purchasing a used boat over the internet.

[minaki]

How many used boats and motors are sold on the internet just by seeing photos sent to the buyer and telephone conversations with the seller, sometimes purchaser and seller are really along way from each other and not practical to spend the money and time to go see the boat.

[TR21HP]

Thats how I've sold my last two boats. Pictures, telephone calls and emails. One guy came from Washington, the other one from Green bay, Wisconsin. I drove down and picked up my current boat from Missouri with nothing but emails and telephone calls - thats kind of the way things are done now.

[minaki]

I hear you, will make an offer in the next couple of days,now should be the time to buy before ice starts to melt and prices start to firm up.

[JimBuck]

Make sure you get a chance to get it on the water and drive it as well. If they don't want to, I wouldn't buy it. It'd be an easy scenario for a guy to sell a lemon in the off season and say "there's nowhere to test it right now." Otherwise I know plenty of people that have purchased over the internet and enjoyed the experience. Good luck.

[marine_man]

It's one way to do the deal, I'd want to do a leak test, or at least a compression test on the motor to verify you're not getting something that's burned up.

marine_man

[SkunkedAgain]

I've searched for boats on the internet, but I always inspected the items before the money left my wallet. I've been burned on small internet purchases, so I won't let it happen on big items. It often seems that the "too-good-to-be-true" deals are always located just beyond your ability to verify their authenticity. Buyer beware.

[TSchultz]

When you go to pick it up make sure you do an on the water test. Give them $75 or something for their time if you don't end up buying it. Also do a compression test. My buddy bought a boat last summer and got burned on it. They wouldn't let us do an on the water test because they had "sooo many people interested." We did hook it up to the mickey mouse ears and at least started it; everything else looked nice and clean. The problem was that while it started and idled well there was very low compression in one of the cylinders. When he went back to the seller they said, "well it ran fine when I put it away." Yeah right!

So both he and I learned our lesson, except it was a spendy one for him as he needed to find a new motor.

[Tom Linderholm]

If you are really into the boat and feel it would be worth the money you may also contact a marine surveyor to check it out for you. Could be money well spent depending on how much your going to hand over for the boat.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

click, I won. Drove to Arkansas and brought it back. Never ran it, never even started it.

Maybe I was foolish, but I did do some investigating on the boat before I paid him. It worked out well and I got a good deal.

[Valv]

I sold dozens of boats online without any problem, and most of them were from customers far, far away.

I now work for one of these Online Auctions and we sell dozens of boats to Canadians, which they travel a long way to get them. Be sure ALL the paperwork is available, for both boat and trailer, otherwise you will not cross the border, titles, lien cards, vin numbers etc. everything has to be perfect.

If the seller represents the unit well, and replies your questions with good answers it's not a problem. My workplace also goes a long way to please the buyer, sometimes I don't agree with some issues but it's their way of business.

[Deitz Dittrich]

all the boats I have bought have been this way.. I always have them bring to a dealer and have them look at the eng and do testing.. So far I have not been burned yet.

[MuskieJunkie]

It might be possible to make your offer "pending a test drive".

I've bought and sold a lot of boats and never once water tested one, probably not the smartest move but it's worked out. I think standing in the guys driveway, talking to him, and looking around to see how he keeps his garage and truck can tell you a lot.

I sold a boat once where the guy drove 18 hours from Cananda and didn't even bother running it in my driveway, just walked around it, gave the $ and hooked up drove the 18 hours back.

On the other hand, if someone were out to burn somebody on a boat transaction the internet/sight un-seen purchase is how they would do it.

[TR21HP]

Same as Dietz, I have always had the boat taken to a service center and had complete diagnostics done on it before buying it.I have usually split the cost with the seller and never had a problem.

[minaki]

The boat and motor I am looking at is only 2yrs. old so I would have to think every thing is up to speed the motor has less then 15 hrs. on it and 4 yrs left on warranty.I will talk to dealer who sold the boat before I make my offer,I have seen photos of the boat and motor it looks brand new except for a couple of marked decals which can be replaced.

[TR21HP]

Good luck minaki, let us know when you get it and post some pictures.

[minaki]

Just closed the deal on 2006 Alumacraft Dominator 175 Sport[ Black] with 150 hp Suzuki stainless steel prop with 7 hrs.on motor and Karavan bunk trailer full canvas plus travel cover, 4 seats, vinyl floor, Minn kota pd 70 bow mount no a/p 2 Lowrance graphs one with gps,swim ladder,2 bank charger and usual paddles bumpers thrown in. the seller bought as non current model in 2008 very little use, hurry up spring.

[JohnMickish]

There are lots of ways to do this, but the two safest are either going thru a dealer or having it listed on that big online auction place where your major purchases are protected by paypal. Don't pay for it all until you see it to protect yourself and trust your gut. If you don't trust the guy or have a funny feeling about the deal, just walk away and call your trip a short vacation.

[TR21HP]

Nice! Minaki

[marine_man]

congrats on the purchase!

marine_man

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

Sweet rig, how much did you get it all for?

[minaki]

The boat was purchased in Ontario,Canada were everything is more expensive than the equivalent price in the USA ,it was 21,500 in US dollars and no sales tax as it is used,if I would have bought in the states and imported the boat I have to figure in the exchange on the dollar plus pst and gst taxes at the border and expenses in driving to pick up the boat, I know many Canadians have imported boats but the price has to be just right to make it economical decision

[bassNspear]

congrats on your purchase1