Re: Used Boat Parts
I buy stuff on EBay a lot. Like any source of used parts, however, you have to be picky about what you buy. When in doubt, ask questions of the seller before you bid.
Thus far, I have bought two complete motors, control units, props and misc. engine parts. I have been burned a couple of times, once by a guy who described the wiring harness he was selling for an old OMC as being serviceable when it was not, and once when I bought two powerheads from another person, who didn't pack them properly. In the first instance, the seller honored a request to return the item but I had to pay the freight in both directions. The second seller didn't want to respond but I only paid him about $100 for two powerheads, and was able to remove some broken off bolts on it. On the other, I had a spare cover to replace the one that had a mounting point sheared off.
One thing I learned about EBay is to examine feedback ratings and actually go read the comments that buyers had made about them. Read the seller's responses too because you often get a real eye opener about their general demeanor and sense of fairness. Less than very high feedback ratings and/or "Smart-guy" responses to a buyer, mean I will immediately pass on any bid that I was contemplating for that seller.
I also look at the product description that the seller offers. If they obviously know nothing about the item from a technical perspective, I take any comment about its condition as being without value. Another one, seen often on EBay, that will make me chuckle and either pass or bid low, is the "I haven't run it, inspected it, tested it, etc. but it oughta work just fine 'cause the guy who sold it to me last week said it was just fine when he used it six years ago."
The good news is that you sometimes find some good stuff. I have a used stator, timer base and power pack in one of my motors now. It runs fine and, since I only paid $125 for the whole ignition system, which the guy was parting out of a motor just like mine, I am way ahead of the game moneywise.
