Another broker thread

Tranona said:
Fine. If you had explained all this from the beginning instead of flying off with half a story that has big holes in it but leads you to make unfounded accusations about the broker. They are busy people and 4 or 5 days of miscommunication is not unusual.

As I said earlier not sure what you hoped to achieve by posting here although you did get good advice to establish a clear line of communication which you now seem to have done. I know it is frustrating but that is not unusual when trying to arrange things like this at a distance.

I hope your viewing goes well and the boat lives up to your expectations, but please don't make an offer based on just an external view on the mooring. You know from your part experiences that buying a boat is not a trivial activity and best take a deep breath, properly inspect the boat, its gear and its provenance. There is no need to rush as it seems from what you now say there is not another potential buyer in the running.

Good lluck
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I can’t recall ever buying a previous boat and then raising an issue other than an item included on the sales inventory that subsequently was not included.
If you do please remind me.
Steveeasy
 
steveeasy said:
I can’t recall ever buying a previous boat and then raising an issue other than an item included on the sales inventory that subsequently was not included.
If you do please remind me.
Steveeasy
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Exactly what I was thinking of. The lesson then was to check and double check what it is you are committing to buy. The lesson remains good today - buying a boat based on a view on its mooring on the river is not a good idea. Buying a used boat is invariably stressful, so best go with the well established process, recognising that it could take weeks rather than days.
 
I quite understand the OP’s position, I’ve bought more than one boat sight unseen and without survey, so foolish as it might seem, it does happen. I’m also profoundly deaf so using the phone is a total non starter and communication has to be by text or email - luckily so far I’ve never encountered any reluctance to discuss things using those methods and I think as a selling business where the businesses raison d’etre is to flog boats, I’d be as equally frustrated (pissed off) if I’d been treated in the same way as the OP. Frankly I find it surprising that people are making excuses for the broker.
 
A professional person working for a company selling things doesn't answer emails is wrong and not in the sellers interest.
Phoning a prospective purchaser thinking that they are someone else is wrong and not in the sellers best interests.

They are being paid to do a job just like a shop assistant.

Two people picking a fight is wrong and not in the forums best interests.
 
Mister E said:
Two people picking a fight is wrong and not in the forums best interests.
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Nobody has picked a fight. Some people have provided what they thought was useful advice to the OP’s predicament. He has taken umbrage at not everyone sharing his outrage. Everyone agreeing on everything and only seeing things through one lens is not in the forum’s (or even the OP’s) best interest. If he didn’t actually want input I’m not sure why he posted. If he wants to control the narrative and use his writing as an outlet for life’s frustrations rather than seeking a dialogue he should start a blog.

Wandering Star said:
Frankly I find it surprising that people are making excuses for the broker.
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I’m not sure anyone is making excuses for the broker or saying he’s doing a good job - but I think suggestions of reporting the broker to their trade body after 1 week of failed comms are comical. This site is full of old men who at some point have made it through life far enough to be boat owners, and so presumably reasonably successful, I’m not sure how they managed that without encountering and overcoming challenges like not everyone responding in the the style and pace they expect.
 
A Broker is supposed to be a salesperson they are engaged to sell an item. They as part of their job they are supposed to deal with time wasters.
However if they put an email address as a form of communication then it is entirely reasonable to expect them to answer emails. It it turns out to be a waste of time then that is their problem.
If they get an email offering the full asking price unseen. Their reply to the email should be how and when is payment going to be made.

Brokers are no different than any other sales person they are there to sell the item.
 
Irish Rover said:
Your first contribution to the thread was to tell the OP "you are making no sense". Not picking a fight, yeah! Useful advice?
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It was advice because his post didn’t make much sense, and if his emails were similarly garbled he probably didn’t come across like a serious buyer.

