Buying a Boat on Ebay?

[Bigprairie1]

Has anyone ever (successfully) bought a boat on Ebay? Would anyone buy one knowing that the chance for a mechanical check-out and certainly a lake test are pretty much out of the question?
I have considered it however I get cold feet about it when I think about wading into the bidding.
Conversely I wonder if sellers who do not have much faith in their boats for sale...would tend to use the ol' non-traceable Craigslist or similar given the risk of the 'poor feedback' element on Ebay.
Any buyers or sellers care to wade in on this?

 

[burroak]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

You are buying the boat as it is described in the ad. Since this is a pick up item, you will have an opportunity to inspect it when you go. If it differs from the ad, you are under no obligation to complete the transaction. I would never send an appreciable amount of money in advance of pick up.

Use the "Ask question" feature to settle all of this prior to bidding. If the seller is on the up and up, he will be agreeable. Check out the quantity and quality the seller's feedback. But with all auction sales, it is always buyer beware.

Using a credit card will give you some protection against purchasing misrepresented items.

 

[bigmacfan]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

I sold my jet boat on e-bay and it went well. I just did it for my convenience. That way I only answered e-mails about it and no phone calls, no knocking on my door, etc. There wasn't anything wrong with the boat, I just didn't want to mess with it.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

i have been buying and selling boats and motors, combinations, on ebay for the last 4 years. selling you have to tell the truth to keep good feedback. buying you have to ask the right questions, and ask them again in another way. to see if you get the right response. i have sold one that went to Canada, and one that went to Suriname, South America. and many that have been pick ups here. also have delivered for a fee. the boats i buy, i always pick up. i have had 2 sellers, on motors that were dead beats, and did not ship the motor, but i always use paypal protection on those transactions, so i haven't lost any money there.

 

[Sherminator]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

I bought our boat on Ebay, lucky thing was that the prev owner was only a half hour away so we were able to go look at it. Deffinetly Use paypal, that way both partys are safe.

 

[Terry Olson]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

Definitely make sure you're familiar with the general premise of user ratings etc. This is the best way to know if you're doing business with a reputable seller. Look for a high number of transactions and a high rating (98% or better in my opinion). This only addresses the potential for an honest description of the item from the seller - not their actual knowledge of the boat and it's condition. A guy who doesn't know much about boats can be 100% honest and at the same time fail to mention things that are important because they don't know what is important. That's tough to get around when making a long distance transaction. People buying expensive cars on ebay hire an independent inspector who is close to the seller but this isn't very practical when you're looking for a bargain. If you're buying a high dollar boat it might be the best way to go.

 

[Campylobacter]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

I've never bought an Ebay boat, but I have bought a motorcycle.

I only look at items that are close enough to go have a look at. Sort your search you do by "distance nearest" and put in your zip code.

I never had any luck with boats I went to look at. Don't be fooled by the pictures, they can hide a lot. I'm very happy with my motorcycle though, transaction went smoothly and it is very reliable. I paid cash at pick-up.

Best Advice: Don't give them ANY money until you've been able to inspect the boat yourself (or better yet, your mechanic/surveyor).

 

[roscoe]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

I have bought 1, and sold 3 on ebay.
I encourage inspection, but no one has come to look at the boats prior to sale.
I offer and have given test rides (after the sale) to prove performance-condition-etc, and to demonstrate proper use.

If you are worried about a purchase gone bad, set up another ebay account.
All you need is an email address that is different than the one you currently use for ebay.
If the deal goes bad, just walk away. Worst thing he can do is give you negative feedback on the new account.
But please, bid in good faith, and only do that if the boat is mis-represented.

 

[RWilson2526]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

I'm with everyone else...bought one sold one....I also use the "sort by distance" and looked locally that way I could go see it and also would not have to drive forever to pick it up. Listed a Grumman aluminum boat with outboard on craigslist for $1950 and did not get one inquiry. Put it on ebay the next week and sold for $2550.

