Brokers! How to mess up selling a Samphire 23

[JREdginton]

I have been looking for a small sea kindly cruiser for some time and stumbled across a Samphire 23 for sale on the south coast. So, thinking this may be the one to prize my wallet open I emailed the brokers. This is part of the reply...

[ QUOTE ]
We would be pleased to discuss this boat with you, if you would care to call and to then subsequently send your further information if this helps. We do receive a number of enquires for a lot of information where no contact details other than email are given that turn out to be false. One earlier in the week was from a ‘Richard Byles’ which was false and is obvious when you pronounce the surname

[/ QUOTE ]

I am absolutely gob-smacked, /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif first off, who are they to judge Mr Byles surname as real or not? And secondly /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif, all I wanted was some additional info before driving 300 miles to view a boat. Not an unreasonable request for additonal info, using a medium the brokers offer, namely email. Why should I have to reveal all my personal contact details to the broker, will he give me his address and home phone number? I think not. If they want people to use snail-mail or phones why offer email as a medium?

So, if one of your friends has a Samphire 23 for sale on the south coast can you let them know what a pigs ear the brokers are making of trying to sell it (I am sure the percentage is scary too) and get them to PM me via YBW. I really am interested, but not from Mr Smith (that is the brokers name, or so he claims /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif )

Phew, rant over, I can go eat my dinner now without getting indigestion /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[Norman_E]

Is it This One?

 

[JREdginton]

Thats the one. I like the comment ...

[ QUOTE ]
This is a new listing - please call for further details whilst the website is updated

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't think I will now, not after that reply, I would choke on the thought of that broker taking a penny from either me or the owner. Dammed fools could turn me into a Hurley owner after all. Do you know the owner?

 

[Guest]

I really sympathise ........... the brokers concerned are a real PITA when its not a big boat or big profit job. I was a purchaser some years ago and had similar attitude from them ... I take it is the "Yacht Brokers based in Chichester" - to my mind "snotty snooty individuals".........

I suggest you contact Thornham Marina guys where it appears the boat is ?? ..... it is a nice place and people there are friendly .......... it may be worth the drive down,its a nice area for family etc .......... at least you won't hopefully have same dismissive BS .....

Samphire is a good design boat ... hope you succeed !!

 

[Frontier]

Not excusing the response you got above, but their contact page, only requires responses to

Name
Email address
Subject
Comment

They can’t really answer with much less.

Why not apply through their contact page.

web page

Pointing out you are genuinely interested in the boat and that you found their previous reply a bit surprising, and with a 300 mile drive to view you would like some more details first.

If they are still of the same attitude you can come back on here and let everyone know they are consistently not worth dealing with.

 

[Swanrad2]

What a gorgeopus boat!

There once was a place called Nationwide sold little boats at good prices, it lasted for years, then closed. A great shame, there will never be another one, so tighten your belts and start applying for your next marine mortgage- happy days.

 

[Rabbie]

That is astonishing!. I read your post and thought - that sounds like a certain Mr Smith at a place near Emsworth who I wrote to about 15 years ago and I got a similar idiotic reply to my enquiry. It appears it may be so!. The details he sent me then about a boat I was interested in was better than a Morecambe and Wise script!.

 

[Guest]

[ QUOTE ]
What a gorgeopus boat!

There once was a place called Nationwide sold little boats at good prices, it lasted for years, then closed. A great shame, there will never be another one, so tighten your belts and start applying for your next marine mortgage- happy days.

[/ QUOTE ]

I hope you are not quoting a nationwide boat sales ............. £$%^&*()

 

[PeteCooper]

Nationwide is still open : http://www.nationwideboatsales.co.uk/
but is now, I believe, just a web based advertising space.

 

[Swanrad2]

I liked nationwide boat sales, place was great. To judge by your (last but one) post, you didn't agree?

 

[Guest]

Having spent many hours in their yard ........... I ask why they had cheaper boats .............. I have good reason to question .....

But yes .... good bargains could be had....

QED

 

[JREdginton]

Call the marina, doh, silly me didn't even think that far ahead. will give it a try, has got to be wortht he cost of a call as I would really like to get my hands on the boat. Cheers for the input.

 

[JREdginton]

[ QUOTE ]
Name
Email address
Subject
Comment


[/ QUOTE ]

That is the info I gave them, the info they asked me for and you have seen the reply. The reason I placed the enquiry on-line is exactly what you pointed out, a 300 mile drive on spec is not going to happen, it'll cost me £150 in fuel, accomodation and 36 hours.

If they want more info, make it clear in advance and ensure e-forms can not be submitted until ALL fields are completed.

 

[JREdginton]

It truely is a gorgeous boat and I don't expect it to be free either. But to get a response like this is beyond the pail. If brokers are permitted to conduct sale in such a manner then no wonder the yachting comunnity is frowned upon by so many outside folks.

 

[JREdginton]

My god, how do they stay in business? In any other service industry you would be out of pocket so fast your bank manager would be taking your shirt. Over prices services from over rated idiots maybe? I have dealt with many brokers over the years and this is by far one of the worst cases I have come across. I hope Mr Smith is reading this, maybe he will be a little more careful in future. He needs to remember that this weeks smalll boat buyer may be next weeks big buck customer, and that customer may have a memory.

 

[Frontier]

Sorry I didn't read it right, I agree they have had their chance, and I fully support your response to Rabbie regarding treatment of small buyers. They forget the bigger customers still need to shift their old boat. Its a bit short sighted not to encourage the chain of buyers.

 

[JREdginton]

Not to worry /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif We can only hope that one day customer pressure will remove folks like this from the system /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif But in 15 years of yachting I have not noticed it happening so I doubt it /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

The problem is not only confined to brokers though, as a small boat owner I have experienced this from swindleries, yacht clubs and sailing schools (seldom when I have rocked up on someone elses Vic 34, Oyster 39 or Swan 40 though, odd that /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif )! The funniest thing is most of those casting judgments are more likley to be found doing a round of the bar than a round of the atlantic /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif But, and this is the saving grace, the majority of people within the sailing community are not like this, phewwww /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[davidpbo]

[ QUOTE ]
There once was a place called Nationwide sold little boats at good prices, it lasted for years, then closed.

[/ QUOTE ]

I second that! It was a great place to go to look at a good range of boats. We didn't buy a boat from there but recommended it to friends of ours because we found them easy to deal with who did. Our friends were also able to offload a badly damaged boat of thiers to somone on the site who was going to repair it. They do still have a web presence here but I have no recent dealings with them and don't know what they are like. A dry yard in the middle of the country (Chesterfield) with in easy reach of a large population base seemed a good idea. I think the land went for housing.

 

[IzzyDeadyet]

[ QUOTE ]
A dry yard in the middle of the country (Chesterfield) with in easy reach of a large population base seemed a good idea. I think the land went for housing.

[/ QUOTE ]

I always broke my journeys up the M1 at Nationwide. Much more fun than Trowell services. Sad to learn it's gone. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
But not forgotten