Picking a fight would be deciding I don’t like someone and then everytime they post attacking them with weird references to being a bot and an algorithm. I don’t have any issue with Steve, and as far as I know haven’t stalked him round the forum looking for arguments - if he feels I have I assure him there is no intent and it’s a sign he writes a good thread title to lure me in.
 
Hey I’m not feeling I’ll treated or the like. I posted on the forum as I was frustrated my continued emails failed to be responded to by a professional salesperson.

it was the standard run of the thread. Of course it was not going to achieve anything and it did not.

It’s fair to say I’ve a history of similar issues of which none of them are really important. The critical factor is why? And this is where we or some of us disagree.

Far too complex matter to discuss on a forum. What I can tell you is I don’t mislead. I don’t lie. I don’t pick fights and quite frankly can’t be bothered.

My emails to this broker were simply ignored cos he could not be bothered to respond. Clearly he can’t be bothered with viewings. He kept calling me by mistake and I kept being friendly. I told him I’d like to view this weekend and he was vague. I then emailed 2 more times on Friday and still no reply. On Saturday I emailed him and mentioned I’d messaged him 8 times and been called in error 3 times and it was rude and unprofessional to ignore correspondence. I suggested he might get a bad review if he did not respond and he did.

Problem solved. Now I’ve taken no notice regarding any critical comments about my method of communicating. I respect Tranona and ylop advice regarding trusted methods in purchasing a boat.

I’ve no ill feeling towards anyone. I’ll even appologise to Tranona for becoming frustrated over his opinions. I think he’s probably a bit blinkered in life but hey arnt we all.
Let’s be positive.

Steveeasy
 
I'm a bit confused. If the bloke selling the boat has called you, even if he got the wrong name, you have spoken to him. Could you not just correct him as to who you are and what your interest is and then arrange a viewing or make an offer? A simple question like "is the boat for sale?" would lead the conversation to where you need it to go.
 
If I choose to buy a boat unseen then the broker should take the money if the offer is acceptable.

Buyers arnt here to serve brokers, brokers need to work proactively to sell a boat for their clients.

All I expect is reasonable and proactive service. Yes it’s a service.

It’s true I’ve no idea if any other interested parties are involved or specifically where the boat is. But the broker has agreed for me to look at it.

He could have told me if anything was pending or where it is exactly but he did not. I do know his birthday though and he’s not arround most of the time.

What a funny world.
Steveeasy
 
Buck Turgidson said:
I'm a bit confused. If the bloke selling the boat has called you, even if he got the wrong name, you have spoken to him. Could you not just correct him as to who you are and what your interest is and then arrange a viewing or make an offer? A simple question like "is the boat for sale?" would lead the conversation to where you need it to go.
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Hello,!!
Yes I’ve spoken to him. I did mention he was in a rush. Yes I agree one would assume a conversation would lead in the right direction. I’d explained I could view over the weekend very early on. Hence why I continued to follow up with emails confirming such like.

I suspect he hoped to sell to other interested parties. But he hasn’t or has he!!! That’s why it might have been helpful if he’d bloody bothered to reply.

No big deal. It’s pretty normal nowadays. We have to adapt to the norm nowadays.

Steveeasy
 
There are many threads on these forums - maybe mostly the Lounge - where sellers complain about offers that are too good to be true: full price, sight unseen etc - that lead to attempts to steal bank account details or the items that are for sale.

I would think that someone in the business of selling things sees these sorts of thing often and blacklists the numbers and addresses associated.

The broker has probably had to sit through endless training courses about not responding to phishing and other types of scam.

Net outcome being that some genuine offers will appear to raise red flags.

If the boat is still of interest and for sale I would suggest starting again from a different email address or number and with a neutral question such as:

I saw boat X on your website. If it is still for sale I’d like to make an appointment for a viewing at a mutually convenient time.
Yours,

Mr S X Easy
 
Ive dealt with a good handful of brokers over the last few years and its all been a cinch. make a call, agree a time.. go see a boat. Admittedly they can be a bit surly but then it must be a frustrating game following someone like me as I walk around sucking my teeth and finding endless issues, but then surely thats the game... isn't it?
 
benjenbav said:
There are many threads on these forums - maybe mostly the Lounge - where sellers complain about offers that are too good to be true: full price, sight unseen etc - that lead to attempts to steal bank account details or the items that are for sale.

