KINGFISHER 9
Well-Known Member
So how does the buyer manage if he's interested in 3 different boats and wants to buy the one he considers best?
selling protocol
- Thread starter Seastoke
- Start date
Portofino
Well-Known Member
Adding further to the movement towards “test drives “ no obligation culture in the liesure boat world .
A year or so ago via the Ferretti dealer network ( actually an IT one ) I started to show an interest in Riva 52 and a newer Itama .
They invited us to an event in Monaco the week before the Cannes show .
Here all there stock from a Riva 25 ftr to a 140 ft FB would be available for a test drive + some used stock .
Think of a car dealer “ event “
So off we toddled and indeed had a go ,
Bit like the 348 ,the Riva 52 was a disappointment - slammer
The big Pershing s were nice 80 and the 108 were very smooth helming -
So a bums on seats excerise - like a car dealer ship -
“ ok you don,t like the ride of the R 52 , would you like to try the Itama 62 and a Pershing - you choose “
I just let my wife pick -
- she liked the P 108
The 108 was a used boat 2 y old - nice skipper n stewardess- off we went with another couple from the states who I understand eventually bought it .They came from Sunseeker btw .
So no deposit before the “test drive “ - even @ that scale
https://imgur.com/gallery/PGu6K
A year or so ago via the Ferretti dealer network ( actually an IT one ) I started to show an interest in Riva 52 and a newer Itama .
They invited us to an event in Monaco the week before the Cannes show .
Here all there stock from a Riva 25 ftr to a 140 ft FB would be available for a test drive + some used stock .
Think of a car dealer “ event “
So off we toddled and indeed had a go ,
Bit like the 348 ,the Riva 52 was a disappointment - slammer
The big Pershing s were nice 80 and the 108 were very smooth helming -
So a bums on seats excerise - like a car dealer ship -
“ ok you don,t like the ride of the R 52 , would you like to try the Itama 62 and a Pershing - you choose “
I just let my wife pick -
- she liked the P 108 The 108 was a used boat 2 y old - nice skipper n stewardess- off we went with another couple from the states who I understand eventually bought it .They came from Sunseeker btw .
So no deposit before the “test drive “ - even @ that scale
https://imgur.com/gallery/PGu6K
Irish Rover
Well-Known Member
I've recently bought and sold. The boat I bought was through a broker and I can't say it was a trouble free experience. When I viewed the boat initially it was anchored and the owner took me and a junior person from the brokers out by tender. After a good look around he kindly offered to take me for a short trip. The girl from the brokers opted out so he took her back ashore first. The boat is now mine. I had viewed another boat which I liked in Patras and I called the broker and asked for a short trip to get a feel for the boat. He said no, I'd have to make an offer first, have it accepted and sign a contract. I had met the owner on my first viewing so I asked the broker to tell the owner I am seriously interested and ask if he'd be prepared to take me out for a short trip. He refused and said they never departed from their procedures. I said thanks, and made an offer on the boat I'd had a short trip on and after a bit of back and forth agreed a price subject to survey. Next morning the broker from the Patras boat called and said the owner would take me out for a trip. I said sorry pal you're too late. I would dearly love to have the owner's number to tell him his broker had cost him a potential sale. I had asked him to just make the call and ask and if the answer was no then it wouldn't have cost either of of anything except a few minutes. I said to the broker that if it had been my boat I would like to have the option of deciding for myself.
I sold my own boat here in Turkey to the second guy who asked for a sea trial. The first guy I took out made an offer about 20% below my asking price which I refused and I met him recently and he regrets not making a more serious offer. The guy who bought it offered just over 5% below asking price and didn't want a survey [he was local and had friends who knew my boat from the marina and knew it was well maintained].
I like taking my boat out, I enjoy showing it off and I can't for the life of me see what inconvenience it is to take a guy out for 10 or 15 minutes when you're selling the boat. In my opinion brokers over complicate the process completely unnecessarily. If you're not trying to hide anything and you have your price set at a reasonable level take prospective buyers out for a short trip and take it from there.
I sold my own boat here in Turkey to the second guy who asked for a sea trial. The first guy I took out made an offer about 20% below my asking price which I refused and I met him recently and he regrets not making a more serious offer. The guy who bought it offered just over 5% below asking price and didn't want a survey [he was local and had friends who knew my boat from the marina and knew it was well maintained].
