Boat History Report (BHR)
The first company I examined is BoatHistoryReport.com. It looks like this company has completed a much needed refresh of the site which is very different than their previous version. However, I still found this website to be very clean and fairly easy to navigate. The main page now has customer feedback (not verified), before and after damage photos, and examples of the types of negative events they search for. I didn't notice any advertisements on this website which indicates to me that they are solely focused on providing what they claim to offer. Affiliate links and advertisements can easily clutter a website in an attempt to make additional revenue whilst interfering with the users experience. Being a retired marketing professional, I can appreciate the white space without the need to fill it with distractions.
GETTING STARTED
The page is fairly easy to get started by providing a HIN search box toward the top and the 2 pricing options below that. If you know the HIN for the boat you're researching, you are able to enter it. Otherwise, you can select which account type you want to purchase, and can enter the HIN at a later time when you know it.
CHECK OUT PAGE
There is no longer an actual check out page but rather a pop-up window that allows you to enter your email address and card number- that's it. You have two options- a 5-report or 1-report plan. No add on features. No additional up-sell items. The email address is where they send your receipt to and is also what you will use for your login information. However, you do not set a password so you have to look for the email to finish creating an account which seems a little confusing. It looks like you can also click on "Forgot or need a password" if you don't see the email (these kinds of emails usually get caught in my spam filter so if you don't see yours, you might want to check that as well).
PRICE POINT:
For a single report, the price is $39.99 and allows you access to one report for 60 days. They got rid of their unlimited option and now have a 5 report option for $54.99 which allows you to run 5 reports for 60 days from the date you purchase your account. This site is the most expensive but each report is complete and you are not required to purchase "add-on" searches to ensure you have a full report; it's a shame they got rid of the unlimited option though. I did notice that they now have a dealer/broker pricing page which makes me think they got rid of the unlimited accounts to prevent commercial users from taking advantage of personal accounts but who knows.
ACCOUNT PAGE
At the very top in the center, you will see a grey box that tells you how many report credits you have remaining and allows you to enter your HIN and "Search for Boat records." Below this box is a description of HIN's and their location along with a HIN Troubleshooting Guide. One thing I did notice is that once you enter your HIN, you have to confirm the HIN twice before you receive your report; this could be confusing if you aren't paying attention, and seems a little unnecessary. Below that is your "Report History" which is where you can access your previously run reports. Fairly simple account home page but not as obvious as it used to be.
REPORTS
These reports are tied for easiest to use. They are very clean, very simple, and include in-report navigation to make it easy to go straight to sections that interest you after looking at the Report Summary. When you first run your report, you are shown only a summary of what was found, including basic information on the boat based on decoding the HIN. It does not however, tell you what model and length the boat was. Below the basic information is the "Findings" part of the report with a basic summary. To see more details, you need to click on each section from the summary page which makes it look like the report might be lacking. I think it would be way better if they expanded each section automatically, similar to their older reports. The information is basically the same as the old reports, however, they took out the Environmental Lien section (why??), and added a state data section (which does not seem to populate every time but more on that in the customer service section). I also noticed that the accident report section is a little nicer, with a date of accident and a map of approximate location. Not sure it's necessary but it's kinda neat. You really have to pick through the recalls and warranties because they are generic for the manufacturer and may or may not pertain to your specific model.
INTERESTING UPDATE: I knew the Bertram had an accident but BoatHistoryReport.com's new report actually shows TWO accidents! When I emailed them to ask about this, they mentioned that their new system allows for cross verification, meaning that they can use multiple identifiers on a boat (i.e. HIN, USCG documentation number, state registration number, etc...) to pull back results now. In the case of the Bertram, the first accident that was missing in the last report was recorded using only the USCG Documentation number which is why it didn't show for my original report. I found this as the most interesting update from this entire project even though it's a bummer it was missing in my original report!
CUSTOMER SERVICE
I purchased the 5 report plan and emailed customer service to find out why the Bertram had a second accident that wasn't on my original report. Within 5 hours, I had an email back with the explanation I gave above. I also asked them why the state data was so limited and they mentioned that every state has very strict regulations on the types of information that can be shared. They work with every state except for California, and are working on receiving additional liberties to be able to include additional state data in the reports (yada yada). However, they did send me state registration data from two different states for the Wellcraft, and mentioned that I am welcome to send additional HIN's to see if there is additional State data that can be shared via email. I had also asked how to print the report and they explained that the reports are optimized to be shared via a link, but emailed me a PDF of the reports so that I could print them easier. Seems like printing would be a no brainer though. I am still very pleased with the professionalism and sense of urgency in customer satisfaction, and feel that it seems as though this has not changed in the past few years.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
It appears that BHR works with surveyors on the approved NAMS and SAMS list of surveyors and includes brief summaries of their surveys in some of their reports. Although I didn't see it very often, I found it a nice addition.
BOATHISTORYREPORT.COM REVIEW SUMMARY
The site is clean and easy to use without clutter or nonsense. I like how simple the report is to read and navigate but do wish they'd expand the report immediately instead of having to expand each section manually. Additionally, an emailed version or ability to print would be a nice touch although being able to include a link in your listing is useful if you are the owner selling the boat. This site is limited to HIN's from 1972 and later that follow that particular format, and is also only good for incidents that have taken place in the USA so if your boat is old or international, this is not the site to use. This site does not offer owner information (no one does apparently), mechanical/engine information, maintenance records, if the boat was stolen or if there is a bank lien on it. It does appear that the information provided though is quality as opposed to the quantity seen on other sites. It is also the only site I see on the major marine industry sites (BoatTrader, Yacht World etc...) which makes me feel better about it.
