A guy thinks he’s found the perfect boat, talks to owner, real nice conversation sounds like a genuine guy who has a great boat and motor for sale, while flying up to check it out 2/3 of the way there he gets a text saying they sold it.
Last hour and half have been nothing but thoughts on the smiles his kids faces would have been. No attempt to call, no chance to counteroffer, sold. This sucks.
Sorry to hear that. I have been in the same situation a couple of times where people sell stuff on me. If I Know someone is driving to me for something I have for sale I give them first chance. I sold a boat earlier this year and held it for the guy.
Thats life dealing with the internet.
Keep looking, where there is one there will be another.
I agree to a certain point Dutch. If you talk to a guy for a while and you know he has a 2 1/2 hr drive to see the boat but sell it on him anyways when you know he’s almost there, that’s a really $hitty thing to do. It’s business and I get that but you allow that fellow to get there and counteroffer at the least. If I would’ve known it was first come first serve I couldve sent family and or friends in the area there immediately, or the Yukon would’ve been going 90 the whole way.
Brad that’s exactly my thoughts. Good on you for that
So what was the boat you were wanting to buy? I will keep my eyes open for you.
I agree to a certain point Dutch. If you talk to a guy for a while and you know he has a 2 1/2 hr drive to see the boat but sell it on him anyways when you know he’s almost there, that’s a really $hitty thing to do. It’s business and I get that but you allow that fellow to get there and counteroffer at the least. If I would’ve known it was first come first serve I couldve sent family and or friends in the area there immediately, or the Yukon would’ve been going 90 the whole way.
oh i agree 100%. It was shitty. We can only hope the exact same thing happens to the seller some day.
Yeah that’s a dick move . 
In the current hot boat market, especially at the peak of the season, you’d better be there ASAP with cash in hand to have a chance. No messing around with I’ll talk to my credit union for a loan on Monday. Because the next guy behind you will have cash in hand to buy it right then and there. For used boats, I always tell people to not even try with a boat loan. Get a HELOC or 401K loan or personal loan or whatever you have to do so you have the actual cash in the bank ready to withdraw.
BTW – I’ve had the same thing happen to me with a boat. Sucks.
Total d!ck move. What an @sswipe.
Not foolproof, but a tactic I’ve used before on hot items that I had to drive a ways to go see is to specifically tell the guy: I’ll be there in X minutes. You’re not going to sell it on me while I’m driving to your place, right?
Just making the guy say “No, I’m not going to sell it while you’re heading this way.” I think will cut off anyone with any ideas of screwing you because then he knows there’s going to be a situation when you roll up on his driveway and the boat ain’t there.
Grouse.
So Nick, does this all mean the Phantom has become truly a “phantom”? 
Total d!ck move. What an @sswipe.
Grouse.
Whoa there Grouse, let’s consider the possible scenario.
If I put myself in the place of the seller, I have a guy standing there offering my asking price with cash in hand…what would I tell him? No?
Not likely, and I’m not going to tell the guy to wait because there is someone else coming that might be paying more than I’m asking…maybe?
If I have someone paying what I’m asking and has the cash, I’m not gonna fool around with him. He might just walk away.
Maybe little consolation but he did let Nick know once the boat was sold.
Not sure how you justify that train of thought Andy.
His loss at this point, still really hurts but my pile of cash was alot bigger than the other guys I’m sure of. Wasn’t afraid to start throwing bills down.
I figured others also have gone through it so kind of joining the club so to speak.
Not much of an eye for eye guy Dutch, but your idea does make it feel a bit better 
Not sure how you justify that train of thought Andy.
His loss at this point, still really hurts but my pile of cash was alot bigger than the other guys I’m sure of. Wasn’t afraid to start throwing bills down.
In this case there must have been circumstances that I’m not aware of.
To justify my train of thought…if I have my boat for sale and was asking $6,000 and someone says they’ll buy it for $6,000 and has the money right then, how can I tell him no I won’t sell it to him even though he’s offered to pay what I am asking?
Apparently there was another method of negotiation in this case. Sorry it didn’t work out and sorry about the fate of the Phantom. At least I got to enjoy a fun day with you in that old boat. 
Love my boat, and she will float and fish again but the only way I was going to another rig was if it was exactly like the phantom and gave me some wiggle room on getting it rockin again 
That sucks, Nick. I’m sorry to hear this happened. It’s tough when dealing with private sellers, as they often have their own codes of selling and sometimes it screws you over. Billy has sold lots of things via the internet and his philosophy is simple if it’s a big ticket item: If person A calls first and is interested and wants to see the item in 4 hours, then we wait those 4 hours even if Person B calls and says they can be here in 2 hours. We simply tell person B they’ll have to schedule a time for after Person A. There may be exceptions to this, like if Person B is willing to pay double the cash or something crazy like that. But otherwise we try our best to be fair to the first parties interested, and then down the line.
Your dream boat is out there waiting for you guys, so try not to be too discouraged!
Having bought and sold for 40 years here is the ONLY way I handle sales.
Me: so how far away are you?
Buyer: about 30 miles.
Me: so you are ready to leave now?
