Simonbb2009
Member
Just curious as to what you get from a buying a boat from a broker over a private sale. What are the benefits from buying from a broker?
appreciate your thougths on this.
appreciate your thougths on this.
Buying from a broker
- Thread starter Simonbb2009
- Start date
No Regrets
Well-Known Member
Thames boat sales, in my considerable experience, treat customers absolutely by the book and in addition to this, offer good honest advice which could save you lots of cash.
All the paperwork is completed to perfection and the choice of boats is good too.
Not all brokers are up to scratch apparently, but it seems the Thames has some worthy ones.
I'll use them next time too!
All the paperwork is completed to perfection and the choice of boats is good too.
Not all brokers are up to scratch apparently, but it seems the Thames has some worthy ones.
I'll use them next time too!
apollo
...
Agree with NoRegrets - would recommend ThamesBoatSales every time. Dominic reads these pages a lot every bit as much as I do although he will fiercly deny it (aint that right Dominic???)
Main advantage is they do a search on title to ensure that the vendor actually owns the boat and doesnt owe any finance company any money.
That may not sound much, but if you shell out a hundred grand and then the finance company reposess it you could be a tad upset.
Other benefits is advice along the way if you have not done this before.
Main advantage is they do a search on title to ensure that the vendor actually owns the boat and doesnt owe any finance company any money.
That may not sound much, but if you shell out a hundred grand and then the finance company reposess it you could be a tad upset.
Other benefits is advice along the way if you have not done this before.
Gavi
Well-Known Member
We are now buying our second boat and have gone via broker. We did look at non-broker craft, but found the other advice here to be correct. Also, the lifts/surveys have been much easier to arrange due to proximity.
Ramage
Well-Known Member
We bought "Carli" from Thames Boat Sales at Thames & Kennet Marina, and we are now selling her through them at Bray.
Ian & Dominic have been really helpful throughout the procedure (we are just waiting now for the survey on the "new" boat).
They thoroughly deserve their award and I cannot recommend them highly enough.
...That should be worth a discount...... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
Ian & Dominic have been really helpful throughout the procedure (we are just waiting now for the survey on the "new" boat).
They thoroughly deserve their award and I cannot recommend them highly enough.
...That should be worth a discount...... /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
oldgit
Well-Known Member
The first thing to remember is that the broker has to make a living and will have priced the boat accordingly with you probably footing his bill not the seller..Without previous experience it can be very easy to buy a great deal of expensive trouble and the broker and surveyor hopefully will help you avoid many problems not obvious to a complete novice.
However in my very very very limited experience,have yet to hear any broker suggest that a boat is underpriced or that somebody does not buy a particular boat either because it was totally unsuited for the buyers purposes or it being a money pit well past its "sink by" date , one broker would have allowed a friend to go ahead and buy a boat that had a real iffy history which included having been dropped and then repaired,this little snippet only came to light as a result of a forumites tip off.
Some folks like to involve a broker,others would rather keep that extra
5K firmly in their own pocket to fix the stuff that falls off regardless of whatever route you take.
However in my very very very limited experience,have yet to hear any broker suggest that a boat is underpriced or that somebody does not buy a particular boat either because it was totally unsuited for the buyers purposes or it being a money pit well past its "sink by" date , one broker would have allowed a friend to go ahead and buy a boat that had a real iffy history which included having been dropped and then repaired,this little snippet only came to light as a result of a forumites tip off.
Some folks like to involve a broker,others would rather keep that extra
5K firmly in their own pocket to fix the stuff that falls off regardless of whatever route you take.
No Regrets
Well-Known Member
I can assure you the broker I recommended does exactly the opposite, and I have now bought eighty grands worth of perfectly sound boats from them without a problem that they didn't deal with.
Thames Boat Sales, astonishingly honest, decent and pleasurable to deal with in every way.
They deserve their commission, do not confuse with lesser brokers...
Thames Boat Sales, astonishingly honest, decent and pleasurable to deal with in every way.
They deserve their commission, do not confuse with lesser brokers...
apollo
...
Agree, have bought four and sold four through them.
Its the cowboys down in Essex and Kent you have to watch!!!
Its the cowboys down in Essex and Kent you have to watch!!!
Chris_d
Well-Known Member
I think I'm with oldgit on this one, if you know what your doing then you are just throwing money away. Perhaps the only advantage is that they check for title but not sure how they do this as there is no registration system for boat ownership, at least they will take the can if it does go wrong i suppose.
Dom at Thames boat sales is superb though, although he did try to sell me a completely unsuitable Regal with two rusty petrol volvos in the bilge once, and of course he sold you that totaly sutiable for the river Sportcruiser as well /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif they are salesman after all /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifl
Dom at Thames boat sales is superb though, although he did try to sell me a completely unsuitable Regal with two rusty petrol volvos in the bilge once, and of course he sold you that totaly sutiable for the river Sportcruiser as well /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif they are salesman after all /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifl
jecuk
Well-Known Member
Overall, they are like salespeople on cars. Some are good but you do always end up paying their fee. Not sure the samples on here are statistically significant re TBS but it seems some people like them. I think with a good surveyor you should be fine as well so long as you are careful - same as buying a car privately.
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