Boat at Whilton

[Naughty Cal]

So they're not doing their job, then. As brokers, acting as agents for the vendor, they should be passing *all* offers on, even ridiculously low ones. Even dodgy estate agents do that, in my experience. If they own the boat, of course, acceptance or refusal of an offer is their privilege, but they should, in my opinion, be clear about which boats they own and which ones they're acting as broker on.

 

Just out of interest, how hard is it to find out who actually owns a boat, and whether there are any charges against her?

 

Bye!

 

John.

Quite difficult. There is no register of finance for boats.

[Guest]

Quite difficult. There is no register of finance for boats.

 

I seem to recall Brokers can get access to this type of information - but I could be wrong.....

[Naughty Cal]

 

I seem to recall Brokers can get access to this type of information - but I could be wrong.....

Anyone can but it does involve ringing round the various finance companies yourself.

 

A friend of ours bought his Sunseeker with finance owing. He paid the finance company the money owing, gave the bloke £2k and took away his very nice boat.

[lynalldisocvery]

Anyone can but it does involve ringing round the various finance companies yourself.

 

A friend of ours bought his Sunseeker with finance owing. He paid the finance company the money owing, gave the bloke £2k and took away his very nice boat.

Bet that made the poor sod cry

 

 

Lynall

[MtB]

Bet that made the poor sod cry

 

 

Lynall

 

Or made him smile, having been relieved of the stress of making the monthly repayments....

 

MtB

So they're not doing their job, then. As brokers, acting as agents for the vendor, they should be passing *all* offers on, even ridiculously low ones. Even dodgy estate agents do that, in my experience. If they own the boat, of course, acceptance or refusal of an offer is their privilege, but they should, in my opinion, be clear about which boats they own and which ones they're acting as broker on.

 

Just out of interest, how hard is it to find out who actually owns a boat, and whether there are any charges against her?

 

Bye!

 

John.

 

You asked what stops you making a low offer at Wilton, I've told you! Wilton do not play by your rules and stating how you think they ought to do business does not alter that.

 

In my case, I found it impossible to cut them out of the loop and approach the owner direct. I put many hours of research into who owned the boat. I got as far as a name and an old address but then the trail went dead. Employing a private investigator would have been the next step but I bought a different boat instead

 

MtB

[Bolanrex]

We bought a boat from Whilton marina and have been very disappointed. The boat looks fab and most things are sound but central heating doesn't work and thE electrics have cost us a canny bit. These things should have been sorted after the survey but those sly crooks at Whilton didn't do them. The surveyor was recommended by them. We are green as grass and fell for it. STAY AWAY FROM THESE SLIME BALLS.

[Traveller]

Could you not have taken the boat back for repairs on the basis they agreed to do the work? Or was it not documented? If the jobs were supposed to be done prior to taking delivery it may have been prudent to check before paying the cash over. But we are all guilty of things like that. The excitement of the moment can, and often does, get in the way as does geography and where one lives in relation to, in this case, Whilton. It should not happen though.

[MtB]

We bought a boat from Whilton marina and have been very disappointed. The boat looks fab and most things are sound but central heating doesn't work and thE electrics have cost us a canny bit. These things should have been sorted after the survey but those sly crooks at Whilton didn't do them. The surveyor was recommended by them. We are green as grass and fell for it. STAY AWAY FROM THESE SLIME BALLS.

 

As others have said, their ONLY care is to get a boat sold and they'll say and do whatever it takes to get you to buy it. Sadly you allowed yourselves to be victims. We all live and learn.

 

I've been stitched up in the past but the critically important thing is to walk away with a lesson learned, and a strategy to avoid it happening again. Worth the money (almost!) provided you can find the lesson.

 

Perversely, the more expensive the lesson, the better you learn from it. I've had a fair few three figure lessons but the four and five figure lessons have been the ones that have taught me the MOST...

 

:-/

 

MtB

[Paul C]

Whilton do a little trick of pretending that the boat is on brokerage (ie they are a 3rd party and there is a seller and a buyer) when in fact they own the boat (because they have lots of capital, and buy boats for cash, from people who are "stuck" or "desparate to sell" etc). Thus, when you put an offer in, they might pretend to pass it on to the seller but in fact what they might be doing is asking a more senior sales person (if its the office tea boy dealing with the enquiry) or the sales person knows the minimum price (and has developed a good enough poker face to not reveal it).

[Traveller]

What is surprising is that no one from the mentioned brokerage has latched on to this thread. Surely they must visit these forums! If they do one would expect them to offer some pretty strong defence.

On the other hand I suppose it is quite possible they do not really care about the boating fraternity and its many facets and therefore do not bother with forums.

