Buying and Selling Tips
General Seller Tips
Here are some tips for when you get ready to Sell Online
When selling anything online, first impressions are everything. Always take great pictures, write detailed descriptions, describe the item accurately and correctly, already know how you will ship or deliver item and what you will charge then mention it in your ad. An online ad with a good picture receives over 30 times the response that an ad with a poor picture receives.
1. Always take good pictures.
2. Always write detailed descriptions.
3. Always describe items accurately and correctly.
4. Know your shipping arrangements and cost, mention them in your ad.
5. Never ship item until payment has cleared.
Here are some tips for when you get ready to Sell Your Bass Boat
When selling a Bass Boat first impressions are everything. When trying to attract buyers to your Used Bass Boat always remember the old saying, "A pictures worth a Thousand Words". An online ad with a good picture receives over 30 times the response that an ad with a poor picture receives. On Bass Ads we like to use another saying too, "A Video shows it All". Video is one of the most powerful sales tools a person has to sell a Used Bass Boat Online. By taking a video of your bass boat both in and out of the water and while running it on the lake you provide potential buyers with a complete overall view of your boat. Video allows buyers to see and hear your boat for themselves. This is especially helpful for those trying to market their bass boat nationally.
The key to getting a good photo or video of your bass boat is, do your homework first. Bass Boat owners should make sure that their boats are in the best possible condition before trying to take pictures or videos. A neat, clean, well-maintained boat will always be more appealing to buyers. A clean Bass Boat in good working order will always sell faster and for more money than a poorly kept or unclean Bass Boat of the same make, year and model.
As a seller your goal is to make your boat look and preform its best in both photo and video. Taking the extra time to thoroughly prep your Bass Boat for sale always pays in the end.
Preparing your Bass Boat for Sale
1. Give Engines a Tune-up
Engines are one of the most important and expensive parts of a Bass Boat. Make sure your engine is running well with clean oil and oil filters. Carburetors should be clean and set to a proper idle. A clean engine, bilge and working bilge pump are important when selling a Used Bass Boat.
2. Fix any Known Mechanical Issues
Unless you plan to fire-sale your boat, it is also important to repair any electrical, mechanical or engine issues that currently exist on your boat before you list you boat for sale. Mechanical issues are one of the top reasons that sales fall through on a used boat.
3. Clean the Boat Exterior Thoroughly
A clean bass boat indicates to buyers that the seller took care of his boat. If you didn't keep your boat clean when you owned it, it is critical to thoroughly clean the boat before you put it on the market. Be sure to do your best waxing and polishing the boat, so that it looks good in your pictures and or video and also when prospective buyers come to view it.
4. Repair Minor Cosmetic Problems
When you are preparing to sell your boat, consider investing in a few inexpensive cosmetic repairs that will go a long way in making your boat most desirable. Replace carpet the Carpet.
Determining the Price of your Bass Boat
Having the right sale price is an important factor that influences how fast your used boat sells. Choosing an appropriate sale price for your boat will likely require some careful market research combined with a bit of compromising. While every seller wants to get the highest price possible for their boat, market conditions and appraisal values typically dictate the best sale price for your boat.
Determining Bass Boat Book Value
When it comes to pricing your Bass Boat for sale, it doesn't matter how much you owe on your boat or how much you think your boats worth. Just like with cars, there is a predetermined book value that determines the price of boats. Boat appraisal guides such as BUC, ABOS or NADA are popular sources for determining current boat values. Sellers and buyers can use these guides to determine the value of a boat based on year, manufacturer, model, size, engine horsepower, engine type and more.
Using a boat appraisal guide updated with the current year's information is important for determining accurate pricing information due to annual depreciation of boats. The boat book value listed in the guide will give you an acceptable high/low price range for your boat with basic equipment. Actual appraised values for boats will vary based on condition and options or upgrades such as electronic packages.
