Selling Ethics and Practice

[aqfishing]

I am just sorry I wasted 15min of my life reading this utterly pointless, senseless thread!!!

[wingssail]

Yes, it would be acceptable to refuse to sell the boat to someone who you deem not to be competent to operate it safely, after, of course, inquiring about their plans to become competent (maybe they recognize their shortcomings and have hired a trainer). This is, in my opinion, a matter of personal ethics, and we all have our feelings about those, in one way or another. No right answer there, it's your conscience.

Another twist to this is if you are the irrational type who is so in love with your boat that you would hate it if a buyer mistreated it or in some way butchered it (or even if you simply knew that the boat was unsuitable for the buyer's intended use).

Should you refuse to sell? You can, ("I just changed my mind, the boat is not for sale now.") Do you have to? That is up to you.

[John De Bree]

Originally Posted by Uncle Bob

If the boat is honestly presented and described, no deliberately hidden traps for the unwary, then it is not up to the seller to judge the prospective buyer.
We each and every one of us make these types of decisions almost every day, we know that the fast food that we get at times is not a healthy alternative yet we still go for it, should the peddlers of this food make a judgement call as to our suitability to buy??
If the buyer wishes to buy and the seller wishes to sell then so be it.
The only caveat is that the boat should be accurately described and presented.

Then you will have a buyer that will put all the blame on the broker or to the point where they will try to sue in this world. Not enough people try to help you with making the right decision. Too many brokers try to sell at all costs only caring about their cut. I personally prefer a broker who will tell me that it's not the boat for you than to sell something that I will regret.

[chrisr]

Originally Posted by John De Bree

. I personally prefer a broker who will tell me that it's not the boat for you than to sell something that I will regret.

that would be ideal...but a pretty rare beast i'm afraid...

cheers,

[John De Bree]

Originally Posted by chrisr

that would be ideal...but a pretty rare beast i'm afraid...

cheers,

Unfortunately I have to agree with you but every now and then you find one and some people will still get upset

[Tonali99]

Originally Posted by aqfishing

I am just sorry I wasted 15min of my life reading this utterly pointless, senseless thread!!!

Me too, but I didn't wait that long.
What I think is he's afraid some newby will trash his boat ....And he gets to watch.

[gulfislandfred]

Every situation is different. Over the years, I have made some long term friends, in the process of selling boats to them. I usually ask people who answer my ad what they want to use the boat for, how much experience they have, if they have a place to put the boat if they buy it. I don't mind talking about boats to nice folks. I don't waste my time with jerks.


I have advised people not to buy the boat I have for sale, usually if the boat is a project, and the potential buyer is inexperienced. I think, in that case, the buyers have always taken my advice.



I steer people toward boats I think might be right, just for the entertainment and boat talk, in ads, and on craigslist, etc. I've made friends that way, too.

[Yihang]

Seawind certainly didn't care when they sold a 1600 to these guys. They asked youtube how to reef downwind and got answers like these...

"I'm not a sailor (yet...but I will be) I think one way to reef while running down the wind is to align your boom with the wind. This takes the pressure off your sliders. (But check with real sailors before you actually try it.)"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3TM...HarborsUnknown

"]MaL]

[PILOT P]

It’s admirable to look out for the buyer but in the end it’s their choice
Better than watching your broker sell your boat to two buyers at once - that’s really unethical
But is a habit of Nautilus Yacht Management in Fiji
In the end it’s Buyer Beware as not all yachties and brokers are honest when it comes to selling boats !!

[Heath68]

It's a strange thing that people feel obliged to judge the buyer in the way people talk here..
I couldn't see anyone selling (say) a porsche and telling the buyer "no sorry I'm not selling my car to you as you look like you might drive it too fast and you don't look capable..." but I suppose I might see someone not keen on selling a classic car they'd spend years customising themselves to a buyer who clearly didn't know what they were buying and all they wanted to do is do burnouts in it. That may get even more complicated if they lived in the same street.

[aqfishing]

Originally Posted by Yihang

Seawind certainly didn't care when they sold a 1600 to these guys. They asked youtube how to reef downwind and got answers like these...

"I'm not a sailor (yet...but I will be) I think one way to reef while running down the wind is to align your boom with the wind. This takes the pressure off your sliders. (But check with real sailors before you actually try it.)"

"]MaL]

Those sheets lying on the deck give me the heebies!

[Capn Jimbo]

The only difference between a thrill seeking kid who mistakenly pokes a hornet's nest and the OP is that he created the nest and poked it on purpose... ego and boredom meets Covid isolation.



Tag.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by John De Bree

Then you will have a buyer that will put all the blame on the broker or to the point where they will try to sue in this world. Not enough people try to help you with making the right decision. Too many brokers try to sell at all costs only caring about their cut. I personally prefer a broker who will tell me that it's not the boat for you than to sell something that I will regret.

You could certainly file a claim in court but since the premise was the boat was accurately and fairly presented...the claim would go absolutely no where. If you persist with a frivolous claim, you are likely paying the brokers cost to fight it.

It's not the sellers (or brokers) role to tell the buyer what is right for them.

PS: It's funny that people get upset at the idea of the govt stepping in and telling them what they can do but when it's them doing the "telling" they know better.

[Poche]

Originally Posted by Capn Jimbo

The only difference between a thrill seeking kid who mistakenly pokes a hornet's nest and the OP is that he created the nest and poked it on purpose... ego and boredom meets Covid isolation.
Tag.

Forum, a place, meeting, or medium where ideas and views on a particular issue can be exchanged.

What part of that don't you understand? Let me know, I'll help you understand. Maybe you can figure it out on your own or ask someone you know.

[SuW]

On two occasions, cruising boats were sold from my marina to inexperienced but perhaps over-confident buyers and the boats were subsequently lost.

A 45' ferro Samson design, very well-equipped; if they had kept it off the rocks in Puerto Rico, they would have been fine.

A Whitby 42; 40+ years old, tired and hastily refitted with (imo) substandard upgrades. Lost off Bermuda in November (crew rescued by cargo ship).

Both boats had been for sale for some years. Buyers and sellers were delighted with the eventual deals.

There are many happier tales. A dozens boats sold every year with no downsides (except the new owners learning about boat maintenance).

Usually bad things don't happen, sometimes they happen even to the well-prepared, but you can usually spot the people who are more likely to get into difficulties.

I don't think that in either case the sellers were prepared to lose the sale because the buyers were inexperienced. People have to take responsibility for their decisions. Luckily no lives were lost.