Boat sale tale

Pikey Dave · 15 March 2017, 13:26

Just to prove the world ain't all bad.
As some of you will know, Black Pig, my 6.4 Ribcraft has been up for sale for a while, just over 2 years in fact. I've had plenty of interest, but mostly from dreamers with Champagne tastes & beer money. The boat was a difficult configuration to sell, being laid out for diving, with a central helm position & one jockey seat. The twin Etecs also put off the less well informed & those who tend to believe hearsay rather than fact, but that's an argument to have another day

So, a couple of weeks ago I received an email from a gent in Germany expressing interest in the boat, it ticked all his boxes & with the current £-€ exchange rate, represented good value. However payment was always going to be an issue, he had Euros, I wanted Sterling, he was arriving on a Saturday when the banks were closed, I didn't want a bag full of cash which could prove to be counterfeit, etc etc.
Unbelievably he offered to transfer 80% of the asking price into my account to clear prior to his arrival in the UK!! This was on condition that I promised to pay the deposit back, should the sale not go through. I was immediately on my guard thinking that there must be a scam brewing somewhere, I just couldn't see where it was. But last week, a chunk of money arrived in my bank account, the chap arrived from Germany last weekend, liked what he saw & transferred the balance via internet banking into our account & I released the boat. I was taking a chance on releasing the boat as the balance wouldn't clear until the following Tuesday (yesterday) which it did, but he had taken a bigger leap of faith by sending a complete stranger £XXk, to a foreign country

A braver man than me, for sure. So all worked out in the end, there are some good people out there.
I wouldn't recommend anyone to purchase anything the way this chap did, fortunately for him he was dealing with an honest Yorkshireman

beamishken · 15 March 2017, 14:22

Selling and buying abroad isn't that much of a hassle you just need to have a little faith and be carefull.I've bought 2 boats from the US albeit from companies and took their word and the pictures for the condition of both the first was just into 5 figures but the second was substantially more than my first house cost I was very happy with both boats.
I also sold a boat to a guy in Finland and had to wait for the sea to thaw before he could take delivery into Helsinki,again that transaction was straightforward
Although the sale was handled by a broker
Not all international deals are scams
although there are a few!

Maximus · 15 March 2017, 14:25

Fortunately for You!....they don't know ABOUT Yorkshiremen in Germany!

Alls well that ends well Dave!

Poly · 15 March 2017, 14:29

Presumably he never translated "Pikey"

Ribochet · 15 March 2017, 14:29

Well done

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

I've had plenty of interest, but mostly from dreamers with Champagne tastes & beer money.

One of them was also sniffing around mine but I presume he got pretty much the same reply

No worries - Easter cometh

Pikey Dave · 15 March 2017, 14:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poly

Presumably he never translated "Pikey"

Oi! I resemble that remark

willk · 15 March 2017, 14:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ribochet

One of them was also sniffing around mine but I presume he got pretty much the same reply

Gary's Rule #1?

jeffstevens763@g · 15 March 2017, 14:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poly

Presumably he never translated "Pikey"

good result Dave nice to hear a good story for once

willk · 15 March 2017, 15:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

As some of you will know, Black Pig, my 6.4 Ribcraft has been up for sale for a while, just over 2 years in fact.

IMO, the vast majority of deals go down not unlike this. Most people are honest - that's how the chancers manage to con us occasionally. Nice to see BP sold - there's a lid for every pot!

I have a friend about to sell his twin rig - he's local RNLI crew. He's worried no-one will buy her. I tried to explain that it can take a bit of time for the right buyer to come along - twin engine rigs have a limited following, but then, they are in limited supply. His is a FRM6.5m with twin Merc 60s circa 1998. Tube still in very good nick last time I saw her so fingers crossed...

Pikey Dave · 15 March 2017, 15:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

IMO, the vast majority of deals go down not unlike this. Most people are honest - that's how the chancers manage to con us occasionally. Nice to see BP sold - there's a lid for every pot!

I have a friend about to sell his twin rig - he's local RNLI crew. He's worried no-one will buy her. I tried to explain that it can take a bit of time for the right buyer to come along - twin engine rigs have a limited following, but then, they are in limited supply. His is a FRM6.5m with twin Merc 60s circa 1998. Tube still in very good nick last time I saw her so fingers crossed...

Most of the interest for BP was because she was a twin rig. The biggest drawback to her selling was the layout, most people wanted 6 seats or more. Divers are going down the charter hard boat route now, as diving gets more "technical" divers prefer the space & stability offered by charter boats, diver lifts are becoming the norm too. I can't see a well cared for twin setup with a conventional layout being difficult to sell, especially on the west coast.

southwestmike · 15 March 2017, 16:29

how much did your friend want for his rib

rocknrolla · 15 March 2017, 17:00

I would have thought you would have had some DAFFS growing in that by now P DIDY

The Gurnard · 15 March 2017, 17:20

Good outcome PD.

The German guy must have had you sussed out from the forum and saw you were one of the good guys

MatFromPoland · 15 March 2017, 17:24

It looks like foreigners are good buyers

I didn't even bother to pickup mine boat from SeaSwift.
Just have organized Truck to transport it to Poland (there are plenty transport companies going full loaded to UK and almost empty from UK).

I didn't know that your RC was for sale.
Twin ETEC's - dream setup

If I know maybe buy it plus pay for rearrange it.
Have to read from sometimes to sometimes some adverts.

Congratulations (2 y - really long time)

Pikey Dave · 15 March 2017, 18:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Gurnard

Good outcome PD.

The German guy must have had you sussed out from the forum and saw you were one of the good guys

I don't think he's on here, he saw the boat advertised on B&O.

Pikey Dave · 15 March 2017, 18:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by MatFromPoland

I didn't know that your RC was for sale.

Doh!! I've been plugging it for long enough Matt[emoji6]

Pikey Dave · 15 March 2017, 19:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocknrolla

I would have thought you would have had some DAFFS growing in that by now P DIDY

If it had sat in the garden any longer I'd have had to apply for planning permission[emoji849]

Ribochet · 15 March 2017, 19:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

Gary's Rule #1?

Case closed

Cliff B · 15 March 2017, 20:18

Good story Dave, nice when it works out like that. I had a similar thing with a car I was selling couple of years back. I asked the guy for a deposit to secure it and he transferred the full amount (lots of thousands) into my bank and didn't come to look at it for weeks. Turned up eventually and drove it off. I kept waiting for it all to go wrong but he was a good guy too.

Happy days!

HUMBER P4VWL · 15 March 2017, 22:00

Sold out '93 LWB Range Rover to a guy in S Africa, thought it was a scam at first but it ended up is delivering to Sandbanks. He paid deposit and delivery charge up front, cleared after internet transfer. Then cash on delivery with to someone with full ID.