Bigplumbs
Well-Known Member
I don’t think that is true at all. I think you are over thinking things. Just post the add and see what happens.
BTW how would a buyer know you are over 70 ?
Apollo Duck - time wasters?
- Thread starter Halsey
- Start date
BTW how would a buyer know you are over 70 ?
Grubble
Well-Known Member
At the viewing the seller is still in their dressing gown.
colhel
Well-Known Member
There's nothing to stop you using Appollo Duck AND a broker. I do wonder though, given the above, if you might be better off storing and advertising her ashore especially at the moment you might get a cheaper Summer deal.
Seastoke
Well-Known Member
If you are unwell and don’t like people, then broker is your way , but they will want to have it to walk aboard. It depends who they are, when we went to the Thames to look at a forty footer , there was two problems they gave us the keys and said help yourself , so they were not selling really. When we got to the boat the saloon was soaking on the floor , the winderscreen was leaking but the was stunk , so a quick turn around but it had been there months. Took the key back and the broker never even asked what we thought . We had travelled from Burton waters to view , dove back to Lincoln and put a deposit down on a forty two foot. Just to note the broker on the Thames said if you don’t come today it will sell .
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Sailing steve
Well-Known Member
Me too. Says to me the vendor is experiencing many people turning up, taking one look and walking - or running - away.
It's actually bloody rude to call the walkers and runners time wasters and the vendor needs to stop being so arrogant and look a little closer to home to see who the real time waster is.
Obi
Well-Known Member
The world is seemingly full of very strange people when it comes to classifieds. Post an ad saying collection only and count the number of inquiries asking if you will post to such and such a place.
No end of "Is this available" inquiries that are responded to and never followed up. Bots?
FWIW. I sold my Oyster on Apolloduck, with a free ad. I had a couple of time wasters sending emails, but I knew the value of the yacht and priced accordingly and it sold quickly. There are usually buyers for the right thing at the right price. I had a simple and quick sale.
Email enables you to keep track of everything agreed, rather than verbally agreeing over the phone.
I would try this route before using a broker. But if it became intolerable due to time wasters, I might then reconsider. But I felt it worth trying Apolloduck before a broker and I am glad I did.
No end of "Is this available" inquiries that are responded to and never followed up. Bots?
FWIW. I sold my Oyster on Apolloduck, with a free ad. I had a couple of time wasters sending emails, but I knew the value of the yacht and priced accordingly and it sold quickly. There are usually buyers for the right thing at the right price. I had a simple and quick sale.
Email enables you to keep track of everything agreed, rather than verbally agreeing over the phone.
I would try this route before using a broker. But if it became intolerable due to time wasters, I might then reconsider. But I felt it worth trying Apolloduck before a broker and I am glad I did.
wonkywinch
Well-Known Member
Both FB Marketplace and Gumtree have "Is this still available" as the default text when you click on "message seller".
Height of laziness on the part of the enquirer.
Obi
Well-Known Member
Sounds like a reasonable explanation.
I suspect this is for the app users only. On Gumtree web I get no default text, so I guess that is why I never put the pieces together regarding the ubiquitous "Is it still available".
Thanks.
jakew009
Well-Known Member
The benefit of a broker is they will hopefully talk some sense into a seller.
How often do you see a boat advertised for some stupid price by an owner on a Facebook owners group (with the wording, “buy it now before I advertise it with a broker for £XX more”)
3 months later it’s still not sold but now advertised with a broker for 20% less than he was previously asking privately.
6 months later it’s gets another massive price cut with the broker saying “special spring offer, the price will be back up 20% if not sold this month” (yeah right).
9 months later it finally sells at huge discount to what was initially asked and the owner makes a farewell Facebook post saying what a tough market it is. No, you were just a clown with wildly unrealistic expectations what your fairly crappy old boat was worth.
How often do you see a boat advertised for some stupid price by an owner on a Facebook owners group (with the wording, “buy it now before I advertise it with a broker for £XX more”)
3 months later it’s still not sold but now advertised with a broker for 20% less than he was previously asking privately.
6 months later it’s gets another massive price cut with the broker saying “special spring offer, the price will be back up 20% if not sold this month” (yeah right).
