POPYachts, anyone ever use them?

[BobHorn]

Just wondering if anyone ever bought or sold a boat through POPYachts? If so, good, bad or ugly?


Bob

[Polar Opposite]

I didn't purchase a boat through them, but used them for searching. Be ready for cold calls and emails from brokers. The site maps how long/how often you look at a particular listing. If you dwell on one for long, the broker gets an alert with your contact info, and will probably reach out to you. Not a big deal, everyone has to make a living. I found the brokers to be decent folks to talk to, but not always up to speed on the details of a particular listing.

[jgtrucking]

Originally Posted by BobHorn

Just wondering if anyone ever bought or sold a boat through POPYachts? If so, good, bad or ugly?


Bob

I purchased a boat listed with them. No problems. I have read complaints, but usually from the seller perspective. If i were to sell, im unsure if i would use them. There may be better choices. As a buyer, i wouldn't shy away.

[capt jgw]

Originally Posted by Polar Opposite

I didn't purchase a boat through them, but used them for searching. Be ready for cold calls and emails from brokers. The site maps how long/how often you look at a particular listing. If you dwell on one for long, the broker gets an alert with your contact info, and will probably reach out to you. Not a big deal, everyone has to make a living. I found the brokers to be decent folks to talk to, but not always up to speed on the details of a particular listing.

Same here. Didn't buy a boat through them but one we looked at the local broker hadn't seen it, didn't know much about it. He took as many photos as I did. One thing they did that was kind of nice... My first contact with them was on a boat down in Louisiana, so I was talking to their guy down there. When it became apparent that boat wasn't going to work, he coordinated with their other offices in other areas. He remained my contact with the company. Don't know if he would get a cut if we did buy one that way. You're right about them tracking the boats you look at, he knew about every one I clicked on. The best thing I saw was when I told him I found one myself locally, I never heard another word from him. Even though I looked at a couple more boats. They were the same model I bought and was only looking as a comparison, but he wouldn't have known that.

[bwiencek]

POP Yachts and other aggregators typically make their money by inserting themselves in a FSBO deal - if you search the area facebook marketplace, craigslist or other places owners list their boats for sale you'll usually find the listing that goes direct to the owner's original listing. They operate in 2 ways that I've heard of: (1) They mark up the listing price and advertise it - then when someone contacts them they contact the owner with the offer and take their cut or (2) do the hard sell on the owner to let them take xx% commision or $xxx from the sales price so they can keep the same listing price.

They know nothing about the boats, the ownership, maintenance, etc. and they have never had an employee lay eyes on the boat - they are really just electronic middle-men so don't expect any real answers from them other than ones that convince you to buy

[jgtrucking]

Originally Posted by bwiencek

POP Yachts and other aggregators typically make their money by inserting themselves in a FSBO deal - if you search the area facebook marketplace, craigslist or other places owners list their boats for sale you'll usually find the listing that goes direct to the owner's original listing. They operate in 2 ways that I've heard of: (1) They mark up the listing price and advertise it - then when someone contacts them they contact the owner with the offer and take their cut or (2) do the hard sell on the owner to let them take xx% commision or $xxx from the sales price so they can keep the same listing price.

They know nothing about the boats, the ownership, maintenance, etc. and they have never had an employee lay eyes on the boat - they are really just electronic middle-men so don't expect any real answers from them other than ones that convince you to buy

Unless you are dealing high end, late model boats, most brokers dont know much more than what the seller tells them. They dont want to know. If there is a problem, and your surveyor doesnt find it, easier sale for them. If the problem is discovered, hey i didnt know. 90% of what you are getting with a broker is multiple listings, and someone to answer the phone or email, to schedule showings or answer basic questions. As the seller you live your life until someone actually sets a showing appt.

In my buying case, i was glad not to have the broker under foot while getting the tour from the seller and getting to talk about so many aspects. If it had been a big brokerage, where the broker shows the boat not the owner, i might well have passed. Getting to know the seller a bit, his 26 years of history with it, (and generally backed up by the survey) were tipping points that made the sale. Sorry for the run on, but i understand parts of the experience i find positive, may not be for everyone, hence the boring details.

In my case, yes the seller listed it himself, and pop approached him. I would have never known about the boat if pop didnt pick it up, so it wasnt a bad deal for the seller, even if he lost a boat unit or 2 in commission.

[CSY Man]

POP sold a boat for me and did a decent job of it:
Got more money than I expected, nice clean deal and the buyer was happy as well.
Got nothing bad to say about them.