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I'm interested in hearing about the buying experiences from those of you that have actually purchased a new boat over the net. I see some potentially good deals on the likes of boat-trader, etc., etc. and am curious about how it has worked out for you. In particular would like to hear if you had to have your boat shipped/or if you picked it up, did the dealer honor the price, has the dealer (long distance) been any assistance to you post-purchase, etc.
I used Yachtworld and Boattrader online to research used inventory. I was looking initially for a 2 or 3 year old boat. I was open to transporting the boat some distance in order to get what I wanted.
I narrowed my choices down to 2 brands of boats then proceeded to watch pricing and communicate with dealers over e-mail. Most dealers were slow to respond to e-mail and I ended up calling them.
In the end, I decided on one brand of boat and made the trip to where most of the inventory was located. That was 320 miles from home and required an overnight stay to hit 6 marinas. I learned a lot from face to face discussions with both sales people and on site mechanics.
On my last stop, I was offered a price on a new boat and took the deal with some negotiation over nav equipment package and accessories. Had the boat transported 200 miles to the point of storage. which I paid for seperately but was arranged through the dealer.
All of this happened over 9 months of research and with help from others on this forum. Do your homework, determine exactly which boat you want. The final negotiation needs to take place face to face. This particular dealer was pretty good in communicating with me via phone after the deal. He had to arrange warranty with another dealer in my region. He did that by giving him a percentage of the sale price of which he gladly accepted. Make absolutely sure that your warranty will be honored at the dealer closest to you. Do not assume that the non sale dealer will honor.
I sold my 97 Trojan 350 on boattrader.com in 2 months back in 2000 without a broker. I found my current 01 Tiara Coronet on boattrader.com, and as it happened it was basically in my backyard. I also used these listings to get an idea about market average value taking into consideration that brokerage fees are typically 10%. Remember that the photos can only tell you so much. The more expensive the boat you are looking at the more worthwhile it is to check out the national market. A freshwater boat that is stored and well maintained may be worth the trip. Also if you are looking for a specific model and power option the internet expands your chance of finding what you want. Of course there's transportation and arranging local survey, but again depending on what you are going to spend and how specific your needs are it can certainly be worth it.
I apologize in that I misunderstood you. You are asking about buying a new boat, not as we say, new to you (i.e. used). My only cautionary tale about this relates to a friend (who did not use the internet), but bought himself a new boat at a higher volume dealer than the one closest to us (this was several years ago when I lived in MD/VA) to get a better deal. When he had a problem and took it to our local guy, well you can guess where he was told to take his boat. Sometimes saving a few bucks is not worth the potential loss of service on a new boat purchase.
I bought from a individual in MI and I am in KY. We talked over the phone and I aqquired pics via the net. He had the boat priced below what others on Boattrader and Yachtworld had for like boats. I looked and compared for about 6-8 months through the net. Great place to check prices.
A road trip to Mich. and a test ride and the boat came home with me. Been a happy camper with my purchase. Local dealer does any needed work without a fuss. May help that I had nosed around and made friends with them. They knew I was in the market for a boat, so no hard feelings when I bought mine since they don't handle the style I wanted but they do handle the brand name I have.
If I am in the market again, I will go through the net for the boat I want and I would take another road trip to bring my boat home. Guess thats part of the thrill for me,,,May not be for you.
Good luck and do your homework, it pays in the end.
__________________ 2002 Trophy 2002FF with Pro Package, 2007 175 Optimax SOLD
Sold my last dink on ebay. It was a 19' center console. I put it on ebay, it sold five days later. Buyer sent me a certified check before he even saw the boat. When he came, I went over the boat and trailer with him, handed him the keys and he was off. No sea trial, no survey. It was effortless. I believe the key to the transaction was my feedback score on ebay (100%) and his agreement to pay by certified funds.
If so, I can only reiterate, have the dealer arrange your warranty with the dealer back home. My remote dealer called the factory first to ensure he wasn't violating regional agreements for the dealer network. Once he got factory approval, he contacted my local dealer to negotiate warranty coverage.
The dealer also arranged an independent "start up" ride at my storage area, which isn't the home location. In short, the dealer did his homework as well. The deal was not final until all of the above was arranged. Then we did the sea trial and signed the papers. It did require a second trip back but it also ensured that I would be taken care of if anything went wrong.
Quite a different process from buying a previously owned boat.
I live in Maryland. We bought our last boat from a local dealer and had nothing but headaches. We just bought our latest boat from a dealer in Florida. I feared the worst because of all the extra coordinating that would need to be done, but got lucky 'cause this dealer had his act together. Can't speak on behalf of all internet deals but this one, Paul Berube at Boater's Exchange, was a pleasure to work with.
I just did this - You gotta know waht you want and be ready to leap when it comes available.
found the rig on Boattraderonline
called the broker
wired a refundable deposit
drove 7 hours to seatrial
signed over cashier's check
towed it home.
It worked out great.
Make sure you:
Get serial numbers/model numbers for boat, motor and trailer
Get the full story on the boat
Think about a survey - I bought a low-hour Parker and am reasonably mechanically adept, so I felt I could survey it myself.
I purchased a used Glacier Bay 2680, sight unseen, off the internet (Boattraderonline) from a dealer in Rhode Island. I live in Arkansas. We negotiated the price over the phone, pending a marine survey. I got the name of a surveyor off this website, he checked the boat out, and gave it a 9.5 on a scale of 1 to 10. I had the boat truck shipped to Venice, LA. I actually laid eyes on it two weeks after I wrote the check. The boat looked better to me than what I had expected. I have put about 175 hours on it since the purchase (Dec 03), with no problems. I called the dealer several times after delivery and he was most helpful. To be honest, I had major reservations about the purchase of a boat without looking at it. I don't know if my experience is typical, but it could not have gone better.
