test rides when selling a boat

[wheels61]

when you're selling a boat and someone wants to go for a test ride do you make them put up any money or anything, maybe atleast show they can come up with the money. i'm not talking about big bucks here ($10k). i've taken 4 diferent people for a ride so far that had the money, are very interested, ect. the boat runs perfect although it is very loud as it has no mufflers. three couldn't come up with the money and one said he'd get back to me. the last one just hops in with his work boots on stands on the swim pad and bench seat like its no big deal even after i said something to him politely. i know i'm screwed when they can't back the boat down the ramp. i'm startin to get aggravated to the point if it doesn't sell soon i'd rather keep it than go through the agony. i really feel for anyone tryin to sell a boat right now. thanks for reading my rant.

[Buoy]

when you're selling a boat and someone wants to go for a test ride do you make them put up any money or anything, maybe atleast show they can come up with the money. i'm not talking about big bucks here ($10k). i've taken 4 diferent people for a ride so far that had the money, are very interested, ect. the boat runs perfect although it is very loud as it has no mufflers. three couldn't come up with the money and one said he'd get back to me. the last one just hops in with his work boots on stands on the swim pad and bench seat like its no big deal even after i said something to him politely. i know i'm screwed when they can't back the boat down the ramp. i'm startin to get aggravated to the point if it doesn't sell soon i'd rather keep it than go through the agony. i really feel for anyone tryin to sell a boat right now. thanks for reading my rant.

Offer a sea-trial only after a selling price has been negotiated and agreed upon, and a deposit made "pending sea-trial".
This is fair to you both as buyer and seller.
As a buyer, you've committed to buying the boat if everything checks out on the water as advertised.
As a seller, you are only taking someone for a joy ride that has already committed to buy unless you mis-represented something.

[MattBMiller]

I take a deposit before the boat gets wet.

[wheels61]

thanks guys, this makes great sense to me now that i've been on a few joy rides. the boats on ebay with 3 days to go in anyone is interested in a good old boat (87 scarab with triple axle trailer). thanks, again.

[MattBMiller]

have you had any luck with Ebay? I was thinking of putting mine on there

[Buoy]

Matt, for the record, I've sold a Harley, and a BMW on E-bay, and both were good transactions.
For whatever it is worth.

[BraceYourself]

I would like to say no money no sea trial.

But on a boat I had with 1000 mercs I had a buyer convince me it wasn't a problem. After an hour sea trial run, I called on the following Monday and he said he couldn't get financing or insurance after he already said it was taken care of.


I bought my last three boats sight unseen, fyi.

[Expensive Date]

Make the sea trial $300.00 refundable with purchase it will get ride of all the time wasters but won't put off serious buyers.

[Trim'd Up]

Last couple of boats I sold I had the guys meet me at the lake on a Saturday and just made a day of it. If I was to make a special trip to the lake there would definitely be some deposit involved.

[32storm]

I don't have an issue taking someone out for a quick ride. Hell, I'd be going out anyways. Only had one case of tire kickers on my last boat that I sold. A good test ride can also close the deal if a buyer is undecided between a couple of boats.

[jayhawk261]

I'm kind of torn on the issue. On one hand, even if I'm taking some schmuck out on the boat for a supposed test ride, I still get to run my boat and have some fun. If he then backs out, I'm out some gas money and a little time, but I got to run the boat which makes it a better day than most for me.

On the other hand, if this type of thing happens over and over, I can see how the frustration level would go up.

In the end, I agree with what was said above. If you're going for a day on the lake, a potential buyer rides along for half an hour should be no big deal joy rider or not. If it is a special trip, a purchase refundable deposit makes perfect sense. It will shut down the joy riders and clean up your potential customer pool. Then you only have to talk to the knobs on the phone!

Oh, but work boots on the vinyl is unforgivable. If asking nicely didn't work like you said, I'd ask not so nicely. If that didn't work, I'd pack it up and tell him that I'm not selling a boat that I've put large amounts of time money and effort into to some JO who doesn't give squirt.

[Scarab KV]

I think maybe even some sort of letter of intent from his bank. A buyer should know if his bank will even consider the financing long before the ride. Anything else is just a waste.

