Whats the best place to get a used boat.

[BugsBunnyBoater]

Which do you think has less risk for the new buyer? Buying from ad you find on Craigslist, a boat you see in a front yard, an used boat from a company that deals in boats?

1) The price might be great but most new buyers don't know what they don't know. So you might get the deal of your life of a deal you will try to forget the rest of your life.

2)You get a chance to know the owner a lot better with less buzz over the boat. But personally I have seem to many people selling Grand Paws boat with no title. In Texas No title = No go

3) Hopefully a business will stick by the sell some. Hopefully they can do your paperwork right. Higher price buy hopefully a piece of mind.

What you think?

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Whats the best place to get a used boat.

you can get equally screwed with an equal pile of crap from ANY source.... If you don't know what to look for, either learn BEFORE buying or find someone who does know.... If it is to be an expensive boat ALWAYS get a survey with a sea trial before buying.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Whats the best place to get a used boat.

Concur, anyone, even dealers, can sell you a crap boat so no matter where you get it you need to know what you are looking at and what to look for.

I got my boat from an ad in the newspaper, remember those?, I delt with the guy face to face and I got a really good read that he was a good guy selling a good boat and as hard as it is to find the right boat you need to use any and all resources you can.

Tell anyone that will listen that you are looking and what you are looking for, the more eyes you get in the search the better.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Whats the best place to get a used boat.

I have bought boats from both dealer/brokers and owners directly. Either way can be good or bad. There is nothing about the source that assures you of getting a good boat & a good deal. That is up to you to figure out.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Whats the best place to get a used boat.

the best place is from someone you know or a referal from a friend, and even better, someone who knows boats and how to maintain them, and describe problems correctly.

Often when you buy from a commercial seller you get a brief warranty, and a place to return the boat to. Downside is that the seller doesn't know the boat's history.

With private sales, there is great value in getting a sense about the seller, and whether he has his stuff squared away, and is likely to tell the truth and to have taken reasonable care of the boat. Even then you have to factor in the risk that the seller doesn't know, despite best efforts, about aspects of the boat motor. He also might not know twhat his teenager did.

To answer the question completely, though, you have to factor in the other side: what are the buyer's skills and knowledge, and what is he looking for? A fixer upper or a reliable turn-key?

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Whats the best place to get a used boat.

My state is not a title state, and they don't even license boat trailers. Everything's done by bill of sale. If I purchase a used boat that has a bank's lien filing by a UCC-1 Financing Statement, the seller may take the money and run--not paying the lienholder.

I certainly don't want a big, hairy repo man coming into my yard in the middle of the night and hauling my "new" boat off. It's the banks's right, however.

If you're in a non-title state, be sure to check with your Secretary of State to verify if there is a UCC-1 lien filing in place. If you are buying a boat with a lien, you'll need to complete the sale at the bank/credit union that has the lien, and get a release of that lien on the spot. Then, the release has to be filed with the Secretary of State to insure you have full ownership.

Purchasing any used boat from an individual can be a risk. It can also be risky buying at a boat/auto dealership, as they most often also owe a bank for the boat in their "floorplan." The internet is full of frauds, and you've especially got to be careful dealing on EBayMotors.com. Just be careful.