Unrealistic Boat Buyers?

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Fellow sufferer
I actually got a guy who really did expect to get a few sailing lessons thrown in. Happily at all times I maintain a Saintly calm when dealing with such time wasting ar**********oles.

[/ QUOTE ]Had one like that myself (expecting free lessons) <span style="color:red">and</span> he expected me to make the delivery trip (with him and his wife onboard) in addition to the lessons, a trip of about 3 days and 2 nights. Duh?
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"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
 
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In one case A car with a couple of stains on the driver's seat was totally unsellable - a cheap set of seat covers transformed it!

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I presume you also had the brakes fixed! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Having said that. I sold my last boat to a guy, who brought all his mates on his boat trial, we went miles and visited a pub up in Scotland. Next time I visited the boat, he was already installed, the broker had neglected to tell me he'd paid!!
 
Funny thing .... selling things. I always tend to have a pesamistic view pre sale .... often reinforced by one or two early keel kickers. Then a serious buyer comes along, makes an offer, and the deal is done. About 6 months post sale a more balanced view returns. Was £2000 too cheap for that trailer sailer I sold? It had a new trailer, new kevlar sails, carbon mast, copper plated hull, plotter, CCTV, radar, AIS .... damn!

Be in no doubt you boat is worth every penny!
 
Not having bought a boat of my own yet I expect to do one hell of a lot of keel kicking over the next year or more /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif.

I make no apology whatsoever, one of my victims will make a sale, so from the sellars point of view it's a bit of a lottery like everything, but you can influence a sale though.

If I sense displeasure from sellar I walk, it would have to be a real bargain to get me past a grumpy seller /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

I feel I'm one doing the suffering, I hav'nt got a boat and you lot have, I have to drive round for miles and miles without a clue what I'm going to find until I'm there, and I have to do my research as I go, so expect to be questioned to death /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

But I won't settle until I find THE ONE.
 
Many Unrealistic Boat Buyers end up buying a boat - I think many Unrealistic Boat Sellers have no concept of how irritating it is to travel a long way to view a boat and on arrival discover the seller is unrealistic about its qualities.

<u>It is far far more expensive to buy a boat than it is to sell one</u>

I have purchased 8 second hand boats over the years and have always looked at lots before deciding what to bid for. Only sensible. In the early days I would try to negotiate deliver etc because that affects the total cost of the boat to me.

I have sold 7 second hand boats over the years and have had people who were 'just looking' a few who were 'just dreaming' and a few that were intent to buy from me. All were equally welcome because selling privately costs very very little - never spent more that £50 advertising (Boats and Yachts for sale with pic) and never taken more than a few weeks to sell.

Why on earth should a seller expect every prospect to want the boat, not negotiate, or even to like the boat offered?
 
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If I sense displeasure from sellar I walk, it would have to be a real bargain to get me past a grumpy seller

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Bear in mind that vendors are not professional salesmen and you won't always get a cheery smile. Especially if the last few prospects have been time-wasters.
If you find that you are getting a lot of bad vibes it may be your approach that the vendor is sensing.
In my case a realistic buyer is someone who appreciates what he (she) is taking on and has storage, berthing, towing all worked out.
Some of the questions I've had (and I've not had a lot of prospective buyers yet) have been the equivalent of someone coming to buy a large motorbike and asking "Will I need to get a licence?"
I've had people on the phone trying to find out what is the least I will take before even viewing. When a boat's cheap to start with, that rings alarm bells.

It's very much the same when trying to sell a car, except that most people have an understanding of motoring and have owned cars previously.
There are serious buyers around for all types of craft, but it's a bit more difficult finding them.
 
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I think many Unrealistic Boat Sellers have no concept of how irritating it is to travel a long way to view a boat and on arrival discover the seller is unrealistic about its qualities.

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Perhaps so, but in my case I'm very realistic to the point that forumites think I'm too cheap and I point out the shortfalls of the boat and even have a web page showing some problems.
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In the early days I would try to negotiate deliver etc because that affects the total cost of the boat to me.

