When buying anything on the Internet any prudent shopper knows that it pays to be careful. Almost everyone selling online is an honest and legitimate seller, but there are a few steps you can take to protect yourself from the few bad apples that exist out there.
Never buy a boat that you haven't seen. We've seen our share of stories on the internet where a buyer felt that the seller misrepresented the item for sale. There is one single easy way to overcome this. Go look at the boat. If you buy a boat online that you have never seen you are taking on what most people would consider to be an unacceptable level of risk, and you will probably regret it.
Have your boat surveyed. The way most brokers work, you go look at the boat and if you still have an interest in it you might want to put the boat in the water and try it out. After that, you are usually expected to either make an offer on the boat or indicate that you are no longer interested. It is at this time that you can and probably should make your offer contingent on a boat survey. Most brokers will gladly accept those terms and put the boat on hold while you arrange to have a survey. Most often the surveyor will uncover a small list of minor details that you may not have known about. As a future boat owner, you'll be glad you have this information. Occasionally the survey may uncover a piece of information that may affect the amount that you are willing to pay, or perhaps change your mind about the sale altogther. At this point you will have spent some money on the survey, but you may have saved thousands in future repairs and possibly you may have been saved from simply overpaying. Some insurance companies may require a survey on boats over a certain age, so you may want to find a good boat surveyor in your area at the same time you begin your boat search.
Don't rush into anything. It's easy to get excited about bringing home the boat of your dreams, we've all been there. Don't let emotion carry you into a deal that you can't afford, and don't settle for a boat that you don't want. There are lots of boats for sale and you will find the right one.
Finally, remember that anything that sounds too good to be true probably is. Use your best judgement when shopping for boats. Even if the first boat you see is one you are sure you can't live without, it is still wise to shop around and see a few more before making that final decision.
