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Frequently asked questions

What should I do if I have trouble logging in?

After you register we send you an email with a link to follow to complete your registration. If you do not do this your account will not be activated and you will get the 'Inactive User' message when you attempt to login. The email may have gone to your spam folder so look there if you are having trouble finding it. If you forgot your password you can click on 'forgot password' on the login screen and a new one will be emailed to you. If you forgot which email account you used when you placed your ad you should find your ad and send an email to the seller and check to see which of your email accounts the message was sent to.

How much does it cost to place an ad?

A basic ad is 'nearly free' at $5. Charging a minimum fee greatly reduces the number of scammers that place ads. It includes up to 4 pictures and will run until you sell your boat (2 year maximum). We offer other features such as additional pictures or making your ad a featured ad but those are optional and will be described to you as you are finalizing your ad. There are no other additional charges such as when your boat is sold. Users are limited to 2 ads. If you would like more than 2 ads you may want to consider requesting that you be set up as a boat dealer or broker.

What should I do if I have trouble finding my ad?

If you have trouble finding your ad, or to view or make any changes to your ad - go to the 'account' page, then select 'view all of my ads'. If the status of the ad is 'saved' it may be waiting on Stripe to approve your payment (if you paid by echeck for example) or more likely it means that you have not gone through all of the screens necessary to submit your ad. You must go through all of the screens until you get the message that your ad was submitted. If the status is 'pending' it means the ad is awaiting scanning and approval (may take up to 15 minutes). If the status is 'current' it means the ad is available for viewing. If you want to view your ad you can click on the link at the top that describes your item. If you wish to change your ad select the 'change' link for the ad you wish to change. Then you can make any changes desired, and you must go through the various change screens (one for adding pictures, then selection ad options) and keep clicking on 'continue' until the final screen where you submit your ad for posting. It will then be posted as 'current' again after it has been scanned (this may take up to 15 minutes). If you have an issue finding your ad from a search it is most likely you have entered the information for the ad incorrectly - or your search criteria may be wrong.

What should I do if I think an ad is fraudulent?

We have no information about the boats that are listed on our site other than what is displayed on the inquiry screen. Furthermore we cannot confirm any of the information they enter on the ads and cannot give out any information about the sellers. If you are suspicious about a boat listed on our website please read our information on our security center page and use extreme caution when dealing with the seller or simply choose not to deal with them at all. If you have information that identifies an ad to be fraudulent please send the information you have to us (at admin@boatersnet.net) along with the website link for the ad and we will cancel the ad. You should also report the individual to the authorities as indentified on our security center page.

What should I do if I send a seller an email and he does not respond?

If you do not get a response from a seller you should send them another email and make sure you enter your email address in correctly. If they still do not respond to you it is likely that it is sold and they just don't want to respond but you can use our 'contact us' page and give us the link of the ad. We will then email the seller to confirm that the ad is still active. If we do not get a response from them we will cancel their ad. We have no other information about the sellers other than their email address so cannot assist you in contacting them in any other way.

When will my ad appear on the search screen?

Your ad must be scanned for inappropriate material before it can be approved and added to the database. This normally will happen within 15 minutes. Typically after that time your ad is displaying but you are not entering the correct search criteria to find the ad or the ad was not saved correctly. Review the question above about users having difficulty finding their ad for more details.

How does the 'keyword' selection on the search screen work?

Whatever value you put in the 'keyword' field will be used to search through the database to find records that contain that value in the remarks field. This is the field most users put comments such as 're-furbished' etc.

Do I have to enter all of the values when placing a new ad?

No, but at a minimum you should enter the values that are used in the search function to help a potential buyer find your boat. Ideally you would also enter enough additional information to fully describe the boat to your potential buyer.

What should I do if I have information about my item and there is no field for it?

That type of information would usually go in the 'remarks' section. You can also contact us and suggest a field be added to the database. If the request is valid we will add the field.

Is my personal information safe on boatersnet.net?

We take the safeguarding of your personal information very seriously. For that reason we only require your email address and a password, we never ask for or have access to any of your financial information. We use Stripe (an industry leader in online payment transactions that transacted over $640B in 2021) to handle the financial transactions. For more information visit our Security Center.

What should I do if I am aware of inappropriate material on an ad?

You can use our 'contact us' page and give us the link of the ad and we will investigate the ad and take action as is appropriate.

How do I change or cancel my ad?

To change or cancel your ad go to My Account and click on 'View all of my ads'. This will take you to a listing of your ads with change and cancel options next to them.

How do I find out about being a Broker or Dealers at Boatersnet?

You can get to this link on the Account page. There you will find all of the information regarding becoming a Broker or Dealer with us. Contact us if you need more information.

What do the statuses that I see on the 'My Ads' section of 'My Account' mean?

When you place an ad and end the placement process before you complete it, it goes to 'saved' status. If the ad is waiting for financial payment (for example if you pay by check) it will stay in 'saved' status until the payment is confirmed. After the ad is submitted (and/or payment is confirmed) it will be in 'pending' status awaiting an electronic scan to confirm the content does not violate our Terms of Use conditions. This normally just takes a few minutes to scan and confirm. If there was a problem with the content in your ad you will be sent an email and it will be in 'rejected' status'. If the ad is current, it will be in 'current' status, if cancelled (either by you or automatically because it was not renewed) it will be in 'cancelled' status.

How does a buyer contact a seller?

When you inquire into an ad there are two prominent links to 'contact the seller'. The prospective buyer then fills out a form and presses 'send message' and we will email the message to the person that placed the ad. This will protect your identity if you desire and helps us protect you from spam. Alternatively you can put your email address or phone number in the remarks field, it is your choice.