Problem with a broker

[Sneaky Pete]

This always amazes me. How is it rude to make an offer, however low, on something that someone wants to sell?

Whenever I've had boats for sale (many, many times over the years), I'd always much rather that someone felt free to offer me what she is worth to them. If I don't want to sell at that price, I'll just say "thanks, but no thanks".

I've never felt offended or abused.

I'd much rather have a low offer, than someone keep quiet for fear of upsetting me.

As for someone dying as a result of receiving an offer....well, I'm speechless!

Amazed, abused and speechless and all contained in one body, you must have quite a lot of emotions going on there.
The point I make is that if you want something go and view it then make an offer at least the offer is on the basis of what you then believe it is worth to you.

 

[Plevier]

When looking for a new boat, I often refered to your site for additional information and better photos in your archive section. I'm surprised you don't have a link to your site at the bottom of your posts.

This prompted me to search and find out that J Wilson is in fact Yachtsnet - wonderful site, as indicated by Trop Cher!

 

[l'escargot]

This prompted me to search and find out that J Wilson is in fact Yachtsnet - wonderful site, as indicated by Trop Cher!

I did the same. I have used Yachtsnet to research boats often over the last few years. A well thought out and useful site that can only reflect well on the broker.

 

[PeteCooper]

As somebody who is trying to sell a boat - privately, with no broker involved I have had a similar situation.
Somebody contacted me and asked a lot of questions. The final question was 'What is the minimum you would take?'.
My response was that I would not discuss that until they had seen the boat. My theory was that if I say I will take x% then they turn up and view they will take the x% as the asking price and then offer below that. In this case I heard no more from that particular potential buyer, but even though I am keen to sell I would treat the same question in a similar manner.

 

[BruceDanforth]

If you do take a 6 hour drive to see the boat make sure any photos the broker has presented are current first, and not from last time he sold the boat 10 years ago in the hope you are so stupid you don't notice you are looking at a knackered piece of **** that has sat unattended in his yard for years. I rate these folks lower than used car salesmen....

 

[jonic]

If you do take a 6 hour drive to see the boat make sure any photos the broker has presented are current first, and not from last time he sold the boat 10 years ago in the hope you are so stupid you don't notice you are looking at a knackered piece of **** that has sat unattended in his yard for years. I rate these folks lower than used car salesmen....

Thanks a lot Ed

Luckily generalisations don't reflect all of reality, come by my office one day for a coffee and I'll show you why.

 

[Seajet]

If you do take a 6 hour drive to see the boat make sure any photos the broker has presented are current first, and not from last time he sold the boat 10 years ago in the hope you are so stupid you don't notice you are looking at a knackered piece of **** that has sat unattended in his yard for years. I rate these folks lower than used car salesmen....

Too true !

Last year I and a prospective buyer spent all day driving from West Sussex to Plymouth and back, we found the boat in a rather knackered state compared to the advert' photos which had obviously been taken years previously !

 

[jwilson]

If you do take a 6 hour drive to see the boat make sure any photos the broker has presented are current first, and not from last time he sold the boat 10 years ago in the hope you are so stupid you don't notice you are looking at a knackered piece of **** that has sat unattended in his yard for years. I rate these folks lower than used car salesmen....

Which is why we quote the date of the photos whenever known ....

 

[jonic]

Using old photos is ridiculous. I take all mine as the boat is advertised and I'm now adding a short video tour too.
Jwilsons stuff is really good as well.

What I really can't understand are the buyers who book a viewing or make an offer and then don't show up or stop answering phone calls or emails.

Currently I have two boats that we had enthusiastic offers on or people wanting to book overseas viewings, so it was all set up for them.

The owners agreed on prices or where to be for the viewings
..............and then we heard nothing further from each buyer.

Total silence.

No answer to emails.

No response to telephone messages.

No apologies.

Nothing.

Surely it's just courtesy to phone or email and say I can't proceed with the contract or I'm not coming isn't it?

But it happens all too often

 

[rotrax]

While I can appreciate both sides of this discussion it has always been my position to believe nothing I hear and only half of what I see untill I am at the vessel in question and in a position to make a full inspection and my own mind up. As I posted before my experience of brokers goes from the superb to the awfull-just like daily interaction with other humans-you get good and bad. When Uncle Tom Cunliffe went to Florida to view the boat he bought recently the teak deck was shot when he got there. He remonstrated with the broker as he had been told it was not so bad. The broker told him that he was economical with the truth as he knew Tom would not have travelled if he had known about the true state of the deck beforehand.He told Tom to make an offer with enough slack to get the deck replaced, which he did. As Toms requirements were difficult to fill, especially this side of the pond perhaps the broker pitched it right? He appears delighted with the way his new boat works and has the money saved from his offer to put the job right. In my not inconsiderable experience of flogging motor vehicles, especially vintage and classic motorcycles photos ALWAYS look better than seeing things in the flesh. As others have pointed out, travelling miles to look at junk it most depressing. Ask me how I know............

 

[jwilson]

While I can appreciate both sides of this discussion it has always been my position to believe nothing I hear and only half of what I see untill I am at the vessel in question and in a position to make a full inspection and my own mind up. As I posted before my experience of brokers goes from the superb to the awfull-just like daily interaction with other humans-you get good and bad. When Uncle Tom Cunliffe went to Florida to view the boat he bought recently the teak deck was shot when he got there. He remonstrated with the broker as her had been told it was not so bad. The broker told him that he was economical with the truth as he knew Tom would not have travelled if he had known about the true state of the deck beforehand.He told Tom to make an offer with enough slack to get the deck replaced, which he did. As Toms requirements were difficult to fill, especially this side of the pond perhaps the broker pitched it right? He appears delighted with the way his new boat works and has the money saved from his offer to put the job right. In my not inconsiderable experience of flogging motor vehicles, especially vintage and classic motorcycles photos ALWAYS look better than seeing things in the flesh. As others have pointed out, travelling miles to look at junk it most depressing. Ask me how I know............

If you ring me up after looking at the photos on our brokerage website I will sometimes tell you that the interior varnish looks better in the photos than in the flesh - this simply does sometimes happen. Headlinings often however look saggier in photos than they really are - it's the angle at which the light from a flash hits them.

 

[rotrax]

If you ring me up after looking at the photos on our brokerage website I will sometimes tell you that the interior varnish looks better in the photos than in the flesh - this simply does sometimes happen. Headlinings often however look saggier in photos than they really are - it's the angle at which the light from a flash hits them.

It is obvious that you and some other brokers have integrity, that elusive commodity!

 

[jonic]

It is obvious that you and some other brokers have integrity, that elusive commodity!

To me it comes naturally and clearly Jwilson has it too, but do other brokers really not have it, or do these threads give a distorted picture?

Lets be honest this thread is "titled problem with a broker", and that was not what it was really about.

I know lots of other brokers and they are all 100% professional.

I suspect the ones without integrity are in the minority.

Perhaps the independent broker relies so much in his reputation that he has to work to higher standards?