What's "a long distamce?" . . .

Posted By: Jerry kergan (P-15 "Lazy Ka" Concord/San Francisco Bay)
Date: 6/23/09 6:01a.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

In Response To: Scams (link) (pic) (Katie Taylor, P14 #691 Follow Me, San Jose, CA)

. . . I drove 400 miles to buy my P-15 Lazy Ka. I e-mailed the seller for photos . . . called the next day . . . made an agreement in principle to purchase . . . I would be there in 14 days to inspect. If the boat was as represented, done deal! I made my decision without seeing a P-15 any closer than 50 yards. I bought it anyway. And without a deposit . . . Following my inspection of the boat, the seller and I went to a local branch of my bank where he was offered cash or cashier’s check. NOTE: fraud involving cashier’s checks are seldom made in person. As was said elsewhere on the subject, one doesn’t need to sail the boat. In my case we just rigged it in the driveway. That was all I needed. I believe that one must exercise good judgment when selling or buying a boat . . . though the thought occurs that "good judgment" and "buying a boat" might be considered inherently exclusive terms, and should not be used in the same sentence. I don't believe distance should be grounds for turning down a sale. In the past year I have been looking at some slightly bigger boats that are just not found on the west coast in sufficient numbers to make a west coast purchase a viable consideration. I have been looking at going 2000 miles, and more, to buy what I want. Should I be excluded for distance? Try this . . . Consider each contact on its merits. If you are being asked to do more than is customary of the seller; don’t sell. If the “deal” offered by the buyer seems too good to be true . . . it probably IS too good to be true; don’t sell. If you gut tells you something’s wrong; don’t sell. Lastly . . . most folks are honest . . . trust your intuition . . . sell the old boat . . . and enjoy the new one. Jerry