A Questions about brokers. Why, when I asked

[Sneds]

if I could see a copy of the survey that the owner had carried out a year ago, was I told "only after you have had an offer accepted and paid a deposit"? (How easy would it be, if I changed my mind after reading the survey and I didn't like something I saw, wou;d it be to get my deposit back?)
I asked the broker the same same question and was told it was to protect his client's interests and they do get a lot of time wasters.
This was after confirming that I will be driving 130 miles to come and view the boat.
I understand that the survey belongs to the guy that paid for it, (and a lot can also happen in a year) and surely by coming to view the boat from 130 miles away must show some sort of sincerity?
Had I just turned up wanting to go for a ride I could understand, but it is, afterall, just a few sheets of paper.
The broker has also said, as a result of my request, that the owner will bring along a bundle of invoices and service receipts "which is very nice of him!"
Surely he should be using any sales tool available to try and get me to make an offer?
If someone walked into the office where my boat is listed I would like to think that the broker would bombard the potential buyer with "bits of paper and invoices"
Sorry if I am going on a bit ........ but surely he wants to sell the boat? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Am I missing something here?
PS I am going for a look on Sunday and if you are the broker or owner no offence is meant. Just an innocent question /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Nick_H]

If the survey report was good he'd show it to you, I wouldn't waste the petrol.

 

[RobWales]

Guess there must be something to hide there,keep us informed!

 

[thefatlady]

In the same situation last year, I obtained, without question, a copy of the report plus all bills/service receipts before making an offer. I did subsequently make an offer and paid a deposit. In the event, I decided not to proceed for other reasons and had no trouble getting my deposit back.

Be suspicious!
Be very suspicious!

 

[volvopaul]

Name and shame him but do it cryptically, I have just sold my Fairline and am looking to move up a size and newer so dont want to be dealing with any timewaster brokers. There must be something wrong with the boat so why would he want you to waste your time and money on a survey for a dud boat when he could try and interest you in something else he may have to offer, that way he wins.

 

[segaerta]

Interesting on the deposit part (and getting it back or not).
As I'm also moving up beginning of next year, our search is to be started soon. Never dealt with brokers really. What would be the correct process ... phone / mail / photo exchange, then on site visit, eventually sea trial (you may for example like the boat but its ride / performance may not be what you expect with the installed engine pack), pay deposit, etc.
Is that the normal order or is it typically first deposit and then sea trial ? Are brokers normally offering a trial or do you always have to pay a deposit. What suggestions can the panel make to avoid unnecessary trips etc ?

By the way, am thinking to exclude Targa 37 (too small ?), rather focusing on a 2000-2001 model V40-42 or S41-S43, eventually 1998-1999 Camargue 44. Anyone selling next year ?

Alain

 

[DogsBody]

Can't see any reason for not showing you the survey before a price was agreed and offer accepted. If it had anything nasty on it, I doubt the owner would have given it to the broker and if its good reading, why wouldn't he want you to see it?

I've seen previous survey reports when looking at buying a boat in the past no problem and have always made them available to broker / prospective purchasers when selling a boat. I would very much like a potential purchaser to see an old survey before agreeing an offer as when he then has his own survey report done, as most would, I wouldn't take a reduction on anything his survey finds that was also mentioned in my old report as he knew about it before making his offer.

Darren.

 

[Sneds]

Hi Alain and welcome, the prefered process seems to be:
View the boat
Agree a price
Pay a deposit
Sea trial and survey
Complete the sale, pay and take the boat away
or.. withdraw, with valid reason and get deposit back!

 

[muckypup]

The report on Harlequin was so good, I was thinking about hanging a copy off the bows... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

S.

 

[Sneds]

ha ha NICE!

 

[thailand69]

No reason at all not to let you see it. Indeed I can see no reason why you could not be provided with a copy. As a buyer an old survey is to me a big plus (even though I cannot rely on it).

