Some horse breeders, trainers, and consignors who are in the business of selling horses advertise “exchange policies” on their websites. The typical exchange policy contains language promising that a buyer can exchange a horse purchased from the seller for another horse owned by the seller of the same or lesser value within ___ days of the sale. Posting an exchange policy of this nature on the Internet is not a good idea, in my opinion.
Don’t get me wrong–good customer service is paramount to a seller’s reputation. Sellers can surely offer a buyer an exchange horse if a particular situation warrants it and a suitable exchange horse is available. But so much can go wrong if a seller offers each and every buyer the “right” to exchange a purchased horse. For instance:
1) Some buyers do not get a pre-purchase exam. Even for buyers who do get a pre-purchase exam, they do not check for every malady, disease, or infirmity due to the expense involved. This is problematic when an exchange has been offered. It can be very difficult to tell whether the horse is returned in the same or better condition as when he left the seller’s property.
2) Exchange policies may work great for retailers where there is price tag on each item in the store and the same items can be found on-line or in other stores. But establishing the value of the exchange horse can be difficult. The seller’s asking price is not always the horse’s fair market value. Reasonable minds can differ as to the value of a horse. Even professional equine appraisers may disagree.
3) A seller may not have an exchange horse that possesses all the same qualities as the original horse within the stated time frame. This leads to a lot of confusion. Does the buyer have to keep the horse until the seller obtains a suitable replacement? Does the seller have to keep and feed the buyer’s horse until a suitable replacement has been obtained by the seller? How long will it take the seller to find a suitable replacement?
4) If a buyer thinks he can simply return the horse for an exchange after 30 days if it doesn’t work out, he may be encouraged to purchase a horse without first inspecting it or spending the money to have a thorough veterinary examination done. This is problematic for several reasons. First, as discussed above, a seller who has offered an exchange policy cannot establish that the horse is being returned in the same condition if no thorough pre-purchase exam was done. Further, a buyer may come back to seller after the exchange policy has expired and demand a refund or exchange because the horse has a soundness or health issue. The presence or absence of a pre-existing condition is then hard to prove because no pre-purchase examination was done.
Due to all of these issues, an exchange policy on horses cannot function as simply as a similar policy offered on household goods sold by Home Depot, Target, and other retailers. Instead of offering a blanket exchange policy on the Internet, sellers should take an “all sales are final” approach and encourage all buyers to get a thorough pre-purchase exam and to inspect the horse prior to purchase in person or via an agent. Taking this approach does not prevent sellers from providing an exchange horse after the fact where the circumstances warrant it.
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