[Paul C]

They probably don't bother with forums; or don't have any answers to the accusations; or have a policy of silence on the internet except for their own website, facebook and twitter accounts etc. Who knows? They're free to sign up and post contributions.

[Magic Potion]

Bought my boat from them in May this year. They were helpful and upfront with the few issues I pointed out to them. Survey was good and at a price I was more than happy with. I'd looked at boats in survey few brokerages from all over but kept coming back to this boat. It ticked all the boxes as they say.

[MtB]

Bought my boat from them in May this year. They were helpful and upfront with the few issues I pointed out to them. Survey was good and at a price I was more than happy with. I'd looked at boats in survey few brokerages from all over but kept coming back to this boat. It ticked all the boxes as they say.

 

Pure luck I'd suggest. With my fiercely commercial head on I were running Wilton I'd accept ANY boat on brokerage provided I thought the owner's price expectations were reasonable for the length and age. Never mind the condition, I just wouldn't care, someone will buy it sooner or later. If a survey comes out good that's plain lucky and a bonus.

 

I can understand why they behave as they do, I just don't like it. They have to pay for their BMWs somehow.

 

MtB

[adam1uk]

I'm always amazed by the number of people who leave the sticker in the window that says something along the lines of "Another boat bought from Whilton Marina". I can't think of a single reason why you'd leave it on display -- and I'm surprised people don't remove them as a priority.

[bramley]

Wow this thread took of.

 

Puting aside this poor experience with Whilton I am afraid I have another. This never stopped me from going back as Whilton do do something very well. Thats getting a lot of boats for people to view in one area. So its good for newbee's to start out and may even find a boat they like given the choice.

 

 

I bought my first narrowboat with my now Ex girlfriend in 2004 from Whilton Marina. We were 18 and took loans out etc to fund, with bringing the boat up to standard and including the cost of the boat we spent around £33k.

 

Sadly money problems, mooring problems and relationship problems (we were very young) kicked in in 2005 and we had to sell. I rented a room and she moved back to her parents. We had a debt of around 33k for this boat.

 

We stuck her back to Whilton to sell for us who were charging 6% plus VAT for brokerage. We put the price at £31950 expecting offers of 29 - 30k.

 

After a few weeks a offer was received that we accepted, 29k if I remember correctly. The guy was going to conclude the deal at the end of the month but paid a deposit (apparently) and Whilton took the boat down for sale. Due to the fact we were had loans and credit card were maxed out money was a real squeeze. We started to rely on this money coming in.

 

Over the next few weeks I made contact with Whilton several times just asking for a update. Is it all sorted, when is the guy coming in etc they told me they had been speaking with him and everything was under control expect payment as discussed at the end of the month. Sadly this came and went, I manged to get hold of somebody in Whilton who must not of known the story who apparently looked through the notes to find that no contact had been made with the buyer and they could not get hold of him.

 

We were devastated as we had zero money and needed this money asap. I asked Whilton how much to purchase outright they offered 21k if I remember rightly. Which we accepted as we felt we had no choice. (young and naive). They told me they were sending the cheque first class. Nope two days later not received so I had to drive up there to collect it.

The boat never actually came down as under offer on the website and 3 days later it went.

 

If I was not so young and lacking in lifes skills back then I would of made the biggest fuss in the world. I genuinely believe they bull******d me along knowing we were desperate for the money ( I had told them) and then bought them self a cheap boat.

 

This left us in negative equity. Being the gentleman I paid all of the mrs's loans and credit cards off. and had about 8k to show for about 19k of investment. Not easy to deal with at a young age.

 

Anyway that's my story. I actually forgot about this in some detail until writing it out again. Makes me fume. I know all the decisions were mine but being young, stupid and lacking life experience and rip of merchants but it was what it was. I wonder how many other people get this treatment.

Edited November 8, 2013 by bramley

[Naughty Cal]

I'm always amazed by the number of people who leave the sticker in the window that says something along the lines of "Another boat bought from Whilton Marina". I can't think of a single reason why you'd leave it on display -- and I'm surprised people don't remove them as a priority.

Why?

 

Our boat still bears it's "Supplied by Burton Waters" sticker on the transom corner. It has never ocured to us to remove it. Why would we?

[Athy]

Quite a few people leave the seller's stickers on their cars too (ours still proclaims that we bought it from Hylton Gott in Downham Market). I think it's fairly standard practice.

[hargreaves07]

Quite a few boats leave "Lord Vernons Wharf" on the side!

[MtB]

Quite a few boats leave "Lord Vernons Wharf" on the side!

 

And when I see them, I think 'Lord Vernon' sounds like a right stuck-up ponce!

