How not to sell a boat
 

Well, I see a boat on Boattrader that I have been watching all summer drop by by 5k, Its 10 percent off the original price. The boat has been on the market for 6 months.I make the seller an offer @ 10 percent off the current asking price and he won't respond to my offer. I put the offer out there to open negotiations. Where I live its Fall and we have 6 months of storage ahead. I am venting ...BUT was I wrong to offer this guy 10 percent less than his asking price??

Absolutely nothing is wrong with that offer

Old Navy,

Nothing wrong with that offer, or quite frankly any offer. Every transaction is always about 2 things, a buyer that has the money and is willing to pay "xxx" amount for something and a seller that is willing to sell it for that amount. When the 2 come together the transaction happens, if not, so be it, no harm no foul..or at least there shouldn't be.

Cheers,

Dave

Probably doesn`t think you`re serious . I know I`ll negotiate all day with someone who has come to see what I~m selling.
Not so much with someone throwing out numbers on the interwebs without being serious enough to come see whatever I may be selling. Especially a purchase such as a boat with so many variables.
I call those folks tire kickers.

Let him know your serious and he should at least respond at minimum.

I will respond to an offer that is realistic any day. Even if to politely decline and maybe make a counter.

Are you sure you have the correct contact info? Email could be going to his SPAM

IMHO,Transactions like this always deserve a phone call whenever possible,.

Willy, people are delusional that are selling boats, like the guy who wouldnt budge on his boat that he wanted high retail for that had 650 hours on his hp 500s and told me he read on here they dont need rebuilds till 1000-1200 hours!! Glad now i passed!! This guy will be wondering why its still for sale come next summer!

Was an email sent "will you take ...."? Look at it from the sellers view, how can the offer be taken serious or be considered legit with just an email sent? Too many scams and b.s. to sort thru. If your serious contact the owner and talk to them, view the boat and make a serious offer.

How can a serious buyer expect to negotiate a deal sight unseen thru email? I wouldnt entertain it as a seller. If your standing in front of me, whole different story.

Having just bought a boat myself I talked to quite a few people and have seen quite a few pretty good deals on the market. IF I had a boat for sale and a guy like Old Navy (that is a good friend of mine) inquired about bottom line I wouldnt ignore it. Yes, random people throwing numbers out there that have no intention of buying anything are a time waster but knowing him as well as I do I am sure he sent the guy detailed email saying I am interested in your boat, contigent on my inspection in person I would be willing to offer XXXX, would you consider it BEFORE I BUY A AIRLINE TICKET ACROSSED THE COUNTRY , if guy absolutely refused to budge then it would be pointless to fly acrossed country to look at the boat (he is looking at California /Havasu boats like I just did). Just what I know, Smitty

Yes, we had exchanged quite a few e-mails and the boat is a long way from me. I did want to narrow down a price window before I drove across the country for personal inspection and doing the deal. I wanted to be 99 percent sure this was THE boat. Maybe he is insulted or he sold it to someone else.

Are you just texting and emailing? May want to break out the old phone and call him.

As a buyer if your comfortable negotiating sight unseen, then treat it as if you were in person. To get the best price did you offer a deposit and a possible sale for the seller? If your playing what if with the seller and no money to wire or overnight as a let's get the deal in motion gesture, then you are wasting the sellers time and yours. It's a chess game and it takes 2 players.

OK good, but it's your job as a buyer to get a feel for the sellers position, an exact number will not always be thrown out there. Sometimes you ll get lucky and the "I'm going to jail or kid has to go to college, I need X". A savy seller is going to let you know there is room, not put a number on bottom line and get you to make an offer with a deposit. The seller is sending you a message, you've gone somewhere they don't want to go, that should tell you something about the position of the seller.

Is it possible you're just a pain in the a$s?

I've cut all lines of communication when selling things before when the email, text count is high and the seemingly endless questions get old.

There's and old saying ; "sh1t or get off the pot" words to live by.

HaHa, Of course I am.

If I was selling a boat this time of the year I'd do just about anything short of some sex acts to complete a sale. It's a buyers market.

Why is it no one wants to use these phones that we have to ,,,,,,, you know CALL someone.

Not sure about this deal but having worked in the field and with people from all over the world at some point DIRRECT communication works far better then any text or e-mail.

If you still think you may want it try a call, not like that costs anything and from the sellers tone of voice you will get a better feel for where he is at.

How many times have you talked to the seller ?? I have my 33 OL for sale and I keep getting..........I'm really interested in your boat, could you send more pictures............. they don't call, these guys aren't buyers there picture collectors, If your offer is all you will pay, and you don't get a response, then move on.

