Boats For Veterans

Let's delve into it and see what we can find out

Posts on Reddit:

Link

(6 months ago)

I had a similar experience. I have a boat I’d like to go to a good cause. I got the texts the same as you. They took my photos and listed an item on eBay. Luckily someone saw my legitimate listing for the boat and reached out to inform me of the eBay listing. I immediately reached out to the text and their response was threatening to me including calling 6 times in the middle of the night. I’ve donated other vehicles to charity and theres been an exchange to verify whether they’d accept the vehicle, a pickup process, a sale and a delayed tax notification after the sale. In this case they mentioned a “pickup” but then listed my boat without consent on eBay for much less than market value. The charities, if legit, should also work to stop this. In my example, their unauthorized eBay listing sold for a little less than $3,800 and the fair market value according to NADA and AROS is $16-24k. I’ve sent a cease and desist letter and asked to remove the listing. I contacted eBay about the incident and they’re encouraging me to contact police about the listing essentially being stolen property and to file a copyright infringement claim for the use of my photos. I’d encourage you to do the same so we can hold these people accountable for their actions. 

(5 months ago)

I was thinking about donating a boat. They contacted me only by text asking me about my boat ..and believe it or not they asked me to be honest about my description.

I replied by asking for their EIN so I could prove their 501 status with IRS. Its amazing how fast they went silent ! especially when I asked them to be honest !

STAY AWAY FROM THEM ! SCAM

(4 months ago)

Glad that I found this thread. I started contact with them yesterday (Dec 10 2024) about donating my '78 Hunter 30. Contact was entirely by text, while unorthodox, I liked that so I am not getting lots of calls from unknown numbers. But several text were like this:
"Please make sure you don't get rid of you boat while we schedule your free boat pickup. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. If the boat is no longer available, then please text us right away."
After finding this thread, I found my boat listed on eBay.
I have sent them messages via text and thru eBay, basically asking what the hell??

** UPDATE **

I sent them a text saying I no longer want to donate my boat. I also messaged eBay to tell them I am not authorizing the sale. The eBay post was ended and, of course, I have not heard ANYTHING from the boatsforveterans people.

(3 months ago)

I donated a boat in November and it all went pretty smoothly until I didn't get my Tax Receipt for the donation... I have messaging weekly and calls... They say I should have received it already. I tell the "text" I haven't and they don't respond. Their website stating live operators 24/7 is BS... I have NEVER talked to anyone other than the guy who picked up my boat. 

Post on eBay Community:

Boat Donation scam (11-09-2023) Link

Beware of Boat donation scams. I have made contact with a few boat owners that were for sale here on cheap auctions. The owners did not know their boat was for sale. Ebay is completely useless and is complicit allowing the scam since they will not investigate.  They will ask for payment outside of ebay for their "processing" fee of which no money you send will be refunded. They will not mark it as paid so you cannot leave feedback. if you cannot look up this company's name on google then they are not legit. One of them here is very reputable while the one is not. do your homework. Ebay will not let any names of items be posted here. I was just scammed out of money. bewarned.  

Post on offshoreonly.com:

Ebay seller Boat Auction Liquidator / One Dollar boats Scam (03-06-2025) Link

Probably the biggest scam on Ebay if you look under used boat for sale. You'll see many junk boats selling for $1.99. Plus their fee of $399 if you read their add throughout.  There are from time to time a few decent prospects that come up and usually sell for cheap all over the nation.  But i warn you, they don't have possession of these boats, no title for the boat, and no contact for months with the actual owner.  They force you to pay out side of EBay check out. So they make you send a venmo, or check. And they will be down right nasty about their messages for payment.  So if you continue and get them paid. They will send you a contact name and number. To which this person has no idea that you're reaching out to come get their boat.  They think they've donated to a Veterans for Boats website. But little do they know, they are just giving up their boat for an online scam.

Auction liquidator doesn't donate to vets or any other donation site. The boat ownees i've actually dealt with are very suspicious and ask for the tax right off info. To which i had no idea. They are just effectively giving away the boat. And most of the time the boat owners won't give you the boat you won. Or already sold it. So then leads to the best part. Since you didn't do the sale through ebay. They are not so willing to refund you either. Takes weeks if at all. They won't respond most of the time. So you're just sending email after email. And ebay won't do a dam thing to help. Because you didn't use the check out.

long and short, don't waste your time, your money, or get your hopes up on anything they have up for auction. No matter how new, old, cheap, it is. You're just wasting your time and money. Michael