[/ QUOTE ] And effects the realised proceeds to the vendor. If someone tries to knock me down below what I expect the amount of ongoing help they will receive diminishes. I just want to sell a boat, not buy into the new owners lifestyle.
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Why on earth should a seller expect every prospect to want the boat, not negotiate, or even to like the boat offered?

[/ QUOTE ] Don't be so daft. No one expects that. I would rather enjoy someone who even sounded as though they were in a position to buy a boat if they liked it. And didn't want spoon-feeding.
Would you buy a car and ask the vendor to bring it round and show you how to put it in your garage and do hill starts? I'm selling a cheap boat, not running the RYA.
 
Would you buy a car and ask the vendor to bring it round and show you how to put it in your garage and do hill starts? I'm selling a cheap boat, not running the RYA.

Why not if I have not got a driving licence - If I went to a garage to buy a new car they would do just that if I asked. Why are you so difficult to do business with?

Strange how we have such totally different points of view - You think your boat is wonderful and folks who have never seen it agree - but the fact remains potential purchasers who have travelled (at their expense) to view it do not appear to agree.

They are possibly fed up that it is not right for them - too expensive - or they are indeed 'just looking' - trying to get a feel for the market. Well good for them. When I sold my last boat the first person to view purchased it (subject to survey) and I had 5 others who were really disappointed. With the previous boat I sold I had 17 enquires which translated into 7 viewings which translated into 4 offers.

I always have a bottom line price in mind and I know what I am prepared to do in terms of delivery - sailing lessons etc. There is no such thing as time wasters, in my opinion, except people selling boats with descriptions and prices that do not match the reality... Perhaps being a 2nd hand car salesman would not have been your metier
 
As per the above good advice ,....Having tidied up the holes -with a sheet of varnished ply cut to panels?-you could try restating the advert to something like ''Trailer available''.Up the price a bit ,and then if a negotiating tool is needed ,throw in the trailer with the boat-Worked for me with my Corribee some years back . Another thought-If ashore is the mast raised? It always looks better if they can raise the sails and imagine being out there doing it... Boat looks very jolly ,should sell just fine,imho.
 
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Would you buy a car and ask the vendor to bring it round and show you how to put it in your garage and do hill starts? I'm selling a cheap boat, not running the RYA.

Why not if I have not got a driving licence - If I went to a garage to buy a new car they would do just that if I asked. Why are you so difficult to do business with?

[/ QUOTE ] You're not going to a brokerage to buy this boat. They are paid to shift boats and they price boats accordingly. This a private sale and priced to go. I do other stuff to earn my living.

I'm not moaning about people coming to see the boat, they're quite welcome to try her under sail, I'm prepared to slip her.
I'm trying to move my boat on (at no profit) to replace it with a more suitable one without too much hassle.
Sailing is an aspirational activity and at the low-price end you will attract the dreamers. They are welcome to dream, but please go and bother brokers, I've got other things to do.

I'm not difficult to do business with, quite the opposite, I've had clients for years. I do business with people who are businesslike. Selling a boat is not "doing business".
I offer a boat for sale. If you like it you make an offer. If I like that we do a deal. That's it. I'll get the boat out of the water and onto it's trailer and off you go. Very businesslike.
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Perhaps being a 2nd hand car salesman would not have been your metier

[/ QUOTE ] You've hit the nail on the head there. I can't stand bullshit.
 
Selling a boat is not "doing business".

Enjoying this... Selling a boat is absolutely doing business - for anyone and any size boat it represents a considerable amount of money. Serious money. I think anyone who is being asked to part with large amounts of money (and a large amount for me is anything over £50) for a 2nd hand item regards it as business.

You just want to shift your boat - well if that's all you want to do then give it to the local sea scouts - or another charity - but you appear to want an amount of dosh for it that nobody so far is willing to give you and that irritates you? fair enough but it just maybe that your unhelpful and somewhat unfriendly attitude to other humans is not aiding your attempts to sell? If they ask about deliver - sailing lessons - learning to park it - put it on the trailer and your time is so valuable you could just factor a couple of hours into the rock bottom price you are prepared to accept???

I have hated it when I have driven hundreds of miles to see a boat that does not live up to the aspirations of the vendor - private or broker. All you can do is to utter some pleasantry and get in the car and go to the next one - the next 'unrealistic boat seller....'
 
lakesailor,

I'm with you on this one.

