HOW WE WORK: BUYER

Our number one goal is to make this easy, safe and convenient for both buyers and sellers. If you have questions or concerns, before, during or after a sale, please do not hesitate to Contact Us.

Things to know as a Buyer:

  1. We do not require any payment information to register or bid.
  2. You do not need to download an App or software to bid on our platform.
  3. You are encouraged to contact the seller to ask questions about the horse/pony.
  4. When possible, you are encouraged to view horse/pony in person before bidding.
  5. We have transportation and insurance recommendations we can provide at the time of sale.
  6. You are highly encouraged to review our Terms & Conditions prior to bidding. All bidders and sellers accept these terms when registering/bidding/consigning.
  7. You will be contacted at auction end, if you are the highest bidder, to congratulate you OR offered the horse/pony at the reserve price set.
  8. There are NO fees. The amount you bid to is the amount you pay. Wire Transfer is our preferred payment method. If you are needing to pay in a different way, contact us for options. Credit Cards are not accepted.
  9. You have 2 business days to submit payment.
  10. Horse/Pony is expected to be picked up within 10 days. If additional time is needed it can be arranged with seller directly.

Step 1: Register

Before bidding, you’ll need to register as a bidder. This is NOT the same as signing up for Notifications. Bidder Registration requires your name, mailing address, phone, email, bank name, bank phone number and it will allow you to set login information. No payment or payment information is required to register. Your information will NEVER be public or sold.

  1. Click Bidder Registration to create your account.
  2. Review the Terms & Conditions prior to checking the box to create account.
  3. Click Sign Up at the bottom of the registration page.
  4. Open your email to view the Activation Email. This will come from Cowpony Sales with the subject: Please verify your email.
    • The email may be in your Junk or Spam folder.
    • If you are not able to find the email, call or text us at (507) 205-3460 and we can verify by phone.
  5. In the email, click the Verify My Email Address button and Cowpony Sales website will open upon verification.

You are now registered as a bidder and can move to Step 2!

Step 2: Login & Bid

Now that you are registered as a bidder, you can login and bid! We HIGHLY recommend talking to the Seller, prior to placing a bid, to ensure the horse/pony is a good fit for you. While Cowpony Sales and Seller do our best to accurately describe and represent each consignment, only you can know if it will be a good fit for you or your family. If you are able to view the horse/pony in person, we recommend taking the opportunity to do so. Additionally, Pre-Purchase Exams, X-rays or additional vet work can be done PRIOR to sale ending. If you have questions on the bidding process, you can review the FAQs, call/text or email us anytime!

  1. Visit the Login page.
  2. Enter your email and password used to register.
  3. Click Sign In
    • When/If you are already signed in, nothing will display on the Login page.
    • Clicking on Login, at the top of the page, will give you the option to My Account or Logout if you are logged in.
  4. Once signed in, you can visit the Consignments page to locate the horse/pony you are interested in.
  5. Select the horse/pony you would like to bid on.
  6. In the Enter Bidding Amount box, enter the amount you would like to bid.
    • Enter numbers only, no dollar sign, decimal or comma.
    • Bids are in $200 increments.
    • This is also where you have the option to set an auto/max bid (recommended). Entering in an amount, over $200, will allow the system to bid for you, as others bid. This number is kept confidential within our bidding software and is not accessible by other bidders or seller. By using this option you do not need to frequently rebid. As auctions are ending, slow Internet/mobile services will not prevent you from bidding or running out of time as it will be done automatically without delay.
  7. Click the gray, Enter Bidding Amount button to submit your bid.
  8. A confirmation box will appear, asking if you really want to bid the amount shown. Click OK to confirm or Cancel to resubmit.
    • Bids cannot be retracted or lowered. Please ensure you’ve entered correctly.
  9. When you click OK, the page will refresh and the top of your screen will state your bid has been successful. This will also display your Auto/Max bid amount (if set) on your screen only.
  10. You will receive an email when/if you are outbid and when an auto bid is placed on your behalf.
  11. Take note of the date/time posted and on the count down timer to know when the auction will end.
    • Soft Close: If a bid is placed in the last 4 minutes of the auction, the timer will extend by 4 minutes.
    • Extended Bidding will continue (adding 4 minutes to the timer when/if a bid is placed in the last 4 minutes) until no additional bids are placed for 4 minutes.

The auction has ended, time for Step 3!

Step 3: Auction End

Once the timer runs out, the auction has ended! If you were not the highest bidder, nothing additional needs to be done. If you were the highest bidder, below you’ll find what’s next!

  1. When the Reserve Price (not shared publicly, but it will post ‘Reserve has been met,’ once it is reached) has NOT been met, Cowpony Sales will first contact the highest bidder to offer them the horse/pony, at the reserve price. If the highest bidder accepts, the horse is considered SOLD and the below steps are in effect.
    • If no response is given or the highest bidder passes, remaining bidders will be contacted and offered the horse/pony at the reserve price.
    • In the instance the horse/pony does not sell on auction or immediately following, they will be offered on Cowpony Sales with a Buy Now price. The Buy Now price MAY be higher than the initial reserve price.
    • All financial transactions are to be handle through Cowpony Sales. At no time should deposits or payment be given to a seller. This protects all parties from fraud, scams, etc. and is stated in our Terms.
  2. When the Reserve Price HAS been met, and you are the highest bidder, you will receive an email alert immediately following auction close. You do NOT need to do anything with this email.
  3. A representative from Cowpony Sales will call you, after all auctions have closed, to congratulate you on your win and discuss next steps.
  4. An email, with payment instructions, will be sent after talking by phone.
  5. You will have 2 business days to provide payment. All payments MUST be handled through Cowpony Sales directly. Payment options are:
    1. Wire Transfer (preferred and recommended)
    2. Overnighted US Cashier Check (receipt and copy of check are to be provided to Cowpony Sales) sent to Cowpony Sales
    3. Cash: This needs to be HAND delivered to a Cowpony Sales representative.
  6. Once payment is received and cleared, both the Buyer and Seller will be notified that the horse/pony is ready to be transported.
  7. All horses/ponies are to be picked up within 10 days or alternative arrangements can be made through the buyer/seller.
  8. Cowpony Sales has transportation/insurance recommendations if needed.

Congratulations on your new horse or pony!

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