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Posts: 576
Location: nappanee IN | hey guys , there is a sweet ranger fisherman on e-bay with a bid of 2500 right now but it's in arkansas and i live in indiana. would it be safe to bid on something that far away and trust the guy? i know i can't get one like that around here. thanks guys..karol |
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| I could be wrong but, I think a guy has a grace period on all ebaymotors auctions. Kind of a lemon-law type deal.
I'm personally hesitant about buying such large ticket items on ebay but....who knows, maybe I'm just old fashioned?!?!?
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Posts: 303
Location: Valentine, NE USA | oops, that was me......
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Posts: 367
Location: Chicago | Do your homework. Ask as many questions as you can think of. Speak to the individual on the phone. I could not find the boat you were talking about. Do not even contact anyone who says email me before bidding. I want to buy a ranger for 240 euros....... |
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Posts: 576
Location: nappanee IN | go to motors and get on boats and type in ranger and there they are
also there is a nice 1700 tuffy on there right now.. type in tuffy |
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Posts: 20269
Location: oswego, il | Look at his sellers rating too. As said, ask a ton of questions and contact by phone if you can. I know two people who frequent these boards who have gooten good boat deals on ebay and were happy with their purchase. |
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Posts: 51
| A friend purchased a Ranger from someone in IL off of an Ebay auction/bidding deal. He was the last bidder at around $4800 for a 681 Tiller with a newer 4 stroke. He had to wire the money from his bank to the seller, and then they were to ship the boat on a truck to him for another $200-$300. Well, the boat didn't show up, the money is gone, Ebay won't help him. The cops havn't been a lot of help because it has so many jurisdiction troubles. The seller was actually in MI, the boat was actually at a marina in Arkansas, the seller did not even own it, just had a lot of pictures of it. It's a huge long story and mess, but his money is still gone. My advise is, if it's too good to be true, then it probably is a rip off. Do not send one red cent until you've seen the boat or someone you trust has seen it, and you are actually taking delivery.
On the flip side another friend bought one that was one state away from a very respectable guy and it worked out well. Good luck, just be careful. |
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Posts: 699
Location: Hugo, MN | NEVER Wire money for Ebay purchases. If you use PayPal you are protected. But if you're going to buy a boat I would just hand deliver a check if the deal is fake then you won't have to worry about losing money. |
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Posts: 1316
Location: Madison, WI | If you are serious about spending a large amount of money on ebay they have brokage firms out there that will help. But beware some of them are frauds. There are few reputable firms out there, pm if need any help.
-S |
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Location: Minneapolis, MN | If you manage the transaction payment the same way you would with an ad in the paper or on boattraderonline.com or walleyecentral.com, etc. then why not buy off ebay? The advice above applies no matter where you buy the boat, ebay or other. If you win the auction and the boat is not as represented when you arrive to pick it up, don't pay and don't pick it up. Worst that could happen is you are out the cost of driving there and a possible negative feedback on ebay. |
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Posts: 364
Location: Kentucky | I bought my boat off eBay and had a good experience. As others have said, it's important to talk to the seller over the phone. Most are willing to talk at length about their reasons for selling, etc. In my case, we agreed on a $200 Paypal deposit, and I brought the rest via Cashier's check when I picked up the boat, all the way from KY to the upper UP of MI. Arrange a test drive upon pickup, and just make sure you're both comfortable with terms of the deal. Also be sure the seller has arranged all the necessary paperwork for you, and check with your local county clerk to see what you'd need to do to register the boat from out of state. Most times it's nothing too dramatic.
PM or e-mail me if you'd like to discuss more. We can arrange a phone call  |
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Posts: 109
| Ive bought a boat off e-bay and it worked out great!
As far as the guy on e-bay with the Ranger... he has sold many boats on there. He mostly sells "repos". I live in Missouri so am not far from him and have seen other boats he has listed on ebay. What I would do is drop him an e-mail and ask to call him. Tell him you are interested and if its okay with him, would he be willing to offer a "walk away" when you went to pick it up if it turned out to not be as listed. Thats what I did on the boat I bought (from a different guy) and I was very happy when I went to see it.... I paid $3500 under blue book for mine! Not every boat on ebay is a "bargain".... use common sense and make sure to talk to the guy on the phone. Boats are big purchases and if the sellers are legit they will work with you. Talk to him and let him know your concerns. |
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| Chalk up another happy Ebay boat purchase. Drove from Idaho to Dallas to get it, and prayed I didn't have to use the agreed-upon "walk away" option. Very good experience and great boat. It has gotten better on Ebay but there are plenty of thugs out there. Sounds like your seller is legit, which is good. Things to be cautious of on large items on Ebay: broken/poor english, offering "free shipping" in addition to a buy it now price that is too good to be true. Don't offer local pickup as an option. Only take Western Union as payment. Communicating to you from "overseas". Don't have a phone number.
When dealing with the thugs, seller ratings are meaningless. They hijack accounts and can appear to be the best of sellers. Good luck on your search. |
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Posts: 364
Location: Kentucky | SuprFreak: excellent points about the eBay hazards. For examples, just look at the Lowrance electronics on eBay that are too good to be true and don't want you to process the transaction using eBay/Paypal. They want you to mail them Western Union $... riiight. I just keep reporting them to eBay but what a scam. |
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Posts: 367
Location: Chicago | Yeah I want a 111c HD for 25 euros...... |
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Posts: 576
Location: nappanee IN | thanks guys, those are soo tempting but i'll just stick to lures for now..karol |
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boats off e-bay