Setting the Best Sale Price for Your Boat
Doing upfront research on current book value and competition for your boat will be your best guide for choosing a sale price for your boat. Set a competitive sale price that gets your boat noticed with buyers, but adequately represents your boat's appraised value. Remember that sellers should expect offers on used boats to come in lower than the asking price. Therefore, a good pricing strategy leaves some room for negotiations.
Tips for Buying a Bass Boat
Questions to ask before going to look at a Used Bass Boat
1. Your
first question should be does the motor have a warranty?
2. What year
is the boat, motor and trailer?
3. How long
have your owned this boat?
4. Are you the first owner?
5. Does the
boat have an hour meter?
6. Why are
you selling the boat?
7. Will I have an opportunity to Lake Test the boat?
8. Can you make sure the batteries are fully charged when I come to see
the boat?
Don't
assume that batteries in the boat will be charged.
9. Has the motor ever had major engine work, and when?
10. Has the boat ever been in a wreck or had major structure work? Just like trucks, a rebuilt wrecked boat has a lower resale value.
Below is a list of things to do when you go to look at a Used Bass Boat
BOAT PHYSICAL EVALUATION
Your eyes are your best tools when assessing a bass boats overall physical condition. Look at the general condition of the engine. Look for indications that the lower unit or power head has been welded or jerry rigged. Spin the prop and watch the prop shaft for wobble. Pull the cowl and look over the motor closely. Look at all the head gaskets. Power heads are assemblies and if the gaskets aren't painted then it's an indication the motor has been apart. This isn't a bad if the owner noted it in the service history.
1. Do not go look at a boat in the rain - It is hard to tell the condition of a boat in the rain. It makes it very hard to find the flaws, gouges, stress cracks and condition of paint etc.
2. Look the Body Over - Start at one end of the boat and work your way around. Feel with your hands while scanning every inch of the boat's body looking for scratches and stress cracks especially around the console and splash well.
3. Look the Keel Over - Check the keel closely around the U bolt where you hook it up to the winch and make sure the bolt is attached firmly.
4. Look the Hull Over - Get on your back and look under the actual hull between the tires and the trailer tongue of the boat between the bunkers. Look for fiberglass exposure and major gouges. Crawl under the boat and check front to back for gouges. If the fiberglass is brown or soggy you could have serious lamination problem.
5. Look the Deck and Interior Over - Check all of the lids and seats for tears, cracks and hinge damage.
6. Look Under the Motor - Get on your back right under the motor and look at the very back of the pad. If the hull shows very little scratches and wear use chances are good it's a good boat!
7. Look at the Bilge - Check the bilge area and see if there is any water in there. If so drain the water take the boat for a test drive and recheck the bilge. Any water in the bilge after a short ride can mean a lot of water on a longer trip!
8. Check the Electronics - Make sure all of the electronics work; bilge pumps, battery charger, fish finders, rpm gauge, water pressure gauge, lights.
9. Look in all Storage Compartments - Look for anything obvious in all the storage compartments.
10. Check the Transom - Check the transom looking for stress cracks. If there are cracks it could be a cosmetic problem. To be sure you want to trim the motor up and put your weight on it. If the crack or cracks widen and or there is any flex in the transom just walk away. A bad transom is expensive to repair. Just Walk Away.
11. Check the Batteries - Last load test the batteries, at around $100.00 a piece, new batteries can put a real crimp in your budget. Also, if you're not taking the boat with you, write down the type of battery in the boats and mark them. Some people will switch good batteries for weak ones when they trade. If you decide to buy the boat check the batteries to see if they are the same ones before you pay for the boat.
TAILER PHYSICAL EVALUATION
1. Check the Hubs - Immediately after meeting at the lake feel the wheel hubs to make sure they aren't hot they should be warm to cool to touch.
2. Check for Rust - Look for rust issues. Then check out the trailer from the underside.
3. Check the Trailer - Now re-check the trailer thoroughly after you have launched the boat for cracked running boards, check the channel supports as they can be damaged while trailering the boat.