 

[nimmor]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

My present boat I bought on E-bay and is the best one I have ever owned. I advice buying one localy. Ask the seller if you can come and see the boat before you buy. Most reputable sellers will let you do that and some will even hook up muffs and let you hear it run. I was even offered once to go out with the owner onto the river and try it out as long as we could do a little fishing while we were out there. There are good sellers and bad sellers so check the percentage of their feedback. I would only buy one with a clear title. Trying to register a boat with no title in most states is a paperwork nightmare if not impossible in some situtions.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

Well that feedback is a lot more positive than what I would have thought. I would have assumed that the adamant advice about thoroughly checking boats out with compression and water tests would have ruled the day. However T-daddys comment regarding asking the right questions as well as using conservative pay techniques makes a lot of sense.
I may just wade into an Ebay purchase....hmmmm...at least next season.

 

[Dakota47]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

I bought my current boat on E-Bay, payed $3000 cash in person, i could have backed out if i didnt like it, but it was Just as Described. Very nice.. take a look- 1987 Rinker V-180 OMC 4.3 V-6 cobra..

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

i bought all 3 of these on ebay. the black one is a 56 duracraft, $200 for the hull, the yamaha, i paid $500 and have never spent a cent on it. run like a new one, and is 15 years old. the red hull i paid $76.00 was perfect, and is in the process of being rigged.

 

[Jerico]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

I bought my '88 Fabuglas off of E-Bay. I also did the sort by location. Turned out the guy was about an hour and a half from here. I asked lots of questions and requested several pics. After he sent me a pile of pics, he volunteered that if I would give him $20 to help pay for the gas he would bring it to me.

I've replaced the bellows and rewired the trim. Otherwise it has been a fantastic purchase.

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

You know as a general statement of value you guys are getting way better bang for your buck down there U.S side. Up north of the border on the Canadian side equivalent boats to what I am seeing here are easily 50% more...perhaps double.
As an example Dakota...that Rinker up here would probably be $5000-$6500 in high season...easy...and T-Daddy...that kind of (great) money would just get you into lifejackets. Good on you guys!!!...you could sell me your boats and we would both still be making money!!
Anyhow this is why I will undoubtedly be buying my next boat state side of the line. As well the Cdn dollar has gained a bit of ground over the last couple of years so the purchases are much more reasonable even with the exchange. As for getting things across the border...its a minor amount of paperwork and it gets easier every day it seems.
Again with the feedback here on some of the positive ebay transactions I may end up buying it through that venue.

 

[rheyboer]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

I bought a boat on ebay because of the GARAGE it was in. It was immaculate. I figured "a guy this anal about his garage...". The garage was a little wierd so I asked him about it. Turns out he lives in one of those airport subdivisions with the landing strip going through all of the backyards. The boat was in his plane hanger! Anybody ever hear of a plane owner going cheap on maintanance? Me neither. Bought the boat without seeing it in person. On inspection even the bildge on this 20 year old boat was clean enough to eat out of. On ebay, just don't get carried away.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

Bought mine on Ebay also...Boat and trailer,1100 bucks!

 

[Bigprairie1]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

...Gary see what I mean about value? That boat up here is about $4000-5000. Good on ya to get it.
Thats the kind of value I'm going to be after.....jees, maybe I'll just put my budget purchase number out into the forum and see who comes up with the best boat for it? good idea or not?

 

[QuadManiac]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

Haven't bought a boat, but I have bought a motorhome, 2 quads, and a sandrail via eBay. All were within 120 miles so I could inspect before bidding.


Good Luck!

 

[arks]

Re: Buying a Boat on Ebay?

I didn't exactly buy my current boat on ebay, but I FOUND it there. It didn't sell during the auction but I kept the sellers contact info. A year later (after I sold my old boat) I contacted him and he was still interested in selling. I drove to NC and met my surveyor at the boat. The survey proved the boat's value and after phone and e-mail negotiations I flew back down and brought her 400 miles home. He saved the ebay fee and I didn't need to go thru a broker. It was a win-win situation. I would not EVER buy a boat (or any major item) from ebay without seeing it with my own eyes. Campylobacter (post #7) is exactly right- pictures may not show everything. If you're thinking of buying a boat for thousands of dollars then it's worth a long drive or plane ticket to see its condition for yourself.

IMO for any large boat, the key to a successful sale is a proper pre-purchase survey from a professional. I've saved a LOT of money and grief by using surveyors in the past- especially with the boats I DIDN'T buy- because the surveyor found big problems that I never saw.