Found on Craigslist: Not Even Trying

by "functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
Published 03/27/2017 at 10:19

Tags: found on craigslist ; rants
STARS: 1

Come on, scammers. I mean, if you’re going to list something that isn’t yours, at least try *a little.* You don’t need to be a boating enthusiast to see some flaws in the listing here. Unfortunately for this individual, the boat in the picture (and the title) IS kind of an enthusiast boat. Most people looking for a nice little fishing boat or family cruiser are not buying a hardcore ski boat like this. However, I follow “1998 Nautique” with an IFTTT; I am actually looking for a boat like this, and today I got this notification:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Right, let’s start with the part where there are two listings for the same boat, one picture only, and ALL of the details are wrong. Pretty standard. But oh, the details. I know they copied and pasted from a different boat, but I got a good laugh anyway.

150hp Motor with Tilt & Trim, Motor guide 24v trolling motor, 3 new Batteries, hummingbird depth and fish finder, 2 live wells, auto charging system, Tandem trailer w/ spare, many extras.Last price is $2500.

150hp? No. Tit & Trim? No. Trolling motor? No. 3 batteries? No. Fish Finder? Live wells? No. Tandem trailer? Hey it’s DOES have a trailer! Wait, single axle. No. I also don’t see a spare.

19ft aluminum boat and trailer in good condition with a air cool 5 horse motor. Trolling motor battery Life vest anchor and all accessories with it.I need money urgently , for who is really interested last price is $ 2,500 . Pray and offer seriously.

Aluminum? No. Air cool [sic] 5 horse? I don’t even think you can get an air-cooled outboard over 3hp. Double No. Trolling motor, again, No.

P.S. This boat is, in reality, powered by a 310hp EFI Ford 351.

My favorite line: Pray and offer seriously. Hmmmm not when you start at 1/4 the market value of this boat and undercut yourself by 30% before the end of the listing. Even if you got the rest of the details right, nope.

This would be the automotive equivalent of posting “2005 Ford F350 King Ranch Diesel Quad Cab Dually” with an appropriate picture, then describing a base model Honda Civic with a list price of $1000. Last price is $500. Pray and offer seriously.

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This message has been brought to you by a 2-hour school delay on a Monday morning which facilitated a diner breakfast that will hold me over until dinner.

Replies (28)

"Azrek" (azrek)
03/27/2017 at 10:28, STARS: 1

So we should all email both of them with our burner email accounts?

I saw a similar scam in my area that had almost duped a friend. She called me with the Ad for a Airstream Trailer she saw on CL. Photos were nice, price was right, but something pinged my BS meter on the photos. I started researching. She was trying to schedule a visit to see the trailer with her boyfriend (an Airplane Mechanic) and me (well..I’m awesome).

The seller came back and said the trailer was wrapped up (huh?) ready to ship from Louisiana. I threw in the BS flag immediately. Her boyfriend quickly followed suit. I took the email sent to her and started searching the phrases and found an exact copy of the email in other parts.

Heartbroken, she reported the dude to CL and called it a day.

"Land_Yacht_225" (nadenator)
03/27/2017 at 10:32, STARS: 1

Reminds me of our old ‘78 Ski Tique my dad sold last month.

Then again, I would rather have a Martinique anyway.

"My X-type is too a real Jaguar" (TomSlick)
03/27/2017 at 10:33, STARS: 1

Used Nautique buyers are generally cheapskates so even at a 3rd of the Value it would be too much

"fintail" (fintail)
03/27/2017 at 10:33, STARS: 1

If it’s too good to be true, something something something.

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
03/27/2017 at 10:57, STARS: 0

So are you calling me a cheapskate?

Eh, probably not far off. At least when it comes to buying a toy.

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
03/27/2017 at 10:59, STARS: 0

A friend has a ‘78 Martinique he’s completely gone through, and he’s a tech at a marina so the boat is near-perfect, mechanically. Old school carbureted but it does have a electronic distributor. That boat is a lot of fun to drive, very light, and it slides around like crazy because no tracking fins. You kind of forget what an inboard is like without those things - it’s fun!

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
03/27/2017 at 11:01, STARS: 1

What I wonder here is how does this guy expect to make any money from this? Does he think someone will wire him money... or give him a deposit sight unseen? That’s where I’m saying, at least TRY, bro.

"My X-type is too a real Jaguar" (TomSlick)
03/27/2017 at 11:01, STARS: 1

Just going on what I’ve observed restoring an 85 nautique with a 454. The forums while somewhat helpful, are full of the cheapest enthusiasts I’ve ever seen. As in “You paid for an engine rebuild? A little marvel mystery oil and it’s as good as new”

"My X-type is too a real Jaguar" (TomSlick)
03/27/2017 at 11:04, STARS: 0

Why I love nautiques yes let’s cram that in a 19 ft boat.

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
03/27/2017 at 11:07, STARS: 0

They’ve put them in 17's too of course. Those are fun as hell, until you meet any chop.

Yep, I love the reaction from people who don’t know what a ski boat might have for an engine, “How many horsepower?!”

Then the inevitable, “Wow it must go really fast!!” Well, no not really. But it will still plane with double the stated capacity in it, or more.

"My X-type is too a real Jaguar" (TomSlick)
03/27/2017 at 11:12, STARS: 1

And get on plane really really fast. It fills the hull nicely

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
03/27/2017 at 11:15, STARS: 0

Oh I know, it’s true. Those guys are DIY hardcore, and reluctant to pay marina labor rates for just about anything. I worked at a marina for 8 years and had to (still have to) tread lightly because we’re the “Stealership” to them. All marinas are all incompetent, lazy, deceptive, slow, and scam artists. Right? I would sometimes defend the position of the shop a little, when someone would bring in a basket case and then complain that the shop charged more than $100 and it’s not all fixed! WTF? Right. Better DIY I guess.

