I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

Ok, I've been trying to sell me boat for some time now with no luck. This past Friday I listed the boat on ebay with a 35k "buy it now" price. I provided my e-mail address in the ad in the event somebody wanted to contact me after the auction had ended. So, I received this e-mail today:

Hey Tim, I’m interested in your boat assuming it’s as advertised, runs good, is clean as the pics show etc. Would you consider the 35k delivered to SF Bay area Northern California? If so, let me know and I’ll step up my research. I have the cash so we would just have to figure out how & when to get the boat & title here and money to your bank. Let me know if you are interested & we’ll talk further.

Bob Sherman

It's just over 2,000 miles and 31 hours one way out there. Assuming $2.50 a gallon for diesel, I'll cost me about $400 to drive out there with the trailer. Less than that to come back dead head. I might be able to get a break on hotel stays too. I have two weeks of vacation that I had no use for this year. The cash price that he's offering me had a little padding in as I figured somebody would some how want to beat me down on my price. Basically, for what he is offering me, I could pay off the loan and haul the boat out there and break even. I'm very happy with that. My fear is that this is a scam. I'm figuring on having him close the auction with the "buy it now" and then pay pal me the $500 non refundable deposit and then wire my bank the remaining ballance. Once the bank says that they truly have the money, I would over night him the title and then the boat would leave my door step. Does that sound fair? How would you guys approach this sale? This my first large item sale and I really don't know how things are going to work.

http://www.mapquest.com/directions/m...isco&2s=ca&2z=

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

I would ask him for a phone number or to call you. You could get a pretty good idea of how serious, or real he is.

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

I would give him the title when you get there and the bank confirms that you have the money. What does he need the title for without the boat, its not like he's going anywhere. I have been following your effort to sell your boat and I know it has been tough. I would give it a shot, just be careful. Were there any other bids?

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

What he said!!

It's amazing how many people have emailed me about my engines that I have for sale. I respond by telling them to call me or send me their phone # and I'll call them. That seems to weed them out!! :D :evilb: :drink: :drink:

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

Cord, First off, I'd get his number and call like TSG said. Make sure he is what he says he is. I wouldn't use the 'BUY IT NOW' as it will cost you more in FleaBay fees and Final Value Fees. And the BUY IT NOW feature/aspect will serve you no guarantee or assurance that a deal will be made. Get a deposit $500 and the rest wired, pull the ad off EBAY (boat sold locally ;) ), make sure it all clears and then go for road trip :cool:

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

I would sign the boat over to him upon delivery. The boat wouldn't leave my driveway till the $$ was in my account. I hope it works out for you. Depending on how serious he sounds, maybe he can foot the gas bill, and you'll offer your time for free? Certainly cheaper than hiring someone to do it, and you'll have a bit more $$ in your pocket.

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

I would not leave WI till I'm paid in full. What happens you get out there and he says "PASS" ?

Offer to split his airfare here to view at your house, if no go, offer to pay his arifare complete.

Wire money to your bank before you leave. I would also be careful of cashier checks too; I would not take one.

If he is serious, he will go with your plan.

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

I wouldn't deliver the boat either, if he want's it have him make the arrangements to come get it.

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

Tough call... If I was buying, I would NOT give you the full amount until I saw and test rode the boat.

Here is my two-cents... Get his phone number, call him, and get more info (address, etc.) Have him send you the $500 down payment. Drag the boat out there. Give him the boat and title when he gives you the rest of the money. This might happen at his bank.

If he doesn't buy the boat, keep the $500 for towing expenses. Make sure he knows that... :rolleyes:

Good luck... :cool:

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

What they said... Make sure the funds are secured BEFORE leaving your home.

It seems strange that he does not want to come see the boat first. I don't think I would buy a boat without seeing it up close in person.

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

Thats how I bought my boat ( I did not want to get locked in by using ebay) but it was only 1hr away so I could go check it out first then get a loan and buy........

