Selling hay to stranger

randallinMo · Apr 5, 2013

I advertised some alfalfa hay for sale on Craig's List. 'Had a guy call me from Texas....said he was bringing grass hay into Missouri and would like to haul alfalfa back. SAid he would pay what I was asking and would take all I had. I don't know this guy at all. I told him it would be a "cash" only deal....he said no problem. How do I know the guy won't load up the hay (I'll be here to help load) and drive off without paying me? Sounds silly, but it could happen. 'Guess I think it would be rude to ask for the money up front?

Mark W. · Apr 5, 2013

Cash before loading. Get plate numbers as well. I don't see a problem.

Nebraska Cowman · Apr 5, 2013

I guess you could have a 2nd person with you. You have plenty of time while you are loading to write down his license number. He ain't gonna get far. I'd probably take his check. If you have the guys name and contact info it would not be hard to check him out. Maybe have your bank check on him.

DoubleR · Apr 5, 2013

I buy and sell on Craig's List. Most people that do understand its pay and settle up before you load anything. I sold a tractor last week and the guy wanted me to deliver it. I told him I would but he needs to come to my house first and settle up and I would then load it up and take it to him. Just like you would when you buy from a dealer or most places of business.

dej(Jed) · Apr 5, 2013

(quoted from post at 10:28:25 04/05/13) I advertised some alfalfa hay for sale on Craig's List. 'Had a guy call me from Texas....said he was bringing grass hay into Missouri and would like to haul alfalfa back. SAid he would pay what I was asking and would take all I had. I don't know this guy at all. I told him it would be a "cash" only deal....he said no problem. How do I know the guy won't load up the hay (I'll be here to help load) and drive off without paying me? Sounds silly, but it could happen. 'Guess I think it would be rude to ask for the money up front?

Right after he inspects your hay, tell him what the deal is. Cash up front and then we load. If that hurts his feelings then don't deal with him.

Tx Jim · Apr 5, 2013

randallinMo
You're not as trusting as the gentleman from Belle,Mo that I bought several 18 wheeler loads of hay from year before last. After the first 2 loads I'd line up a back haul trucker and the trucker would go to Belle and get a load of hay. When the hay got loaded I mailed the man in Belle a check. I think I ended up buying 10 loads. PS I'm not suggesting you do this as not all people from Texas are trustworthy. :lol:

caseyc · Apr 5, 2013

Given what you've told us I wouldn't be worried. I buy and sell on craigslist all the time. Some people say cash so i bring cash. Most don't specify so I write a check. If it's a big item I'll pay and leave, go pick up when the check clears and vise versa. I have never been burned nor have I burned anybody. Now I have run into people that I have walked from away because something didn't seem right. If the conversation feels good the deals are always good, atleast for me.

Casey in SD

RodinNS · Apr 5, 2013

Cripes... I think if you want to sell the stuff cash once it's loaded would be sufficient. Sometimes you need to have a bit of faith in people. You already told him cash and he has no issue with that. The deals I worry about are where they expect it on credit from who knows how far away... those are the ones you never get paid for.
There's enough people desperate enough for hay right now that they don't chance screwing around. He'll have the cash.

Rod

dhermesc · Apr 5, 2013

What will writing down his tag number do for you? Most likely the police will tell you its a civil matter - if they answer at all.

David G · Apr 5, 2013

I would count the bales, get the cash then load up.

dr sportster · Apr 5, 2013

You worry too much .

Traditional Farmer · Apr 5, 2013

Sounds to me like you already have a 'whiff' of something might not be on the up and up with this fellow.People will try almost anything these days once the hay is on the truck he can claim its his hay and you refused to pay for it after he bought it to you.I'd ask him for a couple of references from people he has bought hay from away from his area.I was going to send parts that were pretty expensive to a fellow across the country and he was a little hesitant to send me the $$$ first which was understandable I gave him some names to call and he sent me the $$$ and I sent him his parts didn't hurt my feelings he wanted to check me out I was glad to do it.

Ray · Apr 5, 2013

You can always call the sheriff if he stiffs you.

I've sold tractors before for cash and after loading they get there checkbook out.So now I ask them if they want a receipt and steer them toward the office before loading.

Wile E · Apr 5, 2013

One of the best ways to deal with that potential problem is to have one or two of your buddies over to "watch" the situation. Cash only of course, you may want for him to show you the cash just before loading the goods into his truck.

El Toro · Apr 5, 2013

Tell him you want the money up front before the hay is loaded. That's not being rude that's good business. If he's not happy let him drive back to TX empty. Hal
PS: I've bought used Troy Bilt tillers about 30, cars, a few tractors and I always paid for them before loading or towing.

Mike (WA) · Apr 5, 2013

You can usually get the cop to at least run the plate and give you the name and address so you can sue him. And suits in Small Claims court are really not that difficult.

smallercrawler · Apr 5, 2013

Politely explain in a nonjudgemental manner that like virtually all businesses you require payment before loading ie: HD, Lowes, Sears, Walmart, TSC....
Have a friend present, good luck.