Your boat although priced fair still needs motors and exhaust, I considered buying it but was able to find a considerably faster hull a year newer with 1/2 as many hours with 100 hour hp 500 efis for just over 20,000 more, I was a cash buyer, didnt need to sell a boat to buy new one etc but simply passed for something turn key,I also found a 2 year newer turn key 33outlaw in mint condition with mag motors for 15,000 more than yours I passed on. Hulls without power are a hard sell unless someone has a pair of motors laying around that are ready to drop in. I DO appreciate your time though and after talking to you on the phone we WERE able to do business on the other parts you were selling which I thank you for, Smitty

I'm never insulted by an offer doesn't mean I'll take it.... it just a starting point. I'm older but I realize a lot of younger folks do everything by email (I see it at work all week) that being said I try my best to answer my emails as soon as I can.

Soooo what ya looking for I may have something for sale .....:whistle:

From my experience if you have to ask the seller a bunch of questions, it is in reality the seller's fault, not mine. If a seller takes proper pictures and gives a proper and accurate description it eliminates the majority of questions.

If a seller does a proper ad i should only have to ask 2 questions, when and where can I can see it and what is your bottom line cash today.

If I have to ask what year the boat it is (heck and sometimes even brand and model), what motor is in it, how many hours and can they send pics of the engines, cockpit and interior...that is the seller's fault, not mine.

It is simple, if sellers would take pictures and give an accurate description, at least to the level they would expect (or demand) if they were buying the boat..things would go much smoother.

Not a Performance boat, but here is a perfect(albeit extreme) example from CL today.....

Title: Great family boat - $2500 (Springhill)

Description: "I have a 19ft. Boat with a 3.0 mercruiser it's on a aluminium performance trailer with a stainless steel prop runs great easy on gas. interior is in good shape"

The 3 Photos in the ad...

http://images.craigslist.org/00z0z_9...jt_600x450.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/00M0M_7...Dw_600x450.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/00N0N_4...q6_600x450.jpg

I talked to the seller (on the phone) looks like it is going to work out. He had family issues and did not reply to his emails over the weekend. Thanks for the advice guys.

Just sold a boat. Nothing but email and privet messages. Pretty easy overall but I still would rather do it the old way when someone came to where the boat is, etc, etc.
Also the economy being like it is and has been the people that are selling now are in no big hurry. The folks that were in over their heads and were trying to get from under them are gone lone ago. Offer are great but I wouldn't expect anyone to jump just because it was made. For the most part we are not starving. I live in Maryland and also have to winterize, etc, etc. Not a second thought when it came to selling.

If someone asks "will you or would you take xxx?" I will work with them and see if we can put it together. But when I get "ok great I'll give you xxx" I don't even reply.

congratulations,what type of boat did you buy?

Cool

So when can we see it?????

Howard Bullett

Congrats on the new boat! When I sold my boat I sold it for 18% off my asking price, buyer had 100 dollar bills in hand. Plus I listed it for more than I wanted to get negotiations going.

Smitty, my post wasn't aimed at you, you and me are ok......................its these other Fu** Tards

Good to see I'm not the only one that jumps to conclusions! :)

Congrats on the new boat!!!

Alexander Gram Bell did it bout 125 yrs ago, worked out pretty good for him, congrats

I'm pretty happy about this one. I sold a 283 Convincor with a 525SC that I just loved, but I wanted something a little newer and since we don't sleep on the boat anymore-a MCOB. This boat fit. It has a 575sci and will be a little river rocket I hope.

I do most of my work via email these days. Sometimes others who don't use email much, take a long time to reply. Stuff happens. Even people using email for 99% of their communication, can lag in response time. Email can be nerve wracking sometimes.

No, I didnt really think it was aimed at me but sometimes you are left wondering why someone passes when it seems a deal was close so I did want to go into further detail, Smitty

You might as well just tow it straight over to my side pf the state and we can go beat it unmercifully together, IF its ready to blow better to pop it NOW and have all winter to rebuild it and upgrade!!!:evilb::evilb::evilb::evilb:

Change the Head Gaskets if not done!!!

On point!! I sold my Sunsation this summer, and the guy called me up from 6 hours away, "When can I come look at it?"

I asked him if he had any addition questions about the boat before he made the drive....

"Nope, your ad was so good, that anyone with more questions wouldn't know what they were asking about anyway"

My ad had a TON of pics, and a TON of info.....the stuff that I'd want if I were boat shopping (which I currently am, lol).

When I bought mine. The ad was kinda bad. I called the guy on the phone, and got a lot of info. Asked for more pics, and he sent me about 25 more pics, even crawled under the trailer to take bottom pics. I told him I knew it wasn't a brand new boat, but if I was the most picky guy in the world, what am I going to pick apart, then sat and listened to everything he told me. I drove 14hrs hoping it wasn't a waste of time. When I looked the boat It was everything the guy explained, maybe even better then what he said.

From the time I saw the boat online, till it was in my driveway was about 7 days. Honestly I think it didn't sell sooner was because the original add didn't have much info, or pictures. Good for me I guess.