Get your deal in writing

[RLWsnook]

:smt013So today I made an offer on a boat. (Full cash of their listing price and it was contingent on a survey). It was accepted and I thought I was going to be a boat owner. Set up a survey, set up a slip\ rack program in my marina and everything. Was very excited...

The guy told me no need to put money down even though I was trying to, he said, "Your word is all you are good for. the listing was via ebay and he goes look at my history. I have 900 positive feedbacks..." Pretty much we had a verbal contract..

So later today I get a call, and he says sorry the boat has sold. It is gone, there is nothing I can do. And then the guy has the audacity to ask me if I wanted one of his other boats, which were different makes, and not what I wanted... :smt013

 

[katricol]

Soooo......He is one of many Jerks on this planet

 

[KevRock]

User ID to avoid is...

 

[RLWsnook]

the guy isn't a part of club sea ray, at least not to my knowledge.

Doss Automotive of Chapin SC

or ebay: dossonline

I am sure it would have been fine if I had a contract... or if I had bought via a buy it now... but we had a verbal contract...

He didn't want me to do a survey... said it was a waste of money... which should have been a red flag... But said it was fine..

The funny thing is he talked for about 2 mins about how much your word was all you are good for... and then this..

I feel bad for the guy who was going to do the survey, is it wrong for me to ask this dealer to pay for what he was going to make?

And people wonder why used car\ I guess boat dealers get bad names...

 

[tobnpr]

I wonder if the whole thing was a sham...
Was the boat on EBAY a ridiculously good deal? If so, it may have just been a fake "teaser" to get you to bite..

Just like a car dealer that makes up some excuse as to why the car you came to see isn't there anymore...then it's "Hey- as long as you're here, how about looking at this....."

If you actually completed the purchase on Ebay, you should be able to leave him negative feedback, no? Not much consololation in that, though. Keep on looking- odds are, you'll find something even better.

 

[RLWsnook]

No I don't think it was a sham. I really think he had the boat... And it was a good deal... but not something that would make you think that's too good to be true..

Unfortunately I did not bid, or buy via ebay, I contacted him via ebay and asked him to call me, where I made a verbal offer which he accepted..

Regardless, it just shows you you have to get everything in writing...

There is little I can do, we didn't have anything written...

 

[Southpaw II]

The 'ole "bait & switch"......

 

[Kreole Kid]

Aww what the hell, put his name up on blast so none of our brothers and sisters won't get screwed by this sleaze ball salesman. He's not even worthy of the title "Salesman". He should be called "Sleazeman".:smt013

 

[RLWsnook]

The 'ole "bait & switch"......

ha ya pretty much... I don't get it...

This is now the third boat that has sold while i was talking to someone... (the other two I hadn't made an offer though):smt089

Oh and one other boat that the guy for whatever reason will not get back to me... even though I have expressed interest... and was ready to make an offer for. All the guy had to do was get the report his company did (which was in his office) for the boat and read it and actually look at the boat like he said he was going to do... (Mind you he said he wasn't comfortable telling me more about the boat until he had done so...) And since hasn't responded to my follow up with him asking if he could get back to me once he had done that...

 

[mistercomputerman]

No I don't think it was a sham. I really think he had the boat... And it was a good deal... but not something that would make you think that's too good to be true..

Unfortunately I did not bid, or buy via ebay, I contacted him via ebay and asked him to call me, where I made a verbal offer which he accepted..

Regardless, it just shows you you have to get everything in writing...

There is little I can do, we didn't have anything written...

Let me get this straight-

You found a boat on eBay
You contacted the Seller using eBay
You made an offer outside of eBay
He sold the boat on eBay
You have an attitude about it

I am pretty sure that if you read the eBay rules, they advise you not to try to complete a transaction outside of eBay. If you had bid on the boat through the auction process setup by eBay, and then won the auction, you wouldn't have any complaints.