Bought my CH19 sight unseen from an add on Boat Trader, from a southern gentlemen from Ga.
No broker or third party involved.
It had 8 hours on it.
I also paid them to delivery it to the Mexican border for import.
I had never even tried or seen a Cape Horn before, but another southern gentlemen had, and recommended it to me.
You could say I have a lot of faith in Southern ers, which I do. But if someone shows you digital pictures, and expects you to look at it before writing a check, then it would be a waste of their time to lie, and I was counting on that.
After talking to him on the phone, I knew where I stood, and closed the deal in 15 minutes. Very happy with my deal.
I found my boat on the internet, contacted the dealer, then did most of the deal on the phone and in person. The internet was a very useful tool, and it worked out great, as I was able to follow inventory, how long it was posted, then get the best price. My Scout was listed at 44K in July, 2002, and I waited til February, 03. The new boat, trailer and all options, taxes, prep, bottom paint, coast gaurd package, taxes, out the door delivered was $27,569. I was very happy with the entire experience, and the dealer was superb.
I bought a new boat using the net in January and picked it up in March. I figured it saved me 20%. I anticipated that there would be some additional risk and inconveniences but the savings were so significant, it is worth it. Part of the reason for the big savings is I live in a low boating area and consequently good deals aren't available locally.
I did experience some small issues that I was able to resolve with my dealer. The biggest issue was the engine control cables were rigged incorrectly to the control box. I fixed that with help from the dealer, but later it was fixed properly by a local dealer who inspected the control box at the 10 hr motor check up. My dealer reimbursed me for the cost. I will probably never see my dealer but so far, they have been responsive to my inquiries.
My dealer uses a shipper who charges $1 a mile. I wound up paying for shipment for about 2/3's of the 1300 mile distance from the dealer to my home, and I trailered the rest of the way. I rendezvoused with the shipper at a Holiday Inn in Nebraska where we closed the deal all based on trust related to a $1,800 deposit.
When buying out of state, the buyer doesn't have to pay the dealer sales tax. Some states don't require sales tax payment as a condition of registration.
Overall I would do it again. I think it is important for a buyer in this type of transaction to understand the added risks and responsibilities; and be prepared to deal with inevitable issues somewhat independently. I also believe when buying a 17 foot aluminum boat made by a reputable manufacturer, combined with solid reviews for the engine I selected, the risks are pretty small.
I have already made a good local Johnson dealership relationship for my future engine servicing (for my Johnson 140 4 stroke).
Another tip I offer when using the web is timing. Many dealers do not advertise there current prices during the prime boating season. During the fall and early winter months the web is full of price information that is not available in the spring and summer. I aggressively searched pricing info and began contacting out of state dealers late last summer and made the deal in January.
You will hear recommendations that local dealer relationships are the most important part in dealer selection. That is important, but when one acheives a 20% savings, I took the savings over the convenience and service of a good local dealer.
One other word of caution. Know your home states tax rules.
I bought in NC where there is cap on the state tax amount ($1500). I paid the max in NC and Virginia (home state) gave me credit for that when I went to register the boat but.....
Virginia's cap is $2000. Guess what? They wanted the rest of it.
This wouldn't have been a show stopper on the purchase of the boat but it would have been nice to know as I factored in the total cost of the new boat purchase. In addition, I could have used it as a negotiation on the final price with the NC dealer.
My experience has been generally negative, but I was dealing with individuals, not dealers. Here is what happened to me last summer.
Boat #1: 2002 ProKat 2860 w/twin 150 HPDI's with 50 hours on it.
The boat was listed a little under market at that time, so my dad and I fly all the way to Tampa from TX to sea trial and check out the boat. The boat looked like it had more like 350 hours on it, but it ran great and was worth the price. We sea trial the boat and decided to offer on the boat. Since we traveled all the way to Tampa we decide not to mess around with price, so we offer the guy his asking price for the boat. He says he will take our "offer" and if it is the highest, he will sell it to us for that. I tell him he has the boat listed for a price and we are willing to pay that price and we want to buy the boat for that price. He starts talking about offers and other people coming to look at the boat and he couldn't sell it to us yet. I got really mad (which doesn't happen often) because I dropped a grand to come out there. I asked whether the boat was for sale and he said yes. I asked him how much and he said the highest offer takes it. I tell him he didn't have a boat for sale, he had a boat for auction and I didn't fly all the way out there for an auction. He shrugs and I tell him where I come from, people don't do business that way. We left his 6 million dollar house (also for sale) and went home. We find out later that he sold the boat for $1k more than his asking price.
Boat #2: 2000 HydroCat
After a lot of conversation with owner over the phone and a drive by look at his boat, we make a verbal agreement to pay cash plus a bay boat for the HydroCat. My Dad hauls his Kenner all the way to MS from TX and they sea trial both boats. Everything seems fine. HydroCat owner's son shows up and basically talks his dad out of the deal because he didn't like the range on the Kenner. Range was never brought up prior to that moment. My dad hauls his Kenner back to Houston. That HydroCat is still for sale a year later.
That was the end of our internet shopping for boats. We ordered a new HydroCat direct from the factory. We love this boat.
Hydrocat - On your first deal, and if I remember my business law class - the moment you accepted the buyer's advertised price you had a contract. He was in breach.
Internet Boat Shopping Experience 