I like taking my boat out, I enjoy showing it off and I can't for the life of me see what inconvenience it is to take a guy out for 10 or 15 minutes when you're selling the boat. In my opinion brokers over complicate the process completely unnecessarily. If you're not trying to hide anything and you have your price set at a reasonable level take prospective buyers out for a short trip and take it from there.
Portofino
Well-Known Member
Precisely
Is he supposed to put 3x depo down ?
Nope - just start enquiries like AN Other potential transaction and see where it’s ends up .
Life takes over
No show - from the seller
Crock of 8hit
Tech problem - flat batts eg
Weather
Gazuping
Can,t agree £
Disappointed like the F348 i exampled
Wife’s poo poos it .
+ much more
Or a Nigel ^^^ infers the free joy ride / test drive - from a very nice seller with a very nice desirable ( subjective from the buyers POV )
Nice easy smooth path to a happy transaction no early barriers put up .
Both parties happy etc
Nigelpickin
Well-Known Member
A good example for the OP, in terms of the buyers mind set.
When I’ve sold I’ve used a broker to list and find qualified buyers, then I don’t let them near the boat, not even to take the photos!
Get the hand shake and then hand the buyer back to the broker for the haggle and the contract.
Putting up a barrier to sale is a strange concept, and as the above post shows, it filters out buyers.
Last edited:
[165042]
...
I've always sold privately - never through a broker. Brokers seem to want to agree a price then a deposit subject to seatrial etc. In my experience selling 20-31 foot boats it's important the layout, ride and handling match the purchasers requirements. That means coming to see it, out for a 20 minute sea trial then back to look over paperwork. I normally ask for £20 / £50 fuel for the seatrial - refunded if they buy the boat.
Invariably you will get day dreamers but that's the nature of selling anything - be it a car, bike, boat or house!
Invariably you will get day dreamers but that's the nature of selling anything - be it a car, bike, boat or house!
Irish Rover
Well-Known Member
I just had a look out of curiosity and the boat in Patras is still for sale through the same broker. I pity the owner.
superheat6k
Well-Known Member
And you will also get genuine boat hunters, who may simply not be taken with your boat, this does not make them non-genuine. Non boat owners are all fender kickers until they actually buy their next boat.
Interesting how many boat show stand staff still judge on appearance of individual punters, with no knowledge at all of an individual's actual status as a potential client, including future potential. A view by appointment only on any boat at SIBS for example likely means I would never buy one of their boats.
[165042]
...
There's a difference between genuine boat hunters and fenders kickers. I can normally tell at the first handshake whether they are really interested or not. It's not a case of condition either as my boats have always been presented immaculately upon sale. When you mention payment for fuel the fender kickers make an excuse and toddle off.
ari
Well-Known Member
That is interesting, how can you tell? Do you try turning up in scruffy jeans and then nip back an hour later in a suit and tie to the exact same staff member and gauge the difference?
Viewing by appointment I've only seen on the really big boats which makes sense I'd have thought, there's be a queue down the pontoon otherwise which wouldn't really help anyone. If I was seriously interested in looking at a 100ft Sunseeker (chance would be a fine thing) I'm pretty sure I'd make a call in advance to Sunseeker in any case - after all, it's not the sort of thing you buy on a whim.
PCUK
Well-Known Member
A lot of the above is pretty silly. You are lucky to have a potential buyer! Do as you first suggested. Sea trial, if trial OK then discuss price subject to survey. If the buyer has agreed to the survey (he should arrange and pay for it) you more or less have him hooked. Assuming survey is good finalise the price and grab your cash!
Last edited:
Irish Rover
Well-Known Member
I agree. Unless your boat is kept a long way from home base I can't see what great bother it is to take someone out for 15 minutes and, frankly, I'd be embarrassed to ask someone to pay for fuel for a test drive. If someone asked me as a buyer to pay for the test drive fuel I think I'd be less inclined to do business with him unless it was an absolute bargain.
[165042]
...
If a buyer wants a seatrial and the boat is out of the water they pay for the lift or launch fee through a broker - so why not ask for fuel money? Like I said - refunded if they buy the boat. In most cases genuine buyers have offered to pay for fuel anyway so it's not an issue. I've had no problem selling any of my boats (9 in the last 10 years) so will stick to what I know.
Irish Rover
Well-Known Member
I can see how the fuel cost might add up if you're averaging almost one sale a year but I still wouldn't ask. Each to their own, I suppose. In the last 17 years I've bought and sold 3 boats. My 3 sales have been achieved without a broker and it's never taken more than 1 month from first advertisement. Key for me is good presentation and a reasonable price after doing some market research.