GETTING STARTED
The page is fairly easy to get started by providing a HIN search box toward the top and the 2 pricing options below that. If you know the HIN for the boat you're researching, you are able to enter it. Otherwise, you can select which account type you want to purchase, and can enter the HIN at a later time when you know it.
CHECK OUT PAGE
There is no longer an actual check out page but rather a pop-up window that allows you to enter your email address and card number- that's it. You have two options- a 5-report or 1-report plan. No add on features. No additional up-sell items. The email address is where they send your receipt to and is also what you will use for your login information. However, you do not set a password so you have to look for the email to finish creating an account which seems a little confusing. It looks like you can also click on "Forgot or need a password" if you don't see the email (these kinds of emails usually get caught in my spam filter so if you don't see yours, you might want to check that as well).
PRICE POINT:
For a single report, the price is $39.99 and allows you access to one report for 60 days. They got rid of their unlimited option and now have a 5 report option for $54.99 which allows you to run 5 reports for 60 days from the date you purchase your account. This site is the most expensive but each report is complete and you are not required to purchase "add-on" searches to ensure you have a full report; it's a shame they got rid of the unlimited option though. I did notice that they now have a dealer/broker pricing page which makes me think they got rid of the unlimited accounts to prevent commercial users from taking advantage of personal accounts but who knows.
ACCOUNT PAGE
At the very top in the center, you will see a grey box that tells you how many report credits you have remaining and allows you to enter your HIN and "Search for Boat records." Below this box is a description of HIN's and their location along with a HIN Troubleshooting Guide. One thing I did notice is that once you enter your HIN, you have to confirm the HIN twice before you receive your report; this could be confusing if you aren't paying attention, and seems a little unnecessary. Below that is your "Report History" which is where you can access your previously run reports. Fairly simple account home page but not as obvious as it used to be.
REPORTS
These reports are tied for easiest to use. They are very clean, very simple, and include in-report navigation to make it easy to go straight to sections that interest you after looking at the Report Summary. When you first run your report, you are shown only a summary of what was found, including basic information on the boat based on decoding the HIN. It does not however, tell you what model and length the boat was. Below the basic information is the "Findings" part of the report with a basic summary. To see more details, you need to click on each section from the summary page which makes it look like the report might be lacking. I think it would be way better if they expanded each section automatically, similar to their older reports. The information is basically the same as the old reports, however, they took out the Environmental Lien section (why??), and added a state data section (which does not seem to populate every time but more on that in the customer service section). I also noticed that the accident report section is a little nicer, with a date of accident and a map of approximate location. Not sure it's necessary but it's kinda neat. You really have to pick through the recalls and warranties because they are generic for the manufacturer and may or may not pertain to your specific model.
INTERESTING UPDATE: I knew the Bertram had an accident but BoatHistoryReport.com's new report actually shows TWO accidents! When I emailed them to ask about this, they mentioned that their new system allows for cross verification, meaning that they can use multiple identifiers on a boat (i.e. HIN, USCG documentation number, state registration number, etc...) to pull back results now. In the case of the Bertram, the first accident that was missing in the last report was recorded using only the USCG Documentation number which is why it didn't show for my original report. I found this as the most interesting update from this entire project even though it's a bummer it was missing in my original report!
CUSTOMER SERVICE
I purchased the 5 report plan and emailed customer service to find out why the Bertram had a second accident that wasn't on my original report. Within 5 hours, I had an email back with the explanation I gave above. I also asked them why the state data was so limited and they mentioned that every state has very strict regulations on the types of information that can be shared. They work with every state except for California, and are working on receiving additional liberties to be able to include additional state data in the reports (yada yada). However, they did send me state registration data from two different states for the Wellcraft, and mentioned that I am welcome to send additional HIN's to see if there is additional State data that can be shared via email. I had also asked how to print the report and they explained that the reports are optimized to be shared via a link, but emailed me a PDF of the reports so that I could print them easier. Seems like printing would be a no brainer though. I am still very pleased with the professionalism and sense of urgency in customer satisfaction, and feel that it seems as though this has not changed in the past few years.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
It appears that BHR works with surveyors on the approved NAMS and SAMS list of surveyors and includes brief summaries of their surveys in some of their reports. Although I didn't see it very often, I found it a nice addition.
BOATHISTORYREPORT.COM REVIEW SUMMARY
The site is clean and easy to use without clutter or nonsense. I like how simple the report is to read and navigate but do wish they'd expand the report immediately instead of having to expand each section manually. Additionally, an emailed version or ability to print would be a nice touch although being able to include a link in your listing is useful if you are the owner selling the boat. This site is limited to HIN's from 1972 and later that follow that particular format, and is also only good for incidents that have taken place in the USA so if your boat is old or international, this is not the site to use. This site does not offer owner information (no one does apparently), mechanical/engine information, maintenance records, if the boat was stolen or if there is a bank lien on it. It does appear that the information provided though is quality as opposed to the quantity seen on other sites. It is also the only site I see on the major marine industry sites (BoatTrader, Yacht World etc...) which makes me feel better about it.
