Questions &
answers
Naturally there's a lot questions which come to mind when trading cattle. Below are just some of the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that buyers and sellers may have when using the OpenLivestock.com platform. The list of questions is not exhaustive, so ensure to contact our team if you need to know anything more.
Seller questions
Q. Does OpenLivestock.co.uk pay me for my cattle? A. We don't – the buyer pays you directly. The expectation would be that the cattle would be paid for by Bank Transfer as the cattle go on the lorry. However, the choice on how you undertake the transfer of money in exchange for cattle is yours to agree with the buyer.
Q. Why do I need to give you separate prices for the cattle on 'Buy-Now' and auction options? A. We would expect you to set a higher sell price for 'Buy-Now' than your minimum reserve price at auction. Someone 'buying now' on farm is hedging against the risk of the cattle going to auction where they might make more than the minimum you want for them. You can sell below your 'Buy-Now' price on farm if you want, but if the buyer offers the advertised price you are obligated to sell. At auction the cattle will not be sold below your minimum reserve price, but if that price is reached or exceeded then the cattle are to be sold.
Q. Why are you asking for buyer and seller reviews? A. Most people undertake business in a transparent and professional way. However, as a safeguard to both buyers and sellers, we believe that giving a review is a very effective tool for maintaining the highest of standards by people using our business to buy and sell cattle. No one wants a bad review, especially in a tight knit farming community. The reviews will have a very simple format and will not be published, but prospective buyers and sellers will be made aware of the review status of the person they are proposing to do business with before the contact details are exchanged.
Q. How can you make sure I don't waste my time showing dozens of people my cattle who are not serious about buying them or are trying to buy them on the cheap? A. Anyone expressing an interest in your cattle will have to contact Openlivestock.co.uk first. Before giving your details to that prospective buyer, we will contact you to confirm if you want them to contact you. At that point we will also tell you their review information. You control the flow of buyers to suit your situation. If you feel someone is a time waster or was trying to buy the cattle at an unreasonably low price, then that information can form part of your review. Buyers will know a bad review will be a consequence of time wasting.
Q. Will you come out and look at my cattle and give me a valuation on them before I put their details on the site? A. Openlivestock.co.uk is a marketing service delivered at significantly lower expense to the seller than many other options. To achieve this, we cannot routinely incur travel and time costs on the hope that the cattle might be entered onto our platform depending on what valuation we place on them. We will do what we say we are going to do, which is to provide a professional and efficient facility to help cattle be bought and sold in different ways and at low cost. We are happy to advise and support the sale process on the phone, and we will issue price reports week on week to help you decide the prices you want to achieve for your cattle. However, the cattle belong to you until sold, so the responsibility and decision on pricing is yours. If you need someone to undertake a proper valuation of the cattle to market them for you, then we are probably not the marketing option that is right for you.
Q. Why are you charging more for sellers who have small numbers of cattle to sell? A. We do not claim to be the best marketing option for all sellers, our business model does not work if we are spending disproportionate amounts of time on small lots of cattle. We apologise if that sounds harsh to you, but it is a reality we have had to accept to keep our costs low for as many people as possible.
"We connect UK cattle buyers and sellers in a seamless digital marketplace, empowering them to conduct private transactions with ease and efficiency."
Buyer questions
Q. Will you send me prior notice of cattle that you think I might be interested in before other people receive it? A. No, we are very clear about this, you will be sent a notification about all groups of cattle that match the criteria you selected when you registered with Openlivestock.com. All signed up purchasers for Openlivestock.com who chose that category of cattle will be sent an alert at the same time. The onus is on you to respond quickly to have the best chance of seeing them.
Q. What if the cattle are not as described when I go to see them? A. Before seeing them, you will have spoken with the seller and have seen videos and pictures as well as a description of the cattle. So, you should be well sighted. If, however, the cattle are not as described or are not what you were expecting to see, then we would expect you to tell us through the review process. Our belief is that neither buyer or seller will want a bad review so sellers will be accurate, and buyers will act in good faith.
Q. Will I be invoiced by OpenLivestock.com for anything? A. No, you will not. In terms of costs, the expectation is that the buyer covers the cost of haulage for animals they buy. However, that is not prescribed and if the buyer and seller come to a different arrangement then that is up to them.
Q. When am I expected to pay for the cattle I buy? A. You will pay the seller directly. The arrangements that you agree with the seller are between yourselves. Openlivestock.com is not involved beyond the publication of our guidance on completing the transaction. This is the same whether the cattle have been purchased directly off farm or through the online auction.
Q. If I attend an online auction will other buyers know I am there? A. They will know someone is there, but not who it is unless you choose to make your identity known to others. As the organisers, we will know who is involved in the auction, but other participants will not know. If you buy cattle at auction they will be knocked down to the buyer code you have been sent for the auction, so maintaining your anonymity.
Q. Can I buy cattle for other people either on farm with 'Buy-Now' or at online auction? A. We do not prohibit agents buying cattle on behalf of other people. Our primary concern is that the deal goes ahead smoothly and that the seller receives payment in line with their requests made when uploading the cattle. We do ask for you to tell us if you are acting as an agent when you register with Openlivestock.com and to make us aware of who will be paying for the cattle before any cattle are bought. As the agent, all responsibilities for the transaction lie with you not with the person on whose behalf you have agreed to buy the cattle.