized after the PSE.
Buyers can choose to WAIVE the exam (PSE) and buy the horse “As Is” if confident in their assessment from videos, conversations,
Buyers should consider buying mortality insurance for transport or boarding or accept the risk.
No missing out on a horse that sold before you could get there as with an In-Person, Private, or Classified Sale.
Sellers are required to allow these checks and courtesies (above) unlike with an In-Person, Private, or Classified Sale.
Guaranteed opportunity for a Post-Sale Exam (PSE). We know most Buyers don’t trust the PPE (Pre Purchase Exam) from a Seller, so we eliminate the issue.
These requirements are easy and provide a more trustworthy purchase process because you can now buy with a greater deal of confidence knowing videos show current conditions and you can properly examine your new horse before taking ownership.
*Refusal of the Sale is based on a failed PSE for the specific criteria link normally applied to horse sale transactions and spelled out in the TERMS and CONDITIONS Sections L, M, and N link.
This is how horse trading should be: fair, open, honest, and with the best of intentions.
Benefits for Sellers
More effective than listing in a Classified Sale Ad alone.
No Pre-Purchase Exam (PPE) expenses (keep your money in your pocket if you KNOW your horse is sound).
However, you must state whether all vaccinations, teeth, hooves, etc. are up to date and any known soundness issues. Recent Negative Coggins is required to Sell. Health Certificate if crossing state lines will be covered by Buyer if they opt for the PSE. If you have a PPE, then certainly post it. It won’t override the Post-Sale Exam (PSE), but it will make some Buyers more comfortable.
NO Commissions on sales.
NO other hidden fees.
If your horse doesn’t sell for enough money, you don’t have to sell. It will only cost the ONE TIME $99.99 USD Flat Fee and you can extend your current auction end date OR run your horse through an additional auction for FREE! The market is always fluctuating, and some months are better than others, so Try Again at no cost!
Just one Flat Fee of $99.99 USD to as low as $49.99 USD to list your horse in an auction. SEE NEW LISTING OPTIONS as of 1/31/2024 (Rescue Horses auctions ads are FREE and Non-Rescue horses selling UNDER $1,000 USD will receive a 50% REFUND back on the Flat Fee Ad price you paid).
NO tire kickers, no-shows, or low-ballers that waste your time as with Private Sales and Classified Sale Ads.
Do you really want a lot of inexperienced riders coming by and “test driving” your horse with their Kicking, yanking the reins, and other bad riding habits?
Enjoy listing in the Classified For Sale Ads? Then keep an ad there as well. Just point Buyers to the Auction Dates your horse is with FlatFeeAuction.com and get awesome Bonus Marketing Exposure for your horse’s sale!
It makes no difference if your horse sells privately while in our auction. That’s the same as another bidder coming in or utilizing the a “Buy it Now” option. The reason other auctions restrict you from selling outside the auction time is because they want their commission. We don’t take commissions, so we are happy for you wherever you sell your horse!
You reserve the right to end the auction EARLY if you sell the horse through contact from a bidder or privately. Feel free to keep your horse listed in Classifieds or Privately during your auction period (if auction ends, you MUST honor the highest bidder over any private sale or be subject to penalties as listed in our TERMS and CONDITIONS). We suggest you amend your outside ads to mention your auction dates and drive even more potential buyers to add to the excitement of bidding on your horse.
Our HABO option allows Buyers to save time waiting for the auction to end and privately offer YOU their HIGHEST and BEST OFFER right NOW! Really good videos showing your horse’s performance will get Buyers excited to believe YOURS is the horse for them AND you won’t lose a Bidder who sees another horse for sale somewhere TODAY and doesn’t want to wait another week to find out IF they are the high Bidder on your horse. It’s a WIN-WIN option!
You don’t have to spend all that Time and Money trailering your horse to the Live Auction…or back home if he doesn’t sell!
Buyers with Cash-in-Hand and Ready to Buy right NOW!
Post-Sale Exam on your property (unless waived by Buyer) within Four (4) Business Days after the auction ends.
- Boarding fee is optional and negotiable and between Seller and Buyer, at Buyer’s expense and risk, after 7 days past the auction end date.
Once the PSE is completed and approved by Buyer, ALL typical risk for the care of the horse is the Buyer’s including transport, boarding, etc.
Sale money is held by Flat Fee Horse Auctions and wired to your bank upon acceptance of the PSE results. No Bounced checks from a hit and run Buyer.
LIST it UNTIL you SELL it. If your horse doesn’t sell in the initial auction, you may extend the days in your current auction or re-list it for FREE up to 3 more auctions (OPTIONAL)
No anxiety waiting for a phone call 3 days after your horse leaves stating it has an injury or wound you don’t believe was there upon sale. The PSE (and good video) takes care of that.
There is no reason for disagreement to have after a sale when both parties allowed for a timely Post-Sale Exam (PSE) and have given no known misrepresentations.
ALL horse videos must clearly Show or Label that day’s date for a moment in every video shot of different scenes, riders, or days so Buyer knows the horse’s current physical condition and training. This reduces chances of accusations or doubts of duplicity. Your horse won’t sell well to a Buyer who doesn’t trust you. Note: You can put captions in videos, state the dates in descriptions under the video, show a Smart Phone screen with Current Date IN the video, or if you are Old School, you can show the cover of magazine/newspaper IN the video. Link to video/photo sample
These requirements are easy and provide a more confident and trusting Buyer base that is more likely to pay top dollar for your horse. You don’t have to pay for exams or X-rays that might age out or not be trusted by a Buyer. You certainly should keep your horse current on Vaccinations, worming, hoof and dental care no matter how you decide to sell it. That maintenance is always a good investment that Buyer’s will appreciate.