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

Ditto

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

Cord,

The line "get your money to your bank" is a phrase I would question. For someone looking for a boat and asking them to have it(boat) driven all the way to where they are is just odd to me prior to 'making the deal"-If I was to make a major comittment, I would check it out for my self then make them deliver it that is worked INTO the deal.
Like already noted once you get a phone number or address, then it would appear more legit-until then...could be a scam.
If someone is serious and is dropping big coin, there is no reason that they would not want to give you idenity details.
Even if it is legit, unless they comitt prior to you making the trip, the offer may change forcing you to make a poor decision so you would not have to haul your vessel back home.
Be very carefull and make sure it is a public meeting place if you do go down with the deal. Maybe open an account with a national bank that is also located in your mutual meeting place and meet in the Bank parking lot during normal business hours to complete your transactions. Keep us in the loop as we can help you find pubic places here in the bay area.
I do much business in SanFrancisco, Bay area Sacramento, Just PM me and I can scope out the location of where they reside.

Good luck.

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

This is along the lines that I was thinking. As a seller, it would be nice to be 100% paid in full before leaving to deliver the boat. As a buyer, I would not be willing to pay for something this expensive without either personally seeing it first or letting someone I know personally inspect it.

What if you ask him for a large deposit up front, say $10k, before you start towing the boat. If he backs out of the deal, $2k of that deposit is non-refundable. Worst case, you lost your time and have to tow across the country and back for $2k.

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

Launch in Milwaukee >take it down the Ten-Tom waterway to New Orleans, cruise to Panama and go thru the Panama canal. Your beam should clear. Continue onward thru Baja and North to the Gay Bay.

Make sure you charge him for canal fees, I hear they get expensive. :frog: :frog:

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

Cord, a few things.

1) email me this guys contact info and I'll check him out for you. [email protected]. I'm sure I know someone who knows who he is.

2) Ask him for a "irrevocable letter of credit" from his bank. This cannot be revoked by him but requires him to release the funds once delivery has taken place. He could also place the funds in a escrow account of your choosing.

3) Get a cash deposit, say $10k, before you pull out of the driveway. You need SOMETHING in case the deal goes sour and you have to turn around with the boat.

4) Make him pay your travel expenses. That's a LONG haul and you should be compensated. You don't no nothing until you drive hwy 80 from Cheyenne WY to Reno NV. THAT'S allot of nothing!

5) Let me know when you're comming out and we'll go burn some gas. We boat into November every year!

Fionn

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

I had a buddy who sold his boat on e-bay for $28,000. He decided to deliver the boat to save a few bucks. On his way there he had an accident and totaled the boat. The deal was then off and he returned the money back to the buyer and had a hell of a time with the insurance company getting his money. Finally it worked out for him after 3-4 months of BS. I might be inclined to offer a grand or two off the price and have the buyer arrange shipping. Once you have your money and it leaves your driveway it is no longer your problem. I don't see a problem in that type case verifying you have the cash in your account and sending him the title.

Good luck!!

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

I would make him come to me, see the boat, sea trial, close the deal, then deliver the boat. You need to sell it, he wants to buy it. If delivering it is what it takes, who cares. Sounds like you have a truck and some time available. If he has 35k cash, I'm sure he can afford a couple hundred for a plane ticket. I wouldn't leave home without the money.

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

I don't have a chance to reply to you guys right now, but the guy apparently left a message on my answering machine at home. I just sent him a reply not more than 30 seconds ago, so I guess he passes the first stage of the test. Man, I sure hope I'm not getting my chain jerked here.

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

Tim, I sent you an e-mail ;)

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

If I was going to buy a boat on ebay, I would be willing to spend $300 and a day off to fly out and see the boat and test it. Your idea of nice and his could be two different things. :cool:

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

Ditto ...If you dont mind delivering the boat ....make him come to you ...make the deal ...then deliver the boat ....go to his bank ....get the funds...give him the title ...if he really Sqeezes you ...you could offer to pay the plane ticket...but I wouldnt ...he should get there on his on ...

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

screw that dude...i bought my cig on ebay with out power for 22k im in tampa fl the boat was in seattle wash. the day after i won the auction i called the seller had him pick me up at the airport went looked at the boat it was sweet. i gave him a cashiers check he gave me the title and we worked out the delivery. no problem if your willing to deliver the cool but he needs ta get off his azz and fly down and bring the money...THEN you deliver the boat when you have the funds.

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

I can say without a doubt that this guy would NOT be dissapointed in Tim's boat. I've been all over it helping him rig it, I've driven it, and I've even towed it down the road! It's a sweet ride, and is in better shape than this guy will be expecting.

Tim, if you need a driving partner, let me know!

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

I was thinking of giving you a call Mike!