If I was selling I would definately make a copy available to a buyer, but I would prefer to talk him through it (some things sound worse that they are) or at the minimum have added my own notes onto the survey about what has and has not been done. (or what the reality is!).

I would not let it automatically put you off the boat, probably just another moron broker!

 

[peterb26]

The last time I was buying - we got to the point where I wanted it surveyed and the broker said "I need you to sign a contract and pay a returnable deposit".

I said "fine" - contract turns up (standard MCA one) with, handwritten across the middle, "No further price reductions after the survey has commenced".

Pardon??

I rang them up and said "bye-bye".

 

[hlb]

Broker I bought my boat off, faxed me the survey. It just said it was mucky!!! which sounded about right. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[Nautorius]

Hi Sneddon,

I have my boat up for sale with a broker and have a Survey from last year and all service reciepts for 3 years since new. I asked the broker if he wanted them and he intoned that he would prefer to wait until we had an offer otherwie he would have loads of paperwork on all boats for sale.

It may therefore be genuine policy. I am sure if you insist he will arrange them for you as he probably does not have them. I signed a Form to say I had them and he took my word as it is my boat so why would I lie?

So what type of boat are you looking for! Another Sealine?

Cheers

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[fireball]

What a crap excuse!
Too much paperwork? Jeeze - there are solutions to that ...

Wack all the important documents into a new photocopier that scans to PDF .... you then have all the documents you need to sell the boat in one virtual folder ... takes no real space and is easily distributed as and when nessersary.... originals available from the seller.

 

[Sneds]

Not another Sealine, this is a Falcon 27 with twin diesels.
Not familiar with theses boats but seems to be quite roomy inside for her size.

Cheers

Iain

 

[aquaholic]

Sounds like a load of tosh, in my experience the broker should be in possesion of all paperwork appertaing to a boat on their books which is normally made available to interested parties. It goes in a specially designed cardboard storage device called a folder and in turn stored in a large steel box know in the trade i believe as a filing cabinet.
Tell them, no survey no offer, if they still refuse save yourself a load of grief and walk away.

 

[oldgit]

Could just be that some boat buyers likely to be purchasing a boat for the first time via a broker,would not know a good/bad survey if it bit them on the bum and would need to rely on other factors as to if the boat was sound or not.The report could work for and against the seller,but the broker only gets paid by the vendor.
Suspect that 99% of housebuyers would run a mile if they had to have a FULL structural survey on any house they were buying and the survey revealed the full horrors lurking in most older and not so old properties,and without wiser heads advising that this or that can safely be ignored,nothing would ever get sold.?
Relying on somebody elses survey which could be well out of date,inaccurate and hiding a multitude of sins is not a good idea.Just look at the number of moneypits moaned about on here which have been purchased complete with a nice favourable survey attached.

 

[gjgm]

been through this recently, so here are my thoughts.
-is the broker YBDSA? Good start if so, but be aware its only a CODE, not legally binding
-its easy to get this done in the wrong order which potentially seriously exposes you.
-dont make an offer until you have seen everything you want.And I mean physically see. original bill of sale (may be with mortgage co)/VAT, all service records- and read them,all boat instructions/warranty etc,bills of sale. Any paperwork that you can think of. You dont however have any entitlement to the previous survey.
Its very easy to find you are 3/4 of the way through this, sent of lots of dosh, and in fact all you have is the "word" of a broker that you know nothing about, that all the really important docs are in order- and chances are he might not have seen them either.
Even the client a/c isnt that watertight-I mean, the broker of course has free access to it. So in the end, your protection is only still down to how honest he is.
I didnt have any problem at all, but my goodness, I can see how easy it is for it to go awry. Remember, the broker is only the agent; you are buying from the other person.
Next time, I d def say I m very serious about buying, but this is the way I will work. If thats ok, lets go ahead, if not, good luck finding another buyer. I know some get a solicitor to handle it (that must really pee off the broker!!).
Its your money; be as sensible with it buying a boat as you would be with anything else.
Its a really floppy process given the amounts of money involved.
Good luck with the hunt, though!