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Broker or used car salesman?

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by Pascal, Jun 11, 2008.

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  1. Pascal, Jun 11, 2008
    #1
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    yeah, it's a cliché but ...

    a friend of mine was browsing Yacht World looking and found her boat for sale. Problem is that it is not for sale, she has no intention on selling and she never contacted any broker to list her boat!

    I know the boat since i'm the captain and can see the pictures are totally outdated, taken before she bought it 3 years ago and started fixing it.

    What kind of slimy tactics are those? I'm sure the broker is going to claim it's a mistake, yeah right... Florida Yacht International isn't a small firm either, they have over 200 listings on YW and i see their signs all over the place. Times may be hard for brokers but that's a new low!

    http://www.**************/core/listing/boatFullDetails.jsp?boat_id=1313492

    needless to say, she's p... and will be making a lot of noise about it to YW, FL dpt of prof. regs which handles licenses, etc...
  2. Loren Schweizer, Jun 11, 2008
    #2
    Loren Schweizer

    Loren Schweizer YF Associate Writer

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    In the For What It's Worth Department, the listing for that N/N 58 Hat was initially posted back in October 2004 (and not modified since)...well before the current owner purchased it, apparently in June 2005.

    Guilty of being 'asleep at the switch'? Certainly.

    Worthy of a phone call to the FYI folks? Of course. I'm not defending them.

    Clerical error or brain fade. Maybe trolling for a 58 Hat prospect. Still, pretty lazy and unimaginative, if that's the case.

    Disclosure: I don't condone it.

    Beyond that? [Yawn]
  3. Pascal, Jun 11, 2008
    #3
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    interesting... what's odd is that i often look at Hatt listings in that size range and i know my friend does every year or so to see where the values are headed before making a decision on insurance renewal. It never showed up before and they were not the listing broker when she bought the boat.

    There aren't that many 58MY either... 53MY, 58YF yes but not a lot of 4 SR 58MY so for some reason it wasn't showing before. I wonder if on YW a listing can be put on hold and then reactivated, that woudl explain it.
  4. Loren Schweizer, Jun 11, 2008
    #4
    Loren Schweizer

    Loren Schweizer YF Associate Writer

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    Pascal, I think you hit the nail on the head. One can, apparently, list a boat on YW (in this case, in 11/04), deactivate it and then later reactivate it with no change to the Modified Date... looks like it's been listed for years.

    Nonetheless, your friend is upset and Justice is required!

    YW has in the past year or so required all listings to have included the HIN for the listed vessel, ostensibly to prevent shenanigans from occuring.

    I would first call FYI with a friendly 'desist order'. No response?
    Then, call/e-mail YW and blow the whistle on 'em.

    If I was the lady, I guess I'd be p..... as well.

    PM me if needed.
  5. Seafarer, Jun 11, 2008
    #5
    Seafarer

    Seafarer Senior Member

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    "Last Revised: May 14, 2008"

    It says that right under the photos on the page linked to in the first post.
  6. Pascal, Jun 11, 2008
    #6
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    turns out it's not a "mistake", it is indeed unimaginative trolling... the "broker" replied to someone who asked to see the boat that it was under contract, about to close but he had another similar boats...

    these tactics reminds of ebay scammers who grab classic car pictures on the web to make up phony but attractive listings using phished accounts.
  7. NYCAP123, Jun 11, 2008
    #7
    NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    The words "Bait and Switch" and Attorney General spring to mind. Big No-No.
  8. MBevins, Jun 12, 2008
    #8
    MBevins

    MBevins Senior Member

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    It appears that they have removed the listing from YW.
  9. Pascal, Jun 12, 2008
    #9
    Pascal

    Pascal Senior Member

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    yep... don't know yet if they were asked to or if they realized that a few people calling about the same boat in one day meant that someone was on to their dirty game.
  10. Diversion, Jun 12, 2008
    #10
    Diversion

    Diversion New Member

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    Phantom Listing is a phrase provided me by a broker 2 weeks back when discussing another dealer/broker in S. Florida. Seems like it's been a practice with a few for some time in listening to the broker so avoid the rif-raf.