Potential Buyer Asking for a "Test Drive"

[sailpower]

Originally Posted by sailingharry

Got it. You responded without actually reading my post. Apology accepted.


I'm really impressed that you only look at one boat before buying that boat. Me, I can't buy a power drill without checking two or three models.

Nah, I read your post. No need to be impressed about what isn't my point.

You feel that you can waste people's time even when you are not in a position to perform. Got it.

Hey, buying multiple lottery tickets every week entitles you to free Boat Show tickets on VIP day right?

You live your life and I will live mine.

I've owned 5 sailboats. Not a fleet compared to some but enough to understand the process.

[Fore and Aft]

I have got to say I do not think brokers are there to waste anyones time. The brokers I deal with often joke with me that at least I am getting paid to do a survey regardless if the boat sells or not.
I was invovled recently with a private sale where the buyer made the mistake of giving the pensioner couple a $5000 deposit on a 30 year old custom yacht. The deposit was subject to survey/sea trial and all done on a handshake. I turned up for the survey and the yacht had so many issues I took him aside on the dock and said do not bother slipping this boat. The buyer now has the issue of getting $5000 back from the pensioners who promptly told him to piss off as there was nothing wrong with their yacht and they were keeping the money as payment for all the hassle. The buyer even tried to smooth it over by telling the couple to keep a $1000 just give him $4000 back. But no it is going to end up in court so who knows what is going to happen.
Cheers

[syPhilos]

Originally Posted by mocha

that is a GREAT idea!
Best solution I've seen so far,
that will be Plan B
already sent him an email outlining 3 choices on how we will proceed with a "test drive", see what happens,
Thanks,

213 Posts in on a buyer asking for a sea trai / "test drive" ...

I'm just wondering what the response was to the email?

[Nineteen]

No wonder you Americans spend soo much time watching your old boat floating in a pen. For a consumer economy your system is floored - too many barriers for a potential purchaser.

Good luck!
Cherrs

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by alex_sauvage

It is not exactly the same thing: when boat already in the water the buyer can at least verify that major systems are working -engine, transmission , prior to paying for haul out.
When boat on the hard none of it is possible, and who know how long boat was sitting there. So there a chance that buyer would pay to launch the boat only to find out the engine has seized. I think it would be fair to indicate that boat has to be in good operational condition if you expect buyer to pay for the launch

You can certainly turn over the engine out of the water with no special considerations. If you want to actually run it..not hard to hook up a water source to the cooling system.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by alex_sauvage

Interesting, it looks like from reading all 9 pages that "sellers" prefer to have strong commitment (contract or money payment) prior to test sail. "Buyers" on another hand saying that they never will consider buying a boat without test sail. However "buyers" are ones writting a cheque, so that pretty much dictates what one has to do in order to sell a boat in a reasonable time frame.

You are presuming that the responses from "buyers" on this thread represent all buyers...they don't...it's far more typical for the sea trial to happen after an offer is in hand.

They may have the check but the owner has the boat.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by CaptFigmo

No test drive without contract and deposit.
Subject to sea trial and survey only.

Sorry but if someone jerks me around having received a sea trial before contract and then wants a second sea trial...I'm going to get really leery of what his deal is.

He's going to have to do some explaining with good reasons before I accept that.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Trimaran Ken

There are BIG differences between you and a broker.

A broker has an escrow account for holding deposits and most states have strict regulations regarding deposits and escrow accounts. The broker may also have some sort of business license that they need to protect.

If I give you a deposit and you refuse to return it, it could take months, years, or never before I see my money again. I don't know you and I'm not about to trust you with my $1,000, $5,000 or $10,000.

Maybe you are willing to trust a total stranger with thousands of your dollars, but I'm not.

If that concerns you there are independent escrow services you can use.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

A sea trial is NOT the same as a test sail. Some people here are mixing the two.

Have to disagree here. In the context of a FSBO situation, they are exactly the same thing. The owner is showing the boat with the express purpose of selling that specific boat. If you aren't interested in that specific boat, it's an abuse of the situation to ask for a sea trial with the purpose of buying the same model from someone else.

This would be different from a boat show situation where dealers are taking groups of attendees out for a quick sail around the harbor in the hopes they like the model but obviously, if they take 5 buyers out...all 5 can't buy that specific boat and the if they did follow thru would have a reasonable right to a sea trial when their actual boat was delivered.

[sailingharry]

Originally Posted by sailpower

Nah, I read your post. No need to be impressed about what isn't my point.

You feel that you can waste people's time even when you are not in a position to perform. Got it.

