Sales Policy and Etiquette

[Harmony Fowl]

I apologize if this isn't quite the right place for this; the swap and sales portions of the forum seem to be for actual swaps and sales, of which this is not one.

I'm new to selling my birds. I'm having some frustrating experiences and I'm hoping those of you who have done more of this can advise.

I have some started pullets for sale, nine weeks old tomorrow. I've already "sold" them once, only to have the buyer reschedule and then all out cancel the sale on me when I was five minutes away. It sounded like a genuine family emergency, I didn't pry, I understand things happen and it so happens I wasn't driving but a few minutes from home to meet up anyway. And I still had the birds to sell.

I readvertised them and a woman asked if I would hold them. My better judgement told me there has to be some reason why so many people don't hold things, but I said okay. Her issue was arranging for delivery of her coop and she gave this weekend as the latest delivery date. Cool. I messaged her last night, eight days after her original interest in the pullets, to ask if there was an update on her coop delivery. I wasn't rude, I literally just said hello and asked for an update. No response.

So, how long do I wait? I was thinking of waiting until Sunday and then Monday relisting the birds. The whole reason I am selling, aside from making some extra money, is that things are a little overcrowded, not terribly, but enough for me to wish these birds were gone three weeks ago when I first advertised them. There is a swap tomorrow and these pullets won't be going. (I do have others to take, though they are younger.) Another lost opportunity to sell them.

What would you do? I'm very heartened by the interest in even these mixed breed pullets, but very frustrated by the continuing lack of commitment from buyers, even though I understand neither person is responsible for the other's behavior. Do I have an obligation to inform her of my plans to relist them? I always have more if either person decides they want some after all, but it's in my interest not to turn off potential customers, either. I already lost another sale this last week because I'd offered the cockerel to someone and was waiting to hear back. In the meantime, I had interest in him that never came back. I really enjoy this, but the sales part is, like sales in every other job I've had, not my favorite.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Hey well not the wrong place but a moderator might then they will say so an move it..
to be honest I have not sold allot of peeps took older birds to Auction have one egg customer that bought br I was getting rid of he took them to butcher but I knew and agreed

 

[Trish1974]

I would go ahead and relist them. If the lady has not responded to you with her intentions you owe her nothing. I wouldn't think you'd have any problems getting rid of pullets. Good luck!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

People are flighty. Don't hold birds. I'll have the same person call two times, ask the same questions, set up a time and not show then call again. I don't hold birds, if they call again I tell them what I have left and don't take ads down until all birds being sold are gone.

If I feel there is a genuine sale and they only want me to hold them until weekend I will but still take calls and set it up to call them back if the birds are still here Sat. afternoon and they can pick up Sunday. My goal is to get rid of what I'm selling.

There is a reason they are being sold- over crowding, eating too much, need to downsize for winter, etc. It's preferable to resolve the reason for sale sooner than later.

 

[sdm111]

Agree on a deadline and after that the first one with money gets them. Don't trust peoples word. Sucks and I know you wish you could but you just gonna keep getting screwed being the nice guy. Ain't your fault if they get pissy oh well

 

[keesmom]

Re-list them and don't look back. If someone really wants them they will show up.

I had so many no-shows the last time I offered pullets for sale (nice, non-hatchery 6 month old Faverolles pullets) that I stopped selling any at all. The last straw was a member of this site. PM'ed me for 3 weeks with serious interest in 2 of them. Last minute, before a long vacation, she dropped off the face of the earth leaving me scrambling to find somewhere to keep them for 2 weeks. Nine months later she gets around to asking if they are still available. Grrrr. Now all extras regardless of sex wind up in the freezer.

 

[aligarysmom]

This is what I tell people although I don’t sell birds. I don’t hold birds without payment. Some sort whatever works for you, and it’s non refundable if you don’t follow through. Sorry but the goal is to get rid of birds not wai for someone to decide if they want them. I get that sometimes they need to be held. I’m good with that but some sort of payment is required for the hold. This stops the well I haven’t decided but I’m going to screw you over if I decide no. No, no you’re not.

 

[Trish1974]

This is what I tell people although I don’t sell birds. I don’t hold birds without payment. Some sort whatever works for you, and it’s non refundable if you don’t follow through. Sorry but the goal is to get rid of birds not wai for someone to decide if they want them. I get that sometimes they need to be held. I’m good with that but some sort of payment is required for the hold. This stops the well I haven’t decided but I’m going to screw you over if I decide no. No, no you’re not.

That's true. I would ask for at least some kind of down payment. If they are serious they should have no problem with that. When I found my flock I asked the seller if they would hold them for 1 week while I finished the run, and I OFFERED to give them a down payment. They said it wasn't necessary but I felt it was only right. I ended up giving them and extra $5 when I picked them up for holding them for me.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

A deposit is a really good idea and I can see how it would work well for so many scenarios, I'm just not sure how that would work for $5 pullets. This isn't the kind of sale that either the buyer or the seller gets deeply involved in, you know? But maybe that's at the bottom of it: no investment of any kind from the buyer. Maybe there's just no way around it if I want to take advantage of the more or less anonymous Craigslist/Facebook sale. (This one is Facebook, so I actually do know her name, not that that seems to help anyone be more accountable, on the whole.)

I do think I can make one constructive change. I start chicks at $1 when they hatch and raise that price 50 cents a week. She's getting nine-week-old pullets for a dollar cheaper each than she should because she claimed them at seven weeks. No more of that. I will hold them, possibly, but the buyer pays what they would be with my pricing system at the age they go home. I have had to feed and house them the whole time, after all.

As you can see, I am just way too nice about this.

If I don't hear from her at all, I'm just going to relist them without notice, I think. I sent her the message, I can see she received it. My part in this is done unless I hear from her again.

 

[pennyJo1960]

the times I have listed any I was fortunate they all showed just have not listed often