I have been selling boats for some time now, the auto industry has
warranties that you can buy on a used car but a boat broker does not, in
fact most boat brokers that I have spoke with do not want to get into this
type of biz? I think its best for the public to hold brokers to what they
say , they should be responsible for what they list and sell, why not they
get paid on the deal, kinda why should they sell you swamp and get away with
it?Ahhh yes you could sue, and after years of court you might get your cash
back less 20% legal fee's, but if they were regulated then they could not
rip off people so easily. NOt to say all do but some are worse then car
dealers that are in it for quick cash and run!!okay not all car dealers

what do you think

what do you think

I don't think you sell boats or know a damn thing about it.

Shall we dissect your whine, line by line?

I have been selling boats for some time now, the auto industry has
warranties that you can buy on a used car but a boat broker does not

Two points he

1. 99% of used cars in this country are sold as is. A high percentage are sold
"by owner". When was the last time you got a warranty from a private seller, or
got the guy who peddled his old Chevy out of his driveway to do a brake job for
you after your wife drove home with the e-brake on? Of the cars sold by
dealerships, the vast majority have the "AS IS" box checked on the FTC sticker.
Yes, you can buy an aftermarket warranty.....(and many of those are pure crap-
take it from a guy who spent 20 years in the car business).....but that is
different that the used car dealer personally backing the car so your
comparison runs aground right out of the gate.

2. There are now some aftermarket warranties available for used boats. A
business acquaintance of mine sells them here in Seattle, and I am sure they
are most likely available almost anywhere there's water. Again, you comparison
is prejudicial and inaccurate.


in
fact most boat brokers that I have spoke with do not want to get into this
type of biz?

That's a really weirdly worded phrase to which it is difficult to respond. Your
meaning is unclear.

I think its best for the public to hold brokers to what they
say , they should be responsible for what they list and sell,

By definition, a boat broker doesn't "own" the boats he represents. Any
reasonable broker will tell you, in writing, not to rely on any statements made
by the broker (or anyone in the broker's employ) considering the condition of a
used boat. A professional broker will encourage the purchaser to independently
choose a marine surveyor to evaluate the condition of the boat prior to
closing. The surveyor is in the employ of the buyer, not the seller or the
broker.

(A smart broker will darn nearly *insist* that you get a survey, as will your
insurance and finance sources. If the borker has disclosed everything he knew
to
be wrong with the boat and something comes up a year later that the seller
wants to cry about, one of two things will be true:
Either the surveyor mentioned the item as a prospective problem and the buyer
proceeded anyway, or the problem wasn't even apparent to a professional
surveyor at the time of sale and therefore it would be unreasonable to hold a
sales agent to a higher standard for finding potential defects than a
certified, professional, marine surveyor)

The buyer should make his purchase decision based upon the surveryor's
findings, not some glowing adjectives heaped on by the broker.

The broker is responsible for two things:

1. The broker must disclose any *known* defects in the boat prior to sale. He
doesn't own the boat, isn't going to guarantee the boat, isn't going to fix the
boat, but he must volunteer any information about known defects to a
prospective buyer.

2. Calling the buyer's attention to the fact that the purchase of a used vessel
is an as-is transaction, and that the buyer's sole protection (other than an
extended lawsuit)
is a thorough, independent investigation of the boat by an independent surveyor
prior to purchase.

What could be more honest than telling the buyer, "If it breaks, you don't get
squat- so better have your expert employee, the surveyor, figure out going in
what is broken now or is most likely to break soon and see whether you think
you still want the boat under those conditions."

why not they
get paid on the deal, kinda why should they sell you swamp and get away with
it?

Because you don't close on the swamp until you have your own hydrologist,
agronomist, environmentalist, real estate specialist, etc etc etc render an
independent opinion as to the nature of the property you're buying.

Buying a used boat, (of any substance), is a process, not an *event*. It takes
weeks for the sea trial, survey, and financing to come together. Nobody is
going to fast talk you into something you'll regret in the morning. Any time
you regret it, (before closing), there are any number of easy outs in a boat
purchase.


but if they were regulated then they could not
rip off people so easily.

In most states, boat brokers are regulated by the same agencies that regulate
automobile dealerships, doctors, attorneys, dentists, teachers, real estate
agents, etc.

NOt to say all do but some are worse then car
dealers that are in it for quick cash and run!!okay not all car dealers

what do you think

I think you shouldn't drink when you type or pretend you know the first thing
about the boat business.