9 months later it finally sells at huge discount to what was initially asked and the owner makes a farewell Facebook post saying what a tough market it is. No, you were just a clown with wildly unrealistic expectations what your fairly crappy old boat was worth.
oldbloke
Well-Known Member
I don't see much wrong with "is this still available " as an opening. Many people are slow in removing ads, especially brokers , and it may be under offer or about to be viewed. "What's your best price" as an opener does annoy. When I was selling my son's car for him (he was in Iraq in the army at the time) it happened so often that my response was "MY best price is£100,000 but will let it go for the advertised £10,000"
Seastoke
Well-Known Member
Ye but what is your best price and is it still available .
Halsey
Well-Known Member
For the benefit of others treading this path from my direct experience
Apollo Duck - expensive and a complete waste of time
Facebook - timewasters galore
eBay (classifieds) - excellent value and sold in 3 days to a great guy who was honest honourable and up front.
Apollo Duck - expensive and a complete waste of time
Facebook - timewasters galore
eBay (classifieds) - excellent value and sold in 3 days to a great guy who was honest honourable and up front.
Alicatt
Well-Known Member
We used boat24 and FB Marketplace to sell our last boat, FB was full of time wasters, Boat24 generated a few enquiries but it was FB that the buyer came from, and it was through FB that we had bought that boat originally.
Our present boat we bought through a dealer.
Had a message from the new owner of our last boat last week, they had bought the boat in Nov. last year and sailed her away from our marina in April this year, he said that him and his wife were really enjoying cruising with the boat.
Our present boat we bought through a dealer.
Had a message from the new owner of our last boat last week, they had bought the boat in Nov. last year and sailed her away from our marina in April this year, he said that him and his wife were really enjoying cruising with the boat.
Hot Property
Well-Known Member
I sold my Saver 690 on FB marketplace a few years ago.
It's a relatively rare boat in the UK.
I ignored all the messages saying it's only worth £15k.
Ignored best price messages.
The guy that bought it viewed it and agreed full asking price of £25k.
It's best to view FB as a contact method only, I always insist on them viewing anything I sell which is a commitment on their side.
The advantage is that you can reach a lot of potential buyers, for you to then filter....
It's a relatively rare boat in the UK.
I ignored all the messages saying it's only worth £15k.
Ignored best price messages.
The guy that bought it viewed it and agreed full asking price of £25k.
It's best to view FB as a contact method only, I always insist on them viewing anything I sell which is a commitment on their side.
The advantage is that you can reach a lot of potential buyers, for you to then filter....
Alicatt
Well-Known Member
Also ignore the ones that ask you to post it to them...
Or the ones that ask can I carry it on my bike...
ontheplane
Well-Known Member
Do I start high and come down or offer a genuine fixed price bargain looking for a quick sale? - Neither - you ask a reasonable price with a tiny bit of wiggle room - if you price to high people just won't enquire and if you price too low at a "fixed price" people will still try to haggle...
I think most people will TRY to get 30% off whatever price you ask - but if you hold firm and negotiate sensibly, and want a sensible price in the first place you should be able to sell. BUT don't be one of those people who have a dirty, neglected boat and want to get 30% more for it than newer, cleaner better condition ones....
It is unlikely that buyers will be "searching" looking for my boat as it isn't from a mainstream manufacturer in the UK so how do I make it stand out in buyers searches????????? - When I search for boats, I search for the length, age and price - I don't put in a make as there are so many. Unless someone has absolutely set themselves on a certain model I think many will do the same. But do accept that a Cruisers may fetch less than a similar age / size boat from makers such as Sea Ray / Crownline etc - I don't know they will, I just suspect they might - having said that, they are a lot more common than they were......
ontheplane
Well-Known Member
I would also use a broker if I lived 90 mins away from the boat - if you are 20 min away it's not too bad - but if you are that far away, nothing worse than driving to the boat for someone not to bother turning up.
Bitter-End
Member
Funny how is is the 4th tune I see "time wasters" mentioned within a few weeks on different forums.
It's a buyers market. If you want to sell, make an effort. If you don't want to sell, hire a broker.
And what's a time waster? According to the complaints I've read, it's people who want to view the boat, but aren't buying?
I was in the market to buy in the past 2 years.