Buyer: yep ready to hop in the truck, be there at 10 am.
Me: Cool, i’ll hold it until 10:15, if you aren’t here first guy with the cash wins.
Buyer: understood
Now, another guys shows up out of the clear blue
Him: I’m here to buy the boat.
Me: Great, Joe is on his way and I promised to hold it until 10:30 for him. (always padded the time by 15 minutes) if he isn’t here or doesn’t want it it’s all yours.
Him: well I’m here now. Either sell it to me or I’m gone.
Me: You can leave your number and I’ll call if he doesn’t take it. But I wouldn’t sell it out from under you and I won’t do it to him either.
How this guy handles it will tell me volumes about his character. Some guys you are just better off not dealing with.
Andy, if Nick had made a appointment he got dicked on the deal. If he had just told the guy he wanted it with no timeline attached it was his mistake.
Always, always, always talk to the people. Never set something up via text or e-mail. People seldom want to verbally lie to you either eye to eye or over the phone.
Yup, talked to and confirmed with text I was on my way up. Was heading west on 18 out of Garrison when I saw he texted sold. Wasted morning, missed my 10yr old bday party as well.
Pulled over to scenic overlook on mille lacs on way back, contemplated how life can be such a biatch sometimes.
Oh well, life goes on. A few adult beverages will be ordered later tonight.
Glad to hear that parents and kids are all okay. That would have been the real heartbreaker if there was an accident or cancer or death.
That sucks but unfortunately it was a good move by the seller.
Anyone that’s sold items off CList or internet know about 1 in 20 actually show up that say they are.
I had a snowmobile trailer I really wanted, guy said someone was coming out the following day to buy it. I offered asking price…no deal. He called me two days later, guy never showed. Let’s say I was able to barter at that point.
Total bummer but no one is going to turn down a sale for a potential sale. Sorry. Hope you find something better.
That sucks but unfortunately it was a good move by the seller.
Anyone that’s sold items off CList or internet know about 1 in 20 actually show up that say they are.
I had a snowmobile trailer I really wanted, guy said someone was coming out the following day to buy it. I offered asking price…no deal. He called me two days later, guy never showed. Let’s say I was able to barter at that point.
Total bummer but no one is going to turn down a sale for a potential sale. Sorry. Hope you find something better.
I disagree. If the seller knew he was on his way he should hold it. If someone else was on his way first the seller should have told him to wait. That is the way I treat people and I expect to be treated the same.
We talk about courtesy at the boat ramp and on the water all the time. To me this is just common courtesy to stand by your word.
Just because you are selling on craigslist doesn’t give anyone the right to give someone the shaft.
It’s Craigs List. 6 sellers will have a bad experience, half dozen buyers will have a bad experience.
You know you’re rolling the dice when you are looking on CL.
It just stinks when you end up on the short end of a deal. Nothing a few adult beverages won’t cure.
A wise man once said ” oh well, life goes on.”
Does every post need to have a disclaimer on it that states there’s alot worse circumstances in life than what’s being posted?
I get it though 
CL or not CL, it’s people on both ends that should conduct business righteously.
IMO even if one wants to take the good business angle it wasn’t, you wait until the fellow who just drove 2 1/2hrs to counter offer the guy who already made an offer and watch your original asking price double while you do nothing. Had the big faces on me and was willing. Like I already said his loss, still butthurt about though even after a few already.
I agree.
People can be Richards plain and simple. The seller was a Richard.
Are those adult beverages that you’re drinking heavy? Because when someone dicks me I find the heavy ones help me out.
NiCK I disagree with you on waiting for a bidding war. If that is what you want go to an auction. If that is what a seller wants it should be posted as: For sale at 10 AM Saturday. Sells to highest bidder. Then he might have 10 buyers there. I wouldn’t show up for that.
I have had items for sale and 2nd or 3rd guy says if I get there first can I buy it. The answer is no.Everyone does their own thing but I operate different than most it sounds like.
If I understand this correctly Nick told the guy he was on his way and the guy indicated he would wait. (maybe I mis-understood that?) the seller didn’t wait instead selling it before Nick, who was on his way arrived. If in fact the guy told Nick he would wait and instead grabbed the money he still is a a-hole and karma will eventually find him. It wasn’t as if Nick asked the guy to hold it until tomorrow. He was in route and the seller knew it.
Had the guy said to Nick “i’m grabbing the first handful of money that shows up” thats a different story. It doesn’t seem thats the way this went down.
I have in the last month, had no less than 8 good people who I had good conversations with… who were “on their way” to pick my stuff up I was selling… 
the guy that actually shows up with cash, is worth 2 on the way. Sucks, but it’s reality with internet purchases. I hauled to Goodwill and threw more than 1 pick-up full of high dollar item’s into the dumpster I rented, that people were “on their way” for. Sorry it happened to you, nonetheless. 
Could it be peoples “word” is no good anymore. I hate liars as much as thieves. If you say you are doing something man-up and do it.
The guy was a dick how he handeled it.Unless he said someone else was coming to look at it you first that guy second.Tomorrow is another day and there are more boats out there.We live and learn each day,at least you didn’t get screwed out of your cash.
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