Buying a Boat on eBay

If you are looking to buy a boat, skip the classified ads and head over to eBay Motors. Buying a boat on eBay greatly expands your options as you can browse a national inventory right from the comfort of your home. In fact, there are thousands of different types of boats for sale on eBay at any given time.

Before buying a boat on eBay, you will want to know what type of boat you are looking for. By doing so, it will make your search much easier. Make a list of boat types and models that you are interested in. After that, follow these step by step instructions to buy a boat on eBay.

Buying a Boat on eBay: Step by Step

1| Create an eBay Account

Creating an eBay account is easy. You will need to supply your first and last name, email address, and a super-secret password. If you have a Facebook or Google account you can use that to sign up as well. Once your account is set up you will be able to start browsing and bidding on boats.

2| Browse Boats

It’s easy to get lost when browsing through eBay’s massive boat inventory. That is why it is important to have an idea of your dream boat before you start searching. As previously mentioned, think about the type of boat you would like to buy and also keep your budget in mind.

eBay offers a way to filter boat search results by type, make, and preferred price range. Once you find a few boats that you are interested in you can save them to view later. To do this, click Add to Watchlist.

3| Research

Start with the sellers. First, run a search for their username on Google. Do you see anything that rings an alarm? Next, check out their eBay seller feedback. You are looking for good ratings and positive reviews.

Once you have researched the sellers, you will want to review the boats. Carefully read their descriptions; look for any mention of damage, the amount of time on the engine, and the current condition of the boat. Be sure to closely examine the photos of the vessel for any unmentioned eyesores. Additionally, if the boat is close to you, ask the seller if you can swing by to take a look. If you do this, try meeting in a public place.

Should you have any concerns or questions about the boat for sale on eBay, it is highly encouraged to message the seller. You can do this by clicking Contact Seller on the seller information panel. If you do this, do not take the conversation off eBay. Doing so is dangerous and can lead to sticky situations (scams).

4| Place a Bid or Buy It Now

After you have narrowed down your options and found the perfect boat you will want to buy it. There are two options available to buy a boat on eBay – place a bid or buy it now. Keep in mind that not all auctions will include the buy it now feature.

5| Make Payment

You will need to make payment once you have won the eBay boat auction. Check your seller’s accepted payment methods and choose one that works best for you. The following are common types of payment methods accepted on eBay:

6| Arrange Shipping

Shipping a boat from eBay is easy. You have the option of hiring a transport company to either tow it on your trailer or having them load it on theirs. Either way is fine but make sure to talk to the eBay seller about preparing the boat for transport before the vessel is shipped out. That said, the best way to ship a boat is to use uShip.

eBay Boat Shipping with uShip

After buying a boat on eBay, use uShip to transport it. All you have to do is create a free listing. From there you will receive multiple competing quotes from quality boat transporters. It is important to know how to choose a boat transporter. You will want to review each carrier’s profile for reviews of previous shipments.

uShip is committed to providing quality boat transport at an affordable price.