ALMOST SOLD THE BOAT!!!!!!!!
 

i put an add on boattrader online with no pic of my 84/97 outlaw (NOT BAJA) 28 custom offshore with twin 500s for 30k. a guy from virginia calls me 10xs and loves the boat, i send him digital pics everything. he says he will fly to palmbeach the next day to test.....the boat ran flawlessly and he was impressed, almost white in the face after we flew over a 5 foot monster wake....got back to the dock, he said the boat is awsome, it was exactly what i said it was, but he would have to get back to me....WTF?? i take a day off work spent 100 bucks in gas, the whole day cost me about 400 bucks, i picked him up at the airport, dropped him off, bought him soda, gave an excellent presentation and he says i have to think about it???? dont waste my time a@#H(*&!! i felt like saying to him....he hasnt called or emailed. what was this a freeday off to come to my house and f(*& with my head??? i hate tire kickers, if you are not interested do not be a skirt, tell me......the boats not for me. just blowin off some steam, guy totally disrespected all boaters by this b.s attempt of being interested in something he knew absolutely nothing about!!!!!! i think i will have a beer to calm down.....thanks for listening!!!

No deposit......no free ride...... :D ;)

yeah, i guess you are right....my mistake, but damn, come all the way down from virginia to florida to say i need to think about it?? how much of a deposit do you usually take on a test ride?? cash? check? what if he backs out, do you give the money back??

When I bought my first boat, I gave them a $200 deposit for a wet test. I figured I was buying the boat, if something was wrong, it's worth $200 to fin dout first, so it didn't bother me as the buyer. If I was NOT serious, no way would my wife let me blow $200. LOL! That was, oh 1996 I think, so with inflation, maybe ask for a little more.

I agree......don't make it unrealistic....$500.00 would probably weed out the tire kickers...non-refundable.....

Welcome to sales...

:D

If you are purchasing a boat from someone that knows the right way of doing sales, then purchasing a boat sucks. I wasn't able to test drive my old boat until I showed him I had all the money and I was ready to sign the title after the ride. But it's just a way that the seller can eliminate a lot of hassles.

I cannot count on both hands how many people have called on my ad and stated that I should BUY thier plane ticket to come and personally see the boat with a test run
One guy last month actually wanted me to haul the boat to Atlanta with out any deposit. He thought it would be better then flying and then have to find a way to deliver it. He talked a good talk. But he had no upfront money. I asked him to fax a copy of the papers he first said he had from his bank on an approval for a 90grand purchase. He would not. He then came back saying he was paying cash. I told him to fax me a copy of hte bank draft. Said he would only do cash. Told him to send me faxes of all the bills then. Talk abouta BULL****TER.
Like someone already said. Welcome to SALES :(

On the flip side of this. There was a boat listed on a web site (not OSO) and I emailed the seller. He sent me pictures and a discription of the boat. We had a few phone conversations and some emails. I got a cashiers check and gave the insurance company a deposit so the boat would be covered for the transport home. I called the owner and set up a time to meet and sea trial the boat. All indications that he gave to me was that the boat was ready to go. I drove from N.E. Ohio to Green Bay Wisconsin.
When I got there the boat didn't even have the batteries in it. It's a long story but he pretty much jacked me around for the better part of the day. The boat was on a lot that sold boats (which he was calling a marina but it was no where near the water). He was stalling until they closed so he could take the boat off the lot which I later found out that he had it brokered with them. The lies were endless. I used 3 days vacation and spent money on two nights lodging + the gas ect. The least the guy could have done was have the boat ready to go like he said it was. I walked away and I'm glad I did because with all the bs that guy was giving me that boat was probably nothing but trouble.
It sounds like you "The Bull" had everything in order when it came to showing and the sea trial. The guy must have had some interest in the boat to fly from Virgina to Florida.
Why don't you give him a call or email him to find out what is going on? Maybe he is trying to secure the financing or at the least you can find out why he didn't put a deposit on the boat. Ask him what he didn't like about it so you'll know and not drive yourself crazy. I'm going through the same stuff as you with trying to sell my Condo. All people have to do is say that I'm not interested, not string you along.
Cordell

Bull, you gotta admit that if a guy is willing to take his day off, buy an airplane ticket and fly down to see you and the boat, he aint no tire kicker. I am sure he was interested and he probably had three other boats on his mind along with yours. If it were me buying, I would test ALL of them and then make a decision.

Who knows, maybe he will call you and buy the boat, on the other hand maybe he bought another. As someone said, that's sales !