However, unless I am missing something, you found the boat on eBay and then contacted the Seller to try to complete the transaction without using eBay.

I don't think you have a leg to stand on.

 

[RLWsnook]

Let me get this straight-

You found a boat on eBay
You contacted the Seller using eBay
You made an offer outside of eBay
He sold the boat on eBay
You have an attitude about it
.

No I found the boat on youtube of all places. Contacted him on ebay because he wasn't in the office over the weekend (mind you I called him at the office first but they weren't open), and the only other way to get in touch with him was via ebay so I asked him to call me via an ebay email. (He had the boat listed on ebay).

I told him I didn't find the boat on ebay but I would gladly buy it via ebay or outside... (My mistake I know)

And he sold the boat to another person, off of ebay.. no one on ebay bought the boat.

That being said.. I agree if I would have bought via ebay I would have had no problems... Hence me saying I wish I would have done so, and me posting about you have to get everything in writing.

Oh well.. I just know now not to make stupid mistakes... like this... I have to have everything in writing...

 

[Youngin19]

What kind of boat were you trying to purchase, maybe others on here can help you find a similar deal.

 

[Dave S]

Considering everything that happened here, I think you ought to be thankful this deal fell thru. There is no telling what other "surprises" you may have been in store for.

Dave

 

[Carver370]

You were looking for a late model 18 correct? If the boat were cheap enough and new enough 05 and up I wouldn't waste my money on a survey either and I am the biggest advocate of getting a survey on a boat. There simply isn't very much that a surveyor can tell you on a small boat like this that you can't see yourself. The money I would spend would be on a mechanic to simply check the motor and drive.

Sounds to me like the next time you make an offer you should insist that they take your refundable deposit check and have an agreed number in writing before anything.

 

[RLWsnook]

Dave, you are prob right. He was really trying to get me not to do a survey... There could have been something more major that they weren't disclosing.

Youngin19, The boat I really like is the 2006-09 185 sport with the 190 hp engine. that being said... I am looking for kinda a narrow range... A boat that hasn't been in the salt water and that doesn't think 30-50 hours a year and normal wear and tear warrants new MSRP...

That being said I've kinda started to look around. I mean sea ray is my first choice...But I've been checking out Four winns H190 and the regal 1900 (Same years for both 06 on)... :huh: please don't be mad... but there are far fewer of the boats I'm looking for than one might think..

I have until mid June to buy a boat... (that is the soonest I could start to use it) but I really have the itch to 1 get a good deal, and 2 own a boat...

So, if anyone has any ideas and thoughts please offer them, and ps... is there an easier way to see all of the dealerships that sell Sea rays? I have been going through each and every major city within like 500 miles of me and finding their zip code and entering it into searay.com to find the dealers and see their used inventory (in case it isn't on one of the boats.com, yachttrader.com, ebay, ect ect ect)..

 

[Dave S]

My dealer has three of them that are used. And I can vouch for the fact these guys are straight shooters. If you are interested in any of them, call Larry who is the GM here at Lake Wylie.

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2009-SEA-RAY-185-Sport-96082002


http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2009-SEA-RAY-195-Sport-96429267

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2009-SEA-RAY-185-Sport-95746008

 

[RLWsnook]

My dealer has three of them that are used. And I can vouch for the fact these guys are straight shooters. If you are interested in any of them, call Larry who is the GM here at Lake Wylie.

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2009-SEA-RAY-185-Sport-96082002


http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2009-SEA-RAY-195-Sport-96429267

http://www.boattrader.com/listing/2009-SEA-RAY-185-Sport-95746008

Thanks for these, but they are a bit over my price range. I'm looking more in the 15-16 range (as total cost of ownership is significantly higher than the purchase price a 15,000 dollar boat with taxes, insurance, marina, shipping, life jackets and other random stuff will end up costing more like 18-19 grand). And further I do not want to be the one who takes that huge hit of depreciation. (I'd rather someone else take the hit)...