Well the two of us talked last night for about a hour and a half. He asked me all the questions. A bunch of them were pretty tough and I was honest. It sounds like he is more than just a tire kicker. He said several times that he had the cash on hand, but that he was going to be buying the boat in partner with another guy. That's the only thing that sucked about the deal. The sale isn't even contingent on him selling his current boat (a blown Mandella V-drive). I don't think he's going to have me haul the boat out there. Instead he's wanting to have a survey done and then drive out and see it, go for a water test and then haul it back. That works out just fine for me!

Shortly after we talked, I got another call from a feller in Havasu. He too is pretty interested in the boat and also would want to come out a pick it up.

I'm hoping that between these two serious buyers that one will actually work out. What do you guys do when there are two serious buyers? First one to get the non refundable deposit to me? First one to get the full check to me? Definetly, not the first buyer that says "I'll take it!". :rolleyes:

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

Tim, heres what Karl did when i sold his pickup for him to a guy in Tenn a few years back:

He had the buyer send full payment to his (Karls) lawyer to act as an escrow. Once the payment was there the truck was shipped to the guy. When the truck arived (shipping service) the guy had 30 min from the time he got to the shipping yard to inspect and drive the truck around (only on the shipping lot yard) then he had to decide if it what he wanted. If yes then he leaves and the money is released to Karl.....if No then the money goes back to buyer less any shipping expenses and ebay fee's. It worked out good for everyone. :)

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

If the guy wants the boat he will pick it up.

I wouldn't deliver a boat to a POTENTIAL buyer.

No way.

I had to go 300 miles for my boat and drag it back.

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

a buddy of mine was selling his boat. a guy contacted him about it. they discussed it in depth, my buddy sent over 30 pics to the guy, told the guy exactly what color it was. the guy asked if he paid asking price would my buddy deliver the boat to him. my buddy said if it was considered sold and a done deal then he would deliver(something like 1400 miles one way). my buddy got a $1000.00 deposit. after trailering all the way to this guys house, the guy walks out and after 2 mins. complains that its not the color shade that he thought it was. remember my buddy sent him over 30 pics and told him the color was burnt orange. this guy thought it was red. never once did my buddy represent this boat as "red". needless to say after 5 minutes the guy wasn't buying the boat, and had the balls to say " i guess i'm not getting my $1000.00 deposit back". it cost my buddy a lot more than $1000.00 deposit he got. 4 days of his time to trailer there and back, gas, hotel, eating out, and the wear and tear on his truck and trailer. i would get the guy to fly in to look at the boat or a big ass non- refundable deposit to cover all your time and expenses both ways.

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

I drove from central Minnesota to Oklahoma City to buy my boat... worth it.

I would say the first buyer that gives you the full amount... even if the other has given you a deposit, you can give it back to him.

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

Cord first off I hope this works out for you. I know it has been tough going this last year or so for ya.

As for the what to do, I would get a decent deposit from the first guy, if he is not sure then let him know that there is in fact another looking and the first one gets it. If you take the deposit then you let guy #2 know that you took a deposit but if it falls through then you will call him.

Good luck!!!!

Jon

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

I agree with Jon .. once you have a deposit let the other guy know .....

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

Ok, so the first deposit gets the boat. When I tell the second buyer that I took a deposit, wouldn't that scare him off? Do I need to end the auction upon receiving the first deposit, or should I wait? I have a couple other guys that were kicking the tires, but I don't know how serious they were. if I end the auction, I can pretty well kiss them goodby. The problem is the way I have the auction set up. If I sell the boat off ebay, and keep the auction up, I could end up selling the boat twice.

Jon, Wally-I hope you guys can see that I have a major conflict of interest here. Wally, I know that I have some time for you, but Jon is another matter. I'm going to do my best to keep you up and running, but please don't be too mad if I fail. I still havn't received those drawings, so there's not much happening on my end anyways.

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

I would take a decent sized deposit from the first guy willing to send it, and let each person know what the situation is. I think if you are up front with what is going on, the guys interested in your should understand and work with you. If somebody is serious about buying your boat, they should be able to make a decision in a week or less assuming they can get a survey done in that time.

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

No problem Tim :cool:

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

If someone off ebay gives you a deposit then tell them even if they dont buy it you take a cut of it for ebay fee's .....its only fair i would think.....this way you can relist it again and say the deal fell through or something. If its a guy not associated with ebay....then tell him its listed on ebay and unless you get full payment before auction ends then it stays up and if someone does buy it on ebay they get first crack at coming up with the cash..

