eBay boat shopping question
 

I searched for an answer to this question and didn't find one. If it's on here somewhere, my apologies.

Are most eBay boat purchases final upon close-of-auction or contingent upon a boat survey? I'd like to know how you experienced folks out there have worked this.

Thanks! :D

What are you looking for?

I have found that if it is a sale that ends with the auction then the price reflects the risk you are taking without a survey. You can also contact the ebay member and ask about a survey.

I bought a boat on ebay sight unseenother than photos but I think the price reflected it and it has worked out well for me.

Depending on the boat/situation, I'd make the sale contingent on a survey & not exchange any money until you're satisfied with the deal. Be sure you have an email from the seller agreeing to your terms just in case the deal falls through due to bad survey and he decides to blast your feedback rating in retaliation. I believe you can then appeal your negative feedback and have it removed with proof of the terms of sale (email) and survey results.

On the otherhand, I purchased an inexpensive 21' v-bottom with motor & trailer on ebay and looked it over in person prior to exchanging any money. Upon inspection I renegotiated the price based on the many things I found wrong with it.

Good Luck!!
Dan

If you are paying good money for the boat (more than 1/2 retail) then I think a survey would be a reasonable request. If you are killing them on price that should be factored in the deal. Bid accordingly.

I bought a Whaler due to an ebay ad but the deal was done in person after a sea trial. The boat was killer (actually an OSO'r mentioned it after I started a thread) but I didn't want to get outbid by a 10 year old kid with a dream his dad would loan him the money for it. I bid on it, contacted the seller and communicated via email/ phone for a day or so. I asked him to delist the boat so I could buy it the next weekend in person. He wouldn't take a deposit, I drove to Daytona and sea trialed the boat and paid him cash at the boat ramp. Boat was a 15 Whaler with a 4 stroke Yamaha 60 with 24 hours on it (mint 97 hull, new 06 motor, new 06 trailer). With a new motor/ trailer and it being a simple whaler a survey was unnecessary but if you seem to be a serious buyer then the seller should work with you. If they won't work with you then pass on the boat.

You are entering into a legally binding contract by bidding and if your bid is the winner, you're bound completely and solely to the terms of the auction and by the auctions' participant agreement. You bid on the boat and it doesn't say in the auction that you can decline to purchase it for any reason, it's your boat.

Boats on Ebay generally don't bring top dollar. If someone wants a known entity, they should probably be talking to dealers, brokers, provate sellers and certainly surveyors. If you want to roll the dice in hopes of getting a deal, Ebay is a good place to go. There's still no free lunch- you get what you get.

At the same time, if you show up and the boat is lesser than represented by a substantive amount, you could certainly make the argument that there was misrepresentation by the seller. In order to use that as a reason for refusing to consummate the purchase, you first would have to provide the seller the opportunity to satisfactorally remediate the issue.

Lifes about risk.. some times you win and some times you lose. Just have to keep the win column bigger.
I bought my boat over the internet from a guy in S.C. He sent pictures, we talked finally got him to come up to Indiana I exchanged
a wad of cash for a title and a boat in a gas station....w/a loaded 9mm in my belt Turned out to be a great deal......

Exactly.
Although online and sight-unseen, an eBay auction is no different than an auction you would attend in person. If you're the winning bidder, you own it. Imagine the reception you would receive as a winning bidder at a live auction if you won a boat with your bid and then stated "just kidding"!
You should make every attempt to find out everything there is to know about the boat prior to auction end, including a survey if you want to have one done.
Keep in mind that a good deal of sellers on eBay are selling BECAUSE of the lack of easy access issue; it's much simpler to unload junk and hide problems when you don't have to entertain tire-kickers and people taking a closer look i.e placing a local ad.

Any time you make an investment in a boat worth more than a few grand either call a marina/firm in that area to survey the boat if you can't go look at it. You can also do like mentioned above and work with the seller. I feel an honest seller just trying to move a boat will be willing to work with you every way he or she can. Myself as a general rule, if I'm putting over $10,000 in it, rather if its a bare hull project or a complete turn key boat I am going to inspect it myself before I ever bid on it or buy it, just keeps me out of trouble. Have I missed a few good deals, probably so...........but I also know what I have and its condition as well.

Yep, I like your attitude.
I bought my boat from another OSO member, and traveled 7 hours to pick it up with a wad of cash. I also considered carrying the 9mm,(not because of the seller, but you never know who you're gonna run into on the way...) The only reason I didn't was because the wife was freaking out that I was crossing 4 states and it likely would have been a bad thing if I got pulled over, or had any problems towing it home.

[QUOTE=CNC;2287073]Lifes about risk.. EXACTLY, BUT BUYER BEWARE ASK alot of questions and hope for honest answers.Bought a boat & asked questions just were'nt honest answers i got .Brought 80,000.00 in a paper bag and while the old owner counted the $$$ we hooked up the boat ,and thought we were heading to the lake for a sea trial instead was given a prep sheet what the oil pressure,temp ,trim & drives were to be set at and informed no time to go to the lake have to catch a plane for florida .So we went to the lake the following day and 1 of the # 5 drives would'nt go in gear ,called the seller never answered his phone.7800.00 and 7 weeks later drive was fixed and boat was'nt as good as deal as i thought.thats when you wish you brought the 9 MM:cool-smiley-026:

[QUOTE=Jigsaw89;2287000]Depending on the boat/situation, I'd make the sale contingent on a survey . Surveys are generally a great thing unless you find a survey company that is'nt 100% on the level and charges 1600.00 for a bad job. I Had a survey done by a local company only thing they found was some corrosion on battery hold downs, and fuel lines have a lil dry rot.sounds excellent NOT turns out the survey that was used was done for a previous buyer who did'nt pay so they changed dates on paperwork but not on pics and missed the leaky fuel tanks,and the missed the wett balsa & shoddy repair that was done and had to have $57000.00 worth of work to repair these oversights and boat was down for 5 mos.after calling the survey co they said there not liable you have to find the problem and notify them within 14 days of recieving survey .:cool-smiley-011:
GOOD LUCK

I have never seen a formula 38 reach the reserve. I use the high bid as a reasonable wholesale price and start negotiating from there. Some Auction state that the sale is contingent on a survey but not all. I ask for exclusions before the end of the auction and save the sellers response.

rjr