A well-maintained and equipped used boat is definitely an alternative to a new boat. There are three ways you can buy good used boats: By private sellers. Trade magazines and used boat exchanges on the Internet provide information about what is available. From a trusted trader. Qualified companies in your area can be found via the yellow pages on www.bvww.org. By mediation of a used boat broker. Addresses can also be found at www.bvww.org.
Seek expert advice before buying No matter which way you prefer, we always recommend a detailed inspection together with one of our boat and yacht experts before you buy. A yacht is a complex technical product that, like a house, can only be assessed by experts.
Involve experts Sport boat experts can give you advice when buying a used boat and save you money during sales negotiations or protect you from buying defective products. The experts organized in the VBS (Association of sports boat and shipbuilding experts) are competent and independent individuals who offer their expertise and many years of experience in various fields for sports boats, yachts and shipbuilding. Qualified surveyors can be found at www.bootssachverständige.de.
Private, Trader or Agent? Buying directly from the trader has the advantage of expert advice and the legally prescribed warranty liability in the event of defects. For new and used boats, the warranty period is two years. For used boats it can be shortened - and this is common in the industry - to one year. When buying from private to private, the warranty is mostly excluded. "Purchased as is" is usually the wording in the purchase contract. However, the seller may not conceal significant defects, such as averages.
Used boat agents also do not provide any warranty for the yacht. Their task is to bring seller and buyer together. For this service, the agent receives a commission. The purchase contract is therefore concluded between the seller and the buyer. The broker as an intermediary is only liable "on the basis of contractual collateral duties". This essentially means that he is liable for statements about the boat to be brokered. Agents are often commissioned with the marketing of larger boats and yachts, where buyers have to be sought internationally.
VAT proof Used boats and yachts are traded internationally. It is not uncommon for a yacht moored in Croatia to be sold to a German customer. No problem as long as the yacht is to remain in Croatia. However, there can be unpleasant surprises if the new owner wants to transfer the ship to Germany or to another EU country. Then he will have to prove whether VAT has already been paid for the yacht at an earlier date. If he cannot provide this proof, the statutory import VAT on the current value will be due. The question of VAT should therefore be regulated in the purchase contract.
Attention! Do not operate a boat without a declaration of conformity (CE). According to § 4a of the Inland navigation inspection regulations you are not allowed to operate a boat without a declaration of conformity. In case of violations, the boat can be put on the chain and severe fines may be imposed. In the event of damage, the insurance company may refuse to settle the claim. Resale of boats without CE mark is difficult. A trade-in by a dealer is virtually impossible.
Determine the costs of the subsequent CE certification. This is not to say, of course, that we generally do not recommend buying through a used boat broker. As long as it concerns boats, which are already within the EU, this represents no problem at all. The matter only becomes difficult if the yacht comes from a third country and the EU conformity has to be proven by a Post Construction Assessment. In the case of large and valuable yachts, this can also be worthwhile. In these cases, we recommend that you contact a boat and yacht surveyor with particular expertise in CE certification and have the post-certification and, if necessary, conversion costs, as well as the cost of producing the "skipper's manual", checked before buying the yacht. In the case of recreational boats, we do not recommend subsequent certification. In most cases, the costs are out of proportion to the value of the boat.