Viewed a few. Wasted someone's time I guess. Mine mostly.
Boat isn't as advertised, or
Boat looks like a scrapheap with corrosion everywhere that the ad doesn't mention and the pictures don't show.
One boat I was interested in had sat in the water for years with growth 5 inches tick, seller had a buddy do the viewing and couldn't tell me anything at all, only started the engine to show it runs. Couldn't tell me if a test drive was in the cards. That boat just wasn't prepared to be sold at all, zero effort.
Shame that because I was prepared to buy it on the spot.
"time wasters" aren't always time wasters. Don't want to put the effort in to sell? You're wasting MY time, YOU'RE the one who has something to gain.
Selling a boat myself at the moment. Boat is ready, as advertised, and can be taken out at a moments notice.
Boats aren't selling at all here, any attention at all is welcome. If someone views and/or tests the boat, and it's not entirely to their liking, so what, do we expect them to know, from a few pictures and a short description, exactly how the boat looks and feels? Make a decision to buy even without having seen the boat?
Is that how you all buy a house, or car?
It's a buyers market. If you want to sell, make an effort. If you don't want to sell, hire a broker.
And what's a time waster? According to the complaints I've read, it's people who want to view the boat, but aren't buying?
I was in the market to buy in the past 2 years.
Viewed a few. Wasted someone's time I guess. Mine mostly.
Boat isn't as advertised, or
Boat looks like a scrapheap with corrosion everywhere that the ad doesn't mention and the pictures don't show.
One boat I was interested in had sat in the water for years with growth 5 inches tick, seller had a buddy do the viewing and couldn't tell me anything at all, only started the engine to show it runs. Couldn't tell me if a test drive was in the cards. That boat just wasn't prepared to be sold at all, zero effort.
Shame that because I was prepared to buy it on the spot.
"time wasters" aren't always time wasters. Don't want to put the effort in to sell? You're wasting MY time, YOU'RE the one who has something to gain.
Selling a boat myself at the moment. Boat is ready, as advertised, and can be taken out at a moments notice.
Boats aren't selling at all here, any attention at all is welcome. If someone views and/or tests the boat, and it's not entirely to their liking, so what, do we expect them to know, from a few pictures and a short description, exactly how the boat looks and feels? Make a decision to buy even without having seen the boat?
Is that how you all buy a house, or car?
Alicatt
Well-Known Member
Time wasters, I don't count any one having a genuine interest in actually asking pertinent questions or wanting to come and view as a time waster whether they made an offer or not. Happy to take folk to view the boat and answer any questions.
We had 4 sets of people come to look at the boat we were selling, the fourth couple came back for a second look and bought it.
However on the road to them, you get the time wasters, as I put in the post before, "can you post it?" yeah well a 7.5m 2tonne river cruiser, yeah sure, are you going to cover the postage? The lonely just widowed guy that was only looking for someone to chat with, Boat24 is not a dating site! another just wanted to talk about his dog, or can you carry the boat on a bike? sure! Then there are the ones that want to pay you more than you are asking if you can refund the difference.
Those are the time wasters, and there were dozens of them with variations of above.
At times you despaired with some of the questions you get asked, did they actually read the advert????
We had 4 sets of people come to look at the boat we were selling, the fourth couple came back for a second look and bought it.
However on the road to them, you get the time wasters, as I put in the post before, "can you post it?" yeah well a 7.5m 2tonne river cruiser, yeah sure, are you going to cover the postage? The lonely just widowed guy that was only looking for someone to chat with, Boat24 is not a dating site! another just wanted to talk about his dog, or can you carry the boat on a bike? sure! Then there are the ones that want to pay you more than you are asking if you can refund the difference.
Those are the time wasters, and there were dozens of them with variations of above.
At times you despaired with some of the questions you get asked, did they actually read the advert????
Bitter-End
Member
I think those examples you posted would be different from what op meant.
His question was "how to filter out time wasters and dreamers". Your examples would be easy to filter out, obviously.
I assume what op meant is people who do express interest in the boat and want a viewing, (op mentioned he lives 1.5 hours away from said boat) but don't buy due to, what OP assumes, no genuine interest in buying.
Answering (or ignoring) stupid questions doesn't take lot of effort or time, nor is it difficult to filter those out.