 

(Ok I know it's just a place name really, and a builder lives there - possibly quite a stuck-up one )

 

 

MtB

[Hoose]

The boating fraternity is just a cash cow to them, same as car salesmen. That's how it is and it's upto you to be on the ball. We VERY nearly got burned by whilton, had to fight tooth and nail to get our £1000 deposit back on what was basically a shit tip ( first boat, didn't know better )

[MtB]

Wow this thread took of.

 

Puting aside this poor experience with Whilton I am afraid I have another. This never stopped me from going back as Whilton do do something very well. Thats getting a lot of boats for people to view in one area. So its good for newbee's to start out and may even find a boat they like given the choice.

 

 

I bought my first narrowboat with my now Ex girlfriend in 2004 from Whilton Marina. We were 18 and took loans out etc to fund, with bringing the boat up to standard and including the cost of the boat we spent around £33k.

 

Sadly money problems, mooring problems and relationship problems (we were very young) kicked in in 2005 and we had to sell. I rented a room and she moved back to her parents. We had a debt of around 33k for this boat.

 

We stuck her back to Whilton to sell for us who were charging 6% plus VAT for brokerage. We put the price at £31950 expecting offers of 29 - 30k.

 

After a few weeks a offer was received that we accepted, 29k if I remember correctly. The guy was going to conclude the deal at the end of the month but paid a deposit (apparently) and Whilton took the boat down for sale. Due to the fact we were had loans and credit card were maxed out money was a real squeeze. We started to rely on this money coming in.

 

Over the next few weeks I made contact with Whilton several times just asking for a update. Is it all sorted, when is the guy coming in etc they told me they had been speaking with him and everything was under control expect payment as discussed at the end of the month. Sadly this came and went, I manged to get hold of somebody in Whilton who must not of known the story who apparently looked through the notes to find that no contact had been made with the buyer and they could not get hold of him.

 

We were devastated as we had zero money and needed this money asap. I asked Whilton how much to purchase outright they offered 21k if I remember rightly. Which we accepted as we felt we had no choice. (young and naive). They told me they were sending the cheque first class. Nope two days later not received so I had to drive up there to collect it.

The boat never actually came down as under offer on the website and 3 days later it went.

 

If I was not so young and lacking in lifes skills back then I would of made the biggest fuss in the world. I genuinely believe they bull******d me along knowing we were desperate for the money ( I had told them) and then bought them self a cheap boat.

 

This left us in negative equity. Being the gentleman I paid all of the mrs's loans and credit cards off. and had about 8k to show for about 19k of investment. Not easy to deal with at a young age.

 

Anyway that's my story. I actually forgot about this in some detail until writing it out again. Makes me fume. I know all the decisions were mine but being young, stupid and lacking life experience and rip of merchants but it was what it was. I wonder how many other people get this treatment.

 

 

A very sad tale, and thanks for posting it. A great lesson in how an amoral firm will stiff you mercilessly given the opportunity.

 

MtB

Edited November 8, 2013 by Mike the Boilerman

[Laurie Booth]

I actually forgot about this in some detail until writing it out again. Makes me fume. I know all the decisions were mine but being young, stupid and lacking life experience and rip of merchants but it was what it was. I wonder how many other people get this treatment.

 

I lost £250k on a bad deal (not boating).

 

[MtB]

 

I lost £250k on a bad deal (not boating).

 

 

And I bet you have since figured out how NOT to have it happen again.

 

The more expensive the lesson, the more we learn from it....

 

MtB

[Laurie Booth]

 

And I bet you have since figured out how NOT to have it happen again.

 

The more expensive the lesson, the more we learn from it....

 

MtB

Very, very true

[GeoffS]

I had the same experience at Whilton with them giving me the impression that they were passing on an offer to a seller when I now know (since by chance coming across the seller out on the canal) that they already owned it. I then chose one of the surveyors from their recommended list who failed to spot several issues (although I managed to get his fee completely refunded) which cost me a lot more to put right.

 

At that time I hadn't heard of CWDF but considered I had done a lot of research and made a decision to buy based on my best efforts at the time.

 

I quickly learnt that what I had thought was thorough research was only scratching the surface and spent a lot of time and money getting things fixed to a proper standard (and that sometimes took more than one engineer before I found a reliable one). I did this after deciding that regardless of the defects I had still bought a basically sound boat that had been neglected in certain areas.

 

If you are able to have someone with you when viewing and assessing boats that have been through the experience it can be invaluable. I don't consider myself anywhere near an expert but I have been able to help a friend when looking to buy and even found an issue with a boat for sale at one the respected brokers that are talked about that they didnt want to discuss so we walked away.

 

As Mike says the more expensive the lesson the more you learn but I am glad I persevered as I know I have a boat that I am happy with and know the history of.

 

But there is still more coming up that needs to be sorted but thats just boating!