What the BBB said you need to know before buying a boat

It’s summertime and lake season is upon us.

While you can rent a boat for the day from some of our local marinas, you may be tempted to buy your own online.

FOX23 talked to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) about the things you need to make sure you do in this week’s Buyer Beware Report.

In Oklahoma's summer heat, a day at the lake can be so refreshing and a lot of fun.

Before you grab your phone or laptop and start searching to buy your own boat, Amie Mitchell, the CEO of the BBB of Eastern Oklahoma, recommends first setting a budget and not just for the boat, but think about all the extra costs from registering it, to insuring it and using it.

“So setting a budget in the very beginning, looking at all those other expenses that are going to come with beyond the actual price, slips, you know, where you're going to store it, how are you going to pull it? How much gas are you going to use each weekend. Kind of a weekly budget of being out on the water. So all of those are really important to research and find out,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell said you will want to have an independent mechanic possibly do an inspection especially if it's used.

She also recommended taking it out on the water if you can, to see how it runs, if anything rattles or seems out of whack.

“So with a boat, it's a little bit different than it is with a car, but you can get an abstract title to see where it's been and anything that's gone through in the previous owners,” Mitchell said.

She also stressed the importance of being careful how you pay for the boat.

“If the seller is saying that by eBay PayPal, Craigslist, that is 100% Guaranteed through them. It is not. All of those sites have made it very clear on their websites that they do not cover purchases whatsoever. So don't let that get you if you're considering something like that,” Mitchell said.

Even if you are buying a boat online, it is still important to talk to the seller on the phone.

If the seller avoids answering specific questions about the boat, it’s a red flag and you may be dealing with someone who’s trying to con you.

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