Hey, buying multiple lottery tickets every week entitles you to free Boat Show tickets on VIP day right?

You live your life and I will live mine.

I've owned 5 sailboats. Not a fleet compared to some but enough to understand the process.

No, you didn't read my post. I am in a position to perform. As I said in my post, I have the cash in hand, enough to fully pay for any boat I've looked at. I have firm intentions of buying my next boat (in the price, length, year, and general characteristics of every boat I've looked at) before I retire the end of 2020, so we are on a fairly short (and rapidly shortening!) timeline. I'm not able to pick a single boat off a single listing and go buy it like you are, but I am a serious buyer. And when I look at a boat that on the listing looks "hmm.... maybe" I am arguably wasting the broker's time -- but also, arguably giving the broker the chance to sell a boat. As the lottery folks say (no, I don't play it), "you gotta play to win." If I never look at a boat and they never show me a boat, they will assuredly never sell me a boat -- but at least they won't waste their time!

Think about this -- I am currently setting up a showing for a boat that is an 8 hour drive away, across an international border, and include a hotel room. Yes, he will probably waste an hour or two of his time. Me, I'm just spending a lot of time and money because it's fun. Or maybe, just maybe, this will be the boat.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

Sorry but if someone jerks me around having received a sea trial before contract and then wants a second sea trial...I'm going to get really leery of what his deal is.

He's going to have to do some explaining with good reasons before I accept that.

I had that happen once. The second test I had a deposit and surveyor present, and the deal closed very smoothly. The first sail really was just a friendly sail. I didn't feel jerked around and everyone was saticfied.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Attikos

A ten percent deposit on a $50k boat, handed over to a stranger with no professional standing or obligations, isn't something anyone in his right mind would do. For that large a sum you need an escrow agent, so you may as well go through a broker.

It isn't realistic to expect buyers to pay sellers they don't know thousands of dollars before they have a chance to evaluate the boat in the ways needed to make a judgment about it. A sea trial is one of those requirements, for a boat that floats and runs.

A seller can do whatever he wants. I'm not trying to write rules here. All I'm saying is that if you make unreasonable demands of your prospects, you're not going to make the sale. Judge each case on its own merits, and either take the buyer out if you think he's serious, or throw up those barriers if you don't.

You could be wrong either way, of course. That's life.

If you are worried about the seller taking your deposit if you back out... use an escrow service.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Fore and Aft

I have got to say I do not think brokers are there to waste anyones time. The brokers I deal with often joke with me that at least I am getting paid to do a survey regardless if the boat sells or not.
I was invovled recently with a private sale where the buyer made the mistake of giving the pensioner couple a $5000 deposit on a 30 year old custom yacht. The deposit was subject to survey/sea trial and all done on a handshake. I turned up for the survey and the yacht had so many issues I took him aside on the dock and said do not bother slipping this boat. The buyer now has the issue of getting $5000 back from the pensioners who promptly told him to piss off as there was nothing wrong with their yacht and they were keeping the money as payment for all the hassle. The buyer even tried to smooth it over by telling the couple to keep a $1000 just give him $4000 back. But no it is going to end up in court so who knows what is going to happen.
Cheers

This has nothing to do with having a deposit and everything to do with not having a written contract. With a verbal contract, you (as the buyer) have to prove that the deposit was refundable if you (as the buyer) did not find the test sail satisfactory. Unless you have witnesses...it's your word vs his and the old non-legal saying about possession being 9/10ths of the law comes into play.

No way I would hand over 5 grand without something in writing.

[Attikos]

Most of the boat brokers I've met know full well that most buyers need to look at quite a few before making an offer. They're also pretty good at judging whether or not you're really in the market. They don't mind working with you, it's part of the job, and the good ones enjoy what they do.

If on the other hand one thinks you're just using him because you like spending your Saturdays clambering around boats, he knows how to minimize the waste. You're not going to get much cooperation from him.

For the pros, it's not a problem, just part of the overhead. Your part is finding a broker you're comfortable with and can trust. They're out there.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by thinwater

I had that happen once. The second test I had a deposit and surveyor present, and the deal closed very smoothly. The first sail really was just a friendly sail. I didn't feel jerked around and everyone was saticfied.

Did you offer the first sea trial or was he demanding it? That would put a different spin on it.

If I'm already at the boat and going to go out for a short sail anyway, I might just invite him along and I likely wouldn't feel jerked around.

If I have to take the afternoon off, drive out to the boat just to give a sea trial because the potential buyer requires it...I'm far more likely to consider that the official test sail unless there is something clearly lacking in the first sea trial.