I can't stress enough have a boat motor mechanic check the motor for you.
MOTOR EVALUATION
Take the boat to an independent dealer and have them do the detailed check on the motor for you. It will be the best money you ever spent.
1. Compression test - You need to run a compression test on the engine. Do the Compression Test after the engine has been run on a hose for a few minutes. While the engine is running with the cowl off, check for fuel/water on exhaust leaks. The test should come in with each cylinder checking with +/- 10% of each other.
2. Pull the lower unit oil and look for milky colored oil, i.e. water in lower unit - After you have run your lake test, drain a little grease from the lower unit (a few thimbles full) into your catch tray. If water comes out with no grease you have a big problem. If grease comes out looking like coffee double cream, you may have some water in there and you might need seals. If it was pure water you can expect some gear damage and shortened gear life.
3. Spin the prop shaft - Make sure it's not bent, uneven or wobbly when it spins.
4. Look at the condition of the prop - Bent or Damaged in any way.
5. Take it for a test drive - Run it wide open and check the max rpms rated for the motor. You don't want excessive overage in rpms rated for the motor.
******* NEVER BUY A BOAT WITHOUT A LAKE TEST *******
Tips about Fraud and Scams
To help you in recognize different types of common scams, we have provided below a list of indicators. They are only guidelines, and as always, should be tempered with common sense.
Big Promises
Claims such as offering more money than the asking price without an initial conversation regarding the item are almost always a sure sign of a scam. Be careful of any individual who wants to send you more than your asking price.
Uses Free Email Address
Scammers use free web-based email addresses such as yahoo.com, ymail.com, gmail.com, live.com, etc.
Cashier's Check for MORE than Your Asking Price
They will send you a (COUNTERFEIT) cashier's check or certified check (cheque) and ask you to send the difference to them or their shipper by wire transfer or Western Union.
Request Money by Western Union or Wire Transfer
Beware of these attempts to quickly defraud you of your money.
High Pressure Tactics
Be wary of individuals asking you to speed up the transaction beyond your comfort range. Again, a legitimate deal probably isn't going to move as fast as your money. Don\'t let yourself be pressured -- think things through.
Requests for financial information.
Don't give out any bank information without establishing a comfort level with the buyer or seller.
Always get something in writing.
You should never complete a transaction without first writing down the terms of the deal and have each party sign it. If you can't afford a lawyer to draft up a contract, you still should write down the terms of the deal in plain English and get it signed. Any buyer or seller that is hesitant or resists is usually a sure sign of a potential problem.
- Remember the old saying, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."
Check/Wire Fraud Scams
People selling an item are receiving buyer inquiries from a third party regarding the purchase of the item from a potential buyer in Nigeria, Africa, London, Hong Kong, and OTHERS. This inquiry commonly attempts to arrange the purchase of the item with a cashier's check covering the price of the item and shipping. After the item has been shipped, they commonly ask you to refund the shipping charges as part of a finder's fee arrangement. They may also send you a check larger than the purchase price and ask for a refund of the difference.
Unfortunately, the CASHIER'S CHECK IS COUNTERFEIT. This fact is not uncovered until the item and/or your own money (the difference in the check they send to their victims and the lower sales price of the item) have been forwarded to the scam artists.
This scam may take various forms including purchasing any item, using WIRE TRANSFERS, even scammers posing as SELLERS on sites. It should be said most all of the emails we have seen have various similarities including misspellings, bad English, foreign countries, and making offers for a client or other third party.
Fake Buyer Protection Programs
There are all kinds of scams. One of these is a FRAUDULENT BUYER PROTECTION SITES. We are NOT affiliated with any "eBay Purchase Protection Program involving Money Grams" or escrow service in any way. We have also seen an insurance deposit fund scam using a spoofed email address to make it look official. Bass Ads does NOT have any kind of deposit insurance on payments and any messages received of this nature are completely fraudulent.