Respected Boat Dealers in Oklahoma Offer Buyers Better Protection
As boat sales in the U.S. are expected to reach their height during the summer, the Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has started receiving news of boat buying and selling scams as well. Some of the M.O.’s of these scammers are similar to snake oil salesman tactics used in other properties, like cars and houses; while others misuse recognizable entities like PayPal to dupe unsuspecting individuals. BoatUS encourages buyers and sellers alike to watch out for these scams, some of which are described in detail at Sail-World’s online article:
“An escrow service scam: A bogus seller advertises a boat on a website at a low, but not scam-worthy price. When the scammer finds a buyer, they will tell them to use a legitimate sounding yet fictitious escrow service, like GoogleMoney.com. But once the funds are transferred, you’ll never hear from the seller again.”
Certainly, residents of Oklahoma and neighboring states are not exempt from possibly getting lured into these scams. It should be noted, though, that many of these involve private sales between individuals. Everyone will thus have a better chance of avoiding these scams and getting an honest deal by relying instead on respected boat dealers in Oklahoma, Iowa, or Kansas, like White’s Marine Center.
In addition to getting protection from unscrupulous individuals, there are other very good reasons for buying a boat from an established dealership.
For one thing, a licensed boat dealer offers manufacturer warranties that a private purchase doesn’t always provide. A manufacturer warranty can be very useful since boats are prone to damaging, like rust and mold, even when they’re not used often. In accordance with the warranty, dealerships are obliged to at least perform basic repairs for common problems.
Some boat manufacturers, like Bennington, even grant special perks through their warranties, like product sneak peeks, member-only discounts, and online support. These warranties are also transferrable, giving a used boat buyer the same coverage as the previous owner.
Aside from warranties, boat dealerships also offer a wider range of prices to go with the many boat types and models in their inventory. Used boats for sale in Oklahoma dealerships would also have undergone thorough inspections and professional appraisals, giving buyers further protection from ending up with inferior quality boats.
(Source Red flags and boat buying scams to look out for, Sail-World, June 16, 2014)