Okay, first off, they're called RUDDER kickers, not tire kickers! Unless of course they're just buying a trailer but then I would push for "bunk busters" if those buyers got too annoying!
Second, yes, my brokerage has a similar policy but to be clear it's only about the water test, not coming to see it in the first place. Yes, it seems odd and counter productive but remember we're not a big, waterfront store with demo boats bouncing out there in the docks waiting for you. We're brokers representing private sellers like yourself and trying to PROTECT their property. Everyone is comparing boat buying with car buying but it's very different. If you want a more appropriate comparison, try asking a Harley dealer for a test drive on a $23000 motorcycle. You'll find it's a similar policy if they let you at all.
If we didn't make sure buyers were serious and had a little skin in the game then all we would be doing all day is dragging other people's boats to the lake, launching them, putting $20 worth of gas in them, recovering them and dragging them back to the yard only to hear "nah, I don't want it now" or much worse "Okay, I'll give you THIS for it." No, sorry, we're not going to do that. All we're really asking is to make sure you WANT the boat FIRST. The boat is going to ride fine and you'll have a chance to see for yourself but do you WANT the boat? What about the ride will THEN make you WANT the boat? Think about it. It is extremely rare (I've seen it once in the past 3 years) for a person to change their mind because of the test drive UNLESS the boat has an issue, in which case there is no risk of deposit loss and at that point we can fix the issue or adjust the price. We have alienated buyers with this policy and we're okay with that because chances are they were never really serious in the first place. Before any water test, we must be in agreement on ALL TERMS, especially price. Then we do paperwork and collect a deposit.
There are other issues that come up often:
People want our "best price" over the phone before they even meet the boat in person. We used to do that but discovered that once they have that "best price" it then becomes the new ASKING price in their mind. After they see it, they find any issue they can (rarely real, usually imaginary) and proceed to start negotiations all over again.
"Will you hold it for me for a $500 deposit?" Sure, we can do this but don't come two weeks later then ask for your deposit back after we've turned away a dozen actual buyers because you wanted to secure this boat for free AND CONTINUE SHOPPING.
Trailers are free . . . didn't you know? "Yeah, take $5000 off AND throw in the trailer and I'll take it." Many times these "free" trailers were purchased by us for $3000 to $4000 because the owner didn't have one. Trying to collect that and a fair commission becomes very challenging to say the least!!
I do get it . . . up until 3 years ago I was that guy who wanted the best price over the phone and a free trailer but I was negotiating with stores on one or two year leftover NEW boats, not some poor broker on a private customer's used boat. Just ask yourself how you would expect us to treat you if you signed us up to sell your boat.
I swear this is karma for all of the good deals I had to fight for when car shopping.