If someone is going to go along to look at a boat - a trailer AND an outboard for, no not £50,000 not even £15,000 but a mere £1,500!!!! Then start being picky!!! What the hell do they expect for £1,500!!

Its got nothing to do with YOUR attitude, its the sad gits who expect something for nothing!!!
 
That's the difference between me and you.
What I'm selling is not crap.

If I don't sell it, I'm perfectly happy to continue using it for another 3 years.

You're "enjoying" being contrary. We disagree, so there's no more to be said. We're neither of us going to change our minds.
And I think you're a cheeky twat to make the assumption that I'm selling a wreck and am unfriendly.

Etap_Owner understands the point I'm making. No one will throw away £1500. What's being discussed here is value for money.
It does seem that the less you ask for, the more - relatively - some people want.
 
I think you need to put in the time and effort to do the tidying up required. Even though you might advertise it as in need of work, it still puts people off when they see obvious work that needs doing.
You can then up the price, it's easier to come down than negotiate more, maybe suggest value of ancillary items in your advert i.e. includes Trailer (worth £xxx).
If a perspective buyer wants lessons, agree to give them, once you have the sale, a day out at your convenience 'to show them the ropes' wouldn't be a big hassle. Then point them in the direction of the RYA for proper instruction /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
Its relative, when I bought my first boat I would have been thrilled to have found a package like the one lakesailor is selling.

£1500 IS a lot of money, my point is that its the potential buyers who should be critised, what do you expect to get for £1,500?

Incidentialy I contribute far more than £1500 a year to charity in time and sponsorship, I intend to increase that next year.
 
I think the real problem is that so far the people showing interest just don't have wide enough knowledge or experience to evaluate what is being offered. Yes, that is their problem but as the vendor you need a strategy to deal with it that doesn't close the door on one of them coming back to you when they have looked around and gained that insight.

It is going to take a while, possibly and it is frustrating but boats at this price level are not likely to be sought by 'eperienced' owners except under unusual circumstances.

My little boat was bought for a lot less than yours but I knew what I was looking for and at. My reasons for buying at that level were finacial and circumstantial but I have enough knowledge to asses it. There won't be that many like me.

Your boat represents terriffic value but your potential customers need help to realise that.

Good luck. I'm sure that you will get close to your price.........with patience.

Howard
 
how do zero-experience punters know whether £1500 is good value? & why criticise them for going to see a few boats to find out what you DO get for that price - lakesailor advertised it - they didn't just turn up uninvited & make low offers.


What you do get for £1500 (or pick any other low figure) varies greatly - from marvellous value to a pile of junk that's not worth half that - & I'm not judging the boat in question). But looking at boats,cars etc over the years - I have found that the louder the seller says "take it or leave it, that's a sound xxx, that is, you won't find anything better ..."- the less likely it is to be a good deal at all. Not always of course, but much of the time.

Of course it's annoying, people calling you & asking how little you'd take, even before they've seen it - but maybe they've a budget? or they're just chancers who never buy anything unless they can knock 40% off the price.
 
LadyinBed, Etap_Owner and aitchw seem to have got the drift of the thread.
I can only agree with you all.

I don't mind going for a sail with them once they've committed, in fact I mentioned earlier I think that is a part of buying a boat, I can't see the sense in only looking at a boat on a trailer with the mast acros the cabin top.

Valuing the trailer and motor is something I do when speaking to enquirers, perhaps better still in the ad, although Boats and Outboards free ads are limited on space.

Doing the cabin repairs had occured to me. Now I consider myself a fairly knowledgeable bloke and a newly painted cabin would alert me to possible hiddens dangers. I would prefer to see what is the problem and deal with that myself. Perhaps as you say more naive purchasers are just looking for something that appears tidy.

Apart from aitchw and people in his situation it had occurred to me that most prospects at this price point will be inexperienced, but that does not preclude them doing a bit of homework.
Perhaps I am too concerned that they are not making a big mistake. Perhaps I should smile sweetly, get their cash and watch them drive off knowing that there is another driveway-boater in the making.
 
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