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
03/27/2017 at 11:19, STARS: 0

Nice! What color is the exterior? Does that have the nicer interior like the later 80's ones? Or the more simple bench seats - I can’t remember when they switched over. I’ve spent a lot of time in 80's Nautiques, but never driven one with a 454.

A friend has one that was totally stripped down and rebuilt using all composites; they put a 2002-ish 5.7 GM block PCM engine - the “APEX” which I think is rated around 320hp. That boat jumps out of the water. And it is loud as hell because straight pipes.

"My X-type is too a real Jaguar" (TomSlick)
03/27/2017 at 11:20, STARS: 1

We did the floors and stringers ourselves and of course pulled and reinstalled the engine ourselves. We have found the cost of rebuilding drops a huge amount when you show up the engine in the back of a truck and the shop doesn’t have to store your boat.

"My X-type is too a real Jaguar" (TomSlick)
03/27/2017 at 11:25, STARS: 1

It had no interior when we bought it, we got a Deluxe Interior observation seat out of an 87, a backseat out of an 88 barefoot and the drivers seat out of an 85. We then had it completely recovered with new foam. The exterior is blue and white and terrible we’ll get it respayed next winter.

"fintail" (fintail)
03/27/2017 at 11:28, STARS: 2

I think that’s exactly what he is hoping for - a sucker to wire him some good faith money. All it takes is one to make the ad worth it, and they wouldn’t keep trying if people weren’t falling for it.

"E92M3" (E46M3)
03/27/2017 at 11:37, STARS: 1

That’s exactly how this scam works. Someone stumbles upon this ad, and their first thought is FINALLY, after months of scouring craigslist for a deal here it is. This person has no idea what their boat/car/truck is worth. I better act fast before someone else snags it. Even if it’s got some flaws not seen in the photos, I can resell this for double. No time to inspect in person, I have to secure this deal pronto, before someone beats me to it. They are so ecstatic, they throw logical thinking out the window. Next thing they know they’ve just wired $500 to a guy in Nigeria/Russia etc, and will never get a response again.

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
03/27/2017 at 12:23, STARS: 0

Nice! Those interiors are quite comfy, like I said, I have spent many hours in an ‘89, and an ‘84 with a redone interior. That hull is fantastic.

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
03/27/2017 at 12:25, STARS: 0

There is one bit of wisdom that comes out of the boat forums, and that is, there are two types of 80's ski boats. Those that have had a stringer/floor job, and those that need one.

That said, while CC, Supra, and other didn’t go full composite until the early 90's, MasterCraft was doing it on the 190 ProStar back in the mid-80's! That’s the one thing they did right, haha.

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
03/27/2017 at 13:01, STARS: 0

I’m sure you’re right, and yet it baffles me that people think this way. “A fool and his money are soon parted.”

"My X-type is too a real Jaguar" (TomSlick)
03/27/2017 at 13:56, STARS: 1

Yeah we knew it needed a stringer job we paid $400 for the boat and trailer (Actually traded an S10 Blazer with a $400 trade in value, it was rough) we’ll have about $6000 in it

"E92M3" (E46M3)
03/27/2017 at 14:07, STARS: 0

There are hundreds of fools in every metro area that spend all of their free time looking to make money off craigslist flips. Some of them email/text hundreds of people with lowball offers, just hoping for that one seller that will take it. Others search endlessly for that 1 person who has no idea what their object is worth. Truth is if you look at it from an hourly rate of time invested, they’d do much better taking a part time job that paid minimum wage, than scouring craigslist. In this day and age, anyone can research the value of anything with a simple 5 minute internet search. So the odds of making a lot off Craigslist is probably equal to winning the lottery. Unless you’re the scammer that is

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
03/27/2017 at 14:26, STARS: 0

There you have it. You could get a pretty good one for $5k- $7k. A mediocre one for $3500. Or get one that’s junk for practically free and make it exactly like YOU want it.

I have an ‘89 Supra that I’ve had for 11 years, I’m sure it will need stringers eventually. But the floor is rock solid and the stringers are rotten yet. I put a newer EFI engine from a ‘98 Nautique in it; we’re over 1600 hours now. I’m thinking it’s time to sell BEFORE it really needs stringers.

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
03/27/2017 at 14:28, STARS: 0

This is what I’ve heard... at least up where I am it’s not that bad. Yeah there are idiots and lowballers and scammers posting to our local CL but it’s not hard to buy or sell with honesty. And I don’t get flooded with scammers, although I guess it’s been a while since I sold anything susbstantial...

"My X-type is too a real Jaguar" (TomSlick)
03/27/2017 at 14:33, STARS: 0

Yup and we know what has been rebuilt and what coners have been cut, We even upgraded to GPS speedos

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
03/27/2017 at 14:57, STARS: 0

Did you go here? 

http://www.classicboatwork.com/classicparts/gauges/airguide/agr/agr.html

"My X-type is too a real Jaguar" (TomSlick)
03/27/2017 at 15:03, STARS: 0

Yeah but the restore the airguides was more than brand new GPS speedos so wer got those and filled in the holes in the boat.

"functionoverfashion" (functionoverfashion)
03/27/2017 at 18:02, STARS: 0

I gotcha. They offer gps retrofits to the old style speedos too. $200 I think....