[Knot 4 Me]

Of the three boats I've sold, I've given test rides with no strings attached for any interested party. Each boat sold within a 2 week period. When I'm ready to sell, I'm ready to sell. That means I'm willing to put in the time and effort to move the boat. And I make it clear to the prospective buyer before they meet me at the dock how I want my boat treated during the "sea trial". So I've never had a problem with folks wanting to board with work boots on, etc.

[Ratickle]

I believe one of the things you're battling is the price. You are looking at first time buyers, it is probably more of an issue due to that than with most boats sold.

I will not buy a boat without either a survey or test drive, one or the other - not both.

If it's a special trip, gas money would be reasonable to weed out most. Comes off the price with purchase. Other than that, I've got nothing. What does a marina do? They can't continually give rides for free to everybody who shows up with a story....

[RichL]

i know i'm screwed when they can't back the boat down the ramp.

I absolutely agree with the answers above. That being said,and maybe I'm misreading something here, but I'd NEVER let a potential buyer back the boat down the ramp before the sale was completed and the money transferred.

Just my .02

[wheels61]

well, i was in the boat to back it off the trailer. they said they had boats before and could handle it. live and learn. i do agree the price is drawing a diferent crowd than most of the boats on this site. all in all its been a learning experience

[Tony]

I dont mind giving seatrials as long as it isnt too much of a hassle on my part. A few years back I had a Seadoo jetboat up for sale and I must have reccieved 20 emails from this guy asking the most rediculous questions about the boat then the emails stop. A few weeks go by and I get this email from the same guy saying that he wants to see the boat tonight, he is a serious buyer with cash in hand and will take the boat tonight if it is all I say it is. I cancelled my evening plans and this guy shows up on a Harley.... The guy and his wife liked the boat but the wife insisted on a "professional compression test" She clearly had no idea what the hell she was talking about as she insisted that I wasnt quallified to perform such a test as I was not a Seadoo Dealer. Right about the time I was going to tell her to pound sand the husband says how about a sea trial instead....GROAN!

I agree to a sea trial, theese two show up at the dock in their orange walmart life jackets and aqua shoes, sunscreen and beach towels. I start the boat and the wife is still grumbling and insisting on damned proffessional compression test. The lake was kicked up a bit and as soon as I cleared the no wake bouys I slammed the throttes and didnt let up until I launched off of a huge cruiser wake. I think the wife ****ed herself, amd the husband jizzed in his pants. They bought the boat and didnt even try to haggle on price.

[Scarab KV]

I dont mind giving seatrials as long as it isnt too much of a hassle on my part. A few years back I had a Seadoo jetboat up for sale and I must have reccieved 20 emails from this guy asking the most rediculous questions about the boat then the emails stop. A few weeks go by and I get this email from the same guy saying that he wants to see the boat tonight, he is a serious buyer with cash in hand and will take the boat tonight if it is all I say it is. I cancelled my evening plans and this guy shows up on a Harley.... The guy and his wife liked the boat but the wife insisted on a "professional compression test" She clearly had no idea what the hell she was talking about as she insisted that I wasnt quallified to perform such a test as I was not a Seadoo Dealer. Right about the time I was going to tell her to pound sand the husband says how about a sea trial instead....GROAN!

I agree to a sea trial, theese two show up at the dock in their orange walmart life jackets and aqua shoes, sunscreen and beach towels. I start the boat and the wife is still grumbling and insisting on damned proffessional compression test. The lake was kicked up a bit and as soon as I cleared the no wake bouys I slammed the throttes and didnt let up until I launched off of a huge cruiser wake. I think the wife ****ed herself, amd the husband jizzed in his pants. They bought the boat and didnt even try to haggle on price.

[Griff]

I have never asked for a deposit before a sea trial. I wasted my time and fuel few times trying to sell my 24 Outlaw a long time ago. In the end, it sold to Outlawcowgirl in the middle of winter without even starting the engine.

[Indy]

The last two boats I sold were done without a deposit. Both buyers came from the mid-Atlantic states to CT which meant to me they were fairly serious. If they were coming that far then I didn't have any problems driving a few miles to dunk the boat and run it. We had discussed the boat in detail and had a good feeling on the price range for a sale if the boats checked out. Both transactions sold without a problem.