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How to Sell Boats on eBay Motors
You can also learn about selling motorcycles, passenger vehicles, powersports, other vehicles, and parts & accessories.
If you are new to eBay, Create a Seller's Account at eBay and you're ready to start selling! To review the seller listing fees, click here.
What every seller should think about before they list a boat for sale on eBay Motors.
Describe everything about the boat.
 More photos sell boats, and a complete description drives transactions.
Describe yourself.
Prepare to have the title in hand.
Actively participate in the process.
Be accessible to potential buyers.
Reach out to potential buyers.
Manage your listing.
Price to sell, and close the deal.
Be realistic and determine the best price for your boat.
If you've opted to list using a reserve auction format...
Utilize a second chance offer or relist.
Offer financing so your buyers can make monthly payments.
Learn about what services eBay Motors offers to help sellers succeed.
Trading Assistants can help you sell on eBay Motors.
- Describe everything about the boat.
- More photos sell boats, and a complete description drives transactions.
Remember that most of your potential buyers will not see the boat in person before taking action on your listing.
The more pictures, the better. Six is a minimum starting point (left side, right side, front, rear, top, and engine close-up), but more are even better. This is especially true if there are any special features or unique customization that you'd like to showcase. The same applies if there are any signs of wear that you should point out to increase bidder confidence that you're representing the boat accurately.
Write a thorough description that explains everything a potential buyer would want to know. A good description includes a general description of the boat, a list of features, information on the boat's history (including operating hours), and terms of sale (e.g., deposit amount and timing, balance payment timing, shipping details).
Be honest to a fault as this builds bidder trust and will help you get a higher price.
Be professional, thorough, and clear.
Learn tips on how to take photos.
Read advice on how to write a description.
Please note that these links take you to content oriented to the "passenger vehicle" seller, but the same general idea applies regardless of the vehicle you are selling.
- Describe yourself.
Include information about yourself in the description so that you're not an unknown entity to potential buyers. Build trust!
Are you an experienced boater who knows how to care for a boat? Let them know. Are you a dealer? Tell them and include some information about your dealership's history.
- Prepare to have the title in hand.
Make sure any liens on the boat are disclosed in the description. Additionally, be sure to have the title in hand when you list the boat to avoid any delays in completing the transaction with the buyer at the end of the listing. Remember, that it may take you several days to secure the title so be sure to allow for this in the selling process.
- Actively participate in the process.
- Be accessible to potential buyers.
Make sure your phone and email address on your eBay account is accurate. The serious buyer will be more likely to engage in business with you if you are open and responsive to questions and concerns in a timely manner - both during the listing period and after the purchase when transactional details are being worked out.
- Reach out to potential buyers.
If you have questions about the potential buyer's feedback rating, or have questions about bidding activity, contacting the person may help. Additionally, it's likely that the potential buyer has questions on the vehicle or about the sale terms and will appreciate you initiating communication. The best sellers talk to every serious bidder, and as a result, (a) better build bidder trust and get more bids and (b) have fewer miscommunication problems that could lead to a non-paying bidder (AKA NPB).
* An important note for the seller about feedback:
Feedback is a critical part of buying and selling on eBay. It provides important information to both buyers and sellers about the people with whom they are transacting. As such, it is one of the most powerful ways to build trust and a reputation on the site. eBay asks everyone to participate in giving feedback. However, as with any open and essentially un-policed system, there are occasionally people who take advantage of it. Sometimes there are misunderstandings or hurt feelings, and in rare cases, buyers or sellers will hold the threat of leaving negative feedback as a way of getting more than is fair. For this reason, you should look at every buyer's complete feedback history, and not necessarily rule out someone with a few negatives. The same goes for buyers just starting out who have no or very little feedback. Everyone has to start somewhere, and every one of our best buyers (and sellers) started with 0 feedback once upon a time. Give them a chance, but again, make sure to talk to the person so that you can form your own opinion. If you're still concerned, you may explore the pros and cons of requiring preapproved bidders or even blocking bidders on your items if you choose. Learn more about Bidder Management.
- Manage your listing.
Unexpected things occur, and there are a few unique and valid reasons you may need to end your listing early, or cancel bids on an item. Before doing either of these though, know the rules for selling and your options for dispute resolution.
- Price to sell, and close the deal.
- Be realistic and determine the best price for your boat.
As a starting point, look at final prices achieved on other eBay listings for similar boats by looking at Completed Items from Search results using Advanced Search and selecting "Completed items" from the "Item Status" drop-down menu (also select "Other Vehicles" from the "Search in categories" drop-down menu).
Then consider the condition of your boat and any customization/extra work that you have done and refine the price accordingly.
In general, set the starting price low to attract bidder attention and drive market excitement.
IMPORTANT: If you're using a reserve price, use it to provide downside protection rather than to create selling margin. Set it at a level at which you could let the boat go rather than the price you expect. If the reserve is too high, it will discourage bidders and bidding may not reach the necessary level to make the sale. On the other hand, when the bidding passes reserve, often the market excitement really kicks in and the bidding intensifies. You can then sit back and watch the marketplace work for you.
- If you've opted to list using a reserve auction format
during the auction, you may Lower Your Price to close the gap with a high bidder and meet reserve.
- Utilize a second chance offer or relist.
Even if the auction closes unsuccessfully, you can make a Second Chance Offer to any bidder to close the deal.
Alternatively, you can always relist the boat for free (your listing fee is refunded if it sells).
- Offer financing so your buyers can make monthly payments.
Help your buyers secure the financing they need to buy the boat they want. Deals close faster with loans arranged through the eBay Financing Center, so let your buyers know to apply before they bid. Click here for the eBay Financing Center.
- Find a Trading Assistant in your local area who can help you sell on eBay Motors.
Trading Assistants are experienced eBay sellers who can help sell your items on eBay for a fee. Many Trading Assistants can help you sell parts, accessories, or vehicles on eBay Motors. Trading Assistants and their clients determine the terms of the relationship. To learn more and to find a Trading Assistant in your local area click here.
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