New App Helps You Purchase a Boat With the Help of a ‘r8tr’
A new mobile app scheduled to debut Oct. 15 will revolutionize the process of buying a used boat, according to its developers.
r8tr (pronounced “rater”) is an application designed to aid potential customers who want pre purchase or pre offer information on a boat for sale in a remote locations. After downloading the app, the user selects a vehicle type (i.e., auto, boat, rv, motorcycle). A prospective boat buyer who finds an interesting model out of state can then hire a “r8tr” to inspect it remotely and report on every aspect of its condition.
“It’s similar to ordering an Uber,” explains co-developer Randy Wild. “You input all of your information, and our ‘r8trs’ get a ping that there’s a rating in their area. They grab it, just like an Uber driver would. Ideally, they’ll get to it within a couple of hours. Then they will provide photos and video, along with an itemized evaluation of the boat. This is perfect for people who don’t want to waste time and money to travel out of state just to inspect it. Our detailed checklist helps them decide if they want to make the purchase or not.”
The idea for the app came about because Wild himself has purchased several boats out of state—often with disastrous results. “Every time I’ve bought them sight unseen, they always show up in appreciably less-stellar quality than the dealer advertises it. We just got frustrated with the condition that they were reported versus the condition they were delivered.” r8tr optimizes and streamlines the experience, and giving the end users the detailed information they need to make an informed decision.
Within the app, a r8tr will move through a pre-loaded checklist, starting with the port side of the boat and moving around to every one of its features on the list—dash, interior, upholstery, cabin, trailer, engine, etc. “Everything will be graded on a scale of 1-8,” Wild says. “If the driver’s seat gets an 8, they don’t need to take a photo of it. But if it’s a 7 or less, they can’t move on to the next item on the list without taking a photo and providing a detailed explanation of the reason for the rating.”
Wild says he is having great success finding r8Trs, “because everybody wants to get paid to do what they love,” he explains. “I’m a boat guy, and if I can get paid to go look at boats for other people at my own leisure, on my own time, and I set my own hours, that’s great.”
The app will feature different categories and subcategories of r8trs. The main categories will be Auto, Boat, RV and Motorcycle. Boat subcategories will include Performance, Cruisers, Ski, Fish and Other.
Wild and his partner, Rocky Hauhe, happen to be automobile dealers who buy automobiles out of state and experience the same problem when the autos get delivered. Wild himself has owned numerous performance boats, including two Cigarettes and five MTIs, while Hauhe has had Cigarettes, an Outerlimits and 3 MTIs. Their goal is to help dealers of all vehicles by making a customer feel more comfortable about the purchase.
“I don’t want to waste time flying out of state just to look at something,” he says. “And sometimes a customer isn’t able to leave right away—maybe they can’t fly out for three weeks. Meanwhile, a dealer is sitting on the inventory waiting for the person to get there. We are hopeful going to help dealers move product faster by allowing our r8ters to evaluate a boat for them.”
To learn more about r8tr and get early access, visit r8tr.com.