I would think that someone in the business of selling things sees these sorts of thing often and blacklists the numbers and addresses associated.

The broker has probably had to sit through endless training courses about not responding to phishing and other types of scam.

Net outcome being that some genuine offers will appear to raise red flags.

If the boat is still of interest and for sale I would suggest starting again from a different email address or number and with a neutral question such as:

I saw boat X on your website. If it is still for sale I’d like to make an appointment for a viewing at a mutually convenient time.
Yours,

Mr S X Easy
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This is not some average bloke selling something.
This is a professional working for a company that also uses a client account to ensure that the funds are available at the time of transfer of ownership.
As I stated the simpy give the information to transfer the agreed amount no more no less.
 
As a broker, we have sold boats sight unseen, but any offer to buy on that basis means we work hard to establish why, and whether the offer is with or without survey. It is difficult to recommend to the owner selling that he or she should accept a sight unseen offer with survey, even if for the full asking price. That will take to boat off the market for weeks pending survey and report, and the buyer can then get a string of boatyard quotes for fixing everything including very minor cosmetics, and then come back with a hugely reduced offer. So 4 to 8 weeks later the boat is back on the market, and the next buyer sees surveyors scrape marks on the AF and wonders what was so horribly wrong to put off the previous buyer.

Without survey, if the buyer puts down 10% part payment (not a refundable deposit) at worst case the seller gets that 10% and can re-offer the boat for sale. There still has to be a good reason for not viewing the boat, usually distance, before we can recommend an owner accepts this.

The last sight unseen sale we brokered was for someone who was not even in the country, but knew the model well, saw our good detailed photos and made an offer subject to survey, with a verbal assurance that he would not try to renegotiate on minor issues after survey. All went well, though we really much prefer buyers to see the boat first.

Finally - yes there are scammers. Usually obvious, some less so. Part of our work for the owner is weeding them out, and making sure the money transactions are safe. Once we get to the stage of discussing money, we switch from our normal email account to an encrypted one, with buyer and seller getting personal passwords to access only their emails.
 
jwilson said:
As a broker, we have sold boats sight unseen, but any offer to buy on that basis means we work hard to establish why, and whether the offer is with or without survey. It is difficult to recommend to the owner selling that he or she should accept a sight unseen offer with survey, even if for the full asking price. That will take to boat off the market for weeks pending survey and report, and the buyer can then get a string of boatyard quotes for fixing everything including very minor cosmetics, and then come back with a hugely reduced offer. So 4 to 8 weeks later the boat is back on the market, and the next buyer sees surveyors scrape marks on the AF and wonders what was so horribly wrong to put off the previous buyer.

Without survey, if the buyer puts down 10% part payment (not a refundable deposit) at worst case the seller gets that 10% and can re-offer the boat for sale. There still has to be a good reason for not viewing the boat, usually distance, before we can recommend an owner accepts this.

The last sight unseen sale we brokered was for someone who was not even in the country, but knew the model well, saw our good detailed photos and made an offer subject to survey, with a verbal assurance that he would not try to renegotiate on minor issues after survey. All went well, though we really much prefer buyers to see the boat first.

Finally - yes there are scammers. Usually obvious, some less so. Part of our work for the owner is weeding them out, and making sure the money transactions are safe. Once we get to the stage of discussing money, we switch from our normal email account to an encrypted one, with buyer and seller getting personal passwords to access only their emails.
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That's all very reasonable. However, as I read it, the OP was only considering a sight unseen offer because the broker was not responding to his numerous requests for a viewing appointment. What would your opinion be of a broker who has responded as outlined by the OP?
 
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