The Buyer Who Wants to Use a Shipping Agent: A Common Boat Selling Scam
You listed your boat, and within a day a buyer writes to say they love it. They are not local, so they will send a shipping agent to collect the boat after they pay. It sounds convenient, and sometimes real buyers do arrange transport. But this exact story is also one of the best known scams in boat selling, so it pays to slow down.
Here is how the shipping agent scam usually unfolds, what to look for and how to protect yourself while still welcoming genuine long distance buyers.
How the scam usually works
The buyer says they are far away, perhaps overseas, on a work assignment or in the military. They agree to your price quickly and without questions. They say their agent or shipping company will pick up the boat and that payment will be arranged.
Then comes the twist. You receive a payment for more than the price, and you are asked to send the extra money to the shipping agent to cover transport fees. Or you are given the name of a transport company and told to pay its fee up front, with a promise that the buyer will repay you. The payment you received turns out to be fake or is later reversed, and the money you sent to the agent is gone.
In a variation, the shipping company is invented too. It has a website, a tracking page and polite emails, yet nobody ever arrives for the boat.
Why this story is so convincing
Moving a boat across the country really does happen, and real buyers use professional transport. Scammers borrow that ordinary situation so their request seems normal. The messages are friendly, urgent and well organized, which can make a seller feel it would be rude to ask questions.
The key difference is who pays whom. In a genuine sale the buyer pays you the agreed price, and the buyer pays their own transport company directly. You should never be asked to handle money on the buyer's behalf.
Warning signs to watch for
Watch for a buyer who accepts your price immediately, has not seen the boat and does not ask about its condition, survey or sea trial. Be cautious when they will not speak by phone and communicate only by email or text.
Be alert if the buyer wants you to use a specific shipping company and will not accept another. Take notice if a payment arrives for more than the agreed amount, or if you are asked to forward funds to anyone. Any one of these is a reason to pause. Several together are a reason to stop.
What to do instead
Keep the sale simple. The buyer pays you the agreed price, and nothing else. Wait until the payment is completely cleared with your bank before you release the boat, the title or the keys, and ask your bank how long clearing takes for that payment type.
If the buyer wants the boat transported, let them hire the transporter and pay it directly. Ask for the company name, then look it up yourself using contact details you found independently. A real carrier will have a verifiable business presence and will not need you to pay it.
Invite the buyer, or a surveyor or representative they trust, to inspect the boat in person. Offer a phone call. A serious buyer will usually welcome both.
If you are already in the middle of one
Stop sending money and stop sharing personal details. Do not release the boat. If you deposited a check or sent funds, call your bank right away and explain what happened.
You can also report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov or the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. Reports help investigators track these schemes.
Get help from people who do this every day
Sell-a-Boat.Com has been selling boats online since 1997, with no contracts, no commissions and no hassle. Our Fraud Tips page at sellaboat.com/fraud-tips describes common scams in more detail. If a buyer's request seems strange, call us toll free at 888-306-2628 (888-306-BOAT) and talk it over before you reply.
Ready to find a real buyer? List your boat today at https://www.sellaboat.com/.