Janicholson · Apr 5, 2013

Inspect the hay with the customer. Designate the lot to be loaded. Agree that there will be no "selection or rejection" of bales in a sales invoice describing the lot. Get paid and load.
I have seen dickering over bales, weight, "found" weeds, light color, and center of stack issues. Jim

Jack in Colo · Apr 5, 2013

had a guy try almost the same thing on me back in 2011, said he needed hay to haul to Texas and was wanting all I had, he did show up to load hay but when I told him I needed cash for each load before loading he said he couldn't pay me until he hauled the hay to Texas and would bring me the cash on the return trip, needless to say he hauled no hay that day. Seems to be a lot of scammers doing this these days, a friend of mine lost a load from the same thing, to this day he has never been paid for the hay. Always get cash up front, I never take checks from someone I don't know, I don't care if they don't like my terms, I have plenty of cutomers who will buy hay and have no problems with the way I do business.

Dean Olson · Apr 5, 2013

I was the "stranger" buying hay as a back haul from Florida to Texas. I literally called an ad in the paper. Went to the farm. Cut the deal. They loaded and I pd in cash. I did notice that the farmer subtly parked a tractor and hay rack in front of my rig about the time they finished loading.

I ended up buying about 10 loads from that guy. I always requested that we load 1st thing in the am. Finish up about lunch time then take him and his crew to lunch.

Make the deal with the understanding buyer pays in cash before truck leaves your property.

massey 333 · Apr 5, 2013

Just a question for any one who has to have full cash payment before loading.How do you know what(how much) the load will be??If by the bale,WHO stands there and goes ah1,ah2,ah3 when you are loading 300-500 bales.Any truck loads we ever sold was by ton or by an agreed amount for load.Guessing on bale number.

Formerly PaMike · Apr 5, 2013

I dont have any problems with strangers, its my friend that bought $1700 worth of hay 7 months ago and still hasnt paid...
Strangers are easy to deal with..CASH

Hal/ Eastern WA · Apr 5, 2013

I would suggest carefully writing down the license number and icc number of the trailer and the tractor, and ask to see ID from the trucker. I also would only accept cash, probably mostly $50 and $100 bills prior to loading the hay.

That way if you are given counterfeit money, you will have some information to give the authorities that would try to investigate the matter. Without the numbers, a name (a good photocopy of a photo driver"s license is ideal) and a real good description of the trucker, the cops would probably say they didn"t have enough to go on, and they would not investigate more than taking a report. Making their job fairly easy makes a whole bunch of difference in the possibility of a successful prosecution if you are ripped off.

Would I sell my hay that way? Probably, but it would depend on how bad I needed to sell it and how hard it was to sell it locally. Good luck!

chevytaHOE5674 · Apr 5, 2013

I spent the 5 bucks and picked up a currency marking pen. When handling a lot of cash it makes it super easy to check a few bills here and there just to make sure they are all good.

JD Seller · Apr 6, 2013

We haul hay all of the time. How is the guy going to pay you before you load it if you are selling it by the ton?? If by the bale it would only work if it is big rounds and you both know how many would fit on the trailer.

The guys that say pay for it before it is loaded would not be saying that if they where buying it.

We buy a fair bit of hay down in Missouri. We usually load it and the farmer/seller follows us to the closest scale. We ask before we load where that is and have the semi weighted there before we load. Get a gross weight and then settle right there.

I would NEVER PAY for a load before I had it loaded or weighted. We buy ALL hay by the ton anymore. I don't care if your feeder wagon says they weight 1400 lbs. I want the total load weighted. With hay bringing over $250 a ton if the seller is off by 500 lbs I am out $62.50.

If you are going to ask for payment before you load it I would wonder if I was the buyer what you where trying to hide about the hay.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 6, 2013

you're right, it sounds silly.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 6, 2013

if everyone loadin knows how to stack then it's easy to count them. nothing wrong with how you guys did it though.

massey 333 · Apr 6, 2013

No two people load a truck-semi the same way and unless you know HOW it was loaded,almost no one else can tell exactly how many bales are on a load.Tonnage was the safest(maybe not best)way togo.

js305 · Apr 6, 2013

Seems simple to me: Just about every retail business requires payment before "loading". On the internet it's that way as well. I bought a tractor last year for $1000. As I drove onto the owner's property I stuck the ten 100 dollar bills out the window at him. I was happy and he was happy. (Yes, I had already inspected the tractor and the deal was made before hand).

Anyone offended by cash up front is going to be left out many times. It's a sad world where a handshake deal is not good any more, but life is what it is and trust is only a word now.

randallinMo · Apr 8, 2013

That's exactly right. "Something" just didn't seem quite right about this deal. Perhaps it was just the "over the phone" impression that I got. I DID ask him for a reference of someone he had bought hay from....couldn't come up with anyone. Said "well I"m paying cash so why do you need a reference"? First red flag. He's supposed to call back tomorrow to arrange pickup......something tells me I'll never hear from the guy again.

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