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

New to the board. I saw this post and had to respond. I was selling a classic car and I guy called me from Switzerland, said he would have the money deposited in my bank account and would work with me on shipping to switzerland. After a few words, I told him, you want it, come and get it and bring cash. He hung up. Also, never take a money order. The bank honors them immediatly but if the funds are not available for transfer from the buyers account, the bank removes the funds from your account. It takes about 10 to 30 days for a money order to finalize. If you move the funds, the bank will come after you because the other guy will never be found. Pretty scary since you thought you had the money and signed over the title. Just something to think about. If I were buying something long distance that was more then $2000, I would fly out and see it. What's $300 for a plane ticket and a couple days off. Good Luck.

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

You say this like it's a good thing.... :eek: :drink: :evilb:

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

This is how my deal went.
I recently sold my Active Thunder to someone 2000mls away.
I got a $2500 non-refundable deposit (certified check) to deliver the boat 900mls away, the buyer was going to meet me on the way to Florida to pick up my new boat. I got a photocopy of the balance check, which had the next sequence number (from the deposit check number) drawn on the same bank. My bank contacted his bank and the check amounts were verified. After the deposit check cleared and I had about 5 weeks of contact with the buyer at his place of business and home number I felt pretty comfortable.
My boat ended up being delayed so he came to me to hand me the certified check, take the boat, the signed title, and the bill of sale.

These two issues were concerns of my attorney aside from the fact that he thinks a lot of my boat transactions are nuts :rolleyes:

He insisted I MUST DO THIS!

When you make out the bill of sale put a clause in that says, ANY LEGAL ACTIONS THAT TAKE PLACE AS A RESULT OF THIS TRANSACTION WILL BE HANDLED IN THE COUNTY OF _______, IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN.

Worst case something does go wrong you want to make sure you are fighting it out in your home state with lawyers that are familiar rather than over the phone in 2000mls away.

His other area of concern was, the ownership of the boat is whoever has signed the title. If he pays you for the boat and you dont have his signature on the title, your responsible (or your insurance) for damage to the boat and you would have to refund his money.
So if I were trailering it before the title was signed it was mine.

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

if you end the auction early and the deal falls through you have no recourse with ebay. if the auction goes to the end and the guy doesn't pay you can get your listing fees back, from what i understand

Re: I Need The Boards Advice ~ Asap!
 

Well, looks like I'm a winner. The second buyer called me last night with a couple more questions. They asked if there were other serious buyers and I truthfully answered yes. I told them that the other buyer is about as serious as you are. I then talked to a board member who was interested in the boat for his buddy and then signed in to check my e-mail. Low and behold, the second buyer had hit the 'buy it now'. They want to have a survey done even though the listing has the sale not being conditional on the survey. I told them that I'd release them from the auction if there was a major defect. We clairified that a major would be a bad engine, drive or rot. I don't know of any issues with the three, so I don't see the survey as being a major issue. Still a bit nervous about it though. Either way, there is a non-refundable $500 deposit (I'm not greedy) which has yet to be paid. I then want to get some things fixed before having the survey completed. They are planning on coming up here to pick up the boat. We'll do a water test and then head to the bank. Because the bank with the lein does not have any local branches, I'll proably be meeting them in Chicago. We'll exchange the funds right at the bank and they will send out the lein release at a later date. I'm slightly concerned about the fund transfer occuring the day of the exchange, but I think a little preliminary leg work and prequalification should clear that up. All in all, he's getting alot of boat for his money. I loose the payment and my shirt on the deal, but I guess that's the way things go.

After trying to sell the boat on several bulletin boards for 9 months with only a couple insignificant contact, I finally gave up and put the boat up on ebay this past friday. I then put links up on Scream and Fly and Hotboat. The link on Hotboat generated two interested parties and one of them bough the boat. I don't thin the boat sold on price, as that hasn't changed. I think that it was because the boat was on ebay with a buy it now and the potential buyer was forced to make a decision right now or risk loosing the deal.

If some members want to give some good ramp locations on the north side, it would be appreciated. I need a ramp where there is enough room that we can take our time launching and not be hassled for the noise. I don't want a citation on the day I'm selling the boat. I'm going to see if they want to come on a Thursday. I doubt it, but if so, we'll stop by Blarney's on the way out.